Long Hollow

Searching for Silver Linings

  

Let's just say...

 

I found this card in my mailbox yesterday. Inside it says "Hang in there, girlfriend," with a sweet note of encouragement from my friend Rae. She knows me, she knows my mom, and she knew this transition wouldn't be without some bumps.

It's perfect and made me smile. Thank you, sweet Rae! And thank you to all of you who have offered words of advice and support...or just prayed.  

I still feel in my heart that moving my mom closer to me is the best thing for her, which will help me in those times when unhappiness over her life's recent turn of events overwhelms her...and she takes it out on me, while I'm also trying to take care of my family, myself, and my infant business.

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

 

Monday: driving into the sunrise and the sunset in one day; bringing your mom to live closer to you, with help from your daughter and son; friends who drop by to offer hugs and words of encouragement; the gift of a handmade driftwood cross from a friend; sharing burgers and fries with your mom and daughter in a Whataburger parking lot; your husband building stone and wooden ramps to make it easier for your mom's wheelchair to get into your house, and his foresight to build doors big enough to accomodate it

Tuesday: your husband's help getting your mom settled in a new place; watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with your husband on Christmas Eve; your kids waking you both up in time to attend Midnight Mass; attending Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with your family

Wednesday: "Merry Christmas" texts from friends first thing on Christmas morning; the silence in a house when everyone else is still sleeping; your son and daughter-in-law picking up your mom so she can spend Christmas with you; your son and daughter cooking a bacon and egg breakfast for you, and then chopping and grilling all of the peppers and onions to go with the fajita dinner; a game of ping-pong with your son

Thursday: spotting a Mallard duck couple swimming on a nearby pond; being able to stop and see your mom on your way into town to deliver earnest money, and on your way back home; watching Shrek 1 and 2 with your kids

Friday: joining your mom for lunch and meeting some spunky ladies; helping your mom get her hair cut and styled for the first time in months; watching a funny movie with your son and husband

Saturday: visits with your mom becoming part of your daily routine; exploring model homes; a sweet card from a friend in your mailbox; chopping away at much-needed projects; another movie with your son

 

 

Sunday: making up for missing Mass by taking a long walk with your son and puppies; watching a funny movie with your mom; nurses who take a personal interest in their patients; great hamburgers, courtesy of your husband

 

Hoping you can spot silver linings in those inevitable gray clouds life blows our way.

 

"'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

 What if Your healing comes through tears

 What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

 What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise."

~Laura Story

Random 5 Friday

 

 

1. "Knock and the door will open."

One of my dearest friends dropped by to see me and my mom on Monday before we headed back to Austin. She gave me this cross made from driftwood gathered on a Galveston beach (where we spent many summers together!) 

She's such a gifted artist in all mediums. She's written a book on assemblage art and will soon be teaching a painting workshop. Find out more at Annie Lockhart.

 

2. For two days I've set my alarm for 5 am. I'm so behind on everything, and since morning is my most productive time (and it's usually taken up with puppy chores) I've meant to get up extra early and tackle some projects before the sun rises and I can see Belle staring at me through the French doors.

Instead, I've been resetting the alarm for 7. It's just hard to get up before the sun when everyone else in your house is snoozing, isn't it?

 

3. The kids and I have revisited the "Shrek" movies the past two nights. (That might be why I'm having trouble getting up.) We're skipping "Shrek 3", though. Once was enough for it.

 

4. Be careful when choosing your words.

I made the mistake of telling the nursing home my mom was allergic to eggs, when actually they just irritate her stomach.

Now they're balking at giving her the flu shot, even though I've assured them she gets a shot every single year and has never had a reaction. (I took her and Daddy last year, so I know from personal experience.)

I've also assured them she will probably die if she contracts the flu...given her age and severe asthma...which is why her doctors have always encouraged her to get one. And why I'll take her myself if they still refuse.

 

5. How would you like to win $50,000?

Keller Williams created this cool mobile app that lets you search for homes in your area (it's GPS based) or by entering a zip code to search in other areas. I love playing with it.

As if that wasn't enough, now if you download the app, you're not only entered for a chance to win $50,000, but you give me a chance to win $20,000! 

Go HERE to get my code and download the app. Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

Another year is right around the corner.

I'm hoping your journey through 2014 is one filled with laughter and light, and if there are any bumps in the road, you have plenty of help to get you through.

 

Linking with Nancy...

Christmas Firsts

 

 

I was on the road early Monday morning with TG, heading east to Houston. We gathered my mom's belongings from the nursing home, spent a few hours at the house gathering more things and visiting with my sister and friends before loading up and heading west into the sunset, back to Austin to start a new chapter in both of our lives.

Tom helped me get her settled in her new room on Tuesday. Her roommate is a character. The two of them together might be trouble.

 

 

This was the first Christmas my son and daughter-in-law spent as a married couple, the first in their new home.

I think they felt tugged and pulled by all of the family celebrations - his and hers...we all live in Austin - so I am grateful we had so much time to celebrate with them on Christmas Day, including a game of ping-pong.

 

 

This was our first Christmas without my Daddy.

I know Mama felt it more than the rest of us, but, as usual, she kept a smile on her face, only fussing about getting too many presents. 

 

 

To better accomodate Mama's wheelchair, Tom added a stone 'ramp' to the pathway leading to our house.

He is amazing in both his skill and his thoughtfulness. He truly loves my mom and, believe me, the feeling is mutual. 

 

 

I saw Mama twice today, first on my way into town to deliver earnest money to a title company and stop by the grocery store, and then on my way home, dropping off snacks and picking up her laundry.

I wish she could just stay with us, but this is the next best thing, to have her so close.

 

In honor and encouragement of my new career (and because she's nuts and goes overboard at Christmas), my friend Mary Kay made me this ornament/wreath. It's on the tree now, but will have a place in my office once the tree and other decorations are boxed up.

 

 

My first closing as a Realtor is Monday. Another first to close out 2013, a year that brought us much happiness with Tommy and Kirby's wedding, hope and faith in the future with my new career, but also heartache in the passing of my sweet Daddy. 

 

 

I wish all of you the peace and comfort of Christmas throughout the coming year, and sweet memories to treasure the rest of your life. 

(Bitter)sweet

Tomorrow is going to be a day of transition, of goodbyes and new beginnings. I'm traveling to Houston and bringing my mother back here to live in a nursing home minutes from my house.

Except for occasional weekends in her house - my childhood home - she has been living in a nursing home near Houston since she and Daddy were released from the hospital in July. She has been whirling through one transition after another for months, including my Daddy's death, hoping the day would come when she could just go back to the house she'd called home for almost sixty years and live in peace. The house she vowed she would live in forever. 

It took time, but she finally agreed moving closer to me might be the best thing. It will certainly bring me peace of mind having her close enough that I can just jump in the car when I can't reach her on the phone, or when I have questions about her care.

I'll be able to stop for a hug on my way to and from work. On rare days when I can't go see her, Tom and the kids will be there. I plan to take her on outings, to my house or my son's, or the mall or out to eat or wherever she wants to go.

But first we have to get through tomorrow, and Tuesday, and Christmas. I have to watch her say goodbye to her house and familiar streets, and then help her look forward, reminding her she'll carry those places and memories in her heart wherever she goes. 

It will be a bittersweet day at best.

But I'll still be on the lookout for purely sweet! moments, those little gifts of light God sends to brighten the dark days. I know they'll be there. 

Here are a few more from this past week...

 

Tuesday: flexibility in your job; delivering Texas-shaped gingerbread to clients; finding a beautiful ornament from a friend in your mailbox

 

 

Wednesday: gorgeous sunrises through your window; a productive day at home; Mucinex; watching The Grinch and decorating your tree with your daughter

Thursday: a photo of your mom with Santa, thanks to your sister; time to take care of things that have been nagging at you; going to the movies with your kids, even if it's not a good movie; a large bucket of theater popcorn

Friday: spotting a Mallard duck couple swimming on a pond; watching a movie with your kids and laughing so hard your stomach hurts; an executed contract

Saturday: bumping into a friend you haven't seen in years in the post office and being asked to find property for her in Wyoming; an afternoon of baking; warm cookies fresh from the oven; Christmas parties with friends and family; dancing in an airplane hangar; fresh homemade empanadas

 

 

Sunday: seeing the magic of Santa in children's eyes; friends who are willing to dress up like elves; assurance that your mother hasn't developed sepsis; a walk with your puppies after church; a blue heron flying overhead; seeing a dear friend in the grocery store; watching the best parts of the old "Sound of Music" with your son and daughter 

 

May you spot the sweet! moments in your life, even on the bittersweet days. I promise they are there.

 

May we see after the rain, fair weather, after the darkness, light, after these storms and tempests, a gentle calm. Amen.

 

 - St. Cyprian of Carthage

 

Five Things

 

 

1. Last year I took my kids to see The Hobbit  right before Christmas. We loved it so much, we decided to make it a Christmas tradition by seeing Part 2, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug", last night. 

Our consensus? It sucked...and I don't use that word often or lightly. I was so disappointed. I'll wait to see Part 3 on Netflix. Or I'll just skip it and read the book again.

On the up side, I spent an evening with my kids and got my movie popcorn fix!

 

2. Someone plugged my name and number into a zillion auto insurance online quote searches. We've been inundated with phone calls today.

Who would hate me that much?

 

3. I love that Pope Frances tweets, photo bombs, and was a bar bouncer once upon a time. Besides all the other stuff there is to love about him, of course.

 

4. Five of my high school classmates passed away in 2013. One would be too many, but five? We're only 54, for goodness sake. We've pinky-sworn to be careful and take care of ourselves and do all within our power to keep the number zero in 2014. 

 

5. Last week I wore two jackets, a hat, and gloves on my morning walks. Today I was in shorts and a tank top.

Crazy Texas weather.

 

 Joining Nancy at A Rural Journal

 

While bread is baking...

 

 

Pumpkin bread is baking in my oven as I type. Several small loaves and one larger Texas-sized ceramic dish I bought years ago near Round Top. My friend Ann bought one just like it.

Would you believe I've never used it for baking until this year? I made a Texas-shaped gingerbread earlier this week, and now pumpkin bread.

Who knew, so many years ago when I bought it, that I was preparing for this Christmas season, when Texas-shaped bread would be such a cute gift for my real estate clients? 

The spicy scent drifts to me from the kitchen, making me eager for a taste. Most of the loaves will be gifts, but I know we'll cut into one of them right out of the oven.

I've been in a flurry of preparation, lately, trying to prepare for Christmas and the new year. Kind of like spring fever jitters or pregnancy nesting.

I've been getting systems, a budget, and a 2014 plan in place for my business...sorting my stuff into "sell", "give", or "keep" stacks...taking steps to move my mom closer to us...planning another reunion with my old DuPont gang...and preparing for Christmas in all of the outward ways - the cards, the tree, the decorations, the gingerbread and pumpkin bread.

Advent is a time of spiritual preparation, though, so I've been working on that, too, with prayer and daily readings, but I keep stumbling over patience... with myself, with others, with results. 

At a party Saturday night, a friend told me how she illustrated Advent for the children in her Sunday school class by baking gingerbread. She showed them how you take different specific ingredients, how you measure them and blend together just right, how you prepare pans and an oven for the baking, then you wait, while the house fills with that heavenly scent of ginger and warmth and spices, making your mouth water and your tummy growl in anticipation. 

The smell isn't the end, just a sign that it is coming, one that makes you eager to see and taste the finished results. But you have to be patient.

And so I'm reminded to open up my spiritual senses, to be aware of the miracles and blessings and signs of God's presence that I encounter every day...signs of something greater to come...although too often I don't notice them in my busy-ness.

I'm reminded to prepare, to be awake and to be patient...because patience is rewarded.

 

 

"Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith."

  ~Adel Bestavros

 

 

Exploring Austin (Homes) Again!

Ready to visit some homes with me? Buckle up and let's go...

 

 

Last week's property tour started in a townhome in this quiet neighborhood. 

I'm not sure if this stained glass goes with the property, but I love the idea and the effect. 

 

 

But then, I have a weak spot for stained glass. 

The next house was an older home that had been beautifully updated. I didn't get any good photos of the inside, but it had a lot of great details while retaining that vintage feel. 

 

I loved the location of the next house more than anything...an older, upscale neighborhood in West Austin not too far from Mount Bonnell. The home had been given an extensive update, but I didn't get many photos...

 

 

The next home was my favorite of the tour. It was an older ranch-style on the northwest side of Austin, with a huge front yard and gorgeous backyard. 

What I loved most about it, though, were these custom touches...the glass block shower...

  

 

...and all of these storage cabinets in the long hallway. I love cubbies and closets and cabinets. 

 

 

But the room below, which adjoined a large open kitchen, was my favorite part of the house.

When I was little, I spent hours sketching floorplans just for fun. More often than not, I included a sunken livingroom.

With this wall of books, fireplace, and low railing, this room made me feel I had stepped into one of my own designs!

 

 

These next homes weren't on the property tour. They just caught my eye while driving through Hyde Park one day.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Be sure to join me next week!

Firewood and other sweet!s

My socks may not match, but my feet are always warm.

~Maureen McCullough

 

The drought took its toll on many of the oak trees in the Hollow. But Tom found the good in that this past weekend by cutting up the dead ones into woodburning stove sized pieces.

Our woodpile had dwindled so much that we'd actually resorted to turning on the heat for these cold, cold nights, but thanks to Tom, his new chainsaw blades, and Daniel for helping to carry and stack, we have a beautiful, replinished stack just outside the back door. 

 

 

Now that's a sweet! sight!

 

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

Tuesday: a holiday office open house; making it to all four of the houses on your property tour; getting a quick haircut even though you were way late for your appointment because you couldn't find the new salon location; finally getting a new doctor for your mom; a potential client from phone duty; James Taylor and Carole King 

Wednesday: indoor plumbing and hot water heaters, especially on cold mornings; a reuben sandwich and cup of corn chowder from the Avenue B Grocery; holiday open houses full of familiar faces; doctors who reply to emails; a surprise gift from your husband to make planting For Sale signs easier

 

 

Thursday: working from home; an Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass, followed by a dinner of homemade tamales and pan dulce

 

Friday: Friday the 13ths, period; your Christmas cards finally ready to mail; finding Christmas cards from others in your mailbox

Saturday: trading old books for hard cash...and resisting the temptation to spend it on more old books; dancing to live music, catching up with good friends, and watching a sky light drift into the stars 

 

 

Sunday: Giving Trees; a partially clean house dotted and dripping with shiny Christmas memories; smoked turkey for dinner, thanks to your husband

Monday: a frost-covered morning; eating Chick-fil-A in a parking lot with your daughter, watching people pass on the street; a dear friend stopping to check on your mom for you; warm gingerbread, fresh from the oven

 

 

 

Wishing you plenty of warmth and sweetness in the week ahead!

 

 

"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread."

 

– William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

 

Property Tour Tuesday (wherein I get to explore some Austin homes)

The sun was victorious today in this recent game between it and the gray skies.

That in itself was enough to make me happy, but I was especially grateful to see it today because there were four houses on our property tour! One a little east and north of our office, one close to downtown, and a couple out in the hills to the west, although not close to each other.

But since I missed posting last week's tour, today I'm going to show you one of those homes, because I took lots of photos!

It was on the west side of town, in the hills, near Emma Long Metropolitan Park. We passed dozens of decorated juniper trees like these along the way...

 

 

The front was pretty nice...

 

...but this is the first thing that caught my eye.

Now I want to make one!

 

But this drew me out to the back before I even explored the inside of the house.

There's a one-bedroom cabana next to it.

 

Take a look at this back porch. 

 

And when you're tired of the pool and socializing on the porch...

 

Every bit of the outside areas was put to good use.

Isn't this a cute little game court?

 

Such a great gathering spot in the kitchen...big enough for snacks for touring realtors!

 

Spotted this sign on a wall inside. Amen!

 

Isn't this an awesome ceiling?

 

This wine closet was tucked under the stairs.

(Great use of space, in my opinion!)

 

The view of the neighborhood from an upstairs balcony...

 

I loved these little round chalkboards painted on the wall. 

 

You can see downstairs from a small landing on the stairs.

For a large house, it felt very cozy and connected.

I would love to represent a buyer for this gorgeous place. (Maybe they'll invite me over to swim in the summer!)

So feel free to share and let me know if you, or someone you know, might be interested!

Dancing, Sunshine, and other sweets

 

 

 

 

 

After several days of gray skies and temperatures below freezing, the sun finally made an appearance yesterday afternoon. And the clouds even stayed away long enough for me to say hello to a half moon and a sky full of stars that dripped all the way to the tree tops.

Hallelujah! My spirit soars under a clear sky, and even though this morning I woke to another gray sky and cold drizzle, I feel recharged. 

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

 

Monday: finding a lucky penny, reminding you "In God We Trust" just when you're feeling overwhelmed; getting a lease client while on phone duty; your first real estate paycheck; finally finishing the weeding of your library

 

 

Tuesday: remembering the day you became a mother, and wishing your oldest a happy birthday; touring a million dollar home set in the hills near Austin; juniper trees lining the roadsides decorated for Christmas; a long-overdue re-blonding

Wednesday: guidance for your 2014 business plan; God's art in the sky, made of wind and clouds

Thursday: a bus ride with colleagues to Fredericksburg, Texas; the Christmas light displays in Johnson City

 

 

Friday: dry roads so you can attend your company party and enjoy dancing, photo booth sessions, making new friends, and chocolate fountains

 

 

Saturday: your sister home safe after a cruise; not having to leave your house except to walk your puppies

Sunday: your husband walking in with an armload of firewood on a cold morning, and assurance that his car is loaded down with more; a telephone visit with your sister-in-law, even if it isn't all great news; your son learning how to make Terry Boer's Chicken and Rice casserole; an evening of visiting with friends; couples in their 80's who are still tearing up the dance floor

 

Monday: attending a class that supports your belief that a Realtor is more public servant than salesperson; getting a new customer while your watch gets a new battery in the mall; nurses who put their patients above job security

 

How's the weather where you are?

If it's cold and gray, I hope you find a way to recharge, too! (Try dancing!)

 

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.

~ Edwin Denby

Friday Night Lights (A Winter Day in the Texas Hill Country)

 

 

Well, these were actually taken last night, Thursday. I traveled with a bunch of Keller Williams colleagues via bus to Fredericksburg for a day of shopping, a wine-tasting, and then a stop in Johnson City on the way home to ooh-and-aah over the lights.

 

 

With temperatures below freezing and a wind chill pushing it into the teens, it really felt like Christmas all day. The shops and restaurants were warm, the company was awesome, and it was a fantastic day. And hallelujah, there was no ice on the road.

 

 

Sure, there were tons of other things I probably should have been doing yesterday, instead of roaming through shops taking photos, but it's good, especially during Advent and the Christmas season, to just slow down and do something purely for fun, don't you think?

 

 

 

I'll post more of the photos tomorrow on Confessions. Meanwhile, tonight most of us met again for a company Christmas party.

I know it's hard to believe, but I didn't take one single photo at the party! I did jump in a photo booth with friends twice. Photos to be posted later. Maybe.

I danced, though. That was at the top of my priority list...and way overdue.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'm grateful it's supposed to be cold and icy/rainy here in Austin. Time to get Christmas cards ready to mail and a tree, glistening with memories, standing in my livingroom.

How will you spend your weekend?

Twenty-Eight, and Wishes Come True

"May your coming year overflow with love and blessings and wishes come true!"

Last year I wrote that in my oldest child's birthday post, in honor of his 27th birthday. A few months later he married the love of his life, honeymooned in Italy, and bought a home in a city he loves. My wish for him came true.

 

Now I've blinked and he's somehow a year older, as of yesterday, around noon. He celebrated first thing in the morning by running 10 miles from his home to the state capitol building and back, stopping at the State Library long enough to say hi to his little brother, who works there.

Considering his struggle with asthma when he was younger - all those hours I spent giving him nebulizer treatments, waiting in doctors' offices, keeping up with medications - his ability to run long distances (his second marathon is coming up) is definitely a wish come true for me.

I'm not sure how he's going to top the highs of the past year, but my wish for him is the same, for overflowing love and blessings and wishes come true, because he deserves them. 

I would say that even if he wasn't my son. His thoughtfulness and compassion for friends and family - especially my parents over the past year - inspire me to be a better person. What more could a mother ask for?

I didn't get to see him yesterday, but that's okay. I saw him on Thanksgiving and on the weekend when we both visited my mom and I know I'll see him again soon, because for the first time in ten years, he lives in my city. 

Just another one of my wishes come true, although it doesn't top the one that came true the day he was born, making me a mother, the toughest and best job I've ever had.

So, Tommy, sweet son, may your coming year overflow with love and blessings and wishes come true! 

Love, 

Mom

Chicken and Rice Casserole, a la Terry Boer and Campbell!

 

The index card is yellow and splotched, the ink faded, but considering all of the action it's seen over the past twenty years, it's amazing it's still around at all, much less legible.

When not in use, I keep it tucked in a small recipe box with other favorites, mostly one-pan wonders where you toss all of the ingredients into a casserole dish or a pot and walk away for a few hours. When my kids were little, that was top priority...right under taste, of course.

Terry Boer is the dad of five kids. When I worked shifts with him at the chemical plant years ago, those kids were all really young. He knew a thing or two about pleasing a pack of picky palates on a budget and generously shared his expertise with me, a new mom stretched on time and money.

His Chicken Casserole has been a favorite in our house ever since. I especially love it because, well, it's delicious! But also because it has so few ingredients - chicken, rice, dried onion soup, and Cambell's Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soup. I've always kept cans of both on hand. I added them to almost everything when my kids were growing up, so that they'd eat.

My kids are now young adults, adventurous eaters who even like vegetables, but they still request Terry Boer's Chicken Casserole. 

Something good is always better when it's shared, so I'm sharing Terry's recipe with all of you, just as he did with me so many years ago...

 

Terry's Chicken Casserole

Ingedients:

2 teaspoons of butter
2 cups of water
1 cup of uncooked rice
1 whole chicken, cut up
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soup
1 packet of dried onion soup

Pour melted butter into a 9 x 13 pan. Add the water, then the cup of rice evenly. Place chicken skin up. Pour soup over the chicken. Sprinkle the onion soup over it all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Take off the foil and bake another 15 minutes.

 

I hope your family loves it as much as ours has!

For more recipes your kids will love, be sure to check out Campbell's "The Wisest Kid in the Whole World™" page.  

 

Mom hugs, singing frogs, and other sweet!s of the week

We couldn't have asked for better weather in Austin, Texas on Thanksgiving Day. Clear blue skies, a touch of autumn in the breeze...perfect for throwing open the doors to cool off a small kitchen full of cooks trying to get dinner on the table. 

I'm so grateful we were able to stay here and celebrate in my son and his wife's home, along with her family, christening it with love and gratitude and wishes for many happy Thanksgivings in the years to come.

I'm also grateful my sister, niece, and nephew made sure my mom had a wonderful Thanksgiving in her home, and that I was able to hop in the car the next morning with my kids and drive to Houston to spend time with her myself. 

We didn't repeat Thanksgiving dinner. Instead we ate Mexican food and kolaches on our old kitchen table, drank lots of coffee, and spent hours reminiscing, laughing, watching the squirrels in the back yard, and looking at photos.

I missed Daddy's smile and hug, of course, but I felt him with us, and all things considered, our visit was a sweet memory to tuck into my heart.

 

 

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was full of sweet memories for you to tuck away and savor. 

Here are a few other sweet!s from my past week. Share yours in the comments!

 

Tuesday: exploring houses with friends; sunshine after days of rain; your first transaction approved for payment; finding your first holiday card in the mailbox

Wednesday: making your mom's cornbread dressing; your son volunteering to chop all of the onions and celery for the dressing; leftover pumpkin pie filling baked by itself in a small casserole and enjoyed warm from the oven

 

Thursday: helping your son and daughter-in-law celebrate their first married Thanksgiving in their home; teaming up with your son in a game of beanbag toss (otherwise known as 'corn hole'?); your grown kids still loving to color with markers and pencils

 

 

Friday: a road trip with your kids; your mom's hugs and kisses; staying up late with your daughter watching ConAir and Tombstone; Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday

Saturday: kolaches for breakfast; fixing your mom's hair; a surprise visit from your mom's old neighbors; home again, safe and sound

Sunday: frogs singing to you on your morning walk; leftover ham and cornbread dressing and pumpkin pie; an afternoon free to finish sorting, cleaning, and (fingers-crossed) decorate for Christmas

Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more - a grateful heart; not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, but such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

~ George Herbert

 

P.S. The mother of some of my dear friends was in a bad car accident yesterday. She's in serious condition. Please say a prayer for her!