What a lovely shop! I wish it was much closer… I’m in TN.
I have a friend who lives in Boise ~ I’ll mention it to her! 🙂

When we were first married…….38 years ago…….a family with a little boy lived next door to us. My husband had been outside many times doing this, that or the other thing and the little boy had been out there watching him. One day while my husband was at work, there was a small knock at the door and when I went to the door there stood the little neighbour boy. He wanted to know if my “hubsand” could come out and play? So, among my favourite names for him, Hubsand is still one of them.

Cute nicknames for your husband. Love it. Noted down to call my husby 🙂

Your words of wisdom have filled me since I first started reading them in the first issue 2002 ? I’m now here on my own farm, living off grid, growing my own food, flowers, bread and eggs. Even trying to write as you suggested to me.

Your voice is gracious and inspiring and timely, yet the best thing is that it feels like I’m visiting with a friend . So consanguinity to all us farmgirls. So glad to read more of your inspired thoughts in these dark days. I hope I can pass it on in my life in even a small way.

Welcome to the world of blogging!
When I received your Lifebook three years ago, I never thought of where it would lead me. I knew as I read it the first time that I was holding the book that put together the pieces of my random thoughts on the changes my Sweetheart and I were wanting to make in our lives. We were living in a Denver suburb just coasting through life like everyone around us. But we wanted more. A lot more. And it started, oddly enough, with wanting less. Less stuff, less busyness, less buying and more making. We began a massive purge of belongings and felt so much freer for it.
In our quest to simplify, we looked long a hard and not just our possessions, but what kind of a life we wanted to live. Over the next few months, I read more and more and learned, mostly from blogs, how to make many of the things I had been buying. And I shared what I was learning and doing on my blog.
Fast forward three years. (Those three years and the changes are listed in blog posts under the page Simple Living Posts at the top of the blog for anyone interested!) We are now living on a farm. In a little town in Idaho, of all places, with our three kids, two goats and five chickens. We moved in January. We’re growing everything organically and loving our new life. It’s hard. Very hard some days. But I’d never go back!
I now make almost everything we eat and use from scratch. From milling the wheat for all our baked goods, to making our lotions, herbal balms, and more, to milking my goat twice a day, and canning and preserving food, my days are filled with wonder (and work).
In fact, I have pickles processing right now on the stove and a few gallons of plums I picked to preserve tomorrow. But I make sure to take the time to pick flowers, go on solitary hikes in the forest down the street, forage for food, and relax in my hammock. You’ve inspired me to life a life I had once only dreamed of and to blog about it! Thank you, MaryJane and all the Farmgirls out there who have showed me it can be done!

I don’t think I have ever heard the word “sibship” before! I like it! Just read every post after having discovered your new blog. Inspiration and so sweet. Thanks so much for sharing – I’ll be watching for you on the airwaves!

How sweet!! I was wondering how that turned out. My daughter and I were visiting at the farm at the time Kim and MJ were talking about buying another bovine! Glad she’s safely “home”.

I have wanted to see your place for a long time! It is so good to get a peek. This week at the church, I had a “light” delight happen too. On our stainless steel elevator door was a reflected shimmering cross. It was the reflection of the cross cut into the church door with the sun shining through and hitting it just right. How I wished for my camera then! Love you blog, and will be a faithful follower!

jpbluesky

So happy for you and your design team. I would love to hear Carol’s laugh in person one day…lol We live in a log home that we have been building for over 15 years with very minimal debt only at times we felt absolute necessary. So far baseboards and trim haven’t been considered necessary…lol….I personally have decided to find baseboards and trim overrated anyhow:) Thank you for sharing your life with me and my family. What you do matters to us greatly. Looking forward to your next issue always, Raynita

I’m so glad you all have been able to move in! It such a delightful pleasure to have been given the tour while we were visiting the farm in July . . . just before you were to start moving in! It’s BEAUTIFUL!
It’s spacious, and gloriously creative and colorful! YAY for all of you!!!

Unbelievable! I have wondered about your production team.