That Girl Is A Cowboy............

There's just somethin about this time of year. In terms of cattle ranchin, it couldn't be any busier: shippin cattle, weanin calves—every day for two weeks straight. Poor babies bawlin for their mommas, day and night! In terms of housework: weedin out all the summer clothing and too-small jeans, locatin and inventoryin the myriad of winter gloves, hats, boots, earmuffs, because if I wait until the temperature is eight degrees and it's 5:00 a.m. and I'm on my way out the door with my two punks, neither of whom can handle the cold, it'll be a problem.

As for gardenin: cleanin out the last of my tomatoes and herbs, which are now black and droopin to the ground after four nights of hard freeze.

Not to mention the daily grind of laundry, dirty dishes, and laundry.

Then there are the upcoming holidays: Halloween costumes to wrangle, treats to make, trick-or-treatin in town (will post on that later this evening!). Refrigerators to clean out in preparation for Thanksgiving food, cloth napkins to dig out from the depth of the ironin basket, where they've been languishin since last Christmas, I think.

Not to mention the daily grind of school. Sometimes I think I'm entirely responsible for my punk's minds. Not to mention the fact that I have been the Homeroom mom every year as long as I can remember!

There's Christmas on the horizon; I want to start shoppin so I can make wise and un-hurried choices, but I'm having a hard time gettin started. I have my list, but every day I consider shoppin online for Christmas gifts…then don't, because I have so many other things that need to get done. So I'll avoid it for awhile, until I can't avoid it any longer.

I'm going low-key for Christmas this year. I just feel like it…..Remind me I said that in two months.

Then there's the trip: I'm leavin soon on a trip. It's a big trip, and important one, and there's a lot to prepare for—I'll tell ya'll about it soon. But first I have to buy crap to kill the Chinese lady beetles that have swarmed our house and power bars and make sure my oldest has jeans that don't come up above his ankles. He's growin up too fast.

There's the ice maker that's broken, the skylights that leak, the shingles that blew off one of the barns, the trash the dogs overturned last night, and an impending doctor's appointment tomorrow. And I say this with a grin, I don't think they'll be makin me wait to see the Doc tomorrow. Than heavens for small blessings.....

I might ignore it and see if it goes away.

But most of all, there's joy. Because I have animals in my life…and beauty everywhere I look…and clothing…and shelter as the weather turns cold, A couple of friends who kinda like me, Punks who call me Mom-mom, and the fact that they haven’t drug my ass off to a FEMA camp yet!

I still don't like ironin napkins, though. So I don't think I'm going to do it this year. Yeah, right…..

Thursday 13.....13 Frequent Thoughts That Cross My Mind When I Meet Someone New

13 Frequent Thought That Cross My Mind When Meeting Someone New

 1.  Why yes, I am rolling my eyes at you.

 2.  And this pertains to me because?

 3.  I wonder where he found that dirty legged tramp.

 4.  No, this isn't the Bohemian Cowgirl Salon. It's hell with fluorescent lighting.

 5.  Please don't play the victim. I don't have time to explain the difference between the truth and what you want to hear.

 6.  Apparently, this dumb ass has a crack pipe busted smooth off in his ass, if he really thinks I am buying this line of bullshit.

 7.  Do you believe in love at first sight or do I need to walk by again? And by the way, you will fall for me.

 8.  There's no way in hell I am taking your check, let alone a postdated one. In God I trust, all others pay cash!

 9.  The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.

10.  Why yes, Yes I am a bitch. Just not yours. Are you new here?

11.  I'm a bullshitter myself but occasionally, I like to sit back and listen to an expert. Please Continue.

12.  It's okay to hate me. I'm sure I talk shit about you anyways. Jealous much?

13.  My eyes are right here. Yes, they're real. Yes, they're fabulous. And yes, your boyfriend/husband was looking.

Sundays Scribblings.....Under The Fall!

I love fall. I love this countryside in fall. I adore the burnt oranges, the Cavender's catalogs, the fall harvest, trail rides, and the weaning of calves. I love the football it brings with it, not to mention the hockey and snow skiing. Bonfires and quite possibly hot chocolate, caramel apples, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Logs in the fireplace, lit to take the chill off. Crisp mornings against a clear blue sky, hunting season, and the turning of the leaves. Let's not forget, Homecoming, Pilgrims and Indians represented in school plays, and hayrides. Cinnamon scented votives and knee-high boots, fattened squirrels and clocks falling back.

If I were prone to such things, here's where I would write one of those open letters and toss it into the vast beyond to absolutely no one in particular. And apparently I am very much prone to such things. So Dear radio: PLEASE DO LET US HAVE FALL.

Soon our FM stations will inundate us with Christmas music, and I for one hate it. You've barely had time to make your way through the fall harvest corn maze and carve your pumpkin with the explicit intent of scaring the neighborhood children to the very verge of incontinence before they start with the not so dulcet tones of Springsteen's Santa What Not is Coming to Albuquerque and Madonna's insipid Santa Baby (PUKE). It simply isn't time, and like a preemie who hasn't warmed all the way through, I'm simply not ready.

So please, let me have my Irish Coffees and gallons of not particularly seasonal mulled red wine before I go there, would you? Let me curse dirty leaves that make their way into my pickup as well as my front entry way and one or more OSU Cowboys losses or Good Lord willing, wins--Long Live Cowboys. Let me be well into sweaters, hoodies, and scarves and, for the other unfortunate few, knitted hats that don't in any color scheme match their coats, other that to make them look like a burglar begging to be caught, before you strike. At least rest until the storing of canned cranberry jellies have passed. Because cranberry and a blue Christmas? It just isn't a good look for anyone!  And I am quite sure Santa won't mind one bit, although I do......

Then when we are ready, when the masses face frozen car doors, calves born in the middle of the night, punks with chapped cheeks, and the warm embrace of family holiday guilt, bestow upon us the Bing, Gene Autry, Burl Ives, and pretty much anything Perry Como. I'll support a three-week spree, MAX. And when New Year's passes, know that it's time to move on, time to resist the urge to start building the playlist for Christmas in July. Because like fruitcake and the Celine Dion box set, no one ever really asked for that anyway. For truth be told, there is no gift an imaginary Santa could bring that remotely compares to the only reason for the Season, Father God's gift of the birth of his only son, sent to save us from a fate worse than Christmas credit card debt. For you see I love Christmas as much as the next gal. I've just never understood how so few seem to remember the greatest gift EVER given.

Saturday's Sass......Easy On The Eyes, Hard On The Heart!

Do you think Wrangler know what this does to women? I would think it would open them up to all kinds of lawsuits. LMAO! Lord knows there are lots of things a woman would do for some of that!! Is that Wrong??????? It's all about the little things....the small pleasures in life. Mmmmm.....I need me some small pleasures, here directly!!! Apparently, I have been single for far too long