Home again. This trip, was a turning point in my life. (Allow me some dramatics.) There is an essay I hope to write and publish someday about this trip. An essay about women and bodies and motherhood and nature and love.
But for now, two things this road trip taught me:
there are only two choices, to be selfish or generous
and
I wish for my children to be generous, always, but if I can hope for one more attribute to send along it's to see the poetry of life. To see it in the hills, rocks, relationships, adventures, trails, birds, cows, horses, flies, streams, creeks, sky scrapers and wide open skies as stories to be written. More on all of this some other time.
Until then, pictures:
Actually, I learned one more thing: bras on trips like these are unnecessary. I didn't wear a bra the entire time. BURN IT.
A very genuine thank you to Steve, Suze, Emily, Jay and Maggie for letting us stay at Chez Clark dans Coral Canyon. And a special thanks to Maggie for the long way home!
44 comments:
I just love southern utah! I've enjoyed seeing glimpses of your fabulous trip through your photos! Being surrounded by God's beautiful creations always fills me with solitude, peace, and brings me closer to the Spirit as well. btw, your post title said the year was 2010. Just a heads up!
STUNNING pictures..love the one of you, the kiddos and the red sand.
mama to 9. 12 and under.
Can't get over these photos - beautiful images and gorgeous family.
I love Ever's drawn on skirt.
Hello!
Beautiful photos! I have no doubts that your children will grow up appreciating beauty and being everything good with you as their teacher. Wishing you a happy one! Looking forward to reading some of your writing!
Hugs,
Barbara Diane
Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I learned somewhere that if you don't wear a bra, the muscle tone in your breasts will change, and you will end up with those really saggy kind. (I'm thinking of pictures in national geographic as I write this.. lol)
This post & that concept is poetic. I love the idea of looking at the intricacies in life as stories waiting to be written. Beautiful!
"Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I learned somewhere that if you don't wear a bra, the muscle tone in your breasts will change, and you will end up with those really saggy kind. "
The Straight Dope says that medical evidence for this theory is inconclusive at best:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2868/do-bras-prevent-saggy-breasts
Is nothing sacred anymore? Just because you can say it on your blog doesn't mean you should. Long time reader who is not going to be reading any longer. Lot's of my friends feel the same way.
Amen, amen, amen to the no bra!
What was offensive Awee?
@Awee.- for all the "controversial" posts on this blog, you are going to pack up and leave over a no bra comment? Really?
Looks like a fun vacation with your family....and from your bra!
She stayed through the lesbian erotica, but couldn't stomach Courtney free-boobin'-it. Love it..
I love Southern Utah. The red rock is so beautiful.
Love the pics and the no-bra- life. I am tiny up top so I wear one for self confidence more than anything but I LIVE for days when I can go free and easy!
PS - it is 2012 babe. YOu somehow missed the last two years :P
Who decided boobs were sacred anyway? They are boobs. Some of us HAVE to wear a bra to even have boobs....hahahaha. I am jealous.
Come to Idaho......for reals would you?
Generous is good...your kids wont always find it generous that you frolick naked in front of them. Just sayin there will come a day
YES MAM. Who wears bras on trips like these? we just got back from CA for 10 days and I didn't even pack one!
You see I have been a reader for a while now and there have been entirely too many posts that I do not enjoy to keep reading. Ms. CJane is losing many readers due to them. Lesbian erotica, self-righteous home birth posts, running naked through the sand. The no bra is nothing comparitively but I just decided to say something about it now.
Makes me want to travel from Georgia, just to visit that red sand with my kids.
I'm just going to pretend you're an "A" and you said that, because honey, I'm a "G" and there ain't no way these things are flyin' free.
Hmmm...methinks I have the makings of a song here...
"Lesbian eroctica" made me LOL...and spew spittle.
You'll never lose me because I choose never to be offended. Even if you are an erotic lesbian.
“He who takes offense when no offense is intended is a fool, and he who takes offense when offense is intended is a greater fool.”
― Brigham Young
I love the blue dress! Where did you find it?? And I think going braless is the only way to go if you are spending the summer in Southern Utah!
I love this. I have also come to your conclusion about life and choises. I would love to read that essay. I miss Utah.
Hugs
Love the blue dress with flowers! where did you get it? Love no bra days too:)
Looking forward to reading the essay.
I just listened to a podcast were they sited a study from Europe. In the study they followed women (all of roughly the same age, weight, physical activity, etc.) for over 2 years. During that 2 years they were not allowed to wear a bra. At the end of the 2 years post measurements, photo's etc. were taken and you know what? Their breasts were perkier, rounder and firmer! It is thought that the muscles within the chest grew stronger without the bra, pulling the breasts up, but with the bra, it allows those muscles to slack off!
Nice right? BURN THE BRA's.
I HATE WEARING A BRA! Actually after nursing 2 babes my boobies have significantly depleted, I'm hoping for another one who will diminish them altogether.
I know you have struggled with infertility as I do and the pictures of the three little ones wrapped around you brings tears to my eyes. What a beautiful thing. Did you ever imagine you would have three so close and be toting them on road-trips and smashed in their tiny embraces? Those pictures are just priceless. Love it.
Looking forward to that essay. Making some people uncomfortable with your writing is a good thing, the ones who want honesty and reality will stay.
Beautiful photographs. Xo
So glad you're learning much. Your children are ADORABLE!!!
She said she didn't wear a bra, people. She didn't say she seduced a mountain goat for heaven's sake!
Oh, Cjane...you and your self righteous home births! The end result? Three beautiful babes and a blessed family. Carry on with your bad self!
Self-righteous home birth?!!! What the what?!
Beautiful essay written on miraculous and blessed home birth! Yes!
Keepin' my bra. :)
Oh for heaven's sake.
I think when people comment that they are no longer reading someone's blog (and neither are their friends...?) is like going to someone's house for dinner and then rejecting their next invite because you didn't like their curtains.
Just a thought.
I think the entire point of the post has to do with generosity, and that's a beautiful thing.
And the first thing I did when I got home last night, was take off my bra. :)
Seeing all these red rock pictures reminds me of family trips through southern Utah as a child. Beautiful. I can hear my dad blasting his favorite of James Taylor while we traveled the winding roads, all 8 of us squished in our old blue Volkwagen Van.
Thanks, I hadn't thought of that for years. :)
Chuckling over the irony of Awee calling anything "self righteous". Hey Good News and Guess What? Miss Manners says it's entirely unnecessary to let a blog authors know that you are leaving, just go ahead and do so hon. Pretty sure you won't be missed. Cjane is not hurting for readers (probably thanks to all the lesbian eroticsm she's got going on here).
Courtney, seriously, you're a breath of fresh air, your journey with your body image is so relevant to so many people and your joy is infectious and very encouraging. I can't get enough- keep on with your bad braless self! Thank you!
I hope this doesn't start me out on the wrong foot, but I haven't read your blog in a while. I happened to read a blog post written by a friend of a friend, however, and I thought of you and wanted to share. Enjoy. : ) http://kindred-heart.blogspot.com/2012/06/who-will-you-believe.html
Amazing photos!!! I frequently don't rock a bra on long trips, either in a car or on a plane. Who cares? It's my comfort I'm worried about, and no one is seeing anything you shouldn't. Rock on Courtney, I would have ran naked through the desert too!
Hey now... you probably DID wear a half tee the whole time which does work like a bra so you can't say you totally free-boobed it. ;) And where or where did I miss the lesbian erotica post??? Hook me up! ahahaha
I just happened on your blog today for the first time, and when I saw the familiar pics of the red rocks of Southern Utah, which is part of my family history, I just had to see how you liked your trip and adventure! It sounds like you drove over what the 'locals' call The Hogback-that spot where the road falls far below you on both sides,and you wonder "What? No side rails?!" And your picture of the cars parked along Highway 12 is a favorite local hike called Mossy Cave. Perfect for small families and children on a hot day because when you reach the end of the easy short hike, there is the sparkling clear cool water coming down the hill, on its way to the local town.
Hope your trip was everything you hoped in the red rocks of Southern Utah!
Poor Awee's husband. Me thinks he must be a very frustrated man.
I love that you invented some lovely bottoms for Ever in the sand! Where can I find some like that in real life?!
Wow--if I went braless while nursing I'd look like I just got out of a wet t-shirt contest. Even when my baby was 7 months.
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