Stetson Hat to City Cat

 

                                                                            
Picture courtesy of Amazon

Folks who know me and have seen the extreme amount of O.U. paraphernalia that surrounds my family can come to the conclusion that I must have an Okie somewhere around here. Well yes I do! My hubby is an Okie to the core, born and raised in the heartland---tornado alley.

I just finished reading Ree Drummond's sweet romance novel about how she, a city girl vegetarian,  met her cattle rancher husband Ladd in From Black Heals to Tractor Wheels. I have never met fellow homeschooler and native Oklahoman, Ree, but I am a big fan of the Pioneer Woman as she calls herself on her blog. I think if we were to meet we could have a few laughs and enjoy some Nutella laced chocolate cake.

In a spirit of fun competition-- I throw down the gauntlet, Ree, and present
Stetson Hat to City Cat:

I grew up in the 80's. My high school years were full of big hair, blue eye shadow, preppy turned up collars, boys wearing pink, Madonna, and Brat Pack movies. My graduating senior class had over 500 students, and that was really and truly in my class alone. You can imagine the graduation ceremony--the convention center, all those names being read, all those kids walking across the stage, phew! I am a proud Texan. You have to be if you grow up in Dallas/ Fort Worth. I think they must teach all Texans that it is the best and only state in the union beginning in kindergarten. You know the stars at night are only big and bright deep in the heart of TEXAS! Texas gal, yes. Cowgirl--no way! In my school there was a group of cowboys and girls. I think we called them Ropers back then. I hope it was because of the Roper boots they wore and not because we thought they all roped cattle. This goes to show you how clueless I was to the whole "Roper" thing.

Well, even though I grew up in Texas I had been on a horse maybe once. I had not owned a cowboy hat since my Easter treats came in one when I was little. My music of choice was Kid Kraddick's top pop song dedication hour. I did, however, know Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's crossover Islands in the Stream. I was a major city girl. In the words of Harry from When Harry Met Sally I was the, "Worst kind. Your high maintenance but think your low maintenance." I graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and later became an assistant manager at Dillard's. My degree was in Theatre and Communication Education, but started at Dillard's right after college with the plan to attend grad school at the University of North Texas. I got one big semester there done before I decided a Masters was not for me...but that is another story. You can imagine that for a young twenty something city gal like me, a Dillard's employee discount was like handing over a magic card.

I lived at home with my mom, hung out with my friends, taught drama part time at the dance studio where I continued taking dance lessons, and attended the church in which I grew up. It was November, like it is now :) I made plans to visit my ole alma mater in Oklahoma for homecoming. The year was 1994. It was at a smoky bar in Norman, Oklahoma that I met my own cowboy. He noticed me right away. So he tells me. I'm sure it was the fact that I had on my cool  and "funky" wear. Or was it spunky? I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, complete with vest and long necklace. I had on ankle boots that laced (not the cowboy kind but the ones that are making the rounds again now). My hair was long and curly and dyed dark brown. I would say like now, but it looked so much better then, and I dye it now to cover the many many grays. Well this place played mostly country music. Thus why my man was there, duh. (Have you ever noticed that "duh" is not very feminine to say?) I looked completely out of place. Probably like I had broken down on my way to club 90210(Like the Peach Pit After Dark)  and only come in to use the phone. (There weren't really any cell phones back then).

He in his skinny tight wranglers, cowboy boots, slightly unbuttoned crisp starched shirt, wavy brown hair, black Stetson hat with a tucked turkey feather trophy acquired on hunting trip, and his signature moustache that would make Tom Selleck jealous, walked across the dance floor and said, "Would you like to dance?"

Tune in next time for more...To be continued.....