What a Hoot!

This year, my vaca is an age-appropriate visit with a friend in Wyoming. Since my earliest memory, I wanted to move to WY, marry a rancher, and spend my days cooking, doing crafts, and raising the little ones. Later, when reality invaded my childhood, I realized that I needed a professional job to earn a decent living -- and also that WY only has about 3 months of bearable weather each year!! Believe it or not, Yellowstone has just opened for the tourist season, and some parts are still impassable.

We have been having such a hoot, telling "remember when" stories, gossiping, giggling, and playing card games. I am so not a game player, but my friend's sister is a card shark, so while my friend and I are talking more than paying attentiong, she's kicking our butts -- but in a nice way. When she drew a wild card last night and went out, the joy that lit her face was amazing.

We also have a craft project on tap for today, one which I initiated when my friend showed me her horse-themed bedroom. Yesterday, we drove to another small town to buy the supplies, spent a couple of hours planning our attack, and today, it's a done deal after we return from the grocery store. How long can it take 3 highly-motivated, well-educated, professional women to finish one craft project? Depends on the amount of talking, laughing, and snacking we allow during the time set aside for the project.

We are also making favorite recipes, but I brought along a new one, in addition to an old favorite. Last night, during the card game, I showed it to the sister all the while explaining that it calls for "mint" marshmallows, which I have no idea how to find, but we can probably just use any ole marshmallows "this time." She got a funny look on her face, but just smiled, and then her sister said, "Let me look at that recipe again." I handed it to her, it got really, really quiet, and then she said,

"Actually, it uses mini-marshmallows, not mint marshmallows," and the 3 of us laughed until we all had to change our Depends!!! This morning, they are still teasing me!

Yeah, I'm having fun.