Hi, there! My name is Brenda McDearmon, and I created this blog to help OverFiftyers look beyond midlife transitions into a future of everyday intentional adventure, so they can focus on themselves a little, and on every other good thing in life a lot.

I’m so glad you’re here!

I Hit the Big 5-0

It seems like for most of us, life Under Fifty is about finding Mr. or Ms. Right, raising 2.3 perfect kids, and creating a Pinterest-worthy home.

So, what happens when you and your beloved Mr. or Ms. hit the big 5-0, and all the things you worked toward accomplishing are now pretty much done.

You regroup, that’s what.

Or, at least that’s what we did.

My hubby and I revisited an almost-forgotten newlywed dream, which involved moving seven hours away from where we had grown up, met, married and raised our kids.

In a brand new chapter of Life Over Fifty, we experienced an unexpected, totally exciting fresh start.

What do we do now morphed into a question of what do you want to do next as we trekked into our new Texas surroundings with all the gusto of a modern-day Lewis and Clark.

Well, a modern-day Over Fifty Lewis and Clark, of course.

As in, explorers that had to be in bed by 9:00.

Started Writing Stories

You’ll find a lot of stories here about our life in Austin. In fact, that’s where I started writing this blog. It began as a way to chronicle what it was like to start over in Austin, Texas as almost empty nesters Over Fifty.

After a few years into the whole shebang, we moved to Dallas, and I rebranded my little corner of online space as Texas Over Fifty. Talk about enlarging your territory!

And the adventures?

Well, they just keep a’coming.

Besides my man and me, we have three amazing kids who grew up to be our bestest friends.

The oldest is a very busy small-town single mom. Our middle makes her home in Houston with our SIL, Prince Charming, and the last one is living his best life in Washington, D.C. Three grandkids round out the nucleus of our family, and, oh, mercy – they’re the bomdiggity, for sure.

Adventure Over Fifty

Please don’t get the wrong idea, though. While I’m the one writing about all my adventures, this blog is for you.

Feel free to look around here at Texas Over Fifty. Grab a cup of coffee and meander through each category at your leisure. You can also use the search bar if you’re looking for something specific.

Everything is laid out in the colors of Texas – beautiful shades of earthy browns and promising greens. Those colors really symbolize Texas adventure to me.

You and I need a steady supply of adventure, my friend.

It can be bold and thought through, or spontaneous, thrown together on a big ol’ Texas-size whim.

I’m just here to encourage the grabbing hold and partaking of it.

Let’s Do This

So, go ahead. Tap into your own deep-down, oft-neglected inner adventurer. You can be Lewis and I’ll be Clark. Together, we’ll see, explore and eat all that Texas has to offer our collective Over Fifty selves.

But we still have to be in bed by 9:00.

Your devoted encourager,

PS: Check out the links below to purchase my books. Each small book in The Ultimate Bucket List series contains 25 of my best seasonal adventure recommendations. (I think you’re gonna be chompin’ at the bit to do every single one!)

• The Ultimate Texas Winter Bucket

• The Ultimate Texas Spring Bucket List

• The Ultimate Texas Summer Bucket List

• The Ultimate Texas Fall Bucket List

• The Big Hunker Down – 7 Take-Cover Strategies to Weather the Storm of Job Loss and Keep Your Destiny Out of the Bar Ditch

(The Big Hunker Down is my first book, and it’s the very personal story of how God used job changes and job loss to spur me on to a more exciting, adventure and abundant life. This book is also filled with practical tips and plenty of encouragement for anyone who encounters the storm of employment uncertainty.)