Pioneer Woman

Well I just love love love The Pioneer Woman (thanks Steph for teaching me to link :o) ...I could get lost on her web page for hours. I didn't even know who she was until one of my facebook friends mentioned her and since then I have been hooked.

There are so many things that she talks about that are right up my alley. Cooking, photography, gardening...you name it. I could read her stuff for hours and as I was just meandering through and looking at her pictures of their horses and it just struck me as how sad it is that my children have not been able to have the same experiences as I have. And that they have not even been around horses since my parent's last one died and that was when they were little ones...

Those memories are some of the best I have of my childhood. I remember waking up on summer mornings and saddling up my dapple horse...Misty...we would be gone all day. I would pack a lunch and tie it onto the saddle and just ride as far as I could go on the Indian land next to our house. Or I would always barrel race/jump (stacked up hay bales :o) her on the makeshift courses I would set up in our pasture. Do you know when I went to college and my parents sold her that she won multiple competitions...I always chalk that up to all my training :o)

I do miss those carefree days but then again I don't miss the work that went with it which is probably why I have never owned large animals since I have left my parents house. Constantly running new fence line...cleaning out the barns...feeding...medicating...well you get the picture. And the saddest part is that I think my daughter would be a natural with horses...she just has never been given the opportunity. Of course I can pay for lessons or board...but it's just not the same as being a horse owner and actually caring for them day in and day out. Having the relationship that is borne out of caring for them on a daily basis. Especially busting up ice covered water troughs in sub degree weather...I would so have heaters on those dudes if we owned horses now!! Okay so back on track...because it has always seemed like a sad substitute...we have never boarded or let her take lessons. My son could probably care less but I have guilt when it comes to them never being allowed to experience what I so often took for granted!

But anywho...this blog was just to reflect on those times that were so fun and also say that The Pioneer Woman is a super cool chick!!