In No Particular Order by Ree

In no particular order, because that’s how my brain works, here’s what’s been going on the last 10,000 minutes or so!

 
I love poking around the store at The Merc and taking pictures of the things that make my skirt fly up. These timers!

 
 
It’s spring and the floral shirts are in da house!

I like flowers. Can you tell?

 
 
These are our best selling item. Go figger!

I heart them.

 
 
Raise your hand if these take you back.

I love nostalgia!

 
 
Anyone want to try to answer?

You can do it!

 
 
Meantime, over on the food side: Have I ever shown you The Merc’s croissants? They are nothing short of magical!

I dream of them.

 
 
This is something new we’ve been doing in the grab-and-go line: Full dinners, and they change ever other week.

This pot roast is kinda sorta sublime.

 
 
Did I tell you Paige and I have been traveling this week?

 
 
My new children’s book, Little Ree, was released on Tuesday, and my girl went along with me so I wouldn’t be without her and she wouldn’t be without her mama/mom/MOMMY.

 
 
(We were on a morning show together! I was so proud of her. I wish she was still ten, though.)

 
 
After we did our TV segment, I participated in an SMT, otherwise known as a Satellite Media Tour. This is where you do quick-succession, rapid-fire interviews with local TV stations all over the country—and I did 18! It’s always fun to do these because you get to talk to TV hosts in different areas, and I’m always surprised by how different each interview is even though we are talking about the same topic. It was fun!

 
 
After we were finished, we went to an absolutely delicious restaurant called Parker & Quinn, and while the food was delicious, I have to show you the decor. I am madly in love!

 
 
These booths…oh, my heart.

Here’s a little glimpse into the differences between Paige and me: When I was pointing out this area of the restaurant, she said “I love it…but I want to go straighten all those photos.”

I, on the other hand, said the crooked photos are part of what’s so wonderful about it.

No right or wrong answer there! I think.
 
 

Paige and I have had such a great time together this week. We’ve ordered room service, which is a treat and our favorite thing to do.

She’s heading home today (soccer), and I’ll be home late tomorrow night!

 
 
And it’s a good thing I will, because the dogs will be ready to go for a walk. That time has come, and they are loving our strolls down the road and back every night.

 
 
Duke is a hunting dog, but as luck would have it, he wound up not in a hunting family—ha. So when we go on walks, he convinces himself that we are on a serious hunting expedition and he finds critters everywhere.

 
 
His focus is remarkable.

 
 
Walter? Well…not so much.

“Duke, man…give it up. There’s bacon down at the house!”

 
 
And then there’s Lucy Girl—she’s a lover, not a fighter!

 
 
I love this dog so much. Labs are the best!

And speaking of dogs…I have to tell you a story.

Last night I had a Little Ree book signing in Greensboro, North Carolina. There were lots of cute/sweet/precious kids there, and many of them were readers of Charlie books and fans of the late long-eared fella. Well, one sweet little girl came up to my table with her mom. I said hi, introduced myself, and the little girl did the same with a smile.

There was a pause before the little girl said, “Pioneer Woman?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” I answered.

“I’m so sorry about Charlie…” and her eyes welled up with tears and she started to cry.

I touched her shoulder and reassured her in whatever way I could muster: that Charlie was such a good dog and we loved him so much…that we miss him, but we’re so lucky that we have pictures of him and little books about him that we can read whenever we feel sad. And we have so many memories!

And then guess what? I started to cry. There was no way I could have stopped it!

Such a sad moment, but that little girl’s sweetness—and generous little spirit—actually made me feel happy about the world.