Because My Sister Doesn't Have a Blog of Her Own

On Monday, my sister - we'll call her Bear - loaded up her family and went for a little drive. My sister (who is younger but taller) lives near Portland, Oregon, and a famous blogger was headed her way.

Yes, you know who I am talking about. This here would be the famous (and beautiful) Pioneer Woman, creator of the delicious chocolate cake and bread pudding I used to share with my friends back in Elko.

Oh- the days when I had friends....

The famous Ree Drummond who bakes all sorts of delicious things with pounds and pounds of butter (and while she doesn't gain a pound, I gain 20 just reading the recipes) was on her way to the equally famous Powell's Bookstore for a book signing.


Can you believe this crowd? Bear picked up a number as soon as she got there and her number was 316.

While my sister was waiting for Ree to speak, she would call me with updates. At one point she said, "There's her daughter. I have to go!"

And my sister got to snap a photo of this cutie! This is PW's oldest daughter and Bear related to me that the daughter is tall. Taller than my sister, and my sister is about six inches taller than me. And just in case you're wondering, that book that beautiful daughter wouldn't put down is the second in The Hunger Games series (I think). Great series, by the way. (Read more about the daughter here.)

PW spoke for a few minutes and then commenced signing of hundreds of cookbooks. How she manages to do this for literally HOURS at a time without getting a cramped hand is beyond me. Maybe her writing isn't very neat.

My sister waited. And waited. And entertained her children. It was a book store so Adam had plenty to keep him entertained.

And after Jared's tummy was full, he was pretty content.

They called the numbers in groups of 10 and at 9:30 p.m. they called the 280-290 group. My sister was getting close. And then one of her other three boys decided to wake Jared up and play with him. Jared didn't like that very much. He stared to fuss, and not just a little. By this time, my sister and her entourage were close enough that PW noticed the commotion. Thankfully, PW took pity on my sister and said to the crowd, "Should we expedite the mother of the crying baby?"

And that's how my sister skipped at least 26 people in line. Thank you, PW. I'm sure the other 26 thank you, too. Of course, Bear did say that by then everybody there had become fast friends. I imagine that anywhere PW is the people are kind and good and instant friends.

My sis, bless her thoughtful heart, took a bottle of homemade blackberry jam to PW. See, those blackberries grow wild up there and my sis jams them and pies them and doesn't share with me. Then again, I haven't been to Portland for almost 2 years. Bear did say that PW was kind and gracious, but still a little reserved. Actually, I think what my sister specifically said was, "Ree hasn't quite come out of her shell." So I think it's true what PW says about being a hermit.

See those three cookbooks on the edge of the table there? One of them is mine. Yeah me! Once I receive the cookbook, I will let you know about PW's handwriting.

I'm so glad Bear got to go meet PW. I would have gone with her if I'd lived closer. Steve (her husband) was a good sport and her boys were troopers. Maybe someday I'll get to post my own story about meeting PW and maybe someday, my sister will get her own blog.

In the meantime, I'm happy to post her stories here.