Melody Bowers

Planning a trip to Marfa, Texas? Whether you are coming to view the Marfa Lights, view Donald Judd's artworks, see the stars at the McDonald Observatory, or stop long enough to take pics for Insta, Marfa is a place like no other. It is remote and everything about it is inconvenient. But the high-desert weather, the big sky clouds, and the West Texas sunsets make it all worth the effort. Thought I'd share a few tricks that I didn't learn until I became a full-time Marfa resident.

Over the years I've experimented with different coffee rituals to start the day with as many nutrients as possible. As a 3rd-gen vegetarian, getting enough fat and protein can be challenging. This is the recipe that has stayed in my morning routine for years. As I get older, I add new ingredients to see how far I can push it while still making a cup of coffee that I can look forward to drinking every morning!

My 10-year-old dog, Rose, injured her cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) three years ago. Once we diagnosed the injury and determined that cost was estimated to be $3500 and that the odds of injuring her other hind knee were over 50% I started exploring alternative options to surgery. As a single mom with two kids in college at the time, it didn't feel right to commit to spending $7000 on my dog, no matter how much I adored her. So, I found a holistic vet and proceeded to treat the injury with acupuncture and other alternative methods. I learned so much about how I could support Rose holistically and now she is 10 years old, happy, and healthy!

Three years ago I went outside to check that my spigots were covered before a pending storm was to descend over Nashville, TN. I slipped on black ice, wedged my running shoe between two pavers, and heard my ankle snap. I had never broken a bone, but I immediately knew the pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I screamed so loud my neighbor came over to help me crawl inside. That night the city was covered with 6" of snow and if you know anything about living in the southeast, that much snow equals paralysis! It was six days before I could get to the doctor's office for them to declare fractures on both sides of my ankle joint and for surgery to be recommended. Now, the x-ray of my ankle looks a lot like a fence post someone screwed a bunch of screws into through a metal plate! Before I went into surgery, I went into deep research mode to put together my “Ankle Healing Protocol”. I committed to doing whatever it took to restore full function to my ankle. I was about to turn 50 years old and hadn't lived an active, healthy life thus far just to trigger a cascade effect that would make me feel a lot older than I was. I'm happy to report that I was jogging again in 3 months and can do all my regular yoga poses as I could before surgery. I have since shared this “Protocol” with multiple other people who had similar surgeries and they experienced similar results. Take and apply whatever resonates with you and leave the rest! And as always, use your judgment. Consult your doctor as I am a middle-aged woman trying to lead a happy, healthy life, not a doctor or a physical therapist!

I live in a rural part of the country that is classified as a "Food Desert" by the USDA. The healthy snack selections are hard to come by and if I can find them, they are ridiculously expensive. I never thought of myself as a snacker until I didn't have access to my go-to snacks! This is a list of my favorites!

10 Apps Worth Paying For! These affordable online tools made it possible for me to operate a virtual business for the past 10 years. These apps have done an excellent job of keeping up with the constant changes in the digital world. They offer excellent customer support while finding a way to make their product better over time.

One of the benefits of living in the high desert is that my backyard is an extension of my home. Comfort and color make outdoor living spaces so much more fun!