From Democracy to Idiocracy

It has been said that ‘Three generations away from the family farm leads to the end of common sense as we know it’. The Mountain Farmgirl fears this is all too true. Take a peek at some modern day examples of our national decline in rational thinking, and why the Farmgirl sisterhood is such a refreshing antidote to contemporary incompetence in ‘From Democracy to Idiocracy’ …

WARNING: Reading this blog may cause serious doubts as to the intelligence and the future of   the human race.

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Ask and Ye Shall Receive ... Eventually!

So many questions, so many answers left unsaid … The Mountain Farmgirl delights in reading all the responses to her blogs from kindred spirits throughout the land. However, there never seemed to be enough time to answer the questions sometimes asked of her. She has habitually set them on the backburner to answer “later” when she can address them properly … (and we all know what can happen to even the best of intentions). Join her as she fires up that back burner, puts some closure to those old and probably long-forgotten questions, and promises more timely responses in the future… in Ask and Ye Shall Receive … Eventually!

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A Pause For Reflection

The rush is over … the presents unwrapped, and the New Year a whole week away. How will you spend these ‘bonus’ days of 2011? Feet up, enjoying a well-deserved rest? Feeling guilty for all the ‘should-haves’ that never got done?  Setting some no-regret goals for the future? The Mountain Farmgirl sees them as a unique opportunity to appeal to our ‘better selves’ without beating ourselves up in the process. Come join her in a brief “Pause for Reflection”…

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Culinary Carpentry

The Mountain Farmgirl may have an ‘Edifice Complex’, (she always seems to be building something!) … but this time it’s in her kitchen!  Join her there as she undertakes her annual culinary carpentry project in time for the holidays, while the spicy aroma of warm gingerbread wafts through the house!

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Christmas Critters

‘Mother Nature’ …  she’s one of the most inspired of all artists! Join the Mountain Farmgirl for a new twist on some nature-inspired Christmas tree decorations that you and your family can make at home, and treasure for years to come!

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Getting a Jump on the Rush

Ever tell yourself that “next year” will be different … that this time you won’t put off holiday preparations until the last minute? This Farmgirl is tired of the typical holiday frenzy and harried hospitality that often accompanies the Christmas season, and this year is determined to do something about it!  Join the Mountain Farmgirl as she Gets a Jump on the Rush…

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Time for the Fair!

When the leaves are drenched with color, and birds start flocking in the yard … when there’s frost upon the pumpkin and a nip in the morning that lets you see your breath, (telling you, of course, that it’s time to bring the quilts back out of the attic to air) … then you know it’s … Time for the Fair!  Join Mountain Farmgirl Cathi Belcher as she discovers the old-fashioned, homespun fun of a good old-time country fair!

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The Return of the Pumpkin People

The population of Jackson, NH, where I live, consists of about 884 Yankees and other assorted folks. Unless it happens to be the month of October, that is, in which case the head count swells to a whopping 932  … or thereabouts! The reason?  Pumpkin People!! Check out this year’s zany crop of vegetal vagabonds in the Mountain Farmgirl’s account of  “The Return of the Pumpkin People” …

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Lets Talk Prairie

The Mountain Farmgirl has had a lifelong passion for the Little House books and for pioneer life in general (of which the Mary Jane World was just a natural extension). Far from being alone in this, she discovered this week that there are some whose obsession runs as deeply as hers … or even deeper! Join the Mountain Farmgirl as she courts this deeply-ingrained farmgirl obsession in, “Let’s Talk Prairie!”

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Sacred Objects

Like Farmgirls everywhere, The Mountain Farmgirl  tries to ‘Be Prepared’ and ready for almost any emergency … but her “Go Bag” by the door has some most unexpected items! Please join her as she shares some of its more unusual contents!

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Cathi Belcher

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.”

Column content copyright © 2010– Cathi Belcher. All rights reserved.

Mountain Bounty

“Keep close to Nature’s heart ... and break clear away once in awhile to climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, to wash your spirit clean.”
– John Muir