There is one way and one way only to camp-out.
For real.
Here it is:
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Debbie Bosworth
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
Rebekah Teal
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
Cathi Belcher
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
Mary Murray
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
Alexandra Wilson
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Nicole Christensen
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
We went camping a couple of weeks ago, just before our older son left for China. I’d forgotten how hard the ground is. The boys, thank God, had all the gear and did most of the work. It had been so long since I did all that! But great bonding time, and we went during the week so it was quiet.
We went to Lake Jocassee in SC. That’s the lake with all the waterfalls falling into the water that can only be seen by boat. My husband has wanted to see it forever but we’d never been. The falls were spectacular! But a bit of a treasure hunt even though we had a map. I don’t think we ever would have found what ultimately became our favorite falls if another boat hadn’t been there as our ‘trail marker’.
I’m so glad you had fun!
Fabulous camping trip Rebekah. I love camping for the simpleness of it, the slowing down, back to nature aspect and the reconnecting with those who are with us and the savouring of the time. Looking forward to doing some this summer. I live in Australia.
I love the video too. Really struck a cord with me to really savour, experience and be grateful for every single moment of each day, thanks for the share.
Love your brave braid. Made me chuckle 🙂
Have a fully alive week
Denise
Rebekah,
We ( I ) haven’t camped in years. Almost 20 years, now that I think about it. We tried to camp when our kids were babies and we just weren’t cut out for tent camping with toddlers. I bet there’s been an entire library published on how to do it by now but, oh well. My husband has camped with out son at Boy Scout Camp and our daughter has camped out in the yard with friends a few times. It’s not ” her thing”. But my next door neighbors daughter ( who I believe is in her 20’s ) has camped out every Friday night in the backyard all summer long with her dog, Bella. I finally thought to give her my copy of Glamping With MaryJane so she’d have some fun reading to do by flashlight. She was so thrilled she gave me a big old hug! I think it’s wonderful you bribed your daughter to go camping with you and I’m glad she had the time of her life. 🙂 Sweet words indeed!
Keep on keeping on you brave, braid girl!!
Hugs from Deb, the Beach Farmgirl!
What a great camping trip! Even with the Brady Bunch. By the way, the middle boy’s name is Peter. I am so glad that your daughter is open to camping adventures. Sometimes we just need to unplug and sleep in a tent. I also want to thank you for that video. Makes me feel humble and grateful for this life and each day of it.
What a great time you must have had. I was a girl scout leader for many years and those pockets brought back memories. It is so much fun to camp out but lots of work getting ready but well worth it for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you got to go camping and happy that your daughter enjoyed it.
Rebekah, your mystery bird looks like a Double-crested Cormorant; a very common water bird.
Sounds like a great trip. I think the bird is a cormorant. Yes the ground is hard and I can’t sleep on it any more but all of us need nature more than we realize. Your daughter will remember the good stuff. Remember, farm girls are tough. Tee here.
So very happy you got to go camping and that your daughter enjoyed it too – this opens a whole new world of adventure. Thanks for sharing. God bless – oh my idea of camping is no less than Motel 8 – must be the age thing.
Packed up our homemade Redneck camper, and took off to meet our son and grandson in Disney Ok last week. Beautiful trip, beautiful memories made! I looked out in the night and our campground was invaded by raccoons, many of them, sniffing and being nosey thru all of our things!! So precious. There’s nothing like campfire coffee, pancakes and sausages, then we said our good byes. Just an overnight trip, but how special it was and will always be tucked away in my mind to go back and remember.
Hugs from Noel, Mo….diana
Thanks for sharing your camping experience. Talking about “the Brady Bunch” being right next to you reminds me of a time we were camping and thought similiar thoughts about those next to us. It turned out to be a wonderful evening of sitting around a fire with the dad of the group playing a small accordian and all of us singing. Made new friends and sm’ores!
Did your daughter still want to go to the mall? Bet it was not nearly as much fun!!
Really enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing that also.
The bird is a cormorant! Glad you had an excellent time. I too used to camp with my kiddos and loved every moment of it.
Best from Northern California
Definitely a cormorant!
Your bird was either a blue heron or an American bittern also known as a mud hen. Did you hear it?
Neat story I loved it fun!!
I loved your post! I haven’t gone camping in maybe 25 years… I believe you have converted me. [:)]
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