Long Hollow

Healthy, but Hearty!

For years, my family ate a lot of pasta and noodles. Especially lasagna, after my brother-in-law pointed out to me the no-boil recipe on the side of the box.

So easy!

And then my family got sick of lasagna.

So for the past few years, especially once it was just me and Tom, we've mainly had grilled chicken or pork and a big, colorful salad.

But that can get old, too, and sometimes you just crave something a little more substantial. So that's why I'm  grateful I was able to participate in this Healthy Choice review and try out some of their frozen entrees.

 

 

Yes, this is another review, and here's the disclosure: I was lucky enough to be chosen as a participant in Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign, which means I was sent coupons for free products and will be paid to express my honest opinions about them. 

Rest assured I am giving you my own opinion.

I signed up for this review because, especially as I've gotten older, I focus on nutrition when making food choices and am always on the lookout for new, healthy products.

Now, on to my experience with the Healthy Choice Baked Entrees...

 

 

I was still a little concerned about the amount of sodium...

 

 

...but honestly, take a look at the ingredients. For the most part, and especially at the beginning of the list where it's most important, they are all recognizable and real food! And less than 300 calories!

That doesn't happen very often.

 

 

 

They were easy to prepare. Just cut a little slit in the film covering the tray, pop in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes, let stand a couple more, stir, and enjoy!

 

 

You can see there's a lot of broccoli, in good sized chunks, not just little sprinklings.

 

This may not look like a lot of lasagna, but it was just the right size! And less than 300 calories! (Did I already mention that?)

 

 

 

Plus it tasted good!

The Chicken Alfredo was creamy and cheesy, and I was impressed by the amount of broccoli in it. The lasagna was a little spicy, which I liked...very meaty and flavorful.

YUM!

 

 

These are perfect for empty nesters who are craving something with noodles and yummy sauce, but aren't in the mood to go out or have the noodles and yummy sauce as leftovers for days and days.

I'll be stocking our freezer with a few, that's for sure. There are plenty to choose from:

·         Four Cheese Ziti Marinara:Freshly-made ziti pasta tossed with classic marinara and topped with a blend of fine Italian cheeses; Parmesan, Romano, Asiago and mozzarella.

·         Roasted Chicken and Potatoes:Savory slices of chicken breast with red skin potatoes, crisp carrots, and tender pearl onions in a light chicken and herb sauce.

·         Fettuccini Alfredo Bake:A classic combination of freshly-made fettuccini pasta and rich Parmesan Alfredo sauce with crisp broccoli and topped with seasoned bread crumbs.

·         Italian Sausage Pasta Bake:Freshly-made whole grain rotini pasta paired with juicy Italian sausage, tossed in a rich garlic marinara together with bubbling mozzarella cheese.

·         Lasagna with Meat Sauce:Three rich layers of freshly-made pasta, hearty meat sauce, and ricotta cheese topped with mozzarella for perfection.

·         Chicken & Rice Cheddar Bake:Whole grain brown & wild rice pilaf with crisp broccoli and sliced chicken breast in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.

·         Chicken & Spinach Alfredo:Freshly-made whole grain penne pasta tossed with sliced chicken breast, spinach and tomatoes in a creamy Alfredo sauce.

·         Chicken Enchilada Bake:A full-flavored chicken enchilada over cilantro rice and topped with corn, black beans and a decadent queso sauce.

·         Ravioli Marinara Bake:Rich ricotta and spinach filled al dente ravioli tossed in a tomato basil sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese.

·         Slow Roasted Turkey Bake:Slow roasted turkey breast accompanied by potatoes, butternut squash and crisp green beans topped with classical gravy and crispy onions.

Ah, it makes me hungry just reading the list! If you try any of these, let me know what your favorites are!

 

 

A Letter in the Mailbox

 

 

 

I got a letter this past weekend. A real letter, written just to say hi, how are you, I'm thinking of you, and catch me up on the doings of my friend's life. What he's working on, what he's reading, what he's thinking about. It wasn't a required letter - a thank you or a filler around something he needed to send me.

It was just a letter.

Once upon a time, I wrote letters like that. And received them. Lots of them. It was how I kept in touch with my cousin, my grandmother, the teacher who left mid-year to move to the Dominican Republic, the boys I met at Garner State Park, the friends who went off to college...

I loved getting letters, so I wrote letters. Sometimes on pretty stationery, but more often on plain notepaper, because I could write pages and pages and pages!

Now, after just a few lines my hand and fingers are tired.

I never had great handwriting (I specifically remember getting a 'B' in 4th grade, Ms. Haygood!) but at least it was legible. Now, even before my hand gets tired, I have limited control of the pen or pencil; it'll go zigzagging off on its own wild adventure across the page.

The letter was from a writer friend. He has decided too much time on the internet has made him lose focus and it has affected his work. He's getting back to plain old paper, for his writing, communication (when possible), and for leisure, as in reading books with pages of paper.

Perhaps tonight I'll pull out some paper and re-train my fingers to hold a pen, to tame it to create legible words on a page once again.

What about you? Do you write letters the old-fashioned way? When was the last time you received one?

 

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

Before I could publish this post, I received a phone call that required me to add a little bit here on the end.

My friend's letter mentioned a plan to get together with Joe, a classmate of ours from high school who was visiting Los Angeles. Joe, too, had sent me a Facebook message letting me know he'd be seeing my friend. I told him to tell him hi for me.

That evening Joe posted a photo of them on our class Facebook page, smiling, toasting their friendship and life.

The next morning, Joe died of a massive heart attack.

What's the moral of this story? I'm not sure.

I know I'm grateful for all of the ways I've been able to stay in touch with my longtime friends and get to know some of those faces from my past as adults. I'm grateful for letters, for email, for Facebook, and for phone calls that draw us together in times of joy and sorrow.

Perhaps the moral has something to do with living each day to the fullest, for not letting opportunities slip by to spend time with a friend or loved one.

Maybe it's to present a smile to the world at all times, like Joe did, no matter what's going on in your life, and in that way inspire others to find a way to smile, too.  

I don't know. But I do know I'll miss seeing that smile.

Rest in peace, Joe. 

“My friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges.”

~Helen Keller

Saving Roadrunners and other sweet!s of the week

I was walking up our front path to my car one morning this week when I heard a banging noise coming from a camper shell sitting to one side of the driveway/parking area at the top of the walkway.

The shell mostly rests on the ground, but one side of it projects over a small rock retaining wall. Somehow a roadrunner had found a way in, probably chasing after some delicious wild tidbit that ran in trying to escape it.

Unfortunately, the roadrunner couldn't find a way out! It was trying, though...flying up and hitting the roof then the sides, over and over and over.

I set my bags on the ground and leaned all my weight on the edge of the shell hanging over the wall. It took a couple of tries, but it finally raised up enough on the other side for the roadrunner to dash out and disappear into the woods. 

Now that was sweet!

Here are a few more sweet!s from the past week. Be sure to add yours in the comments! 

 

Monday: participating in the jury system...even though you're relieved you weren't picked for this particular jury; old courthouses; walking in downtown Austin near the Capital; remembering a friend's birthday without a Facebook reminder; spotting a hummingbird flying nearby

Tuesday: finding an agency that fits just right with your real estate career goals; dinner and a movie with friends

Wednesday: prayers for you as you take your real estate state exam; passing!; learning how to use mapquest on your phone; finding the Vitamin K1 serum you won on a friend's blog in your mailbox

Thursday: your puppies safe and sound after a night of howling coyotes too close for comfort; signing with the agency you visited on Tuesday 

Friday: a road trip with your daughter; hugs from your Mama, Daddy, and sister; reading in bed with your daughter before going to sleep; a friend placing a Silpada order from you

Saturday: breakfast with friends at a hometown restaurant (photo by TG); visiting with your brother and sister-in-law; being able to help your parents; a letter from a friend

Sunday: sleeping in and going to late Mass for the first time in ages; a report that the dead deer by the creek is picked clean, thanks to nature's teamwork of coyotes and vultures, so you and your husband don't have to figure out what to do with it

 

I hope the coming week is full of opportunities for you to help those in need, time with family and friends, and quick and easy solutions to your problems!

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

~Epictetus

 

 

 

Five on Friday: Give me peace for the moment...

 

1.

I had to report for jury duty on Monday. It was in the old Travis County Courthouse, which to me is what a courthouse and jury room should look like...straight out of an old Perry Mason episode.

It was a wonderful process. The judge was very passionate and took lots of time explaining the process to us. I didn't really want to get picked (I'm in the middle of the whole real estate license thing and need to start making money!) but I decided to just be honest and see what happened.

I didn't get picked. Maybe I was too honest.

I was relieved in a way...but by then I was involved and interested in the case, so I also felt rejected!

 

2.

But since I didn't get picked for jury duty, I was free to take the State Exam for real estate on Wednesday.

I passed! I barely crossed the line on one part, but what matters is I did cross it. Whew! Now the real education begins, so I kept the momentum going and signed with an agency yesterday. Training begins next week.

I'm ready to hit the ground running!

 

3a.

There's a dead deer lying half in, half out of our creek, with a huge chunk of its rear-end missing. I'll spare you the photo of it I took to send to Tom.

Well, I'm not sure how much of the deer is still down there, actually. For the past two days coyotes have been fighting over it all night, yapping and yapping and making our poor puppies feel obligated to bark at them from our back deck. 

I'm glad they don't feel obligated to run down there!

During the day, vultures circle round and round, so close to the house that I hear the whoosh-whoosh of their wings. They glide down under the trees to where the deer is (I can't see it from the house, thank goodness) and then I hear a lot more loud noises.

Of course, the puppies feel obligated to bark at them, too.

3b.

I've taken a lot of photos of "interesting" scat on our road lately (scat = poop). There's a great site I discovered where you can identify what animal it came from. I'll spare you those photos, too. You'll just have to trust me that we've had coyote and fox and owl...and something much larger...crossing our road lately.

...Which makes me very nervous for Max with his wobbly hips and legs, poor old puppy, what with the dead (full-sized antlered) deer down there by the creek .

 

4.

 

In honor of its 75th anniversary, our local electricity co-op is sponsoring a photography contest for members with the theme: My life in Central Texas.

 

I chose a photo of a morning walk with the puppies from several years ago, back when Belle really was a puppy and Frankie, our late guinea fowl, thought he was one, too. 

Click HERE to see my submission page. Voting begins on August 26th and I would appreciate yours...and your friends' vote, too! There are some cash prizes!

It was tough narrowing it down to one photo, and there were some size requirements, too. But I had fun going back through all of the memories with that funny little bird.

I'm posting most of them over on Confessions in three posts, starting with THIS ONE, if you feel like looking at tons of photos of a precocious guinea fowl.

Rest in peace, Frankie bird. I miss you peering in the window at me while I work.

 

5.

Do you get songs stuck in your head? I have one running right now, and I'm grateful for it.

It's "Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets. Here are some of the lyrics playing in my head...very reassuring and calming in these days when there are so many things going on and decisions need to be made...

 

If there's a road I should walk
Help me find it.

If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment.

 

And here's the song itself, below. If you're feeling stressed and /or need help figuring out what direction to head, I recommend it!

I hope you have a wonderful Friday and a beautiful weekend!

(Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday)

 

 

Another Healthy Choice

When I was growing up, one of my favorite meals was the Swanson sliced roast beef frozen dinner. We called them TV dinners back then. I believe it came with corn, mashed potatoes, and some kind of yummy crumbly berry dessert, all tucked into separate compartments of the aluminum foil tray. 

My mother kept those and a supply of Banquet Chicken Pot Pies in the freezer for us to heat up for lunch during the summer while she was at work. 

But years later, I stocked up on Lean Cuisine frozen dinners to eat at work at the chemical plant. I ate so many that eventually just the smell of them cooking made me sick. Despite my previous love affair with them, I've avoided frozen dinners ever since.

So I admit it was with a little trepidation that I agreed to try Healthy Choice's Cafe Steamers.

(Yes, this is another review, and here's the disclosure: I was lucky enough to be chosen as a participant in the Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign, which means I was sent coupons for free products and will be paid to express my honest opinions about them. 

Rest assured I am giving you my own opinion.

I signed up for this review because, especially as I've gotten older, I focus on nutrition when making food choices and am always on the lookout for new, healthy products.

Now, on to my experience with the Cafe Steamers...)

 

I chose the Kung Pao Chicken and Roasted Chicken Marsala because they each had less than 300 calories, whole grain, and lots of veggies.

The "wine sauce" on the Chicken Marsala sounded pretty tempting, too!

 

 

Scoping out the nutrition panel, I was a little concerned about the amount of sodium - both of them over 500 mg. But at least the top ingredients were real food. They use chicken tenderloin and real veggies.

 

 

TG agreed to be my assistant and share them with me, so I could try both in one sitting.

They were very easy to prepare - pop in the microwave for about 4 minutes, carefully peel back the film on top, pull the steamer basket insert up out of the bigger bowl, dump the contents into the bowl (which contains the sauce), stir, and enjoy! 

 

 

She and I both decided the Kung Pao Chicken was our favorite...sweet and spicy and the chicken was very tender.

I'm addicted to a certain restaurant's Orange Chicken and I have to say, this would satisfy my craving in a pinch. 

 

The Chicken Marsala also featured tender chunks of chicken tenderloin and real veggies, as well as whole wheat ziti pasta. It was good, but I think the powerful flavors of the Kung Pao Chicken put it at an unfair advantage with my taste buds; it seemed a little bland. 

The serving sizes of these were just right. While I wouldn't eat them every day (never again!) I'm going to stock a few to be on hand for a quick lunch. 

Here are some of the vegetarian varieties they offer:

         Portabella Marsala Pasta: Freshly made whole wheat pasta and rich crimini mushrooms, tossed with a savory Marsala wine sauce and topped with rich fontina cheese. 

         Pumpkin Squash Ravioli: Tender pumpkin-stuffed ravioli with crisp green beans, sweet butternut squash, and juicy Granny Smith apples, topped with a tasty butter-sage sauce.

         Tortellini Primavera Pasta: Four-cheese-stuffed tortellini featuring whole-grain pasta, julienne carrots, and red pepper strips and now includes more tortellini and sauce. 

         Asian Potstickers: Vegetarian dish served on a bed of rice and covered with a sweet Asian-style sauce. We’ve also added more potstickers and sauce, while making it less spicy, per consumer feedback. 

         Portabella Spinach Parmesan: Freshly-made whole wheat pasta, and now featuring even more baby portabella mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes and spinach.

Yum, right?

If you try (or have already tried) any of these, let me know what you think!

 

 

The Power of a Summer Song

...Love, love is the answer, whoo-hoo
And that's all right
So don't you give up now, whoo-hoo
It's so easy to find
Just look to your soul (Look to your soul)
And open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion...

It was 1969. I was ten and having the time of my life, because my sister was a lifeguard and she often let me tag along with her to work. Those days were spent swimming (of course) and then resting in the basket area (because I had privileges) watching old Shirley Temple movies. 

Crystal Blue Persuasion was the song of the summer. We sang along to it on the way to the pool and on the way home, and any time I hear it now, I'm ten, once again, riding shotgun in Brenda's VW bug.

I can smell the chlorine, feel the cool of the breeze in the shade of the basket room, hear the splashes and the chatter coming from the pool.

It's 1969, I'm ten, ignorant and innocent, and all is right with my world.

 

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

 

It drifted out to me from the winery bistro kitchen's radio...Black Land Farmer, sung by Frankie Miller. Although it had been years since I heard it, with the first whistle I was swept out of that restaurant to Garner State Park, two-stepping around a rock pavilion with a gangly teenage boy under a star-studded night sky. 

It's just a twangy country song, with a steady slow beat, but from the first time I heard it blasting out of that old juke box full of 45s, it became my Garner theme song.

Every summer from sixth grade to my senior year of high school - except one when the Frio River flooded and we had to pack up and leave in the middle of the night - I spent at least a week in that pavilion under the stars, caught up in innocent summer romances.

I tried to go back with my kids years ago, but it wasn't the same. It never is, is it?

The Frio River and the towering Cypress trees were still beautiful, and the kids got to climb the same trails to the same little caves I loved to explore, but the quiet dirt roads had been asphalted and the dances were so crowded that you could barely breathe, much less spin around the dance floor.

 

I took a photo of the pavilion before we left the park, just so I'd have an image of that great CCC stonework.

But my kids had fun, anyway. They didn't know what they were missing, of course. I'm just grateful that, with the first whistle of Black Land Farmer, I can go back to my Garner.

 

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

 

The Beach Boys were my favorite band when I was five. I already had a crush on Dennis Wilson. (Maybe that's why I always wanted to play the drums!)

I would sit in a chair near our console stereo and listen to this whole album, over and over and over. 

 

Once I got my driver's license, I spent every free minute in Galveston, soaking up the sun. The Beach Boys were still my favorite soundtrack in those sandy summer days. And talk about dreams come true...in May of 1975 I finally heard them in person. 

Their songs, any and all of them, still make me want to jump in my car and head for the beach...

So tell me, what songs take you back to summer?

This is a Generation Fabulous Blog Hop. Click on the links below to see what songs say summer to others.

 

 

 

 

 

At long last, we meet again...

They were waiting for me in the mailbox yesterday evening.

Ah, Mark and Debbie...you haven't aged a bit since I last saw you forty-one years ago!

 

 

I don't remember when the book first appeared in our home, but I know I had discovered it by the time I was in 4th grade and spent a week at home with chicken pox, reading and sipping on bottles of cold Coca-Cola.

(Chicken pox that first time was actually quite pleasant. Twenty years later I had it again - not pleasant at all!)

By the time I was in 7th grade and Cousins was snatched from my school locker, I had read the book at least a dozen times. I mourned its loss, but years passed before I began searching for it... scanning the titles of books in every antique store I entered, recruiting friends and even my kids to keep an eye out for it. 

Often, in the middle of some writing project, I would think of it and do a quick Google search, only a fraction of a glimmer of hope driving me on.

It didn't help that I couldn't remember the author, and that there were quite a few famous books with the same title. 

But then...a couple of weeks ago I was ordering a book about real estate a friend had recommended, on an online site she had also recommended because of the cheap prices.

Out of habit, and still hanging on to that tattered bit of hope, I typed in Cousins. The usuals popped up, but I was able to narrow the search to 'old children's books' and then...there it was. I couldn't believe it! 

However, the books offered weren't cheap. Over the years Cousins had become a collector's item, it seemed. Who knew? I thought I was the only one who remembered it.

My kids told me I should just splurge and get it, but I remembered we were broke and resigned myself to having to wait a little longer to actually hold it in my hands.

Besides, I was happy just knowing the author's name and that several copies were still out there.

But my sweet, book-loving, employed son told me he would pay for it. An early Christmas present.

It was in my shopping cart before he finished talking, and within minutes, it was mine.

Of course, I had to wait for it to be shipped, but what's a couple of weeks after forty-one years?

 

 

Their search for Felicity begins (again), but hallelujah! my search for them has ended.

Sweet!

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

 

Monday: your Hollow dotted with yellow flowers; spending the day at your church...and getting paid for it

Tuesday: rising while it's still dark to lay on your car with your daughter, staring up at the sky, watching meteors and fire balls shoot across the sky; thinking back to your wedding day, 31 years ago; visiting a real estate agency and deciding it's a good fit 

 

Wednesday: roasted veggies a la Jessie; facing your new adventure, head-on; a movie with your daughter

Thursday: your puppy running for joy; friendly people who put you at ease when taking your fingerprints; phone calls from your mom; finally making it to the grocery store

 

Friday: pink prickly pear fruit; a day at home for to-do lists; laughing over an episode of Dark Shadows with your son  

Saturday: a free lunch; learning more about real estate; seeing your son and daughter-in-law's new home; surprises in your mail box; studying real estate on the back porch until the sun drops too low to read

Sunday: empty toll roads when you're running late; another free lunch; doing better on your practice real estate exam than you thought you were; hearing that your dad didn't hurt himself in his latest fall; unpacking forgotten books from boxes; identifying weird scat with your son via an online site (coyote, not mountain lion, we think - I'll spare you the photo)

What were some of your sweet! surprises this week? Share!

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

~ Oprah Winfrey

Jumping the Chasm

I hung up my waiter apron on Wednesday. 

Well, technically, I just added it to the to-be-washed pile of laundry at the winery, instead of bringing it home with me like I have for the past two years.

It was a bittersweet moment. Even though being a waiter wasn't what I wanted to be when I grew up...or even use as a tagline under my name...I've spent most of my weekends there for the past two years, and even some weekdays for the last few months.

 

 

It's such a beautiful place, like being in Italy. I had never been a waiter before and enjoyed the adventure of learning something new, meeting people, tasting amazing food, and enjoying a glass of wine at the end of many shifts.

When I started there, it was a breath of fresh air, such a contrast from my weekday job stuck at a computer in front of three monitors for seven hours, with only two other people to talk to and very little conversation.

But lately, by the end of the day (and sometimes for days afterward) my knees and back have ached, because it's a job where I was on my feet for six to seven hours, where the only chance to sit down was a quick bathroom break, and where I wasn't making nearly enough money to make a dent in our debt. 

Still...it was tough to let go of a paycheck, however small, when I may be facing several dry months as a newbie realtor trying to find my footing in the real estate world.

But that meant I would have to commit to a work schedule a month or two ahead of time, and even though I don't know much about the world of real estate yet, I do know that, to be successful, I'll need to remain flexible with my time, able to meet a client at a moment's notice.

That for-sure paycheck would probably cost me more money in the long run because of missed opportunities.

So Wednesday was it.  

I asked Jessie, the sous chef, for one last (free) roasted veggie platter...

...said my goodbyes and thank-yous when the work day was done, indulged in one last (free) glass of wine, dropped my apron in the basket...

...and faced my new adventure with an added incentive to be successful in a hurry.

I can't afford to be anything less.

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small steps."

~David Lloyd George, former Prime Minister of England

Have you crossed any chasms lately?

Or is one looming ahead of you, but you're afraid to take that big leap?

A Healthy Choice on a Hot Day

Stumbling into the house, weighed down by five overloaded grocery bags to avoid a second trip uphill to my car, and sweating from the heat of this Texas summer, all I could think about was breaking into one of the Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurts buried in one of the bags. 

You've probably guessed this is going to be a review, so here's the disclosure: I was lucky enough to be chosen as a participant in the Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign, which means I was sent coupons for free products and will be paid to express my honest opinions about them. 

Rest assured I am giving you my own opinion.

I signed up for this review because, especially as I've gotten older, I focus on nutrition when making food choices and am always on the lookout for new, healthy products, especially snacks.

So as soon as the groceries were put away, I pulled out one of the blueberry-flavored frozen yogurts. They come packaged in three 100-calorie servings.

Now, I'm a sucker for fortune-cookie fortunes and quippy quotes, so the top of the container caught my eye and I had to take a picture before diving in.

 

 

Cute, huh? Later, I snapped one of the strawberry-flavored container tops.

But the review was for the yogurt and I wanted to eat it while it was still frozen, so I peeled back the cute top and dove in.

 

It really was very smooth and creamy...and very refreshing after being out in the heat. There weren't any whole blueberries in it, just chips blended in, but the flavor was rich and sweet.

Actually, almost too sweet for me, since I have cut way back on my sugar intake. So the serving size was perfect.

The only frozen yogurt I've eaten before this was at one of the soft-serve yogurt shops, where it tastes more like ice cream than yogurt. This definitely retains the tart yogurt flavor, so if you're expecting an ice-cream-taste experience, you may be disappointed.

But, if like me you enjoy traditional yogurt, I think you would enjoy it as an occasional treat...especially after a trip to the grocery store on a hot August afternoon.

(Next time, I'm going to try the Dark Fudge Swirl, winner of the "Best Night Bite" in Shape Magazine's 2013 Snack Award.) 

If you decide to give it a try, click HERE to save a dollar off your purchase. 

 

Thirty-One Years

Thirty-one years. That's officially how long Tom and I have been married as of this evening, around 6 or 7 pm.

And they said you couldn't find lasting love in a bar...

...No more looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching your eyes, looking for traces
Of what.. I'm dreaming of...
Now that I found a friend and a lover
God bless the day I discover 
You, oh you, lookin' for love.

~Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan

(For our first dance as a married couple, we chose "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places."  Yes, really! I still love that song!)

They also said getting married on a Friday the 13th was bad luck...that once Tom graduated from college with his degree he'd dump me...that building a house together was suicide for a marriage...

We proved them all wrong...

...at least for thirty-one years, anyway. If I've learned one thing since my wedding day, it's to not take your love or marriage for granted. To say we've had our ups and downs is putting it mildly...and it can turn in a heartbeat.

But if it ended tomorrow, I'd have no regrets. Meeting Tom that fortuituous night in the Diamondback Saloon was a blessing...a seed that continued sprouting and blooming into a garden of blessings.

I'm so grateful for each and every one of these thirty-one years...even the bad ones, because they helped me appreciate the good ones.

 

photo by bloom photography

(I've also learned that thirty-one years can go by really fast!)

Happy 31st anniversary to the love of my life!

...But the greatest of these is love.

~1 Corinthians 13:13

 

Stormy Skies, and other sweet!s

 

I made another quick trip to visit my parents this weekend, accompanied by two of my kids.

I'm grateful it's just a four-hour-drive...grateful my kids want to go with me...grateful for Subway sandwich shops where we can eat relatively healthy, relatively cheap...and grateful that I can do something for my parents for a change...

...grateful we were heading west when the eastern sky turned dark and threatening...grateful for the full rainbow stretched between us and the storm.

But somehow, halfway home, the storm snuck around and reappeared ahead of us, providing a dramatic horizon.

On its outer edge, we veered north, avoiding the rain. Driving parallel to the wall of clouds, we were blessed with a view of a beautiful lightning show without having to deal with blinding rain on a highway. 

Sweet. 

Here are a few other sweet!s from the past week...

 

Monday: having your friend/neighbor teach your last real estate course; your daughter home and helping with procrastinated chores, like polishing the silver you want to sell; laughing at the Jimmy Kimmel's Blurred Lines video with your son

Tuesday: finishing up your last real estate class; cell phones, so you can talk to your mom even though she's hours away 

Wednesday: a morning walk with your puppies for the first time in several days; a slow day at work so you can study your real estate flash cards; finding a favorite book you've been searching for since you were in 7th grade

Thursday: sitting by your little pond, soaking in the soft breeze and the silence; a day of errands with your daughter; catching up with girlfriends over chips, salsa, and margaritas; being able to chat online with one of your oldest friends, reliving precious memories, despite the miles between you

Friday: news that your dad does NOT have pneumonia; road trips with your kids; watching tons of Jimmy Kimmel videos with your kids

Saturday: waking up in your childhood home, surrounded by memories; spending time with your parents; neighbors who care about your parents; a beautiful sky full of rain clouds, lightning, and dramatic sunsets on your drive home

Sunday: church with your kids; seeing a familiar face you haven't seen in awhile; friends who drop in to visit your parents; help, when you least expect it; hearing from a friend you've been worried about that life has blossomed for her again

 

I hope you find beauty and blessings even on stormy days!

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

~Dolly Parton

 

...sisters are the chocolate chips.

One of the first and best gifts my parents ever gave me was my big sister, or "See-uh-stuh" as I called her for the first few years - I don't remember when I switched to Brenda.

How do people make it through life without a sister? 

 ~Sara Corpening

I've asked myself this question so many times and always felt a twinge of guilt that TG doesn't have a sister, even though she's got two great brothers.

Because I truly can't imagine how different, how empty and downright dull my life would have been without my big sister in it.

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips. 

~Author Unknown

Brenda added drama and conflict to my life (fighting over the state of our bedroom)... enriched it with literature (sharing her books with me, like Swiss Family Robinson and Pollyanna and Jane Eyre)... expanded my world (taking me to museums, the zoo and movies I probably shouldn't be seeing)... and gave me a great soundtrack (exposing me to the best from the 60's and 70's.)

Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other. 

~Carol Saline

Well, she was certainly there for me. If I ever had a problem, I knew she'd be right by my side, no matter how much I'd irritated her seconds before.

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble. 

~Clara Ortega

Oh, here's another good one that truly applies to Brenda and me...

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us? 

~Pam Brown

You don't want to test that, believe me. It could get ugly. We're formidable.

That being said, we're not just alike. Sure, we both like reciting Little Boy Blue and watching old movies. We share the same taste in books (just about anything) and enjoy visiting museums, no matter how small. 

But she's always been a 'dress' person. A girly-girl. I'm jeans or shorts, definitely a tom-boy. She knew all about coloring hair and curlers. I'm totally hair-inept.

I tend to make mountains out of mole hills while she refuses to even acknowledge mountains exist.

She truly has the most positive outlook of anyone I've ever known. 

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. 

~Author Unknown

By example, Brenda taught me about love and acceptance, about appreciating the eccentricities that each of us on this earth has, about the importance of family connections, about looking on the bright side. We had our share of spats and arguments, but as I grew they dwindled, dried up and drifted away into childhood memories and stories.

An older sister is a friend and defender - a listener, conspirator, a counsellor and a sharer of delights.  And sorrows too. 

~Pam Brown

She doesn't hesitate to correct me if my facts are a little awry when I relate those memories and stories here on my blog, or I misspell a word. But as she's my biggest fan and cheerleader in whatever I attempt to do, I know not to take it as criticism. She's just burdened with a better memory and writing/spelling skills than I have!

A sister smiles when one tells one's stories - for she knows where the decoration has been added. 

~Chris Montaigne

She turned 62 today, a number that is hard for me to grasp because in my eyes and heart, she hasn't aged a day in my life.

Sister to sister we will always be,
A couple of nuts off the family tree.

~Author Unknown

And proud of it! I love you!

There is no better friend than a sister.  And there is no better sister than you. 

~Author Unknown

 

I've lived long enough, seen enough other sisters, to know that I was blessed with an extraordinary big sister. Thank you, Brenda...thank you, Mama and Daddy...and,of course, thank you, God.

This was an updated, conglomerate re-post in honor of my sister's birthday today (for fun memories we shared, go HERE)

Even though I'm in town to see my parents, I'm not sure if I'll get to wish her a happy birthday face-to-face. Tonight she'll be partying at her high school reunion, and since she's on the reunion committee, she'll probably be busy preparing for it today.

But I know she's been looking forward to this for months, and I think it's awesome she'll get to celebrate with all of her classmates. Have fun and happy birthday, sweet sister!

It's been a year. And what a year.

A year ago today, I whispered goodbye to this man and promised him I'd help keep an eye on his beloved wife.

 

 

It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by without him...until I stop and think of all that has happened in that time. So many changes.

Much happiness and laughter, but also much heartache, heartbreak, and many, many tears. 

So for today's Five Things on Friday, I'm sharing five things about Pop:

1. I can still hear his voice. I'm grateful for that.

2. When he picked me and Tom up from the airport years ago, he always had a couple of cold beers waiting in the car for us. Later, Pop and I both switched to wine about the same time, and he was quick to offer me a glass as soon as we arrived for a visit. Cheers, Pop.

3. His eyes twinkled more than anyone else's I've ever known. He was such a flirt!

4. Nothing got my husband moving on finishing projects around the house more than an impending visit from his dad. And if there was something he couldn't get to in time, Pop would take care of it.

5. He never let anything keep him from going to Mass each week. 

I love and miss you, Pop! I give thanks that you were in my life and honored to be among your daughters. 

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. 

~Clarence Budington Kelland

 

 

 

Dog Days of Summer

There are dogs in my house.

Winter and jackets are a distant memory. I'm not even sure how many days in a row we've soared above 100 degrees now, and there's no end in sight. We are breaking records left and right here in Central Texas. 

Morning walks happen before the sun is fully awake...or not at all.

We even have sand from the Sahara desert swirling in our atmosphere!

So I'm grateful for air conditioning, in my car and my house...and also for stained concrete floors downstairs so the puppies can turn into house dogs during the day with no worries about earlier swims in the pond.

 

(We knew this old bed pad would come in handy some day!)

As some of you may know, Max, our German Shepherd/Great Dane, was a stray who adopted us about ten years ago, when he was just a puppy...although, since he was already about the same size as our yellow lab mix, Charly, we didn't realize he was just a baby. 

He grew to be twice Charly's size, but remained a puppy at heart until Charly's death a few years ago.

We didn't plan to get another puppy, but Max was despondent, so when TG spotted a photo of Belle on Facebook, and we heard she was a wandering stray puppy searching for a home just like Max had been...well, how could we resist? 

 

(See the boxes behind her? Our empty nest is temporarily full again.)

So now we have Belle and Max, filling in for those who have gone before...Charly, Chewy, Maggie, and Jake...keeping the memory of those other sweet puppies alive while settling into their own spots in our hearts and easing the pain of losing the others.  

Stephanie Weaver of Recipe Renovator, has written a book about pet love and loss, called Golden Angels, about Buddy Girl, their first dog, who they lost at age 11 to an aggressive cancer, and Daisy May, their new puppy, a year-and-a-half old.

Stephanie has undertaken a Kickstarter campaign to get her book into print and to help spread the word through a book tour. 

If you are a pet lover, please check out her site. She is offering some nice thank you gifts for people who donate to her campaign.

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. 
And every new dog that comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. 
If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be a dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they.”

~Anonymous 

 

 

So if you get a summer cold...

I caught a cold last week.

It's a matter of pride to me that I never, ever, ever get sick...so, of course, I had to eat my words when I felt that ache in my bones and started sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose.

(That's what happens when you you say "never", right?)

I know why it hit me. Just too much going on between class, work, trips to Houston, kids moving home, too little sleep, and my work-out routine forgotten in the bottom of the closet with my tennis shoes and jumprope.

But instead of sitting back and taking it easy, I got on the treadmill. I didn't do a hard workout, just enough to move some air into my lungs and sweat a little. It's a trick I learned the last time I got sick. 

(Ahem. So much for "never".)

I also started taking Mucinex DM. I'm not being paid to tell you that. I'm doing it as a friend. You're welcome.

By the next day I felt so much better.

The pace has slowed a bit, making it easier to get at least 6 hours of sleep and fit at least a quick workout in my day, thank goodness. I hope you're staying well, but if you feel that achiness and start sneezing...get moving!

Health is not valued until sickness comes.

~Thomas Fuller

 

(By the way, I passed my last real estate class today and submitted the application for a license. Now I just need to find a sponsoring broker, get fingerprinted, take at least one intense two-day review class and then...the Big Test. Still a ways to go...but I'm closer! If you're planning on buying a house in Texas, hold off just a few more weeks!)

 

I Saw An Owl...and other sweet!s of the week

The puppies were pouncing in tall grass, chasing some tiny unseen prey.

It made me laugh, but it was time to get home so I wouldn't be late for work. So, calling them to follow, I turned to continue down our path...and that's when I saw it: an owl sitting on a low branch not ten feet away, looking over his shoulder at us, I'm sure wondering when the heck we were going to leave. 

He was within perfect range of my 50mm lens, and with its wide aperture, the low light wouldn't have been a problem. 

However, staying true to Murphy's Law, I had switched to my kit lens for the first time in months right before heading out, hoping to get some macro shots of the wildflowers toughing it out on these scorching, dry summer days.

So my photos of the owl are pretty sorry. I wish you could see the look he's throwing us.

Later on in the evening, as dusk fell on the trees across the creek from our house, Tom spotted him again.

I popped on my zoom lens, but didn't anticipate any good shots, since he was pretty far away and the light was weak. So I was pleasantly surprised that the photos came out as well as they did. 

 

Here it is again, cropped to zoom in a little...

That is one big owl, isn't it?! I'm guessing it's a Great Horned Owl, but any owl experts out there, feel free to correct me.

I realize owls are pretty common in some areas, but this was a first for me, and as usual when I see another of God's creatures up close, it just feels...well...pretty sweet!

Here are a few other sweet!s from my past week...

Monday: purple sage blossoms; a walk with your puppies at dusk

Tuesday: making 100 on your fifth real estate course exam; resting on a summer afternoon with your baby girl; having 2 of your kids home, even though your house is beginning to look like a warehouse

Wednesday: time before work to walk your puppies; meeting a young blogger; margherita pizza; paychecks; friends who drop in to visit your parents

Thursday: a slow day at work so you can study your real estate flash cards; pork chops hot off the grill, courtesy of your son; Ryan Gosling movies

Friday: a day off; your kids helping you find your old errant puppy; getting help carrying the groceries down to the house; watching the sun set, listening to Shake Russell, sipping wine, studying your real estate flash cards in your rocking chair on the back deck until it's too dark to see

Saturday: spotting an owl in your hollow, twice in one day; helping a friend celebrate her 50th birthday; dancing in an airplane hangar

Sunday: sunlight through stained glass windows, splashing reds and blues on the carpet; bumblebees; hearing that your son and daughter-in-law visited your parents when they were in Houston for a friend's wedding

What were some of your sweet! surprises from the past week? I hope in this coming week you find one every time you turn around!

‎"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing."

 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Friday Randomness

 

 

1. Max can still run...when he's motivated. 

Can you see the deer standing in the middle of the road? What about the big grin on his face, laughing at the silly puppies who think they can catch him?  (Me, either, but I'm sure he is!)

2. Real Estate License Adventure Countdown: 5 classes down, 1 to go!

3. I met a fellow blogger at the winery this week! She's a twenty-something named Kendall who writes about travel and adventure at Go Here Do This. It's a great mix of inspiration, encouragement, and fun tips. (If you check it out, let her know I sent you!)

4. We're in the middle of a long stretch of triple digit days. Needless to say, my outdoor puppies are now indoor puppies...at least during the day. And so, needless to say, my house smells like outdoor puppies.

5. Look what I discovered blooming down near the creek...the Buttonbush!

 

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

 – Confucius

Hope you have a great weekend! Thank you for stopping by!!

Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal