Long Hollow

Makin' a list and checkin' it twice...

List-mode -noun  A state of being wherein a moderately organized compulsive listmaker falls behind on things she needs to do, usually due to a weekend out of town with her girlfriends, and can't help but make more lists in a feeble attempt to get caught up without forgetting something important.

 

1. Sigh.

2. The weekend was totally worth it, though. Just hanging out with my girlfriends around the pool, sipping margaritas and talking, talking, talking would have made my current harried frenzy worth it, but my weekend journey had some other high spots in it as well.

3. If you're a blogger or on Facebook or FlickR or Twitter or some other social media I've never heard of, you've probably made lots of friends that, chances are, you'll never meet in person. Well, this weekend I got to meet one of those previously "virtual" friends, Debbie, who I connected with a few months ago on FlickR. On my way into Houston Friday, she met me for lunch.

4. It is so cool to see a person you've only known through words or photos sitting right there in front of you, face to face. We had a wonderful visit, but, of course, it was too short. 

5. We'll have to do it again, Debbie!!

6. My Diva weekend will get its own post (eventually!) but I want to mention one thing about it now because I think it's such a great idea.

7. We celebrated Leslie's birthday on Saturday, but instead of presents, she requested bags of dog and cat food that she could donate to an animal shelter. Isn't that a great idea?

8. You rock, Leslie!! 

9. (Here she is between her goddaughter, Georgie, and our sweet animal-loving hostess Rae, who took the food to her local shelter.)

 

10. Sunday I spent several hours with my parents before heading home, and for close to four of those hours I listened to - and recorded - my parents' stories and memories.

11. I'm convinced there's no better heirloom or legacy, and can't wait to go back to capture more of that treasure. 

12. Doesn't Daddy look cute in his suspenders? 

13. Do you remember me telling you I'm part of the BlogHer Book Club? Well, my latest book review was published today on BlogHer, about Sarah Dessen's What Happened to Goodbye? Click HERE to read my full review.  

14. Guess what? I'm a finalist in Jillsy Girl's June Water Challenge! Voting continues until June 29th so go HERE to vote! (Don't feel you have to vote for me - click on each of the entries and pick whichever one you like.)

15. Some people truly amaze me, and Gina Calvert is one of those people, constantly spreading herself thin to help someone else. Her latest venture is for Girls on the Run, a non-profit prevention program that helps preteen girls develop self-respect and health lifestyles through running.

16. Gina, who isn't a runner yet, plans to run a 5K in just a few months to raise money for the program. (I should mention at this point that Gina is 51!)

17.Please click HERE to read more about Girls on the Run. (Even if you don't think you can or will donate, you should read Gina's post about it. She's a wonderful writer!) 

18. Whew! I think that's enough for tonight...

19. Thank you.

The Problem with Fun Weekends...

 

You circle the date on the calendar. You count the days until you can leave. You just can't wait for that special date to arrive!

And then (you probably guessed it because it happens to you, too) ... the time flies and that special weekend is over way too fast. 

This was one to remember, though. I'd get an 'A' in "Uses time wisely" if I still got report cards... catching up with friends, visiting with my parents, hanging out by a pool, taking lots of photographs... that was my weekend. 

So today, even as I stepped back into the swift stream of life, I'm playing catch-up on everything else - laundry, photos, blogs (both writing and reading)...

That's another problem with fun weekends, all that catching up afterwards.

But I'll be back with more, soon...

Hostess Rae and me in the pool...Thank you again, Rae!!

 

 

 

 

A Sweet Saturday on a Diva Weekend

While you sit where ever you sit on Saturday mornings, reading this, I'm soaking my drought-dusty body in the cool water of a friend's backyard pool, frozen margarita in hand.

This is a Diva weekend, when girls I grew up with congregrate to catch up on each other's lives in a way that Facebook and emails just can't compare to... face-to-face with music, food and margaritas (or wine or soda or whatever...) and a whole weekend of talking, talking, talking.

It's purely therapeutic, of course. 

Here are a few of us last year, deep into one of our therapy sessions.

I hope you're have a sweet Diva weekend of your own!

Now for my Sweet!s of the Week:

Saturday: meeting a writing deadline (whew!)

Sunday: being able to pick up a phone and hear your Daddy's voice

Monday: a hug from your oldest child after a month of only calls or emails

Tuesday: being Chairperson of a committee full of go-getting, "tell me what I can do to help" people.

Wednesday: waking to the sweet sound of rain on the roof that went on and on and on...

Thursday: shopping with your daughter

Friday: finally meeting someone face-to-face who you've only known, up until that moment, through typed words and shared photographs

Saturday: floating in a sun-kissed swimming pool surrounded by friends who have known you forever (and still like you most of the time!)

 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend filled with love and friendship!

 

 

Just Three Things (and a Friday Favorite Photo)

I'll be traveling today, driving miles of highway in my air-conditioned car, singing along to the radio, probably dancing in my seat and drumming on the steering wheel, perhaps swerving off the road to capture something in my camera (because I can do that when I travel alone.)

(Don't worry, Mama I promise I'll be careful.)

But there are three things I want to share with you before I leave...

First...

Have you see the previews for Larry Crowne, that movie with Tom Hanks as a middle-aged college student and Julia Roberts as a teacher? I really want to see it because I've been an "older" student off and on for 20 years. (Currently "off" because we don't have the money right now.) I get the feeling Tom Hank's experience is a little different than mine has been, but I still want to see the movie, because, well, it's Tom and Julia.

Plus I haven't been to the movies in quite a while and I'm craving it. I enjoy watching movies here at home, but there's just something different about sitting there in a theater with that big screen in front of you, speakers blaring so loudly you (hallelujah!) can't hear the couple behind you talking.

Okay, actually I crave movie popcorn. But I really do want to see this movie.

I discovered two bloggers who might make that happen for me, and if not me, then maybe you. If you're interested in winning tickets to see Larry Crowne, then go to MidlifeBloggers or The Fifty Factor and follow their directions. Pretty much, you just have to leave a comment and later a winner will be picked by random selection. I hope it's me. Or you. (And if it's you, I hope you take me with you.)

Even if you're not interested, you should go read Joanna's blog post at The Fifty Factor that leads up to the giveaway. Hilarious!

Second...

This one is for all you movie-loving, screenwriting, film producing readers out there. A few months ago, my creative and multi-talented high school friend Byron Tully, along with his friend Weatherford Bradley, created Indie Friendlie, a site that showcases filmmakers and films who don't have the budgets or marketing departments to get them into theaters. There were a few glitches with the initial site, but I'm happy to report Indie Friendlie is back, even better than before! If you're a film lover of any kind, go check it out!

Third...

You need to go read this post by Gail at Louisiana Belle that I read yesterday. It's a wonderful post about graciousness, as in being gracious to someone even though you'd really rather throttle their neck, based on Gail's personal experience with a certain person. It teaches a great lesson, but besides that, it's an honest and funny post, one of those that will stay with me, especially when I want to throttle someone's neck.

Here's the link: Noreen Update.

Go check it out, but first, take a look at my Friday Favorite Photo of the week...

There are only a scattered few of these stubborn yellow flowers continuing to bloom against the odds. I don't know how long they can hold out, so I chose this photo of one especially bold bloom as my favorite of the week.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

It was a dark and stormy night...

I dreamed rain pelted our tin roof, hard, and thunder shook our windows.

Then I realized it wasn't a dream and, snuggling under my covers, dozed off again, grateful.

"Mom? Dad?" I woke again with a start, disoriented. Glanced at the clock. Midnight.

"We had a power outage. You probably need to set your phone alarms." It was TG on the other side of our door. "Oh, and the dogs want in."

I peaked out of my room. Lightning flashed just then, revealing the spectral silhouettes of two dogs peering in through the french doors.

Under cover of darkness, I snuck into the leaving room, snatched my phone from out of my purse and almost made it back to the bedroom before another flash of lightning cast its light on me like a deer caught in the glare of headlights.

I knew they could see me. I could imagine their big brown eyes gazing at me, pleading.

I hurried into the bedroom anyway, set my phone alarm and slipped back into bed. 

Then the voice started. I tried to ignore it, but it persisted.

Max is old, it chastised. He's scared. You should let him into the laundry room. Poor puppy, what about his heart?

Okay, okay, shut UP! I told the voice. Rolling back out of bed, I stumbled downstairs, slipped outside and peeked around the corner at the doghouse. "Puppies?"

Belle poked her head out and tilted it that way she does. So cute.

"Come..." Before the words were out of my mouth, she was running toward me, Max right behind her.

And then they were in the laundry room. And then... they shook.

And shook.

And shook.

Ugh! I didn't think about them being wet!

I grabbed a couple of beach towels, ruffled the water out of their still wet fur, turned off the light and slipped out, grateful for the stained concrete floor in that room that hides dirt and is so easy to clean.

Finally, I crawled back into bed. I was wide awake by then and just lay there, listening to the glorious sound of rain on our roof for over an hour before finally drifting off...

This morning I walked in a world washed clean and fresh. I swear, there were green things popping out everywhere! Maybe the rain just washed the dust away, but it sure looked to me like someone had come along and dribbled green paint all through the Hollow.

Birds sang a little louder and a water puddle even waited for Max and Belle at the curve in the road. They were ecstatic!

Tom took a walk on our property this evening and reported we have a foot of water in the big pond and three feet in the little pond (the minnows have a reprieve!) It's just June... we have two hot, dry months ahead of us, so no doubt they'll eventually dry up again...

But today we'll be grateful for the blessing of this rain.

And also for this sunset...

Thank you, Lord!

If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God. 

~Gilbert K. Chesterton

 

The (Only) Good Thing About a Drought

 

Because of the drought, the University of Texas is turning off their fountains to save water.

I'm glad I didn't procrastinate any longer than I did on Daniel's photo shoot. He would have looked funny sitting there in front of a stone dry Littlefield Fountain.

Imagine this one without the water shooting up... wouldn't it have looked like he was about to be run over by that, um, whatever it is?

Look out, Daniel!!!

 

I added the one below just because I like it.

I bet he was thinking, Surely she's almost through snapping photos...

I'd love to be standing in that fountain right now...

Well, I guess not right now, since they've turned them off.

But you know what I mean.

Okay, you've probably guessed that's not the good thing about a drought I was going to mention. It was just an excuse to post more photos of Daniel.

Plus I'm craving water.

No, the good thing I was going to mention about a drought is that it gives you a chance to clean all the silt out of your pond when it dries up.

That's what we did this past weekend.

(I use "we" lightly - I did a little bit more than snap photos, but not a whole lot more. As you can see, "we" is mostly Daniel and Tom.)

Belle helped, too.

I'm not sure what she did to help, but I'm sure it was very helpful. I believe she mostly stood in this teensy bit of water - all that's left on our property - trying to catch the last few minnows left alive.

Don't judge. Their days are numbered anyway in this heat, even if we do get a few drops of rain.

Check out the temperature  - this was in the shade on the front porch, around 4pm.

(Poor minnows.)

So now you know how Tom spent his Father's Day, in between checking on the brisket he smoked for dinner.

(It's okay. He takes naps on Mother's Day.)

I'm contributing this to Jillsy's June Water Challenge. It's definitely "water-challenged" don't you think?

What a Father Does

A father gives advice 

A father nourishes the body 

and soul 

A father encourages

A father is joyful

A father reads

A father lends a hand 

 

A father plays 

 

A father offers support 

A father sticks close by your side

 

A father makes memories

A father teaches 

A father laughs 

 

A father is gallant

 

A father proves age is just a number

 

A father reaches out 

A father hangs on tight

 

A father helps you aim high

A father shows pride 

A father sets a good example to follow

A father relaxes

A father listens

A father works

 

A father keeps you honest

 

A father helps out

 

A father loves

A father dances 

 

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.

~Author Unknown

I've spent the day wading through photos, pulling out these of my three favorite fathers - my sweet Daddy, my remarkable father-in-law and my wonderful husband Tom, father of my children.

I might have gone overboard with the posting, but once I got started, it was hard to stop. While gathering the ones I wanted to use and posting them here, I also transferred photos from decrepit photo albums to new, more protective ones and recovered tons of files from that dying external hard drive. There are still a few left. I hope I can salvage them before it's gone completely.

There were tons of photos to choose from, reminders of how blessed Tom and I are to have such great, loving fathers. And I was reminded how lucky I am that he's the father of my children. Granted, we don't always see eye to eye on parenting styles, but I think we complement each other and achieve a good balance. 

We didn't get to see our fathers today, but we know how blessed we are that we can pick up a phone and wish them a Happy Father's Day (which we did.) 

I hope all of you dads (and moms who are playing both both roles for your children) had a wonderful Father's Day!

P.S.

My sister gave me permission to post this beautiful letter she wrote to our Daddy for Father's Day. It expresses much better than I can what kind of parents we were blessed with. Thank you, Daddy and Mama (and Brenda for letting me post it!)

Dear Daddy,

   As fathers go, you’re as good as they get. I’ve always loved you and been proud of you, and one of the things I appreciate about you is that you’ve always made it clear that you were proud of me. As I matured, I realized that not all parents are as generous with praise and appreciation of their kids as you and Mama have been with all of us. Thank you for the confidence you instilled!

   Thank you, also, for being my first first-grade teacher. Even after all these years I can remember lessons with you, particularly the large chart of the alphabet hanging on my bedroom wall, from which you taught me to read. That started my love of reading and opened worlds to me. For that I will be forever grateful.

   There is so much between then and now to be thankful for, but I am so very, very grateful for the opportunity to fall back into your and Mama’s loving arms for the last three months. At the least you provided me with basic care and waited on me hand and foot. But you did so much more. You doted on me, fussed over me, kept me company and entertained me. It was a little bit of heaven I’ll always be thankful for.

   I enjoyed waking up each morning and using my walker to meet you in the living room, where you stored my wheelchair each night. You seemed to enjoy pushing me, even though I could wheel myself, and I enjoyed letting you. You parked me at the dining room table and poured me a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice, then it was, “What would you like for breakfast today? Toast, bacon, eggs, oatmeal?” And you cheerfully fixed whatever I asked for. I was Daddy’s little princess every morning. Before I finished skimming the newspaper, Mama would join us. That made the morning perfect. What a rare treat for someone my age!

   Nobody ever had a better Daddy. I’m so glad I got you!

And I am, too! Happy Father's Day, Daddy! Thank you for always putting up with me, for always encouraging me and always believing in me! I love you!

Rest in Peace, Big Man

I try not to post twice in one day, but I just heard that Clarence Clemons, saxophone player extraordinaire, died today. Complications from a stroke a week ago. And it makes me sad.

I was a latecomer to Brucie, Clarence and the E-Street Band, but once there, I was hooked. Tom and I went to a few concerts early in our marriage and then had to rely on CDs until our friends George and Karen treated us to the concert here in Austin two years ago, right around the time George and I turned 50. 

I was in heaven. Brucie hadn't seemed to age, still rocking out and dancing and sliding across the stage on 60 year old knees as well as he had on 30 year old knees. And Max on the drums... well, I wrote about that here. Let's just say I'm partial to drummers.

But it was obvious Clarence felt the effects of the years. He still sounded just as great as ever, but he sat or leaned on a stool the whole time. 

Still, news of of his stroke, and now his death, caught me by surprise and make me sad. 

Rest in peace, Big Man, and thank you for your beautiful music.

Rosalita... Remember this one, Clarence? It's the one that made me fall in love with your sax...

 

Puppy Dog Mornings (and a week of sweets)

I follow a certain ritual almost every morning, finding a spiritual, mental and physical balance that goes completely out of whack the rest of the day...

I begin at the kitchen table, enjoying a first cup of coffee and my healthy cereal (topped with blueberries and Greek yogurt) while reading something inspirational.

Right now it's Hope For Each Day by Billy Graham, a small book of daily readings I snagged at a garage sale.

As night's shadow lifts, I can make out Belle's silhouette through the French doors, full of hope, waiting patiently for our walk to begin. As soon as it's light enough to see the road, I give in.

On my way out the door, I grab my camera to get my daily photography fix, usually repeats of the same old shots... puppy dogs, dirt roads, fence posts, dusty flowers, clouds, bugs... mostly puppy dogs... just captured from a different angle, in a different season...

While walking and snapping photos, I pray the Rosary.

...Multitasking at its best.

Back home, I trade the camera for the dogs' food bowls and meet them on the back porch. While they eat their breakfast, I rock in my chair, sip on another cup of coffee, and gaze at the Hollow, savoring the quiet of the morning a bit more before the rush of the day begins.

Either before or after our walk, and before I can talk myself out of it, I squeeze in a physical work out, alternating cardio and free weights.... very important (I stress to myself when I protest) because the rest of the day I sit (sit, sit, sit, hour after hour...) in front of a computer. 

Is it any wonder that mornings are my favorite part of the day?

What are your mornings like?

Share! Share!

And now for my week of Sweet! moments...

Saturday: Manual labor ... muscles straining, sweating dripping from your nose - a wonderful change from sitting, sitting, sitting in front of a computer.

(Yes, I really do enjoy it! Every once in a while, anyway. Tom, Daniel and I spent a few hours clearing the brush out of the dry creek. They cut and sawed while I dragged and tossed. Belle and Haley supervised from spots in the shade. Max hid in the cool doghouse.)

Sunday: Celebrating a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice with barbecue and a slideshow depicting scenes from 80+ years.

(Our priest, Father Joe, is retiring this month. At 84, he deserves the break, but it's still bittersweet for me.);  

Sunday Sweet! #2: Rescuing a Blotched Water Snake. 

(Well, Tom rescued it by yelling at Max to drop it before he "played" with it to death. It had a small cut, so we kept it in a terrarium for a few days, then he released it down by the creekbed.)

Monday: A walk at dusk, first into a blue and pink pastel sunset, then back along an empty dirt road glowing from moonlight (blogged here.)

Tuesday: Your sister released to walk again three months after her hip surgery (#2) Sitting on the back deck near the splash of a full moon, listening to music with loved ones and sipping a glass of pinot noir.  

Wednesday: Glancing out the kitchen window just in time to see two great blue herons fly past. 

Thursday: Standing in a small clearing before the sun strikes full force... just you, a towering granddaddy oak and the melody of birdsong. And goofy dogs, of course.

Friday: A breeze so strong on the back deck that when you close your eyes, you can imagine you're sitting on a condo balcony above the beach in Port Aransas instead of above a dry creek in drought-cursed Central Texas.

What was your favorite Sweet! moment this week?

(This post is my contribution to the Focus52 linkup at TwoScoopz - the theme this week is "Morning.")

Time, Water and other missing things (plus Friday's Favorite Photos)

I walked at dusk, a tangerine glow still lining the horizon, not quite snuffed by the night sky. The wind blew hard, but it was comforting, like a friend's reassuring hug, and its roaring in my ear was a lullaby, soothing.

While the puppies hunted for lizards and rough-housed in the sand, I turned inward, flipping through my thoughts, trying to sort and organize and figure out why I feel so scattered, why I feel someone has stolen minutes from my day.

I just can't get as much done as I used to and I don't know why.

My brain feels as dry as the land around me, and that doesn't help. My words and thoughts are wilted, sluggish, thirsty for more writing time.

And yet, hasn't my time for writing always been like that, just bits and pieces shared by so many different projects that they're worn thin like tattered hand-me-downs, tossed aside into the nooks and crannies of my day? What's different now?

Maybe it's not the amount of time, but the rhythm of my day. Maybe it's the other things competing with space in my brain...things like jobs and money, dreams and reality, love and heartache, concerns about family and friends.

Maybe it's just the weather.

But the wind blew my cloud of melancholy away. Despite the heat, the drought and the horsefly circling me, preparing to strike, it was a beautiful evening and my blessings are too numerous to count.

Here's one... My sister Brenda got the okay from her doctor to put weight on her hip. She's back home again, with her husband and cat. I know she appreciates how Mama and Daddy embraced her and cared for her while she recuperated from hip surgery, but three months is a long time to be away from home and I'm happy for all of them.

Yeah, maybe I'm dropping things lately like so much loose change slipping through my fingers, but I've also taken care of a few to-do's that have waited patiently for my attention, such as finally posting (and selling!) stuff via Craig's List, starting back on writing my book semi-daily, cleaning up my hard drive to free up some space... um, maybe that's it. But that's something.

By the way, did you see the full moon this week? I always count it as a blessing, one that helps me put the trivial things of my life into perspective. I remembered to take a few shots of its progression - they don't do it justice, but they're still my Friday Favorite Photos picks, reminding me to stop, focus, breathe, be still.

Oh, and here's a favorite quote from the week. It has nothing to do with anything else I wrote - I just like it...

Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom.

Merry Browne

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Flying...or Not

 

A bird, whether it is tied down by a thread or a chain, still cannot fly.

St. John of the Cross

There are days I feel I'm a bird, hopping around on a branch, aching to take to the sky chasing the delectable dreams I see darting around, just out of my reach... But there's something holding me back, tethering me to that branch.

There are days I wonder if perhaps nothing is tying me down after all - I'm just afraid to let go, to leave the safety of the branch, to take that first leap.

There are days I wonder if I've been flying all along, but I've just been too nervous or preoccupied or too busy looking ahead to take a look around, relax, enjoy the scenery and notice how high I've actually flown.

What about you?

******************************************************

Something happened this week to make me think that even if I'm not actually flying yet, I've at least moved up higher in the tree.

Wolf Pascoe, who chronicles his fatherhood adventures at Just Add Father, honored me yesterday by using a few of my photographs, including the one above, to complement "Number My Days," a very moving post about life, death and fatherhood.

Wolf isn't his real name, by the way. He uses a pen name to protect his family's privacy. (I'm sure my kids wish I'd done the same!)

He also writes about his job under his pen name - he's a doctor. But he's also a published poet/playwright under his real name (whatever that is!)

I can't remember how we bumped into each other in the blogosphere, but even though it would appear we don't have much in common, we've connected through our words and stories. I encourage you to hop over there - he's a very gifted writer!

Thank you, Wolf!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweets on a Saturday and (another) belated Friday Favorite Photo

I have a good excuse for posting my favorite photos of the week today instead of yesterday...

I spent yesterday morning on the University of Texas campus, snapping photo after photo of Daniel dressed in his graduation robe and cap in front of the Tower, the Littlefield Fountain, Battle Hall, a row of beautiful old oaks, a turtle pond, a greenhouse... and then a few more without the robe and cap.

I knew my favorite of the week would be one of those so I waited until today to post it. Er, them. (I can do that because it's my blog!)

Professionals took photos of him before and after graduation, but honestly, they weren't very good. I decided to give it a shot getting a better one myself.

And, by golly, I think I did!

He was such a good sport, strolling around campus in his robe for an hour or so in the heat, giving me ideas on where to take the shots, standing wherever I directed him, letting me take "just one more, Daniel..."

There are a few shots where his face reflects, um, less exuberance than I felt, plus a few silly faces and one yawn, but I love those, too. And somehow he managed to keep pulling out smiles for me until I decided I had enough.

It was so hard to decide what to post as my favorites, but this first one is a classic pose for Daniel and that's why I chose it.

(He's struck "The Thinker" in Yellowstone National Park, Arizona, Big Bend... everywhere! Maybe I should create a coffee table book of all those Thinkers...)

 

I picked this next one even though he's not in his robe and hat because it was one of the last I took, and he's still smiling!

Plus, I just think it's really good of him. 

 

I love the colors in the first one, but also like it in black and white, so you get both versions.

 

(I'll post some of the others later, either here or on Confessions.)

 

*****************************************************

 

And now for my week of Sweet! moments...

Saturday: finding "treasure" at a church garage sale (extra Sweet! - just spending $2 for all of it!)

Sunday: pink toenails!

Monday: a walk down a country road with two goofy dogs on a hot summer afternoon

Tuesday: progress on a project (in my case, my book)

Wednesday: finally selling something you posted on Craig's List after being stood up half a dozen times, and deciding it was worth all the hassle because they're such sweet people

Thursday: soothing notes from a daughter's flute floating out from behind a bedroom door

Friday: early morning photo shoot with new college graduate/son; hearing a big brother giving job interview advice to his little brother.

Saturday: waking energized from a full (and rare) eight hours of sleep to a wide open day, full of possibilities

Now I'm off to wrestle my to-do list into a manageable size. Hope you have a fun, or productive or whatever-you-want-it-to-be Saturday!

If you have time, share some of your Sweet! moments from the past week with me.

The Only Water Around Here is My Sweat!

It's hot here in Texas, ladies and gentlemen!

"Yesterday was the 5th consecutive day that the Austin, Texas Bergstrom Airport tied or set a new daily temperature record. On Monday, June 6, the airport hit 103°F, the earliest in the year that location had ever hit 103°.(Dr. Jeff Masters'WunderBlog, June 8, 2011)

Hot and dry! 

"In Austin, rainfall from October through the end of April was only 5.3 inches, the third driest on record since 1856."(from the LCRA website, latest update May 2011)

And here in the Hollow, with no rain to keep it in its place, caliche dust coats everything... my car, the dogs, the juniper trees lining the road, the few flowers hardy and stubborn and resilient enough to bloom...

Even the sky is a dusty shade of blue.

Our pond is completely dry now. See that white bucket sitting in the middle? It's a souvenir from our upstream neighbor's pond, an in-your-face reminder of a time when water flowed down Long Hollow creek. When the pond is full, that spot is at least 20 feet underwater.

Hard to imagine, isn't it?

It's also hard to imagine the little waterfall ever roaring like an ocean surf crashing on a beach, so loud you have to raise your voice to be heard way up on our back deck.

The only thing making that much noise in the Hollow lately is the panting of two hot puppy dogs, searching for some cool shade.

Water, Water, where for art thou, Water?

 

 

 

 

 

Bloom Anyway

Conditions may change.

No, scratch that. Conditions will change.

That's just life.

No matter what condition you find yourself in today,

whether drought or flood or somewhere in between,

look for ways to nourish your spirit

(they're there, I promise)

and bloom anyway.

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within your control, and some things are not."

~Epictetus, Greek Stoic philosopher

Osteo-what?

A few years ago, aware of menopause creeping ever closer, eager to rob me of bone mass and play all its other little tricks on me, I moved nutrition and exercise higher on my priority list.

The Real Age test revealed what I was missing nutrition-wise. I signed up for every health/hair/exercise/nutrition- related e-newsletter I could find, added vitamins to my morning arsenol, increased colorful, raw fruits and vegetables, watched portion sizes and cut back on fat, salt, sugar and anything processed or unpronounceable.

I was already working out, but I extended my cardio workouts because I have damaged lungs from asthma and one of those heart disease genes (and also the tiniest hope that increased circulation to my scalp would whip my lazy hair follicles back in shape.)

(No luck on that point so far.)

To build up bone mass, I increased the amount of free weight I lifted - gradually so I didn't pull anything and set myself back - popped Tums like candy and increased my Vitamin D. 

I did everything on that checklist, but still, following my latest bone density scan, the phone rang...

"Mrs. Shallue, you have slight osteopenia in the top bone of your left hip."

Huh? What? My bones? No way - I've never even broken anything!

"Nothing to worry about - it's very slight."

The nurse went down the "prevent and improve" checklist, but I was already doing everything and have been doing everything for years... even before my last bone density scan which was normal. How the heck did this happen?

The only suggestion she had for me: Increase my Vitamin D. My blood test revealed it was on the low end of normal; I had plenty of wiggle room to double what I was already taking.

So Women out there, listen up... Make sure you're taking your calcium and your Vitamin D. Grab those free weights and build those bones so they'll be strong enough to carry you for a long, long time. If you're over 50 and you haven't already done so, go get a bone density scan and have someone check your Vitamin D levels. And (gulp) say NO to that second third <sigh> okay, that second glass of wine. Or second margarita. Or second scotch and water.

For my part, I've increased my D and decreased my W so that I can still be dancing twenty years from now. I really, really want you to join me on the dance floor.

So get moving!

 

 

 

 

Rising Up, Grateful (plus some "Sweet!" moments and a belated Friday Favorite Photo)

Do you ever have those mornings when you're so mentally drained or physically tired you just want to pull the covers up over your head and skip that day altogether?

I do. Not often anymore, but I still do every once in a while.

On those mornings I remind myself that each and every day, good or bad, is a gift from God. We give educational and "tough-love" gifts to our kids, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised when some of the ones he gives us aren't all sunlight and butterflies.

I think back to my own words in a previous post I wrote (click HERE) and pray that God will direct my footsteps. I pray he'll keep me out of my own way... keep me from tripping myself up.

If I'm here, there must be a reason and I need to stop overthinking everything. I need to trust, have faith and give thanks.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.

Prince Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

******************************************************************************

Now to my Saturday Sweet! moments of the past week...

Saturday: hot Texas sunshine, cold water of Lake Travis, wind in my face

Sunday: group hug with dear friends, in prayer over too many tragic community stories

Monday: ping-pong on the porch; homemade vanilla ice cream; floating in a backyard pool and yakking with friends

Tuesday: word that your son has an upcoming interview for the job he really wants

Wednesday: watching your twenty-something son try on new running shoes, remembering the days in Pay-Less when they were all small, testing out new shoes by running down the aisles and jumping up and down

Thursday: blue skies, dry roads and an air-conditioned car when there are dozens of errands to run 

Friday: a few hours of unexpected (paid) work; figuring out something on your own; recovering what you thought was lost forever (see below...)

In yesterday's post, I shot a virtual arrow of distress out into Internet-world, asking for help. Only two people responded at all. Even though they didn't have concrete answers, I appreciated their support and suggestions (thank you, Deb and Liz!)

It made me wonder... Is anyone else out there? Do they just not care? Or is everyone else just as ignorant as I am about these things?

The latter made me feel better, so I went with that. (see my Update below!)

The good news is, I figured it out by myself. At least partly ... maybe temporarily ... but at least enough to recover the lost photos and save them onto my computer. It took a few hours and I'm not finished yet. Today I need to figure out a better system. 

Here's what I did...

I unplugged the external hard drive, waited awhile, plugged it back in, and then, barely breathing, checked the folder. My heart soared to see those precious photos back again. From now on, I'm going to keep my external hard drive unplugged unless I need it, although I couldn't find information about that written anywhere.

Live and learn... I'm just grateful I had a chance at a re-do on this one.

Update: Since I posted this, I discovered my sweet sister Brenda sent out emails to several professional photographer friends, asking if they could help. And another friend, Shirley, let me know she said a prayer but didn't comment because she didn't have any advice.

It just shows that things aren't always how they appear to be. My apologies and gratitude to both of you and anyone else who is trying to find an answer for me. 

And now, thanks to my oldest son, part of the puzzle is solved: The mystery photo of the two girls is one of his, from a semester he spent in Costa Rica. Now how it jumped from that folder (also on my external hard drive) to this latest one is still a mystery...

Anyway, here's my belated Friday Favorite Photo, recently recovered... a reminder of a wonderful day on the lake with friends (possibly my one and only day on the lake this summer) as well as a reminder that even on choppy, turbulent days, some bit of beauty, light or peace can be found.

Wishing you sweet moments on this Saturday!

 

Attention: Computer and Photo Geeks... HELP! (a Friday Photo Mystery)

It's Friday, which means normally I'd be sharing my favorite photo of the week with you.

Instead, I'm sharing this one, a photo I did not take of two girls I do not even know in a place that does not look familiar to me at all.

Does anyone else recognize them or the place?

My computer tells me this was taken on January 10, 2005 with a Kodak V550 Zoom Digital Camera, which I do not own. Also, I'm not sure where I was on January 10, 2005, but I would bet a lot of money, I wasn't near these two girls.

No offense to them, of course. 

Unless they had a hand in what happened. Then I wish a lot of offense on them!

You see, somehow this mystery photo ended up in a one of my three most recent folders, which includes the one that previously stored all the photos from Daniel's graduation - all of those of him getting his diploma, smiling with us afterwards, my three kids crowding together acting goofy for the camera, my parents who were bound and determined to be at his graduation and just glowed with love and pride, the fireworks lighting up the UT Tower - plus some wonderful ones from this past weekend of Daniel with the dogs, a day out on the lake, and of course, my usual flower shots.

I say "previously stored..." because all of those precious photos are now gone, replaced by a flat gray rectangle or an "Invalid Image" message. One or two appear to be there, but when I open them, they've been mostly gobbled up by globs of bright pixels.

Hence, no favorite photo of the past week. They're all gone.

In my very last folder, this image of the girls is all that's left, period. I suspect it had something to do with the elimination of the others, kind of like "Survivor" in JPEG.

But I really don't know. How could it do that? Does anyone out there have an idea what happened? Has it happened to you?

How the heck did someone else's photo get onto my camera/computer?

I'm casting suspicious glances everywhere. Is it my computer itself? Is it my external hard drive where all my photos are stored, and not saved anywhere else, unfortunately? (How could I be so stupid? <sigh>) Is it my Picasa program? Or some kind of virus that snuck in from somewhere else and landed on my external hard drive?

Just how do I prevent delinquent girls like these from sneaking in and stealing my digital treasure if I have no idea how they got in or which lock I need to replace?

The good thing is, they are only photos. I still have the memories the images represent, and thank goodness I posted a few on my blogs. But I am very, very sad about it. I wish now I'd posted all of them.

Anyway...Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. But again, if you have any information or advice or suspicions or theories about that mystery photo and my lost treasure, please, please, PLEASE share it with me! Thank you!

 "Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. When you have laboriously accomplished your daily tasks, go to sleep in peace for God is awake.

~Victor Hugo

 

 

 

Have you ever...

 

In desperation

searching for answers

you make a decision

plot a course

feeling divinely inspired

so sure this is it

the answer

then at the threshold

too late to turn back

you discover a pit

self-doubt, worry, fear

what if this isn't the answer?

what if, instead, this makes it worse

creates more knots

a bigger snowball

suffocation and loss, rather than freedom?

Those are the thoughts in my heart and head today.

Time to move on, step-by-step, tune them out as much as possible and pray this is the right direction.

These words from Thomas Merton will help...

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and will never leave me to face my perils alone.