And on the lighter side of life...

Welcome to the 2009 edition of
Getting to Know Your Friends
If, indeed, that is what we are. Otherwise, it could be called the 2009 edition of
Useless Information About Someone You’ve Never Met

Let’s begin!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 9:30 a.m. (hey, it's the day of rest! And my kids came and cuddled up on either side of me...which never happens so I took advantage of the snuggs.)

2. Diamonds or pearls Prefer Sapphires and Diamonds. This is a picture of my favorite ring...maybe someday I'll have it made.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 9 (it was so LAME!)

4. What is your favorite TV show? General Conference (ahh, life in Utah) is the only one I watch

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal. Or eggs and a bagel.

6. What is your middle name? I’ve actually been researching how to legally change it to “Blue". Yes, I like my nickname that much.

7. What food do you dislike? Anything that lived in the sea or on it’s shore. It is, after all, "See" Food.

8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Any that is earning money v. losing it. Oh, you meant the other kind?

9. Favortie Color? Blue. (naturally)

10. Favorite sandwich? The Vermonster...roasted Tuscan bread with pestomayo, thinly-sliced apples, melted hard cheese, sprouts, tomatoes, and shaved smoked turkey

11. What characteristic do you despise? Lack of integrity

12. Favorite item of clothing? I don’t currently like any of my clothing because none of them fit properly. (I just joined a gym last week to help with this situation.) Unless you count shoes, and in that case, any of the three pairs Joni has given me. They still fit and I like 'em.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Europe. Specifically the Greek Islands.

14 . Favorite brand of clothing? This is a lame question. How about "article"? Cause I could tell you that I like cute shirts and sweaters, and that I have a thing for coats and jackets too.

15. Where would you retire to? Hard to choose. It'd be fun to live in the tropics, but I also want to be near my kids.

16.What was your most recent memorable birthday? Thirty. Had a surprise party and lots of favorite people attended. Don't know if that counts as "recent" though.

17. What is your favorite sport to watch? Women's gymnastics

18. Furthest place you are sending this? Leave a comment and let's see who wins for farthest away. I’m guessing Le or Fe will take it, but give them a run for their money.

19. Person you expect to send it back first? I'm not tagging anyone

20. When is your birthday? December 15. Too soon.

21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night. I’m practically a bat.

21.What Shoe Size do you wear? Eight. or eight and a half. Big Foot my daughter passed me up last year.

23. Pets? None.

24. Any new and exciting news you' d like to share with us? Only 115 days left till Doc finds out where he matched for Transitional Year and Residency. But who's counting?

25. What did you want to be when you were little? The Best Wife and Mommy In The World. And I wanted at least 6 kids. I laugh now when I consider my suitability to mother that many souls.

26. How are you today? I'm grand, thanks. You?

27. What is your favorite candy? Common: Love them Peanut M&M's. Rare: Hand-picked box of See's Chocolates. Yummy!

28. What is your favorite flower? Any flowers given to me are my favorites...till they die. I like the ones that are the color of the perfect orangy-pinkish-yellow sunset best.

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? There are so many good ones coming up…

30. What's your full name? Blue Jeuls. But you can call me Blue :-)

31. What are you listening to right now? The sound of silence. There's a hush because of the falling snow.

32. What was the last thing you ate? Peanut Butter Crunchberries cereal. Dry.

33. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes.

34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue, of course.

35. How is the weather right now? Cloudy with a chance of snowballs. Alas, it's now Cloudy and loads of snowballs.

36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? Doc when he called from New Jersey.

37. Favorite soft drink? Not available anymore...Apple Slice

38. Favorite restaurant? Any place with good Gelato. I love frozen yogurt too. And Ice Cream. There seems to be a theme going on here...

39. Real hair color? Dark brown with about 17 grays. I pull 'em out when I find the suckers.

40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Spirograph, Light Bright, my Dawn Dolls.

41. Summer or winter? Fall please. But if not, definitely summer. Not a huge fan of the white stuff.

42. Hugs or kisses There is nothing better than an amazing kiss…which depends entirely on the giver.

43. Chocolate or Vanilla? For sure chocolate.

44. Coffee or tea? Neither. But if I were a coffee drinker, I'm sure I'd be obsessed with the stuff cause I love the smell. I have tried herbal teas and can't stand a single one. Tea just doesn't work for me.

45. Siblings? Two of each

46.When was the last time you cried? Pretty much every Monday

47. What is under your bed? Three bins of clothing: one for tee’s, one for sweaters, and a third one for all my flight attendant uniform items.

48. What did you do last night? Slept alone in my bed. Again.

49. What are you afraid of ? Roaches. Spiders. But mostly abandonment, as it turns out.

50. Sweet or Savory? Sweet for sure. Unfortunately.

51. How many keys on your key ring? 4

52. How many years at your current job? Almost nine. But I've worked less this whole year than most flight attendants work in a single month. It's pretty cush.

53. Favorite day of the week? Saturday. It's a special day...

54. How many towns have you lived in? 9

55. Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? Yes :-) (And a smart alec too).

Through The Deep Water

This is kind of an introspective season for me. There have been quite a few “a year ago today…” moments that I’ve been thinking about. And while I’m grateful for the road I’ve traveled this past year, and the many ways I’ve grown, for some reason one-year anniversaries are hard. It’s kind of melancholy for me to reflect back on a number of things that rocked my world a year ago. I haven’t actually mentioned all of them. I never will.

But this has led to a lot of reflecting on challenges in general. While none of us really want them, it’s true that we all benefit from them in a way. Horrible things happen to every single person who lives. The actions of others have a ripple affect that goes on indefinitely. But it is in the soldiering on through difficulties that we grow. Without them we’d live lives of relative ease and comfort, but we would be shallow, unrooted individuals as a result. That old “there must needs be opposition in all things” is true. We would all be lesser people without the challenges and hardships we’ve endured.

So while hurting another is never okay, and while suffering and loss and disaster and pain aren’t the kinds of things we’d choose, when I survey the sundry experiences of my life, I see how those times have helped me to become a stronger person. A better person. More compassionate, patient, long-suffering and kind. And I am grateful for them in a strange way.

God won't interfere with our agency, or prevent us from experiencing adversity or suffering, but He does bless us in our trials, and consecrate them to our benefit...especially when we ask for His help. That has been my experience at least, and I suspect I'm not alone.

Blessings:
1) Introspection, and the perspective we gain from it
2) The people who’ve blessed my journey thus far
3) The words from my favorite hymn

365 Days

A year ago today I numbly drove to the airport, parked my car, took the shuttle to the terminal. I walked up to the SkyWest ticket counter, showed them my airline ID, received a jumpseat boarding pass, got on a plane, and flew to Houston.

When I landed in Houston I went to the car rental desk, rented a car, and drove to the house my parents live in.

I parked my car, walked up their walkway and rang the bell. No one answered. I walked around the corner and saw that my dad was in his back yard trying to mend a fence. How ironic, I thought.

I walked up and stood about 10 feet away from him. His back was to me. His hair had gone white and he looked much older than the last time I'd seen him. I stood watching him for a solid 3 minutes before I started crying and lost my nerve.

He hadn't noticed me, so I turned and left. Back in my car and needed to blow my nose and wipe my eyes, but had no tissues. I drove to a fast food place and got a stack of napkins. This was going to be hard.

Returning to their house, I went again to the back yard, but he was no longer there. I walked around to the front door, and rang the bell. A moment later the door opened, and my dad stared at me for a very long 15 or 20 seconds before he recognized me. I could see it in his face the moment it happened. Almost whispering my name, he staggered back a bit before catching his balance.

“I thought we should talk” I said.

“Yes. We should talk.”

He opened the screen door and I followed him inside. Sitting down on one end of the L-shaped couch, he sat on the other end. I think he probably offered me something to drink, which I declined. I asked if my mother was home. “She should be here any minute. She’s out shopping. I’ll call her.”

He called her cell phone but she didn’t pick up. He left a message telling her to call home as soon as she got the message, but not why. While he called, I looked around at their house, which I had only been to once, a decade earlier. Every nook and cranny was filled with autumn decorations and nicknacks...pumpkins, turkeys, leaves, figurines. I never realized that my parents were that into tchotchke. They had (outdated) photos of me and my siblings, and their grandkids covering the walls. A portrait of a happy family.

He hung up. And I started to talk. Words tumbled out and I unloaded, without reservation, all the pain, anger, hurt and suffering his actions had caused me. How it was all him, and not me. That I was a small child, and none of it was my fault. And that it doesn't matter if he doesn't remember any more, it still happened.

I wasn't worried about blaming him for things that may not actually be his fault...who can sort that out? I just told him how his abuse has impacted every aspect of my life. How I grew up feeling like a worthless piece of trash, and believing I was the ugliest girl in the world. How my feelings impacted me emotionally, and socially, and how that has influenced every relationship I’ve ever had, and everything I endeavored to do, down to the present time.

I told him of my struggle to fit in with school mates, friends and co-workers. When I started dating, his choices impacted my interactions with men, and eventually got in the way in my marriage. And especially problematic has been my relationship with God…my Heavenly Father.

I said anything that came to mind, without reservation. I had finally stopped worrying about hurting his feelings at my expense. I’d gotten to the point where I had to stop holding my pain inside, pretending he’d done his best, and that I was fine. I didn't believe that I just needed to forgive him without going through the grieving process of an innocent childhood lost. He hadn’t done his best. Being a pedophile isn’t doing your best. Throwing things at, and hitting your kids isn't doing your best. Having volcanic eruptions of anger that come out of nowhere and terrorize your children isn't doing your best. And though he could have done worse than he did, what he did was bad enough.

I’ve always excused his behavior because he finally stopped himself and repented of his sins. He tried to control his temper. But he never obtained any counseling for himself, or his victims. His repentance process did not include confessing his sins to his victims, or his wife (who claims not to know anything). Nor was there any kind of restitution. When I first discussed this with him (almost 20 years ago), he informed me “I know I’ve been forgiven, and now you have to forgive me.”

I believed him when he told me that, and felt bad that I was uncomfortable with him. I have tried all my life to forgive him. Lord knows I’ve tried. And if praying for reprieve from the pain, and praying for peace was all it took to move forward after a history like ours, I’d have been there long ago. It’s all I’ve ever wanted…to feel inner peace, instead of the battle that has raged over who I am all my life. But I didn’t know what to do. My coping method was to stuff the pain deep down, and pretend it wasn’t there, and wait for the heart to change. Because I believed him…that it was only me that had any work to do still. He was my dad, after all.

For years I thought I’d actually gotten there…that I’d forgiven him. Because truly, I don’t hate him. I don’t want him to be unhappy. I do want him to enjoy his life. But I just didn’t want to have to be part of it…and I felt guilty about that. So I MADE myself be part of it. But three years ago something broke inside me; I couldn’t do it any more. I had to cut off contact. This visit was the first time I’d seen or spoken to him in 27 months.

Eventually my tears (which I hadn’t managed any control over for the month preceding this encounter) finally dried up, and I didn’t have anything else to say. My mother had never called back or come home. I’d talked for over three hours, and realized that actually, I didn’t feel up for “Round Two” when she returned. So I told him I had to go.

He said he was sorry about everything and walked me to the door. “I hope we can do this again real soon” he commented. I looked at him, kind of sadly, and walked away.

Blessings:
1) Courage and support
2) A year of real progress
3) Hope for the future

And now...

It's that time again...

Reading The Pioneer Woman

So last Wednesday my sister-in-law and her 4 year old planned to meet me at the King’s English for Ree's book signing, which I've already written about. But there was no way my nephew would survive the wait. We didn’t have tickets, and were told they were gone. I was MOst diSPleASed with this information, because I had wanted to meet Ree for years!

In my anticipation I’d had, what I thought at the time was, a brilliant idea: I would make a batch of my scrumdiddilyumptious English Toffee, since she was coming to The King’s English. But I wouldn’t stop there…no, I would make it into a thick BLOCK of toffee, 5x7 inches, like a card! And then I would write her a note in white chocolate on it expressing the true feelings of my heart. It would be far better than a Hallmark. In fact, my toffee cards would become all the rage, Hallmark would ask me to author a whole line of Toffee Greeting Cards. See, I told you it was brilliant.

Anyway, I had gone ahead and made this toffee card, and I had hoped to give it to her.

I now confess that I’m a bit embarrassed by my little offering, heartfelt though it was. See, it hadn’t occurred to me that others of Ree’s minions would be showering her with loads of ultra-fabbo gifts (I have always lacked vision that way). And their gifts wouldn't be of questionable origins (ie: is it sanitary? did she wash her hands? [FWIW I absolutely made it to the highest standards of cleanliness!]), like, for example, a card made from toffee and chocolate in a carefully homemade, foil-wrapped box without a lid, but held in a ziplock freezer bag for ease of viewing.

But I’m kind of glad that I didn’t find out about the gift baskets and Sweet Toothfairy goodies and piles of other manifestations-of-devotion that people were giving her till the next day, or I would have been even more embarrassed that night. (Especially as my chocolate penmanship leaves much to be desired. And because after I started writing I realized I wouldn’t have space to write what I wanted to say, so my message was kind of lame. But this didn’t stop me. Unfortunately.)

So back to my DiSPleASuRe. I was standing in the doorway of the gallery where Ree was speaking behind a massive crowd such that I couldn't see her, grousing to the guard who wasn’t letting anyone in about the unsuitability of the venue chosen for such an illustrious author, when all the sudden there was some applause and then much to my surprise, Ree was walking right towards me.

Figuring I wasn’t going to get another chance to be this close to her, I thrust my paltry offering in front of her as she was trying to exit.

“Ree! I’m Blue, and there are a bazillion people here tonight so I’m not going to have a chance to give this to you so I just thought I’d hand it to you now.” (said in a rushed, only slightly intelligible jumble)

Ree (graciously): “Oh, is it fudge?”

Me: “No, it’s English Toffee” (starting to realize it wasn't actually all that brilliant)

Ree, after reading the card said “Oh your BLUE! I didn’t catch that when you first said it.”

Me: “Yeah, I sent you an apple peeler for your birthday (almost 3 years ago).

Ree: “I remember you! Thanks” she said, giving me a hug before heading off to the bookstore for her signing. And I vowed to never wash my outfit again (ala Marsha Brady after meeting Davy Jones).

Of course it was impossible to pause for a photo op; there were mobs of people around, and I’m sure more than a few who felt like I trumped them by happening to be standing right in Ree’s path. But I walked away ebullient and rejoicing that I’d been able to meet her, and that she actually remembered me. Or faked it really well.


Astonishingly, someone I don't know snapped a pic of The Moment and put it on facebook, Then someone I do know stumbled across it and tagged me. So I have this highly flattering photo of me handing my humble toffee card to Ree. That's Missy in the background (her awesome SIL), and her driver in front (not her body guard. Though I suppose he served dual purpose in a way). (But, MAJOR DOWNGRADE from MM, no?!)

Since we weren't getting in, my SIL & I decided to take my nephew out for ice cream and then dinner. In that order. (She's such a fun mom!) Afterward they dropped me back at my car and I figured I'd just head home, but, Confessions of a Blue Woman time, I was bummed.

Yeah, I’d met Ree. Sure she’d even hugged me, and said she remembered me. But I hadn’t been able to get a book signed. And that was what I’d gone there to do. It had all happened so fast!

I had to pass the book shop to get home and right as I did, someone pulled out. So without thinking I turned into their vacated parking spot.

Making my way through the masses milling about outside, I tried to find out what the deal was. Had they decided to issue more tickets? How fast was the line moving? Could I buy a book and get it signed still?

There was a man standing alone and I thought he looked a bit “official”, so I asked him “Are you in charge here or do you have information?”

“Nope” he replied.

Then I noticed he had a bag that said FoxTV.

“Oh, you’re the media”, I said out loud.

His name was Matt, and he was there to interview Ree for the local news. We chatted for a few minutes and then he said “Mind if I ask you a few questions on camera?”

“Uh, sure” I replied, completely caught off guard.

Here's the thing: I’m new at this whole tv thing, my experiences with that Celebrity Chef not withstanding. (That’s a big story for another time).

Matt instructs me to look into his face, not the camera. I’m preoccupied with awareness that I never reapplied my lipgloss, and isn't someone supposed to do my hair and makeup before they go live? I have a hard time not glancing at the bright light shining in my face. I’m suddenly nervous, cause WOW! Being interviewed for tv about REE!

Matt says “Please say and spell your name”

I reply “My name is Blue. B. L. U. E.”

“So why are you here Blue?”

“Well, I’ve been reading Ree’s blog since it was only a few months old…summer of 2006. I wish I could remember how I found it, but I don’t have any idea. So I thought it would be fun to meet her tonight.”

Matt: “What do you like about her blog?

Me: “I love her writing style and how she’s living a life that is completely foreign to most of us. And when you read her blog, you know you’re going to get a quality product…she’s wholesome and family friendly. I like that about her.”

Matt: “How long are you willing to stay here tonight?”

Me: (on camera, mind you) “Well, how long is Ree going to be here? I’m sure she’s more tired than me, so I'm good till the very end.”

Matt: "Anything else you'd like to add?"

And then, there's a teensy weensy chance that I might have said that I'd love to visit her and stay at her lodge sometime, if she ever did a get-together like that again. I'm hoping I just imagined I said that part though, cause, squirm! Self-invite. How tacky! Suddenly I'm like a star-struck teeniebopper...what's that about?

Matt then informed me that my interview might not make it to the tv, because there was some final World Series Baseball Game going on, and it "looked like the Yankee’s might win it". Yeah, my big moment was in jeopardy because of baseball. “But it will be on the web” he assured me.

Well, near as I can tell, it wasn’t on tv, nor did they put it on their website. The link to the story only goes to Ree's blog. Which I already have memorized, cause DUH!

After his interview with Ree (which he didn't have to have a ticket for! Note to self: next time I want insta-access to someone, bring TV Camera and a wear a Logo Shirt.), Matt walked back outside and, as he passed me he said “Ree says hi.”

“Yeah, sure she did” I replied.

“No really. I told her ‘Blue’s still outside’, and she said ‘I know Blue!’”

Now I'd been toying with leaving because at the rate they were moving, I knew it would be at least 3 more hours. And they were sold out of books...so I couldn't even have her sign one. But that cinched it…Ree said "I know Blue"!

I had to wait. And of course I was last in line. So I was free wander around. I got some shawls and snacks to share while I settled in with the other die-hards. Who are all awesome, by the way.

Anyway, the whole reason I’ve even mentioned this incident today is because I am HORRIBLE at thinking on my feet. Horrible! In fact, scientists have discovered that there is a gene that helps people anticipate things and handle them on the fly, and after testing they've informed me that I am missing that gene. As it turns out.

So when I was answering Matt’s questions, I didn’t manage to express why I really read Ree’s blog. It's been on my mind for a week now. And you don't have to stick around and read anymore of this...I know it's like eleventeen pages long already. But...(was that not the longest lead-in EVER!?)

I read ThePioneerWoman.com because I love how positive Ree is. Have you ever heard her genuinely complain about anything? She teases. She is self-deprecating. But she’s always positive.

Ree seems to be very comfortable with who she is, and her choices in life even though it's a life she never dreamed of before she met MM. I never dreamed I'd still be living the student life in my forties, and there are things I haven't handled with as much grace as I'd like to have done. As I read Ree's blog I learn how to be more like I'd like to be. She’s a great role model as a mom, wife, neighbor and friend.

I read because every time I think about her story, I am reminded of just how filled with possibility all of our lives are. I mean, if you had told Ree four years ago that in the next few years she would go from complete and utter anonymity to being a NYT Bestselling author, with tens of thousands of fans and admirers (and minions) I’m sure she’d have laughed and snorted her coffee up her nose.

I read because I have a deep, conscious appreciation for the hard-working farmers and ranchers in the world. These are the people responsible for the fact that my family is well-fed and have never known hunger. They are the ones who wake up before dawn, and work till after dark. And it’s HARD work! I l♥ve our nation’s farmers. I really appreciate all they do. And while there is honor in all honest labor, some jobs are simply more important than others. The world would keep on turning if there weren’t flight attendants. But it would be a vastly different place without our hardworking farmers and ranchers…and every time I read about their lives, I feel grateful to them for the sacrifices they make. I like feeling grateful.

And finally, I am still reading because back when she wasn’t the biggest blogger on the planet (what, you know someone whose bigger?), when she was only getting 10-20 comments per post, I actually harbored secret hopes of becoming good friends with her. She struck me as a worthwhile person to know; down-to-earth and genuine. Our kids would get along great and we’d have a lot of fun just doing nothing. I imagined trekking on down to Pawhuska and hanging out for a spell at her place. After all, I commented on almost every post, and figured with a name like Blue, she’d at least recognize me over time. And then she'd want to be bffs, and I could help her with her fear of flying and she could help me with the whole cooking thing, for example.

But what actually happened was she became wildly popular before we could become real friends. Clearly it wasn't our destiny to be besties, and I have made peace with that. But I still read her thoughts. And I’m still inspired by her “dive in and figure it out” approach to everything (homeschooling, photography, Photoshop, cooking, etc.). Still love her upbeat attitude, how she freely shares her insights/knowledge, and her happy relationships with those around her. Ree still inspires me as a role model for how I’d like to be in some ways as I reinvent myself while working through the hard things in my past.

And THAT, Matt from FoxTV, is what I would have said when you asked me why I read The Pioneer Woman. It's clearly a good thing I'm missing that gene, cause like, major overshare! )

Grateful for:
1) Farmers and ranchers and other vital hard-working people
2) Endless varieties of healthy, tasty food
3) Memory loss. Helps with the embarrassment factor (I should be over this within a month or two.)
4) Gracious people. They're everywhere!

Eleven Eleven

Every year on this date, I pause to especially thank the Good Lord for the freedoms I enjoy in this world, for I am rarely unconscious of how blessed I am.

And for the past 13 years, I have also thanked him for the happy, healthy, darling girl he sent me, who turned me into a mother. A post can't possibly capture all that I feel about her, but a small peek at her life through pictures follows.


One day old with daddy


Five days old with mommy


Six month old blue-eyed ball of joy


Four year old sunshiney girl on the tire swing


The Lollipop Kids


Snow Princess


Hiking in Stowe, Vermont


Early years montage


Rockin the guitars


First day of 5th grade


Black and White Bunch


First day of 6th grade


Are they Cousins or Quadruplets?


First day of 7th grade


Our little family summer 2009

Grateful for...Bunch Edition:
1) Every day for the privledge to be your momma.
2) For how you fill our lives with joy & help us become better people.
3) The great example you are to all around you.
4) Your laudable ethics and high moral standards.

Happy 13th Birthday Doll! I Love You and you'll always be my best girl!!!

Me & Ree

And Missy and The MIL, too!

Tonight I had the privledge of an In Real Life meeting with one of my favorite bloggers...you may know her as The Pioneer Woman, but her name is Ree and she's in Salt Lake City on a book tour.

I've been reading her blog for years. I wish I could remember how I found it, but it was long before she was a household name.

So I planned to buy and have her sign a copy of her new cookbook tonight, but as it turns out, they're completely sold out. The publisher ran out! And while I adore The King's English bookshop, when I heard that she was scheduled to come there for her signing, I knew it was going to be a mob scene.

It was. People lined up at 3pm for the 7pm signing. They handed out "signing tickets" for people, and when they ran out of those, they said anyone else who wanted to stand in line could do so.

People stood. For six hours. I didn't get a signing number, but I got my pashmina's out of my car, and a bag full of M&Ms to share with the people in the line, and found some cold women to share my shawls with, and we chatted while we whiled away the hours together. This was pretty fun, because the kind of people who read Ree's blog are the kind of people you just like from the get-go. We talked and made friends, asked who'd come the farthest (Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona and Nevada...driving. Two women flew in from San Francisco! I drove 10 minutes.) We bonded.

Every 20 minutes or so it would seem to move just an inch or so...but at one point, Ree's Mother In Law (MIL) came out, and she's such a doll that you almost didn't want the line to move. Visiting with MIL was just delightful, and she was as gracious as anyone I've ever met about posing for photos, and answering questions.

Below are some photos. Oh, and Fox News interviewed me, but they told me that they might not run the story because something about a baseball game somewhere might preclude it. Baseball Schmaceball! Don't these people have ANY priorities?! I mean, come on. But if they do put it on the website, I will link to it!


Here she is! I was literally her last visit of the night, and she was one tired cookie. She wouldn't sign my arm though...and I didn't nab one of her cookbooks before they ALL SOLD OUT. Everywhere. Egads! She said she'd mail me one though, so I will be patient.


I love this photo of her! Nice Shirt girlie!


This is Missy, Ree's sister-in-law. She's got a knack for remembering voices. It's really freaky. And she's super sweet and pretty and nice and I like her loads. Too bad she lives a gazillion worlds away or I think we'd be bffs. Wait! most of my besties live a gazillion miles away!

This is Missy and THE CAMERA. Yes, THE camera that Ree uses to take all those delicious, luscious and beautiful photos. Of dogs, and bovines, and chaps and dust and horses and sunrises and food and kids and cowboys. I think it has it's own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.


This is The Woman. The Woman who is inadvertantly responsible for all of us enjoying The Pioneer Woman. Without her, Ree would be living in a city, drinking Starbucks and wearing black heels while eating sushi. Thank you MIL! We adore you. And your son's chaps.

Ree, you're more delightful in real life than you are on your blog...something I didn't even imagine could be possible. And sharing Missy and MIL with us...well, that was just pure icing. Thanks for bringing them along! ♥

Grateful for:
1) Technology that brings people together
2) Good people everywhere
3) The mild weather tonight...cause there were hundreds of us outside for hours!