The Littlest Cowboy

I’m rather happy that True Grit got nominated for several Academy Awards. I thought it was a great movie, and I truly enjoyed it even though I’m not a huge fan of westerns like Hubby is. I think the soundtrack contains one of the best versions of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms that I’ve ever heard.




Even Hubby, who is a dyed in the wool John Wayne devotee who didn’t believe a remake could touch the original, really liked the new version of the movie. In fact, we’ve chatted it up quite a bit since we saw it at the theater a few weeks ago. Where as chatting it up includes laughing about one of the funnier moments from Teen Angel’s early years.

When she was about four years old, we were shopping in a mall just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Hubby was watching Teen Angel romp and snort around the little playground inside the mall while I was doing my best to buy out JC Penney’s clearance rack. The playground was rather crowded. Toddlers were clamoring around and playing with each other while a group of parents watched closely. Always one to make a playground friend, Teen Angel was doing her best to interact with the other children. They were playing some kind of game that involved chasing each other. In her usual dramatic fashion, Teen Angel climbed to the top of the ladder on the slide, waved her imaginary sword and in the loudest voice she could muster uttered that famous John Wayne line from True Grit that she had apparently heard on one too many occasions at home, “Prepare to die, you sons of B*****s!” Which brought the whole playground to a quiet halt with plenty of glares from the other parents. And with his pride in shambles, Hubby quietly picked her up and decided it was time for a food court break. Or a restroom break. Or any kind of break from the playground games. In fact, they came looking for me soon afterward to find out if I was done.

And that, my friends, is why the Hula-gen’s can never go back to the Elizabethtown Mall. Well, that and the famous Who Farted incident, but I don’t know if you’re ready for that post, yet.