My Sunday Afternoon Delights

The light streaming through my bedroom window is that pretty color that only happens around 3pm. The house is empty and I’m wrestling demons and words and old memories, shaking hands wrapped around a now cold mug of coffee. My little sister’s Christmas gift to me has made me think about things that I have not wanted to think about for a very long time. I miss my cowboy days, even though I am 100% sure that I am on the right road in life now. Turquoise and silver glints from my knuckles as my fingers fly across the keyboard of this computer. Turns out I’m a good typist, and when I am practiced up I can type at least 83 wpm. It’s just like playing the piano, except with less melody.

 I turn Ian Tyson on, whether to ease the pain and ache in my heart or to make myself feel worse, I’m not sure. I think of all the different things that make me ME, and smile.

This will help.

I sweep the clutter off my desk and onto the floor and carefully assemble my favorite things into a little cluster. The pictures don’t do them justice, not like the girls I follow on Instagram who have perfected the art of capturing a “flat lay.” I am not perfect and neither is my life. It’s easy to hide behind a smile and filters in today’s digital world…what you don’t see is the grittiness of struggle, except the parts I share with you. You don’t see the occasional cigarette smoke that drifts above my head, or the early mornings spent in the Word. This is a little collection of all my favorite things…I hope you enjoy. What would make up your flat-lay collection??? 

Western Chic Couture Cuff, Clinique Happy Perfume, George Elsner spurs, ForLife tea cup, 

xo xo Elizabeth 

Cherry Creek

 The family was headed for a weekend of visiting friends

Eating casino food and reata roping in Reno town

But she opted

To help a friend doctor yearlings instead

Bedroll, check,

Saddle, snaffle, blanket, chinks, warmest coat you’ve got

Happy little gal

Brown hair covered up with a red winter cap

Bounced her way into a bitter spring camp

And spent

A very happy 4 days

Necking her first steer

Doctoring with fingers frozen stiff

Greasy breakfast mornings

And watching the boys puff cigars to help stay warm

Meander along,

Step down

Cinch up

Build to him, poor little sick fella

Yeller’s feet feel awfully slick on this icy, frozen tundra that used to be a pivot

Oh God I feel like an idiot

Boys keeping pace, offering good-humored advice, like swing harder!

Swing

ONE TWO THREE times and throw

Loop sailing, sailing, why does it feel so heavy and slow?

Finally settles clumsily around the neck

And dear lord I think we’re falling,

I’d rather not watch if you don’t mind, so I’ll just squeeze my eyes tight shut

But no, it’s just nerves and cold

Slide a little rope

And hold your dallies like the boys do

A pretty pink cross on this yellow calf’s head to say that’s he’s been done

All right, who’s next?!

Replay and Repeat

And how about a lazy lunch

And waste some time in the machine barn

Roping a dummy

Perfecting that shot till you’re warm with exertion and shoulder is sore

And the days pass and fill up with memories of

Generators and Mel Brooks quotes

Broken in ropes and where it feels right to throw

Before she knows it

It’s time for her to head back

To family and chores and school

But first a nap in the saddle shop parking lot

While she waits for them to open up

An hour there and our little brown haired, red-capped miss

Leaves $100 lighter

And with silver rings glinting in her ears

xo xo Liz