Black Heels to Tractor Wheels Part One

I've decided to join up with Book Beginnings and Bookends, a book club blog and read Ree Drummond's "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". Ree Drummond is also known as The Pioneer Woman and I abosultely love her! I have found so many delicious recipes on her blog, I bought her cookbook, spend way too much time looking at her gorgeous pictures and browsing her blog, and when I found out she had a book coming out about her relationship with the Marlbolo Man, I knew I had to read it. I decided to join the book club while they were reading "Ape House" and was just waiting on them to start the next book and they picked this one. So perfect!! The book is divided into 3 sections and that's how they've divided up the discussion questions. Here's the first set of questions and my answers.

From Rachel:
Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?
Definitely, I've been with my husband, Greg, for 12 years (married for 5) and I forgot about all those feelings you have at the beginning of a relationship. It's been nice to reminice about when we first met and all those intense feelings we had, the nervousness, etc.
From Erin:
What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"
I've been following her blog for awhile, so I wasn't surprised about her as much as I was about him. I love learning more about Marlbolo Man and I can't believe how romantic he is and straight forward. I love it.

From Nina:
While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?
Yes, it's hard not to compare notes. I love hearing about how other people meet and how they're relationship devlopes into more than just "dating" to something more serious and eventually a marriage.
Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?
I would have tried to be more upfront instead of dragging out the break up slowly. Just say it's over and be done with it--like ripping off a band aid. But, when he came out to see her, if it would have been me, I would have felt guilty and picked him up and heard what he had to say. I'm glad she didn't, but I just know if it was me, I would have picked him up and probably regretted it.
Have you ever made a life-changing decision based on a guy in your life? And how did it work out for you?
Yes, I moved from Georgia, away from all my family and friends, the day I graduated high school, with Greg to Arizona. It wasn't easy, but it worked out. We're very happily married now and have twin boys.
From Stephanie:
How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?
She doesn't seem to mention much about her parents reaction to him or really anything about them until she finds out they're getting divorced. I thought her brother and sister's reaction was funny. Her brother seemed annoyed, but I don't think either of them were surprised. Maybe dating a cowboy was surprising, but I bet Ree is the type that does what she wants to do and not much surprises her family.
From Rocky Mountain Wife:
If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?
Stressed out! You don't want to be naive and give up everything for a guy you just met. You don't want to start thinking about a possible future and how things may end up so early in the relationship, but with the plans she already had, she had no choice but to think about how things were going to end up. I would be totally stressed that I would make the wrong decision.
From Meghan:
How do you think the situation with Ree's parents affected her relationship with Marlboro Man? (Or do think it did not affect her?)
I definitely think it affected her, it was something that gave her hope that love is real and marriages can last. She took pride in the fact that they were still married and her and Marlboro Man knew that it was a good sign for their relationship that they both were raised by parents who were still married. I think it could have made her lose faith in love and ruined the relationship with Marlboro man, but luckily, she seemed to find comfort in him instead of pushing him away.
Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone? How did it turn out?
Yes, it didn't work out. Relationships that evolve and take time seem to work better for me.
What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?
I can relate to the way she's feeling about Marlboro Man, the worries she has about looking stupid, spending hours trying to look like she didn't spend anytime getting ready, all the typical things women feel and do when they're in a new relationship.
From Meredith:
I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

Yes! I still mess up & ruin recipes and he still chokes it down anyways.

From Amber:
How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.

I'm curious, too! I'm sure she omitted and added things, which is fine with me. I think the book is great and I'm enjoying reading it.