Farm Fresh Blog

After years of living together, Other Half and I finally decided to make it legal. (Now all the dogs will have the same last name!) This decision however, has spawned a great deal of controversy. We are, at heart, boring people. This is not the first time around for either of us, and well duh, we've been living together for years, so this isn't a big surprise to anyone either. Not much changes around here except a name tag on my work uniform.

We are quiet people. We are "just us and the preacher" kind of people.  Our friends are not.  Our friends are "rent a ballroom," "book the fairgrounds," "have a big shin-ding" kind of people.  (some of them)  And . . .  we know A LOT of people.

So there's that - we're about to upset folks who're gearing up for a big party.  Not only are we not real "party people," but do you know how many cattle panels and fence posts you could buy for the price of one hotel ballroom?  (I'm just sayin'.)

Then there was the date - when do we both have a large block of time?  We don't.  We thought we'd found a week, but then we realized that I have a Death Investigators class, and Grandbaby #2 is due!  Scratch going out of town then. 

So I sat at work last week, pouring over the calendar, when it hit me.  We aren't party people, but we are stock people.  What's the one giant month-long party that hits this cow town every year?  The Livestock Show & Rodeo!!!  We generally take off a few days and spend marathon amounts of time up there anyway. In fact, it's one of our FAVORITE things to do!

So I got to figuring . . .   Why, pray tell, do we have to go out of town when the fun is right here?!!

I found a weekend that we already had booked for the livestock show. Theoretically we could get hitched in a private morning ceremony, go to the sheepdog trial at noon, go home to feed the livestock, and return in the evening for the Cowboy Mounted Shooting!  Our party-loving friends can meet us there at their convenience, and we can eat turkey legs, barbecue, and funnel cakes until we're all green!  Sounded good to me!  I whirled it past other Half and he allowed as how this was an EXCELLENT idea!  (We did decide that we may have to bring our own wedding cake though!)

Yes, it's non-traditional, but so are we. It solves all the problems.  We're never far from the farms. We can accomodate as many folks as the grandstand at the sheepdog trial will hold, the cost is minimal, and we're not far from the hospital if Daughter goes into labor!

Next problem - what to wear?

A wedding dress at a livestock show is out.  Duh! Plus, I'm not paying that kind of money for a dress for one day.  Been there, done that, and this time, I'm the one having to pay the bill . . .  (I'm just sayin'.)

So I envisioned a really nice, long cowgirl skirt with a petticoat (that just so happens to be hanging in my closet right now.)  Unfortunately Other Half nixed that.

"Blue jeans."

"Do what? You want to get married in blue jeans?"

"Uh huh."

"Don't you want me to look nice?!!!!"

"You look fine in blue jeans."   (Yeah, gotta love that man.)

So although it did not fit my mental picture of wedding attire, today we went shopping for the kind of outfit you could get hitched in, wear to a livestock show, go home and feed your own stock, and then return for evening festivities involving horses and handguns. 

And he's right . . . somehow planning a wedding is a lot more fun when you cut out the expectations of others and just do what you want to do. 

The Ring -

Note how it is flat so I can wear it at work under latex gloves and on the farm under leather gloves! Other Half takes ALL the credit for picking out this puppy! 

And this country girl likes it a lot!