Cowboys and Other Such Things

 Last weeked, while lying on the couch in misery with a drippy nose and pounding head, I discovered The Pioneer Woman. I'd heard her name mentioned by other bloggers- erm, I mean, I'd read her name written by other bloggers- but wasn't familiar with her blog or her story. These bloggers usually spoke of her with a mixture of awe and love... maybe even a little fear...like you'd talk about Superwoman or some other superhero.

So, tried of lying on the couch, but having no energy to move and sick of watching movies, I decided for no apparent reason that it was time to check this Pioneer Woman out.

I'm so glad I did. 

Her photography makes me drool. I wish I could do that. Maybe some day when I get a good camera I'll try out photography classes online and read all her previously posted instructions and tutorials. For now I'll just drool. (She also offers lots of photos for free to download and print, like the one shown above!)

She cooks too. She just wrote a cookbook that might be my next purchase (too bad her book tour is over) because her recipes sound amazing and the photos she takes of the food also make me drool with hunger.

PW is a great writer- so honest and hilariously funny, I find myself laughing out loud, especially when she tells stories about her kiddos (or punks, as she calls them).

But I'll be honest...the thing that has kept me going back for more all week long... is the cowboys. PW is married to a real live cowboy and lives on a ranch. She tells about how she met her "Marlboro Man" in a story she wrote here. Last weekend, in the middle of a sea of kleenex (from my drippy nose, I wasn't weeping or anything) I sat there reading this beautiful story for hours. It kept me happy and content. Well OK, maybe the cowboys aren't the only reason I go back. It's clear that she's so in love with her husband and her kids and her life on the ranch. And I love those things about her blog. The cowboys are the bonus! But, reading her stories made me think of The Cowboy...my cowboy...in ways I haven't thought about for a while. Like Wrangler jeans and big belt buckles, pressed and starched shirts, cowboy hats, Dr. Pepper, muscles, and thoughtful silences. It made me miss The Cowboy a little...all cowboys, really. It made me miss the West.

It's OK. I've got plenty to read on PW's blog to give me my fix and keep me happy...for now. If you haven't checked out PW's blog, please do. I'm willing to bet that just about anyone could find something appealing on her site.