We’re having a great time in Colorado! It’s been both snowy and sunny, dreary and dreamy, and our family trip has been what it always is to me: A precious, blessed time. After not being able to come along with us last year, Tim, Missy, and their kids are with us, and even though we feel Alex’s absence, we’re all having a blast together.
I skied for the first time Sunday, and I made the mistake of taking the lift with the whole group and following the lead of Marlboro Man, who is a very skilled skier and who seems to completely forget the fact that I am allergic to blues and have a violent reaction whenever someone suggests I take any path other than a green one. “All we have to do is just take this little run,” he said when we got off the first lift. “Then we’ll hook onto the catwalk and get on the other lift.”
“Is ‘this little run’ blue?” I barked, questioning our entire lives together.
“Yes, but it’s short,” he said. “It’s a piece of cake. Promise.”
“I’ll see you in Vail Village later,” I replied. “I am not going with you.”
“You have to, Honey,” he explained. “This is the only way to the catwalk.”
“I’ll see you in Oklahoma,” I shrieked. “I’m going home!”
“Just follow me,” he continued. “I’ll go super slow.”
I then launched into an uncharacteristically histrionic diatribe along the lines of WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME WHEN YOU KNOW VERY GOOD AND WELL THAT I HAVEN’T SKIED FOR A YEAR AND I’M A CAUTIOUS SKIER AND I WILL NOT, CAN NOT, REFUSE TO SKI ON ANYTHING RESEMBLING THE COLOR BLUE!????!??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Please trust me,” he said. The other seven members of our family had taken 40 runs to the bottom and back by this time. Not really. It was probably just 39.
Finally, I decided to trust him. There was no other way to continue, and he was, as promised, taking it very slow. Then I lost my balance and, true to form, did everything in my power not to fall, which is my biggest fear when I ski: Falling. Falling and not being able to get back up and dying on Vail Mountain. So the good news is: I followed Marlboro Man on the super short, piece-of-cake blue run, otherwise known as the only way to the catwalk. And I didn’t fall!
The bad news is: I broke my pole. In half. I was so determined not to fall that when I started to lose my balance, I braced myself in such a way that my pole broke. And I’m pretty sure it was made of titanium.
By this time, Marlboro Man was a little ways down this super short, piece-of-cake blue run, so I snaked my way down to him at .003 miles per hour. Then I stopped and handed him the two mangled halves of my pole. “Here,” I said. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” I’m pretty sure my nose was tingling at this point.
Marlboro Man said something along the lines of “I’m sorry, Honey,” but the look on face was more along the lines of “Wow. I had no idea how bad it was.”
Long story short, Marlboro Man gave me his poles, got me to the lift I needed to get to so that I could catch up with our group, then he skied to the bottom (with one pole, because he’s studly) and met up with us later.
Several notes to self:
* “Piece of cake” is a relative term.
* Trust Marlboro Man in all situations except ones that involve mountains.
* Research metals stronger than titanium.
* Blue is from the devil.
Eventually, we all reunited and made up (ha), then Missy and I decided quit a little early so we could beat the weekend crowd to Sweet Basil, one of the best restaurants I’ve ever experienced. Missy and I are eating partners in crime in situations like this and believe in saying yes to everything, and that’s pretty much what we did!
We shared this…
And this…
And this (yes, those are tempura-fried chunks of avocado. Remind me to make some when I get home)…
And this…
And this…
And this…
And these! We knew it would be awhile before we got to sink our teeth into morsels like this again, so we wanted to live life to its fullest!
You should have heard our many rationalizations every time we ordered something new:
“You only live once.”
“We don’t get this very often!”
“We work hard, man.”
“We skied for 2.3 hours! We’ve totally earned this!”
“We’re hungry.”
“We have six kids between us. We deserve this.”
“I’ll order this if you order that.”
“I love you, Missy. Never leave me.”
Everyone should have an eating partner in crime!
We skied as a family yesterday, everyone respecting one another’s varying abilities and neuroses, and we had a great time. We’re headed out today for more snowy togetherness.
I’ll let you know how my poles hold up!
Love,
P-Widdle Diddle
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
