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 

For The Sake Of A Good Cowboy

Several years ago, I was visiting some friends where I used to work in Nevada, and after a rodeo we all went out and went dancing. I was pretty sick with Lyme disease at that point and getting out and dancing and living it up with was a great treat, albeit exhausting. I was sitting there with my friends, when all of a sudden I had a wretched smothering attack (these are really common when you have Lyme disease. They are also not any fun at all because it feels like you have an elephant on your chest and are slowly being smothered to death.) I don’t remember saying anything about it, just looked down and concentrated on breathing (i.e. told myself sternly that I was not allowed to freak out in public!) when a cowboy who had been sitting with me and my friend at the bar, got up and came and stood beside me. He never said anything, didn’t do anything, just stood there. And for some reason his silent companionship was hugely comforting. He alone, out of sea of people around me, noticed that I didn’t feel well and just offered the support of standing there beside me, and I thought to myself, “This is a nice guy.” That was the night I met Randy McCLure.  Besides being a terrific dancer, Randy’s a hell of a bronc rider, fun and kind to boot (hehehe this kind of sounds like a personal ad at this point! Hehehehe sorry bud!) and he has worked around some pretty cool outfits throughout the ION area. There are a lot of really great cowboys out there these days, but so many of them are a$$holes. Sorry, but they are. They might have some surface manners, but a kind heart? They’re pretty rare. When you meet a nice one, it’s awfully refreshing. Plus, Randy’s the reason I want to hunt a caribou sometime, supposedly they’re not terribly smart!

Last week Randy was in a car accident that involved a rolled pickup and was life-flighted to The University of Utah Medical Center. There he underwent surgery to fuse his neck and they’re watching his broken back until they know more. As of right now he can move his arms but no movement in his legs. Please pray for my friend who LOVES to cowboy and is actively working his butt off to get better. As someone who has had what they love to do taken away from them due to illness, I know how hard it can be to look at the time involved in getting better and not get discouraged. But I also know first hand how the prayers of friends and loved ones can encourage and uplift you on a hard day, so please keep Randy in your thoughts and prayers. He made me feel better during a time when I was really discouraged and didn’t feel well, and I felt like he somehow understood what I was going through.

Keep up your hard work Randy, you are a tough man and you are incredibly inspiring to us by your determination to work hard at getting better. We love you bud and are rooting for you!

Randy’s also the 2012 recipient for the Cowboy Crisis Fund through the WSRRA and they’re holding a silent auction during the WSRRA National Finals Rodeo November 1 through the 4^th in Winnemucca, NV. If anyone is interested in giving a cash donation or an auction item you can contact the WSRRA at info@wsrra.org or by calling (916) 296-2326. Seeing how the cowboy world rallies around those that are wounded and hurting always makes my heart happy, and this really makes it do a happy dance. If you’re led, you can walk into any Wells Fargo branch and make a donation under Randy McClure’s name.

Take every day as a gift and treasure your friends and family.

We’re on your side RANDY!!!

                                                          Photo Credit: Lee Raine

xo xo Liz 

Spatterings From My Fountain Pen

It was hot and I dreamed of log cabins and fly-fishing somewhere cool,

I prayed for friends, young and old, with broken bodies and tired hearts,

I dreamed fitful dreams

And continue to hope that the fire that threatens our home and oh so many others across this country would disappear,

I read Hemingway and thought that he is much like a good meal of fresh bread with butter and meat pie and red wine…completely substantial without any needed frills,

I laughed with reckless abandon and feasted greedily on pictures of beautiful things until I thought I might burst,

I planned gifts of braided and twisted delights for friends and started a Christmas list,

And now I am drinking a glass of wine that looks like sunshine and wishing each and every one of you,

A good night.

xo xo Liz 

Go For A Ride In Your Cadillac

When I look into the future,

I hope to see

A row of collared white shirts, hanging neatly in the back window of the truck.

Sourdough biscuits that I’ll have finally mastered,

Dripping with honey.

Your hand

Heavy on my thigh as we drive,

Throwing out mineral block as we go.

Dark hide

Slowly built into a set of reins during long winter nights,

Buttons all match up and swing with style.

An impromptu fishing trip that consists of you,

Laughing at me and not catching a thing.

A writing desk, be it the top of a cooler in camp or a wooden table,

Resplendent with my notebook and favorite pens,

To catch the words as they appear.

Reata

Tied to my saddle.

Backhand thrown consistently.

Little grey mare turning just fine in town.

Sunburnt hand clasped in strong hand in prayer before a meal.

Boots thankfully traded for slippers,

And one small whiskey before bed.

Come on, baby

I wanna jump in your Caddy and go on a trip around the moon. 

xo xo Liz