I had a great opportunity to talk to our dear friend, Sweet Norma.  I have intended to call her for such a long time and I finally pulled my day together that I got the call in. And I wish it hadn’t taken me so long because it was such a great chat.

When I decided to write her story I wanted to start at the beginning and make her talk about her life in the way that I wanted to hear it.  But before I knew it, she was telling her wonderful stories and I realized that hearing her story as she remembered gave meaning to it.  The things that she was sharing were the things that were on her mind, that were close to her at the time.  I guess that it changed my course for Sweet Norma’s chapters- they are going to come in the order that she is reliving them rather than as they were lived.

We talked for what seemed like only minutes but before I knew it Sweet Norma was telling me she needed to feed the chickens, haul in the wood for night, and finish all of the evening chores.  I walked away from our visit honestly inspired.  I shouldn’t be surprised, because it is this very purpose that I am sharing Sweet Norma with you.  She is inspiring!  This new bit of inspiration is what I want to tell you about.

Along our conversation we talked about why this lifestyle is so important to us, especially as rancher wives.  I commented that we certainly don’t choose this lifestyle to get rich because its not likely to happen.  After listening to me comment about all of MY reasons for this life, like how the work and sacrifice will turn us into good people and how through roughing it, we will find what is really important to us (and of course I assume that she is thinking the same stuff…). When I finally came up for air she said, “But we are already rich!”

Here I was talking about how the blessings from living on the ranch would come eventually and she was reminding me that it is waking up to the fresh country air that makes us rich.  There is nothing we have to do to earn this type of gold, we only have to realize that it is there.  Its having the opportunities to work, even if it means that Sweet Norma has to spend hours everyday shoveling the snow (she has more than 2 1/2 feet!).  We enjoy every bit of this life, because even the bad days are good. 

I don’t know if it is from living on the ranch or living in the country (or both) but there is something so honest about this life.  Maybe its the work that does it- you only grow a good crop when you plant good seed, in good soil and you give it good care.  You only have healthy animals when you have good care for them.  You can try to take the short cuts, but those half-efforts will show.  And living such a life can’t help but make you a good, honest hard working person.  Someone people would proud to call their neighbor. 

Living a cowboy lifestyle isn’t for everyone- we need someone that can live the city life to be the businessman or the doctor.  And I’m glad that we have those that love what the city has to offer so that I can live my life on the ranch.  We each have our own place where our dreams come true and living that life makes us rich.

This was the message that Sweet Norma shared with me.  We are in this life to get rich, but rich in love, happiness, devotion and satisfaction.  I’m lucky enough to get rich being a rancher’s wife.

The Holidays are filled with traditions, especially family traditions.  It’s those little things that make the season more than a generic celebration, but rather a time to cherish.

Nearly 10 years ago my parents began a tradition that, at the time, didn’t seem to be much more than what it appeared to be on the surface. But over time it has become one of those special things we love and cherish.  Without it, our Christmas season isn’t quite the same.

Ours is a Black Friday tradition, but not like you might imagine.  We do come home exhausted from our hunt, but not a hunt for gifts… but for Christmas trees!

Ya, it’s not wild crazy tradition.  In fact, lots of families do it.  For the most part it would be an ordinary go-get-your-tree adventure.  We gear up in our snow clothes (which get shed halfway up the mountain because we are so stinking hot from the hike) and search for that perfect tree.  In our circumstance, we look for 7 Christmas trees, or  close to that number.  One for us, one for mom and dad, one for this brother and that brother…  one for The Rancher’s Sidekick’s room even.  In fact these trees end up all over the country, shipped in mineral feed sacks making the trip quite nice.

So you get the idea… we get Christmas trees, one for everybody and their cowdog.

What makes this so special is who we get our trees from.

We find our trees from Norma… Sweet Norma.  At first we started to go to her mountain ranch because she has such beautiful trees, but now we go to be with her.  Sweet Norma is one of those women that just eeks love. 

Our adventure with Sweet Norma is predictable and generally goes something like this.  We get out of the truck ready to be on the receiving end of the tightest, most loving hug, followed a good look up and down to see how we are.  After the hugs go around we load back into the trucks and she directs us to the best spot to find that special tree.  Once there she starts the trek up the mountainside, leading the way but slowly makes her way to the back to ensure that everyone is doing fine and visiting all along the way.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that she is in her mid-eighties?

Can you believe that this woman, that has every right to just point to the mountain and say, “Have at it,” walks us around as we indecisively choose our trees, never thinking of herself.  Instead of being frustrated with us taking up her day or wasting her energies to show us around her ranch, she is tickled to spend even the smallest minute with us.

So we choose our trees, snap a picture or two for momma’s sake, and we make our way back to the ranch yard.  Now that you are beginning to understand Sweet Norma you might guess that she won’t just let us drop her off and leave.  Your right. She won’t let us leave without first coming in for a hot cup of hot cocoa.  We’ll sip our drinks and visit for a bit until we need to hit the road. Sweet Norma walks us out and giving us all a tight, parting hug and kiss. 

As far as the eye can see we leave with just a load of Christmas trees, but we leave with so much more than that.  Sweet Norma fills our souls with humble, unbiased country love.

There’s a lot we can learn from a woman like her.  This is the beginning of Norma’s Story.