What does it really mean to be the “Black Sheep” of the family?

In this blog, Chick reflects on identity, motherhood, addiction, accountability, and the stories we tell ourselves about where we fit.

From raising “three hoodlums” to walking beside sobriety, relapse, redemption, and loss — this episode explores:

• Why so many of us feel like the outsider

• How family roles shift over time

• The difference between perception and reality

• The power of accountability over victimhood

• How love evolves — and sometimes finally lands

Being the “Black Sheep” may say more about how we see ourselves than how others see us.

At some point, we all face the same truth:

Life is life. People are people.

But our choices? Those are ours.

And sometimes the greatest growth comes when we stop blaming the past and start owning the present.

#ClearviewWorks #ChickAndAlice #FamilyDynamics #HealingJourney #Accountability #AddictionRecovery #PersonalGrowth #BlackSheep #Boundaries #LoveAndGrowth

Healing doesn’t always look like progress.

Sometimes it looks like nothing.

In this blog, we talk about the discouraging middle — the place where you’re doing the work but can’t see the results. Just like starting a new diet or workout routine, the person in the mirror rarely notices the change first.

But others do.

This episode explores:

• Why growth feels invisible at first

• How subtle changes show up in your reactions

• The moment you realize old triggers don’t hit the same

• What it means when people start responding to you differently

• How to build on progress you didn’t even know you made

Healing isn’t loud.

It’s small adjustments.

It’s quieter responses.

It’s carrying yourself differently.

And sometimes it takes someone else pointing it out before you see how far you’ve actually come.

Keep going. The change is happening — even when you can’t see it yet.

#ClearviewWorks #HealingJourney #GrowthMindset #PersonalDevelopment #SubtleChange #SelfAwareness #KeepGoing #InnerWork #ChickAndAlice

Growth isn’t a straight line.

It’s a roller coaster.

In this episode, Chick opens up about what really happens when you commit to change — quitting comfort habits, preparing for the 50-state ride, selling the house, stepping into the next chapter — and the emotional whiplash that follows.

She talks about:

• The three kinds of challenges that test growth

• The comfort crutches that fight back when you try to evolve

• The guilt spiral after a “drop out” day

• The bittersweet joy of a normal night out with her husband

• What it feels like to chase a dream at 68

• The difference between becoming someone… and coming as you are

Some days are productive.

Some days are vices and Diet Coke in the garage.

Some nights feel like before Alzheimer’s.

Some feel like grief all over again.

But the choice to move forward?

That’s still there.

Nirvana isn’t real.

The Yellow Brick Road has obstacles.

The roller coaster slows down eventually.

And when it does — you step off and walk.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #HealingJourney #GriefAndGrowth #50StateRide #AlzheimersJourney #WomenWhoRide #PersonalGrowth #OneDayAtATime #ComeAsYouAre

We all wear masks.

Customer service mask.

Family mask.

Work mask.

In-law survival mask.

But when does protection turn into suppression?

In this episode, Jen explores the many roles we play to survive in a world that doesn’t always feel safe — and what happens when those masks become part of our identity.

She talks about:

• ​ The “harm reduction” masks we use to navigate people
• ​ Why masking isn’t fake — it’s functional
• ​ The difference between healthy boundaries and self-erasure
• ​ Neurodivergent masking and the cost of mirroring “normal”
• ​ What unmasking really means — and why it’s risky

Unmasking isn’t rebellion.

It’s trust.

It’s courage.

It’s letting yourself take up space.

And sometimes… it’s exhausting to keep hiding.

If you’ve ever wondered which version of you is the “real” one — this conversation might hit home.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #Unmasking #Neurodivergent #AutismJourney #ADHDAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #HealingJourney #Authenticity #TakeUpSpace

Ever had a moment that felt like a nuke dropped on your life?

A trigger event.

A domino.

A blind curve with a Mack truck waiting on the other side.

In this episode, Kevin dives into those life-altering moments — the ones that knock you flat and force a choice:

Rebuild the same structure?

Or leave the broken pieces where they fell?

He talks about:

• The mask we wear when we’re barely holding it together

• The difference between coping and actually healing

• The “signs” that start showing up after everything explodes

• Why sometimes the pieces aren’t meant to be picked back up

Sometimes the land isn’t stable anymore.

Sometimes you’re not meant to rebuild — you’re meant to relocate.

This one is about sitting with the fallout…

And realizing that what feels like destruction might actually be direction.

If life just shook you, this one’s for you.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #HealingJourney #TriggerEvent #SpiritualGrowth #DominoEffect #LifeShift #LetItFall #GrowthThroughChaos #MindsetShift

Today Chick is behind the wheel—chauffeur, moral support, and friend—while Alice continues healing.

While waiting in the truck, a song comes on: “Immortality” by the Bee Gees and Celine Dion.

And suddenly… everything shifts.

This episode isn’t just about music.

It’s about eternal love.

About Alzheimer’s.

About a vow renewed under the face of Crazy Horse in the Black Hills.

About what it means to say, “You are my only… and we don’t say goodbye.”

Chick reflects on a private moment shared with her husband on their 35th anniversary—an hour alone on the mountain, making a soul promise that love doesn’t end with the body.

As she prepares for the 50-state ride, this isn’t about “moving on.”

It’s about carrying love forward.

It’s about showing up.

Being of service.

Finding healing in unexpected moments.

And realizing that when we give back, something sacred gives back to us.

Some songs aren’t just songs.

Some promises don’t end.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #Immortality #AlzheimersJourney #LoveBeyondLife #50StateRide #HealingJourney #SoulConnection #BeingOfService #JustShowUp

Midwinter in Minnesota.

Cold. Dark. Quiet.

For some, winter is just an inconvenience. For others—especially those living with chronic pain or depression—it can feel like survival mode.

In this blog, Jen reflects on how winter affects both her and Pete differently. Chronic pain intensifies in the cold. Major depression deepens in the dark. The quiet months can become dangerous if we aren’t paying attention.

And yet—suicide rates are often higher in summer than winter. Why? What does that say about seasonality, energy, and the complicated relationship between pain and action?

From bright therapy lights to heating pads to cannabis to simple survival strategies, this post is honest about what winter really feels like when your body and brain don’t cooperate.

But it also carries a reminder:

We need each other.

The winter holidays revolve around togetherness for a reason. Isolation feeds the dark. Connection interrupts it.

If you’re in the quiet season right now—hang on. The days are already getting longer. And if someone’s been silent lately, reach out.

And if the darkness feels unbearable, help is available. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Let’s get through winter together.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #MentalHealthMatters #WinterDepression #ChronicPain #MajorDepression #YouAreNotAlone #HealingJourney #988Lifeline #TogetherThroughTheDark

In this episode, Chick gets real about accountability, habits, and the quiet decisions that shape the rest of your life.

After admitting she’d been coasting in a “comfy place,” she faced a hard truth: if she keeps living the way she is, the 50-state ride with Alice may never happen. Quitting smoking. Exercising. Cutting spending. No more autopilot. No more excuses.

What started as small changes—pool workouts, handling paperwork, cutting back on game purchases—turned into something bigger. Even a simple iPad game became a metaphor for life. Stop buying the easy wins. Earn them. Replay the level. Beat it on your own terms.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about baby steps, discipline, and choosing dreams over comfort.

Chick shares how shifting the way she plays a game mirrors the way she’s choosing to play life now—less security chasing, more purpose chasing.

It’s do-or-die energy… one day at a time.

#ChickAndAlice #ClearviewWorks #HealingJourney #Accountability #OneDayAtATime #DreamChasing #50StateRide #GrowthMindset #LifeLessons #NoMoreCoasting