Dear sisters,
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“
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
”
~ Mark TwainDebbie 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.’”
Column contents © Deb Bosworth. All rights reserved.
Being a farmgirl is not
about where you live,
but how you live.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.
Column contents © Rebekah Teal. All rights reserved.
“
Keep close to Nature’s heart … and break clear away once in awhile to climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, to wash your spirit clean.
”
~ John MuirCathi 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.”
Column contents © Cathi Belcher. All rights reserved.
“
Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
”
~ Anthony J. D’AngeloDori 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.
Column contents © Dori Troutman. All rights reserved.
Shery Jespersen
Previous Ranch Farmgirl,
Oct 2009 – Nov 2013Wyoming cattle rancher and outpost writer (rider), shares the “view from her saddle.” Shery is a leather and lace cowgirl-farmgirl who’s been horse-crazy all of her life. Her other interests include “junktiques,” arts and crafts, glamping, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.
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.”
Column contents © Mary Murray. All rights reserved.
Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.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!
Column contents © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.
Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys—as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.
René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.
Farmgirl spirit can take root anywhere—dirt or no dirt.
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”.
Column contents © Nicole Christensen. All rights reserved.
Paula Spencer
Previous Suburban Farmgirl,
October 2009 – October 2010Paula is a mom of four and a journalist who’s partial to writing about common sense and women’s interests. She’s lived in five great farm states (Michigan, Iowa, New York, Tennessee, and now North Carolina), though never on a farm. She’s nevertheless inordinately fond of heirloom tomatoes, fine stitching, early mornings, and making pies. And sock monkeys.
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Archives
Oh thanks, I’ve been needing an Antiquing outing and this has got the juices flowing for my Farmgirls Antiquing/Thrift/Junk shopping outing coming up soon. Your booth is superb. I’ve been ‘needing’ some different looks in my house, so been going through boxes – yupper found a few – ahhh the joy. Again – thanks and will be looking forward to your next visit. God Bless.
Your outing sounds like the perfect thing to do with you farmgirl gal pals…That’s great you found some fun " new " things to decorate with at home! Love that!
Thanks for reading! xo Deb
Your post make me wish for a road trip out east for spring. The new booth is great, good luck with it.
Come on girl! Thanks for the good wishes! xo Deb
Are you going to tell us how to find your booth? I would love to add it to my list of places to visit for my next trip to the Cape!
Oh sure Lisa! I guess that would be a good idea! I’ll edit my post for all to see! Thanks!
Deb
Hey Deb, I always enjoy your postings so much. My husband & I opened our "dream antique" store in 2005 but due to some health problems all our treasures sit in our back yard shop. We had so much fun collecting for over 30years before we opened. Good luck with your shop. I look forward to seeing more of your goodies.
Hi Doris,
Well, thanks! I’m sorry to hear you had to close up shop.. The fun IS in the hunting isn’t it? Thanks for reading as always… xo Deb
I want to be there right now! I want to breathe in those antique aromas and touch those pretty linens in your booth. Looks amazing! I want that white Diner pitcher also. You are making me want to find a booth somewhere and start filling it up. I miss the hunt and arranging the pretties and sweet junk. So proud of you!……..Raynita. (Smiling in Oklahoma)
Hi Raynita! Glad I could get your juices going… I stopped playing with these sorts of things when the kids came along 17 years ago, but now that they are older my interest has come back… Having fun! Go find a booth so you can play too!
🙂 xo Deb
Did you say TWO floors of antiques!? How can you stand it with all that eye candy. So many things bring back warm memories of years gone by. My girls are always telling me I have too much stuff. So, I riffle through and donate and have garage sales. But, then the urge is upon me to be out hunting and sifting through things for that one more amazing item. I have so much fun and satisfaction doing it. Can’t wait to visit your shop and see the town of Plymouth.
Your shop is looking great.
Merrilyn
YES! TWO floors!!! Looking forward to your visit Merrilyn!
xo Deb
Hello Deb, Love Love Love the shop. You keep me going wanting to do a booth myself. I have been thinking and dreaming and thinking and dreaming…..OK maybe it is time to quit thinking and dreaming and start doing. lol. I went with my friend the other day to visit some shops here in Salisbury and Lexington NC, and saw some really great stuff. I hadn’t really thought about a booth before just been thinking about a shop but now I am re-thinking that a booth might be the way for me to go. It seems more attainable for me.hmmmm!!!! I may have to just plan our camping trip with our new/vintage camper out your way. I do love MA, and we have been to Plymouth a few times, did not realize that was where you are. Send directions to the shop and maybe I will see you in Sept. Keep us posted. Be Blessed. Neta
Hi Neta! I think a booth is a great way to start… it’s low risk, not as expensive and you don’t have to be on sight all day! I hope you take the plunge! It’s fun! September is my favorite month here in MA… If you come this way there is beautiful camp ground called Bourne Scenic Park along the Cape Cod Canal you should check out! It’s a short drive to down town Plymouth from there!
Hope to see you and best with your new booth! 🙂
xo Deb
I like to think I am a simplify kind of gal, but the corners and shelves of collectibles would state other wise! I have moved a lot in my life and have to get rid of so much stuff, that it amazes me how much I end up accumulating once settled again. O well…. 🙂
What funnnnn. My farmgirl pals were scheduled to go on an antique hunting safari this past weekend, an overnighter in an adjoining suite! BUT, snow packed icey roads put a halt to the plan. Poo! Your blog offered up a fun ‘fix’ for cabin fever that we were cheated out of. Thanks for the tour! Best wishes for your success. If I had a booth in an antique mall, I fear that I would spend more than I make :o)
Oh, POO is right! Darned weather…I’m already having seperation anxiety with some of the items I’ve gathered for my booth as well has having my eye on other goodies! YIKES! Thanks for the visit and the good wishes… xo Deb