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**Welcome Wagon:  Hello! So happy I found MJFG!  |
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suburbanhomestead
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Amanda
Knoxville
TN
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - May 24 2006 : 10:42:42 AM
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Hello all! I'm looking forward to sharing and becoming a member of this community! I've supressed my inner farmgirl for years, and I finally got to the point where I said "NO MORE!"
I grew up in East TN in a rural suburb, no farm. The farm was at my grandparents house 30 minutes drive away. My grandfather was a botany teacher at the local high school, and sold vegetables and flowers from their farm and greenhouses in his retirement. My grandmother helped on the farm for their entire married life. She was a "transplanted" farmgirl from Brooklyn, NY. She met my grandfather when he was in the Marines. She had her own brand of "make-do" as an Italian-Catholic kid from an immigrant family. She was one of fourteen children in a two bedroom apartment during the depression! As a child I would spend weekends and summers at the farm, helping water the plants and making change for the customers who drove up the long driveway to buy produce. In the evenings my grandmother would make fresh spaghetti sauce from the abundance of tomatoes grown on the farm. Lots of warm memories there.
My other grandparents (on my mother's side) were immigrants as well, from small mining towns in Scotland. They grew up, met, and married in Yonkers, NY. My grandfather came to Oak Ridge, TN to work on the Manhattan Project. They had a small veggie garden, but my grandma was mostly into flowering plants, baking, and sewing. I learned most of my homemaking lessons from her, and also inherited her frugal tendancies, stubborn nature and stick-to-it-iveness.
In my teens, the name of the game was to get to the city and deny your rural roots. I married young, to a soldier, and traveled with him for five years. We lived in El Paso, TX, then in Germany for 3.5 years. It was a wonderful time for us. I learned alot and saw the world like I'd wanted to, but we both knew at the end of his service committment that we wanted to come back to our beloved Tennessee mountains. We went to college, got office jobs, bought a house in the suburbs, and had a child. After about 5 years of "corporate" life beating me down, I decided I hated it and quit my very secure job to become a massage therapist. It was a VERY scary move for me. It has only been six months, but I've never looked back! I'm a nuturer and a healer, and I love being intimately connected to people. I also find myself surrounded by people who want to live life more simply, more naturally through honest, hard work, "wholistic" health, organic foods and environmentally friendly products. I'm in heaven!!!! I can finally be the real me! I checked MJ's ideabook out of the library and flipped through it, then walked outside and started digging an 8 x 10 vegetable garden. I'm 3 days into it and I'm so inspired and at peace with myself.
My goal is to start my own Massage Therapy practice, and also begin a "Suburban Farmgirl" business. I'd like to start with some hand embroidered items, then bottle up homemade cleaning products, and maybe sell some produce too. All in time. Looking forward to meeting you all! --Suburban Homesteader (Amanda) |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2006 : 11:27:04 AM
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Amanda -
Wow,you're an inspiration. I think you will enjoy this site alot. There are many gals you have wonderful ideas and advice and many who have their own homespun businesses too. Welcome to the site, can't wait to hear more about your new garden and soon to be new massage practice.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2006 : 11:30:26 AM
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WElcome Amanda! Wow! You have had quite a "ride" to get to your farmgirl self..I love it! Sounds like you are finally where you should be..including here! It will be fun to get to know you here.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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JudyBlueEyes
True Blue Farmgirl
657 Posts
Judith
Spokane
Washington
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2006 : 12:03:09 PM
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Welcome, Amanda! I wish you were closer, you'd have a massage therapy customer in me...Look forward to seeing you around the Farm - and have fun with your garden! Judy
The Rooster crows, but the Hen lays the egg. ~ Texas Proverb |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2006 : 2:22:53 PM
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Welcome Amanda! Wow, do you come from good, hardy farmgirl genes! You will fit right in!
Karin |
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sugarsfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Leah
Woodward
Iowa
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2006 : 9:57:33 PM
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You sound wonderful Amanda!! Welcome! See ya around the forum!
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 11:15:27 AM
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Amanda,
You'll fit right in. And ditto what Judy said - I'd definitely be a customer too!
Welcome.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 11:53:21 AM
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Welcome, Amanda - the "suburban farmgirl" sounds wonderful! Oh, and a good massage?!?!?Heavenly!!! Glad to have you around - you're going to love it here.
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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FarrarFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lynda
Frohna
Missouri
USA
330 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 1:47:51 PM
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Welcome, Amanda,
I love to see the journey that it takes for people to arrive and grow into who they really are and you have certainly done that with flying colors. Thanks for sharing and joining this lovely group of farm girls and farmgirls at heart. Can't wait to hear more about your adventures and progress. Blessings in all that you are doing to further your dreams.
In His hands,
Lynda L.
Pray in faith and you will not live in doubt.
www.pamperedchef.biz/lorenzfamilycooks |
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MichelleTN
True Blue Farmgirl
118 Posts
Michelle
TN
USA
118 Posts |
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EnchantedWoodsGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
959 Posts
Kathy
New Jersey
USA
959 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2006 : 6:31:13 PM
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Hi Amanda - how do you like being a massage therapist? I went to school for that and learned how to do a Swedish massage but had to drop out due to my fibromyalgia and the pain it was causing me. I felt so connected when I was caring for people, but everything happens for a reason and I ended up working from home and having a lifestyle I truly love.
Ahhh, no longer supressing your inner farmgirl - it's a good thing. You will love this forum and all the wonderful women who make life so interesting with their diversified lives and talents.
Be sure to go to The Collector's Treasure Chest and let us all know the top five things you collect - that way when one of us sees something at a flea market or yardsale or our own home that we want to share, we will email you and send it to you.
There is also a contest run daily listed under teacup and saucer exchange - we have that well underway and it is a fun contest and a fun way to add to your teacup and saucer collection!
Welcome from the Pines of NJ 
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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knittingmomma
True Blue Farmgirl
106 Posts
Tonya
Vermont
106 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2006 : 10:02:31 AM
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Welcome Amanda! It is so true that you can be a farmgirl no matter your physical situation!
We made the move to northeastern Vermont last fall and our dream was an old farmhouse on acres... we ended up getting a house to rent on just about an acre in a village. We are growing 1/2 acre of produce/flowers, have our chickens, a shop in our barn offering organic coffee, organic baked goods, fibers, hand made products and of course our produce (our lettuce is in!). It is amazing what you can do right where you are when you set your mind to it.
Congratulations and can't wait to get to know you better.
Warm wishes,
Tonya - Simple Living Mom of 5
Natural Earth Farm - A Village Homestead making handcrafted goods of natural fibers - http://www.naturalearthfarm.com |
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**Welcome Wagon: Hello! So happy I found MJFG! |
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Hello! So happy I found MJFG!
