Long Hollow

Music, and Sweet Summer Nights

 

 Strong lager and some early Zep tunes.  
I ask thee, is there a better way to spend an evening? 

~Author Unknown

Well, I wasn't drinking strong lager, and they weren't early Zep tunes, but I did spend a great Wednesday evening listening to rock and blues, watching the sun go down in Austin's Zilker Park with a few of my kids, plus about a zillion other people.  

Blues on the Green is in its 23rd year, but this was my first taste of it. I've thought about going before, but it took Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears to get me to head downtown on a Wednesday night, battling Austin's rush hour traffic.

Spending time with my kids and my grandpuppy...watching the sun go down...listening to music outside on a summer evening...people-watching...it was a sweet! Wednesday night for sure.

And here are a few more sweet!s from the past week...

 

Tuesday: riding in a Suzuki Samurai on a summer night, windows down, breeze playing in your hair; helping your husband with a project

Wednesday: country roads decorated with wildflowers; mockingbirds singing to you; finally going to a Blues on the Green performance in Austin; seeing/hearing Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears perform "Sugarfoot" in person; an evening with 3/4 of your kids and your grandpuppy, and a hug from the other 1/4

Thursday: passes to a free screening of a movie; Mexican food, Mexican martinis, and a movie with a friend 

Friday: drops of sunlight in a little creek; registering for real estate school; coupons for your prescriptions; hanging onto your patience when you have to call AT&T for the second time in a week to correct your statement

Saturday: eight hours of sleep; a not-too-busy, not-too-slow day at work; listening to 60's music while you work;  your son home for a visit; even more bouquets of mountain pinks popping up everywhere; getting back on your sweet!-posting schedule; visiting your neighbor who brought you the textbook for your first real estate class, so you can get a headstart. (She teaches at the school!)

I hope your days are dotted with wild bouquets of sweet!s...share them here!

Five Things on Friday

1.

 

We stopped by the little pond on our walk this morning. I noticed that when the puppies waded in and drank from pond, drops of reflected sunshine splattered across the surface. It was magical!

 

2.

I did it. I registered for Real Estate School today. I scheduled the classes (which begin next week) around my work schedule. July is going to be tough.

My sister-in-law, who's been kicking real estate butt in Mesa, Arizona for the past couple of years, tried to get me to go into real estate last year, but it just didn't click with me at the time.

I think events over the past year helped prepare me for it, get my mind in the right spot, and now I'm really excited about this new career and grateful none of those doors I've been banging on have opened for me.

Dare I say it? I think I'll love it!

(I'm even more grateful I won't be filling out any more job applications....although I guess I better knock on wood about that.)

If I become scarce around here, it's because I'm studying! Wish me luck!

3.

For those who wanted to read the whole poem from my last post, here it is, from my grandmother to you...

(Just to clarify...she didn't write it, she just framed it and used it for reassurance, too.)

4.

Last night I attended a free screening of the new movie The Way Way Back through Gofobo. Have you heard of it? It's a promotion company for movies. I stumbled across it on another blog - I can't even remember which one - and signed up. All I had to do was complete a survey/review of the movie when I got home last night.

They warn you that they overbook and you need to get there early, so we did (I brought a friend)...but I didn't realize we'd have to wait in a line outside. You can tell the pros from the newbies like me - they bring chairs and books and food.

I'm not sure I would do it again, but it was still a fun evening, just spending time with my friend. On the way we stopped for Mexican food (and a Mexican martini)...they gave us free sunglasses in the theater...and while I expected more from the movie, considering the amazing cast, it was entertaining.

(And free.)

 

5.

I caught Phillip Phillips on the Today Show this morning. I don't watch American Idol, but now I wish I had watched the season he won. If I can find his CD on sale somewhere, I'm getting it, even though I don't normally buy CDs anymore, either.

I could listen to his songs over and over and over...

Not familiar with him? Listen to this...

 

 

{Remembering}

to link with

Random 5 Friday

Wild Turkey and other sweet!s

Belle and Max dashed off in the direction of a dry pond this morning on our walk, triggering a loud commotion as a mama wild turkey flew for the safety of a tree on the other end, squawking the whole way. Half a dozen small turkey-ettes followed her...squeaking, more than squawking.

Of course, it could have been a daddy Great Blue Heron, for all I know. Suffice it to say there was a lot of racket, then a big bird shot skyward followed by a bunch of little ones, and just seeing it was pretty cool, especially since everyone survived the encounter.

I didn't get a photo. The action was behind a screen of trees with just a tiny clear view before Mama/Daddy was out of my line of vision. Besides, I was busy calling to my puppies not to hurt the babies (in case there were stragglers) and also...I was just pretty much in awe, as I am any time I encounter one of God's not-so-ordinary-for-me creatures sharing the Hollow with us, usually sight unseen.

(So out of curiosity, how many of you thought I was going to talk about Wild Turkey bourbon?)

And now for some of the other sweet! moments of my past week:

Tuesday:  your puppy waiting patiently for a glimpse of you through the French doors; margherita pizza

 

Wednesday: morning sunlight kissing weeds, turning them into art; finding a Shabby Apple dress in your mailbox that you won on a blog giveaway at Over 50, Feeling 40; a pot-luck fajita dinner and margaritas with members of your committee

Thursday: long morning walks on soft summer mornings; puffy white clouds in a blue sky; watching your puppies cool off in a tiny spring-fed pond

Friday: the AT&T tech coming closer to the 8am projected time than the 8pm; a potentially cheaper telephone and internet bill; joining friends to celebrate the life of someone we were all blessed to know

Saturday: weddings; tiny flower girls and ringbearers; Mandolo's Italian food and carrot cake; capturing photos of the full (super?) moon

Sunday: lingering after church to visit with friends; dancing to the music of a Rolling Stones cover band (the Stone Rollers) on the shore of a lake; Rudy's BBQ and frozen sangria margaritas; helping friends celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary; support and tips from experienced friends for your latest idea to get a real estate license; Siamese cats; celebrating a dear friend's birthday

Monday: finally setting up your Etsy shop; more encouragement about real estate school from another friend; inspiration from your grandmother 

Tuesday: feeling rested despite not getting a lot of sleep; surprising a flock of wild turkeys...or herons...or somethings; a good preliminary report on your annual check-up; coming across a good blog post you wrote five years ago but forgot about; winning free passes to a new Steve Carell and Toni Collette movie screening

 

Okay, I have one more sweet! to share...

Last night I was feeling pretty discouraged about being broke and not being able to find a (substantial long-term career-type) job. So I finally set up an Etsy shop, where (fingers-crossed) I can sell pieces of my eclectic collection of books and junk odds and ends I've gathered over the years, as well as some of my photographs.

It felt good scratching that off of my list, but here's the sweet! part: on my way to bed after setting it up, I spotted a framed poem I inherited from my grandmother. It's a little cheesy, but I love it, so I guess that means I'm a little cheesy, too.

This is the part that resonated with me last night...

 

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

 

It goes on like that for two more stanzas, but you get the gist of it. Sweet encouragement straight from my grandmother when I really needed it.

I hope all of you are finding plenty of sweet!s to lighten your load, too! 

Five Things on...Saturday

 

 1.

 

Do any of you still have your landlines?

I've been so tempted to cancel ours...but then I remember the agonizing two months we lived without it when we first moved into this house in the country, and how our cell phones only worked outside, up the hill a little bit.

How I would stand up there, sweating and swatting mosquitoes, when I needed to made a call. How I had to sneak calls to the telephone company when I was at work, pushed to tears of frustration trying to cut through the red tape. 

The telephone poles lining our road may be unsightly, but I'll tell you they were beautiful to my eyes when they first went up. I swore I'd never take my land line for granted, ever again.

So even though my iPhone works just fine inside the house now, I'm just a little hesitant to let go of that landline. 

Yet.

 2.

 

I won this beautiful Shabby Apple dress on a raffle over at Over 50, Feeling 40. I love the classic styling!

Thank you, Pam and Shabby Apple!

 3.

 

That's Tom's Aunt Marg in front of Gilley's Nightclub, circa 1987. Yes, the original Gilley's in "Pasa-get-down-dena"...where "Urban Cowboy" was filmed. (I wonder if John Travolta ever sat on that bench?)

Aunt Marg was visiting from Wisconsin, and of course we had to take her there. She even rode the mechanical bull! 

 

 

Tom and I met at Kenny Stabler's Diamondback Saloon, but we fell in love at Gilley's the very next night. He met me there to see the band Alabama. 

We danced. We talked. He seemed safe enough, so I gave him my phone number, and he kissed me goodbye in that horrible, pot-holed parking lot, next to my car. Our first real kiss.

Gilley's burned down a few years later, but word has it from Mickey Gilley's own mouth that he's going to rebuild a Gilley's nightclub in Pasadena. 

I loved Gilley's, horrible parking lot and all. It had a great dancefloor, and the club itself was large enough to lose someone you didn't want to dance with. After the movie, it became too commercialized, but it was still a fun place to go dancing.

So, true redneck Texan that I am, it warms my heart that it will rise again. As I told a friend, "If they build it, I will come."

 

4.

Our diocese is celebrating "A Fortnight of Freedom" to draw attention to the whittling away of religious freedom in our country, to the changes our federal government is mandating that force religious institutions, including the Catholic church who historically has been a pioneer in charitable health and education services, to go against their beliefs when providing those services. 

Religious liberty is being threatened, and it scares me. No matter what your beliefs about abortion or gay rights, it should scare you, too, that our government is slipping sideways into these areas and issuing mandates where they should keep their distance. Separation of church and state, remember? It works both ways.

And if we accept this without speaking up, if we consider it fair and reasonable, what's next? You know it won't stop there.

 

5.

On a happier, more hopeful note, we went to a wedding today.

I guess it should make me feel old that kids I've watched grow up are suddenly old enough to get married...but it doesn't. Weddings overflow in love, joy, and hope, and how can those ever do anything but make you feel young and hopeful yourself?

Congratulations, George and Danielle! May you always remember the love, joy, and hope you felt today! Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! I'm off to ponder the full moon...

Remembering Rena

Once upon a time, I was an elementary school librarian.

Well, technically an aide, barely making minimum wage and working 50+ hours a week ...but essentially I ran the library and absolutely loved it. If I had the time and money to go back to school, that's what I would be if I ever grow up.

The not-so-fun part of the job was cafeteria duty, walking up and down the aisles of screaming kids, opening milk boxes and ketchup packets, stopping food fights, and cleaning up...well, every once in awhile you got a sick kid, is all I'm saying.

But I was lucky: I had Jerry and Rena helping me.

I think at the time Jerry was the maintenance man for the school - maybe for the whole small district - but he was there to help Rena, his wife, who was the custodian. She had a special education teaching degree and I never understood why she preferred school custodial work to teaching, but she did, and she was awesome.  

We worked as a team which made it fun. I would help wipe tables...they would help open milk cartons and stop fights. 

I already knew them before that year, though. When we first moved to this little town, they ran an Italian restaurant serving great pizza. It was always packed. They helped us feel like this town was our home. We belonged.

They were smart, informed and active in the community. For years, Jerry and I sat until late at night at many school board meetings, staying on top of issues and decisions that were made.

Rena had an angel voice, using it to raise money and entertain the kids at school talent shows, and joining it with others in the local community singing group. She had a strong sense of right and wrong, and wasn't afraid to voice her opinion, but her smile rarely left her face.

What I didn't know until today was that they were childhood sweethearts, first getting together in junior high and marrying after college.

Rena passed away earlier this week at 63 of ovarian cancer; this afternoon I went to her funeral and told Jerry how much it meant to work side-by-side with the two of them. 

Mourners overflowed the small church onto the sidewalk outside. The doors were open to the Texas heat, and, despite the ceiling fans, it was hot. Really, really hot. But no one seemed to mind.

In the crowd I spotted many familiar faces. Some from my librarian days who I hadn't seen in years, or the parents of my kids' friends, and even several members of my church, because in a small town, friendships cross many lines, especially if you're someone like Rena.

I admit my mind wandered a little as the preacher spoke about Rena's gift of singing and how it touched so many lives. Friends and family spoke of her devoted friendship and encouragement, of the fun they'd shared. A cancer patient who met Rena in a support group shared Rena's vow to live every day she had left the best she could, to spend as much time with her friends and family as possible as long as she was able.

Rena had an angel voice, and even though she never became rich or famous from it (at least not in the worldly way)...never had a hit record... she developed and shared the gift, leaving the memory of it as her legacy.

For me, as I struggle to find a potential career instead of just another job, her legacy was something different - her attitude toward her custodial job. She was the best custodian you'd ever meet, always doing her best, and eventually losing her job because she stood up for the truth, defending one of her workers. She refused to keep silent and compromise her values.

I remembered today that what matters most is giving whatever you're doing your whole effort. Singing, cleaning, parenting, whatever. Stay true to your morals and values and ethics, and make the people in your life the most important thing.

Give it all you've got, no matter what 'it' is.

Because what you do doesn't define you. It's how you do it. How much of yourself you put into it. How many people you help or inspire or encourage along the way.

Rena, you nailed it as usual, honey. Thank you.

I'm blessed to have known you.

"Use what talents you possess:
the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there
except those that sang best."

– Henry Van Dyke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Simple Things are the Sweetest

Dawn is waking to rain and thunder this morning. She must have pulled the covers back over her head because the Hollow is still dark outside my window, except for occasional flashes of lightning.

On a normal morning, the puppies and I would already be out on the dirt road, saying hello to the new day. Instead, they're snoozing in the laundry room, warm and dry and happy, and I'm playing catch-up on posting my sweet!s.

Rain is sweet during a drought, but especially when you were able to spend hours the day before feeling the sunshine on your skin.

Weeks...well, maybe months ago, Tom trimmed branches from the trees lining the creek. I told him I'd drag them to a burn pile, and I finally kept my word yesterday morning after my walk. I had a few free hours and was already coated in mosquito spray.

Even though the morning was warming up fast, the shade softened the heat. Wildflowers dotted the woods and a field of Mexican hats grew beside the burn pile. Birds chatted in the trees and the running creek sang to me as I cleared the creek and paths of fallen branches.

Sweat soaked my head and torso, tickling my nose, and bits of leaves and bark freckled my arms, but it felt good using my muscles to gather the branches, drag them uphill, and throw them on the growing pile. I've always loved repetitive work like that, when my thoughts are free to fly where they will.

The higher the pile grew, the younger I felt. I gave thanks for the morning, the sunshine, the flowers, the creek, the sweat...but mostly for the ability to do the job. When you're 54, you don't take that for granted.

 

And now for more sweet! moments from the past week...

 

Monday: friends sending you links to potential jobs; the anticipation of a weekend at the beach with girlfriends, even if it's still months away; a photoshoot with a fun family; wading in a lake on a hot day; fawns

Tuesday: relishing a soft summer morning with your puppies before a busy day at work; daily talks with your mom 

Wednesday: phone conversations with your mother-in-law; your mother-in-law winning $1000 on a $1 scratch-off lottery ticket; word that one of your photos will be featured in HuffPost 50 

Thursday: hearing a friend's voice for the first time in a year; dinner, lots of popcorn, and a Matthew McConaughy movie with girlfriends 

Friday: finally using a certificate for a massage your son gave you for Christmas; catching up with a dear friend; getting your client's photos to her on time and hearing that she liked them; old red trucks; your dad NOT having to go to the hospital 

Saturday: a road trip with your kids to spend Father's Day with your dad; your mom appearing stronger than the last time you saw her; hearing that your three Beach Yoga photos will soon grace the wall of a summer rental home belonging to a friend in Greece

Sunday: having the coffee ready and the newspaper on the table for your dad when he wakes up; hamburgers and cheesecake in honor of the father of your children; hearing that a friend was baptized this morning; green metallic beetles with orange legs

Monday: bouquets of mountain pinks dotting a hillside; a green heron posing for photos; sweating from physical labor; your little creek and nearby paths finally cleared of fallen trimmed branches; a few hours with, and a hug from, your baby girl; email and Facebook that can connect you to friends on the other side of the world

Tuesday: rain during a drought; unexpected time to post your Sweet!s of the Week; the moment storm clouds break to reveal blue sky 

I didn't quite finish this before the storm drifted past, with little patches of blue sky peeking down, reminding me to get the dogs out of the laundry room. I cut the walk short, though, and we stuck to the muddy road because I forgot to douse myself with mosquito spray. 

Mosquito spray is definitely a sweet! around here this summer. It's the simple things, right?

I hope you're remembering to notice the sweet, simple blessings in your life. Share them with me here and make them doubly sweet!

"I'm just a simple guy, I live from day to day. 
A ray of sunshine melts my frown and blows my blues away." 

~Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Bonham, "Out On The Tiles" (Led Zeppelin)

 

A Rich Inheritance (Happy Father's Day!)

Friday my mother thought Daddy was having a stroke. She's seen enough of them to recognize the symptoms in him.

He wouldn't let her call an ambulance, so she called my sister, who in turn called me en route to their house. 

The kids and I already had plans to leave early yesterday morning to celebrate Father's Day with Daddy. I hoped we wouldn't be visiting him in the hospital, instead.

With my sister's next call, the relief in her voice soothed my worries. Daddy's blood pressure had already dropped and he seemed okay. She would stick around a little while, but didn't see a need to call an ambulance. Thank you, Lord!

So yesterday we were able to celebrate Daddy with lunch at Applebee's, just as he requested, and then hang out with him and Mama in my childhood home, talking around the kitchen table, dozing in front of the television...

...and giving thanks every single second.

We'll head home early today so the kids can spend time with their dad, too.

I'm wishing Tom's Pop a happy Father's Day in my heart. I can still hear his voice echoing in my mind. I hope it never fades away.

My heart goes out to his sons who are missing him so much today, this first Father's Day without him, wishing they could give him a call and tell him "I love you".

So I'll give mine an extra hug and "I love you" for them, and for all of you who are missing your fathers today.

In honor of Father's Day, I gave Daddy a print-out of "Why I'm My Father's Daughter". I'm re-posting it here. I'm so honored that it was chosen for "Best Lessons from Dad" - a slideshow on Huffpost 50 of posts about fathers. Hop over there and see what other daughters had to say about their fathers.

 

If Daddy answers the phone when I call my parents, our conversation is a quick one.

"I can't talk," he'll complain. 

"You sound fine to me," I'll tell him. 

"What? I can't hear you. Here's your mother."

And that's that.

Strokes have taken their toll on his vocal chords. The effort to speak is too much for him and his voice gives out after just a few words. Perhaps his hearing loss can be blamed on strokes, too. (Although hearing aids could help with that. Sigh.)

But he was never one to talk much, anyway, and especially not on the phone. If I wanted or needed to talk, I went to my mother. I could talk to her about anything, and I'm very grateful for that.

 

Daddy and I communicated in other ways, though. We teased each other and toured old houses. We fought over who was going to mow the yard.

He chauffeured me and my friends to the movies and high school basketball games before I got my license. He taught me how to drive, and tried to teach me how to play golf and be a better bowler...without much luck.

Instead, I tagged along with him on the golf course, satisfied to watch him and admire the beauty of the courses. We took road trips to visit his mother, traveling along the back highways with the windows down, stopping often to visit historical sites or other interesting places that caught my eye or his.

We square-danced.

 

 

But words still formed our greatest connection. I was seven, maybe eight, when I uttered that inevitable childhood chant: "I'm bored." 

 "Bored? Here, read this," he said, handing me an old, mildewed copy ofBlack Beauty, "You'll never be bored again."

Well, I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but they should have been. I was hooked, and as long as I've had something handy to read (and I try to make sure I do), I've never been bored again. 

Besides Anna Sewell's Black Beauty - and hence, every horse book I could get my hands on - Daddy got me hooked on historical fiction via James Michener and Leon Uris. It's still my first love.

He also introduced me to Leon Hale and his Texas-flavored, rambling, memoirish columns in the Houston Post (and then the Chronicle)...the inspiration for my own personal essays and blog posts, I'm sure. I still read his columns online.

Because of Daddy, I surround myself with books, and I'm partial to old ones.

I read our ancient copies of Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, Daddy-Long-Legs, and A Girl of the Limberlost over and over and over, and to this day the smell of a musty book takes me miles away in my mind to those stories.

When I enter an antique store, I head straight for the book section. Not to buy, necessarily, but just to breathe, feel, and say Hello, you're not forgotten.

Our house overflowed in paperbacks, too, though. Daddy always had one in his metal lunchbox, usually a Louis L'Amour, and when I followed in his steel-toed-shoe footsteps years later, I always carried a paperback with me to work.

Today neither of us consumes books like we used to. Daddy reads the morning newspaper, but then turns his attention to the television when he's not doing laundry or other household chores.

I'm always somewhere in a just-for-fun book, but it takes me forever to finish them, only cracking them open to read while I eat lunch. When I'm at home. And don't have something else I have to read.

But all of those books and words and voices still bind us, and despite the miles between us, and the words we cannot say, I feel him with me every time I open a book. 

Thank you, Daddy.

 

 

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. 

~Ruth E. Renkel

Tom and I don't have a lot of money, yet we are blessed with riches, thanks to our fathers.

Happy Father's Day to all of you who fills the role of father to someone!

 

Five Things...

 

1.

Monday evening I went wading in Lake Travis. I had my camera and was shooting a fun multi-generational family while they ran and played and laughed. I took way too many photos and couldn't help editing as many as possible to share with them, to help them remember the fun they had that day with their parents/grandparents and sister/aunt visiting from Guatamala. You can see a lot of the photos in "Generations".

2.

I saw the movie "Mud" last night with some friends. I hadn't heard much about it, but it stars Matthew McConaughey, and one of my friends is madly in love with him. So I see a lot of Matthew movies.

In my opinion, this is one of his best. I enjoyed the movie so much that I wish it was based on a book so I could read it. 

3.

For Christmas my oldest gave me and Tom gift certificates for massages. 

But between working weekends at the winery and weekdays subbing in the schools as much as possible, I didn't have time for a massage.

Until today. I figured I should take advantage of this unemployed time off, even though I'd rather be working.

Oh, it felt so good! Sitting at this computer typing and editing photos takes its toll on my neck and back, and you can only imagine what staying on your feet for six or seven hours in a restaurant will do to you.

Thank you, Tommy!

If you live anywhere near Austin, or plan to visit, I recommend making an appointment with Ruth Ann Blackwell! 

4.

INSECT WARNING!

Tom called me down to the laundry room earlier this week. When he does that, I know to bring my camera. Look who decided to visit us.

Since tarantulas aren't any help when it comes to laundry - in fact, they can be a downright hindrance - Tom escorted it back outside.

 

By the way, the herding above didn't work. It went skittering into the shelves. That's when I left and I'm not sure how Tom ended up catching it.

(At least I think he caught it....)

The other night this toad decided to visit us upstairs. Isn't he handsome? I mean, for a toad?

 

We can't figure out how these critters are getting inside, but I'd rather have a tarantula and a toad than those little mice who took such a liking to us. Ugh.

 

5.

Today is Flag Day, commemorating the day the American flag was adopted in 1777. 

I swear I recently took a photo of the little faded flag flying on my parents' porch to post, but it's lost in a maze of files in my computer.

It's just one of those small ones on a wooden stick . They have it tucked into the metal porch supports and keep it up all year. I like that.

So instead of the flag, and since by the time I publish this it won't be Flag Day anymore, here's an old red Ford truck I spotted today. Not quite Old Glory, but an American icon at least.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

My Tiny Taste of BlogHer Food 2013

 

I am not a food blogger.

Oh, I may write about my Cyclops Cookies, Tom's better-than-Hooter's hot wings, and yummy sushi from Eddie V's, but they're mingled with my stories about dogs and mice and dancing and friendship.

I'll never be a niche blogger of any kind, because I could never make up my mind. Well, I do have my photography blog, but it's still all over the place, subject-wise. 

So when BlogHer announced it was holding the BlogHer Food 2013 conference in Austin, I was more disappointed than excited. I've been wanting to go to a regular BlogHer conference ever since I heard about them, but they're always held in exotic far-off lands, like New York City, Los Angeles, and, later this summer, Chicago. 

Even if I could afford the cost of the conference, the travel expenses make it impossible.

(Dang it, why didn't they send the food bloggers to Chicago and have the Big Deal in Austin?)

But BlogHer must have sensed my discontent. They actually opened up the closing party to outsiders like me for next to nothing.  And because the closing party included live music, dancing, barbecue and one free drink at Stubbs BBQ downtown on a Saturday night...well, I couldn't pass up a bargain like that and the chance to get at least a taste of BlogHer Food 2013.

It wasn't until I was trying to figure out what to wear that it hit me: I was going to a party where I didn't know a soul and everyone else had been hanging out together all weekend.

Blah! But I decided to go anyway. I mean, I'd already bought the ticket. There was a plate of barbecue waiting at Stubbs with my name on it. I couldn't just abandon it.

So I went. It helped that there were several nametags waiting for other outsiders on the table where I checked in.

Until that night, I'd only seen four bloggers in person, period. I wasn't sure what I expected the food bloggers to look like, but I'll just say they didn't fit into any niche as far as appearance goes. No standard gender, age, size, or even taste in clothing. That helped me feel more comfortable right away.

I traded my drink ticket for a frozen strawberry sangria concoction, filled a plate with barbecue, and found an empty spot on a picnic table near a blonde lady who looked about my age.

I don't remember her name or where she was from, but we had a good conversation over the loud music. This had been her first BlogHer conference and she said all the freebies really balanced the cost of it all.

She left and young girl named Kayla who worked for one of the vendors sat down to eat. We had a good conversation, too, about trying to find jobs (she recently graduated) then she went back to work filling cookies with ice cream, and I wandered over to the photo booth where I met Sarah, who worked for the photo booth company sponsored by Ninja Kitchen.

When she found out I was from Austin and didn't know anyone (I tell my story to everyone I meet, of course) she wrote on a chalkboard and joined me in my photos.

I thought she was just feeling sorry for me, but when all of the photos were posted online, I saw quite a few people in photos by themselves.

I guess it was that Austin connection, after all, and not (just) pity!

The awesome music of The Grooves, an Austin cover band, lured me closer to the area near the stage. Small groups of ladies had finally started dancing so I just joined in.

(Would you believe I used to be shy? I know. It's hard for me to believe it, too.)

As much as I love dancing, I confess the highlight of my night was seeing Pioneer Woman. Yes, Ree Drummond, herself, stood just inches from me at one point. And my camera joined all the others snapping away while she was telling jokes onstage.

For you non-bloggers, PW is the Queen of the Bloggers, and not just food blogging! She has it all down: Home-schooling, Home and Beauty, Entertainment, Photography, Life on a Ranch in the Middle of Oklahoma Nowhere.

She's written a couple of cookbooks, a children's book, and a memoir. Probably a lot of other stuff, too. How the heck does she do it??? Yes, I'm terribly jealous, and that's what makes her a blogging Rock Star!

Finally, the last song was sung and danced to, I grabbed another bottle of water (They were free, thank goodness. Dancing on a hot, humid Texas night under the stars = sweat!) and headed to my car. 

While I waited at an intersection, I chatted with a couple of Pedi-Cab drivers. And they agreed to have their picture taken even though I wasn't a potential customer.

 

(This one got distracted by an actual customer, but I took his photo anyway.)

I love Austin. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Sons, Sunday mornings, and other sweet!s

I'm not proud to admit this, but I missed church this morning because of the rain. 

Right about the time Daniel and I were going to head out the door (Tom was still snoozing!) - already running late because we had to let the terrified dogs into the laundry room - the break in the unexpected morning storm disappeared and sheets of rain pelted the Hollow sideways like a firehose aimed right at us. 

I pictured myself trying to scramble up our rock pathway in my heels and knew an umbrella would be no match for that storm.  I'd be soaked in seconds even if I remained standing.

If I didn't have to go to work right after church...if we weren't already running ten or fifteen minutes late...

Anyway...instead of getting soaked, we went out on the deck with cups of coffee, gave thanks for the much-needed rain, and watched a little bird zip and flip and twirl through the air to catch tiny moths that drifted up from the ground.

I tried to capture his acrobatics with my camera, but no luck. Thank goodness he had mercy on me and posed on Tom's truck for a few seconds.

 

Anyone know what he is? We decided to just call him a Variegated Brown Moth-Eater. It sounded official enough.

Here are some other sweet! moments from my past week...

Sunday: fireflies; late-night chocolate chip pancakes, courtesy of your daughter; catching new things in Galaxy Quest that make you and your daughter laugh even though you've seen it a million times already

Monday: your son and husband making it back from Florida, safe and sound; being in the right place at the right time to be asked to (volunteer to) be in a commercial; Chuy's tortilla soup; not having a problem with eating in a restaurant alone; a stack of books from your mother-in-law, because she knows you love books

Tuesday: a friend who tries to get you a job, even if she's unsuccessful; virtual hugs when you're having a tough day; the right verse in your email to soothe your disappointment 

 

 

Wednesday: waking up with a sense of peace after a dark day; watching your old puppy swim; a field of yellow

Thursday: one last cut and color with your stylist until you find a real job; a hug from your baby girl; getting up the nerve to apply for a job even when you know it's a long shot

 

Friday: a request to photograph a fun family; progress on your children's book; delicate wildflowers on your morning walk

 

Saturday: a morning at Laguna Gloria; great critiques; a swan, swimming and posing for you; a sweet card from a dear friend; your son fast-forwarding through parts of the Matrix so you can watch the awesome fight at the end before you have to leave; going somewhere even though you don't know a soul there; meeting new friends; dancing at Stubbs BBQ; seeing Pioneer Woman in person!

 

 

Sunday: spotting a blog friend's daughter on the Today show, singing at Princess Madeleine of Sweden's wedding; sitting on a covered porch during a thunderstorm with your son; a blue sky after a thunderstorm; a beef quesadilla for lunch before work, thanks to your son; a dog that imitates a meerkat; perfect guacamole...and you made it!

 

I hope your past week was full of sweet! moments, but you find more in the week ahead! Share them with me here!

Five Things on Friday

1.

Whew! I made it through May without a major random health issue.

Why is that surprising? Read "There's Something About May" to get the full story, but suffice it to say that I get a little paranoid beginning on May Day because in four of the past five Mays I've suffered from some weird, random illness or pain. 

Shingles...heart palpitations...

You'd be nervous, too!

I'm grateful I got a break this year.

2.

photo from HERE, courtesy of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

On May 10, twins Wasswa and Nakato were born in New Braunfels, Texas. They are the only living set of giraffe twins, and only the second documented case in the U.S.

They were born at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, which isn't that far from me, so...

Why haven't I gone to see those precious babies yet?

To see them in all their (digital) cuteness, go HERE or HERE.

3.

I've been spending a lot of time filling out job applications, trying to match my eclectic work experience to each position. It's creative writing (nonfiction - I'm not making anything up!) but not the kind I'd like to be working on.

 

4.

Speaking of trying to find a job, I've taken a vow: I won't visit my hair stylist or buy any wine until I have a steady paycheck. 

(That should be enough incentive to keep me searching, don't you think?)

5. 

I've been attacked...by poison ivy. I'm careful to wear long pants on my morning walks through the woods, so I'm suspecting a sneak attack via Belle, aka Cuddle Puppy.

It's itchy and ugly, but it won't make me stop Belle from snuggling up against me, or from my morning walks through the woods, where the Mountain Pinks are now blooming...

 

 

Linking up with A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday

 

Why I'm My Father's Daughter

 

If Daddy answers the phone when I call my parents, our conversation is a quick one.

"I can't talk," he'll complain. 

"You sound fine to me," I'll tell him. 

"What? I can't hear you. Here's your mother."

And that's that.

Strokes have taken their toll on his vocal chords. The effort to speak is too much for him and his voice gives out after just a few words. Perhaps his hearing loss can be blamed on strokes, too. (Although hearing aids could help with that. Sigh.)

But he was never one to talk much, anyway, and especially not on the phone. If I wanted or needed to talk, I went to my mother. I could talk to her about anything, and I'm very grateful for that.

 

Daddy and I communicated in other ways, though. We teased each other and toured old houses. We fought over who was going to mow the yard.

He chauffeured me and my friends to the movies and high school basketball games before I got my license. He taught me how to drive, and tried to teach me how to play golf and be a better bowler...without much luck.

Instead, I tagged along with him on the golf course, satisfied to watch him and admire the beauty of the courses. We took road trips to visit his mother, traveling along the back highways with the windows down, stopping often to visit historical sites or other interesting places that caught my eye or his.

We square-danced.

 

 

But words still formed our greatest connection. I was seven, maybe eight, when I uttered that inevitable childhood chant: "I'm bored." 

 "Bored? Here, read this," he said, handing me an old, mildewed copy of Black Beauty, "You'll never be bored again."

Well, I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but they should have been. I was hooked, and as long as I've had something handy to read (and I try to make sure I do), I've never been bored again. 

Besides Anna Sewell's Black Beauty - and hence, every horse book I could get my hands on - Daddy got me hooked on historical fiction via James Michener and Leon Uris. It's still my first love.

He also introduced me to Leon Hale and his Texas-flavored, rambling, memoirish columns in the Houston Post (and then the Chronicle)...the inspiration for my own personal essays and blog posts, I'm sure. I still read his columns online.

Because of Daddy, I surround myself with books, and I'm partial to old ones.

I read our ancient copies of Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, Daddy-Long-Legs, and A Girl of the Limberlost over and over and over, and to this day the smell of a musty book takes me miles away in my mind to those stories.

When I enter an antique store, I head straight for the book section. Not to buy, necessarily, but just to breathe, feel, and say Hello, you're not forgotten.

Our house overflowed in paperbacks, too, though. Daddy always had one in his metal lunchbox, usually a Louis L'Amour, and when I followed in his steel-toed-shoe footsteps years later, I always carried a paperback with me to work.

Today neither of us consumes books like we used to. Daddy reads the morning newspaper, but then turns his attention to the television when he's not doing laundry or other household chores.

I'm always somewhere in a just-for-fun book, but it takes me forever to finish them, only cracking them open to read while I eat lunch. When I'm at home. And don't have something else I have to read.

But all of those books and words and voices still bind us, and despite the miles between us, and the words we cannot say, I feel him with me every time I open a book. 

Thank you, Daddy.

 

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. 

~Ruth E. Renkel

(This is my contribution to the Generation Fabulous Father's Day BlogHop. Click HERE to see the other wonderful posts about women and their fathers.)

Adventures in Hyundai-land (No autographs, please)

When you have a husband who can do just about anything, you don't spend much time waiting for your car to be serviced or repaired. He prefers doing it himself to save money.

But sometimes that husband ends up with too many cars and projects that need his immediate attention, or your car requires something that takes special equipment, like an alignment...which is how I ended up in a nearby Hyundai dealership's waiting room Monday afternoon.

I didn't mind. There was a Keurig coffeemaker nearby, wi-fi available, and I brought my bag of goodies: a photography magazine, papers to critique, a blank notebook, and snacks.

As usual, the mechanic found some other things that needed attention. He actually carried the cabin air filter out to me, to show me how nasty it was. "I think something was living in this," he said. 

Do you remember the little mouse I found in my glovebox? Well, now I know where that little toot was nesting!

But the most exciting part started about halfway through my wait. A large video camera captured a customer walking in the door, over and over and over. A commercial was being filmed, right before my eyes!

I snuck this photo. I didn't want to look like a total geek, but, I mean, how often do you get to see something like that?

(Why, yes I do live a sheltered life.)

 

 

That's not the best part, though.

See the man with glasses up there? That's the Director. About an hour later, he approached me and asked if I'd like to be in a commercial. Well, specifically to 'volunteer' to be in a commercial.

Well, heck yeah I would!

I signed the requisite papers and then waited while they "set up the shot". (That's film lingo for those of you not in the "Biz".)

Soon, there I was pulling a car I pretended was mine into the service bay, the Director and his camera crew on my left. I climbed out as gracefully as possible (which probably wasn't too graceful), smiled and shook hands with the service rep, exchanged some fake conversation about my pretend car, and then "CUT!"

We did it three or four times, standing in different spots, and then my spot in the limelight was over. The camera crew moved off to film another volunteer vignette.

My non-speaking two seconds on the tube will be part of a Grand Opening commercial for the Round Rock Hyundai Dealership - unless it gets cut because of the lack of gracefulness I mentioned. I have no idea when it will air, but I guess I need to start watching more television so I don't miss it!

Now I can cross "starring in a commercial" off my Bucket List - right after I write it on there.

 

By the way, thank you for the sweet comments I've received about yesterday's glum post. I went to bed reminding myself  to "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) and early this morning I woke with the sweetest sense of peace in my soul.

On my walk with the pups, my heart swelled in gratitude for the blue sky and birdsong all around me, and even for the wet dog hair left clinging to my hand after scratching Max because I know one day I'll miss it, as yucky as it is, because I won't have that stinky, goofy country dog to cuddle anymore.

My friend Shirley posted this in reply to my post on Facebook, and it is so very true. I hope if there are any worries or disappointments weighing on your heart, it helps you hang on.

"Joy comes in the morning."

~ Psalms 30:5 

Thank you, Shirley, and all of you again...

 

Goodnight, Tuesday (and kids, stay in school!)

I said goodnight to Tuesday out on the porch. As I rubbed Belle's belly, the sun slipped below the horizon, leaving a smudge of orange above the trees.

I'm almost ashamed to tell you I wasn't sad to see it go. Despite my vow to not wish time away, to be grateful for every minute, blah, blah, blah...I've struggled to hang on to my smile today. First thing this morning I got an email letting me know the job I'd been crossing my fingers AND toes for since March wasn't available after all. 

It was a writing job. One where I could finally put all of my experience at the chemical plant to good use, doing what I love, and get paid to visit my parents in Houston for a week or more each month, instead of having to take off work to go. Paid well enough to get us out of debt, I should add.

A friend tried to help me out, but she just couldn't get that door open. This is where a degree in English or Journalism would have come in real handy. Years and years and years of creative writing and newspaper reporting just didn't cut it.

I guess the big lesson is, if I had stuck with Chemical Engineering, if I hadn't dropped out, I wouldn't be writing this right now.

Of course, if I hadn't been a total stay-at-home mom, devoted to volunteering and only working part-time jobs for the past twenty years, I wouldn't be writing this, either. 

  Although, honestly, I don't really regret those decisions or feel they were wrong.

My email inbox tried to cheer me up. These were the two quotes-of-the-day I received:

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to his love, and the future to his providence.

~ St. Augustine

and

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Another coincidence was a book Tom brought back to me from his mom: Basket of Blessings, 31 Days to a More Grateful Heart, by Karen O'Connor. I glanced through it this morning. It reminded me of my collection of sweet!s, although she digs a little deeper about what we can be grateful for.

This one made me really stop and think:

We can be grateful for pain: the death of a loved one, divorce, or illness...each a gift in its own way if we take time to see it.

I was still pondering that when I received the email, which for me heralded the death of a dream, of a glimmer of hope and help for my family, and smashed my self-confidence.

So I've spent the day praying for a grateful heart, thinking of those poor people in Oklahoma who have been hit so hard just recently and reminding myself of all the blessings in my life.

For starters, I was able to walk my puppies just as the sun rose on a clear summer sky, to run with healthy legs and heart and lungs on my treadmill, to shower with hot water, to drive in my car to a job in a beautiful location where I work with nice people and get to meet others.

But it's not a career. It's part-time. It's fun in a way, but I've learned all there is to learn. It's not going to evolve into something else. And it's definitely not enough money. 

So I'll keep searching, keep trying to adapt my eclectic work and volunteer experience into the requirements and explain why I don't need a college degree to do the job, of wondering if I'm perceived as too old to learn anything or start a career. 

But not tonight. To paraphrase Sister Golden Hair..."...I tried to make it Tuesday, but I got so damn depressed, that I set my sights on Wednesday and I got myself undressed."

Goodnight, Tuesday. No hard feelings?

 

Movies (and other sweet!s)

The past few days have been a blur between working at the winery, job applications, taking care of the puppies, a little bit of writing...and watching movies.

I've watched four since Friday night and I'll be watching another one in just a few minutes. I'm not sure if I've ever watched that many in such a short time, but if I have, it was a long, long time ago. 

But TG has been hanging out with me this weekend because we had someone quit at the last minute at the winery and thank goodness my sweet girl agreed to help us out at a special dinner last night.

She had as much serving experience as I had when I started - none! But she caught on fast and having her there made the night seem more like fun and less like work. 

Sweet, right?

Here are a few other sweet! moments from this past week...

Wednesday: happy dogs on a morning walk; fields of Texas thistle and Mexican hats growing in dry pond bottoms; finishing the editing of a photo shoot 

Thursday: your customer loving the photos you took of her family; Daddy-Long-Legs; moths the size of hummingbirds

Friday: wishing your mother-in-law a happy 80th birthday, even if it's via the telephone; spinach quesadillas and Happy Hour frozen margaritas; giggling through "Night at the Roxbury" and "Saturday Night Fever" with your daughter

Saturday: hearing that your dear friend is better and will probably be released from the hospital that day; making it through a 13-hour workday, and teaming up with your daughter for the second half; sampling roasted duck and shrimp croquettes; staying up late after work to watch "Napoleon Dynamite" with your daughter even though you're both exhausted; Napoleon Dynamite's dance routine; baby grapes

Sunday: waking to the sound of rain; visiting with friends at church; time to publish flower photos on your photography blog before heading to work; finally watching all of "Cool Runnings" after years of only catching the end

 

Wishing you a week blurry with sweet! moments!

(I'd love to hear about some of yours from this past week! Please share them in the comments.)