They cut a hole in my house.
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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”.
Good job Rebekah, I love it! If you find that money tree, send me a cutting!
New title for you (lifted from the dumpster), Trash Pro! Garden Hoe? Onward Sew? Money Low?
Rebekah:
It is truly beautiful – I wanted to let you know how much I love reading your posts – I live in West Columbia, SC and love to garden, junk, and just got a vintage Beeline camper named Buttercup – thank you for sharing your life with us – you always send such inspiring words and cheer – the room is absolutely beautiful – I have a 3 year granddaughter (London Abigail) in San Francisco who loves horses – she lives near Golden Gate Park and has become friends with the retired service horses there.
Keep the wonderful posts coming!
Sharon
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh….so cozy and comfy, every picture shines with your
love for your new home and life!
There’s nothing like a fireplace to warm your home and your heart in the
winter!
Blessings from the Ozarks from Diana, Noel, Mo.
What a beautiful addition! I love that you honored the original house by keeping the wood siding for the wall and your view out those windows on the far end is just gorgeous! May you and yours "keep" for many happy years here.
Ok, not only do you have the HOUSE of my dreams. But you added teh KEEPING ROOM of my dreams. Have a wonderful life, make many wonderful memories, in this house, in this room. You are one lucky lady. : )
What color are your walls? I love it, too! I should turn my small little living room into a keeping room. It gets no use as it is and we have a family room or maybe I should change my family room to a keeping room? I adore yours.
OH KEEPING ROOM how inviting you are and the views from you your ‘eyes’ (windows) is so lovely. I too love the wall color and the DOOR – superb, superb. I, just yesterday finally got a 5 arm chandelier type ceiling light, that was in my Grandparents home for at least 60 years, hung in my master bedroom – I know the joy of getting ur done. You are doing the ‘ole gal’ proud and having the joy of doing it. Thanks for the pictures. I have been in that area several times and it has a smell about it that one can not forget, AHHH yes I can smell it now. Waiting for the next showing. God Bless
Absolutely beautiful! I’m glad you kept the siding! Well done! 🙂
Oh Rebecca, I simply ADORE your room. Can’t tell for sure but the paint looks like a green shade and it blends in so beautifully with the outdoors. Makes a person feel like they are part of it. Love the windows, the fireplace and the old siding also. Keep on "keeping on"…I think you’re making great progress.
It is magnificent…love that you kept the old wood siding. The stone work is beautiful. So glad you can build a fire and be warm and cozy while reading a great book or looking out at your farm dreaming dreams. Smiles…..
Such a beautiful room to keep your loved ones warm — I just love the simplicity of it. So excited to see how you fill it with your treasures. Loved the picture of you dumpster diving — it’s what I have done too — my husband just doesn’t understand the practicality of all the things I keep for future projects — but he enjoys the outcome!
Wonderful! Beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful job! I don’t think I would ever leave that room! Enjoy.
Oh, hee hee, every time you described the work going on, I thot, "I hope she kept that." And you did. I too have siding in my house. The house part is joined by an addition to the old South Beach Post Office part. In the various additions and remodels over the years, after being the PO, brilliant people kept some of the siding, which is from the 1950s. I love it. But your siding is fabulous.
The addition fits right in outside and looks great inside. Why can’t you get the other fireplaces to work?
Thank you Rebekah for sharing your adventures with us. I love the hardwood ceiling, fireplace and that you poly coated the old siding. Good luck with the completion….can’t wait to see it all put together. It looks like a dream come true!
Rebekah, that is such a seamless addition to your farmhouse, and you created such a cozy room with traditional flair. Can’t wait to see it furnished!
Absolutely beautiful! My kind of rustic, cozy ambiance! And I love a "keeping room", the sound of it, the meaning, the look, all of it! Well done, Rebekah!
I am jealous in the most positive way…..beautiful home in a beautiful part of the country. I love your changes to the old property and staying true to the old house. You get it! You go girl!
Love all your blogs, house Is gorgeous. You’re doing a beautiful job renovating/restoring it, thanks for sharing, your words are inspiring and always bring a smile to my face. All best to you and your family
hi,love what you have done,I am jealous,I can,t aford a decent house unless I marry it,I will never be able to earn enough for my dreams and its depressing.carol
The pictures of the your house and room additions are awesome!! The house looks beautiful on the outside surrounded by the landscape too!!
WOW What a beautiful room. So happy for you and your family. Don’t you just love the view through those big windows. Your Hubby had a beautiful vision. xxoo
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