Deb Trotter, Cowboy's Sweetheart

Everyone has a bullet to dodge on Thanksgiving Day.

You may not recognize holiday stress a ‘bullet,’ but in Cowgirl-Cowboy lingo, that’s what it is. And every single bullet can prevent Thanksgiving from being what it is supposed to be:  a warm & fuzzy holiday.

Thanksgiving Bullets come in many sizes – from downright tiny (irritating, but manageable) to massive (painful, and almost impossible to ‘remove’ without damage). Here are the bullets you should avoid and how to stop them …

1. The Family Bullet

For some of us, the bullet is a member of our family:  the snooty aunt, who makes depricating comments about the lumps in the gravy … or your Dad, who drinks just a bit too much wine with that Thanksgiving turkey and says things he doesn’t really mean. The Family Bullet is a deadly weapon, but you’re pretty familiar with its dangers. Have a good sense of humor when it comes your way.

2. The Stress Bullet

Stress is a pretty nasty bullet too. I’ve been shot by this rascal one too many times. As a die-hard Cowboy might say, “Okay. You asked fer it!” And before you know it, you’re full of lead. Silly, stupid lead, because the Stress Bullet is something YOU shoot at YOURSELF. Here’s how it goes …

You don’t have time to get your Christmas tree up and decorated. Maybe you don’t have enough silverware, or you’re missing a coffee cup in that service for eight. You forgot to pick up the wine, or you realize you’re out of butter. Out of butter on Thanksgiving? Say it isn’t so!

But guess what? Most of the time no one really cares about everything being perfect but YOU. So there is no excuse for being shot by stress. Let it go.

3. The Five Pound Bullet

We can’t leave out the Five Pound Bullet. It’s actually the food itself. You heard me, pardner. The turkey & dressing with gravy.  The cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie. You eat just a little bit of everything, and you’re dead before you know it. (Must have been that extra helping of sweet potato casserole you couldn’t resist.)

I learned long ago how to avoid the Five Pound Bullet when a good friend reminded me of two things:  1. If you feel that bad afterward, it’s not worth the taste … and 2. It’s not a crime to throw away leftovers!

4. The Guilt Bullet

Finally, we have the Guilt Bullet, the one forged from tradition. You live on one side of the country, and your family lives on the other – so your parents are spending their Thanksgiving alone for the very first time (What kind of daughter AM I?” you ask yourself.) Or you try to break with tradition … this year you’ve decided to make ham instead of turkey and forgo the broccoli casserole. Your son goes to the buffet to fill his plate and exclaims, “What? NO TURKEY?” And even YOU recognize that it’s just not the same.

Congratulations. You’ve just been shot through the heart. The Guilt Bullet is the one I have had the most trouble dodging. But I’m getting better at it.

This week not one of those four Thanksgiving Bullets can ‘locate’ me anymore. I have mastered the art of the ‘dodge.’ Here’s how I choose to do it …

1. Family Bullet … I invite friends to join us. We all share stories about each of our families and traditions. They bring food to share. And life is good.

2. Stress Bullet … I don’t worry anymore about whether we eat off of fine china or paper plates. If I happen to get the Christmas tree up, great. If not, big deal. And the stress is all but gone.

3. Five Pound Bullet … I don’t pile on the food anymore. By the time I have sampled a tiny bit of everything I’m full. No more “staving children in China” (remember that?Five Pound Bullets!

4.  Guilt Bullet … I make my own traditions while assuring my family that I will respect theirs. A phone call to my relatives in North Carolina helps keep this bullet at bay. Guilt now is in the same category as leftovers … it’s okay to toss it in the trash.

As for you, my friend … dodge those bullets and ENJOY your Thanksgiving!

I plan on doing the same.

Happy Trails!

Tags: Holidays
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Digital Art, Food and Drink, Holidays, Western Cowgirl Art | 2 Comments »

I can't tell you how many times people have asked to see a photo of my friend & Buckaroo Bag pardner, Karna Morton.

Now's your chance.

Here we are, Karna on the Left, Me on the right. (No jokes about Mutt & Jeff, please. I know who I'd be.) 

 (photo courtesy of Jeanna Kennedy, Goo Girl)

As you can see, Karna is tall, thin, gorgeous. She is just as happy & fun as she looks in this photo – a sweet, sweet friend with a big old heart the size of Wyoming. One heck of a seamstress too. Extremely creative, with a sharp eye, an incredible sense of style, and an innate talent for mixing colors & patterns. And boy, can she carry off a pair of cowgirl boots! Yee Ha! Just goes to show ya, even a Minnesota farm girl with a Can Do attitude can turn into a cowgirl at the drop of a hat.

While my artwork serves as inspiration for our one of a kind handbags, Karna is the artist who deserves the credit. Ideas just whip out of her faster than you can say, "Ride 'em Cowboy!" And she is so skilled a seamstress that she can create new patterns & whip up five or six Buckaroo Bags, along with all the layers of ribbon, fringe, and trim, faster than I can create one new piece of art.

By now Karna is blushing, so I'll quickly tell you about the Boot Scootin' Boogie.

We demo-ed outside the Plush Pony, along with several other artists, who displayed their cool jewelry. The whole main street in downtown Cody was filled with scads of local folks, as well as visitors from all across the US. You could drop by storefronts anywhere, see cool art & merchandise, and treat yourself to complimentary & delicious food, coffee, yummy sweets, and my personal favorite – a nice glass of wine.

And talk about a cool western style fashion show! So many cool boots, belts, leather jackets, & skirts for all cowgirls and cowgirls at heart. I would kill for something like Suzanne M. M. Warner's loom woven trade belt (available for purchase from Thea Marx's Contemporary Western Design website - which by the way, is not to be missed).

(photo courtesy of contemporarywesterndesign.com)

The Boot Scootin' Boogie (the brainchild of the Queen Maven of Western Design, Thea Marx) was just one of many events held in conjunction with Cody's Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, sponsored by the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

I have to brag a bit more about another friend, artist, Steve Schrepferman.

Steve won the prestigious William E. Weiss Award during Cody's Rendezvous Royale on the final night of this yearly arts celebration. If you want to see perfection from the hand of a master, here it is …

(photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center)

Mother's Touch
Steve Schrepferman

Earthenware, 23 x 24 x 9 inches

Retail Price: 7,500
Artist Statement:
I love how ceramics blend earth with water, fire and air. I wanted to
leave evidence of these elements in this piece, showing the
timelessness of water washing across rock like the soothing touch of a
mother.

Congrats, Steve!

Hugs to my friend & "Material Girl," Karna!

I bow to you, our true "Cowgirl Diva," Thea!

And Rock On, Cody, Wyoming!

I wish ALL my friends could have been here – and that includes YOU.

Happy Trails!

Tags: Boot Scootin' Boogie, Cody Wyoming, Cowgirl, Deb Trotter, Karna Morton, Steve Schrepferman, Thea Marx, Western Art
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Cody Wyoming, Food and Drink, Photography, Travel | 4 Comments »

I was always intrigued by that song, "California Girls."

I never
really understood the whole surfing thing (surfing in the mountains of
North Carolina? I don't think so!.)  But I couldn't get that image of
those "California Girls" out of my head.

Back in the 60's The Beach Boys (LOVE!) made California Girls a part of the American Culture. Beautiful girls – with shiny hair and tanned, bikini clad bodies glistening in the sun seemed everyone's idea of perfect.

Well,
I am here to tell you, there really is something about California
Girls. My eyes – AND John's (wait til you hear!) – have been opened.

Our trip to California last week was full of California Girl experiences.

Take
Sonoma, for example. Beautiful country. Beautiful girls. One in
particular that I (or should I say, John) will never forget.

We randomly chose a wine tasting at the Landmark Winery. 

And that is where John had his first "California Girl" encounter.

(Actually
she is a Russian Girl, turned "California Girl" – with some name like,
"Natalia" or "Nataliaova" – who could remember her name when she looks
like this?)

John looks a bit smug, don't you think? I wonder why ….

One
hour & a half later – we had reached "wine snob" status, and
Naratova – er, Nataliova Sherzhova Belova Shostakova (whatever) – this
beautiful blond behind the bar with that mysterious, sexy accent – had
convinced "us" to become a member of their "wine club." We'll get a
shipment of 4 bottles of a lovely, reserve Chardonnay this year.

As we exited the room, she smiled at John, winked at him, and said, "Welcome to the Landmark Family!"

Need I say more?

Actually, YES. I DO need to say more. SO …….

The next day in
San Francisco we (once again randomly) chose a restaurant for lunch. A
Middle-Eastern inspired place by the name of Kan Zaman. There were pretty young ladies out front to entice passers by.

Why not, right?

I had NOT planned on the Belly Dancer! (And neither had John.)

Actually,
I didn't take this photograph. It's on Kan Zaman's website. (Our belly
dancer was younger, and had these intriguing rose tattoos all over her
tummy and back. Perhaps a bit less skilled than most, but doing a
pretty good job just the same). Apparently they are famous for their
night time belly dancing shows, as well as their Hookahs. I thought
perhaps "Hookah" referred to some type of special recipe or middle
eastern wine. Or, if you are from New Jersey, it could be a "Hooker."
WRONG. A Hookah is one of those big water-filtered pipes with blended,
flavored tobaccos.

Kan Zaman is especially famous for their Hookahs flavored with apple, pomegranate, melon and vanilla.

And
before you ask – NO, we did not indulge in a Hookah. John was too busy
pretending not to see the belly dancer – which, by the way, is rather
difficult. She worked the room pretty darned well, and when she
returned to our table, she wouldn't leave. She keep coming up to John
while she was doing that belly-roll-thing. I love seeing women do a
belly roll. Especially since I CAN'T do one. I shudder at the thought
of MY belly doing anything other than hiding behind a nice, comfy
pashmina or a western fringed cowgirl jacket.

Anyway, when the
belly roll did not produce a tip, she decided to do the butt wiggle.
You know, where the only thing that moves is the area between your
buttocks and your waist, and those little coins on the skirt sound like
Christmas? What this little Belly Dancer wanted was for John to "tuck"
some bills into her skirt. But all he could do was slink down, stare at
the table, and finally mutter, "Very good."

Very Good?

Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Truly, every wife should have the pleasure of watching her husband squirm with embarrassment.

He
finally tipped her a buck. But he held the money in his hand -
WAAAAAAAAAY up high in the air. That's man-speak for, "Here. Take it.
And get the hell out of here."

Of course, it could have been different if he was having lunch with one of the guys. But I like to think not

OK. After telling you just a few of our "California Girls" encounters, allow me to add this … please do not get the idea that I think all California Girls are like Nataliyahova (I WISH I could remember her exact name) or Little Miss Belly Dancer (work it, girl!). I have some really good friends in California. Mostly artists. They are beautiful, smart, fun, talented women. Each with her own personal style. When I see pictures of them – or even have the pleasure of talking to & seeing them, LIVE, via my Mac's iChat, right there on my computer screen – I am taken by their charm. Their filmy cotton dresses, handmade aprons, and roses. Or their short, form fitting skirts and funky shoes.

California is a different world – especially when you live in the Wild Wild West. I truly love the whole California Girl thing, but I'll stick to my jeans, plain white shirts, cowgirl boots & hat, and turquoise jewelry.

But I think John might like it if I had a Russian accent and looked more like Natailazerovakova.

Happy Trails!

Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Food and Drink, Photography, Travel | 2 Comments »