My Great Adventure

Mom and I recently made a trip down to the Mall of America, but this was no ordinary shopping trip. We were going to Ree Drummond's book signing. For those of you who don't already know, she is a blogging mother of four and she just published her cookbook, which we were eager to get, so we seized the opportunity with great pleasure.

Because the Mall of America is about two hours away, we had to leave fairly early to get down there. During the drive, we talked about how awesome it was going to be and how cool it was that we could actually go. Well, we got down to the Twin Cities and soon realized we didn't remember exactly which route to take, so we got ourselves kind of lost, but then Mom remembered the right way and we got unlost. Thank God for moms that remember the way!

We got to the mall right as the signing started. With my hands shaking, I bought the book and got in line with Mom. And then we stood. And stood. And stood. And after a while, Mom just couldn't stand it any longer, so she went and sat and watched me inch along with my precious cookbook and a big grin on my face.

You know, when you stand in a line full of ladies for as long as I did, after a while you become acquainted with the ladies around you. Well, the group of ladies in front of me were busy chit-chatting, so I turned around and started talking to the two ladies behind me. They were very nice women, and thought it was great that I was interested in cooking considering my tender age.

While we were talking, I noticed that they were dressed in a manner which I had never seen in real life. These two women were covered from head to toe with the exception of their faces. I had seen women dressed like this in pictures, and knew it was a religious thing, but couldn't remember the religion. Well, after standing in line for about three hours, I finally said, "Do you dress that way for religious purposes?" to which they said, "Yes we are both Muslim converts". "Oh okay." I said, and then thought, wait, some Muslims hate Christians enough to kill them, and I'm Christian! After that we kept chit-chatting, but I was a bit more reserved.

Well, after 5 long hours of waiting, it was finally my turn. The nervousness had worn off into tiredness, hunger, and excitement, but as I got up onto the stage I started shaking all over again. I was about to talk to my favorite author!! I handed the picture-taking lady my camera and sat down next to Ree. Wow! She's beautiful! I thought. Our conversation was as follows:

Ree: Hey sweetie, how are you?
Me: I'm good, and you?
Ree: I'm great! Is this book for anyone in particular?
Me: Just me
Ree: Okay, and what's your name?
Me: Lynae, that's L-y-n-a-e.
Ree: Oh that's a beautiful name!
Me: Ah, well, I owe that to my parents.
Ree: Well they did it all didn't they?

Meanwhile she had written: To Lynae
Enjoy!
Ree/PW

We had our picture taken, and that was that. I got off the stage all trembling and happy. There was Mom waiting for me, and all of a sudden I felt so bad for her having come all that way and not even getting to share the experience, but she said she had been able to watch me which was just as good. We picked up one of the free T-shirts that were being handed out for all the Pioneer Woman fans, grabbed some dinner, and came home.

On the way I kept looking at the picture of me and Ree, and thought, some people would say it's ridiculous to stand in line for five hours just to get a book signed. Really it is, but the memory that I have now is priceless.


Thanks, Ree, for coming to Minnesota!

Remembering: Thoughts and quotes

Over the past month or so I've been reading a book Mom had me read, called Remembering. It's about a farmer who hates the new style of farming, with big machines and stuff, and has fond memories from growing up on a family farm that had been passed down for several generations. I thought that while the story was a bit rough around the edges, and had been written with the attitude that that was okay, it was inspiring, like it touched a part of me deep down inside that had never been touched, or if it had, I didn't mind feeling it again.

I wrote down some of my favorite quotes from the book. Here are the ones related to farming:

"This is economics we're talking about. And the basic law of economics is: Adapt or die. Get big or get out."

Yep, that's it. All the rest fall into the Miscellaneous category. I wrote them down because I either felt that I would use them again someday, or otherwise found them interesting.

"Even if she does not feel cheerful, she will be cheerful. She will be looking for reasons to be cheerful..."

"The city at night... is like the forest at night, when most creatures have no need to stay awake, but some do, and that is well, for the place itself must never sleep. Some must carry wakefulness through the sleep of others."

"He knows that he is looking at her across an abyss, that if all the world should burn, they would burn divided in its flames. She is wearing the veil of American success, lost in the public haze that has covered the land from sea to sea."

"Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences... Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice... 'Are you all right?' It is the young woman in the seat next to him, who to his astonishment is patting his arm. 'Yes. I've been all right before, and I'm all right now."

"Spare us, O Lord, the logical consequence of our ingratitude. Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers."

These last couple are related to flying in airplanes, and I got a kick out of them, but I see where the guy's coming from.

"... and they are sealed within the possibility of flight, committed to the air. We commit these bodies to the air, O Lord, and to Thy keeping."

"Spare us, O Lord, the logical consequences of our folly."

Request:

Flu + asthma = please pray!

About that hairstyle

In Lynae's "Facebook" post, she mentioned seeing someone with the same hairstyle as hers. I must elaborate.

During a recent shopping trip, I took the kids to lunch. In the restaurant, I saw a woman I'd guess to be about 70 years old. There was something very familiar about her, but I couldn't place it. I knew I'd never seen her before. And it wasn't her beautiful brown eyes... no, it was her hair I recognized. It was thin, fine, light blonde, cut in short layers. She appeared to have a most stubborn cowlick on the right side of her forehead, visible through the bangs meant to cover it up. It was exactly like Lynae's hair!

I told Lynae she should ask the woman what was the best hairstyle she ever had, figuring she's been around long enough to have tried several. And my darling daughter actually did it! She went up to a perfect stranger, told her she'd noticed they had matching hair, and asked what her favorite hairstyle was. Well, the poor woman didn't have a favorite hairstyle. She bemoaned the fact that her hair had always given her trouble, and boy, could Lynae relate. She said her best solution was to wear hats.

That day, Lynae happened to be wearing a hat. So there ya go!

Not one to give up on my darling daughter's challenging hair, and ever willing to cut it shorter, I gave her a pixie cut this weekend. SO cute!