Sending you on a field trip to The Frontier

Today I have to work at The Baby’s first day of preschool and The Middle One and The Girl were in our bed last night because they were scared out of their gourds by thunderstorms of Biblical proportions. Oh, also we leave for a jewelry/family excursion to MD later today and we’re not packed. At. All. So, instead of writing today I’m going to send you somewhere else to read and I have to admit I’m risking a lot here. Once you go to this site you may never come back.
I will admit it took me a solid year to give in to The Pioneer Woman. My friends One Sided Momma, Pajama Mom and My Family Gossip have been singing her praises forever. Each dying to get her cookbook as a Mother’s Day Gift. PJ loves her words. MFG loves her photography. OSM loves…well, her. They all adore her recipes. I was a bit intimidated and quite possibly a little jealous when I first went to her site so I never went back. She’s a big fish, she doesn’t need me-I justified. The truth? She is amazing and I was mad at myself that I wasn’t nearly as cool. (Embarrassingly selfish and egotistical. I know. I’ve flogged myself appropriately.)
Then this summer I saw her in person at BlogHer, literally across the room, and she took my breath away. I don’t know if I was vicariously excited for OSM who had hoped for a “sighting” all weekend but whatever the reason I was captivated at the mere sight of her. She is luminous. My vivid memory is buttery leather brown knee high boots that I had to fight the urge to run and touch and a gorgeous red, thick, red, mane of (did I mention red) hair that…well, I had to fight the urge to run and touch. The bottom line is you could just tell to look at her interact with the small group gathered around her that she was a genuinely warm and real lady.
I was smitten.
Since then, my girlfriends will be proud, because I have tucked my tail between my legs and am now appropriately obsessed with all things Ree. I even spent time pouring over her cookbook the other night at the store. Her site can be a bit intimidating at first, but just poke around and make sure you at least read a story or two and check out the pictures. Her words and images are all works of art. Enjoy!