My Blog Circle:

• I'd Rather Be...Pursuing an Off Grid Life

I live in a small isolated town in the Chihuahuan Desert in Texas. I work at a state university, which is a mile from my home, and when I feel like it, I can walk to work. If they'll let me, and if budget cuts don't shut down this lovely school, I'll retire from my current job in a decade-and-a-half. I'm married, and have three grown daughters and one grandson. My daughters are beautiful women, inside and out, and there are days when the wonder of my whole life overwhelms me with joy. And then there are the days when I wonder what the hell I'm doing out here. It makes for a good balance and challenges me... to do something different, learn something new.

How did you get to where you are now?

I was raised a "city girl" in a small town. That doesn't make much sense, but my mother was the type who dressed up in heels and a matching handbag, gloves, and hat to go shopping and run errands. Once I left my small hometown, I expected to always live in a big city, and I did, most of the time, untl 2008 when we left Houston for Alpine, Texas. My husband, who bravely married me when my daughters were 13, 12, and 10, had other ideas, and that's how I arrived here, which happens to be 175 miles from the nearest Target. In May 2011, I agreed to make the commitment to stay here when we purchased a defunct and falling-down restaurant and condemned adobe cottage, with plans to restore the cottage and renovate the restaurant into a home. It's a massive work-in-progress, and I expect it to be for another 3 years, perhaps more, but I'm enjoying the process.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

Wow! As a former chronic dieter and rigid exerciser, I now accept my body and its imperfections. I've also given up the constant seeking of "another way." I was so restless untii my mid- to late-forties, always fighting the nagging feeling that something better was around the corner. This state made it tough for me to stand still, for a few minutes at a time, or for a year at a time. But now, I love standing still, listening, being content with where and with who I am. This did not happen by accident. It was hard work and I shed many tears during the process. I'm glad I did it.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I don't know where I'll be in 10 years, but I know it will be where I am supposed to be.

Get over it! You are not here to please others.

You can trust your instincts because, look, they were always right. Every single time.

Slow down, stand still, look at your surroundings, take a breath. Don't be in such a hurry.

Let go. It's lovely to forgive. And don't wait a decade to do it.

Don't marry that guy. You know the one.

Don't kick yourself because you married that guy. You know the one.

Ali MacGraw. My imperfect late mother, Erma. My friend and co-worker, Carol. My friend and authentic cowgirl, Norma. My outspoken friend Julie, who, in her mid-60s, still clears a path and turns heads when she sashays into a room.