Meet My New Friends on YouTube : Part One

During quarantine, there have been days when I want a bit of "noise" in the house or just a quick break - a mind rest from writing. Yet I am not in the mood for music, regular television programming, or the news. And movies? Well, they're too much of a commitment. 

Although I have always been the person who can entertain herself and don't need to rely on others, sometimes I want to be entertained by someone new and interesting, but just for a few minutes. Again, not looking for a commitment, especially when I am busy writing working on chapters or articles.

So one day while I was searching YouTube adding to my playlist of music I discovered a few interesting sites, and before I knew it I found a group of new friends such as Lori, Shaye, Annabel, Jeri, Molly, Jonna, and Angela to name a few. 

These women are a dedicated and talented group who have invited us into their homes while sharing their talents from gardening, baking/cooking/canning, making herbal potions, collecting and decor ideas, art, and photography. Besides their YouTube channels, some also keep blogs and Patreon platforms. Many of these channels are visually stunning and often with soothing music in the background.  Let me introduce you to a few... 

Mrs. Lori of Whippoorwill Holler  shares her homestead with "Mr. Brown." These high school sweethearts sold their ranch and built a cabin in the woods of Northeast Arkansas after their adult children flew the coop. I happened to stumble across this channel and what drew me in was her collection of fantastic antique bowls, crocks, and dishes Mrs. Lori was using in her cooking. She shares her garden projects, her new guest cottage, her chickens, and her love of antiques. The former lunch lady even shares some of her school cafeteria recipes like pizza, peanut butter bars, and cinnamon rolls. Once in a while, Mr. Brown (Danny) will join her in visiting with their audience. It's reminiscent of sitting around a campfire listening to some of your favorite relatives share their stories from the country. 

The Elliott Homestead is located near "my neck of the woods." Shaye and Stuart's 1909 farmhouse is tucked around the orchard hills near Wenatchee, WA. They grow their own food on two-and-a-quarter acres of land while tending to their large variety of farm animals along with raising four children. Shaye shares her cooking, bread baking, and food preservation tips from their kitchen and root cellar. Shaye not only stays busy on the farm but in her "free time" she is also an entrepreneur selling her cookbooks and essential oils. The Elliott Homestead also has a blog with the same name. 

Somewhere in Wisconsin lies a farm with a Parisian attitude. Angela of Parisienne Farmgirl isn't from France, but she did spend a few of her young adult years there bringing back home with her a French attitude to her future farm life that she would eventually share with her husband and six children. Just when I thought I knew all of the French kitchen terms, I learned between Angela and Shaye Elliott the term "potager" as in kitchen gardens. The Parisienne Farmgirl takes us along with her as she decorates, renovates, cooks, and "entrepreneurs" all while wearing the perfect shade of lipstick while sipping red wine. Check out her website for recipes and to learn more about "potager" gardening. 

In the countryside of Wicklow, Ireland is Fairyland Cottage. Niamh shares with her viewers how to live a simple, slow, and sustainable lifestyle.  She creates natural low to zero waste products, and offers recipes from loaves of bread and spreads to natural self-care and house cleaning products. Her Irish accent is infectious as I look forward to hearing her tagline she starts with every video, "Hello, and Welcome to Fairyland Cottage." The videography is far from amateurish, and my favorite scenes are those she shares from her garden and the walks in the nearby woods. They are so well done, I find myself looking for fairies. Niamh is currently a new author offering insight into her lifestyle. More information can be found on her website. 

Now, this is my kind of "reality television" without screaming over-zealous-shopping drunk housewives. Be sure and hit the subscribe button if there is a channel that interests you. This isn't all of my YouTube friends, either. Check out the next week, when I introduce you to some very "magical friends" just in time for Halloween.