One woman’s observations on her way through life …
I’m MJ…a country mouse living in the city; a farm girl, born & raised. Lifelong reader, thinker, question-asker.
I chose the name Emjayandthem because I’m MJ and “them” is ..well.. everyone else… my kids, my hubbs, friends, co-workers, people I meet – everyone who influences my life.
I am a wife, mom, Nana, sister, cousin, and friend, among others.
Cheeky, practical, sentimental, moral & romantic. And a lifelong Elvis fan. That’s me.
All opinions on this blog are my own, not my family, my employer or anyone else’s – I don’t get paid to write – I just do it!
Thank you for reading, please come again ~
~MJ
Emjayandthem's Blog 
Hey there, MJ: Thanks for checking out our Red Dirt Chronicles blog. I also wanted to wish you the very best now that you are a registered voter – what a joy! All the best to you as you experience this election season…Take care, Red Dirt Kelly
Thank you RDK. I appreciate your kind wishes. 🙂
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Thanks for your visits to my blog. I like reading yours and also share it with friends. Have a great week.
sweet! Thanks, Lissa, looking forward to reading more 🙂 Cheers .. MJ
Hello,
thank you for your kind words. Look forward to reading more of your blog.
Have a good day!
and thank YOU for visiting 🙂
thanks for finding my blog so i could find yours! can’t wait to dive in! i also have a personal blog…https://lifeofbee.wordpress.com
happy writing!
Thank you, bee, for the visit and the extra link. Cheers! MJ
Your new picture header on the blog is beautiful, MJ. I’d love to walk along that road.
Thank you Lenore … It’s not a photo that I took but one that I found by searching google images for “country lanes” … to me, it looks like the horse farms in KY or CT .. I’d love to walk along that road as well 🙂 Cheers! MJ
Great blog MJ – very inspiring – I’m definitely signing up! And thank you for visiting mine (www.hopegable.com) …
cheers,
hope
Thank you.. and please come back again 🙂 MJ.
Thanks for visiting my blog, MJ…I don’t know if you know that I was born in Ohio, and moved to Canada as a child, growing up in Southern Ontario. I’ve lived in the Maritimes (Newfoundland and New Brunswick) for the last 28 years. I also hold dual citizenship in Canada! One of my good friends is from Yorkton, Saskatchewan…she lives in Regina now.
I have subscribed, and look forward to reading some of your archives…
Wendy
Wendy, I didn’t know that. How fun! Yorkton is a great little community and I hope that your friend is enjoying Regina. I took my first 2 years of University there :). Thanks for visiting, subscribing and commenting. Cheers! MJ
Just subscribed to your blog.
Maybe you’d like to take a peek at mine sometime-
https://kmnnz.wordpress.com/
Hope you see something you like 🙂
great blog. I love Elvis too )))
Thanks for checking out my blog…I’m enjoying reading through your posts as well! I’m about to be approved for dual citizenship too (Italian-American)…we’re a special crew 🙂
Excellent & congratulations to you, that is very exciting :)!! Cheers – MJ
I’m learning that the best part of blogging is finding other blogs. I’m so glad you found mine because now I get to enjoy yours. 🙂
Well, thank you very much and I couldn’t agree more! I found yours through another’s last night (I think “Life in the Boomer Lane” but it was late and I’m not sure)… Thanks for visiting, come back again :). MJ
Hi MJ,
So glad to know you here. I like your writtings very much, i am a chinese girl who have interest in English language, culture, people. My english is not up to scratch, that’s why i register here and looking for some native english speakers to learn english from them : )
I will visit your blog often.
Cheers,
Doris Lee
I hope you visit me again, Doris Lee! Cheers! MJ
Your blog looks fantastic! Looking forward to keeping up with you. And I love that “Sing a Song” song.
well .. thank you very much, Leah. Come back soon! Cheers MJ
Love the blog, could not stop reading, I look forward to your your other ramblings…
Cheers
Bryan
Thank you Bryan, please come back again 🙂 Say hello to “Sam” who sits like the Sheepdog!! MJ
Love the way you string those words.
Refreshingly interesting read, look forward to keeping up with everything you post.
Ps: your an absolute fox too! Elvis would be proud to know your still rocking out.
ahighmindedlowlife
Thank you; I appreciate your visiting and your kind comments. Cheers! MJ
Make sure I get a signed copy of your first book! I just put that on my bucket list…”signed copy of Emjay’s book”, right underneath “ziplining”. Cheers!
You know I will 😉 MJ
could I get your e-mail address? Mine is: amokma@gmail.com
HI Alana, I sent you an email tonight 🙂 MJ
Hello MJ,
rather cool blog!
.. thank you! MJ
Enjoyed your comments on my blog post this morning. So that saying about you can take the boy off the farm but can’t take the farm out of the boy holds true for girls too? 🙂 DM
Yes it sure does…… Thanks for visiting, DM 🙂 MJ
Great blog. Btw, where in Saskatchewan are you from? I grew up just north of Saskatoon and now live in BC. Fellow prairie people unite!
… Thank you, Darth. I am from the teeny tiny Village of Macrorie, south of Saskatoon by about 45 min :). Fellow prairie people unite, indeed!
Thanks for visiting, please come back again sometime ~ MJ
Hi Emjay, thanks for visiting my blog. I’m from Banff; the one in Scotland though 🙂
Thank you for commenting 🙂 I’ve been to Banff, Alberta but not the one in Scotland – nifty! Cheers! MJ
I was attracted to your blog initially because I am also an MJ! That is my family name (I’m also Mary Julia to those who have known me since childhood). Your blog intrigues me!
Hello MJ (Mary Julia!). Thank you for visiting; peace be with you,
MJ
Hi MJ! (I used to be an MJ until I got remarried. Now I’m an MR. Not as in Mr. because I’m a Mrs., although I prefer Ms. but I’m not tetchy about it.
🙂 )
Just wanted to pop in and thank you for visiting my blog when it was Freshly Pressed in November. Glad that you liked my post, and very glad to have discovered your blog as a result!
Happy New Year,
Marci
Well you are most welcome, MJ, I mean MR 🙂
thank you for visiting and cheers to you. I remember the post you speak of; it was simply … great!
MJ
You have a lovely blog and I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve read so far! Looking forward to reading more, so I’ll definitely be following from now on 🙂
Thank you; I sure do appreciate your kind words and that you are going to follow-along, too!! Cheers, MJ
Greetings from Down Under. I just found your blog, and I’m really enjoying what I’ve looked at so far. We have a similar taste for looking at the lessons that everyday life affords us, and for sharing these observations with others. The fact that you do so with a spirit of lightness and play is a joy.
Thank you very much; I appreciate your kind words and yes – you are exactly right – my purpose is to go through life, take a step back, figure out what I’ve learned along the way and share it. And I try to play every single day. Cheers! MJ
I’ve just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award – please click on the link for all the info, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your wonderful blog!
https://tcknextstop.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/surprise-and-gratitude/
Thank you, Dounia! You are so very kind to have nominated me; I’ve actually have won it before and shared my nominees on my blog (lower right) but I will be very happy to pop on by and read more about yours! Cheers to you
MJ
I’ll definitely make sure to check out your nominees from last time 🙂 Also, since I’ve just read your most recent post – I hope you have a wonderful massage! 🙂
Hi MJ. Here is another award for your collection — the ABC award (Awesome Blog Content — yeah!), and I linked to you in my post. 😉
Thank you, Jeannette, you are too kind! MJ
Easter is a time of rememberance, a time of thankfulness, a time of Joy…
Many Blessings Emjay to you and your Loved ones.
Christaian Love – Ron and Anne
Thank you, and same to you 🙂 MJ
I love Elvis too…even though he is way too old for me 🙂 I grew up watching his movies and still listen to his music. I think my favorite thing is listening to his Christmas album all through the holidays!
He was way too old for me, too but he was certainly my first – and longest-lasting – crush. I grew up watching his movies and playing his records. I believe his Gospel music is still my favorite but I love the uptempo stuff, too. And the ballads. Ok, all of it. You might enjoy reading about my best layover ever https://emjayandthem.com/2011/08/11/making-the-most-of-my-layover/
MJ
what a fantastic layover!! i think it was fate.
yes it was 🙂 MJ
another Elvis Post is here .. https://emjayandthem.com/2012/01/14/with-a-hopeful-heart-on-bended-knee/
Hi, MJ
I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blog Award. See the nomination at https://wp.me/potus-2GV.
To accept the award, the rules are:
1. Link back to the person who nominated you
2. Post the award image to your page. (Here’s the Link)
3. Tell seven facts about yourself
4. Nominate 10 other blogs
5. Let them know they are nominated
Congratulations and thanks for your great posts.
John
The Strategic Learner
Thank you very much, that is very kind!
MJ
Hi! My name is Sue, and I’m from SlimKicker, a diet/fitness app and site. I found your blog yesterday and it captured my interest!
I’m contacting you b/c we’re about to release a fitness tracker (similar to FitBit) early next year, and are looking for bloggers who would be interested in getting 1 for free to review when it’s out (negative or positive).
Would you be interested in doing this? You can email me at: sue (at) slimkicker.com with ‘Review’ in the email heading if you are.
For your info, our site SlimKicker basically turns your diet/fitness goals into a fun level-up game. The tracker will work in conjunction the website, and allow people to track calories burned and number of steps they walk automatically. The more they exercise, the more points they rack up! That’s basically how it will work.
Anyway, hope to hear back either way…
– Sue
P.S. You can choose not to display this comment as this is more of a private message 🙂
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Just curious, MJ…how do you get featured on Freshly Pressed? Gratz by the way!
I don’t know — it’s happened 2 x — once about 5 weeks after I started and another after my post on the Royal Wedding. I don’t know the dynamics but there are “how tos” on the forums — none of which I read before 🙂 if it happens you take it like the gift it is and roll in it! Cheers! MJ
Lol…awesome. Thanks!
Love the idea behind your blog. Just living life and enjoying it. Love it!
Thank you, please visit again. MJ
Hi Emjay,
My name is Jennifer Allen. We lost my 16 year old brother on March 28, 2013 in a farm accident…. The northern lights are very special to our family, the night he died, we witnessed the most beautiful light show. Many times when my mom wakes in the middle of the night, she will look outside and talk to my brother, and the northern lights dance for her 🙂 I am working on a photo frame project for a christmas present for my parents, and I came across your photo of the northern lights with the grain bin in it… it reminds me very much of our farm. I am wondering if I can buy this jpg from you. Please contact me direct at 306-241-2229.
Thank you for your time,
Jennifer
Hello Jennifer, I am very sorry to hear that you lost your brother. The Northern lights welcomed me home to Canada the night my Father died, so I know what your Mom speaks of. The photo you are referring to is a publicly available image from canada-maps.org so, from what I know, you are free to use it in your project. Again, I’m sorry to learn of the terrible loss your family is enduring, and especially now, your first Christmas without him.
Bests to you,
MJ
this morning I was walking with a friend in conversation about life and family and children. At one point he said that he felt like he was on a merry go round. Just this morning I saw your header and gave him a link to see it.
He was moved and encouraged by the image.
Just wanted you to know that.
Have a wonderful day.
Hey Emjay,
I am curious as to where you got the picture of the kids in the back of the truck…. The reason i am asking is because those are my four children, and a boy name Aaron (far left) taken in the back of his daddy’s truck. My daughter sent it to me and said, “mom, doesn’t this look like it could be the four of us?” My answer…. “not just maybe. 110% it is you four”. It freaked us out, and I would like to know how that picture has made it to that point. Thanks
Google images! Someone grabbed the photo & made a meme out of it – they’re famous!
MJ
Thanks. It is hard to figure how the picture got into the whole internet thing to start out with. SOmeone had to scan it or send it or something – and we don’t even know who took the picture (been a long time ago).
G
I love your blog. You might like my posts,”Christmas In The 50s,” and “Christmas of Simpler Times.” May our Lord Jesus richly bless you.
Thank you, I will check into those posts, MJ
You are very kind. May our Lord Jesus richly bless you.