And I also suffer from a life-long addiction to the written word.
So, naturally, an article in the Atlanta newspaper about a club called Girls, Guns, and Good Books kinda grabbed my interest by the collar and gave it a good shaking. Yup, sure enough, once a month, after this group of gals puts a hurting on some targets at the SharpShooters USA shooting range, they adjourn to the Peerless Book Store, where they discuss books over wine and cheese.
I mean, WOW! Talk about a ladies night out, huh?
WHAT? You don't think it's lady-like for women to shoot guns? You think it's a sign of today's rough and tumble world?
 |
| Tell it to this group of ladies from the 1920s. |
 |
| Or this gal circa WWII. |
 |
| Or these Southern belles featured in a documentary. |
- Janie's Got a Gun [Aerosmith]
- Happiness is a Warm Gun [Beatles]
- Pistol Packin' Mama [Bing Crosby]
- I Didn't Know My Gun Was Loaded [Andrews Sisters]
- Time to Get a Gun [Fred Eagelsmith]
- Machine Gun [Jimi Hendrix]
Can you think of any other songs that'd fill the bill? How about books? Maybe The Guns of Navarone? I'll betcha you guys and gals can load me up with some great suggestions. So shoot 'em at me. I can take it. And tell me, have you ever gone target shooting? (It's a gr-r-reat way to kill time.)
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Excellent post! Especially like pic of 1920s ladies looking serious about bagging more fur. Afraid my shooting equipment is limited to standard hick 22 varmint-rifle with a flashlight taped to the barrel like most of my rural neighbors. We no longer keep rabbits or chickens so I let predators roam unmolested. Besides, there's skunks out there. That aside, shooting is a good skill to have, regardless of gender.
ReplyDeleteLove the old photograph of the pistol-packing ladies in fur! And you forgot Annie Oakley!
ReplyDeleteA target-shooting book club is certainly one of a kind. You're joining, right?
I love those pictures! And, I'm with Dianne--I want you to join and post pics of your first outing! It sounds pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteI saw on the news a few weeks ago that women owning guns and going target shooting has increased like 20% or something nowadays.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Miranda Lambert song called "Gunpowder and Lead" that book club would like. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyGAvulgWmw
Haha. Yes, women can like books and guns. I used to be a deputy sheriff and was pretty good on the range too with my .357.
ReplyDeleteWell let's see what we can do...
ReplyDeleteElton John had a song, My Fathers Gun
Nine Inch Nails had one,Big Man With A Gun
Nirvana, Son of a Gun
Books, hmmmm....
how about Guns, Germs and Steel, The Fates of Human Societies .. Jared Diamond.
or
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
There's a start for you. I'm sure there are many more out there.
:shaking my head: Your puns are [wonderfully] awful. heehee
ReplyDeleteI love target shooting. Haven't been in years, but I grew up hunting so I do know how to shoot. [That is a "Skippy Little Known Fact" btw.]
At a loss for books or songs, but if I think of any I will definitely pop back around. Enjoy your day!
I've only shot a gun once, an air-rifle in Cadets, when I was a wee wipper-snipper. But it was FUN! These days I use a plastic gun to zap aliens on the Wii.
ReplyDeleteThat old photo is brilliant!
Ya gotta join! Hell, I'd join if I could still shoot! Shooting's a rush. Shooting and books and wine and cheese? Heaven!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTG first took me to the range when I was researching a shooting scene for my drawer novel. Turns out I'm pretty good with a .38 pistol -- I nailed the bullseye one-handed (I had to see if it was feasible for my character shoot straight while holding a cane in her other hand). Fun stuff!
ReplyDeletePistol-packin' Mama always cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteI've never shot a gun, but I've always wondered how I'd do... I should give it a shot, so to speak. :-)
Pearl
Girls, Guns and Books? Awesome combination! I've never shot a gun in my life. Well, wait, I think I did once and was horrible at it. It felt heavy and like it had a mind of its own, and I didn't like it AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteGeo- The image of a rifle with a flashlight taped to the barrel really cracked me up. (You guys don't spotlight game, now, do ya?)
ReplyDeleteDianne- Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten to mention Annie Oakley? Sheesh. I'd love to join that club, but they meet clear on the other side of Atlanta, and I'm a little bit of a weenie about driving on the expressway at night. The night vision just ain't what it used to be.
Sarah- Yeah, it does sound awesome. If something works out and I'm ever able to attend one of their meetings, you can be sure that I'll have my camera with me.
Jennifer- I saw a similar news report saying more women are learning how to shoot these days. Not sure exactly why that's the case, but I don't think it's a bad thing. Oooh, and good song choice!
L.G.- Oh, how totally cool! You've done some really neat things, lady.
Delores- You came up with some super song and book titles. (And Nine Inch Nails! I thought I was the only oldster who listened to them!)
Skippy- I'm not at all surprised that you know how to shoot, but I was a little surprised that you grew up hunting. I've got no problem cleaning, packaging, and cooking meat after a hunt, but the only thing I've ever actually shot at is a target, and the only thing I've ever killed anything with is a fishing rod. (So I'm a little bit of a weenie.)
Carrie- Nothing wrong with shooting with Wii. The ammo's definitely cheaper.
Austan- Yeah, I know! Hard to imagine all those things together in one perfect club, isn't it?
Linda- Woo HOO! Sounds like you're a natural.
Pearl- Ah, go ahead, give it a try. Your wit is always on target, and I have a feeling your shots would be, too.
Karen- Some guns DO feel heavy and like they have a mind of their own. Once, before my husband and I were married, (ya know, back in the dark ages) we went target shooting with a .22 rifle. After shooting with that all day, he asked if I wanted to try his shotgun. Natch, I agreed. Well, I was a little bit of a thing in those days, and when I shot that beast, it literally lifted me off my feet and threw me backwards ... right into his waiting arms. (the devil!)
Dang, I believe you've got me stumped with this one. For the life of me I can't think of a single song with gun in the title. Plenty of songs with guns mentioned in them... Gimme Three Steps (Skynyrd), Hey Joe (Hendrix), Dupree's Diamond Blues (the Dead). Oh, and don't forget Bonnie Parker (Bonnie & Clyde)!
ReplyDeleteMy son and husband went target shooting the other day. Maybe next time I'll go with them!
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like the kind of club I'd like to join! I don't particularly want to kill anything (unless it's a bad guy) but I do enjoy target shooting and I think it's a good skill to have - after all, you never know when you might need it :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Janie's Got a Gun. My neighbor told me a terrifying story today. Two men kicked in the back door at a house on the street next to ours. They picked the wrong place. The owner of the house works at a gun range and is a former police officer. He shot and killed one of the intruders. I don't know what happened to the second one. Scary stuff.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Well, I hope these ladies don't get too fired up when discussing a book. Then there is that Guns and Liquor thing. You might want to choose your novels carefully...... I would suggest nothing too upsetting.
ReplyDeleteLol! I so can see you with that pistol. Love that picture from the 1920's. Go girls!!!
ReplyDeleteRemind me never to get on your bad side! Didn't Annie Oakley sing "You can't get a man with a gun?" My dream weapon is a taser! Great 20's photo! Julie
ReplyDeleteLOL! For many people, gun control means being able to hit the target.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hubby says 'I missed you'. I tell him to aim better...
Songs, Well there's
I'm gunna miss her
or I'm gunna be 500 miles.
Sorry don't know any other gun songs ;O)
Mr. C- Got you stumped? That's a surprise. I figured you'd come up with a whole slew of songs and/or books I didn't remember. (Shot ya down, bang, bang, huh?) Nah, I'll bet you think of half a dozen later.
ReplyDeleteJudy- Absolutely, go with them next time. It's a lot of fun.
Marcy- You're right; it IS a good skill to have. Bet you wouldn't have much trouble putting a club like this together in your neck of the woods.
Janie- In some parts of Georgia, it's actually required by law that each head of the household owns a gun. Kinda put an end to home intrusions in those areas, too.
Arleen- Good point. Don't wanta aggravate a finger that's near a trigger, or incite anyone to kill a mockingbird.
Tracy- Thanks. (I think!)
Julie- No problem. I don't really HAVE a "bad side," and if I did, you'd never get on it. Funny, but I HATE tasers. Those things scare me, because too many police officers have overused them, even on people already secured in cuffs. I think the problem with them is they don't get the respect they deserve. People know they can kill you with a bullet, but don't seem to realize a jolt of electricity to the chest can send you to the graveyard, too.
Madeleine- I love that line! And the next time my husband says he missed me, I'm definitely gonna use it. Thanks! (Love your gunnas, too.)
Unless you count Laser Tag, I've never fired a gun. I've never even held a gun before, but I'd like to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteKara- Well, I've never played laser tag, so you've got me there. (Looks fun, though!)
ReplyDeleteI was in a pistol club for about 3 years in my youth (I had a Ruger 22 among others). Handgun ownership is very tightly controlled in Oz and being in a club is about the only way a civilian can own a pistol down here.
ReplyDeleteI used to hunt too.
Amazing women - sounds like a fun club to me :) I used to love target practise too - I have a very flukey accurate shot - considering I'm very bumbling and clumsy in 'real life'
ReplyDeleteLx
Were you by chance raised in Texas? :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, I took down a few 'bullet points' while reading your article.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I knew a lady who swallowed bullets because she wanted her hair to grow out in bangs.
May I suggest this song, "Guns, Guns, Guns." By those Canadian legends, "The Guess Who".
And I suppose one might be partial to a bit of music by "Guns N' Roses"...
Take care and take it easy.
In kindness, Gary
Women with guns. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteAl- Very good about belonging to the gun club. I knew laws were a lot tighter there about gun ownership, but I didn't realize you had to belong to a club in order to own one legally. I can't help but wonder what you hunted there. Kangaroos, maybe?
ReplyDeleteLaura- No room for bumbling and clumsy when we have a loaded gun in our hands, is there? I'm a bit of a klutz, too, so I know whatcha mean.
DL- HA! No, sir, I wasn't. Good ol' Maryland.
Gary- Some good ones! You're a real sharpshooter when it comes to humor.
Stephen- Yeah, I think so, too.