Monthly Archives: January 2013

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You’ve Got Mail

“I just found your website and I can’t wait to scour it with a fine tooth comb! I started renovating a 1972 Frolic last spring and I am planning to finish up the work this spring. Still trying to get to the bottom of a bathroom leak before I button the inside work up and move to the outside. Can’t wait to paint her pink and white. Thought you might want a sneak peak of my work, so I’ve included a few photos of my renovation.

I’ve also included a link to photos I took of all the vintage campers at the Tin Can Tourists Vintage Camper Show that was in the Finger Lakes last fall. Great inspiration! Looking forward to celebrating International Glamping Weekend with the rest of the girls!”

Eileen
The Joy of Caking

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Thanks for the e-mail, Eileen, and for your photos below. They are fantastic. Let the countdown to International Glamping Weekend begin!

Here are some before and after pictures of Eileen’s Pink Paradise:

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Working Farmer Style (Gangnam Style Parody)

The brothers who made the parody video, I’m Farming and I Grow it, are back for yet another clean-humored video. Gangnam style.

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Relaxation Merit Badge

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,690 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,500 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life

For this week’s Make It Easy/Relaxation Merit Badge, I thought I had it made in the shade. That’s right, girls, how hard can it be to relax?! I mean, seriously, this badge was in the bag, so to speak.

I was blindsided however, by the sneaky difficulty of relaxing. The insidious lurking feeling that I must be doing something. The niggling notion that I couldn’t turn my brain off.

I first realized how hard this was going to be on me when I found myself with my Blackberry in hand, scheduling my five-minute period of relaxation.

Um, grammar isn’t my strong suit, but isn’t that some sort of oxymoron, or something? Like a jumbo shrimp, or all-natural artificial flavor, or “a little bit pregnant,” or specifically vague?

Sighing at how in over my noggin I was, I scheduled my five minutes of relaxation right after my Hot Yoga class, but before my appointment at the The Doggy Beauty Parlor. Ms Twinkles is overdue for a grooming and a toenail clipping. I swear, that dog takes tap dancing to a whole new height on my hardwood floors at 3 a.m.  My Pomeranian thinks she’s Gene Kelly.

I found myself looking forward all day to my appointment with Relaxation. That’s right, I thought of Relaxation as a person I was meeting. Perhaps a long lost girlfriend, or a grandmotherly type, or a tanned cabana boy … ahem. Back to the badge at hand!

After Hot Yoga, I kinda wished I’d scheduled a few minutes to die properly. I had sweated away buckets, which sadly, in the world of physical fitness, meant I probably worked off half a blueberry muffin (sans butter). But, no matter! I had time to shower off, and then I found a perfect spot to meet with my elusive and mysterious Relaxation.

Evidently, Relaxation is not a punctual guy. I laid down in my favorite recliner and waited for him to arrive. Would he be soothing and gentle? Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Have a pencil thin mustache? My mind whirled. My thoughts swirled.

I. Could. Not. Find. The. Off. Switch. To. My. Brain.

ARGH! Stop thinking, Jane! I told myself, fiercely. Just relax! Relax! RELAX RIGHT NOW!

This badge was going to take longer than five minutes. This whole process was new to a get up and go kinda girl. I was lost. I decided to research a bit on the benefits of relaxation and the health hazards of stress. Turns out, the smartest, most successful, and happiest people in the world know the importance of little things like:

  • saying “No” occasionally
  • not over-committing
  • getting a full night’s sleep (No, not just on the weekends! Every night!)
  • recognizing what stresses you out and eliminating it
  • surrounding yourself with your definition of beauty

Huh! Who knew, right? I always figured the most successful people were the ones running around like chickens with their heads cut off, having a million and one things to do, and people to hire to do it! Maybe after I redefine what relaxation means to me, I can redefine what success means to me …

Whoa. Getting deep here. Suddenly, I felt a weight off my chest. I felt lighter. More energized. Less stressed. Could it be *gulp* that I did it?! I calmed down, and (dare I say it?) relaxed?

And I didn’t even have to schedule it this time.

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WINNER!!!! Giveaway: Sweater Shawl

Thanks to all those who did the “like” thing on the MaryJanesFarm Facebook page!

Before I tell you who won, have you heard the one about the cop and the knitting driver?

A cop was patrolling the beltway and saw a minivan driving somewhat erratically, so he flashed his lights. The van didn’t pull over, so he drove up beside it and motioned to the driver for her to pull over. He saw what the problem was; she was knitting! He motioned again, so she rolled down the window. He yelled out his window, “Pull over!” She yelled back, “No, cardigan!”

Hope you didn’t “cast-off” that joke as t-o-o corny. Now, onto our winner.

She is …

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Giveaway: Glamper’s Calendar

Glamper calendars? Check.

Helping victims of Hurricane Sandy? Check. (If I recall correctly, more than $1,000 was raised.)

Giving away extra calendar. Check.

Loving the nature of a helping hand. Priceless.

I first heard about the Glamper’s Calendar from Kelle Arvay, Farmgirl Sister #4447, of Little Vintage Trailer. You may remember Kelle streaming in during my mother’s visit to the Hallmark Home & Family show last year. (Here is the video.) Kelle added her efforts to promote the calendar last November to help those that were caught in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Her picture (below) is one of the photos for the month of April. Va-voom, lady!

Unfortunately, the date to purchase the calendar has passed. However, lucky for one of you, we have an extra calendar to give away so you won’t have to miss all the lovely contributors and their vacations-on-wheels. Glamper chic!

To be entered to win, e-mail us a picture of your version of glamping to glamping@maryjanesfarm.org. We’ll post some pics and from there we’ll pick a winner to receive the calendar.

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Self-sufficiency

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,690 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,500 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life

Now that I’ve cultivated my green thumb with my ever-so-lovely herb garden, it was time to dry some herbs and package them as gifts for this beginner-level Self-Sufficiency Badge. There’s nothing better than a DIY gift, I always say, and these were going to be fabulous.

My marjoram and thyme and basil were pretty much out of control. Those babies were over-running my kitchen windowsill. They were like weeds, only much more fragrant and tasty. They grew at a phenomenal rate, kinda like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors, only they hadn’t eaten anyone (yet).

My parsley was a little peaked, I must confess, and my cilantro was hit and miss. I also had a couple of different kinds of oregano, a rosemary tree (that I may or may not have to decorate), and a gorgeous batch of velvety sage, not to mention some beautiful dill that had me craving pickles every time I walked by.

I’m telling you what, girls, if you want your home to smell like a Williams-Sonoma store or a Yankee Candle shop, then get thee to a seed store, posthaste! My kitchen always smells amazing, if I do say so myself (and I do).

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