Going West

A Cowboy at Our Quilt

Cowboy Memories

When my first group saw my western themed props they reminded me that we had a real cowboy in our group! Mr. G had recently been interviewed for a local paper about his experiences working at George Ranch years ago. "It was my first job." He told me. "I worked there for years...until I was disabled." He laughed when he saw the Remington image. "Whooee! I looked just like that!" He laughed. "I had some falls!" I asked him what was the worst accident and he said the one that hurt his leg and still bothers him today.

Around the Fire

We let some old western tunes get us in the spirit. Some peaceful recordings of "Home on the Range" and "Red River Valley" had a few swaying and singing along. We tried to name as many famous cowboys as we could. A few reminded us about the famous women, too. Annie Oakley and Dale Evans...

Comfortable in Hats

My afternoon group had a few who grew up on or near ranches. They were the ones who reached for the hats and seemed so content wearing them while we shared around the table. There were memories of all the chores related to horses and the smells and the favorite ponies! We brainstormed all the uses for hats and every detail of a cowboy boot.

Native Americans

We kept the discussion broad and talked about the Native Americans who lived out west. We listened to some of the music and made a little of our own. Janey told us about the Seminole Indians who lived near her family in Florida. "They invited us to some of their celebrations and it was wonderful!" She described the food that was cooked outside and the dance. "They'd ride into town on horses, just to go to the store."

Rodeo

A few were excited about a group trip planned for the Houston Rodeo in a few days. I can't imagine anything more fun than taking either of these groups to the rodeo. The logistics might be a bit tricky, but the enthusiasm was pretty delightful. I wouldn't mind enjoying a little popcorn and watching a little horse excitement, with any of these folks!