Stalking Meeting the Pioneer Woman

I do not remember how I first discovered the Pioneer Woman. I think I just randomly stumbled across her one day out in the blogosphere and have since been regularly laughing at her confessions, trying her recipes and sighing over her photography. When she published a cookbook I ran out and bought it. When she announced a book tour I waited for her to come to Portland. She did not. Then about a month ago she announced Spring mini book tour and this time Portland was on the itinerary!

Monday night I grabbed my friend Karla and we headed over to Powell's book store, cookbooks in hand ready to meet the ranch wife turned biggest blogger on the block. It started at 6:00 and we figured in about 30 minutes to spare in case it was crowded. Alas, we underestimated PW. There were easily 400 people there. The front entrance to Powell's was packed, people spilling out into the mall entrance. Which was exactly where we ended up. On the steps in the mall looking out over this scene.

Not only that but there were tickets. Tickets! I obviously have not attended enough book signings. They started handing out tickets at 4:30 and stopped at 300. Clearly I was not going to get my book signed, but it was still fun to be there. She was running a little late and I was bemoaning the fact that I was not going to get any closer to her than this when she entered through the mall and walked right by us. My camera was not out of course. I got a picture of the back of her head as she walked by. She did a quick little Q&A session. She is very funny and down to earth and feels just like she could be your next door neighbor.

At about 6:45 they started lining people up to get their books signed. 10 tickets at a time. We had no tickets. But how long could it possibly take? We wandered out into the mall. We got a coke. We visited the apple store. We went home. Karla had a baby to feed. I was feeling conflicted about being with the rest of my family at Cole's baseball game on Danford's last night in town. Not to mention I had to get up at 4:00am to take Danford to the airport. But I wanted my book signed.

Heck, we decided to go back an hour later. The crowds must have thinned out by now, right? Not. They were only half way through the tickets. But there were now empty chairs. So we settled in for the wait. As I was sitting there I realized the extent of this woman's popularity. There were people there from miles around. People who drove hours to see her. With small children. And very supportive husbands. People who still had long drives ahead of them to get back home. And here I was 10 minutes from home. What was I complaining about, I could wait. And wait we did.

11:00pm - I got my book signed!

Home

We got to have Danford home last weekend after 2 months working out in Pennsylvania. It was a long two months and we only got him for about 3 days, but we take what we can get. We did not go to the beach despite this picture, but I love it because the kids are all following him up the beach like baby ducks and that is basically what it was like at our house all weekend. Wherever Dad went everyone else was sure to follow. Especially Hannah who followed him around like a magnet. I watched him in the kitchen making a sandwich one day and watched as Hannah followed him to the refrigerator to get a few things, to the counter to put them all down, to the pantry to get more things and back to the counter to put them all down. She was right on his heels every time he turned around. It made me smile. It was a good weekend, and not because of anything that we did but just because we were all together. And now we just wait. Until next time. And hopefully we won't have to wait another 2 months.

Look What I Made!

Today is the annual Soc Hop at our elementary school. Truthfully I would just as soon avoid it, but for some reason it is a highly anticipated event for the girls and it would be cruel and unusual punishment not to take them. I think it is the dressing up.
This year I went a little crazy and made poodle skirts for both of them. I am not much of a seamstress, so unless it involves sewing in a straight line I usually avoid it. Following patterns is right out, so I am still surprised I actually attempted it. Although technically it is not a pattern, it is just a big circle of felt and some elastic. Nevertheless, I am still a little pleased with myself.
Look how cute they are!

The Picture of the Week

I have come up with a new project for myself. It is ambitious I know, but I have decided that even if I have nothing exciting to write about, I will at least find a photo that says something about my week. A picture is worth a thousand words right?
Here is my picture of the week this week - I love this shot of Cole in the dugout.

It marks the first official week of baseball. The first week of sitting outside freezing my tootsies off for 2 hours on a cold bench at 9:00 on a school night.