A Friend of One's Own

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand." Henri Nouwen

xo xo Liz & Adrian 

A Good Day Branding

Last week, we got to go help some good friends brand. It's the time of year here where it's cold in the morning, and hot in the afternoon.

 What better way is there to spend the day than surrounded by good people doing what you love? 

xo xo Liz 

My Favorite Moments From Elko 2013

This year was the 29th Elko Poetry Gathering and these are my favorite moments that happened during the week.

• Adrian lighting candles, spraying perfume, opening all the doors and windows to our hotel room while I chain smoked to try and mask the smell of pee. Why would anyone urinate on a radiator? You can't clean behind it and when that's the heat source in the room, it's a little rank!! 

• Spending an inordinate amount of money. I'm not going to lie, that was fun. It probably won't be as much fun when I balance my check book though. 

• Buying my first Timmy Lynn levi quilt. I've been wanting one of those since I was 19...COOL! 

• Visiting loudly, joyfully and did we mention noisily, with our friends the Goemmers. Adrian and my's personalities are so similar to Reata and Dally's and it's kind of funny to see how there's an outgoing, louder sister and a little more reserved sister in each family. And there's something about getting to be around Mindy that makes my loudness come out full force...and I LOVE it! 

• Seeing our Italian friends here on American soil. Drinking, hand gesticulating and eating gone wild. For some reason when I get around Drew and Nat I start talking English with an Italian accent. Why, I'll never know.

• Catching up and spending some quality giggle time with Jennifer Dennison. Every blonde needs a redhead friend! :) 

• The Young Guns Show that Andy Hedges, Adrian and Brenn Hill did on Thursday night was amazing. I don't even know how to explain to you the pride and emotion (sorry, I'm being a girl), I have when my sister dedicates a song to me from stage. And when friends that we know take time off and pay their hard-earned money to come listen to Adrian, just makes me about want to bust. 

• Adrian getting locked out of her own show by an over zealous volunteer and then being asked to leave said show after finally being admitted for visiting too loudly with some fans when she was signing CDs...that actually made me so incredibly angry I thought I might fling an unlucky old lady through a window and down a snow covered hill, but I managed to control myself. Looking back on it, it was kind of funny though. I'm sorry miss, but with the name tag that says performer and that guitar in your hand at a guitar playing/cowboy singing festival, you look awfully suspicious. I'm going to have to ask you to leave!!! hehehehehe 

• I had never attended the artist breakfast in the past, but this year I went. We visited and laughed and joked and made a new friend in George Elsner. What a lovely man! I put a down on a set of spurs that he had with him....I'm so excited and can't wait to show them to you all! He is an amazing bit and spur maker whose snaffle bits and other gear are gladly used by the working cowboy/cowboy-girls in the area. He instantly knew that I needed a pair of spurs with a shorter shank because my legs are so long, and I love that he didn't try and talk me into the set with the drop shanks. I can't wait to get my greedy little paws on them! 

• Running into a couple who had been at a show of Adrian's and asked her if she really thought there were working cowboys and ranchers at her show. 

• One of my favorite things that happened this year, we actually missed by a margin of almost 10 minutes. We were at the Stray Dog listening to Mike Beck sing and play and left earlier than our friends to catch some zzzzz's before the next day of shows. Mike and the Goemmer's left the bar to find a homeless man rough housing a blonde lady up in attempt to steal her little dog. Mike and Sean of course jumped in, whereupon Mike got punched in the face and Sean wanted to hog tie the homeless man with the dog's lead. Everyone ended up being OK, but I would have payed SO much money to watch that little scene unfold. 

• Listening to Jessica Hedges, Adrian, Kathy Wines and Amy Auker talk during the youth meeting about the future of the Elko Poetry Gathering. They were eloquent, they were passionate and they all had very different but applicable ideas to put into affect. They also all come from a ranching/cowboying background, so I felt like what they had to say came from a position that desperately needs to be heard in the management tiers of Elko. 

• Getting up Sunday morning and picking up my best friend to have a cup of coffee. She's an ER nurse and works nights, so her just coming off her night shift and staying up to visit was wonderful. Her dad worked for the ranch MY dad worked for when I was 6, and we moved into the house that the Souza's moved out of, missing each other by a mere week. One of the first times I met Stephanie was at Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo when we were still teenagers. It was late into the evening's festivities and we were with a group of people where all the girls had showered, changed and done their hair. I think Steph and I knew we were going to be best friends from the moment we saw each other because we were both wearing old boots, hoodies and straight legged jeans....true kindred spirits. Getting to catch up face to face and realize we're friends for a reason....priceless. 

• Being sick in a hotelroom that reeked of urine, Adrian and I laying in the same bed and watching the latest installment of the Twilight movies. And we liked it. The movie, not the smell. Don't judge. 

• Making it home to the joyful and welcoming greetings of dogs, parents, cats and horses and feeling invigorated and inspired by the people and the stories we brushed up against while in Elko. Till next time!  

Jennifer Dennison, Adrian, me and Natalia Estrada

Note the look of nervous happiness since I just realized how much money I had spent that afternoon.

Adrian, me and Jessica Hedges right after the youth meeting. Note the happy looking man in the background...my friend Stephanie actually treated him in the ER a day later! WEIRD! 

xo xo Liz 

Snow Drifts and Pican Punches

I'm sitting here in our hotel room, feet up, listening to Ryan Bingham and watching Adrian hang up her show clothes. We're in Elko for the 29th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and I keep offering encouraging pieces of advice like, "Well, yeah, that scarf is cute but it looks kind of like Easter." I'm helpful like that!!!

I'm exhausted and Adrian hasn't even started working yet! But a good kind of tired...like heart is happy, feet are sore, cheeks hurt from smiling genuine, happy smiles kind of tired! We somehow managed to get here several hours ahead of our self-imposed schedule last night and since we were starving (who are we kidding, we're always starving!), we stomped off to Bil Tolki's for some chow! And ended up staying in the early hours of the morning drinking, laughing and visiting with old friends. Remember when we went to Italy last spring and had so much fun with Drew and Nat?? Well they're here and we had a fantastic reunion. All the Italian I've been practicing since then flew right out of my head the moment I wanted to actually use it, but what can you do? Such is life. Jennifer Dennison was there as well (she's the lovely lady from Western Horseman), and I'm pretty sure that we laughed ourselves silly last night. The pican punch probably helped some too :)

I've been spending money like I'm a wealthy playboy from....um, I don't know....somewhere rich playboys come from...and I'm enjoying every second of it!! I finally broke down and bought a quilt from Timmy Lynn and I'm not going to lie to you, it felt good.

We went to another trade show and got to visiting with some other friends, felt the familiar twinge of hunger and realized that 3 hours had literally passed and I don't think we ever stopped talking once. WOW.

There's an artist breakfast first thing in the morning that I've never gone to with Adrian before that promises to be loud and funny because...well Adrian and Mindy and I will be there talking at the same time! But don't worry, if you don't think we're funny it's OK, cuz we're definitely amused by ourselves!!! :D

I have a math exam as soon as we get home so if you see a blonde girl sitting in Cowboy Joe's tomorrow afternoon, crying and screaming incoherently at her calculator...don't worry. It's just me. Please come say hi and save me from myself. And my math. :) I promise I won't bite.

xo xo Liz

Quote of the Week

One thing you can be certain of, you can have no idea as to what this world will offer you. 

Your life can change radically in the drop of a hat.

So spend your energy on the things that matter:

Loving your family and friends,

Improving yourself,

And bringing joy to those around you.

This is the stuff that matters. 

I promise.

xo xo Liz 

A Late Morning Jog and A Strange Todo List

I just returned from a late morning jog before I head off to church. It’s lovely because our church now has an evening service and for some reason it feels easier to make the long drive home at night then it does first thing in the morning. Sunday mornings are lazy and calm now.

I’m looking around my little house and at the calendar for the coming week and mentally preparing. My house is in that in between state, right before it tips the scale of becoming out of hand untidy, with clothes strewn about everywhere and books stacked seven high on my table. I will need to remain dedicated to my homework in order to keep up with my class’s material and I’ll have to start waking up a little bit earlier if I’m going to keep working out in the mornings and still have time for life. I’ve been working on teaching myself on how to use some computer software this last week and I feel so close to busting through and beginning to understand how the heck it works. I'm not naturally a techie, so in order to keep making progress and eventually have the design skills I dream about, I’m going to work on my software in 1-hour increments.  

Take a moment now, on your lazy, sleepy Sunday, and make some decisions about your coming week as well. Realize that everything won’t go to plan and that some things just won’t get done, no matter what you do. Mentally (well and physically) take a deep breath and prepare yourself as much as possible so that you’re making active decisions to live the life you always imagined for yourself. Make your todo list for Monday tonight and put your most important, pressing “todo” on the top and don’t stop until it’s done! And uh, for you obnoxious type A personalities like me…don’t make your list so damn long and involved that only superwoman could get it all done! You’ll feel all cranky that you didn’t get everything crossed off and really, who needs to feel cranky about a todo list?!

So now I’m going to rush off and drink enormous amounts of coffee, wash my bod and pray that my shaking legs will carry me through the day! Here’s to having a greet week, you guys! I hope you try something new this week and I hope you hold the knowledge that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and capable of anything you put your mind to with hard work and determination, like a promise to yourself, deep inside your heart.

xo xo Liz 

Big News In Buckaroo Barbie Land...

I had planned on returning from my trip with Adrian from her show and then my amazing birthday camping/fishing/eating extravaganza week and regaling you all with stories about the fun times we had. But I have news that trumps all that and I’m going to tell you a story instead….

Once upon a time there was a little girl with blonde hair, blue eyes and could sing like a bird. She grew up with an odd, old-fashioned shaped hole in her heart, but she never really noticed because she was always singing so much.

There was once a little boy with curly, curly hair and eyes that couldn’t decide whether they were green or brown. He grew up and it was as if the languages of other people didn’t make sense to him, but he didn’t pay much attention because he was always roping so much.

One day the man with the curly hair went to a bronc ride in Texas and there was the blonde haired girl that could sing like a bird, and sing she did and she also bucked off a big old bronc. And when they met that weird old fashioned shaped hole in the girl’s heart mended itself because the man had the same shaped hole in his heart. And so they fell in love.

And once they fell in love they decided they wanted to be best friends for ever and never have to be parted anymore, so one day the man with the curly hair shined up his favorite bit and gave it to the girl that could sing like a bird and asked her to be his wife. And she said yes.

All of that was a really long, sappy way to say that my little sister Adrian fell in love and is engaged to the loveliest man in the world besides our dad…

Congrats Boone and A!!! I love you both so much!

             

xo xo Liz 

Don't Forget Sis

My best friend came back home tonight. She’s only been gone for the last couple of days but when I’m having one of THOSE days it makes the time apart seem even longer.

She took one look at me, grabbed me by the hand and drug me off for some much needed sister time. We went to an awesome little diner where she made sure to stuff me in a back booth where I wouldn’t scare the other customers by my ranting, raving, crying and consuming anything that was set in front of me like a baby dinosaur.

The waitresses gave us a wide berth.

The last few days, I’ve felt off. Lost and frustrated and completely out of my mind insane. I mean, I’m naturally insane but lately it’s been ramped up a notch. I briefly wondered yesterday if I was having a quarter life crisis. Probably not, but you never know. At least I don’t like Ferraris.

I haven’t felt completely derailed or anything major, just out of sorts really. 

Cranky and petulant like a little kid that really needs a nap and doesn’t know why it’s crying. 

Yup, that’s been me the last couple of days.

And my darling little sister, who is ridiculously insightful and wise beyond her years, let me get it all out of my system. She allowed me to laugh hysterically, jump randomly from topic to topic without any connections and bemoan my miserable self. I did notice she left a big tip for the waitress when we left. Oops.

But, by the time dinner came to an end, I was back on center. Calm, full of ideas and inspiration, peaceful and ready to tackle the coming week with a smile.

I hope you have someone in your life that you can just be “YOU” with. That lets you act insane, crazy and completely out of your mind and you don’t have to apologize for it later. They understand and get you, and all the while are quietly encouraging and leading by example. And if you don’t have that special someone in your life, I hope you go out and find one. Right now.

Time and time again it’s been shoved in my face that we mimic who our friends are. We become like them. You know the bad apple adage? It’s totally true. Who we surround ourselves with is ultimately who we become. And while my little sister may be shorter than me by a good 3 inches, I look up to her. She is the most brave person I’ve ever known. She’s suffered more tragedy in her short life than many 80 year olds have and has had the sufficient strength of character to come out of it better and stronger.

She’s not perfect by any means, but then neither am I. But she does try as hard as she can to better herself, her craft, to try and be a lady, even when she doesn’t want to and she loves me whole heartedly. We are a team and lift and support each other when the other person is acting insane…kind of like I was tonight.

So all of that was to say, I hope you had a fantastic weekend, that you feel ready to take on the coming week and that you have a best friend that loves you for all the wonderful and ridiculous things that you are.

“And one other thing friend, don’t ever forget, that I love you.”

xo xo Liz

P.S. I would just like to state for the record, that I have permission from the artist to use the name of her song as this blog heading. And if you're wondering, it's off of the Highway 80 album and it's track 11. Yeah, I cry too when I listen to it. 

2AM

           It’s 2am and I’m just now getting home and instead of crawling into bed I am going to write a blog. I’m afraid my brain just won’t go to sleep unless I write some of it out.

 A group of really great ladies, and the original trio of Buckaroo Barbies got together this evening and had a night out. At one point we tried going to the movies, in fact we paid for our tickets and sat through half of The Hunger Games. We then got to a certain point of not wanting to watch children killing children anymore, so we left and did what any sensible person would do:

 We went straight to Denny’s.

And there we spent several much-needed hours laughing, discussing business ideas, fashion trends and relationship advice (I don’t believe anyone takes the relationship advice seriously though). Several placemats of ideas were scribbled down amongst the coffee spills and ketchup stains. 

Those relationships that you have with your girlfriends are so important! At least they are to us. We can bounce ideas off of each other, talk through ideas and uplift each other when the haters start their hating. As my friend and fellow blogger and Buckaroo Barbie extraordinaire Mindy Hoggan likes to remind us all, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the other.” Proverbs 27:17

Do you have a core group of people that uplift and inspire you?

xo xo Liz 

P.S. Please excuse any typos...I'm a lil fuzzy :)