I’ll spare you my sunsets, but I just have to share the great vintage farm finds that come my way.
For all you glamper types, the April/May 2009 issue of my magazine (Glamour Camping) had an adorable vintage lunch pail on page 95. Ice goes in the bottom compartment and sushi?????? in the top. It’s the perfect girlfriend gift for ONLY $18.95 plus shipping.
In the Oct/Nov issue of my magazine, “Attitude of Gratitude”, we put our home-grown, hand-dyed woolgirl on a swing that is part of a handmade basket 10 inches in diameter.
Cheryl says: This is really awesome. I have never seen anything quite like it, Love to win it!
I found my wooly Willie a wooly-eyed friend. First thing he sheepishly said to Willie was, “pull my finger.”
Actually, it was “pull my tail.”
He did.
Susy says: he played his first professional gig with a local polka band
Rachel says: Willie Nelson’s first professional gig was at a local dance when he was ten.
Lora says: He gave his first public performance at four, and worked his first professional gig at a local dance when he was ten.
Jo Runnion says: He gave his first public performance at four, and worked his first professional gig at a local dance when he was ten.
Jane says: Looks like Susy is our winner! Willie’s first professional gig? He played with a polka band when he was in the 6th grade (inside source).
Nancy Buck says: Willie’s first professional gig with was with a local polka band. …
Susy says: Thanks Jane! I can’t wait to see this cute lil guy!
In the next issue of our magazine, “Imagine a Place” Oct/Nov 2011, we’re featuring the adorable, traditional, much-loved Sun Bonnet Sue.
This handmade tablecloth, 35 inches x 35 inches, could be yours for $18. We’ll throw in a copy of “The World According to Mister Rogers (Important Things to Remember)” by Fred Rogers.
Laurie Dimino says: MaryJane and Brian-
Just had to say how “excited” I am that I was the “winner” of Sun Bonnet Sue! I received her in the mail the other day and she is even more beautiful in person! She reminds me of the old Holly Hobby dolls, and resembles a Holly Hobby Christmas ornament that I still hang on my tree every year since I was just 5 years old. I adore this treasure and cant thank you enough! So much fun to see what other goodies you will post…its a whole new form of “thrifting”, and benefits such a wonderful cause. What a great idea!
MaryJane says: Thank you for your donation to firstbook.org! No, thank you for our FIRST donation to firstbook.org!!!! We’re on a roll now. If you can call our office tomorrow and ask for son, Brian, you’ll be whisked off your feet when you see how darling and so very handmade your new treasure is.
MJ – Just got off the phone with Brian. He’s wonderful at customer service! I am really jazzed about my cutie-pie whisk broom that is already on its way to me but also that I am your first firstbook.org donation. You are genius and this is win-win-win. Thank you so very much.
Oh, the wisk broom holder is fabulous! What a great purchase Karen England!!! 🙂
MaryJane, I love my whisk broom and holder! It is even more wonderful than I imagined. I sent you a photo of it in my new utility closet via email because I’m pretty sure I can’t comment here with pictures. Was my new broommate a prop in something? I have most everything of yours- books, mags, etc… and have been looking but haven’t found it yet. It is my new game…
Cheers!
#89
Jane says: It was meant to be … yours! We’re thinking it was used in an Everyday Organic newspaper column. We’ll check on that. We’re sure it’s in its permanent home now. Thanks for the pic. Sweep dreams.
On p. 90 of my third book, MaryJane’s Outpost—Unleashing your Inner Wild, there’s a photo of a vintage radio.
It could be yours for only $32! All proceeds (minus shipping and packing) will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The first person to call the farm and talk with Brian, 208-882-6819 and pony up a credit card, becomes the new owner of a little bit of herstory. Shipping will be either USPS or UPS, our choice. No returns.
(Note: Radio, like my Willie, is the silent type, even though it still has all its speaking parts and a cord. Maybe you can get it talking again!)
Okay, this is off topic. But because it involves the glamorous Willie and the use of proper grammar, I’m going to call it:
GLAMMAR Lesson # 1:
I Only Have Eyes for Willie
(Technically this could be a Great Find or a Giveaway. I‘m sure you’ll let me know if it’s of value to you. It’s technically just for me. Only me? You decide. Smiley face.)
Ready? Here goes.
I only want to talk to my Willie … if only I could figure out what that means!
Have you ever noticed how the word “only” likes to wander where it shouldn’t?
(“Even,” “still,” and “just,” have this problem, too.)
But wanderlust notwithstanding, each “only” is like a chicken run amok in the lettuce bed—you have just GOT to reign that bugger in! Here, I’ll show you:
MaryJane only wanted to talk to her Willie. (Yeah, I JUST wanted to talk to him!)
MaryJane wanted only to talk to her Willie. (And I wanted nothing else!)
MaryJane wanted to talk only to her Willie. (Everyone else should march a great distance through a rural area.)
MaryJane wanted to talk to her only Willie. (I’ve only got one Willie. And I wanted to talk to him.)
MaryJane wanted to talk to her Willie only. (Only … what? He was busy singing? He was buried at the bottom of my purse and his screams were muffled by the vintage wallpaper squares I’d just scored?)
While each sentence is technically correct, those delicate variations really change the meaning. And we can’t afford to be unclear where Willie’s concerned.
My advice? We need to reread sentences with “only” and make sure it refers to the right word or phrase. If we’re really not sure, we can always take the easy way out: eliminate “only” altogether. Most times, we’ll still get our point across. Like so:
MaryJane wanted to talk to her Willie. (Still works! Am I helpful or what? Don’t answer that.)
But as for catching wayward chickens in the lettuce bed … that’s up to you and only you.
Ever messed up “only” with hilarious results?
carolj says: Love the grammar comment. If only I can remember to share it with my high school English students. . . . It reminded me of Mark Twain saying that to improve writing insert the word “damn” every time you want to write “very.” You would never use the d-word that many times. Remove it and your writing will be just write. Oh, there’s the “just” word.
Good one!
How about this here?
Do you want this here one?
Do you want this one here?
Hum….
Alee says: What a wonderful blog. I enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud several times. Nora asked me what was so funny!
I, too, am a word fiend!
I am TOO a word fiend!
I am a word fiend, too!
I can tell I’m going to enjoy this part, Mary Jane.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
I just left an after hours message for Brian that I want to pony up the money for this prop from my fav MJF issue (well, they are all my fav’s but I was published by you in this one and it is a special memory for this “Happy Glamper”). Here’s hoping I’m the first one on Brian’s list of messages tomorrow!
It’s only fitting that our girlfriend lunch pail find a new home with you. Thanks Karen!!!!! Always good to hear from you.