We have been trying to make it to Arches National Park for over a year. I am happy to report on this road trip, it was a priority and bucket list check! I love checking off the list!

We actually stayed in Moab the night before, and were glad we did. Beautiful area and an ATV lovers dream! Great shopping and restaurants. We opted for the Moab Brewery, it was Tuesday and 25 cent wings were on in the bar…craft beer on tap and eat your weight in wings for under $20! Heaven.

Okay back to the park. $25.00 entry fee, I always recommend buying the park pass $80 for the year, and it pays for itself in one vacay. Totes worth it. We were lucky and were there in early March, so crowds were slim to none. (How I like it) late Spring and Summer it gets packed! So plan for crowds and all that implies. There are a decent amount of easy hikes in the parks that do not disappoint. I recommend Double Arch and the North and South Windows for sure. Delicate Arch is a much longer, strenuous hike to get up close and personal. The viewpoint hikes are easier, but for me kinda disappointing view wise. We were limited for time so unfortunately couldn’t tackle the longer hike. (Next time Arches, next time) the 18 mile drive through the park is beautiful and doesn’t disappoint. It’s definitely awe inspiring.

This one is definitely worth the trip. If it’s not on your list, add it immediately!

We’re off! Heading cross country to Washington. I cannot tell you how much I love these road-trips. Not just for the destination (We adore Washington) but more so for the adventures we stumble into along the way. I can tell you from experience, it’s the “no plan” trips that are the best!

Day 1 heading out of Texas did not disappoint! We innocently pulled into a gas station, somewhere outside of Llano, yes this was another Michelle pit stop. I hop out of the truck and head into the store, when I notice this cage attached to the back of this Jeep. But there’s something in it…”what in the fresh Hell?” “ARE THOSE RATTLESNAKES?” I yell. Then I hear this thick Texas twang “yes ma’am” (the owner of the slither mobile) I’m like “what” “why” “what” My husband is staring in Awe with his mouth open at this point. This wasn’t a couple of snakes, this was like 40! He then proceeds to tell us he is a snake wrangler headed to the Snake Rodeo. He was also the Grand Champion wrestler 3 years straight!

Naturally my next response is “can I take some pictures?” He says sure. He then proceeded to take my phone and OPEN THE CAGE!!! I’m like “oh no that’s not necessary” to which he responds “oh it’s alright, they’re quiet right now” as these words leave his mouth, I notice he’s shy three fingers on one hand and has a little atrophy in his arm. (No doubt from a quiet snake bite) and takes me some nightmare inducing pictures.

It’s the next thing he says that leaves me in mouth dropping awe. He tells us the story of his “roundup” that day and the words “I threw that one at my son”…”cause I seen about a hundred of them heading under some rocks”…(insert crickets) all I could utter was “WOW!”

As we walked away, thanking him for the lesson. My husband goes “did he just say he threw a snake at his son?” Me: “yep” then I see his son get into the car, he was like 12!

So the moral of today’s adventure is…don’t ever think you’re a mean or bad parent. There are people who throw rattle snakes at their kids!

Safe…I don’t even know.

M

It’s winter. I’ve been in a funk. My daughter says it’s Seasonal Depression. But if I may be honest, life has tested my tenacity the last couple of months. It has been one near trauma after another, my girls were in a terrible accident over Christmas, the sudden loss of my beloved Aunt on New Years Eve, and the usual aftershocks that follow major life trauma. The hits as they say, seem to keep a comin. I’m weary.  It has all compiled and thrown my Crohn’s into overdrive, so on top of the emotional stress, there is the physical pain to now endure. I’m weary. Did I mention that? This isn’t me. I am The Rock! The rubber cement that holds it all together! But I’m weary.

In an effort to pull myself out of my latest midlife funk. I’ve started looking inside. Digging deep so to say, trying to listen to the Universe, what are you telling me. This is one of those times where I would walk into a church, and ask God for guidance. What path do I take. I’m lost, help me. Today, a little light crept in. I’m beginning to realize this isn’t a seasonal funk, but more of a seasonal regret. Yes the Season of my life at the moment. You see, I’m at the point in midlife, where you start to regret all the things you didn’t do. All the languages you wished you’d learned, not going to college, or joining the military, not reaching your potential, wasted time, fear that you allowed to control you, just all of it. Except here’s the thing, the very profound thing, if one turn, one decision was made differently along the way, one twist of fate, my path would be different, and I wouldn’t have the greatest blessings in my life. My beautiful children, my amazing husband and our life and all of it’s adventures. And for these I regret nothing. They have been my most amazing life adventure. So what if I can’t speak 3 languages. Sometimes when you have to pause and look deep inside, two things can happen, you will let regret consume you and win, or   You will find your grateful again. Today, I found the latter. Gratitude is the path out of the dark.

Life, you have tested me. It’s not the first time, I’m certain not the last. But I will not let you allow regret to ever win. Seasons will change, the fog will lift. And as my grandmother used to say “this too shall pass.” (Even if it feels like a kidney stone.)

Safe midlifeing.

M

 

 

This is a little bit of insight. I hope it helps some of you on the cusp of this time in life.

I actually sat and stared at the screen for 15 minutes before writing this. Where to begin? So many feels. So many levels. I expected none of them. I was/am prepared for none of them.

I know as parents, we sacrifice to raise our kids to be the best they can be. To not have the struggles or make the mistakes we did. To make sure they become successful adults. We look forward to the moment when they will fly and leave the nest. I think this desire kicks in to full gear around 13, aka…Puberty Hell! Before that, they’re still relatively cute. But soon there would be no more waking up to the morning chaos getting them to school, calls from teachers, teenage angst and drama, daycare, summer camp, and the mysterious window left open that syphoned our money away! (Insert ridiculous grocery bill here!) The light at the end of the tunnel. I know my husband and I counted down the day’s.

But here’s the thing. No one prepares you for the overwhelming feeling that takes over when that last chickadee flys the coop. The “what now?” You see like most empty nesters, my husband and I are just touching 50. Not retired, and don’t have an RV waiting to be driven off into the sunset on a round the world adventure. (Yet.) It’s a little bit of an adjustment to go from being pulled in 5 directions, and solving the daily crisis that arises, to absolutely no one needs you. You have all of this extra time to fill. And frankly you did your job successfully. They’ve flown, graduating college, adulting, being responsible, making grand babies, and careers. Way to go parental peeps!

It really hit me recently when our last one drove off in a U-Haul with his little family in tow. They weren’t out of the driveway 15 minutes, and my husband looked at me and said “well, what do you want to do now?” I was at a loss. “I don’t know.” “Like right now? Tomorrow? This weekend? The rest of our lives? I don’t know.” I really didn’t know I would need an itinerary! That’s when I realized we’ve got all this time to fill now. There are no distractions or people around as a buffer. It’s just me and this dude! I’m really grateful I actually like and love my husband! I can see where this would turn into a problem for some. But it does take a little work to get back into being just the two of you. The “empty nesters.” So as a first step to embracing our new found “aloneness” that night, we slept with the bedroom door open (first time in 13 years) and I walked to the fridge at 2am in just my underwear! I know, TMI, but it was a pivotal baby step. It made me remember why we were excited for this time in life in the first place. We got our privacy back! We got “us” back!

It still takes some work, but it’s getting easier and feeling more normal everyday. Like it should be. I have time to take pottery classes if I want, cook or not cook, go out to eat on a random Tuesday, work in the yard together, and find some hobbies we both enjoy, and kick up the traveling a notch! (Honestly though, that not needing a robe thing is still my favorite!) I did recently get calls from each of the kids needing different advice…How to cook a favorite dish I make, how to get dog vomit out of carpet, and an “I’m missing home.”

I guess they do still need us after all. (But from afar.) 😉

Happy nesting.

M.

This one is going to be deep people, buckle in. I am not a religious person. There I’ve said it. Those of you who know me already know this. I was born and raised in New Orleans, the Irish/Italian Southern epicenter of the Roman Catholic Church, so of course I was raised Catholic. Christened, communion, confirmed, All girl Catholic High School, the whole nine yards. I quit practicing my faith in my late 20’s for reasons that are personal to me, and I now refer to myself as a “recovering Catholic” I do consider myself a spiritual person, just not very religious. Now don’t misunderstand me, I do not denounce God, I believe Jesus walked the earth as man, and there are certain aspects of Catholicism that I am proud of. It’s strict dedication to traditions, it’s place and influence in writing history, the story of the Nativity, and oh yeah, those Saints, Catholics unlike other religions, pray to Saints. You know like Saint blah, blah, the Patron Saint of blah, blah. So if you have a specific request, you have a go to person. That feeds to the control freak in me. Having a more direct line of communication. But as far as the rest of it, I just never really got the whole thing. So many questions. Questions that can’t be proven go against every grain of the scientific, evolutionist, Darwinism side of me. When we look at our Travel pictures, my deeply religious, Southern Baptist, very well traveled mother in law will shout “How beautiful, God is so great!” And I’m thinking “it’s cause of tectonic plates” So here I sit, just spiritual.

Now having said ALL that. It should be no surprise, that I don’t routinely pray. I don’t disagree with prayer, I just feel in light of my beliefs, it just seems well…hypocritical. So Instead I will wish you positive thoughts and energy. Frankly, I don’t know if I ever felt comfortable praying, asking for personal things always seemed selfish to me. So I could never really do it. It was never comfortable for me. Now don’t get me wrong, there have been times in life, I’ve found myself in an empty church, sitting in a pew, asking for the right path. (Even recently) I almost envy those little prayer chains you see on Facebook where people request prayer warriors and 200 people respond immediately, and here I am with my positive thoughts and energy! Even then, for someone else, I can’t bring myself to do it. The hypocrisy guilt creeps in.

Last night however, I had an epiphany, I came across this Facebook page that a friend shared and it shook me to my core. It’s a page about a mother watching her beautiful 8 year old daughter slowly, painfully being taken away by an inoperable brain tumor. The story is devastating to say the least, but the thing that shook me the most, was in her update posts, was her ability to usher these beautiful prayers to God, not about please change this situation, don’t take my baby, but about thankfulness, strength, ending suffering, gratefulness for time, and they just flowed so effortlessly that you could feel the power in them. They were like a rhythmic poetry, I was shook, and moved to tears. Then it hit me, I don’t know how to pray like that. It’s not about the motion or the words, it’s about coming from the deepest parts of your soul. I don’t know if I can do that. I have friends that have suffered so much loss in their lifetime they should be bitter and angry. But they’re not, they are rooted more than ever in their Faith, I am in awe of them. I have friends that have defected from their religions for a more spiritual path, and are so enlightened I actually gain energy from them. I am in awe of them as well.

So my newest, deepest, most personal journey begins. How to pray. Not for a job, or a house, or things, but for strength, forgiveness, healing. The things that repair the soul. I want it to flow like poetry, effortlessly, not for me, but for everyone else around me who in that moment needs to feel it in their soul too.

I’m going to need some guidance!

Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, Lord, Mother Nature, one of you please take the wheel!

M

The sun has been out for 2 day’s now. But I can tell you first hand, there is something ominous hanging in the air. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I think for me, it’s the thought that things where I live, are seemingly normal, except for limited stock at groceries, limited hours at businesses and restaurants, very limited gas, and so on. The things you kind of expect after a major hurricane. I’m still trying to process, how, Mother Nature spared my neighborhood and home. We literally are surrounded by major bodies of water, Clear Lake a block away, Galveston Bay 2 miles away, and a water access bayou about 500 ft in front of my house. We should be under water. The fact that Mother Nature spared us, I am eternally grateful.

It is surreal to me, that less than 10 miles away, there are still people being pulled out of their homes by boat, as bayous continue to rise, government offices and services are still offline, there is a chemical plant in Crosby, Tx who’s product is exploding uncontrolled because the power went out, and the storage temperature can’t be maintained, so it just continues to randomly explode. Now the refineries being offline is beginning to be felt in Dallas, as a gas shortage is underway. People are fighting in the streets and the police are having to patrol gas stations. This my friends is only the beginning. It is going to continue to snowball.

Mother Nature has sent us a warning. A wake up call if you will. We are unprepared. We are a dependent society. She has sent us a warning to let us know, we can’t afford to be divided, we couldn’t handle the civil war on the horizon, as the media continue to fuel the fire to divide us. Our infrastructure couldn’t handle it. Our lives as we know it would be over. We’re struggling to overcome the aftermath of 1 storm. I can’t imagine why as a society we continue down the path we’re on and self inflict this way of living as a near future permanently on ourselves. She’s screaming loud and clear, “just stop!”

We need to walk out into the streets and love thy neighbor, hug thy brother, irregardless of your politics. We’re all just fragile humans dependent on this infrastructure we’ve created. We need to take care of each other. Those are human beings being pulled out of that water, and off those rooftops. Not whites, blacks, Asians, Indians, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, transgenders, just human beings.

Put down your politics people. The temper tantrums need to stop. We won’t survive the breakdown of our modern society. We need to remember Harvey.

Stay safe.

M

Hello from Houston. (Kemah to be exact) Here we are in day 5 of the history making #Harvey. My husband and I have chosen to ride out the storm in our home. No worries, we didn’t take a direct hit, and our house is raised 15 feet off the ground. Our neighborhood is relatively high, and we have been fortunate with minimal water. I have friends however, who have not been as fortunate. This has been a storm of biblical proportions to say the least. This, however, is not our first rodeo. We have both grown up on the Gulf Coast and weathered our share of hurricanes over the years. I am actually a Katrina transplant. Having said that, my husband and I know a thing or two about hurricane preparedness. In fact, we are both of the school that says, “if you’re going to live on the Gulf Coast, you live prepared 365!” Now I think our kids understand why we live in Sam’s and Costco!

This brings me to the moral of today’s blog. If you want a firsthand look at the breakdown of society in any catastrophic situation, ride out a hurricane…It all starts with food.

Just about all grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations, (even Walmart) have been closed for the past 2 day’s. That’s right, 2 WHOLE DAYS. Today is the first day Grocers have reopened, most everything else is still closed. Let me describe the mayhem of people not being prepared.

I ventured out because I needed some bananas and yogurt, and I’m freaking stir crazy! My local Randall’s parking lot was packed. I walk in to people rolling out with baskets full of bottled water and other items (really you’re buying water now? It’s day 5) Then I see the line, wrapped through to the back of the store through produce all the way to the seafood counter to checkout! OH HELL NO! But now my curiosity has the best of me, so I continue through the store, surprisingly the produce section doesn’t look touched (shocker) The meat section, completely wiped out, junk food aisle, wiped…milk, gone, water and soda, gone, toilet paper, gone, beer, yep you guessed it! This was the theme at 3 stores, one of them had a line just to get in! Total infrastructure breakdown. I hope all of these people now realize, the food they scrambled to get, and the ones grabbing crumbs off the shelves of what’s left, know how to ration, cause guess what? There aren’t any trucks getting through anytime soon to restock! Yes the breakdown of society starts with food!

So the moral of the story is prepare, over prepare, and grow your own if you can! Or just get the Hell out of Dodge.

The end.