If I were you, who would be me?

I've been spending a little too much time catching up on the antics of Ree and family over at The Pioneer Woman.

It's so easy to get lost in her conversational writing. To gasp in awe at her gorgeous photos. To think that in her shoes, I too might have a handsome husband with two green eyed girls and two blue eyed boys. She makes me want to take off on horseback across the prairie and chase down a cow. She makes me wish I had followed the old roommate's advice and adopted that basset hound instead of holding out for Chango. I am inspired to cook and to dip my toes in the pond and to homeschool my kids.

Except I don't have any. Ponds, kids, handsome husbands in cowboy hats.

How easy it is to get wrapped up in someone else's life and to wish you had what they have.

Until you remember that out there somewhere, there might be someone who wishes they had yours.

Sometimes, I miss country life even though I couldn't wait to leave it behind when I lived there.  As an adult, I can better understand why my parents would want to live that far away from everything and now that someone came along and invented the internet, I can imagine myself living a little further out than I do now. But that is for the future. In the past, I wanted to live closer to my friends and a mall.

In the now, I really do have it made in the shade. I have a lovely little house. And the sweetest dog. I haven't poisoned myself with my cooking in awhile. I have a great support system of friends and I wouldn't trade my family for anything. Things aren't perfect. Not by a long shot. But they are good.

So while it is tempting to want what Ree has, and it's fun to peek into her world, I think I'll stick with my own life. I'm sure hers isn't perfect either, it just looks that way because, well, she's enough of a lady not to air the dirty laundry. And gosh, haven't I learned that lesson the hard way. Talking about the drama might make for some interesting reading, but it always bites me in the butt.

It feels good to want what I've got. To aspire for more, but to love my life while I'm at it. The truth is, that life on a ranch is HARD. You can read between the lines and see that. I can remember Lee's stories and know the truth of it. Up before dawn. Cow drool. Reality. Nope, I like what I've got. Target around the corner and a skate rink nearby. The occasional sight of a handsome man in chaps. Yeah, I'd say I've got it pretty damn good.

I do think I want her cookbooks though. They got great reviews from Hellohahanarf who didn't cook before but is cooking up a storm now. Works for me!