Thank yous, Shout-outs, and Book Reviews, oh my!

For everyone in Pioneer Woman land, this weekend was a pretty big to-do: Ree Drummond (aka "The Pioneer Woman") started her new cooking show on The Food Network a day after appearing on Good Morning America to hurriedly cook some Peach-Whiskey BBQ Chicken before Hurricane Irene could blow into town and leave her stranded. If you're not familiar with the Pioneer Woman, I strongly suggest you go to her blog. Ree has a memoir out about how she became an "accidental country girl," as well as a wonderful cookbook and a children's book about a ranch dog named Charlie. (I'll let you hunt those up on your own, too many links spoil the blog. Or maybe that's cooks and broth, but you know what I mean).

After reading Ree's blog for a while, particularly for the photography, and after breaking down and buying the cookbook (again for the photography as much as the recipes), I was pretty excited to read her book about how she and her husband met and fell in love. Even a cursory glance through her "Confessions of a Pioneer Woman" part of her blog will tell you that she adores her husband, which is pretty impressive after four children, a ranch, ranch-hands, in-laws, and over a decade of marriage. I wanted to know how that had happened, and I knew Ree would spin a good yarn of a love story. When I saw that The Real Farmwives of America and Megan at Gal in the Middle were hosting a giveaway of the book, I excitedly entered...and watched "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" on the shelf every time I went to the store.

It sat there, all bright and cheerful, the orange calling out to me, the vintage cowboy and his girl saying, "We're so in love, and you know you can't wait to find out all the ooshy-gooshy details! Buy us!" I fingered the cover, then pushed my buggy away and thought, "As soon as I find out I didn't win, I'm so coming back here and buying this sucker."

I waited patiently, and I stared down those two on that cover.

Then the post I'd been (not so) patiently waiting for came across my feed. I was sure that it was someone else, and I'd finally be able to go buy that book. Yes, victory and an afternoon of reading were at hand!

And then I saw my response had been the one chosen by the random generator. I had won the book.

*gasp*

I scrolled back up, then back down. Yes, that was my screen name, my comment to enter the giveaway. I had won the book.

I HAD WON THE BOOK!

I jumped up from the computer and started doing the happy dance around the kitchen: iwoniwoniwoniwoniwoniwoniwoniwon... I think I scared the dogs a bit.

I've finally gotten around to reading "High Heels to Tractor Wheels" while Irene blew some rain our way, and I was right: I spent the afternoon laughing, reading parts out loud to my husband, and laughing some more. Ree has no problem sharing her gaffes with the world, as only a middle child would do (see PW for more on that). She brightened my dark afternoon just as her blog does whenever I start reading.

So THANK YOU, Megan and The Real Farmwives, for hosting the giveaway, for sending me the book, and for loving PDub as much as I do. Even though my closest tie to being a farm wife is a garden and cows pastured over the fence, I enjoy your posts so much. Thanks again!