Heroine Interview from Seeds of Summer

This week I’m hosting Ruth Axtell Morren with To Be a Mother and Deborah Vogts with Seeds of Summer. If you want to enter the drawings, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (May 2nd) evening.

Interview with the heroine: Natalie Adams from Seeds of Summer

1.Natalie, tell me the most interesting thing about you. – Hi Margaret. Thanks for having me on your blog. I am the former Miss Rodeo Kansas and first runner up Miss Rodeo America. Not that this means very much, especially now that I’ve pretty much given up on my dreams and ambitions. You see, my father recently died in a tractor accident, so I had to return home to take care of my father’s ranch and raise my two half-siblings. Things have been pretty dismal here at the Double-A-Ranch . . .

2.What do you do for fun? – Fun? That’s funny. My days are spent riding fence and counting cattle. Here in the Flint Hills we transient graze fifteen hundred head of cattle, plus care for our own stock. When I get in at night, I have to deal with dirty laundry, unpaid bills and the every-changing problematic needs of my brother and sister. Let’s just say they’re not handling Dad’s death very well. I do have a rodeo queen clinic I’m looking forward to helping with later on this summer. Plus, there’s this new minister in Diamond Falls—Jared Logan. He seems to have taken an interest in our family, whether I want his help or not.

3.What do you put off doing because you dread it? — Oh that’s easy. I’ll put off bookwork for as long as possible. You wouldn’t believe the papers I’ve had to wade through after my father’s death. Insurance, bills—not to mention that my dad didn’t leave us much money to work with to run this ranch. Seems he had an aversion to banks . . .

4.What are you afraid of most in life? — Heights. They absolutely make me jittery. Which reminds me that I need to do maintenance on our windmills. I’m not looking forward to climbing those thirty foot towers. I’ll put that off for as long as possible . . .

5.What do you want out of life? — Hmm. If you would have asked me that question six months ago, I would have answered that I wanted to be Miss Rodeo America. Today, I’m not so sure. Now that my responsibilities have changed, that title doesn’t seem as important as it once did.

6.What is the most important thing to you? — Family. My brother Dillon, and my sister Chelsey. I’ve been taking care of them since I was ten years old. It’s hard being a sister yet carrying the weight of a parent. I feel it even more now that I’m their sole support. And did I mention that my sister is fifteen? That’s right. I’m dealing with a teenager . . .

7.Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read? – Oh, I wish I had time to read. The only reading I’ve done lately is navigating through my dad’s long and tiresome insurance policies. There have been a few nights, though, when I’ve picked up a book of poetry from my dad’s library. Seems he had a love for poetry that none of us knew about. It’s strange how you can be so close to a person and not really know him . . .

8.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? – That I would have more energy for the work that needs done, and that I knew the answers for all the problems life drops at your feet.

9.Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet? – My horse Jackson. He’s a gray American Quarter Horse and I adore him. Sometimes I imagine hopping on his back and letting him carry me away from all my troubles and burdens. I know that sounds corny, but I’ve actually dreamt this could happen.

10.If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? – I’d travel back to when I was a young girl when my mother was alive. She died the year I entered Kindergarten, and I miss her so much. I didn’t realize how much until this summer after Dad’s death. As much as I hate to admit it, Jared has helped me with some of these issues—not that I’m a nut case or anything. Despite his tendency to overanalyze, I’m actually getting to where I enjoy his company—sometimes.