A Walk Through January

I accepted a challenge at the beginning of January to walk at least 20 minutes each day for the month.  My cousin has started a monthly Facebook "challenge" group for the last 3 months to help motivate herself...and others.  The first month was the month of daily planks.  The second month was a month of random acts of kindness and January was a month of walking at least 20 minutes each day.  I did the planks and I did the walking.  I skipped out on the random acts of kindness, but just knowing there was a group doing this made me do a few of my own random acts of kindness.  So it still worked!  I guess I am a sucker for a challenge!

When I joined the group I thought to myself , "no problem, I walk all the time anyway, this will be easy.".  I admit, it was easy...most days.  But committing to do something EVERY day is a lot, unless it is wake up, brush your teeth, eat, drink, and sleep.  There were days I was busy.  There were days it rained.  There were cold days.  There were travel days.  (yes, I traveled in Covid)  There was the day my newborn grandson came home from the hospital. There were days I just didn't feel like it.  But...for 31 days, I walked every day...and I loved it!

I eventually walked down...and up this hill!

  I walked in California, Texas and Louisiana.  I walked with each of my three sisters during the month.  I walked with one of my daughters.  I walked with my husband and one of my sons-in-law.  I walked with my 84 year old Mother.  I listened to music, I listened to podcasts, I listened to The Thirteenth Tale, I listened to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or The Moth and on Sundays I listened to Mass.  I even just listened to the world around me.  I would like to say I thought great thoughts during my walks...and maybe I did.  They say walking is a moving meditation and I can absolutely agree with that.  It has been a large part of my sanity over the last 10 months.  Even though the challenge is over, I will continue to walk.

California

Texas

Louisiana

I did take a lot of pictures during my walks.  I loved trying to find something photo worthy on each walk.  I had always wanted to do a personal challenge to find something beautiful or interesting to photograph every day and during the walking challenge I did.  My cousin welcomed photo sharing during the walking challenge and I embraced the invitation.  February is sit-up month and I am afraid the photos will not be nearly as interesting!  

I will have many fond memories of my January walks.  Spending the first half of the month in California and committing to walking was a double blessing.  I did my best to vary my route around my daughter's house in order to see as much of the area as possible.  I loved the different houses and gardens along every path and definitely had my favorite streets...which were not necessarily the flattest streets.  I sure hope all that hill training pays off somehow!  I was very lucky to be able to include exploration into my daily walks instead of following the same path I have walked hundreds of times before back home.

My favorite garden on my favorite street

Best stairway!

Most colorful house!

best little surprise

Back home I tried to see things differently on my "regular" walk.  I've tried this before...sometimes it even works.  There were definitely days I just walked...but occasionally I would open my eyes and try harder to see with new eyes.  Sometimes it even worked.  Sometimes I just wished I was still in California on one of my favorite streets with all of the colorful houses and pretty gardens.  Then I would just tell myself to snap out of it!  One thing I have learned in Covid is to just be where you are.  

Texas winter landscaping

"Self portrait in puddle"
Thanks shoes!

For the last week of the challenge I was in Louisiana with my family.  I walked several days with my Mother and those were some very special walks.  Major props to my Mom for walking 2.5 miles several days!  We shared some very nice moments during those walks.  I also got to see some places in Baton Rouge I have not seen before.  Believe it or not, I had never walked all the way around the LSU lakes.  What a beautiful walk!  Finally, the walk through the Burden Gardens was educational and beautiful.  It was the perfect way to end the month of walking.  I think my month of walking and accountability was a great way to start a new year.  I may not have made any resolutions but for one month I had one element of discipline in my life.  Small goals people!  Thanks Lenore!  I loved walking through January!

Swamp walk

A ray of sunshine

Roses..not phlox

It was even prettier in person

The old and the new
a theme for January

Condolences and Congratulations

 Hello 2021!

Last year was one for the history books.  To think that turning one digit on the calendar would magically change our world may be wishful thinking, but maybe we could all use some wishful thinking right now.  At least I feel like there is a glimmer of hope that this year will be better than last year.  Wishful thinking?

We spent the last 5 weeks with our daughter, her husband and occasionally his parents, in California waiting for the arrival of their first child, due the first week of January.  Our pod of six felt luxurious to TJ and I after our ten days of "quarantine" and the previous several months spent alone...together.  Living with other people felt so decadent!  Not sure how the other people felt but we kinda liked it!

I did not mind the views on my daily walks at all!

Meanwhile, back home, my Dad's health took a turn for the worse, he was back in the hospital and entering his last days in this world.  He did get his final wish, which was to go home.  After being out of his comfortable home for almost two months, he was taken back for his final days.  He passed, on December 31, 2020, with my mother and one of my sisters by his side.  I hear it was peaceful.  He lived 90 years and had the love of my Mother for the last 64 of them.  If you are interested in reading his obituary you can go here.  It truly captures my Dad and my sister did a great job of writing it in all of our voices.  New Year's Eve will forever be changed.  What a way to end the year that was 2020. 

The emotions of the first week of the year ran the gambit of sorrow, sadness, anticipation, happiness, confusion, indecision, decision, guilt, gratitude, pride, sheer joy, love and everything in between.  To miss my father's last days was heartbreaking.  Time missed being with my siblings and my mother during that week can never be replaced.  I felt like I was in an alternate universe of suspended animation.  It is hard to feel what I know I should be feeling without the company of my siblings and my mother.  My mourning seems incomplete until I can be with them.

Meanwhile, we were able to experience one of life's most miraculous events.  The birth of a baby and the immediate love that is poured out when they enter this world is one of life's greatest gifts. Being able to cradle that sweet boy and just look at him for hours was perfection.  Being there to help my daughter and her husband through those emotional and exhausting first days home together was a priviledge.  My Dad knew that I would be in California for the birth.  We already had our last moments and words even though we may not have known it for sure.  He was very excited about the new baby on the way, he loved family.  He would have beamed seeing that sweet little face.  I am sure he is looking down and beaming now.  

August Mott Owen
born January 6, 2021

Making the choice of staying in California or going to Baton Rouge for the funeral Mass was gut wrenching.  If we were not in a pandemic with so many health risks involved, I would have bought a round trip ticket in a flash.  Life is not that simple these days.  We put in the time and effort to be virus free for the birth of the baby and the weeks to follow, the decision had been made.  It was not an easy one.  I had my Mother's blessing to stay in California and so we did.   

Baby August was one week old when we watched his great grandfather's funeral Mass on the television.  It was a beautiful ceremony, even on the live stream.  Funerals are very different in a pandemic.  There is no hugging, very few people can or do even attend, and everyone is sitting far apart mourning in their own space.  I was very thankful for the live stream option!  I am also glad I was able to watch with my daughter, her husband and baby August, free to hug each other and cry together.  What an emotional roller coaster!  To say goodbye to someone who raised me and made me the person I am while holding an innocent, perfect little boy who is his great grandson and was loved by him even before he was born was profound and poetic.

The circle of life

I am back home now, biding my time for a bit after flying, before I finally go to Baton Rouge to see my family.  I went through my 5 weeks of mail when I got home.  I loved reading all of the Christmas cards and letters I missed while I was gone.  I also came home to sympathy cards full of kind words from friends and family.  There you have it.  January 2021... a month of mixed emotions full of condolences and congratulations.  

I Guess the Honeymoon is Over Now

Roughly 42.5 years ago we set off on our honeymoon.  We were heading to Monterey, California, in my parent's station wagon, pulling their pop-up camper.  Yes, it was sooo romantic and the reason I do not like camping to this day!  On that road trip we made it as far as Denver, Colorado and were thrilled to be there.  We drank icy cold Coors beer, when it was only available in Colorado.  I read Franny and Zoe in the sunshine next to the lake at a beautiful campground.  Those were the days my friend!  Fast forward 42.5 years and we have finally made it to Monterey, California!  I guess the honeymoon is over.

Wedding flowers for our honeymoon!

We are in California, biding our time...alone...together, until we can safely unite with our daughter and her husband for Christmas and the birth of their first child.  As we drove down to the cute little town of Pacific Grove in Monterey County, we laughed at the fact that this was our end goal on our honeymoon all those years ago.  I had seen pictures and read about the Pacific Coast highway drive down to Big Sur all those years ago and thought it looked like a place I would love to see.  I was right!  As we passed the rocky coast it took my breath away... and it wasn't even a beautiful day.  I quickly checked the forecast for the next sunny day!

Someone left a poinsettia for a touch of Christmas.
Welcome to the Pacific Coast!

In our "quarantine" we scheduled a few rounds of golf.  A good socially distant activity to pass the time and one of the very few things open in California right now.  There are some amazing golf courses here!  I thought to myself that if we had indeed made it out here 42.5 years ago we would not have been able to afford even a sandwich, much less a round of golf, at the golf courses here and now we can, but they aren't selling food!  If we had made it here back then, we could have eaten out but couldn't have afforded more than a pizza and today we could afford almost any meal but no restaurants are open.  Funny how the world works isn't it?  Through it all one thing remains...the rocky coast, crashing waves and mountains are all breathtakingly beautiful!  You don't need money to see them and a pandemic doesn't close them.  

Point Lobos State Reserve

Today, TJ decided to take the ride of a lifetime.  He rode his bike down the Pacific Coast highway from Monterey to Big Sur.  Another acceptable activity.  He left at 8 a.m. in the chill of the coastal morning air.  Our plan was for me to drive down later and meet him in Big Sur.  I planned to take my time driving down...with my camera for company.  I went to Point Lobos State Reserve, and did a couple of short hikes along the coast.  Yes, my masked breath was taken away!  I knew I would love this place and I was right.  I was brought to tears by the magnificence of it all.

Heading out for the ride of his life!

Keeping a safe distance and enjoying the view!

I share this with you, not to boast, but with the ultimate gratitude, appreciation and hope that someday you will visit this place or another you find as beautiful.  My day was filled with prayers for my family, our world and thankfulness for the beauty of this earth.  It is hard to not feel guilty surrounded by such beauty when there is so much turmoil in our world, but it is also hard to have it outside your door and not go out and appreciate it.  Especially when it took 42.5 years to get here!  

In spite of the pandemic, I think the end of our honeymoon was worth waiting for!  

And because I only took a hundred...some more pictures....of the end of our honeymoon.

Sunset in Pacific Grove

Pinch me!  Golf at the Links at Spanish Bay

Socially distant selfie with my sister-in-law

When the sun direction is working against you...or was it?

  The Bixby Creek Bridge.  TJ said he owned the middle of his lane while crossing this one!
And the sun direction did not cooperate...again!

The view from the other side...much better!

Reminded me a bit of the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia!

Then I got crafty with barbed wire.

The big picture

It was not hard to stay distant here...
the streets and sidewalks officially rolled up at 5 pm

Happy 90th Dad! Thanks!

November 21, 2020, was my Dad's 90th birthday.  Living 90 years is something!  My siblings and I refer to him as the man with 9 lives.  He has definitely lived through some challenges but I would assume anyone who lives 90 years has lived through some challenges.  The last month has been another one of his challenges.  A trip to the hospital due to an infection resulted in minor surgery followed by a move to a rehab care facility.  This week he was moved from rehab to long term care.  Needless to say, he is not a happy camper.  His body may be failing him, but his mind is fully intact.  He knows this is not where he wants to be....especially on his birthday...during a pandemic.  I know....because he told me.  "You want to know what I want for my birthday?", he said.  "What?", I asked.  "Out of here!", he replied.  Sigh.

Happy Birthday!

As I walked this morning on a path I have walked many times, as far back as 2004, listening to some retro tunes, I was thinking of things to be thankful for this year.   Thinking of things to be thankful for and of my Dad's birthday led me to think of things to thank my Dad for.  After all, I am who I am because he is who he is.  

I can attribute my love of sports to my Dad.  From Sundays spent watching the Green Bay Packers coached by Vince Lombardi to betting in the Masters pool at "his" bar, I learned to love sports.  I grew up knowing about football, baseball, golf, and...of all things....bowling.  I may have also inherited my competitive spirit from him.  Although Mom is no pushover either!

I would like to thank my Dad and his Mom and Dad before him for making "the shore" a huge part of my life.  If he had not loved the shore and made the often herculean effort to get our family there in the summer I may not have known heaven on earth in Nova Scotia.  I know and love our large extended family because of him. When a man is willing to pile 5 kids into a van and drive for 5 days to spend the summer with over 50 relatives, you know family is important.

I can thank my Dad for giving me the "Dixon pause".  When asked a question, my Dad would take forever to answer!  There were times we thought he just wasn't going to answer or times we wondered if he had even heard the question.  I would muster up all of my nerve to ask him a question when I was growing up only to sit and squirm anxiously awaiting his answer wondering if he had even heard the question or if I was going to have to bravely ask again.  Inevitably he would give a thoughtful reply.  Dad is a thinker.  While I was sweating and squirming he was considering all the angles to my question before answering.  This would go for questions like, "Who is going to win the World Series?" or to more important questions like, "Can I use the car tonight?".   Pack a lunch if you ask him what he thinks about climate change!   I too have been accused of taking forever to answer a question.  Just ask my husband... or my kids!  They may even give you a timely answer!

I am not intimidated by many people because of my Dad.  If you know him, he can be an intimidating presence.  Growing up and having to hold my own with him gave me the ability to deal with strong personalities.  If I could face my Dad...I could face almost anyone.  I also learned that underneath that rough exterior was someone who cared and maybe thought he was teaching me a lesson by making me "work for it".

I attribute my laid-back personality to my Dad.  His ability to not over react has been passed down to me.  Consider the fact that after countless car breakdowns, on our many road trips to and from Nova Scotia, he always seemed to matter-of-factly deal with the car repair and get us all back on the road safely.  I may not have inherited his matter-of-fact way of dealing with car trouble come to think of it.  I go right into the fetal position if my car breaks down.  PTSD!  Thanks...for my over reaction to car trouble come to think of it!  Most of the time though, I am pretty laid-back, as is he.

I have been told I look like my Dad.  It must be true because I definitely do not look like my Mom!  Like my Dad, I enjoy a good meal and from time to time those good meals show up around my waist...like his did.  I can only hope I also inherited his longevity and his sharp mind.  

So... 

Happy 90th Birthday Dad...Thanks! 

  

Time Outs and Awards

We are still alive and kicking here.  It only took us three weeks of being home to go on another road trip.  We went to Baton Rouge in September for my mother's birthday, which turned out to be a lovely celebration.  She was deservedly treated like a queen for the day.  I had not seen my parents since before our road trip this summer and we did our few weeks of safe isolation before we visited them.  It already seems like ages ago!  

It seems we have been living our life in 2 week increments.  Visit someone, then isolate for 2 weeks.  Visit someone else, isolate for 2 weeks.  I have started to call it "time out".   After our visit to Baton Rouge and our 2 weeks of  "time out" we went to California to see our daughter and her husband.  We also surprised her with a mostly virtual surprise baby shower!  Life in the time of Covid.

Baby's first bank account
and a virtual audience on the screen to the left.

Macarons and flowers....a girl's best friends.

Back home for a bit of  "time out" until the next venture outside of our Groundhog Day routine.  Random thought....have you ever noticed how your laundry is a reflection of how you spend your days?  I noticed this the other day as I washed nothing but golf clothes, exercise clothes and biking clothes.  That is our life....walk, ride, golf....oh, and one of us works.  This is the time of year I am happy I live down south where I can play outside most of the year...especially this year!

All that walking and golfing has kept me from finishing the blog post I started two "time outs" ago!  I was planning to wrap up the road trip with some National Park Awards. (because I am going to milk that trip for all its worth!) The categories are custom made for each park because everyone gets a ribbon in the Mahoney National Park Awards Blog.  Sadly, once this goes out into the blogsphere our trip will finally be put to rest and I will be forced to find something else to talk about and photograph.

Largest National Park (that we visited)

Yellowstone National Park

We probably drove 100 miles...in the park!  We also stopped about 30 times!  

                

Best Bike Ride

Zion National Park

I highly recommend riding your bike through the park instead of taking the shuttle bus.  We saw so much and it was at our own pace, which for one of us was much slower than the other.  An e-bike might be a good idea!

Most Photogenic

This one is a real challenge to choose just one!  Can I say all of them?  I think the one that surprised me the most in my photos was Bryce Canyon but the one I took such great delight in photographing was Teton National Park.  You can choose for yourself!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Teton National Park
It took my breath away!

Most Patriotic

Mount Rushmore
So many flags...so many presidents

Most Iconic

Arches National Park

When your hike ends at the sight featured on the license plate in the state of Utah, that's iconic.  The view was worth the hike.

Most Surprising

Zion National Park

I am not sure what I was expecting.  I had not heard much about Zion and had never seen the landscape of southern Utah before so maybe that is what surprised me the most.  The red desert, the mountains, the way the sun lit the mountains up in the morning, the clear blue water in the streams, or the pure majesty of the park.  I mostly rode my bike with my mouth agape looking up in awe.  

It had it all... mountains, streams, trees and wildlife.

Scariest Drive

Mesa Verde with a close second by Flaming Gorge.

Flaming Gorge
The road was so curvy and high with many drop-offs that I had to relieve my vertigo challenged driver on the way there and also got to do the drive out.

Almost 9000 ft. and the drive was narrow and steep but worth it!
Mesa Verde National Park
We took turns doing this drive....

Hottest National Park

No question in either of our minds on this one....Canyonlands National Park.

Add to the 106 degrees the lingering smoke in the air from the wildfires in the west and this was less than an ideal time to visit this park.  I suggest the spring or fall and a time when there are no fires!

Perfect for a hike....it did go up to 106 believe me!

I imagine in better light this is spectacular!  Not bad as it was.

Best Sunrise

Arches National Park
Best and only sunrise....for me!

Best Sunset

The bar for this category has been set very high because sunsets are my true love.  It may surprise you that in 50 days of traveling to so many spectacular locations, fantastic sunsets seemed to allude me.  I was vigilant in my pursuit though, just ask TJ.

The Badlands
This one keeps coming up on my photo reel and makes me sigh.
I love the dust trail behind the car and the contours of the land.

But honestly, the best sunset was from my friend's deck in Park City.

There you have it, the winners of the Mahoney National Park Awards 2020 edition.  Stay tuned for the next installment....some time in the future when we find ourselves with seven weeks of time to drive around and look at stuff.  I do think once you start with the parks you get the bug and find it hard to stop at just 9...or 10.  Ten down, 52 to go!

Stay safe out there!