Making Room by Gather

The Courage to Dream: Paige Murray's Journey from Childhood Ambitions to the Cowboy Capital

• Kayty Helgerson • Episode 131

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Join us on a captivating ride through the world of ranch life with Paige Murray, a debut children's book author and Western influencer. Paige shares her enchanting transition from a South Carolina upbringing to the vast, open landscapes of a 2,800-acre ranch in Texas, where she resides with her husband, world champion rodeo cowboy Ty Murray. With stories of childhood dreams inspired by her grandmother's horses and a degree in animal science in her pocket, Paige offers a unique glimpse into the ranching lifestyle and the indelible mark it leaves on her writing. Her journey is a testament to following the heart's true calling, away from societal expectations, and into the boundless freedom of the Wild West.

Together, we explore the rich heritage of ranching in Stephenville, Texas—the cowboy capital of the world—and the challenges of preserving this legacy in modern times. Paige unveils the creation of her children's book, "Rosie's Wild Ride: Chasing Big Dreams," a tale inspired by her personal experiences and the timeless struggle between societal norms and the pursuit of dreams. Through engaging stories of a fifth-generation ranching family in Colorado and historical reflections, we unpack the deep-rooted traditions tied to the land and the spirit of daring to dream big. Paige's insights shine a light on the courage required to nurture dreams, whether on the ranch or in the pages of a beloved children's story.

In our conversation, we touch upon the multifaceted life of a rancher, from the joys of supporting local farmers to the unexpected mental and physical challenges of motherhood. Paige candidly shares the journey of becoming a runner and the fulfillment found in ticking marathon achievements off her bucket list. We also delve into the significance of encouraging big dreams in children, the inspiring tales of champions, and the importance of community support. Whether through buying local produce or engaging kids with activity kits from her blog Boots and Biscuits, Paige's story is a heartfelt reminder of the power of dreams and the beauty of community.

Follow Paige @paigedmurray
Buy a copy of her children's book here!

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Speaker 1:

Hey guys, welcome back to this week on Making Room. We are so excited that you're here and I'm even more excited for this week's episode. You guys know that little Leslie just turned one and we are thick in the midst of being new parents and learning about the whole world of kids and everything that surrounds it, all the developmental stages, all the toys and, of course, all the books that come with it. And we are so excited to talk about a new release that all of you are going to be thrilled to hear about, with our new friend and debut children's book author, paige Murray. If you do not know about Paige Murray, here is a little bit more about her and you are sure to love her as much as we do.

Speaker 1:

Western influencer and debut author, paige Murray makes her home outside of Stevensville, texas, along with her husband and nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, their daughter Oakley and her stepson Case. Their ranch is filled with numerous animals. They manage this is so amazing to me 500 cows, six horses, one mini horse, three donkeys, three dogs, five cats, 11 chickens, two pea fowl, three guinea birds, two rabbits this is so fun Two turkeys, a hamster and a pet rat. I can't forget the pet rat. Paige is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in animal science, a former broadcast journalist and rodeo reporter. More information can be found, along with her new books, on bootsandbiscuitscom. Guys, this conversation is going to be so fun for this Connecticut girl who has never seen a proper farm or rodeo, and I'm sure you guys will love hearing about it more too. But quick note from our sponsor If you guys are thick in the oh my goodness, the crazy of back to school holiday prep everything that this time of year brings, we know it is equally fun and chaotic. Feast and Fettle wants to come alongside you with food that you feel good serving your family. You could feel like you have a personal chef at a fraction of the cost, with food delivered straight to your door, no ripping packages open, no cooking or anything. It comes to you ready to eat and you can feel good about it, from your kids' lunches to stacks for you, dessert for the family, whatever you're looking for help with, take off your first week with code gather at feastandfettlecom and head there for more Well, without waiting any longer, let's dive into this week's conversation.

Speaker 1:

Hi, I'm Katie, a hospitality educator and the host of Making Room by Gather podcast. I am set to see our communities get back to the table through hospitality, but it wasn't always this way. My husband and I moved to Thailand and through it I experienced some loneliness and with it I was given a choice to sit back and accept it or to do something about it. And for me that meant two things that I needed the healing to learn how to accept an invitation and the confidence to know how to extend one. Through this process, I developed some of the richest and deepest relationships of my life.

Speaker 1:

Through Making Room by Gather, you will hear conversations from myself and experts in the areas of food, design and relationships. You see there are countless things trying to keep us from the table. But can I tell you something? Take a seat because you are ready, you are capable, you are a good host. Okay, hi, paige, absolutely, I was thinking as we're talking, you know I have actually never experienced true Southern hospitality and as someone in the hospitality industry, everyone's like you would love the South, and so I'm excited to hear from you.

Speaker 1:

We're talking about your children's book, your debut book, today. But if you want to throw in any hospitality as we're talking, I would love to kind of experience it through you in our conversation today. So I want to start learning about your background a little bit. You and your family call a ranch in Texas home and truly, as a girl from Connecticut, when we pass like a half an acre of a cornfield, that's a farm to us. And so tell us like did you grow up in a ranch? Has it always been a part of your life? Let us know what you want us to know about your childhood.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, oh, that's so fun. My literary agent, you would love her. Her name's Esther and she's from Michigan and I've introduced her to this whole world of ranching and animals and took her to her first branding this year. So it's so fun to share this life with everyone. I'll show you, let's see if I can turn this.

Speaker 2:

We live on a 2,800 acre ranch in Stephenville, texas, and there's our hamster cage, but you can kind of see up here across the ranch. That's our land as far as you can see, and I actually grew up in South Carolina, so a small town, but not, you know, not in the country on a ranch, and there's not ranches in South Carolina the way there are out here in the West. I think we just have too many pine trees, there's not enough open space. But my grandmother, she lived on like an old Southern plantation home and she had some acreage and had two horses that were her pets and she introduced me to horses and I just fell in love with them, you know, from five, five years old on, and I started riding lessons and just loved it. And then my favorite book was Black Beauty and my favorite movies, you know, were like the Horse Whisperer and Charlotte's Web, which when you were reading out all my animals, it feels like I have my own Charlotte's Web, oh my gosh. And so I've just always loved animals. I've always romanticized the West and wanted to live on a ranch so I could have as many animals as I wanted to.

Speaker 2:

And so when I went to Clemson and I majored in animal science and I thought maybe I will be a veterinarian, because that was kind of my dream from kindergarten up I wanted to be a veterinarian. So I went to school for animal science and I got a concentration in equine business. So while I was there, you know and it sounds a little bit old fashioned but my mom was a stay at home mom and there were three of us girls and I really valued that and I attribute such a wonderful, happy childhood to her being home with us, and so that's how I was raised and that's the model I had. And so I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. One day I've had children. I was getting ready to graduate and I was like, oh my gosh, you know, four more years of vet school, two years of residency. I was like that's a lot of money and time invested to then, if I have children, I want to stay home with them.

Speaker 2:

So once I graduated, I started working as a vet tech part-time, just to get the hours to apply for vet school of experience if I wanted, if I decided that is what I wanted to do. But while you know, I came out and applied in Texas for a job as a horse show director for the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and I didn't get that job. So I went back to square one working at the vet's office and then I actually I was doing some like promo modeling in college and after college with an agency in North Carolina and I applied for the job as NASCAR's Miss Sprint Cup and I got that job. I got to travel the country with the NASCAR circuit and that was such an incredible opportunity. And I was exposed to broadcast journalism and I fell in love with that.

Speaker 2:

And so in 2014, ride TV was a new equine horse television network and they were hiring in Texas for like a host in a rodeo reporter. So I applied for the job and I got it and I moved to Texas and so it was so cool how everything came full circle and I got to combine my love of horses and animals in broadcast journalism. So I still got to be involved with this agricultural world, which I loved, and I met my husband shortly after I moved to Texas. We were at the National Finals Rodeo Both of us were working. His name's Ty Murray and he. He is a nine time world champion cowboy and he lives on. He had a ranch here in Stephenville, texas. So we've been inseparable ever since we met and we got married. About two years after we met, I moved to the ranch and then I had my daughter in 2018. So it's just been such an incredible opportunity to, uh, really experience this ranch life and, like it's my dream come true, wow.

Speaker 1:

You could see that shine. As you're talking about it too, it's so sweet. And as you're saying, all these things, even just the career paths um, these are not careers that we hear in the Northeast, which is interesting to me, and so it's like the you forget how big the US is until you meet people from across the country, and so I love hearing all about this, and we're talking today a lot about dreams, and I love hearing you say it's a dream come true, and even just part of your story is encouraging people to dream. Bigger Sky is the limit, but I want to get a little bit more of a bigger picture of ranch life for listeners, just to really just paint the picture for the rest of our conversation. I mean truly. This is sad to say, but my only experience with ranches are from the movies, little clips that I see here and there, and I'm sure that's the same for a lot of our listeners. So what do you wish people really knew about it? I guess the life side of it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it's like you said. You know, when you, when you are immersed with people who live similar lives to you around where you live and the similar, similar cultures, you forget that, wow, outside of this place, that we live in this culture, that people have such a different life experience. And so, you know, most people here in Stephenville are cowboys it's the cowboy capital of the world and so you forget that, wow, we actually live a really unique life and it truly is like a. You know, it's a declining industry the farming and ranch industry and it used to be such a common way of life Like, I believe, in 1930, there were like 6. The farming and ranch industry, and it used to be such a common way of life Like, I believe, in 1930, there were like 6.8 million farms and now they're 1.89 million.

Speaker 2:

But it used to be such a common practice Like most of our ancestors probably farmed at some point, maybe ranched, but most people do get their ideas about ranching from the movies. And I feel like now we have two different spectrums. So you have, like, the old, romanticized version of the West, where it's vast and untamed and where pioneers and cowboys battled against nature and forged a new way of life and it really emphasized values such as like individualism, self-reliance and ruggedness and adventure. And certainly there were those aspects of that life. But there are also a lot of hardships, unpredictable weather, and it really was a hard life. And then now you have, like, the Yellowstone side of ranching, which is very overdramatic and over the top. But the thing there, you know, in Yellowstone, is that they love their land so much and they will do anything to keep it, and so I think that is one thing that you know is very common to ranchers and farmers all alike. It's, it's so much more than a business and making a living. It really is about preserving a way of life and a heritage that our country was founded on.

Speaker 2:

A lot of farms and ranches are family owned and operated and they've been in the families for generations, and so we we have a place in Crested Butte, colorado, and our neighbors are ranchers fifth generations up there in Colorado, in this booming, you know, tourist ski town where land and houses go for millions of dollars, and they're sitting on all this land and they're still ranching it. They could sell it and, you know, just make millions and, you know, you ask them, you know how come, why do you stay in this business? He said we're doing what we love. If we sold it, what will we do? Like what else will we do? And so it's just. It's such a special way of life and I think preserving those traditions are so special.

Speaker 2:

And then I think something that maybe people don't understand is it is a hard way of life and it's a hard way to make a living. It's hard to find quality land that's affordable and then to be able to run enough cows you have to have, you know, so many acres, and all the farm equipment and ranch equipment that you have to purchase is expensive. It's like millions of dollars, and so it really is a hard industry to make a living in. But all businesses can be hard to make a living in, but the things that the ranch provide that have nothing to do with the financial gain.

Speaker 2:

It's just like it's priceless. You can't put a price tag on it. Um, the adventure, uh, being with our family every day, uh, the land, being in touch with nature and the animals and really like being close to our you know it could be our food source and just being in touch with with that and raising our kids with those values. It's so easy to keep our kids away from the screens because we have so much to do here. It's like every day you can go explore somewhere new. So I think being around with all those animals and the lessons that being raised on a ranch teaches is just something that's priceless, and it's just, it really is a special way of life.

Speaker 1:

Wow, I can almost feel the like, decompressing and the rest of just like being in that atmosphere. It's not something that's like easily available to us up here and I could see all of that. I definitely could see it. I'm so glad you painted that picture for us. Well, we are weeks away from the launch of your debut children's book, rosie's Wild Ride Chasing Big Dreams, and the title drew me in.

Speaker 1:

I definitely consider myself a big dreamer. My friends and family know that about me. But the more I learned about the messaging, I knew we had to talk about it more. I think I was thinking back to childhood and I always could kind of hear what I would say like whispers of dreams in the back of my mind. But I always felt like I was surrounded by this messaging, also like the cultural messaging of playing it safe, messaging also like the cultural messaging of playing it safe. And it wasn't until I was much older that I felt like the freedom to kind of explore those dreams, dabble with them, feel freedom in them, and that's when I went all in. And so I'm curious what led you to write a book specifically about this, because it's something that maybe as a culture, we're talking more about. There's more permission to do it, but it's still not quite the norm, so dive into that for us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so here is my children's book Rosie's Wild Ride, chasing Big Dreams, and it's based off of our real life, clydesdale horse Rosie. And then that's my daughter, oakley. And let's see, I'll show you.

Speaker 1:

There's a picture of the real horse and Oakley in the back, but that's them right there.

Speaker 2:

That's so sweet to have in there, I don't know. And so that was a major theme in this book. I think you know Oakley, when I started writing this book and had this idea she was three and a half and it's just grown with her the process of getting a book published. But we tell kids to dream big because we encourage them to believe within themselves that they have the capability to do anything they aspire to do. And dreaming big can drive direction, ignite desire and shape behavior of the kids. It gives them something to aim at and accomplish that truly interests and inspires them. And so I think that is so important to build that confidence in kids and encourage them to think outside of the box, because dreams fill kids with hope, I feel, like you know, it secures a child's focus on the higher visions of life and lets them think beyond their current reality. And so some kids may have a bad home life. They, you know just you never know what a kid's going through. But I think if you can fill their brain with dreams and hopes, it really can set their path down a different their life, on a different path that they might have otherwise, you know, not thought about. And so we come from a really inspiring family.

Speaker 2:

My husband's, you know a nine-time world champion cowboy and he still has the record for all-around world championships on the rough stock end of the rodeo arena. So the rough stock events are bull riding, bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding, and then your teamed events are like barrel racing and tie-down roping and all that. So he still holds the record for that. But he said when he was little that his mom made him believe he could do anything. He said she just always encouraged him and when she'd be counting down from eight seconds, if he was about to buck off and he's little she'd count faster. And so she just made him believe that he could be the world's greatest cowboy.

Speaker 2:

And we have we have it laminated now, but it was a paper he did at school. We have it laminated now, but it was a paper he did at school and I think he was like maybe eight years old and it said my dream, I want to, what I want to be one day, or what do you? You know, what do you want to do for a career one day? And he said I want to be the world's greatest cowboy and break Larry Mahan's record. And he did it because he had that dream at such a young age and he was trying to accomplish those goals and taking steps every day to do that. So I think that's so important.

Speaker 2:

And then my great uncle he was my grandfather's identical twin brother. He was the 10th and youngest man to walk on the moon. He was on Apollo 16. And so his name is Charlie Duke. And just having those inspirations and the dreams that they had and were able to accomplish, I just think filling your kid's head with these dreams and encouraging them to have big dreams and chase them is such an important thing for little ones. Yeah, it's so good.

Speaker 1:

I love this conversation. I love that as a culture we're kind of going in this direction with a lot of freelancers and entrepreneurs and small businesses, because I think a lot of us, like you were saying, came from rough childhoods or limited resources or family members that didn't get to pursue their dreams and, unfortunately, project that onto next generations. It's a reality, but there's so much lost when we don't pursue that, and so I love that we're encouraging kids to dream big and so, with that, what do you hope that parents or caregivers also glean from this book as they're reading it to their, their littles?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so a big theme in this book. It came from a true experience on the ranch and that's kind of where all my ideas for these books came from, from real happenings on the ranch. Like I'm a creative person but I work best off of like a little bit of truth. I love like I mean it's based off of a true story and stuff like that, and just make it up a story is hard for me. But so a big theme in this book is believing like what if I can? And so you'll see it all throughout the book what if, what if we can, what if I can? And so this happened Oakley was three and a half and we were down at the round pen where you train your horses, and she wanted to get on Rosie by herself and Rosie's like really tall, really big.

Speaker 2:

I said, do you think you can get on that big horse by yourself? And she said what if I can? And so that night I was like that is really cool that a three and a half year old, you know, didn't say what if I can't? Or what if you know? Well, what if I can't? Do it Like it was such a cool quote, I guess, a mindset to think about. Instead of being filled with like doubt, she was filled with wonder and curiosity. With like doubt, she was filled with wonder and curiosity and I felt like it was such a true testament to the human spirit, before we become aware of the shame and embarrassment that comes with failing. And so it's like such a like an innocent child, you know quote. But I was like what a great reminder for adults and people of all ages to believe in yourself. And it was so neat.

Speaker 2:

She came home from kindergarten the other day and she said, mom, we were learning about I think she called it the gross mindset, but the growth mindset. She said it's where you don't believe that you can, instead of being like, oh, it's too hard, oh, I can't do it, and having a fixed mindset. She said it was just like the Rosie book. I was like that is so cool, like to encourage kids and adults to believe that you can. Because this book for me, you know, if I had gosh, if I'd been scared of oh my gosh, what if I can't do this? What if it's not successful? You know what are people going to think if I try to write this? You know you really put yourself out there. But if you worry about the um, the doubt and uh, you doubt yourself and worry about failing, you'll never get anything accomplished, and so I think that was such an important theme in this book.

Speaker 2:

And then, um, something else I think is really cool in this book while they're chasing their dreams, they fail three times, you know. So our grouchy barn cat tells Rosie that she's too big and too slow to be a rodeo star, because Clydesdales are used for pulling wagons and carts. Most people know them from the Budweiser Clydesdales, yeah, which is beautiful, but they're always pulling something. And so she's dreaming of being a rodeo star, which is really not a place for a Clydesdale. And so, thumbs, our cat taunts her you're too big and too slow, you'll never make it. So she gets these doubts in her head and she has to overcome them.

Speaker 2:

But while they're chasing their dreams, you know they fail three times. They have to develop grit and resilience and determination to keep going even when they fail. And I think a big thing, like you were talking about when you were little. When things get hard, you have, like more realistic expectations rather than dreaming big, and I think, if you can combine the two, that's where, like, your real passion and talents are going to develop. So she was too big and too slow to do some of these events in the rodeo.

Speaker 2:

But she keeps going and they keep trying and then they figure out that, their unique differences her size, her strength and her bravery, what those traits are going to be, how they're going to come in handy and help her become a rodeo star. So in the book there's like a runaway bull that escapes and she's the only horse big, strong and brave enough to hopefully go try to wrangle them up and bring them back to the pens. And so, um, it really is a story about finding that your differences, what makes you different, is also what makes you special. And then I think, for adults or children, if you can realize that, like where your interest and your talents lie, where your strengths and your interests lie, that's where your true passion can develop. And so you may not be good at everything, but if you can figure out what you're good at, what traits you have, and then what interests you, I think that's how you can find your passion. Wow.

Speaker 1:

I love that you went. We talk a lot about going first here at Making Room, like going first with initiating friendship, going first with initiating hospitality, and then, once someone goes first, you kind of chart a new path. And I think dreaming is the same way. When people in culture or in our lives see that someone's dreaming big, it's like, oh my gosh, wow, I could, I could, I could follow. I see that this is possible. Now I see that there's it's not all fear, there's a little bit of safety or there's you know, endless possibilities. I think it charts a new path and so I'm excited for you and I hope that for those listening to this conversation, you feel compelled to take a step towards your dream. For those reading the book, you feel the same. I'm so excited for you.

Speaker 2:

Will this be available wherever books are sold? Yes, it's available wherever books are sold. On my blog, boots and Biscuits, you know you can go to Boots and Biscuits, slash Rosie's Wild Ride, and I've made it easy to kind of find a few of your favorite retailers. But you can call your local bookstore and request it, or just anywhere books are sold. You should be able to get it, and so it's been so exciting. I know it's like been such a highlight of my life and so fun.

Speaker 1:

I love here a highlight of your life. I love that. I love that. I love that you had the courage talk about courage and bravery to pursue it, cause I know the book writing process is not not always easy.

Speaker 2:

but you know, when Oakley said what if I can, it really inspired me. I was like, what if I can do this? And so I think what was cool about this book? It was it's a passion project, and so I wanted to write it, regardless of every if it was published or not. So I was going to write the story and if I was going to send, I didn't even know it was a call to manuscript at a time. But I was going to send. I didn't even know it was called a manuscript at a time, but I was going to send my story to some smaller publishing houses and they you know that took unsolicited manuscripts and I was hoping to hear back. But I heard a few no's and then no responses. So I was like, well, if that doesn't work, I'll self-publish it, because you can do that now I'll find a local illustrator and I'll just self-publish it on Amazon. And it's just a passion project for me.

Speaker 2:

But where it really took a turn and I feel like divine intervention, I was at Oakley's gymnastics class and I met this lady there and she overheard me on the phone talking to my husband, ty, about the book and I hung up. She said are you a writer. I said no, I just like to write, let it go. Well. She was there next week too and she said I wasn't going to say anything. She said but I feel like since I saw you here again I have to. She said I'm actually an author and I was a literary agent.

Speaker 2:

I worked for 10 years in California as a literary agent. She said I'd love to help you. So he said, just send me all your stuff and I'll introduce you to some agents. So I sent her my story and she said she called back. She said actually. She said I think she had at the time it was three kids under four. She said I would love to have a project to work on too. She said I'd like to have something you know to do outside of momming. She said I'd love to represent you and so she started. She became my friend and literary agent and she sent my proposal out to a bunch of publishing houses and we ended up accepting the offer from Zonder Kids and now I have my first book published.

Speaker 1:

Oh, my goodness, it made me when you said that I'm a little choked up, because I think sometimes in the dreaming process talk about dreaming, I mean I've experienced it, my followers know this, my friends know this it could be so discouraging. I mean, whether you're at the beginning looking straight up at the mountain and you're like how in the world am I going to get all the way up there? Or you get a series of no's and you feel like the dream died. You just really never know. And I was talking to a family member recently that has this big dream and just feels so overwhelmed by all the steps to getting there and my encouragement to her was to just start talking about it, because we had, um, we had an investor in a project and it was like the most unlikely person. But because I was talking about it, kind of like this book agent for you, they were like, oh wow, whatever it is, but you kind of just like a line. And, yeah, I really feel like God is so purposeful with that and loves to surprise us.

Speaker 1:

Um right and um, yeah, it's worth. It's worth talking about. It's worth.

Speaker 2:

yeah, I don't know If you want it on your heart, just do it Like I didn't see expectations. Of course I would love to get a book published. That was like the dream. But I was like if I don't get there, I'll be proud, just to self-publish it, you know, just to have this project. And so I think that's such a big part of feeling fulfilled is taking action on your dreams.

Speaker 2:

And there was something in I think it was a Harvard Business Review and I was probably looking up like finding fulfillment again as a mom, because you know you don't have much time to pursue your passions and your interest, especially as a new mom. So I was probably looking that up. It was called the progress principle and it said one of the key that these researchers at Harvard found a key to people's happiness and fulfillment is making progress every day on one thing that is meaningful to you. And so I was like that sounds like you know that that sounds true. Every time I've made progress on something that matters to me, set a goal for myself, I feel more fulfilled.

Speaker 2:

And you know, after I had my daughter, it was running. I took up running and so I could work, I could push her in the stroller on the ranch, I could take her for runs Wasn't taking away my time from her, but I could I started running races and so it's like I had these goals I could work towards and it just felt so fulfilling. And then this book came along and I think you know, working on the storyline and then going through the whole process of working with the art director and then the marketing directors and making progress on trying to make this a success has just been so rewarding.

Speaker 1:

Wow, I love this. I love this conversation for whatever season listeners are in, because I think so many of us kind of feel like there's just like a I don't know like dry wells in life in certain areas and I think just the permission to step into a dream is a really good boost for a lot of us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they do change, for me at least, depending on the season I'm in. I feel like I accomplished all the dreams I wanted to before I got married and when I became a mom and accomplished that dream, it was like you just kind of revise your dreams and what's meaningful to you at the time and, like you said, once you become a mom, I was like immersed in books, children's books. I was reminded how much I loved them. I was like I would like to write a children's book. You never know what kind of dreams will. I've always loved writing, but I never thought about writing a children's book until I became a mom. So you never know what stage and season of life you're in that'll bring like out a new passion or new dream.

Speaker 1:

Wow, so good, and I'm still like recovering from getting choked up. But I just I love knowing that that agent kind of overheard a conversation and it didn't necessarily all make sense, it wasn't wrapped together with a perfect bow. I think a lot of us are kind of type A like me and like to have everything figured out. And if you have a dream but it doesn't seem to make sense just yet, that's okay, just wait, right.

Speaker 2:

You never know, and I feel like God aligned everything at the time it needed to happen and you just never know. You know what each day is going to bring and who you're going to meet and opportunity that's going to be there. So good, so sweet.

Speaker 1:

Goodness, I want to revisit talking about kind of like preserving the ranching and farm industry, but actually I would love some kind of like clarification here, because I don't know. So we're talking about ranching and also farms, so what are the main differences there? Because I think a lot of people like me don't know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So farming, I would say, is more crop based. You're raising corn, soybeans, wheat, just you're kind of farming the land, and then ranching, I feel like, is more involved with animals. You can have cattle, ranches, sheep, you know, goats, all kinds of different types of animals that you can ranch, and so there's a little bit of farming involved with ranching. You know you have to we plant our grass, seed and then grow our hay and harvest that to feed our animals throughout the winter or if we're having a bad drought. But that's kind of the easy way to describe the difference in a farm and a ranch.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay, I love it. Well, like you said, there is a drastic decline happening in the amount that are in the US right now, right now. So talk to us a little bit about, I guess, why it matters to kind of be aware of this and to advocate for, for farmers and ranchers in the U? S.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know, um, it is. It is just, uh, a industry that's on the decline and I think one because it's really expensive to do and, um, you know it's your profit is so like cyclical, it's undetermined. In a lot of it You're at the mercy of the weather and what happens with the weather and the market. So supply and demand, and so it's just a hard industry to make a living in. A lot of people maybe will do it as a second form of income. They'll have a job and then ranch, you know, as a second, or or have like some cattle or something for a second way to earn income. And so that's kind of what my husband did. He cowboy rodeoed and then he co-founded the professional bull riders organization, the sport. He was a co-founder of the PBR and then he bought his ranch, this ranch while he of the PBR, and then he bought this ranch while he was rodeoing and then he kept making payments on it through his rodeo career and then the PBR career, and so now we keep the cattle because the cattle help take care of the land. It'd be a hard way to make a living, but it's just such a special life and, I think, the best way that people could support farms and ranches is supporting your local farmers and ranchers. So when you go to the grocery store, try to find a local product, try to buy it from your local dairy. Go to the farmers markets and support, you know, buy the fresh homegrown vegetables and fruits, anything, any, any time you can buy local, I think is the best way to support farmers and ranchers.

Speaker 2:

And then I think, you know, I think a misconception people maybe have about farming, farmers or ranchers is that we maybe don't care about the environment, our land or animal welfare, because it is such a strange dynamic to be an animal lover.

Speaker 2:

Yet you know we are omnivores and we, you know we're producing beef to feed the nation, and so it is a strange dynamic you have to kind of cope with as being a farmer, rancher and you have to get comfortable with animals that are companion animals and animals that will be used for for meat. But a big thing I feel like farmers and ranchers are the biggest stewards of the land there could be. If you don't take care of the land, it's not going to take care of you, and the better you take care of your land, the better quality your animals are going to be, and the less stress they're going to have in their life and they're going to produce better. And so I just think, like educating yourself, if you can, trying to educate yourself on the ranching and farming life is, would, is, would be, you know very beneficial for all the farmers and ranchers that are out there.

Speaker 1:

Now, wow, just this year for the first time, I was really upset that summer was coming to a close and here you know, in New England, like when summer ends, winter starts, and so kind of grieving that a little bit, and so I made a point to go to every farmer's market I could like every week until the season ends here, which is around October, and I I loved it. So they're not quite closed for the season yet, but I told my husband I was like how come we haven't done this sooner? I loved getting to know all the local farmers and obviously the quality of everything we were getting was so much better than the grocery store, and so that's a really sweet and just like practical way that we can support farmers.

Speaker 2:

So I love that. I love that you know where your food's coming from and you know who raised it. It's just, it's cool to go to those types of things, absolutely Goodness.

Speaker 1:

Well, we end each of our conversations with the same three questions, and I would love to hear your answers to them as well. The first is something you have eaten recently and loved.

Speaker 2:

I made my mom's chicken pot pie the other night and it is just the best ever. You can't beat it. I put the recipe up on my blog Boots and Biscuits, but I love chicken pot pie. It's such a comfort food and it's one of my favorite things.

Speaker 1:

I haven't had it in forever. That's good, it's a good reminder.

Speaker 2:

Such a family favorite too.

Speaker 1:

Growing up, there was a restaurant locally I'm going to have to ask my mom about it because it's not in business anymore. They had these giant teddy bears, which was so random and you would go. I think they only made chicken pot pie. Isn't that crazy? I think so, and as a kid I loved it because they would, like you would, sit on the lap of this giant teddy bear. It sounds kind of creepy.

Speaker 2:

That was so fun as a kid it was so fun and I loved it.

Speaker 1:

But I know, okay, a gathering you attended that made you feel a strong sense of belonging and, if you could pinpoint it, what it was that made you feel that way.

Speaker 2:

Um, as far as the gatherings um, I always feel like I belong the most when we're just doing like a get together with our family and friends um going over for a barbecue or um a time with friends.

Speaker 2:

But as far as like a bigger gathering, um, I got into running after my daughter was born and I think the running community um is just an incredible place. So my last race I ran, I ran a half marathon in October of last year, um in Texas called the marathon to marathon and just being there I feel like I feel like you just have such a connection with other runners. I feel like you you put in so much hard work to get there. It's such a demanding, grueling sport and you can just kind of relate to each other of that time you've invested and the determination you're putting in. And when you're running out there, running you know against these other racers, you just feel such a sense of community and like like you belong, yeah and belong there and you just kind of can feed off of each other's energy and the running community really is special.

Speaker 1:

That's really sweet. I've always, like, dreamed of being a runner I. I haven't really dabbled in it much, so I did the same thing and then I had a daughter.

Speaker 2:

I was like I have to do something for exercise.

Speaker 1:

I'll push her in the stroller on the ranch roads and that's how it started Well, I admire that, and maybe in a few years I'll be running with you.

Speaker 2:

I ran one marathon, like two years ago. I've only run one. That was a lot, but I'm glad I did one, cause that was kind of like I always dream oh, I'd like to run a marathon. You know kind of a bucket list item for a lot of people. But I did it. It was awesome, but I'm glad I only want to do one.

Speaker 1:

Good for you, oh my goodness. Well, last but not least, I feel like you'll have a fun answer to this, something you've discovered recently that you think everyone should know about a Netflix purchase, Amazon Netflix show, amazon purchase or anything random like that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, have you seen the documentary Torn?

Speaker 1:

No, I haven't even heard of it.

Speaker 2:

Oh no, we were flying somewhere and it was on the airplane. One of the ones you can select. It's a Nat Geo National Geographic documentary. It is one of the best shows I have ever seen. It is so powerful and deeply moving and inspiring.

Speaker 2:

So it's the story of the mountaineer Alex Lowe. He was one of the world's best mountain climbers. Near Alex Lowe, he was one of the world's best mountain climbers and he died in an avalanche when he was climbing or trying to ski, like the north side of the in the Tibet Tibetan Himalayas. He died and he had a family. He had a wife and, I believe, three kids. Maybe the oldest was like 11. Well, 17 years later, they discovered his body of him and his cameraman. They were able to recover it.

Speaker 2:

Well, his son, uh, who was 11 at the time, is the director for this documentary. So it's like his first big um documentary picture and he's the director. And so it's. The son is sitting there with interviewing his mom and his brothers, and then his his stepdad is Conrad Anker, who was his dad's best friend and climbing partner and married his mom after his dad died.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so it's just. I mean the stories, the premises is like they're trying to come to terms with their father's struggle with being. He was truly torn between mountain climbing that he loved and his family. You know he didn't stop climbing, putting himself in these dangerous situations even after he had the family. And it's just kind of the family coming to terms with it and to see a son interview his mom, it's just a really unique story and it's a story about like life and loss and loving again and it's's just I don't know, I think maybe because my husband rode bulls, something that's also super dangerous you really try to get into mind in these extreme athletes and people that have this passion of such dangerous sports. And it was just an incredible documentary, so I was like telling everybody about it.

Speaker 1:

I will see if I can attach that. I'm sure I can in the show notes somehow. I'm so glad you shared that with us. I haven't heard about that and we're getting ready for a flight, so maybe.

Speaker 2:

I'll watch it on the plane.

Speaker 1:

I'm still in that like not a lot of sleep postpartum kind of season, and so I cry very easily these days I still do that too, but I just miss like one hour of sleep.

Speaker 2:

It's like I guess I'm just like in this constant barely keeping up with my sleep, and it's like if I just miss a little bit, being a mom is so. No one prepares you for how challenging mentally and physically and how draining it is, but how like amazing and rewarding it is to that first year. The first month was the hardest month of my life. Yes, year was the second hardest time of my life. And then it starts slowly getting a bit easier and better and not so demanding. But that, I'm telling you, it is like something that's more demanding. You think you know tired before you have a kid and you're like nope, this is what tired is.

Speaker 1:

I was telling my husband Colby I was like, I think, for baby showers that I go to from now on, I just want to write an honest letter lovingly, not to be dramatic or anything, but just to help prepare my friends better, because it's so celebratory and I love all the cute outfits and all of that. But I think there are some things that aren't talked about that should be.

Speaker 2:

No, they're not. And I think people just I don't know if they don't want to be negative or don't want to seem ungrateful for the opportunity to be a mom, but people don't talk about being in the trenches of motherhood and how lonely it can be. And one thing I developed that I've never had before was anxiety. When she was a baby, like I would lay her down and I was so scared she was going to suffocate. I was like I was like so scared she's not going to breathe. And so finally, when she sleeps past her two hours, then I wake up. I'm like why is she sleeping this long? It's just you just, oh, it's.

Speaker 2:

It's like the mental draining of it is so hard Cause you just worry about them and you love this thing more than you've ever loved anything in your whole life, and it's like you would die for them and it. But it's it. It's like just takes takes away like all your energy too. So I feel the same way. It's like I don't, you don't want to sound negative or like ungrateful, so maybe that's why people don't talk about it, I guess, cause I just don't want to say anything bad about it, cause it's the most wonderful thing in the world. But it's so challenging too. But anything that's challenging, you know that's always the things that are the most most worthwhile.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's so real, goodness. Now I want to have a separate conversation about this. Maybe we will. Oh my gosh, oh goodness. Well, thank you so much, paige, for coming on. I feel like you bring such a peace and a joy with you. You're so radiant and everything that you're talking about. So thank you for sharing that with us, and I know that it's going to come through in this book. I'm so excited to just get this into people's homes for everyone that are going to read it, whether it's the moms and dads and caregivers flipping through it when their kids are sleeping or when they're, whether they're reading it during book time. I'm just so excited to get this into people's homes.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Me too, I'm so honored, like it feels so special, because it's not just a book, you know, it's like it's our life. Yeah, to have this in people's on their bookshelves, reading it to their kids, is so like, it's so honoring. So I feel so, so special, so grateful for the support I've already received. And there's a fun activity kit too on my blog Boots and Biscuits that you can print out for your child, and it'd be fun to read them. The book Oakley's already done this one, but then you can go through and do the activities that go along with it, and so that's kind of something fun to keep your kid entertained and engaged.

Speaker 1:

Um, if you need a little bit of mom, time Absolutely Well celebrating the birth of the well, not the birth of a dream the fulfillment of this dream with you, and I hope that that's inspiring to everyone listening today.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely Well, guys, be sure to go follow Paige, get your own copy of the book, and we will see you back here next week.