Life is Precious, Life is Sweet

Many of you regular readers of my blog know that I'm a big fan of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman.  I first discovered her in February 2009 in Southern Living magazine and have been an avid follower of her blog ever since.

Without going into too many details, she was a big city girl who met and fell in love with a real cowboy and now she lives on an enormous cattle ranch outside Pawhuska, Oklahoma where she cooks for cowboys and homeschools her four country kiddos.

It was quite a life change for her.  So she blogs about it.  Quite hilariously.  And shares simply amazing recipes and pictures of ranch life.

She's become quite the celebrity.

Besides having her own cookbook published, she just recently finished this:



Her very own real life love story called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  The story of how she and her husband, whom she affectionately refers to as "Marlboro Man", met, fell in love, and married.

It's a sweet story.

It's probably not going to change the world or incite riots or anything like that.

But it will make you smile.  It'll make you feel good.

And if you're not married yet, you'll find yourself wishing for your own cowboy.

To all you single ladies, I'm willing to bet after reading this book, you're going to start shopping at Cavender's Western Wear, brushing up on your Two-Step, and learning to fry a mean chicken fried steak.

I was reminded of a family visit several years ago, before Ryan's sister, Holly, was married.  It must have been around Christmas time because my mother-in-law and I were in the kitchen and she asked me what I wanted for a gift.

I replied, "A cookbook."

About that time, Holly came wandering in to join us.  She had missed the reference to the cookbook.

Referring to the title of the book, I said, "I want A Cowboy in the Kitchen".

Holly looked right at me with a totally straight face and said, "Well.  Don't we all?"

Pretty funny stuff.

Ryley started Black Heels yesterday afternoon.  I'm excited for her to read it.

Why?

Because while it reads like fiction, it's real.

In real life, you don't have to be Miss Perfect to be totally swept off your feet and ride off into the sunset with Mr. Right.

Corny, I know.

But it's what every girl dreams about happening to her one day.

And for us old married folks reading the book?

It'll make you think back to your own love story. You'll fondly recall the days when you first met your spouse.  The day you knew your life just might not turn out exactly like you planned.  And you were OK with that.  You'll look at your spouse with fresh eyes.  You might even fall in love just a little bit more.

You'll embrace the life you have, no matter who you share it with - an Oklahoma cattle rancher or an Austin, Texas preacher.

Pretty good results for a sappy love story.