Strength, Spirit, and Sass: A Little Blue Book Filled with Big Inspiration
This morning, I wanted to share a new book with my girlfriends Debbie, Lisa and my sister Debbie, and I thought you might enjoy it, too. It’s called Cowgirl Wisdom: 100 Quotes to Inspire a Wild and Wonderful Life. Because, in my dreams, I’m a cowgirl! How about you?
When I first picked up this little blue book, I immediately fell in love with the cover. It has pretty little flowers that remind me of tulips, a circle with the title Cowgirl Wisdom, a stack of books, and a horseshoe. That horseshoe took me back to the one David brought home from my dad’s house after he passed away. David has it hanging up in my home to bring us good luck, and to remind me even though my dad is gone he is always here with me. So seeing another horseshoe on the cover made this book even more special to me.
One of the things I love about this book is its size. It’s small enough to slip into your purse or a travel bag, making it easy to take along wherever life leads you. The back of the book says, “Strength, spirit, and sass.” That’s me! How about you? As well as my girlfriends.
This little book shares a lot of Wisdom with us. Serving up a mix of independence and Western charm, this hand-picked selection of quotes offers inspiration for living your best life. It celebrates authentic cowgirls like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane, along with women who embody that same adventurous spirit, including Beyoncé and Dolly Parton.
I already know my best friend Debbie is going to want to borrow this book because of Dolly Parton. And I know there are plenty of other women in here that she and I will enjoy discovering together. The book encourages us to accept our flaws, trust our instincts, and pursue our wildest dreams.
That’s something I can definitely get behind. After all, I refuse to take no for an answer! As I started flipping through the pages, I found so many women whose stories I know and admire, along with others I’ve never heard of. That alone makes this book an opportunity to learn something new.
One of the first quotes that caught my attention was from Lucille Moore Hall, a rodeo star known as the original cowgirl: “I love the unfenced range and open prairie and the boundless friendliness of the cattle country.” As someone who loves anything to do with rodeos, this is a #teachimgmoment for my family.
I want to look up Lucille Moore Hall and learn more about her life and her contributions to the rodeo world. Then there’s Annie Oakley, one of my heroes, who reminds us: “Keep on aiming and keep on shooting, and finally you will hit the bull’s-eye of success.”
If only success were always that simple! But I do believe there’s something to be said for continuing to try, even when things don’t go as planned. Calamity Jane, another woman I admire, has a no-nonsense approach to life: “Some people think the world owes them a living—but it does not owe anyone a living—never has and never will.” Amen to that!
And then there’s Sylvia Rideoutt, an iconic horse trainer, who shared: “I knew from the beginning I would have to take the bitter with the sweet.” That’s something I think we can all relate to because life isn’t always easy. We have good days and bad days, but we keep going.
Another quote that caught my attention was from Loretta Lynn: “In the long run, you make your own good luck, good, bad, or indifferent.” What an incredible woman Loretta Lynn was, and I love that reminder that our choices and actions play a part in the lives we create.
As I continued flipping through the pages, I found so many familiar names. There’s Patsy Cline, whom my sister admired, saying: “I’m going to be something one of these days.” And she certainly was! The fun part of the book was sharing these ladies with Charlie some of whom he didn’t know which if we had been #Homeschooling still we could have studied in our classes.
Then there’s Jo March from Little Women, a book I absolutely adore, with a quote that feels especially fitting for someone like me who intends to remain a Toys “R” Us kid for the rest of her life: “Don’t try to make me grow up before my time.” I agree with that! What about you?
Then there’s Pippi Longstocking, who reminds us that being a girl doesn’t mean being any less strong: “He’s the strongest man in the world.” “Yes,” said Pippi, “but I am the strongest girl in the world.” Remember that! Then David had to ask a question as he thought Popeye was the strongest man in the world and I had to remind him women are. Aren’t we?
I also came across Laura Ingalls Wilder, a women my best friend Debbie loves, along with Virginia Woolf, Kacey Musgraves, Sally Ride, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, and Jane Goodall. Some of these women I already know and admire, while others are going to send me on a little research adventure.
That’s one of the things I appreciate about this book. It introduces us to women from different generations, backgrounds, and walks of life, each with a story worth exploring. Including Dolly Parton who always makes me smile, and this quote had me laughing: “If I have any regrets, it’s that I got caught with some of the stuff that I had no regret about.” That’s Dolly for you!
Beyoncé shares: “It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being revolutionary.” And then there’s Rosa Parks, whose words remind us of the importance of understanding the struggles behind even the simplest statements: “The only tired I was was tired.” I also found a quote from Sally Ride, the American astronaut: “We’re a species of explorers.”
And I couldn’t agree more. There’s always something new to discover, whether it’s somewhere out in the world or right inside the pages of a book. Faith Hill shares a thought about being on the back of a horse, with wide-open spaces and the wind blowing through your hair. She describes that feeling of freedom that comes from being out in the country, and I can understand why that experience would mean so much to a cowgirl at heart.
Then there’s Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus someome from Charlie’s childhood we’ve studied many times. “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.” I absolutely agree with that! Sometimes the best lessons come from the things that don’t go according to plan.
And Shania Twain reminds us not to lose touch with the playful moments in our lives. I think that’s something we all need to remember, especially as we get older and life gets busy. Although Charlie has graduated from homeschooling, I still find myself looking at books and thinking about the teaching moments they could offer.
There are so many women featured in Cowgirl Wisdom whose lives deserve to be explored. Wilma Mankiller, Lucille Moore Hall, Sylvia Rideoutt, and Bessie Coleman are just a few names that have me wanting to learn more. This book could be a wonderful starting point for a family learning activity. Choose a quote, research the woman behind it, discover what she accomplished, and talk about how her words might apply to everyday life.
Even though Charlie is no longer homeschooling, that doesn’t mean we’re finished learning together. I believe learning is something we should continue doing throughout our lives. Just as I believe reading should be done daily and its why our 10 Minute Reading Challenge isn’t just for children. Share this book with those you love and collect your ticket in our reading challenge.
I cannot wait to buy a copy of this book for my best friend Debbie for her birthday. I’ve been struggling to figure out what to get her this year, and the Lord had this book sitting on my desk while I was cleaning it off. David had told me I needed to get everything completely done today so they could move it, and while I was going through everything, I found this little blue book.
I’m glad I did because it gave me a reason to sit down, take a moment, and breathe. Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes we’re broke, sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and sometimes we’re simply trying to get through another day. But as one of the quotes in the book reminds us, we can keep telling our stories, including the good, the bad, and the ugly.
And I certainly have plenty of stories to tell! You’ll find many of them here on Greatful Moments, and I hope you’ll keep returning to read them. Butteecup One quote that especially caught my attention was: “Only you can decide what breaks you.” It’s a reminder that I believe in wbecause we all face challenges, and our journeys are different, but we can continue to make choices about how we move forward.
As I continued reading, I came across quotes from Maya Angelou, Jane Goodall, and so many other incredible women. You know what I would do if I had two copies of this book? I would take some of these quotes, frame them, and hang them throughout my house.
Many of them look as though they’re already sitting inside little frames, and I would love to have those words around me as daily reminders. But because I don’t want to tear up my book, I think I’ll have to ask Santa for another copy!
Dear Santa,
When I’m helping you load the sleigh this year and you’re looking for gifts to bring me and my best friend Debbie, would you please bring us a copy of Cowgirl Wisdom? And while you’re picking them up, you might want to grab another copy for my sister Debbie, too. I would really appreciate it.
If you can’t bring us the books, I totally understand. But could you put a buzz in David’s ear that I need a couple of copies of this amazing little book for my friends?
Thank you, Santa!
If you haven’t had a chance to read Cowgirl Wisdom: 100 Quotes to Inspire a Wild and Wonderful Life by Workman Publishing it is a little book filled with quotes from women who have made their mark on the world, along with women whose words encourage us to think differently, dream bigger, and keep moving forward.
Whether you’re a true country girl or simply a cowgirl at heart like me, this book offers a little something for everyone. I especially love that it introduces me to women I haven’t learned about before while bringing back memories of women I’ve admired for years.
It’s a lovely little book to keep in your purse, share with a friend, give as a birthday gift, or simply pick up when you need a little inspiration. And who knows? You might just find a quote that speaks directly to your heart.
Have you read Cowgirl Wisdom? Which woman inspires you, and what quote would you frame and hang in your home? I’d love to hear about it!
Thank you to Workman Publishing for introducing readers to this collection of inspiring women and their words.
About the book: A curated collection of quotes by strong women that offers endless inspiration for a wild and wonderful life, whether you’re a true country woman or just a cowgirl at heart.
Strength. Spirit. Sass. From Annie Oakley’s sharpshooting smarts to Wilma Mankiller’s timeless advice, this curated collection of quotes dishes out the perfect mix of empowerment, fierce independence, and Western charm.
Frontierswoman Calamity Jane tells it like it is: “Some people think the world owes them a living―but it does not owe anyone a living―never has and never will.”
Iconic horse trainer Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop shares her secret: “I knew from the beginning I would have to take the bitter with the sweet.”
With courage and zest in spades, this little book offers endless inspiration for living your best life. Featuring cowgirls past and present and those who simply embody that hardworking, adventurous attitude, it’s a joyful and necessary reminder to own your flaws, trust your instincts, and pursue your wildest dreams.
Meet the Author: Workman Publishing publishes books for all of life’s big and small moments, created with passion, joy, hard work, and a fiercely independent spirit. They’re the kinds of books you’ll wonder how you lived without, and calendars that make the days count. We publish Brain Quest®, the #1 bestselling educational series in the country, What to Expect® When You’re Expecting, the world’s bestselling pregnancy and parenting guides, award-winning cookbooks, kids books, unique travel books, plus books on self-help, craft, gardening—and cats! By the way, we also invented the Page-A-Day Calendar.
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Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
