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**Welcome Wagon:  New farmgirl admirer  |
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cherryhillhouse
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Barb
Dorr
MI
USA
27 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 23 2005 : 08:57:34 AM
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My husband is a musician and he is always trying to convince me to perform as well. As I have absolutely NO musical talent, I tell him that every performer also needs a good admiring audience, and THAT'S my role. I get the same feeling when reading all these wonderful farmgirl chats -- like an admiring audience to all the wonderful things that farmgirls (and aspiring farmgirls) do. I was raised a city girl but have lived in a rural community for just 4 years, surrounded by small farms, attend a teensy country church populated with many farm families, and have just begun to learn the ways...I would love to have a little farm with some chickens and an alpaca or two but have to make do with a couple of little furball dogs, a whole lotta birds who come to our backyard feeders, and an organic garden. I can hear the cows and chickens down below the hill when I'm out in my yard, and I love to drive by the fields in the spring when the calves are out with their mums. I really enjoyed seeing everyones' animal pictures posted - especially those dressed in their Christmas finery. A friend taught me to knit and crochet last year, and I'm ordering up my first apron -- love that saying about life's messiness and aprons! I commute 21 miles to a big city hospital and always breathe a big sigh of relief when I see the first farm on my way home... And I attribute a lot of these inside changes at the age of 53 to my first look at the wonderful magalog - the issue about hands. As an amateur photographer, some photos just reach out to me, and those hands grabbed me. So thank you for all being you - I admire all of you and your accomplishments and look forward to joining in the fun.
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Snowden Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Mumsie
Valley
WA
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2005 : 09:24:36 AM
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Welcome Barb...what fun we are gonna have here, me thinks! My husband is a Pastor..and a musician, too. Over the years I have learned to join in and I found my own "voice" (the singing, that is)but I don't play any instruments...unless the radio counts! Then there are times I'm the "audience" to his talent. There are all kinds of "artists"..and being able to do photography is an art, too! Keep on creating using your very own talents! GB
Live simply... Love deeply...Hope forever! |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2005 : 10:12:24 AM
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Good to have you on board Barb. If we had no audiences we would have no musicians. YOur role is vital. I, like Mumsie have a pastor husband and oft times find myself in a supporting role. Yet, I have my areas to 'shine' as you do to. So let your little light shine, farmgirl!
Simply, Julia V.
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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owwlady
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Jan
Tomahawk
WI
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 07:57:12 AM
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| Hi Barb and Welcome. I'm also 53 and feel like I'm just starting to really know what I want from life, so I know what you mean about inside changes. I've learned so much from these farmgirls and learn more everyday. I know you'll have a good time here. |
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 08:31:12 AM
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Welcome Barb-where is Dorr, MI? I'm over here in the SW corner of MI. Glad to have you here and looking forward to hearing more about you. Enjoy!
Ellen in MI
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medievalcat
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Cynthia
White County
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 10:24:52 AM
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Hello Barb,
I'm glad you found your way here too. As a new person I was scared to post my first time but I'm so glad I did. Did you know the great chef Juliet Childs did not start her career as a chef until she was well into her 40's? I just turned 36 and I haven't found my road yet. But I look to Juliet and hope that as I wax in age my wisdom will grow and will my passions. I hope you come through your changes and see what a beautiful person you are!
I hope to see more of your posts!
Cynthia |
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manda
Farmgirl in Training
49 Posts
amanda
corralitos
cA
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 10:45:49 AM
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Welcome Barb! I made the decision to take the plunge with alpacas 5 years ago and have NO regrets. I was 30 with a one year old commuting 1 hour each way to the hospital I worked at and finally said I don't want to do this anymore! My husband was very supportive and said let's do it! I love living in the country and it adds so much to our quality of life. So dream big and take risks!! It is a wonderful life : 0 )
Manda |
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cherryhillhouse
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Barb
Dorr
MI
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 11:02:49 AM
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Ellen,
Dorr is in SW Michigan as well, almost equidistant between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Its actually a township - "downtown" is a four corners stop sign with gas station, fire station and bank. I just noticed today that you were a Michigander as well - where is Coloma?
Thank you, all, for your kind words of encouragement about late starts! What a great group you are.
All good things,
Barb
Manda,
I love that you have alpacas. I fell in love with them at the Allegan County Fiber Festival. We were walking through the barns and heard some alpacas humming! I walked over to the pen and started humming back and we went on like that for about 10 minutes. I don't know if we were actually communicating in some way but it felt like it.
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 1:07:18 PM
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Barb-you are not far away then. I'm 7 minutes inland from Lake MI-between Holland (30 minutes north) and Saint Joseph (20 minutes South to where I work). Sounds like you are in a nice little town. Coloma is nice also-it is known for Paw Paw Lake-lots of tourist in the summer months. I'm out in the country -rural roads, woods, fields and pastures surround me. Well, when I'm not at work! :)
Ellen in MI |
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 4:34:29 PM
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Hi Barb,
Welcome. This is such a great site. I think you'll really enjoy it.
Debbie
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2005 : 5:00:28 PM
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Welcome Barb - my daughter's husband is a pastor, and they sing together a lot. I know what it is to listen and love hearing your loved ones sing. Glad to have you!
"Sell cleverness and buy wonder" |
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jenny louise
True Blue Farmgirl
166 Posts
jennifer
cass city
MI
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2005 : 03:31:24 AM
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Welcome Barb, good to have you with us. I am also a michigander, living in the thumb. I go to wool shows too, but haven't been to allegan in several years, i never, ever miss northern wool and lamb though. Nice that you were wooed by alpacas, don't leave out the possibility of llamas, bigger but more reasonably priced and very wonderful also. I have six of them and 20-some sheep. Once you are bitten by the fiber bug,it is hard to resist the critters and fleeces and yummy tactile experiences!
Sounds like you have a paradise, look forward to hearing more from you...
Jenny |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2005 : 04:40:59 AM
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Ellen, is Deer Forest still in Coloma? I grew up in northern Indiana, and Deer Forest was heavily advertised there. After being what must've been a horrible nag, my parents agreed to take me to see it. I was in heaven; deer, alpacas, and llamas you could walk amongst. I saw my first white peacock there, and was enchanted. It cost twenty-five cents to get an ice cream cone full of deer chow, which I did. I held it up in the air to keep a little deer from helping himself, and a big llama figured it was his, and scarfed it right out of my hand.
Barb, I know we've spoken on other threads, but here's my official welcome!  |
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cherryhillhouse
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Barb
Dorr
MI
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2005 : 06:08:58 AM
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I had the same question about Deer Forest. Can't wait to hear the answer. We (me plus my 2 brothers and 1 sister) were thrilled to our very toes to be going there so many years ago and it was everything we had hoped for.
I have been in love with fiber-bearing animals since my first Allegan County Fiber Festival several years ago. Our vet has a llama and an alpaca and they are some of my very favorite photographic subjects, as are the lambs on a nearby farm. I had to learn how to needle felt, knit and crochet just so I could buy some of those incredible fibers.
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2006 : 12:13:42 PM
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Barb and Mary Ann-yes, Deer Forest is still here in Coloma. My DH and I rescued a tiny little fawn from wandering frantic and hungry alongside the road in the middle of the day and took her there a few years ago. We knew they would do good and they had a few other babies in the rescue area being bottle feed. The one we took joined right in.
Glad you enjoyed it-it is a fun place. Thanks for sharing your memories of it. :)
Ellen in MI |
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**Welcome Wagon: New farmgirl admirer |
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New farmgirl admirer
