Star power

How does a homeschooling mom of four little children on a remote Oklahoma ranch start a blog, and within four years have millions of readers, a book in print, and movie rights sold on book number two which isn't even published yet? It has to be star power!

Mom and I drove up to Powell's Books in Beaverton to catch a glimpse of the star named Ree Drummond, otherwise known as The Pioneer Woman (or P-Dub), on Monday night when she was there for a book signing. We got there an hour before it was to start, and 250 people had already gotten tickets before us! There were over 400 people there by the time Ree showed up, and I don't think anyone left disappointed. She is beautiful, charming, funny and real - and the cookbook she wrote, designed, and took all photographs for is an absolute jewel in hardcover. Okay, so maybe her success isn't due to "star power," but to a whole lot of talent and hard work. I took a couple of candids, and then a photo of Ree and Mom during the signing of Mom's early Mother's Day gift. It was such a fun "girls' night out"!
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Family work bee

Many hands don't always make light work, but they sure help get the work done!

Today Rick and I had a couple projects we wanted to accomplish while the weather was nice - mow the lawn and weed the island bed so I can get my dahlia bulbs planted. Well, Mom and Dad pitched in (Brian had to work, too, of course), and not only did we get the island weeded (a BIG job) and the lawn mowed, Mom weeded the iris bed, I got all the dahlia tubers planted, and we got the brush pile burned, too. Everything looks so nice now!

From the land of ibuprofen at . . .

Flora, fauna - and a fiend!

The lilacs are opening just in time for my mom's visit; she loves lilacs.

I got the four cedar/sequoia trees and one fir planted Friday. Behind the two in the photo is the neighbor's very nice house; still, I'd rather see nature than architecture from my living space. Grow, little trees, grow!

Four handsome hinies. I think all your gushing has gone to Banjo's cute little head. He seems to be acknowledging, "Yeah, I'm the 'readers' favorite!' "

As for the fiend, I have a photo that truly does belong in horror flick, or a Halloween haunted house tableau. It is so graphic, in fact, that I decided not to post it.

Yesterday I put the ewes and lambs out and then went to the Ram-ada Inn to lead out the rams. I recoiled at the sight of Blackberry; one side of his head was covered with bright red blood. It took a moment to register that he had a scur knocked askew; he also has a swelling on the opposite side of his nose. I am guessing he stuck his head through the panel dividing his and Braveheart's spaces, and got pounded on. He seems to be okay, though. Rams! And to think that those sweet little lambies above will be capable of similar carnage with a little time and testosterone poisoning.

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A veritable smorgasbord of excitements!

First off, earlier this week we saw a rainbow and a bald eagle from our great room windows on the same day. The bald eagle slowly but purposefully winged his way over our pasture as we were eating supper; we were thrilled with the visit - the first we've seen here!

Today I went to Woodland Woolworks. A week ago I told one of the other "yarnies" at the homeschooling co-op about them and yesterday at co-op she gushed her thanks; they were having a SALE and she got the BEST DEALS! Deals? Deals?!? How fortuitous that I had an 8:30 appointment this morning, sans son, and was able to dash out to Carlton right after to scoop up some deals of my own!I know, it looks like a lot, but each of these jewels were either $3 or $1, so the dent to my banking account was minor.

Tomorrow evening my folks arrive for a several days' visit, and I'm excited about that, too. Not only will we have the usual fun together (remember; Grandpa is Brian's favorite person); my mom and I plan to drive to Powell's Books in Beaverton Monday night to see Pioneer Woman! My mom LOVES cookbooks and we both love Pioneer Woman's blog, so a signed copy of Ree's cookbook will be her early Mother's Day gift. How perfect is that?

And I think there's more excitement coming, but I can't say - yet. So I'll leave you with a daily dose of lamby cuteness:

Banjo, front legs in feeder, lapping up the loving.

My two white sheep, both available at weaning to fiber homes. Those fleeces are to dye for!

Handsome hunky Blake giving his mom grief, while Bodhran rests in the background. From this angle you can clearly see the hollows on Blake's head where horns would be. Fingers crossed; I think he might be a fully polled ram!

And zoom:


That's it for now at . . .