Livin' and lovin' the cowboy way!

The invitation read:

Go hitch up your horses and feed 'em some hay and sit yourself by me as long as you'll stay.

Bubba and Shirley celebrated their 5oth wedding anniversary in the manner they've lived their lives - cowboy style! And they invited 200+ of their closest friends to help them party.

My mouth started watering the minute I opened the invitation. Ya see, Bubba's a cook. A western cook.

If it used to walk on all fours or sit on a post, Bubba barbecues it!

If it grew in the ground or hung from a tree, Bubba adds it to a stew or uses it for trimmings.

And if your name is Shirley, Bubba loves you all his life and then some. And vice versa. This couple has country lovin' smeared all over 'em, even after fifty years of marriage, four children, numerous grandchildren, tough times, and a trail of happiness.

One of these big ol' pots held what Bubba calls Cowboy Stew. The other, Cowboy Chili. If you don't recognize what's in it, ya just keep eating anyway because if you don't, you won't get in line fast enough for seconds. It's dern good!



Here's Bubba and Shirley now, dancing away at their own celebration.




And here's Shirley with her wedding dress.



Shade was at the party. If you're following my on-line novel SHUFFLE, you'll recognize the back of his head. He didn't want me to photograph his face.



"All those ladies out there might just quit readin' if they knew what I really looked like," he told me. "Let 'em think I'm still as young and purty and sexy as you tell 'em I am, Texas Woman."

He asked what chapter we were on and when I told him, he said, "Oooo-eey, the fun's just startin'!"

If you've broken the law, you might recognize one of these white hats.


There were a few black hats there too...




And fancy cowboy boots...


And workin' cowboy boots...


Decorative cowboy boots...


Little cowboys...


Tired cowboys...

And dancing cowboys.

It was a fine Texas party!

What do 50th anniversary parties look like where you live?