Long Hollow

2023 - A Year for Gratitude

 

Gratitude.

That's my word for 2023.

While I've faithfully written in my gratitude journal every morning for a few years, and have gotten better at noticing my blessings and telling God thank you, I realize I've become neglectful in telling the people around me thank you and showing my appreciation when they help me, my family, my clients or my business in some way. 

I plan to change that this year. 

One challenge I foresee is the same one I faced in 2022 - time. It went by way too fast.

It's natural that some priorities have to fall by the wayside when life gets busy. My goal is to keep this one at the top this year.

You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage - pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically - to say 'no' to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside.

~ Stephen R. Covey

Thanks to Facebook photos, I spent a little time today reflecting on the past year, wondering where it went in such a hurry. I was relieved to see that mostly it was time well-spent, with a lot of good memories made last year. So much to be grateful for!

For one thing, I now have a granddaughter! I grabbed every opportunity I was given to spend time with her and her brothers, and I'm grateful I was given a lot! I savored every minute. 

 

 

Tom and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in August by spending a weekend in Port Aransas. We had some rain, but also some sunshine (pretty symbolic of 40 years of marriage, right?) and overall it was wonderful. I am so very grateful he asked me to dance 41 years ago and grateful I was smart enough to say yes. 

 

 

Belle turns 13 years old this month. She gave us a scare a couple of months ago. I am so grateful that New Hope Animal Hospital in Cedar Park let us bring her in and treated her (it was a Saturday and our small clinic closed early). She has been fine ever since and is still running and jumping and taking great care of us. 

 

 

I was able to spend a long weekend before Thanksgiving with Tom's mom. I don't get to see her very often but treasure whatever I can get.

 

 

And because of Belle's age and temperament, I wouldn't be able to go at all if it weren't for my middle son who housesits for us whenever he can. 

 

 

My daughter steps in when she can, as well. But...she and her husband are the proud parents of two precious rescue dogs. The love and care they give those puppies makes my heart proud, too. 

 

 

In October I tore the meniscus in my right knee right before my 45th high school reunion which I had been helping to organize. I needed a walker to get around, but Tom had to stay home with Belle, and there was no way I could drive myself. Two dear friends insisted I ride with them, and I am so grateful. It was a priceless weekend making new memories with long-long-long time friends. 

 

 

Thanks to my awesome physical therapist, I am now able to walk without pain. I'm doubtful I'll ever be able to run with Belle again, though. She was impatient at first, but has gotten used to our slower pace in the mornings. She still gets me out every day, rain or sunshine or snow. 

 

 

There are so many other things I'm grateful for this past year, and that includes my clients and those who referred me to them, along with my assistants and the vendors I work with. It was my best year in real estate ever, and since Tom plans to retire in a few months, I am especially grateful for their support and trust.

If you took time to read this, I wish you a blessed 2023 and hope you go through it with eyes wide open, savoring the minutes and finding something to be grateful for in each one. 

Much love,

 

 

The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.

— St. Teresa of Kolkata

 

 

 

I blinked and somehow it's November, so Happy Thanksgiving!

 

It is a glorious autumn day here in Long Hollow.

The window behind my monitor is filled with cloudless blue sky and shimmering leaves of orange and gold.

Tomorrow I will be focused on cooking and celebrating with a few of my kids, so today I'm indulging myself with reflection and the sharing of a few major "sweets" since my last post in May. 

First and foremost, we have a new grandson!

Because of COVID, I haven't been able to spend as much time with him as I did his big brother (who turned 2 in June!) but I'm grateful his mom is so good about sharing photos and videos. 

I did snap this one of my baby and his baby, though. 

 

Any minute now my middle son will be walking through the front door and Belle will go nuts!

She hasn't seen him in a few weeks because in October he started a new job in the Dallas area. He loves it!

While I miss him being in Austin, I am grateful he was given this opportunity for change and growth and he grabbed it.  

 

 

I had a couple of days on the beach in Port Aransas, thanks to my daughter and her husband who let me join them for a part of their get-away.

They had a condo right on the beach. 

Definitely one of my happy places!

 

 

The real estate market here hasn't slowed down a bit!

(Which is why I'm especially grateful for that escape to the beach!)

 

Happy hours, classes, masterminds with Gary Keller, and a convention, all via Zoom! 

Even my grandson's 2-year-old birthday party!

 

 

I experienced a drive by birthday for a 90-year-old friend and a drive by baby shower. 

 

 

I've been intentional about sorting through photos in albums I inherited from my parents, grandmothers, and aunt. 

Eventually I'll mail them to my relatives.

 

Our 13-year-old grandpuppy came for a visit in July as the new baby's arrival became imminent. 

We've always enjoyed having her and she loved being a country dog.

 

 

It was meant to be a temporary visit, but she was soon diagnosed with bladder cancer.

I became very familiar with doggy diapers.

I'm grateful we were able to care for her in her last months, giving my son and his wife peace of mind about their first "baby" while working from home and handling the challenge of  two little ones.

And I'm grateful she was able to meet her new little brother.

She was always a wonderful big sister. 

 

 

Despite the turmoil and sadness and challenges that have surrounded us in 2020, I am especially grateful that my own family has remained COVID-free and employed.

I know there are so many who haven't been that fortunate, but I pray they are still able to find some beauty and goodness in each day. 

May God bless each one of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

 

I couldn't help myself!

Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do.

~Author unknown

 

In the old days, before masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing became customary, I would get an achy feeling in my heart if it had been more than two weeks since I saw my grandson in person. I had a physical need to snuggle him and kiss his chubby cheek. To just listen to him chatter and watch him play. 

(I also enjoyed getting to visit with my son and daughter-in-law, of course.) 

Then came the uncertainty of COVID-19. I resisted visiting them because I was still showing property to clients and making trips to the grocery store, and even though it was less often than normal, and I was following safety procedures, I didn't want to take any chances passing anything off to him, his mom, or his dad. I didn't think I would be able to resist picking him up and snuggling him. 

That lasted about 6 weeks. Almost daily FaceTimes with him and my son helped to ease that ache a LOT. But as Mother's Day drew near, the thought of going any longer without seeing ALL of my babies in person made that achy feeling grow. 

I decided (with their permission, of course) to stop by for a quick visit on Mother's Day Eve, resolving to resist any hugging, kissing, or snuggling. 

It turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. Almost-two- year- olds are bundles of energy. They don't stop long enough for hugs, kisses, and snuggles. We played bubbles... he had me push him in his car... he showed me how he mows the grass. We played basketball and he played his guitar for me. 

My mask didn't faze him. He recognized me right away. Oh, how my heart sang! 

The next morning before attending Mass in person for the first time in weeks (another sweet!), my middle son made me an amazing omelette for breakfast, and later that day my daughter and her husband came over, bearing tubs of fresh Mexican food from Chuy's, which I had been craving since before my birthday. We ate and visited, then took a long walk down our country road and to our pond. 

I saw all of my babies - the perfect Mother's Day gift. 

 

 

Here are some other sweet!s from the past couple of weeks...

Tom saved a painted turtle I met on a morning walk. The turtle was in the middle of the road, quite a distance from the closest pond. Tom carried him down the road, through the woods to the pond, wearing flip-flops. He's a hero, to both me and the turtle!

 

 

A full moon greeting me when stepping outside for Belle's pre-bedtime potty break. I've missed a lot of the full moons and was grateful this one was waiting on me. 

Thursday was the Keller Williams Realty's RED Day. It stands for Renew, Energize, and Donate, and on that day, once a year since 2009, each market center chooses a nonprofit in their community to help in some way, usually through multiple physical projects. This year we were planning to help the Austin State Supported Living Center by building a food truck area they requested that would help with fundraising.

Since we weren't able to do that, we took activity packets there for the residents (magazines, nail polish, DVD's), sent cards to a local nursing home we focused on one year (the one my mom lived in), and also held a virtual fundraising for the Central Texas Food Bank, which will continue through May. 

(If you would like to contribute, click HERE.)

In Austin, hair salons re-opened just in time for my next pre-scheduled appointment for re-blonding, with lots of safety precautions in place, of course. 

 

 

I've spotted a few beautiful red-bellied birds with a yellow tails. I still don't know what type it is. It's a cross between a painted bunting and a vermillion flycatcher. 

The Thunderbirds flew over Austin last week on their tour of honoring nurses and other caregivers on the front lines. 

We've enjoyed several virtual performances by our grandson via FaceTime...

 

 

There are no more lines at our local grocery store, and shelves are fully stocked.

I taught a class on making/receiving offers and negotiations via Zoom. I was really nervous about it, but colleagues helped me figure out how to share my screen. 

I'm grateful I was able to virtually attend Mass through live videos the past few weeks, but what a glorious feeling to be able to attend in person and receive Communion again. Capacity was limited, we wore masks, and kept our distance. Every other row was blocked off. It was precautious and different, but still joyful. 

 

Chuck-Wills-Widows are back, providing beautiful music to greet each dawn and sunset.

Tom has been making pancakes on the mornings he works from home. 

Business has continued to be good. I've had closings (although I can't attend them) and helped both buyers and sellers go under contract. I'm grateful I can still help my clients!

 

 

I spotted this heart at the house above...

 

 

And I spotted this little heart this morning...

 

 

I have a new ride! 

My little Elantra has lasted 11 years and 223K+ miles, with only minor issues that are to be expected when driving in new construction sites, on highways, and down our bumpy, dirt road. I've gone through a couple of windshields, had to reattach the rearview mirror, and replace dozens of tires. I've had a mouse try to take up residence in it, using the glovebox as its bedroom and the whole car as its bathroom (I couldn't believe it was only one mouse!) 

It has been a tough little car. But it was time. And the deals were too good to pass up. 

 

 

These two caught my eye while driving back from Bastrop last week after a pre-closing walk through on a property. Unfortunately, I think the Buccee Beaver and I were the only non-employees who were wearing masks. 

 

 

My sweetheart Tom celebrated a birthday this week. Per his instructions, we celebrated with a meat-heavy pizza from Domino's.

I almost forgot the candle!

 

Scattered throughout the week were texts and phone calls and emails with friends and family. Despite the forced separations, I'm grateful for the technology that allows us to cross the miles and be there for each other. 

A good friend is a connection to life — a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.

~Lois Wyse

 

I had some sad news today. A friend lost his daughter to COVID-19 yesterday morning and another friend's daughter tested positive for it. Please keep them in your prayers.

Also, while checking on a couple of past clients' condos near the University of Texas yesterday, I drove past a fraternity house where dozens of college students gathered in the front yard. No social distancing and I didn't see any masks.

I know when you're young you feel invincible and enjoy taking risks, but please pray for these young people that they don't risk their futures or those of their friends or families by not being careful right now. 

It's possible to live in the moment, but be careful and considerate of others at the same time. 

May you all stay healthy and well, and may your eyes be open for the sweet!s in your life!

 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

~Author Unknown

Sweets in the Time of COVID-19

 

 

Hi, how are you?  I hope you are doing well and staying healthy. 

What a strange time we're living in, right?

But to be honest.... my life hasn't changed much over the past couple of months, despite the shelter-in-place orders, toilet paper shortages, and face masks.

Realtors are considered "essential workers" because people are still moving to Austin and needing homes, other people are still needing to sell, and I've been as busy as ever helping clients. 

 

 

 

For that, I am grateful, because I know many are dealing with job loss, illness, and general confusion and anxiety over what the future holds. 

 

 

Since my last post in February, a lot has happened besides adjusting my work and life due to a pandemic.

There have continued to be plenty of sweets, if I look for them, and I decided today was a good day to take a break from work and remember them.

I'll start with Easter.

Even though I wasn't able to gather with all of my kids or attend church, we still had Easter, because Easter is more than that.

But I'm grateful that some of our parishioners volunteer to live stream Mass every day.

Also, I'm not alone. One son lives with us and my kids, other family, and friends are just a phone call or text away.

Also, my older son regularly FaceTimes us, so we can talk to our grandson.

Speaking of grandchildren... we are expecting #2 in a few months! 

 

 

I turned 61 last month.

I completed my 61 by 61 list with an Austin mural tour, taking advantage of empty roads and parking lots to visit several of the iconic murals around Austin. which you see scattered throughout this post, plus a few here..

 

 

I topped it off with a small celebration at home with my son,  husband, and Belle. 

 

 

I still enjoy daily morning walks and prayers with Belle.

Wildflowers are blooming, including bluebonnets I planted from seeds a client gave me, and heart rocks dot our caliche road.

I'm grateful this is where I get to be quarantined.

 

 

In a pandemic-free world, I would have been flying to Paris with friends on May 30.

Of course, that trip, which we had been planning since our Italy trip in 2017, was canceled.

We have enjoyed gathering via Zoom, though.

 

 

My friend/teammate Amanda was supposed to get married at the end of March.

They decided COVID-19 wouldn't stop them, and shared their vows in a beautiful lake front wedding which we all still witnessed, thanks to a  live-stream on You Tube.  

 

 

Before COVID-19 stopped us from gathering, I helped a friend celebrate her retirement, and several friends celebrate birthdays, including one who celebrated in style by having Shake Russell, Michael Hearne, and Mike Roberts play in their home.

 

 

The Keller Williams Family Reunion was in Dallas this year.

It was my first real taste of Dallas, even though I've driven through it numerous times on my way to somewhere else.

While most of our time was spent at the convention center attending sessions and meeting agents from all over the world, I was able to visit a few restaurants, enjoy the city all lit up, and, before leaving on the last day, walked to the site of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. 

 

(These people almost got hit trying to get their photos of the spot. Crazy!)

 

Oh, I also witnessed a marriage proposal! That has to go on a sweet list.

(It also went on my 61 by 61 list!)

 

 

We couldn't drive home from Dallas without stopping in Waco at the Silos and enjoying lunch at the Magnolia Table. 

 

 

I also took a road trip to Abilene with my daughter to attend an awards dinner for my son-in-law. It was so much fun having that time with her in the car, just talking and listening to music.

He ended up with three of the top awards. I took lots of photos, but if you've been reading my blog for long, you know that TG is very private, so you'll never see them here. 

I can share this photo from the trip, though.  My cousin lives near Abilene and, despite very little notice from me, stopped by for a too-quick visit at my hotel.

I was so happy to see her and grateful she made time to see me!

 

 

Back to awards, though... I was truly surprised that my team, the Shallue Property Group  ended up the #3 Team in our market center in our first year!

I can share these photos, too.

 

 

There were also challenging times over the past couple of months.

I am really, really missing seeing and hugging my daughter and son and their families.

The Paris trip had shown like a beacon over the past year of long hours and seven-day-work-weeks. It was hard to accept that we had to cancel it. 

But keeping track of these sweet moments in my life reminds me that they outnumber the disappointments by far. They help me remember to be joyful and hopeful as we move forward into this new world of face masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer.  As always, I recommend that you keep track, too, if you aren't already.

Blessings to each and every one of you.  May you and your families be healthy and well.

 

 

"Do not abandon yourself to despair. We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song." — St. John Paul ll

On Hearts

 

Man has made many machines, complex and cunning, but which of them indeed rivals the workings of his heart?

~Pablo Casals

 

I had just stepped into the last house on a property tour when it happened: my heart seemed to turn a somersault, I nearly passed out, and the pounding started ...as in, my heart started pounding in my chest like I had somehow trapped a hard rock drummer inside of it. 

It had happened once before, almost 10 years ago (Heart Beats, Heart POUNDS) but follow up tests revealed nothing wrong with my heart, and I hadn't had another episode since that first one, which hit in the middle of the night. It only lasted about 30 minutes and stopped as quickly as it started, so of course, that's what I expected this time. So I gave my feedback on the property to the host agent, got in my car, and drove home, expecting the pounding to stop before I could walk in my front door.

Well, it didn't. So an hour and a half later, I was strapped on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance in my doctor's office's parking lot with my heart still racing and pounding, about to be transported to the hospital. At one point they clocked it at 177 beats/minute. My neck, back, and shoulders ached from the pressure.  

The paramedics had given me an empty syringe which I had been blowing into every few minutes for the past 20 minutes or so - like trying to blow up a stubborn balloon. Just as they were taking one last set of readings before pulling out of the parking lot, I blew into it and immediately felt relief. The paramedic said he saw my heart rate drop down to 90 beats per minute.

After waiting a few minutes to be sure my heart was going to behave itself, I was relieved that I was able to climb out of the ambulance and go home. A trip to the hospital as a patient in an ambulance isn't something I want to add to my 61 x 61 list (61 new experiences by my 61st birthday), if I can help it!

I've since seen the cardiologist, who diagnosed the pounding as SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) based on the EKG my doctor took in the middle of the episode. It's an electrical malfunction, where the nerve signal gets stuck in a smaller, easier loop in the cartilage where the four heart chambers connect. For some reason I don't completely understand, the strain of blowing into a tough syringe, or a balloon, or even making yourself cough hard can reset it back onto the correct pathway and normal heartbeats. If that doesn't work, and the episodes are frequent, there is medication and a procedure called an ablation that can be done. 

I'm praying mine is just a random thing, possibly brought on by a few weeks of steady allergy and cold medicine (thank you, Cedar Fever!) combined by I'm-not-sure-how-many cups of coffee a day I had been drinking. Now I'm paying attention to how much coffee I'm drinking each day, and I'm also making sure I work out regularly and get enough sleep, since stress can play a part in it (although I didn't feel unusually stressed out either time it has happened.) 

Getting older is a blessing, but it can also be tricky and full of surprises! 

[A]ccept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields....

~Khalil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923

I counted a number of 'sweets' that day.  I didn't pass out, wreck, and hurt anyone...my doctor's office was very responsive and helpful...the paramedics were so knowledgeable...I didn't have to be transported... my husband and kids were on standby ready to help and meet me wherever I ended up.

But there have been many others this past month, including...

 

 

Lots of playdates with my grandson, supplemented by Facetime in between our visits

He calls me BiBi now!

 

 

I formed a corporation for my business (Shallue Property Group, Inc. - sounds so official!)

 

 

Sharing some beautiful sunrises on my daily walks with Belle (she turned 10 this month!)

 

 

My old Hyundai Elantra is going strong, even though she is also now 10, and has over 220,000 miles on her.

 

 

Steady business, closings, referrals from friends and past clients, and listings with multiple offers

 

 

Taking breaks to tap dance and play my drums (when no one is home!)

 

 

Still finding heart rocks along my path and friends sharing photos of the hearts they find with me

 

 

My kids bathing Belle for me when she rolled in poop on our morning walk 

 

 

The rose bush planted in my mom's honor at her nursing home is still alive, growing and blooming

 

A motivating book and set of question cards from our leadership at the Associate Leadership Council retreat, and a belated Christmas gift from my daughter... one of my favorite movies 

 

 

Wine in the mail (a gift from clients)

 

 

Feeling snow on my face and finding a dusting of it still on everything the next morning (unfortunately there wasn't enough for a snowman)

 

I also lost a classmate this month, and two friends lost their brothers. I'm getting more intentional about connecting with my friends and family, even if it's just a quick phone call or text, so they know they are important to me. Time goes by so fast, and when we are busy, it's easy to put off the things that matter the most. Don't wait!

I hope, no matter what is going on in your life, you keep a lookout for the 'sweets' in every situation. Believe me, you'll find them if you look for them, expecting to find them.

Happy Valentine's Month! I'm grateful for you!

 

 

Heart & me—
Fragile
and strong
Broken
and whole
Loving,
and loving.
~Terri Guillemets

 

 

On Peace, and a decade of surprises

 

"There will be peace in the valley..."

 

Almost every morning I run up a small hill near our home to take in this view of the Texas Hill Country. The last couple of days of 2019, I was greeted with this image of golden light, crisp blue skies, and mist forming over Lake Travis. In my mind I could hear Elvis singing "There will be peace in the valley..." 

That's not surprising, since over the past few weeks the word Peace has been catching my attention more and more. I'm not sure if it's because of our country's current political rhetoric or because the last few months - no, the whole past year - has just been more hectic and demanding than I could ever have imagined, but it's clear Peace is going to be my word for 2020.

I will aim for the inner peace that comes with knowing I am doing my absolute best each day, even if I don't accomplish everything I hoped to accomplish or if others don't appreciate or understand all that I'm doing.

I will strive to be a peacemaker, to help others... friends, clients, colleagues... find resolution, perspective, and common ground in conflict. I won't run away from conflict (how could I be at peace with myself if I did that?) but will look for constructive ways to handle it.  

I will pray for peace in our world, for more wisdom and education and tolerance and LOVE, and less pride, ego, selfishness, and greed. 

I hope you will join me. 

 

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.

~William Ewart Gladstone

 

Speaking of 2020, doesn't that number just seem surreal? How did it get here so fast? I realized on this past Christmas Day that I had no memory of last Christmas Day, except for the Facebook memory that popped up. That's another reason I feel Peace is a good focus word for me this year, to help me be still, process, and (hopefully) remember more of these precious moments.  

That being said, last year was an awesome year for my business. I helped more families than ever with their real estate needs, even doubling the number of listings I sold. We paid off our credit card debt (I won't tell you how much, but if you knew, your jaw would drop and you'd be impressed), plus we have money saved for expenses we know are coming. For example, both my computer and my car recently celebrated their 10th birthdays. I have emotional ties with each which I really need to sever and move on from. Wish me luck!

In 2010, my focus was on being a writer. We had two kids in college and one recently graduated. We were empty-nesters, enjoying the freedom that brings. Every weekend we were celebrating someone's 50th birthday, going dancing, listening to music. 

It was a lot of fun, but it actually makes me tired thinking about it. 

We lost my father-in-law in 2012. Shortly afterward, my own parent's health began declining rapidly. I was constantly driving back and forth from Austin to Houston for my parents' doctor's appointments.

2013 was truly a year of highest highs and lowest lows.  My oldest got married in April of that year. Shortly after that, I realized that neither writing or photography would provide the extra income we needed at the time, so I finally took my sister-in-law's advice and started completely over at the age of 54 with a career in real estate. 

Just as I began my classes, my parents' lives changed: Daddy had a stroke, Mama fell, and they both ended up in the hospital, then a nursing home, where Daddy died a couple of months later.

Just before we said goodbye to 2013, I moved my mom to a nursing home near me. Weekly trips to Houston to check on her were replaced with daily visits. Just part of my normal routine until she passed in 2016.

In a way it was a time of mourning, watching her steadily decline no matter how hard I fussed and fought, but I am so grateful for that time I had with her. 

When both of your parents are gone, it is such a lost, scary feeling. You realize you are an orphan, no matter how old you are. You aren't someone's child, you're just a grown up, the matriarch or patriarch of a family. Your own mortality stares you in the face and, if you're lucky, you come to terms with it and decide to make the best of the time you have left, which brings me to the highlights of the past 10 years. These are just skimming the surface... 

As I've mentioned, my oldest got married. (see The Most Beautiful Wedding Ever) 

 

 

My real estate business skyrocketed after Mama passed. I know she had something to do with it. Thanks, Mama. 

My two youngest graduated from college and both got jobs right away...in Austin. Still close to me!

I spent a week in Italy with dear friends I've known since high school. And we're planning a trip together to Paris this year. 

 

I became a grandmother... or BiBi, as I now prefer to be called. 

 

 

My daughter met and married the love of her life.

 

 

In 2010 I never imagined how challenging my life would get within a few short years, calling on every ounce of faith in my heart. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I would be running my own real estate business in 2020, and I honestly don't think I would be as successful as I am now if I hadn't been faced with those earlier challenges.

It's never too late to learn and grow, to start over and change, when necessary.

"Never give up, never surrender."

~ Galaxy Quest

As we move forward into 2020... into the inevitable highs and lows... the peaks and the valleys... I wish all of you joy and gratitude in the peaks, and peace and faith in the valleys. Happy New Year!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

~ John 14:27

 

 

 

 

The Sweetest Year of the Sweetest Firsts

Every child begins the world again.... ~Henry David Thoreau

 

As some of you know, just over a year ago, I experienced the sweetest of 'firsts' - I became a grandma. I've already mentioned it a few times, but as you're well aware, grandmas love to talk about being a grandma!

It was a complete transformation that I felt deep in my heart with just the sound of that first tiny cry echoing out of the birthing room. It was sealed and stamped minutes later with the sight of my firstborn cradling his own firstborn in his arms. 

Unlike parenting, there's no real training for being a grandparent. You're just guided by that gut feeling of love, awed again by the miracle of life, but strictly controlled by the rules set forth by the parents. You're an assistant, eager to help and afraid of making a mistake.  

And that's okay. What a joy it has been to watch my son and daughter-in-law evolve and grow as much as my grandson has over the past year. It has reawakened memories of my own first year as a mother, of us becoming a family, no longer just a couple. 

I admit a lot of my remembering is due to the journal I started shortly before my eldest was born. I continued journaling up until... well, about the time I started this blog. Somehow I kept up with four journals - one for me, and one for each of my three kids. I didn't write in them every single day. Just once a week or once a month - whenever I had time, just hitting the highlights. (A lot like my blogging now!)

Reading back through my journals I'm amazed at how much I have forgotten, or just remembered WRONG. I encourage every parent to start journaling about their kids, right this moment, if you aren't already, whether they are newborns or teenagers. 

I wish I had taken my own advice and started journaling about little C the moment he was born.

At the time of his birth, it had been years since I held an actual newborn, much less changed a diaper.  I was rusty at first, but soon my hands were changing diapers as if they had never stopped. Mixing formula and feeding little C his bottle was a totally new thing for me, though. I had never fed a baby a bottle until one of my dear friends became a grandmother, and then it was just once. I was really, really nervous.

But soon I treasured that time with him. As I held him in those early days, gazed into his deep blue eyes, marveled at the perfection of each tiny feature, time would peel away. Snippets of songs and lullabies would come back to me... songs from those long ago days when my babies were truly babies. 

In those moments I could sense my mother's presence, assuring me I would be a good grandma. I think if I just follow the examples she and my mother-in-law set, I can't go wrong. They perfected the delicate dance of gliding in and out from the sideline as needed.

We are blessed to live near enough to see him fairly often, at least twice a month.  His parents are so good about snapping photos and videos and sharing them with us, in between. I'm extremely grateful for that, and for the digital world we live in today. 

These past months have flown by and now he's already a one-year-old, recognizing me and reaching for me to pick him up, which makes my heart soar even more. We walk and he points and asks 'Whatsis?" at everything. It's a new world, magical and full of wonder, and he's re-opened our eyes to it. 

Although for me, he's the most magical thing in it, for sure. 

 

Life is a flame that is always burning itself out, but it catches fire again every time a child is born.

~George Bernard Shaw

 

My last true "sweet" post was in January. I've continued keeping track of them daily in a journal, but don't worry... I'm not going to list them all, although I'll soon post about turning 60 in April, and completing my "60 by 60" challenge, which, with my son's help, I completed just in time! Now I'm into my "61 by 61" challenge.

One 'sweet' I've truly missed is blogging, both the writing of my own and the reading of my friends' posts, so stay tuned! 

On Joy ... plus a smattering of sweet!s

 

 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).

 

A few months ago, in a process I can't really describe, Joy stepped up to be my word for 2019. 

When pulling out my Christmas decorations, seeing it written on so many ornaments, I realized it had been trying to get my attention for a long time,  waiting for me to truly understand it.

Now, I'm not talking about joy that is used interchangeably with happiness.  The joy I speak of isn't dependent on circumstances or events. It's certainly there in happy times, but also in sorrowful ones, too.  

This joy is happiness, all grown up. Wiser. More resilient. It's the friend or spouse who knows all of your quirks and bad points, but loves you anyway. You know they will always be there when you need them, lending their wisdom and strength. 

I've heard that JOY is an acronym for "Jesus, Others, You", and that makes sense to me. To feel joy, I think it's necessary to cultivate your spiritual side, to reach out and help others, but also to take care of yourself. 

Joy helps us overcome fear and anxiety with the knowledge that everything will be okay. It is a gift that hold hands with faith, and brings peace along with it. Circumstances change... today's happiness will inevitably fade, perhaps even end in tears. But possessing joy is knowing today's blue skies and sunshine may disappear behind storm clouds, but the sunshine is still there, bright as ever, and will return. Stormy days just help us appreciate the sunny ones, and remind us we're not going to melt in the rain.

But joy finds beauty even in gray skies.  It's where we find those silver linings.  

Today was a gray day. But finishing up my prayers on our back deck after this morning's walk with Belle, I spotted a robin perched on a bare limb about 20 feet away. He remained there quite a while, perfectly still, staring straight ahead, as if lost in thought. Maybe he was finishing up his prayers, too. Then he chirped an 'amen' and flew off. 

That was just one sweet! for the morning. Another was the sound of the rushing creek below us. Our ponds are full and overflowing, thanks to all of the rain we've had this year. I'm grateful recent rains have been spread out, not falling all at once and causing floods. 

Here are a few others from the first couple of weeks of 2019...

My sister had surgery on a herniated disc this morning and she can already tell a difference in her hands. 

Belle's 8th birthday!

 

 

Long visits with older clients who don't 'e-sign' documents

A visit with Little C, Josie, and their mama and daddy after two longs weeks since the last visit

 

 

Dinner and viewing houses with a friend who is ready to buy her own home again after several years of personal challenges

The Eiffel Tower in our little town, all lit up (I hate to stop and get a photo)

 

Rain washing much of the cedar pollen away

An inspiring and fun retreat with our priest and members of our church finance and pastoral councils

 

 

Beautiful weather for a one-day trip to Houston with colleagues, and perfect timing to witness the day's glorious sunrise and sunset

Remaining semi-calm when my phone completely died overnight and hours of charging didn't seem to revive it

Trying one last time... and seeing a spark of life in my phone!

A great clinic with other Agent Leadership Councils from all over southeast Texas and finally eating at Peters BBQ in Ellinger (the ribs! yum!) on the return home

A season of gorgeous sunsets and sunrises

 

 

The bright red of a cardinal on a gray day

Enjoying a fun lunch sponsored by builder DR Horton with my accountability group

 

 

Three listings under contract within one week

Toasting the birth of the Shallue Property Group with my teammate, Amanda

 

The sight of ducks flying through the hollow

Celebrating a friend's 60th birthday at one of my favorite restaurants...Ajo in Round Rock

 

 

Pots of Hoppin' John and chili for welcoming 2019 with our nephew, his family, most of our kids

Little C's first visit to our house and our Christmas present from him

 

 

May you be able to focus on Joy and cling to it throughout this new year!

I think Joy sleeps in strange places. We're always looking for her in shiny, happy, fun times, assuming that Joy prefers her twin brother, Pleasure, when she often hangs out with her somewhat stoic big sister, Strength. Joy is not always easy to recognize, dirt-smudged and sweating, brambles in her hair. I want to believe she sometimes wears a ski mask.

~Edmond Manning, King Perry

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a bunch of sweet!s

 

 

The sky put on a grand finale sunset outside my window as I started reflecting on this past year.  However, it doesn't take a lot of reflection to know that 2018 will go down in history as one of my favorite years.

It's the year I became a grandmother! 

 

Watching Little C grow month to month has been an absolute joy.

I gave birth myself in 2018, in a sense. I formed a real estate team!  The Shallue Property Group. It's still in its infancy right now... just me and one other agent, Amanda, who is very sharp. Stepping out into this unknown territory was less scary knowing she would be by my side. 

In 2018 I also experienced my first trip to California, met and helped many new clients, and had some great visits and memories made with friends and family. I began my "60 by 60" list and made a lot of progress on it, although I need to become really intentional to hit #60 by my 60th birthday in April.  

Just more to look forward to in this new year!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, there are some sweet!s  since my last post that I want to remember...

 

 My daughter-in-law knows how to celebrate her birthday. She hosts a birthday fiesta every year... 

 

She knows how to throw a great party, while remaining very practical about the realities of parenthood!

 

 We celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida...

 

 

So many sweet! moments in one short week. ... Little C meeting his great-grandma Shallue for the first time ... numerous cribbage battles and games of 3-13 ... Little C 's first trip to the beach and to McGuires (where I had my first taste of shepherd's pie!) ... finding exactly what I needed while exploring  junk and antique shops with my sister-in-law ... and lots of down time, just hanging out and playing with the baby. 

Speaking of babies... my oldest turned 33 in December...

I was already proud of the man he has grown into, but watching him in his role as father just makes my heart soar. 

 

(But seriously ... wasn't this just yesterday?)

 

Babysitting this precious baby boy is a joy I can't explain ... 

 

 

We read good books and have some great conversations!

The real estate business is still hot in the Austin area and I'm grateful for all of my clients. I had several closings since my last post, including the first unit to close in the new 5th & West hi-rise complex.

Closings always land on the sweet! list...

 

Mozart's Christmas Light Show has become an Austin tradition and I finally experienced it. Having my son go with me made it extra sweet! (So did the coffee and the hot chocolate! It was a cold night!)

 

 

My word for 2019 is Joy, so I need to find a headband like my friend Ellie wore to this fun party...

 

 

It finally hit me that my aching back was probably related to my old, worn-out running shoes, so I treated myself to a new pair. I continue to find at least one heart rock almost every day, and I'm so pleased by how many of my friends are spotting hearts everywhere now, too, and sharing them with me ...

 

 

Little C celebrated Christmas in Colorado with his parents and his other grandmother, but we were lucky to have his sister with us. She's around 12, but thanks to special food and medicine, she is so energetic and puppy-like again. She and Belle had a great time running, hunting, and just being good country guard dogs.

Cold mornings like this one where the mist from Lake Travis pools in the hollows of the hills and the light is golden are my favorites. I was grateful she could run up the hill again so we didn't miss it. 

 

 

The passing of one of my favorite high school teachers, who had become a lifelong friend, was bittersweet. I'm grateful I stopped by to visit him last April on a visit to Houston. 

I couldn't go to the service, but a friend who did shared this with me. I think it's worth remembering and sharing...

 

Celebrating a friend's 60th birthday included a chance to catch up with these beautiful friends I've known since high school. I find it odd and wonderful that we are so close now, and seem to grow closer every year, when in high school we barely knew each other. I regret that it took us so long!

 

 

I've made a couple of quick trips to Houston in the past month to spend the night with my sister. It's been fun just watching movies and reminiscing. Her memory is so much better than mine!

Over the Christmas season I watched "Elf" three times!  First while decorating my tree, then on one of the visits with my sister, and again at an Alamo Drafthouse movie party with the rest of our market center's Agent Leadership Council (my first movie party!) 

My accountability group got together one Friday night with glue, scissors, poster board, a stack of magazines, and a couple of bottles of wine to create our 2019 Vision Boards. That's the way to do it! It's the first vision board I've ever completed. Have you ever created one?

I just happened to glance out the window one morning in time to spot a flock of Cedar Waxwings fly in formation into the hollow and settle in our willow trees. Belle and I ventured closer and I snapped photos with my Nikon... but alas, they are still in my camera. But it was the experience that was sweetest... stepping out of my morning routine to stand there in the quiet with Belle, admiring God's handiwork. 

My hours of driving feel much more productive since I discovered Audible. I loved listening to Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, and its more modern, funny version, You Are a Badass at Making Money, by Jen Sincero.

December brought me one last reminder of my awesome Italy Trip of 2017 with dear high school friends. I'll miss it in 2019! 

 

 

The sun has long set as I finish this. Fireworks boom from the hills around our house, making Belle nervous. I'm sure when Little C gets a little older, Tom will once again put on a fireworks show, but tonight we're happy to stay inside, watching television, reminiscing over the past year, and waiting for the ball to drop so we can call it a night... and a year.

I wish for all of you a blessed 2019, full of love, laughter, and joy. Happy New Year!

 

Lord, as the New Year dawns today,
      Help me to put my faults away.
      Let me be big in little things;
      Grant me the joy which friendship brings;
      Keep me from selfishness and spite,
      Let me be wise to what is right.
A Happy New Year! grant that I
      May cause no tear to any eye.
      When this new year in time shall end,
      Let it be said: "I've played the friend,
      Have lived and loved and labored here
      And made of it a happy year."

~Edgar Guest (1881–1959), "Prayer for the New Year"

And the lessons continue... (Happy birthday, Mama!)

 

It didn't hit me until today, but I'm sure my mom must have been a bit nervous as the birth of my first child drew close. After all...

1. I had been the baby of our family... and relished the role
2. As a little girl, I preferred stuffed animals to baby dolls.
3. My only two babysitting gigs were with older children.
4. I had never even changed a diaper!

Despite all of that, she bit her tongue and only offered advice, or shared experience, when asked. She was there with us in the hospital when he was born, but once home, she left us alone to figure out our new roles and relationships. 

It went beyond just trusting me not to inadvertently kill him. I felt she truly believed in my ability to be a good mother, and that gave me the confidence I needed  to trust my own instincts, and even to ask for her advice when necessary. 

I'm sure I did things differently than she did, but if she ever gave advice, it was offered in such a way that I didn't feel the need to defend my decisions or methods. I read all of the baby books I could get my hands on and subscribed to Parents magazine, but it helped knowing she was there as a major resource, or at least a sounding board. 

When my grandson was born a few months ago, my mind naturally traveled back to those days.  As usual, I turned to my mom; I started channeling her to help me in my new, unfamiliar role as grandmother. After all, it had been years since I held a newborn or changed a diaper!

His birth triggered so many memories, and I felt myself wanting to talk about my own experience, but I bit my tongue (or tried to), realizing my chatting may be taken as criticism.

Because despite the fact that this is their first, I knew beyond doubt they would be wonderful parents, even if they did some things differently than I did. Every child is different, with different needs, so there is no one "right" way, anyway. 

And obviously, they are doing an awesome job.

 

 

(My Mama would just eat him up, I know.)

I'll continue channeling her as he grows to help me stay close, but on the sidelines, ready and willing to help with whatever is needed, and always strictly adhering to their guidelines. I hope to at least come close to being the grandmother she was... 

 

 

On Mama's 77th birthday, I listed the things she had taught me, and then added to it every year. After her death, I expected Lesson #84 to be the last one.

It turns out she is still teaching me, so the list continues, and I imagine it will as I continue on into all the new territory that comes with growing older. Thank you for being such a great teacher, Mama, without ever utttering one lecture. (That's one lesson of hers I didn't learn, unfortunately! Sorry kids!)

Without further ado, here's the complete list with links to her previous birthday posts....

 

Things Mama has taught me...

1. it's never too late to learn something new
2. if you have a choice between laughter and tears, choose laughter.
3. don't let anyone mess with your babies!
4. only give advice when asked for it (I'm still working on that one)
5. pray every day
6. pray some more
7. reading a good book might not solve your problems, but it's a nice escape from them
8. bend but never break
9. some people are just takers
10. be nice whenever possible, but sometimes nice doesn't cut it
11. take care of family
12. we're all individuals - let your kids blossom into themselves, not "mini-me's"
13. be there
14. Johnny Weismuller is the best movie Tarzan
15. don't be in a rush to be older than you are - you're only going to be this age once in your life
16. if you like something, and you'll use it, and you can afford it, then buy it, or you'll regret it later
17. quality over quantity
18. never think "can't"
19. people will stand in line for a dead skunk if it's free
20. roll with the punches
21. have fun
22. laugh often
23. believe in yourself
24. don't let others change who you are
25. be honest
26. don't steal
27. forgive yourself
28. God loves me
29. don't judge
30. just do it!
31. inside matters more than outside
32. don't use God's name in vain
33. you can learn anything if you put your mind to it
34. you're never too old to dance
35. it's okay to ask for help
36. show appreciation and express gratitude
37. use my manners
38. consider the source
39. an office or position of authority should be respected, but the individual in that position has to earn your respect
40. sleep is good
41. take advantage of opportunities
42. keep your eyes open and your wits about you
43. people aren't always nice
44. things can't make you happy
45. use your imagination
46. just get started and the rest will be easy
47. don't be intimidated by anyone - we're all the same, all human, we all have strengths and weaknesses
48. you can love someone even if you don't like them
49. forgive but don't forget
50. learn from others' mistakes
51. there are times for being patient, and time for putting your foot down
52. speak up
53. stand up for what you believe in
54. admit your mistakes and expect others to do the same
55. persistence pays off
56. let your kids be kids
57. love unconditionally
58. take lots of pictures
59. kids grow up fast
60. your kids need a mother, not another friend
61. pets are family
62. help others
63. a sense of humor is essential for sanity and survival
64. if you look close enough, you can find something to love about everyone
65. coffee is good anytime
66. messes can be cleaned up
67. prayer works
68. God is strong all the time - let him carry you
69. if you say you're going to do something, do it
70. be nice to yourself in case no one else is
71. you have to show respect to get respect
72. girls are tough
73. don't put up with temper tantrums - yours or someone else's
74. listen to your body - doctors don't know everything
75. don't say everything you're thinking
76. asking questions is the best way to learn something
77. your babies are always your babies (and their babies are your babies, too!)
78. God is. 
79. Just listen. 
80. people are more important than things
    
81. there is a time to help others, and a time to let others help you
82. God has his reasons, and He will give you whatever strength you need for the road ahead...and never leave you to walk it alone.
83. smile and show appreciation to those who are willing to help you - they may have it tougher than you in many ways
84. Appreciate every second you're given, because life is beautiful.
85. Treasure the people in your life; take advantage of every chance you have to be with them, or to help them, even on days you don't like them.
86. Don't wait for things to be perfect to travel. Just GO!
87. How to be a good grandmother

 

Happy birthday, Mama, and thank you. I miss you. 

 

"My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words, but I always remember the tune." ~Terri Guillemets

Before we go any farther into November...

 

... let's take a step back to October. I need to finish a post I started weeks ago, because October is one of my favorite months, for lots of reasons... 

Although we met in September, it was in October that we knew we were in love. 

 

 

Aren't we cute? Sigh.

That's probably enough reason right there to love October, but there's more!

For one thing, it's usually the month when the first hint of autumn arrives in Texas, bringing cooler temperatures and dryer air, but staying warm enough to give summer a proper farewell, with no hard feelings over so many unmerciful scorching-hot days.  

Colors faded by summer's harsh sun come back to life  - azure skies, yellow and orange dotted treetops, roadsides splashed with purple and yellow. Texas wildflowers love October!

You're also likely to catch at least one totally amazing sunset...

 

 

I won't go into all of the sweet!s I collected in my notebook for October, but here are a few highlights I don't want to forget...

October is the month my Daddy was born. He would have loved seeing his great-grandson baptized on his birthday!

 

 

My middle son was also born in October,and this year he celebrated one of those milestones.

 

 

I might call that a bittersweet, instead of a sweet!, considering this other birthday of his seems like yesterday...

 

 

 I made it back to Houston for the first time in months for a visit with my friend Rae, a reunion dinner with my DuPont co-workers, and a long lunch with my siblings and their families...

 

 

I'm so blessed to have them. 

On my way back to Austin, I discovered I had a flat tire. I had already planned to stop by my son's house (where, coincidentally my grandson lives) so I aired it up and headed  his way. Then, while I played with little C, my son replaced the flat tire with the donut, and I was able to maintain my perfect record of never changing a flat tire. Sweet and sweet!

When I decided to become a Realtor, I decided to go with Keller Williams Realty because they have the best training of any real estate company. I really had no idea what a genius Gary Keller was until just the past couple of years.

Suffice it to say, he is ahead of the curve in this crazy business and doing all he can to take care of us as we enter a new industrial revolution. I was lucky enough to be a part of one of the many labs he's holding to introduce us to the new technology he has had developed for us to make sure we are cutting edge.

And then I was lucky enough that an agent friend of mine snapped a photo of Gary during the lab which included my head. Proof that I was there!

 

 

The next best thing to being in Italy, surrounded by some of your dearest friends, is to be constantly reminded by photos on Facebook of your trip a year ago. 

 

 

Every October Keller Williams teams up with the Central Texas Food Bank for a big food drive. I missed it last year because of my high school reunion and trip to Italy, but I was able to help out this year. I love it because it forces me to get out in my widespread neighborhood, knocking on doors, asking for help, and meeting new people while making a big contribution. 

 

 

Last year my reunion and trip to Italy also made me miss our church Oktoberfest (our huge fundraiser) so I was happy to attend it this year. We have a new priest who is a great sport: He agreed to wear Lederhosen if enough money was raised. It was!

Meet Father Raj...

 

 

My business is growing... more buyers and sellers and contracts and closings! Yay!... 

 

(new listing in Horseshoe Bay, Texas... tell your friends!)

 

I'm still finding hearts all around me. I hope you are, too!

 

 

From the moment we moved to this small town, Mary Kay has been there for us. It's like a super-power with her... it's not just my family she takes care of! How does she do it?

So I'm grateful I was able to help her celebrate her birthday in October...

 

 

Last minute, I dove into the many dress-up boxes I filled over the years for my kids for a costume to wear to a friend's Halloween party. And I'm so glad I decided to go!! I was amazed at some of the creative things other people wore! I always forget Halloween can be fun for grown ups, too. 

 

 

But of course, it's mostly for kids, including little C ... the cutest owl EVER!  

 

 

Thank you so much for traveling back in time with me. Here's hoping your November is full of sweet!s already, but never forget to...

 

 

October is a hallelujah! reverberating in my body year-round....

~John Nichols (b.1940), The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn

"Is, then, September come so soon?"

 

 

Is, then, September come so soon?
Full time doth summer ne'er abide?
While yet it seems but summer's noon,
We're floating down the autumn tide.

~Eunice E. Comstock, The Atlantic Monthly, October 1873

 

Is it just me, or did Summer just set a new record for "Fastest Season Ever"? 

Temperatures are still climbing to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more every day here in Austin - very much "summer's noon" -  but past experience tells me it won't be long before I trade my daily uniform of a sleeveless dress and sandals for jeans and boots. 

Business exploded this summer - the real estate market in Austin is still going strong, and I'm grateful! So even though I've kept up with my 'sweet' journal, posting them here has been a time-luxury I just couldn't afford. 

However, in honor of Labor Day, I'm taking a few hours off this evening to indulge myself by sharing a few highlights from my summer "sweet!"s  and provide a "Sixty by Sixty" update.

It will take me 2 or 3 hours to compose this, believe it or not, but it's a chance to look back over photos, re-read pages of my "sweet" journal, choose quotes, and just generally slow down  and ponder life and all that I have to be grateful for... which I'm always reminded is a LOT. 

So, here I go...

I made a considerable dent in my "Sixty by Sixty " list this summer - I'm up to 37 "first time..."s. Over halfway there, and I still have 7 months to go!

I was able to cross off some of the major items, too: I took a yoga class... finally experienced a Harlem Globetrotters game ... and rode the Metro train downtown to attend the Keller Williams Mega Camp convention. 

 

 

I ate at several good Austin restaurants for the first time, heard John Maxwell speak in person (he's funny!), and perhaps most memorable of all, experienced little C smiling at me - at ME - for the first time. He's a charmer, as you can see from this photo of him with his daddy (who happens to be my baby, all grown up)...

 

 

We've been blessed with being owned by many awesome dogs over the years, and also with a sweet, aging grandpuppy who came to visit us twice in August!

 

 

Our niece was in town for her cousin's baby shower. We met her and her precious two girls for dinner one night.

We hadn't seen them since the oldest was a baby!

 

 

Tom and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary in August.

We were married on a Friday the 13th. The next year, right after our 1st anniversary, we experienced Hurricane Alicia passing over our house in League City, Texas.

Never a dull moment for us!

Since then we've chased dreams, been broke, built our own home, and supported each other financially and emotionally. It's been thirty-six years of laughter, tears, heartaches, and joy... of butting heads and seeing eye-to-eye...of raising our children, watching them grow into actual adults, and now watching our new grandson growing way, way too fast.

Another tiny thread that sews us together. 

 Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years.

~Simone Signoret

 

 

Here are a few more sweet!s since my last update...

Being able to attend the services and support friends as they  mourn the loss of parents

Multiple referrals from friends and past clients

My husband and son's help putting up For Sale signs, and my son helping me with open houses 

Finally watching the movie "Buckaroo Bonzai" (how did I miss this one?)

My cousin having my grandmothers' slides digitally scanned and put on discs

Commission checks

Listening to Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich" twice (I wish someone had told me about this one a long time ago!)

Audible, so I can "read" while driving 

Rain

A sky full of stars in a pre-dawn morning

An old friend of Tom's finding us through this blog!

Playing my drums

Helping 5 friends/family members connect with great real estate agents near them

Having to buy more signs and lockboxes because of all my new listings

Two separate 60th birthday parties for friends

Reading the journals I kept for my kids during their childhoods

My daughter making sure I came out to see the full moon just before it sank behind the treetops on the horizon

Knowing my sister has friends close by when she needs extra help

Friends coming to visit via helicopter for a gathering of our Italy group

Being dive-bombed by a hummingbird

The macaroons at Elizabeth Street Cafe

And last but not least...  lots of heart rocks. 

 

 

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

 

I'm wishing for you an eternal summer! (Maybe not one quite this hot, though.)

A Daughter...a Gift of Love

 

A daughter is a gift of love.

~Author unknown

My daughter had a birthday recently. When pressed, she allowed me to have a small family gathering, for my benefit. She told me it should be my celebration, since I'm the one who did all the work that day. 

That's a perfect example of the woman she has become. When I think back over the past several years... all I've been through with my parents and starting a new career... I can see her right there beside me, ready and willing to do whatever I needed. She's independent and self-confident, as well as fiercely loving and thoughtful. 

She was there on multiple one-day trips to Houston, helping me clean out my mom's house and work the estate sale. She's always willing to help me out at open houses if I really need her,  setting up signs and keeping me company. When I'm traveling or have long days with clients or in classes, she and her brother rearrange their schedules to be home with Belle, even using their own vacation at times to cover for me.

In Mama's last few months, it was her suggestion that we accompany Mama every Sunday to the worship service at the nursing home. I sat on one side of the wheelchair and she sat on the other, either holding up the hymnal so Mama could see it or just holding her hand.

Those Sunday mornings are treasured memories now. Such a priceless gift, added to the many others she's given me all of her life. 

She hasn't always been a perfect child, but then, I have never been a perfect mom.  She's very private - if you've read my blog very long, you already know that. Our roles are often reversed, with her cautioning me on internet safety, rather than the other way around. She can be very wise. 

More and more I'm realizing she isn't just a gift from God for the help and support she gives me, but also for the ways she makes me question what I think I know and things I take for granted. I'm a better person because of her. She helps me continue to grow and learn. 

She challenges me to be a better friend. I hope I'm half the friend to her that she is to me.  

Happy birthday to you, and thank you, my sweet daughter. 

 

 

 

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend. 

~Author Unknown

 

What does a father do? He leaves a legacy.

 

 

"It’s hard to describe the choked up teary eyed swell of love and shaky adrenaline you experience witnessing your first child transform from a stomach bump into a little being. You’re mesmerized by their little sounds and movements for hours. Its like staring at the northern lights, lightning storms, ocean waves smashing cliffs, the most epic sunrise/sunset you’ve ever seen, or a yard full of puppies." ~ Tommy Shallue

My son wrote those words after experiencing the birth of his own baby boy earlier this week, just in time to celebrate Father's Day today.  I felt he described the magic of becoming a parent so well that I asked permission to share his thoughts on here.  

I remember as if it were yesterday the overwhelming sense of awe and love I felt holding him for the first time (my son), falling into the infinite depths of his eyes and knowing for certain there was a God.

And now our son is a father. Our firstborn, who transformed me into a mom and Tom into a dad 32 years ago, has transformed us once again, into grandparents.

Witnessing my first child cradle his own first child on that first day of his birth, gazing at him with wonder and love, filled me with joyous pride and peace. I sensed that something had clicked into place. A baton had been passed and I knew it was in good, steady, strong hands.  

He's going to be an awesome Daddy. No. Correction. He already is an awesome Daddy.

But then, he comes from a long line of awesome Daddies. In honor of Father's Day, here's a repeat of an old post, featuring his dad and two granddads, who showed him the answer to this question...

 

What does a father do?

 

A father gives advice 

A father nourishes the body 

and the soul 

 

A father encourages

A father is joyful

A father reads

 

A father lends a hand 

 

A father plays 

 

A father offers support 

 

A father sticks close by your side

 

A father makes memories

A father teaches 

A father laughs 

 

A father is gallant

 

A father proves age is just a number

 

A father reaches out 

A father hangs on tight

 

A father dances

 

A father helps you aim high

A father shows pride 

A father sets a good example to follow

A father relaxes

A father listens

 

A father teaches you how to play fair

 

A father helps out

 

A father loves

 

A father experiences awe

 

 

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

~Clarence Budington Kelland

 

Happy Father's Day! 

A Post-Florida / Pre-Grandbaby "Sweet" and "First" Update...

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."

~Jack Layton

 

 

When I headed to Florida with Tom last weekend, weather forecasts indicated we could be meeting up with a mini-hurricane.

Ever-hopeful, I packed my swim suit and sunscreen, but I was mentally prepared for a week of rain. It didn't affect my desire to go, because my main purpose was to spend time with some of Tom's brothers, my sister-in-law, niece and nephews, and especially my amazing, spunky mother-in-law.

I wanted to help celebrate her 85th birthday. 

 

 

Fortunately, I was able to celebrate Mom AND spend a few hours at the beach with my niece and nephews, because the mini-hurricane fizzled into a sub-tropical storm that somehow missed us. We had a little rain during the week, but a whole lot more sunshine.

 

 

We even did a little fishing at "Pop's Pier", one of Tom's dad's favorite spots. By a "little fishing", I mean we only caught a few little fish and fed squid to the nibblers, but there was a great breeze blowing and we made some memories. I think Pop would still be proud. 

 

 

Tom's little brother helped me acquire 2 new 'firsts' for my 60 by 60 list that day:

    15. I baited a hook for the first time... and probably last time! Ugh!

    16. I finally stopped at the Old Chimney on Pensacola's Scenic Bluffs, after passing it by on every trip to and from Pensacola Beach and Pop's Pier for the past twenty years,. 

 

 

Flying home yesterday, I was fortunate to get a window seat and experience another unexpected sweet! and "first"...

    17. Viewing a rainbow from above!

 

 

A few other 'sweet!s' from Florida, plus more firsts and sweet!s from April and May...

 

My son using  some of his vacation days to take care of Belle so I could go to Florida

One of my buyers closing on her property. (I hate to miss closings, but at that stage in the transaction, I only play a supporting role.)

A colleague helping with the final walk-through (thank you, Amanda!) and another colleague showing property to other buyers (thank you, Melissa!) 

Winning at 3-13 (a rummy-type card game) more games than on any other trip

Getting a contract on a listing (being able to work from Florida!)

Attending early Mass with Mom on her birthday, and the priest singing happy birthday to her afterward in the foyer, with everyone joining in

Celebrating Mother's Day at Toulouse in the Domain; eating Trout Almondine for the first time 

A college graduation party for the daughter of clients at Waller Creek Boathouse on Lady Bird Lake. It was my first time there, as well as my first time seeing the Forever Bicycles sculpture in person. 

 

 

Holding the last meeting of our Pastoral Council at the Highland Lakes Grille to thank our retiring priest for his service (bittersweet)

 

 

Sleeping with the windows open

Our HVAC system fixed after several days without it.

Dinner and the movie "The Book Club" with friends

Viewing a new home with a glassed in room on the third floor ensuring amazing views of Lake Travis and the hill country

 

 

Alamo Drafthouse with my kids to see  "A Quiet Place" and "Solo"

How happy the birds are when I finally remember to fill up the feeder

A kitchen still sporting vintage tile 

 

 

The call of Chuck-Wills-Widow at dusk

Two baby showers for friends' daughters who I've known for more than half of their lives... and one gave birth yesterday!

Winning $50 worth of continuing education for a class by Abby Vasek for exuding the most confidence in this photo

 

 

Meeting clients in person for the first time who have been living out of the country 

Mornings with Belle

 

Watching one cardinal feed another one. I'm not sure if it was a husband/wife or mama/child, but it was sweet!

Visiting a new neighbor's house-in-progress (he's also the builder, and the son of a past client)

 

 

A crescent moon playing peek-a-boo with a blanket of clouds

Another Keller Williams RED Day (Renew, Energize, Donate) - this year at SAFE, a shelter for abused women and children. I helped out in a classroom of 4 and 5 year olds, while others helped rebuild a playground and work on other much-needed projects (no photos allowed of the kids - just the goofy grownups)

 

 

Spotting a pink heart on the back of a caterpillar

 

 

A reunion of dear friends / past co-workers from my DuPont chemical plant days

 

 

And last but not least... the first sighting of the Mountain Pinks this morning! A sure sign that summer has arrived (in case the consistent high 90's temperatures hadn't convinced us yet)

 

 

I hope you are keeping your eyes open for the sweet!s in your life, which aren't just the blessings you're given, but also those you give to others. They are often the sweetest. 

 

"I think, what has this day brought me, and what have I given it?"

~Henry Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluebonnets, Easter Dresses, Essays... and other Texas springtime sweets

 

Spotting my first bluebonnet of the year is always exciting. I know that the drab winter days are giving way to longer, warmer days of spring, wearing wildflowers of every color. 

 

Full disclosure: these photos are from years past. While I've enjoyed the sight of bluebonnets decorating the roadsides this year, I haven't had a chance to stop somewhere safe and snap any photos. 

 

 

But the photo above is new, and so was my dress. When I was growing up, I always looked forward to buying a new outfit for Easter. I haven't outgrown that, apparently. I found that dress over a month ago, but resisted wearing it until Easter Sunday. 

Another Easter sweet... having all of my kids (even Josie, my grandpuppy) at our house for Easter dinner yesterday. It was lusciously chaotic with everyone gathered in, or close to, the kitchen, chopping, mixing, cooking, chatting... 

Sigh. 

But now for a few more sweet!s since I last posted...

 

 

Discovering Lily Trotters. I'm in a midlife writers Facebook group with Lois Alter Mark, who shared a link to an article she had published in Forbes magazine. Boom! Just what I needed! I love it when that happens. 

It happened again just the other night. I turned on the television for a few minutes before getting in bed, just in time to catch poet Rudy Francisco reciting his poem "Complainers". Reciting is really too tame a word for such a powerful poem.

If, like me, you've managed to go the past few years without hearing of him, please click HERE. (But then come back!)

 

 

 A weekend that started with two closings and a new contract, before moving on to a baby shower for my beautiful daughter-in-law and grandbaby; a dear friend driving in from Houston to be there and another dear friend hosting a gathering afterward in her honor; and then finishing with a combination birthday party/belated St. Patrick's Day party for a client - friend's son. (Too pooped for photos by then!)

The Austin bombings finally came to an end. My heart aches for the bomber's family, along with the victims, and wonders how someone can go down that road and hurting others like that. But what a relief and blessing that the authorities were able to track him down. God bless all of them who worked tirelessly to solve the case!

 

Last year a sweet friend gave me some hyacinth bulbs for my birthday. When they stopped blooming, I planted them. To my surprise... despite the odds and my ignorance... two of them bloomed this spring! 

 

Springtime is the season of extremes. The drama and conflict of cold vs. hot equates into some amazing sunsets! My office window faces southwest and I'm so grateful when I look up in time to savor skies like the one above from our back porch. 

 

Shake Russell has been one of my favorite singer/songwriters for about 40 years. It just seems surreal that we've become friends and that he's friends with my friends. The world really isn't that big.

Last month Shake, Michael Hearne, and Mike Roberts were back in Lago Vista for a friend's birthday party. It was a gorgeous day in the Texas Hill Country, with the perfect backdrop of Lake Travis and a horizon of hills. 

 

It's such a joy to live in a place long enough to watch kids grow up, help them buy houses, and witness their marriage. I'm so happy I was able to do that with Hannah, and have enjoyed getting to know Ezekiel. And how cool that two of my past clients were also at the wedding, as well as two current clients. I love helping the people I know and love. 

 

I'm always amazed at the heart-shaped things friends have found. It makes me happy when they think of me and share them. Just recently a friend showed me photos of a heart-shaped potato chip! But as amazing as it was just for my daughter to spot this large crystal geode on the side of our dirt road, to have it be heart-shaped was just a pure blessing. 

 

 

I can finally say I've been to California. 

I've even dipped my toes into the Pacific Ocean, thanks to another agent who rented a car while at our annual Keller Williams Family Reunion in Anaheim. She agreed to play hooky from one of the morning sessions and drive me to Long Beach so I could feel I had actually visited California, not just another convention center. 

We walked out onto a pier, and then, despite the chilly wind and frigid water, I walked barefoot into the Pacific Ocean. Before heading back for the afternoon sessions, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch overlooking the water. 

 

Another friend of mine recently moved to that area to care for her dad. I was so grateful she could get away to see me. I've never been to any of the Disney parks, so she suggested lunch at Downtown Disney, so I could at least get a little taste of it. Perfect!

 

 

Other highlights of the week.. becoming a redhead (temporarily) for the traditional Red Bash and meeting up with Mary Coutu, a high school classmate and longtime Realtor, who now lives in Rhode Island.

I can't wait for next year, when we get to connect in New Orleans!

 

 

While learning from the best of the best, wearing a red wig, and dipping my toes into the Pacific were all fabulous, one of the true highlights of my California adventure didn't even happen in California, but on the short plane hop between Austin and Houston. 

I was fortunate enough to sit next to Fernando Salmeron, a writer who (I found out by being nosy) was on his way to Peru to promote his book at a book festival there. In the one to two hours between Austin and Houston, we talked nonstop, about writing, time management, and life. His book is loosely based on his life. It's a story about overcoming challenges and staying positive. A theme I really like. 

(I just wish I read Spanish so I could read it! If you can read Spanish, go HERE to order it. And then tell me about it.) 

During the conversation, I mentioned I'd had some essays published. He earnestly encouraged me to keep writing, and asked if I'd read Montaigne. (No.) So he said he'd send me a collection of them, since Montaigne was the father of essays. 

And guess what?  He did. 

He sent the book AND he encouraged me to not give up on my writing. 

You just never know where your next friend is going to turn up. All I know is, it pays to say hi to the person in the seat beside you. 

 

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

~Albert Schweitzer

 

P. S. Next week is my 59th birthday. I've decided to created a 60 by 60 list of things to do in the next year. I'll post it next week... or at least what I've come up with so far.  I'm hoping to knock some of them out this weekend!

If you have suggestions, please send them on! Low budget, of course. 

P.S.S. I hope your spring has been filled with sweet! moments, too. If you can't think of any right now, concentrate and think of one (you're alive and breathing and apparently have your eyesight!) and I guarantee you'll think of more and more and more.  Please share them in the comments!

Italy flashback, time capsules ... and other sweet!s

 

"The next best thing to the enjoyment of a good time, is the recollection of it."

~James Lendall Basford 

 

 

For someone who has a zillion photo albums collected on shelves all over her house, it amazes even me that I rarely print photos anymore. But I didn't want my memories of Italy languishing in a file in my computer, forgotten, so in December I took advantage of the awesome promotions Shutterfly was offering and created a photo book. 

It's wonderful, but the bonus was a coupon for a free calendar, which arrived in the mail yesterday! Now I just have to glance up and to the left from my desk when I need a quick mental retreat to Italy. Thank you, Shutterfly!

 

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

 ~From the television show The Wonder Years

 

 

Speaking of hanging on to memories... my oldest now has his own home, so I finally gave in to his urging and dug out the remaining 6 boxes I've had held onto that were filled with mementoes of his childhood.

I didn't have a chance to go through them before Tom loaded them in his truck. That was probably for the best, though, doing it cold turkey like that. I doubt if all 6 boxes would have made it out of here intact, if I'd had time to dive into them. 

So I'm grateful my son posted photos of the Ninja Turtles, pogs, Marvel comic cards, Hot Wheels, etc. the boxes contained. They are all treasured memories for me, too... providing flashbacks to a younger him, collecting and sorting and playing with them. 

 

And now, even more sweet!s.... 

~Every year for the past 10 or 12 years, our friends Karen and George have hosted a Super Bowl party. They are from Philadelphia and huge Eagles fans, as you can see from the banner below.

 

 

I'm not a football fan, so I really don't know if the Philadelphia Eagles have played in a Superbowl before, but I do know they've never won one... until this year. 

I usually go to the parties for the food and the chance to catch up with girlfriends. Sunday night I still ate and gabbed my fair share, but I also actually watched a large portion of the game, rooting for the Phillies, of course. 

And it was so gratifying to witness Karen and George as that final second ticked away, and they knew their team had won. You don't have to be a huge football fan to be happy for your friends and grateful when loyalty is rewarded. 

 

Congratulations, George and Karen!

 

~My friend's son letting me know I'm having a few e-seconds of fame! Click on this link and scroll down to Franklin's BBQ...

Me at Franklin's, thanks to Google City Experts, circa 2014

~Helping to celebrate two friends' birthdays in one day, with awesome food, good company, and a return to Esther's Follies

 

 

~Finally making it to the Lago Vista Market Days, visiting with friends and spotting some cute puppies. 

~Friends and past clients recommending my Realtor services on Facebook... and even to strangers in Sephora!

~Deciding to wait out the worst of traffic by having dinner at East Side Cafe after showing property in the area.

 

 

~A morning spent on the Austin Luxury property tour of amazing off-market homes. That it's part of my job makes it extra sweet! 

~Gaining new clients because they googled "Keller Williams agent - Austin" and my name popped up, plus they felt my website was "very professional". 

 

 

~Witnessing the Super Blue Blood Moon, in all of its stages.

~Contracts on two of my listings

 

 

~Continuing to find heart rocks along my path

~Watching the space station pass right over our house

~ A 91st birthday party for an amazing lady

~ A wedding shower for a friend's daughter, who is now a new home owner and past client

 

~ My son sharing a precious photo of Belle

~ Christmas decorations all put away until next year

 

 

~ Experiencing the energy of a 2Cellos concert for the first time

~ A phone call with my high school yearbook teacher

 

 

~ Friends thinking of me and sharing when they discover hearts in unusual places, like the center of this cedar post (thanks, Stan!)

Those are true Valentines. And so...

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you tomorrow! 

 

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~Thornton Wilder

 

 

Happy birthday, Belle! (and other sweet!s)

 

 

Eight years ago, while we were mourning the loss of our sweet Charly, a litter of puppies was born in east Texas.  Whether the mom was a pure-bred who had a wild fling with a stray, or she was a mixed breed stray herself, we'll never know. 

We do know that a few weeks later a little black and brown bundle of cuteness wandered up to a home near Tyler, Texas. Unfortunately, the home belonged to a single mom living on a teacher's salary who could barely afford the horses and handful of stray dogs and cats she already owned.

Fortunately, she was determined to find a home for the cute puppy. Otherwise she would have to send it to a shelter... and there were no 'no-kill' shelters in Tyler, Texas. 

Her son posted its photo on a Facebook page for University of Texas students. Our daughter spotted it and sent it to me. It wasn't the first photo she had sent me, but by then, our resolve against getting another dog had been cracked by our German Shepherd/Great Dane Max's obvious despondency over Charly's absence.

He was so lonely! He just dragged his feet on our morning walks, ignoring Frankie the guinea fowl, and spent most of his time sleeping.

Seeing him like that just broke my heart!

We gave in, deciding Max needed a puppy, and after several phone calls with the puppy's foster mother, Tom and I arranged to meet her at a Dairy Queen in a little town outside of Waco. 

She called the puppy 'Thibodeaux'.

Um, no. To me, that just wasn't a fit. So as we drove down the highway, I ran name after name through my mind, trying to find just the right one.

At the Bell County line, it came to me  - "Belle". My Belle of Long Hollow.

Max gave his full approval, to the name and the puppy.

 

 

We'll be celebrating Belle's birthday on Sunday, probably with an extra walk and maybe some popcorn. She loves popcorn.

Somehow eight years have passed, as well as Max and Frankie. Once again, we've decided we won't get another dog.

I think Belle's okay with that; she's an inside dog now and very content. Besides, I don't think our allergies or our iRobot could handle a second dog in the house!

But "never say never", right? I know each one of our critters has been a gift from God, delivered just when we needed it.  Who knows who we'll meet up the road?

 

 

"Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really."

~Agnes Sligh Turnbull

 

And now for a few more sweet!s I've collected since Christmas...

A motivating all-day leadership mastermind in Houston for all of the Keller Williams Realty Agent Leadership Councils in our region

Spotting a "sun-heart" in my sunlight photo taken on the trip home from Houston afterward (this is cropped quite a bit so you can see it) 

 

(Yes, I know it also looks a bit like a lima bean)

 

All of the "Friend-versary" videos popping up on Facebook 

Allergy medicines that keep my cedar fever under control

Belle snuggling in her puppy beds all over the house

 

 

Walks with Belle on gorgeous, frosty, golden mornings, and the view of mist rising from Lake Travis 

Getting a contract on one of my listings in 9 days

 

Seeing the latest Star Wars movie, "The Last Jedi", with my son... flashing back to seeing the very first one 40+ years ago ... feeling I had come full circle.

Spending a day helping a friend celebrate her birthday in one of her favorite places... Magnolia Market in Waco ... and seeing another longtime friend for the first time in years. 

 

A friend's new home almost complete on the lot I helped her buy a year ago

Audible, so I can "read" books in my car when I have no time at home

My oldest decorating his Christmas tree with his childhood ornaments that used to hang on mine

 

My photo book of my Italy trip delivered to my doorstep

Friends recommending me, bringing me new buyer and seller clients

Warm temperatures returning after three days below freezing

A warm bowl of Hoppin' John on a cold New Year's Day

 

Spotting a huge owl on my morning walk and hearing it whistle

A successful surgery for someone I love (but please keep them in your prayers as they recover) 

And of course, plenty of heart rocks... 

 

(Can you think of any sweet!s in your own life? Share them in the comments!)

 We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

 

Thank you, 2017... Hello, 2018!

Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring new opportunities.

~Michael Josephson

 

Can you believe another year has come and gone? 

2017 will be unforgettable for me in many ways. I visited Las Vegas again, thanks to the Keller Williams Family Reunion in February. After my first visit to Vegas in 1981, I really had no desire to go back. But even though this time I didn't gamble, barely left the convention center, and didn't see any shows other than 'Cher'... I still ate some great food, met up with a high school friend who is now a broker in Rhode Island, and... I saw Cher!! 

I still have no desire to go back, but I'm really glad I went this time. 

In May, Tom and I spent two relaxing weeks in Florida visiting my mother-in-law and celebrating her birthday.

Well, I relaxed while Tom and his brothers repainted the wood trim in mom's house, among other odd jobs. And by 'relaxed', I mean I only spent a few hours a day talking to clients and agents and negotiating contracts, in between trips to the beach and thrift shops, sightseeing, watching television, or playing cards. 

 

The weeks leading up to October got a little crazy. I was helping organize my 40th high school reunion, while also planning to travel to Italy for the first time in 41 years with classmates the day after the reunion. It forced me, for the first time, to trust someone else to help me with my business - a huge step for me. But I knew I needed to do it for my clients. 

The reunion felt rushed - so much planning for so few hours, and never enough time to talk to everyone.

But Italy...  I had dreamed of visiting it again for so many years... enough years to think I would never make it back.  We had the perfect balance of "busy" and "rest"... and I was blessed with the perfect traveling companions and hosts. 

 

Once again there were some nerve-wracking, challenging moments in my business this past year. But while I didn't quite meet the goals I set for 2017, I went to Italy!

My team leader keeps reminding me of that. And I still improved on last year while continuing to do what I enjoy... helping people, challenging myself, learning, meeting new people, and spending time with friends and family. It's still my dream job and I'm so grateful for it. 

But the best part of 2017? Finding out that my first grandchild will be born in 2018. 

So 2018, I welcome you with open arms! Happy New Year, everyone!

 

“At the sound of the tolling midnight bell a brand new year will begin.

Let’s raise our hopes in a confident toast, to the promise it ushers in.

May your battles be few, your pleasures many, your wishes and dreams fulfilled.

May your confidence stand in the face of loss and give you the strength to rebuild.

May peace of heart fill all your days, may serenity grace your soul.

May tranquil moments bless your life and keep your spirits whole." 

 

 

December Sweets on a Christmas Eve...

 

 

It's Christmas Eve. I spent most of the afternoon baking cookies and making fudge. It was my first attempt at baking gluten-free, and I have to admit, my Cyclops Cookies turned out as fabulous as ever. God bless who ever developed the 1-to-1 gluten-free flour! 

I finished up just in time to make it to the 5 pm Children's Mass. Even though my own kids are way past the Christmas Pageant age, I enjoy seeing all of the little ones dressed up as shepherds and angels, and hearing their whispered questions to their parents as Santa Claus makes his way up the center aisle carrying a present for the baby Jesus. 

Images of my own kids dressed as shepherds and angels flashed through my mind. I think I have a couple of dark, blurry photos of them in one of my zillion albums. Where did the time go?

But never mind wondering where the years went... tonight I'm wondering where December went! 

Earlier this month, my oldest turned 32. I'm suffering from self-inflicted mom-guilt for not writing a blog post in honor of it, as I did here and here and .... well, essentially every year since I started writing this blog. 

My Sunshine Boy was my first about him, I believe. 

He was traveling on his birthday this year, as has become the custom. In 2015 he and his wife were bungee-jumping in New Zealand. Last year, they were exploring Cuba. This year he turned 32 in London and traveled to Paris the next day.

They hired a photographer to meet them at the Eiffel Tower for a photo shoot one day, with a specific purpose in mind: 

 

 

Yes, that's right! This time next year, my son will be the father of a 6-month-old! In other words.... I'm going to be a grandmother!

They told me the night I landed after my Italy trip, making up some reason why they needed me to come by their house on my way home from the HOUSTON airport. It added an extra 30 minutes to my 3 hour night drive home after not sleeping for more than 24 hours, but hey, I'm a mom and wanted to see them anyway, so of course I went. And I was rewarded!

But I was also sworn to secrecy until they made the announcement themselves. And that's my excuse for not writing his birthday blog post until now. How could I, without blurting out the secret? 

The idea of being a grandmother overwhelms me. I only hope I can live up to the awesome grandmother-role-models that have gone before me, including my own mom. I have no doubt my son and his wife will be amazing parents, so I'll be able to spoil and indulge to my heart's content. But honestly, it's like thinking ahead to being a parent for the first time. I have no idea what's ahead of me, but I'm really looking forward to it anyway! 

There have been quite a few other sweets this month... gorgeous sunrises, heart rocks, new clients, fun parties... and today my friend Byron sent us this image he received from our hostess in Italy of "our" villa all decked out for Christmas. 

 

 

That window on the top left was my room. Sigh. 

Anyway, other December sweets included being chosen for our Keller Williams market center's Agent Leadership Council again, a week of morning walks with our grandpuppy Josie while her mama and daddy were traveling...

 

...and welcoming Remi, our Roomba, into the family. 

The puppies weren't quite sure of her at first...

 

 

We also had real snow this month! TG built this snowman in the dark while I held a flashlight...

 

I made it back to Austin's amazing Trail of Lights...

 

And some clients in Georgetown gave me a jar of honey from their backyard hive. Yum!

 

I can't forget one of the most important sweets of the month - Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Jesus. Of God becoming human in order to save us from our sins. Nothing else compares to that... even becoming a mother or grandmother. 

May all of you have a beautiful day tomorrow, filled with joy and peace and love, whether you're celebrating Christmas or not. I get to be with all of my kids, and will be able to let you know if the gluten-free flour works as well on fried chicken tenders as it does in cookies. I have a special family-favorite recipe I'll be trying out tomorrow. Wish me luck! 

And Merry Christmas!

 

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.

~Ada V. Hendricks

 

I give thanks for you...

 

When I was young, Thanksgiving was my least favorite holiday. There usually weren't any cousins my age to play with and the older ones didn't like me tagging along; I didn't care for most of the food (I didn't even like pie!); and after eating, everyone just sat around watching football, so I couldn't even watch television. 

Now I think back to those gatherings and wish I could have just another few minutes with all of those beloved people who have now passed on... my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmother, and of course, my mom and dad... and let them know how grateful I am for those memories of love and laughter.  

As I grew older, my fondness for the holiday also grew. I learned to love pie and cornbread dressing, for one thing. But it was more than that. I learned to appreciate the time spent with my parents and siblings, to slow down, share stories. Eventually it was my own children sitting at the "kids" table with their cousins.  

Even after we moved to Austin, we usually traveled to my parents' home for Thanksgiving. I can still picture Mama in the kitchen checking the turkey, Daddy in his recliner in the back room watching football, and the rest of us either sitting near Daddy or drinking coffee at the kitchen table, offering our help to Mama, which she never accepted. 

But of course, with time comes change. With Daddy's passing, routine went by the wayside. Each year I've enjoyed my Thanksgiving dinner in a different place. It's not like it used to be, but that doesn't mean it's bad. My son hosted it one year for his wife's large extended family and included us. Last year Tom and I traveled alone to Florida to spend it with his mom and some of his brothers.

This year he went again, but I couldn't afford the time away. Instead, TG and I joined my son and his wife at her uncle's house. Her grandmother was there - the matriarch - along with aunts and uncles and kids of all ages. I believe there were 28 of us altogether, eating, laughing, sharing stories ... a definite flashback to those first Thanksgivings.

I've realized that no matter where I am on Thanksgiving, all of those I love are with me, because I am so grateful for each of them. Time passes and things change, but some things create such a deep impression on your heart that they are eternal. 

I hope no matter where you were today, or who you were with, you felt the presence of all of those you hold dear... all of those who love or have loved you ... gathered around, giving thanks for you as you gave thanks for them. 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

 

"I thank my God every time I remember you." 

Philippians 1:3

 

 

October, Friday the 13ths, Baby Boys, Birthdays, Growing up, Reunions, Italy, and a bunch of other sweet!s

 

 

Our weather has been in a see-saw pattern the past few weeks. Beautiful, cool, autumn-like days swoop in, making everyone smile, and then suddenly summer is back, with highs in the 90's, sticky air, and sneaky mosquitoes. 

But at least we're getting the promise of autumn and a reprieve from the true summer days of triple digit temps. 

October has always been one of my favorite months, if not the top of my list altogether. The weather is awesome, which means there are tons of festivals. Probably too many, if that's possible. Everything gets planned for October.

And that's why I'm going a little crazy right now. The Keller Williams Food Drive is today, but I couldn't participate this year because today is also our church Oktoberfest, and I've been in charge of promoting it to be sure we get a great turnout.

But I can't even attend it this year because in a few hours I'll be heading to Houston to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my high school graduation, which I've also been organizing from afar. 

 

Would you believe we've lost 14 of those kids up there since our last reunion five years ago? It's heartbreaking. 

The homecoming football game was last night and they honored all of the past homecoming queens. I was a homecoming queen (1977!), but for the first time since we started having our reunions on homecoming weekend, I couldn't be at the game. 

For one thing, on Sunday I'm flying out with high school friends for a week in ITALY!  Oh my gosh, how totally SWEET!

The photo above is from my whirlwind budget/student Foreign Study League tour through Europe way back in 1976. I've been dreaming of returning  ever since, and finally riding in a Venetian gondola, which I neglected to do the last time.  

I'm also glad I get to see David again. All giggling aside, it is a magnificent piece of art and I can still remember the amazement I felt seeing it the first time. 

At the time we planned this trip,  it seemed so perfect to leave right after our reunion. 

Oh my gosh. We were sooooo wrong.

This past week has been tough, trying to be sure I was ready for the trip, that I had done all I could do to promote Oktoberfest, that everything for the reunion was done and I had done my best to let all of my classmates know about it, and that I had taken care of all of my clients.

Besides needing the extra day to prepare for my trip, I also skipped the game because yesterday was my "baby" boy's 29th birthday!

 

And it fell on a Friday the 13th, which made it even more special. That's a lucky day in our family. He didn't want a big celebration or gifts, so we celebrated with hamburgers and brownies, and he gets a discount on his rent this month. 

Time flies and birthday celebrations change, but I'm grateful for each and every one. I'm glad I stayed to celebrate with him. 

There have been so many other sweet! moments over the past few weeks... so many heart rocks, images of hearts friends have shared with me (one on a dog's nose and another on a cat's chest!), get-togethers with friends, new clients, contracts on listings, beautiful sunrises like the one at the top, and colorful autumn wildflowers lining our dirt road, like the False Foxglove below.

(TG looked up the name for me - another sweet!)

I hope your October is overflowing with sweet! moments, too. 

 

October is a hallelujah! reverberating in my body year-round....

~John Nichols (b.1940), The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn 

 

 

 

Postcards from Greece, Dragonflies, and other sweet!s

 Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky.

~Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Silent Noon

 

This morning as Belle and I finished our walk, a dragonfly buzzed close, circling and circling. It even hovered about a foot from me for a few seconds, providing me a good look at its glimmering green and turquoise body,before finally flying off and disappearing into the trees.

What a sweet moment!

I've noticed a lot dragonflies zipping around the hollow lately. They never seem to land, just zip, zip, zip, but in 2010 dragonflies of every color posed for me.

The friendly one this morning reminded me of those old photos, so I went searching through my files so I could share this with you.

 

 Dragonflies are just amazing, aren't they?

 

I wish I could say I took the next photo.  My son and his wife are finishing up an idyllic week in Greece, which followed an idyllic week on the Amalfi coast of Italy. It's an early birthday celebration for my daughter-in-law.

Those kids know how to celebrate, that's for sure!

They are both awesome photographers, too, capturing amazing views, architecture, and slices of life, besides making sure they get some photos of themselves experiencing all of it. 

I've enjoyed following along on their adventures and have added all of the places they've visited to my bucket list. I'm so grateful for Instagram and Facebook!

 

 

And now for a few other sweet!s from the past two (or so) weeks, working backward ...

Celebrating a client/friend's 60th birthday party while watching the sun set over Lake Travis

Celebrating another friend's 55th birthday by dancing for hours

 

 

A blog/photographer friend providing authentic recipes for Spanish tapas for me for a Wine & Tapas meeting I'm going to this week. (Sidenote: I met Juana through her food-story blog years ago. Although I've never met her in person, I consider her a dear friend. She has an amazing story, which she has had published. Unfortunately for me, it hasn't been translated into English yet, but if you read Spanish, you should buy it and read it. I know it's good. "Por Una Sonrisa")

Enjoying a second cup of coffee on my deck with Belle on a relatively cool morning in time to watch a great blue heron fly over and two red hawks fight for custody of a tree near our creek 

Our hollow at night... the smell of the cedars and the creek, the sound of night insects, and the stars scattered across the sky

Finally adding posts to the real estate blog I started last year... "Your Austin Sweet Austin Home". (Please check it out and share it with friends! Thank you! )

Having the flexibility to cover for our church secretary at the last minute when she needs to go to the doctor....

... and seeing this on our priest's desk...

 

 

How Belle can sense when Tom or the kids are about to arrive home when they are still at least a mile away

An executed contract for a buyer who is looking forward to moving his family back to Texas from California

Friends and clients who don't even live in Texas purchasing raffle tickets that benefit my church and small town

Our family and friends in Florida being spared damage from Hurricane Irma 

Lunch with my cousin

Finding a heart rock in my path almost every day

 

 

Helping a friend's dad find a home

Connecting an aging neighbor with someone who can help her take care of her yard

A visit with my nephew who was in town helping to coordinate hurricane relief 

My listing in Kyle, Texas going live! (Help me find a buyer!)

 

 

The full moon waiting for me to get up before it disappeared below the horizon

Driving on country roads at night with the full moon keeping me company and the windows open... the wind carrying smells of the lake and campfire smoke and the promise of autumn

Thinking of my dad on the anniversary of his passing and my father-in-law on his birthday, and giving thanks I was blessed to have both in my life

Enjoying sunrises over the hill country with Belle

 

 

Dinner with friends at a floating restaurant on Lake Travis

Tom home safe from a hunting weekend with friends (and bringing home lots of pork from the wild hog he shot)

Being able to check on friends and family in Houston via Facebook during the hurricane, and knowing most of them were high and dry

Dinner with a friend/client and giving her a sign made by another friend/client who has started a business making them

 

 

Dusk on my back deck, when the frogs begin to croon, harmonizing with the cicadas and evening birds

Family and friends checking to be sure we weren't affected by the hurricane

The sight of blue sky peeking out of dark clouds after torrential rains

 

 

Autozone employees, who in less than 15 minutes had diagnosed and replaced my dying car battery

Watching the Game of Thrones finale with my kids

A walk in the rain to check on the pond and discovering the American Beautyberry bush in full color 

 

 

The great attitudes of those friends and family who did get water in their homes. They have reminded me that...

 

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.

~Francesca Reigler

 

Harvey's blowing us a kiss... (and a few recent sweet!s)

 

 

Name the season’s first hurricane Zelda and fool Mother Nature into calling it a year.

~Robert Brault

 

Throughout the night I woke several times to the sound of heavy rain outside my window. And this afternoon on my back deck, I watched as the wind swooped hard through the hollow every few minutes, tickling the treetops, making them bend and dance.  

My first hurricane was Carla, in 1961. I wasn't even 3 years old, but have vague memories of it. For one thing, I remember not being afraid, which amazes me until I realize I had all of my family with me. Why should I be afraid?

Tom and I experienced Hurricane Alicia together in 1983, soon after our first anniversary. We lived in League City at the time, a little inland from Galveston. During the eye of the storm, Tom went out to check on the house... and even climbed on the roof to make some repairs! 

Argh. 

We were lucky, though. No damage other than a few roof shingles. The neighborhood next door suffered a few tornadoes and in a park we often visited, huge old oaks lay on their sides. 

However... and I may be jinxing us by saying this... after some worrisome predictions about flooding and high winds in our area from Hurricane Harvey, it looks like Austin is going to get by with just some rainy days and cooler temps, both of which are welcome after a summer of mostly triple digit heat. 

But Harvey has hammered the central Texas Gulf Coast, especially the Rockport area, which includes Port Aransas, the special sanctuary where some of my girlfriends and I have an annual retreat.

Our weekend is still a month away, but right now it's unclear if our home-away-from-home is even standing. There has been tremendous damage in the area and, unfortunately, loss of life.

They have much more to worry about than whether they will get their annual weekend away with friends. 

So please join me in praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey. 

 

And now, a few sweet!s from the past week or two. Please share yours in the comments!

 

I continue to find heart-shaped rocks. The one below seemed to have the notch drilled into it! 

 

Especially sweet! is that friends are sharing their own heart shapes with me, including the two below...

 

 

Two years ago I helped longtime friends of mine buy a new home in Kyle, south of Austin. They picked this site because of the gorgeous oak tree. The builders modified the design of the house to protect the tree.

Now they've decided to move and this gorgeous house (and tree!) will be on the market soon. Do you know anyone who is thinking of moving to the Austin area? Let me know!

 

The eclipse was only about 50% here, but TG had the forethought to buy all of us special glasses so we could see it. I didn't even think about taking photos of the eclipse, but aren't these cool glasses?

I'll hang on to them for 2024 when the next solar eclipse path is supposed to cross much closer to us. And I'll be prepared to take photos!

 

I took all three of the photos below in the space of an hour...

Soft, pink mornings for our walks ... a surprise discovery of a few mountain pinks still blooming ... a toad who has adopted us, and who thinks Belle's outside water bowl is a swimming pool. 

 

My mom told me once that geraniums were her favorite flowers, so every year I buy a plant. This one wasn't doing very well with the triple-digit temperatures (no green thumb here!), but I started remembering to water it every morning (with the toad's swimming pool water!) and it exploded with blooms. 

 

Here are a few more highlights from the past couple of weeks that don't come with photos, but are sweet! all the same...

Celebrating a friend's birthday with several other friends at an Italian restaurant I've never visited before, followed by a nighttime swim. Plenty of time for catching up.

Fnding the right apartment for a friend's son who will start treatments soon for stage 4 colon cancer, knowing that at least one of their worries has been resolved. 

Meeting a friend for coffee one day, and another friend/client for lunch on another. 

A woman at church gushing about what an awesome insurance agent my son is, and how much money he saved them. 

Phone calls with my sister. 

 

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.

~Anthony J. D’Angelo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35 years!... and other sweet!s

 

 

"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."

~Rita Rudner

 

If you haven't guessed, it's been 35 years since that Friday the 13th when Tom and I said "I do" to a lifetime together. It's actually tomorrow, but what's a day when you're talking about 35 years, right? 

As I said in last year's anniversary post, they "have passed in a blur of laughter, tears, frustration, relief, adventure, illness, challenge, excitement, celebration, perseverance, love, forgiveness, and blessings too numerous to count." 

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years.

~Simone Signoret

 

Nothing really compares to that, but I have collected other sweet!s over the past few weeks...

 

Remembering and celebrating the anniversaries of my clients' closings, and that there are more and more to celebrate!

Meeting a neighbor at the local grocery store because she wants to buy some of my church raffle tickets, and having her sell two more to a friend of mine who walked in, because the St. Vincent de Paul Society once helped her during a time of need. She knows the proceeds really are going to a great cause. 

Making it to the grand opening of another friend's business.  She retired from the tech industry and started a sign business!

 

Facebook, where I can wish my sister a happy birthday and post a bunch of photos of us together over the years when I can't be with her in person.

Also cell phones and free long distance, so I can also call her. (Remember the days when you had to pay for every minute you talked on the phone or just send a card? I did that, too, of course. I found the perfect one months ago and actually remembered to mail it in time for her birthday!)

Stopping on my way home one day to visit with a friend's dad who is also a past client... a New Jersey transplant-turned- proud-Texan. 

 

Continuing to find hearts in nature, like this rock on my caliche road...

 

...and this heart carved into a larger rock I noticed on one of my morning walks.

 

A friend thinking of me when she spotted this book, and then sending it to me, along with a large donation to pass on to the Prayer Shawl ministry at my church, in appreciation of the prayer shawl they sent her when her mom passed away. 

My kids making it home safe and sound from their trip to Florida to visit their grandma. 

Their grandma calling me to say how awesome they are and how much she enjoyed their visit, even though Tommy skunked her at cribbage. 

 

Lizards, especially when they stay still long enough to take their picture. 

Soft morning light on the trees lining the creek after several days of rain. 

Tom's cousin in Miami thinking of buying a house near Austin!

 

Helping a friend's daughter, who you've watched grow up, become a homeowner. It is an amazing feeling being a part of the journey and I'm so grateful to be able to do this for a living!

Spending a day helping a friend find a place for her son to live when he is discharged from the hospital after a diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer. Please say a prayer for them. 

Lunch with my oldest before they headed off to Florida, and being able to discuss different marketing and motivational ideas with him. 

Being able to drive to Houston to be there for a friend as she says goodbye to her dad. 

Seeing another friend there who recently suffered a heart attack and almost didn't make it to the hospital in time. 

Having dinner with my sister and brother-in-law before heading back home. 

 

Watching Belle in a stand-off with a deer. So fierce!

Finally remembering to get the oil changed in my car.

Making a last-minute decision to go see Don Felder (Eagles), Styx, and REO Speedwagon in concert with a friend on a Monday night!

A dear, talented friend and her husband spending their Sunday afternoon helping you re-cover your dining room chairs. 

 

Glorious sunrises over the hills.

Rescuing a Daddy-Long-Legs from my bathtub. 

Candles, when we experienced a power outage in our neighborhood. The power company getting it fixed before the house got too hot. How the smell of candles burning can transport me back to my 7th grade bedroom. (I had a LOT of candles back then.)

Sitting on my front porch, after I've swept it. 

 

Belle getting better about letting me take her photo!

Playing my drums for the first time in ages. I'm worse than ever, but it's still as much fun!

Teaming up with another agent to support each other as we pursue our broker's licenses. 

Having so many classes available, on everything from pricing properties to hiring an assistant. 

 

And last, but not least... these gorgeous purple/pink flowers I noticed growing in a curve of our dirt road.

I almost didn't see them because I didn't expect to see them.  There usually aren't any flowers blooming by this time of the summer, except for the small yellow and white ones, and occasional rain lilies, and I've never I've never seen any like these before, anyway. I haven't spotted them blooming anywhere else. 

I'm so glad I remembered to open my eyes.

"Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful."

~Jim Carrey

I hope you have a great collection of sweet!s from the past few weeks, too, and that it continues to grow!

 

Florida, Family, the Fourth... and other not-quite-forgotten "sweet!"s

 

 

This is the post I intended to write back in June, when I returned from a glorious two weeks in Florida, visiting my mother-in-law. I've had the intention just about every day since. 

So enough is enough. I've decided "Today's the Day"! (Click on that to hear the awesome Shake Russell song that is now gladly stuck in my head. It's one of my favorites!) Before any more time passes, adding to the already-too-long length of this post, I'm going to pretend I don't see the to-do lists piled in front of me, and just get this written. 

Why do I bother? My first reason is I have a terrible memory, and even though I've been good about jotting down my 'sweet!'s in a journal every day, it's different when they are recorded here with my photos. Looking back at my old posts helps keep my memories alive, so even if I'm the only one reading them, it's worth it to me to continue.

But I do hope it inspires you, my reader, to focus on the positives in your life, to be more intentional about opening your eyes and seeing the blessings around you. As with anything else, it gets easier with practice.

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

Mornings with Belle. We've had a record number of 100+ degree days already, so mornings are the best time to get outside. She trots and sniffs to catch up on the latest activity while I say my Rosary and satisfy my photography addiction.

I just take my iPhone these days, but it's good for snapping photos of Belle, heart rocks, and wildflowers, like the one of a lingering bouquet of mountain pinks above. 

Belle's hip is doing much better, but out of the blue she developed conjunctivitis and a horrible sounding cough. Back to the vet for eye ointment and antibiotics. They did the trick, but I can't help wondering what caused it and what's next for my sweet puppy.

Middle age is not being kind to her, but she is still my joyous, energetic, life-loving Belle. I'm not taking her company for granted, that's for sure.

Not that I ever did. But I think I did take her good health for granted, much like we do our own, when we have it.

 

 

This photo is from the 4th of July. I declared myself free from having to go anywhere that day except for this walk with my puppy. Even though I didn't witness any parades, and could only hear the BOOM of fireworks in the surrounding hills, it was a wonderful 4th of July.

I spend hours in my car, so I've been learning Italian via CDs in preparation for a trip to Italy with friends in October. I'm also helping to plan my 40th high school class reunion in October and our church's biggest fundraiser of the year - Oktoberfest.

Whew! Just thinking about October excites and exhausts me, all at the same time! (P.S How many raffle tickets do you want to buy?)

 

 

I cherish time with friends, so I'm happy to report I've made it a priority over the past two months. My Lago Vista friends and I have been intentional about getting together every couple of weeks for dinner, plus...

 

 

My dear friend Annie was in town to house-sit for her sister. We managed a couple of visits, along with our friend Darla. But the hours flew by. There's just never enough time. (This was on another friend's birthday - we didn't want to leave her out!)

 

 

My friend Shirley is one of the reasons I'm grateful for Facebook. It's given me a second chance to get to know beautiful people like her that I didn't know back in high school.

She came to town to visit her sister, who has also become a friend. Seeing both of them, meeting their friend Julia, and spending more time with Darla was definitely sweet!, as was the glorious view of Lake Austin and the Texas hill country from Debbie's house. 

 

 

Years and years and years ago, TG was in Brownies. And so was Cheyanne.

Now Cheyanne is a mom. That's her baby I'm holding up there. 

Such a sweet!, but also... sigh. It's just hard to believe they are old enough to be having babies!

 

 

 

Weddings are always sweet!, especially when you know it's a match made in heaven, which will truly be appreciated. It was a joy to witness the one above. 

 

 

When I moved to Austin 20+ years ago, it surprised me that I wasn't homesick a day. I think that was at least in part because I already had a friend from my hometown living here - Darla. Another one, Leslie, soon followed. A few years later (thanks again to Facebook!) we discovered another classmate, Debbie, lived nearby. We use our birthdays, among other things, as excuses to get together.

In June we celebrated Leslie's. She's one of the last to turn 58.

 

 

I love that my clients quite often become my friends, if they weren't already. And what a blessing when they start a business making signs like the one above that I can order to give to new clients! (Also, what a joy when they adopt a baby that I finally get to meet in person, as I did a few weeks ago. No photos, but trust me, he's a little doll! )

 

 

Speaking of clients, business has been great, which is a major sweet!, of course.  Especially when you've helped a friend realize her dream of owning a new home, like Kris up there, or a friend's child (who you have watched grow up!) become a homeowner for the first time. That closing is bright and early Monday morning. It began in a multiple offer situation - just a little extra sugar on top that our offer was chosen over the others. 

 

I'm also happy to report that a property I've had listed off and on for a couple of years finally has a new owner! Persistence pays off, that's for sure. I never give up. 

I still have a couple of other listings who need new owners. One is in Spicewood, near yummy Opie's Barbecue and Krause Springs, which is a gorgeous grotto/swimming hole I've written about recently. Two acres bordering Lake Travis. It's a piece of a nine acre parcel that includes a precious lake cabin, recently upgraded and decorated Magnolia-style. The owner is considering selling the whole shebang, furnishings included, so if you know someone who may be interested, let me know. 

 

 

Another one is an awesome home in my own neighborhood. It's situated at the top of a hill on 7 acres, ensuring privacy and not only a view of Lake Travis, but also of every sunset, plus the fireworks of a multitude of surrounding communities on the 4th of July.

Oh, and the night sky. You wouldn't believe the stars out here. 

It's a little bittersweet, as always. The sellers are friends. They were the Boy Scout Leader and troop treasurer that Tom and I followed. Their son was the first Eagle scout in the troop. I've helped take care of their pets when they were on vacation (they believe in dog rescue) and taken their youngest daughter to school when she needed a ride.

Of course, that was many years ago. Their kids are grown.  It's time to downsize, and it's my job to help them move on to their next dream. So if this sounds like the right home for anyone you know, let me know!

Most of my clients are friends, or referred to me by friends or past clients, but not all of them. Last week I spent two days with a buyer from California who first called me about one of my listings. It wasn't what he was looking for, though, so I found a few that were a better match and he flew here to take a look at them. 

We first met at Opie's Barbecue in Spicewood, because a few of the properties he was interested in were nearby. For one thing, we were meeting at lunchtime. It was a great excuse for me to finally go inside Opie's to eat. I had passed it so many times but always at the wrong time or when I was too busy to stop. For another, it was a great way for us to get to know each other a little before heading out to different properties. 

Somewhere in the course of our conversation, I mentioned my blog and photography. That's not the first time - clients often ask what I did before I became a Realtor. But what is surprising is Victor and his nephew Rick actually took time to read my blog. Rick read it that night, and Victor read it when he was back home in California. Except for a few of my closest friend/clients, they may be the only clients who have. 

They also noticed my brake lights were out and wanted to fix them for me while we were out showing property. Since we were in rural area (no Autozones!) I thanked them but assured them I would get it fixed as soon as possible. (I did.)

Once back in California, Victor called to discuss the properties we viewed - and to check on whether I'd gotten the brake lights replaced. 

Having clients who are that thoughtful is really sweet! 

 

 

 

I get plenty of glimpses of Lake Travis every day, which is sweet!, but finally jumping into that cool water on a scorching summer day is even better. Thanks to my Keller Williams market center family, I made that plunge last week off of a party boat anchored in a quiet cove until just after sunset. It was just what I needed!

 

 

My brother lives close enough to visit, but not close enough to visit very often, so I was grateful when they had a cook-out in June to celebrate his wife's birthday and granddaughter's visit, so I could spend time with all of them for a few hours. He lives on a few acres of gorgeous Texas hill country, complete with horses, including Rooster who was born just a few months ago. (My brother loves him.)

No pictures, due to strict orders, but I was able to spend time with all of my kids one Sunday evening this month to celebrate TG's birthday. My absolute favorite way to spend a day, just sitting around the table playing catch up with my kids. They amaze me! 

 

 

Early in July, I was driving past Mama's nursing home when I noticed the rose bush my market center planted last year on RED Day was dotted in pink blooms.

Of course, I had to pull in and take a photo.

And then I had to go inside to say hi to anyone who would remember me. I found a few members of the staff, and then was so pleased to see Mama's first roommate down one hall. I spent a few minutes talking to her  - she seemed to remember me - before heading on my way. 

The tears came without warning once I was back in my car, but they were as much gratitude as sadness, that I was able to have her so close and know that she was cared for so lovingly. 

 

 

 

Tom and I spent two whole weeks in Florida at the end of May and beginning of June to celebrate his mom's birthday. It was a HUGE sweet!, all around, getting to spend time with her, see several of his brothers and different sisters-in-law, play cards, make a few trips to the beach, go thrifting and antiquing and sightseeing...

I still touched base with clients and even wrote a contract while I was there, but it was a change of scenery, much less time on my computer, and very little time behind the wheel. 

In other words, it was a great vacation! 

 

 

 

On the way home, we met my sister and her husband for lunch. Before we knew it, four hours had passed! But I was so grateful for it. (That's Tom's finger in the photo with us. :) )

That is MORE than enough for one post, and I even left out a lot! It just goes to show that when you pay attention and keep your eyes open, you'll find sweet!s all around you. 

 

 

I originally planned to end the post there, with that awesome fortune resting on one of my Florida thrifting treasures. But unfortunately, this morning I received word that my dear friend Rae's dad passed away today.

Rae was my go-to when I needed someone to check on my mom and dad, especially when they were in the hospital and then when they were living in the nursing home in Pasadena. 

She stepped in to help us sort through/clean out my parents' house, and was there to help with the garage sale. I really don't know what we would have done without her.

Her dad, Bill Bailey, was a larger than life Houston personality. A radio disc jockey when we were growing up, a Constable, and the voice of the Houston Rodeo for ages and ages. What I remember most is hearing his distinctive voice telling us scary stories at junior high slumber parties. 

Rae lost her mom several years ago and was very, very, very close to her dad, so I would truly appreciate it if you would keep her and her family in your prayers right now. Thank you!

A Truly Rich Man...

I dreamed of Daddy two nights ago. He stood at a distance from me, like at the end of a hallway, a big smile on his face. And then he was beside me, giving me a hug. We talked, but I don't remember what was said. 

It was Daddy, circa 1980's or 1990's, strong and healthy, and then Mama was there, too, only I didn't recognize her at first because it was her 13-year-old self. 

Dreams can be very strange, can't they? But also very comforting. I miss my mom and dad, but I woke with a sense that they are doing just fine. 

I recently returned from a long visit with my mother-in-law, where I bumped into memories of Pop everywhere, from the carafe of chilled red wine in the refrigerator to games of cribbage and 3-13, and especially in the faces of his sons as they approach the age he was when I met him. 

How blessed I've been to have such wonderful fathers in my life, including the father of my children. None were perfect, but parenthood is a "learn-as-you-go" adventure. They did the best they could. The important thing is that they let love guide them through the uncharted waters (because each child is a new and unique territory!)

You can't go wrong with real honest-to-goodness unconditional love. 

In honor of Father's Day, here's a repeat of an old post, just because it's one of my favorites, along with this one and this one.  I hope you like it, too, and I hope all of you fathers have had a wonderful day, with the love you've given repaid back to you. 

 

What does a father do?

 

A father gives advice 

A father nourishes the body 

and soul 

A father encourages

A father is joyful

A father reads

A father lends a hand 

 

A father plays 

 

A father offers support 

 

A father sticks close by your side

 

A father makes memories

A father teaches 

A father laughs 

A father is gallant

 

A father proves age is just a number

 

A father reaches out 

A father hangs on tight

A father helps you aim high

A father shows pride 

A father sets a good example to follow

A father relaxes

A father listens

 

A father keeps you honest

 

A father helps out

 

A father loves

 

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

~Author Unknown

He's still here... and other sweet!s

Tom and I once spent a week in a downtown Austin high-rise which had fabulous views of the city. It was especially beautiful at night, with the Texas State Capitol and other downtown buildings all lit up.

Unfortunately, that high-rise was Brackenridge Hospital, and Tom wasn't in any shape to appreciate those gorgeous views. He was recovering from a head-on collision that gashed his face and broke a LOT of bones. A morphine drip was his best friend that week.

Friends and family rallied around us, but one of my best friends was a spiral notebook, where I chronicled our visitors, his treatments, and my thoughts, which I gathered for my essay "In the Aftermath of a Car Wreck", eventually published in the State Lines column of the Houston Chronicle's Texas Magazine. 

I've been thinking about that experience more than ever lately, mostly because today is the 19th anniversary of his wreck, but also because Brackenridge Hospital is now empty, scheduled for demolition. All of the patients have been moved to the new Dell Seton Medical Center.

That makes me sad for some reason. I realize it was the amazing staff who saved him, not the building ... the EMTs, the surgeons, the nurses ... and I'm so grateful for them, and that they will still be around, always ready to save another life. 

But even though my memories may not seem like good ones, they are infused with gratitude for our friends and family who were there for us, who stepped in to help and encourage us; for the nurses who cared for him and allowed me to stay in his room; for the plastic surgeon's skill (the scar was barely noticeable after just one week!)

Mostly, I was simply grateful to sit there and watch him sleep, his chest lifting with every breath of life.

He's still here... and that is much more than sweet!

If you have lived, take thankfully the past.

~John Dryden

And now for a few sweet!s from this past week (I'm trying to get back on track with posting these!):

Sunday: not receiving dirty looks when all you contribute to the Women's Guild soup & salad luncheon/meeting is a bag of potato chips because you didn't have time to go to the grocery store after your husband and sons stock up for their fishing weekend out of your refrigerator; your sons and husband having an awesome time together on their boys' weekend, hiking and watching a lightning storm approach on the horizon (and then being safe in their cabin when the actual storm hit); helping a neighbor/friend celebrate his 70th birthday; his awesome birthday cake...

 

Monday: watching a duck fly through your hollow above the creek; meeting with a client and learning about her coaching business; a verbal offer on one of your listings; finally eating at County Line BBQ

 

Tuesday: writing an offer for a cute young couple; being part of a Mastermind Group, committed to helping each other grow; the culture of Keller Williams Realty... supportive rather than competitive ... where agents share their success tips with others, just to be helpful; making it to Beall's with a 40% off Clearance coupon before it expires; everyone making it home safe in a blinding rainstorm; finally noticing a rock-heart embedded in the road where you walk every morning...

 

Wednesday: A clear, cool fall-like morning in May; Belle flushing a cottontail out of the woods and across the road in front of you, with Belle oblivious to its escape; towering yuccas blooming everywhere...

 

Shopping for books for a "summer reading" basket for the Lago Vista ISD Education Foundation fundraiser and managing to resist buying every one you like; starting Italian lessons via a CD series you listen to while driving, in preparation for your trip to Italy; referrals from friends; spotting a walking stick on your back stoop...

 

Thursday: commission checks; being able to pay your bills; dinner with a long-time friend that lasts 3 hours; margaritas made with Deep Eddy's Ruby Red Vodka; an owl swooping low out of the night on your country road

Friday: meeting your son and your daughter's boyfriend for coffee; scratching a lot off of your to-do list; looking forward to celebrating your mother-in-law's birthday with her; Mountain Pinks making their appearance...

 

I hope all of you had a sweet!-filled week, with more waiting for you around the corner. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend, remembering, and giving thanks for, those who believed in our freedom enough to give their lives for it. 

 

 

Mother's Day, Husband's Day, and other May Sweet!s

About 50 years ago, this little cutie was collecting turtles near the Magothy River ...pretty much having a Tom-Sawyer-like childhood in the Maryland woods where he grew up with his 8 brothers.

He just turned 60, but still loves playing in the woods around our house, discovering and observing wildlife, and he still looks pretty dang cute in a pair of shorts.

He's a little taller now, and his hair is tinted with silver, but I know behind that facade is the same mischievous cutie you see above. 

When he turned 50, we had a huge blow-out party, which included all of his brothers and most of their families converging on our house.

There were people sleeping all over the house. We even threw mattresses in my closet and a bathroom.

It was awesome and crazy, all at the same time! I can count on one hand how often all nine boys have been in the same place at the same time since I've known them. 

But this year he opted for a small party.  Just the kids, with hamburgers and cheesecake on the menu.

And at this very moment, he's enjoying a weekend of fishing and hiking with his sons. 

<whew>

Happy birthday, Tom!

 

Plans were in place to go see the new "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie for Mother's Day. My older son - the planner - had already bought tickets. But when I woke up Sunday morning, it was such a gorgeous day that another idea popped in my head...

...We should go hiking in the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge near our house instead! I have driven past the entrance so many times, but just never have had the time to go explore it.

Thank goodness my sons  were all for it and my older son was able to get a refund for the tickets. 

 

 It was totally the right decision. The views reminded me of how much I love living here in the Texas Hill Country. And the hike made me feel less guilty about the cheesecake I ate in honor of Tom's birthday. 

 

 (New tennis shoes are a recent 'sweet!'!)

 

Isn't it gorgeous? I can only imagine the sunsets viewed from up there.

 

Since both of my boys are Eagle Scouts, I really appreciated seeing another Eagle's project on the trail; he built these stands that help you see a little bit more of the vista. (I'm just guessing they do - I didn't test them out!)

After exploring all of the trails in this area, we drove to another part of the reserve called Doeskin Ranch, where trails meandered low along a creek, then headed up into the hills.  Different, but just as beautiful, and a good reminder of all of the different terrains you can find in the Texas Hill Country.

My middle son spotted this heart shape on a rock. I would have missed it!

 

 These unique flowers were growing near the creek. I only spotted this one bunch of them. Does anyone know what they are? They remind me of tulips! (But also a tiny bit of that flesh-eating plant on The Addams Family, so I didn't get any closer than this.)

 

Last week Belle learned the hard way she isn't really a puppy anymore. At least not physically. 

She chased one of our tenant rock squirrels into the woods, but hobbled back onto the porch on just three legs. Thank goodness, she didn't tear her ACL, as I feared, but only sprained it. 

After a week of leashed walks and blocking the stairs with an old suitcase and my rolling desk chair (which wasn't always effective) we ventured back down the road for a morning walk. The first one took awhile because of all the sniffing.

I guess a lot had gone on in the past week and she needed to get caught up, much like my email inbox or Facebook when I've been away from either for a couple of days.

 

 

Without furthur ado, here are a few other sweet! highlights from the past month...

~ Noticing a momma wild turkey and one of her chicks strolling beside the creek down below our back deck one morning, thanks to Belle, who noticed her first, but wasn't inclined to bark or run down to chase her.  

~ Learning I'm #7 in my market center for individual closed production so far this year. I'm so grateful to all of my clients who have trusted me to help them with their real estate needs, and to everyone who has recommended me to someone, since my business is almost 100% referral based.  I couldn't have reached this without them!

~ I don't have a hummingbird feeder, but almost every day I spot one zipping around on our back deck through my office window, and one morning he buzzed me when I was standing outside by the rail. (My cell phone case is red.)

How can you keep from smiling when you see a hummingbird?

~ Dinner with my cousin Pat. She was always so good about visiting my mom, and I'm grateful we still get together, even though it's not nearly often enough.

~ Finally having coffee with another UT mom who lives in Austin after months of trying to sync our schedules. 

~ A gorgeous hydrangea arrangement from my son and daughter-in-law for Mother's Day, and a bottle of port from TG and her BF. 

 

 The annual Keller Williams RED (Renew, Energize, Donate) Day was on May 11. Last year my market center converged on my mom's nursing home soon after her passing and worked on several projects, which included planting a pink rosebush in honor of my mom. 

This year we chose Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center as our RED Day nonprofit, helping with maintenance items like clearing rocks out of a riding lot, creating a butterfly garden, adding sensory stations to the riding path, building ramps/platforms to make it easier for clients to move from their wheelchairs to the backs of horses, and lots more. It's an amazing place and it was wonderful to be able to set aside a day of regular work to help them as they help others. 

(That's me in the shorts and blue and white hat. I was on the landscaping committee.)

~ I completed the Certified Home Marketing Specialist designation, which I started back in November! 

~ We have a new air conditioning system. Our awesome A/C guy had managed to patch up our old one the past few years, but warned us we'd need to purchase a new one. I'm grateful the old one held on long enough for us to have enough money to just write a check for the new one!

 An afternoon break with Belle... a yard full of Indian Blankets ... and a geranium to remind me of my mama. 

 

Our daughters shared adventures in Spain during high school, our sons are good friends, and now I've been able to help this sweet friend through the process of building a new home. Her phase inspections are going great!

~ My brother-in-law spent his birthday in the hospital getting checked out for a possible heart attack, but all of his tests came back great. We're not sure what caused his pain, but grateful to find he's in pretty good shape.

~ Back in junior high, I had a big crush on a friend's brother. We talked on the phone and wrote letters, then lost touch until Facebook came along. Now I'm helping him and his wife find retirement property. Life is weird and amazing!

 

Run-walking with Belle while I say my Rosary.

Sometimes we make it out in time to catch the sunrise from up the hill. And one day we timed it just right to meet up with a neighbor walking her two puppies, Levi and Willow. Belle had such a great time with them! And I enjoyed walking and gabbing with my neighbor. 

I've been working with a two great couples since last summer who wanted to purchase investment properties in Austin. They each wanted a place where their UT kids could live for now, and where they could possibly retire to in a few years.

They didn't know each other. One couple lives in Illinois, and the other in west Texas. 

It has been fun and educational getting to know them - we've looked at condos all over the Austin area on their trips here.  

But within a few days of each other, they all narrowed it down to a new complexes in south Austin. One couple closed on a really cute condo last week and the other closes in a couple of weeks.

It's always rewarding and exciting when that happens, but it also always makes me a little sad, knowing we won't be exploring properties together anymore. 

But it's incentive to stay in touch, as well as find more clients to help!

On our Mother's Day hike last week, I was just about to comment about how I hadn't seen any cactus blooms this year, thinking the season had already passed.

Before I could say anything, I noticed this beautiful bloom.  The season is just beginning. 

Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.

~Rumi

 

Just Call Me Ironmom

 

Be proud to wear you.

~Dodinsky

 

Last Saturday my oldest completed an Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands, Texas.

He was up around 3 am to eat breakfast, left for the competition site at 5 am, and started the swimming portion at 7 am. 

Around 14 hours later, he sprinted across the finish line.

In case you're not familiar with Ironman Triathlons, here's a description, courtesy of Wikipedia...

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order and without a break.

Ugh! Can you imagine?

And yes, he sprinted across the finish line, racing another participant. 

Crazy! I was exhausted by that point, just moving from spot to spot to catch a glimpse of him!

Sure enough, there were so many people gathered around the finish line that I couldn't see him. But a friend whose wife is an Ironman (yes- it's gender neutral!) sent me this photo from the finish line video...

 Success comes in cans, not cant's.

~Author Unknown

Just watching the Ironman was such a an inspiring experience! 

There were thousands participating, as you can see from all the bikes.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

~Michael Jordan

While Tommy is young (31) and the image of fitness (you would never know he battled severe asthma when he was young), it was clear from watching one participant after another pass in front of us that an Ironman isn't defined by age, shape, size, or gender.

I would guess the average age is around 50; one of my high school classmates was participating, although I never spotted him, and there were quite a few participants who were obviously older than I am.

Several who were finishing ahead of Tommy would probably be considered overweight, and assumed to be out of shape. We even spotted two blind participants accompanied by guides. They rode tandem bikes. 

While there are some who do this professionally, for most, it's not a race, just a personal goal. What they obviously have in common is something inside that compels them to challenge themselves in this way. 

I admit I don't understand it. I'm not even tempted to run a 5K. I'm happy just running/walking with Belle each morning along our dirt road, and will only do another 30 minutes or so on the treadmill or with my weights to keep my heart, lungs, bones, and muscles in shape for however many more years I'm blessed to be here. 

But that doesn't stop me from being so proud of Tommy, and so amazed and impressed by his accomplishment.

He made it look so easy, with a smile on his face every time we saw him. I think he was happy the day had finally arrived - he had spent months training for it - and also happy that he was getting closer and closer to having it behind him. 

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.

~Edmund Hillary

 

Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.

~Richard Kline

 

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

~Henry Stanley Haskins

 

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

~Thomas Edison

 

I will live the free-hand life — I will rise up at dawn, and with sure, unfaltering faith, create the day. I will come at noon, and with the assurance of a master, paint the heavens. I will come at night, and with the confidence of one who cannot fail, hang a million stars in the sky.

~Muriel Strode (1875–1964), "A Soul's Faring: XLI," A Soul's Faring, 1921

 

The day started out warm, but ended unseasonably cool. That's probably perfect for a triathlon, where you start out swimming and end up running.

It reminded me of watching him at middle school track meets on spring afternoon/evenings almost two decades ago, first sweating in the bleachers then shivering under blankets by the time the meet was over, long after sunset.

In high school, he switched to running cross country. He rarely placed at the meets, but he earned the spirit award for never giving up. 

He told us he started out the swim portion of the Ironman doing the backstroke for 1 1/2 miles. That was his event the one summer he was on the Lago Vista swim team, right after 4th grade. 

Oh my gosh, that was a long summer, having to have him (and his two younger siblings, of course) up early and at the pool every morning by 7 am. (Maybe it wasn't every morning, but it seemed like it!) And then every Saturday - every Saturday! - we had to be up and out with the whole gang before sunrise for swim meets that lasted most of the day. 

Of course, looking back now I cherish those days, but at the time... whew! 

After the first swim meet, Tommy wanted to quit. We told him he couldn't, that he needed to finish the season, but then he would never have to do it again if he didn't want to. 

So he finished the season - and never did it again.

I can't say I was sorry at the time, but now I'm grateful for those memories. We bonded with a lot of families who are still our friends today. 

Life is weird, isn't it?

Anyway, we didn't always do everything right as parents, but I like to think this is one thing we did do right... impressing on our kids that if they started something, they needed to finish it. 

Even so,  I know we really can't take credit for the drive and determination it took for Tommy to become an Ironman.  To follow through with his training after he signed up and to cross that finish line.

I do know it's pretty awesome when your kids become your inspiration and role models. (P.S. He's the best insurance agent you'll ever find!)

Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.

~Wendy Wasserstein

 

Shallue Go Bragh! (revisited)

 

May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This is mostly a repost, slightly updated, but when you can trace your husband's family back to Ireland in just a handful of generations, what else is there to blog about on St. Paddy's Day? I hope you enjoy it, even if you've read it before!

 

 

Bridget Shallue was just 52, younger than I am now and already a widow, when she said goodbye to Ireland in 1852 with her grown children...chased away by the potato famine, I'm sure.

If she ever returned, it isn't mentioned in the family lore.

Accompanied by two daughters and two sons, Bridget first arrived in Quebec, traveled to New York, and finally settled in Wisconsin in 1856.

One daughter died on the passage from Ireland and was buried at sea. Two older sons chose Australia over America to begin their new life. I doubt if she ever saw them again; her goodbye to those sons was probably as final and heartbreaking as her goodbye to her home, her homeland and her husband Thomas's grave - he had died just a few years before, at age 45.

And then the added heartbreak of watching a daughter's lifeless body disappear into the ocean...heartbreak I just can't imagine.

My own Tom Shallue and I found all of this out shortly after we were married, by talking to relatives and researching in libraries. We traced his family back to Ennistyman, County Clare...to that first Tom's grave, but that was as far as we could go. There was no Internet twenty-five years ago, no Ancestry.com, and we couldn't afford a trip over to do our own research or to hire a professional to do it for us.

It hit me that I knew more about the Shallue history than my Wilson's, so the next few years I focused my genealogical fervor on that line and other branches of my family ... for example, my great-great grandfather George, memoir writer and protagonist of (one of) my book-in-progress.

But today is St. Patrick's Day and my thoughts are green...drawn toward the Shallue family and Ireland. Tom and I dream of traveling there one day, visiting the places that are only names on a map to us right now. 

It would be extra fun to travel there with my son and daughter-in-law, Kirby, whose Irish-born grandmother left for the United States when just a teenager. She still has semi-close relatives living there. Even now, decades later, her grandmother hasn't lost her beautiful Irish accent!  

The photo above isn't the final resting place of a direct descendant - it was taken by an aunt or cousin on a visit to Ireland several years ago - but it's no doubt a relative's final resting place because every Shallue is related. There just aren't that many!

Even these very names...James, Margaret and Denis Shallue...are echoed on tombstones on both sides of the ocean.

The Australian Shallues were always a mystery to the American branch. Rumor had it those brothers got on the wrong boat...they went to Australia totally by accident! But even though the American and Australian Shallues have connected on Facebook and Instagram, I still haven't gotten any clear answers about how they ended up there.

Tonight we'll be celebrating St. Paddy's Day with dear friends... the very Irish Monahans. There will be Guiness and Irish music and way too much corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, Irish soda bread, and no telling what else to eat. I can't wait!

Here's wishing all of you a happy St. Patrick's Day, too! And may God give you...

For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

 

An Acceptable Time

 

The phrase 'an acceptable time' has been popping up lately on the fringes of my consciousness. There's a Bible verse about "an acceptable time" which refers to salvation, and a Madeleine L'Engle book of that name, which I've been intending to read for years, but still haven't yet. 

 

But I finally finished a book that Gary Keller wrote called "The One Thing", about how important time-blocking is to accomplish the high priority items in our lives. 

 

 

You figure out what one thing is most important to achieve your goal in any area of your life, then you block time for it, and most importantly, protect it from all distractions.

 

For example, if your goal is to get in shape, then it's really important that you work out a certain number of days for a certain amount of time. So I'm getting a lot better about turning off my phone in the mornings when I walk Belle and say my Rosary, as well as during the hour I work out. I know (from experience) that if I take the call or answer the text, I won't get back to my workout.

I also know that, whatever the issue is, it can wait until I'm finished. 

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.

Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

~Carl Sandburg

There's more to the book than that, of course, and he writes it a lot better than I can, so I encourage you to read it, even if you're not in the real estate business. It applies to all areas of our lives, and addresses how to maintain balance in those areas. 

Even in the blogging area. I decided tonight was an acceptable time to publish a long-overdue blog post. It's important to me to keep blogging, for my own pleasure, therapy, whatever...

But like most things that are put off too long, it becomes harder and harder to get started the longer you put it off. Writing a blog post takes longer than anyone other than bloggers can imagine. For me, anyway.

It requires a big chunk of relatively uninterrupted time, so I'm ignoring emails and to-do lists to do a brief catch-up over the past couple of crazy months. I plan to block time each week or so for a post.

It's important to me and, therefore, worthy of my time. 

 

Seasons change.

Sometimes they are pretty subtle, though, and that's been the case here in central Texas this year. Summer was pretty distinctive (100+ degree days!), but Autumn, Winter, and now Spring have all pretty much blurred together, temperature-wise. Mostly a rollercoaster of  warm and cool. 

There are other seasons in our lives that change, too, though. Just a few years ago my kids were in college, still mostly dependent on us. Besides my family, I was focused on photography, writing, and blogging. 

Now my kids are grown, and even though two still live at home, they are paying rent. They have real jobs with their own insurance (thank God) and I can enjoy having them here, because I know it's temporary. 

These days, I use my phone for photography more than my Nikon, and my writing consists of a rare blog post, marketing materials, and my daily summary of 'sweets'.  I haven't been faithful at posting them here, but this week marks a year of writing them in a journal every day. Yay!

If you struggle to keep a positive attitude, I encourage to keep track of your 'sweets', too. It could be a bird singing, a warm fire, getting enough sleep one night, a friend calling, or maybe taking advantage of an opportunity to help someone else. Pay attention and write them down, if possible. I bet you find your list grows longer each day.

 

One of the best parts of my job is helping friends get what they want.

In all honesty, by the time we get to closing, I consider all of my clients to be friends, since I've been so focused on their needs.

But I've been blessed to help several long-time friends with their real estate needs, most recently ShiShi, in the photo above with her husband. We were the only two girls in our high school physics class. After that, we lost touch. She went on to become an architect, and, well, if you read my blog, you know what I've done since then. 

Until we started viewing potential properties for her and her husband Ike to buy, I hadn't seen her since 1977. It was so awesome to reconnect with her and get to know Ike and her sons. 

I was almost sorry when we finally closed on a property. But now that we've reconnected, I feel sure we'll see each other again. 

 

A recurring theme right now for my peers is aging parents. A dear friend recently left her life in Texas to live in California and help care for her aging parents. We sent her off in style with a farewell party in a local restaurant overlooking Lake Travis. 

Her own real estate career had just begun to take off; she plans to continue it in California, so if you know anyone who has a real estate need there, let me know and I'll connect you.

 

 

Last weekend I attended a bridal shower for a beautiful young woman, one of my older son's friends I've known since their elementary school days, along with her family.

The shower was held in her cousin's home... a home I helped her and her husband buy this past summer. I can't describe the joy of still being a part of these "kids'" lives, helping them buy their first homes and celebrate the milestones in their lives. 

Also attending were other mothers... friends who supported me and my kids, and who share many of the same memories of their growing up. I am still so grateful we moved to this small town, where my kids have so many 'other mothers' who love them almost as much as I do, just as I love their kids. 

 

 

Yes, seasons change. It seems like yesterday that I was their age. But my joy and excitement for them doesn't leave room for any wistful, rose-colored-glasses wishes to be younger. I haven't forgotten the challenges of that season. Despite the challenges that come with age, I'm enjoying the one I'm in at any given time.

The next one will be here soon enough.  

 

Every season hath its pleasures:
Spring may boast her flowery prime,
Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures
Brighten Autumn's soberer time.
So life's year begins and closes;
Days, though shortening, still can shine;
What, though youth gave loves and roses,
Age still leaves us friends and wine.

~Thomas Moore (1779–1852), "Spring and Autumn"

I had no idea...

I had no idea, when I decided to lug the recycling up to the bin tonight, that a full moon was waiting for me at the top of our winding path. It peeked at me from between the trees, but then BOO! there it was, resting just above the silhouetted hill in front of our house, shining bold and bright and casting shadows of trees across the dirt road. 

What a sweet surprise. I had no need for a flashlight -the moon cast a soft glow across my path. An echo of daylight.

I paused and embraced that moment...

...The moon, and its frame of wispy clouds.  The sprinkling of stars. The slight chill of a Texas autumn. Far off, I heard a car making its way through the hills. A dog barked.

Mostly, it was quiet and peaceful, and I let it just wash over me. 

I gave thanks. 

This can be a crazy time of year. And it can be a sad time of year, even while it's joyous.

It's like a rainbow. Or maybe a braid. 

Peace is often the weakest color. The weakest strand. 

We demand a lot of ourselves and our families. For instance, I was not going to let this Christmas go by without putting up my tree and decorations. But between me and that goal sat my mom's chest of drawers and my grandmother's cedar chest in the middle of my living room (not where furniture belongs), plus a bunch of boxes full of my mom's photo albums and of my own books still longing for a place on a shelf. 

I had one Saturday to find a place for the furniture , and then weed through all of my books, deciding who stays and who goes. so I had a spot for the tree.

And I did it. I admit I still have 3 or 4 boxes full of children's books stashed away until I have grandkids, but I filled several more boxes of books that will go to other homes. 

It was another week before I had time to actually decorate my house and tree. So I gave the task four hours (or, three favorite Christmas movies, however you want to put it), then had the kids put away all of the boxes, even though only about 2/3 of the decorations made it out.

But it was done. 

 

 

I'm trying to keep sight of what the season is all about than just be busy with the signs of the season.

For me, it's the season of Advent, which I've already written about HERE, and preparing for the coming of Christ.

Like other religions, that also means spending more time with family and friends, and showing your appreciation to them. It also means spending more time in reflection and prayer. 

But life, and work, continue, making the same demands as always.

Something's got to give.

We no longer do mandatory gift-giving, but I do still plan to send out cards, even though I send way more than I receive.

I just love the tradition. It makes me sit and think of each person on my list, to reminisce and give thanks they are still in my life. Even if it's just to send a Christmas card once a year. I've been sending my own since I was in 9th grade.

Actually, I had planned to work on cards this evening.... until I saw the moon.

Which made me say thanks, and made me think of other blessings in my life lately.

So, without further ado, here are some recent sweets...

 

Having all my kids together, and finally properly celebrating my 31st anniversary of becoming a mother. And, of course, my son's birthday. 

(Weird, wonderful coincidence: Two girls who graduated with my son gave birth to their firstborns on my son's birthday - so we share the anniversary! Isn't that amazing?)

 

An afternoon of food, friendship, and wine! We had been trying to schedule a day to meet at Flat Creek Estate Winery for about a year to take advantage of a raffle-prize group wine tasting, and finally managed it this past Sunday.

Of course, it was perfect timing, right in the middle of the holiday stress, to just sit and relax with friends you've known for ages, who know your ups and downs and are always cheering for you. 

...especially when you've just become a grandma like the beautiful un-grandmotherly-looking woman on the right, whose beautiful granddaughter was born on my son's birthday. 

 

The beauty of autumn leaves.

Each morning I run/walk with Belle down our dirt road, reciting the Rosary. I never quite finish, so I take a couple of laps around my house.

One day I noticed these leaves lying on our porch swing. I mean, I finally saw them lying there, and realized how beautiful they were. 

Sometimes we get too caught up in our habits - even good ones - to really pay attention, don't we?

 

Another morning I was jogging down the road and noticed a splash of red in the cedar trees.

Out of pure curiosity, I continued running past our house to see what it was. 

And I was glad I did. (Thank you, God!)

Yes, the beauty of autumn leaves. 

 

Being accepted as a member of the next Agent Leadership Council of our market center was a huge honor. You have to be in the top 20% of production - which I didn't even realize I had reached - plus go through an interview process.

And I made it!

Keller Williams is different in that agents help make big decisions in the operation of the office. We won't get paid for our time. It's just a way of giving back and trying to help make us even better.

We started with an all-day retreat last week... which started with breakfast tacos from Taco Donut Palace. (Remember, we're in Austin!)

 

One morning, after way, way too many gray, drizzly days, the clouds disappeared and we were given the most beautiful, crisp, clear sunrise.

That moment when the sun kisses my hollow is always so amazing, like a painter bringing his work to life, and especially after you've been starved for color. This photo doesn't do it justice, but I hope it gives you a hint. 

Definitely another "thank you" moment. 

 

 

Belle has a new friend. 

Our neighbor's cat, Willow, has started hanging around our place quite a bit. 

It made me nervous at first because Belle has a gung-ho hunting spirit, and I was afraid she would hurt (kill) Willow, without meaning to. 

But Willow is pretty savvy. She has not only survived, but seems to have the upper hand in the friendship most of the time.

Honestly, I know she's just here because of the mice and the bird feeder - and the slim hope of making it indoors. 

But seeing them together, especially during this political season that seems to never end, brings me hope that we can all focus on our common goals and interests. I know we have them. 

We don't have to give up our individual beliefs, but we can show respect for each other's. Fear is taking on way too much power in this country these days.

And that's what will be our downfall. Not our differences, but Fear.  

Don't let Fear guide you. Focus on hope, love, and peace. They are just as powerful.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, full of love, hope, and peace. If you're missing loved ones, as I am, focus on the people you still have in your lives, on giving and sharing. I do believe it helps keep sadness from clouding the sweets all around us.

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks

 

One of life's sweet surprises...

 

It's hard for me to believe it now, but there was a time in my life when I wasn't sure I wanted to be a mother. I mean, kids can be so annoying and demanding! (I know I was!)

 

 

I thank God every single day that he changed my mind and blessed me with my three amazing kids, beginning with the one who turns 31 today.

Long gone are the days when I was in charge of his celebrations. He now plans his own, and with his wife's help, does a much better job than I ever did. Today he is exploring Cuba!

He promised we could celebrate together when he returns, because today is special for me, too - my 31st anniversary of becoming a mother. Truly the most life-changing, gratifying, challenging, and amazing job I could ever have imagined, even now that they are grown.

 

 

 

They continue to make me laugh, and continually amaze, challenge, encourage, inspire, motivate, support, and teach me. 

 

 

...And yes, sometimes worry me, but that's because I'm a mom, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

So happy birthday, Tommy. May you continue to embrace and enjoy this life, and receive as much joy as you give to me and others. I hope today you are having fun adventures and collecting tons of priceless memories in Cuba, and they are just the beginning of another awesome year.

Love and thanks,

Mom

"The first fact about the celebration of birthdays is that it is a good way of affirming defiantly, and even flamboyantly, that it is a good thing to be alive." ~G.K. Chesterton

 

Where Do I Begin?

My dear, dear blog,

I have had so many good intentions of writing to you over the past few weeks, but alas, they got lost in the dust stirred up by time racing by. And now here it is, the first of December, and all I've written you since August are two little birthday posts. 

Enough is enough. It's time to catch you up on all that's been happening around here....so many things worthy of their own blog post - in my opinion, at least - but a condensed version will have to suffice.

First of all, you may remember that last year at this time my eldest was in New Zealand, celebrating his 30th birthday.

Well, guess where he is tonight? Cuba! He'll be celebrating his 31st birthday there in a couple of days, traveling to some of the smaller towns, meeting the locals, and soaking it all up. 

For him and his adventurous wife, it was a pretty spur-of-the-moment trip, although they've gotten really good at researching and planning their vacations.

For example, they explored Iceland in August via a camper van. I hadn't even gotten around to telling you about that! 

That is just not like me. 

I'm so grateful for their photos, Facebook, and their adventurous spirits. 

 

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

Tom and I took a road trip to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving with his mom. Although I call her a couple of times a month, somehow a year and a half had passed without me seeing her in person. Tom traveled there for her birthday in May, but I just couldn't get away. (My business exploded after my mom passed away. I think she stirred things up. Thank you, Mama!)

My mother-in-law is an amazing lady, so sharp and energetic, with such a positive outlook on life. I'm determined to help her celebrate her next birthday in May. 

On this trip there was a lot of card-playing, television-watching, and sleeping. In other words, it was a true vacation! Plus, my sweet sister- and brother-in-law took me to my favorite antique/thrift store where you can still find bargains. 

And then they hosted Thanksgiving, with another brother- and sister-in-law driving up from central Florida who I hadn't seen since Pop's funeral in 2012. 

Overall it was an awesome trip. No beach...nothing exciting or fancy....but absolutely wonderful. 

The week flew by for me - and then I had to fly home. By May I plan to have systems in place that allow me to stay the whole time. 

 

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

On our way to Florida, we stopped in Houston to help one of our oldest friends celebrate his 60th birthday. Bob was in the Coast Guard with Tom, and except for Tom's roommate David (who was also at the party), Bob and his wife Lisa were the first of Tom's friends I met.

They always hosted the best New Year's Eve parties, which included silly interactive games which ensured everyone got to know each other fast... sometimes pretty intimately. 

(No, not that intimately. Totally innocent. Just sort of embarrassing, in a junior high kind of way.)

Anyway, we played them again at Bob's birthday party. It's a great way to peel away 30+ years!

No photos of the games, though, just us and our dear friends...

 

There are no friends like old friends, right? I'm very grateful for these!

 

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

My daughter-in-law turned 29 a few weeks ago. For her 30th birthday next year, they are already planning a trip to Italy, so she has been taking Italian lessons, and to celebrate her birthday, we joined her at an awesome Italian restaurant in Austin, Vespaio. 

Afterwards, we went to Cedar Street Courtyard and enjoyed a Spazmatics concert. It had nothing to do with Italy, but it was a lot of fun and worth staying up late on a Wednesday night!

 

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

 

This is a terrible photo of a photo from my 16th birthday. That's my grandmother on my right, my sister on my left, and my brother-in-law Boyce behind me. 

I was 10 when my sister went on a blind date with Boyce. Five years later they were married, and they stayed that way for a very long time. He was absolutely the funniest person I've every met, very loyal, smart, helpful... but a very complicated person. 

He loved to embarrass me, but was one of my most ardent cheerleaders, too, keeping me humble and building me up at the same time. He was one of my best friends. 

Boyce and my sister were second parents to me when my parents divorced, giving me valuable guidance, financial advice, and stability. 

But he was also bi-polar (we later realized) and it got worse as he got older. They eventually divorced, but remained friends, and he always remained my big brother, a dear friend, and one of the funniest people I've ever known. My parents adored him. 

So it broke my heart when he passed away several weeks ago after almost a year of severe illness. 

May you rest in peace, Boyce. I love you, and thank you for being such an awesome big brother. 

 

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

If you're a fan of the HGTV show Fixer-Upper, then you are familiar with Magnolia Market.

I finally got to visit it in person!

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

 

I always love helping my clients, whether buyers or sellers, realize their real estate goal or dream. But I recently had the joy of helping my son's best friend and his wife (who is also one of my son's long time friends I've watched grow up) move back to Austin from Washington D.C. and buy their first home - a really cool modern home in east Austin. 

They were so much fun to work with - they had thought it out thoroughly and knew their priorities. There was one house they kept coming back to... and they got it. I'm so grateful they let me help them in their adventure. And I'm so happy they are back in Austin!

 

I had a little adventure of my own on the way to their closing... a flat on a major highway!

I made the mistake of pulling off on the left shoulder, but fortunately an awesome Austin policeman came to my rescue. With his car, he blocked traffic on the highway so I could get across to the exit, then blocked traffic on the feeder so I could pull into an Academy parking lot. Then he proceeded to change my tire until the highway assistance truck arrived and took over. 

His name is Office Wally and he's my hero. 

 

I still made it to the closing, though, because my awesome son met me at the tire store, gave me his car, and waited there while mine was repaired. Later, he met us for brunch to celebrate the closing and we traded back.

What might have been a horrible day turned out to be wonderful, thanks to Officer Wally and Tommy. 

 

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

 

 

 

For something like 15 years, I've been retreating to the beach in Port Aransas each fall with friends. I've truly lost count of the number of years.

A few of the faces have remained the same, but every year there are some changes. 

This year was extra special because one of the ladies - who happens to be the daughter of one of the originals, but who has been joining us since she turned 21 ten years ago when we picked her up at the Corpus Christi airport and now she essentially keeps the whole thing organized... um, where was I?

Oh, yes, Lauren is expecting her first baby, so we gave her a surprise baby shower. 

That was definitely a first. 

A lot of us also went out dancing one night and witnessed some fights (and subsequently knew it was time to leave) so it all balanced out and was yet another memorable weekend that will blur together with all of the others into a blissful montage that I remember distinctly but can't keep straight from year to year. 

 

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

And that's it for now. Those are just the highlights of the past couple of months. In between these big blessings are so many small ones that are easily overlooked, and I feel guilty for not sharing those.

But I do hope you have been keeping an eye open for them. To me, they are the most powerful... the quiet reminders of hope and God's love. 

Until next time... whenever that may be. 

Love,

Barbara

 

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by"

~Carl Sandburg

 

And another year makes... 28?

 

Despite my best efforts to slow down - to catch and savor the sweet surprises of each day - the hours, the minutes, the days, and even the years are beginning to blur.

I'm actually having a tough time remembering how old my kids are!

I swear Daniel just turned 27, but I blinked, and now somehow he's 28. He didn't want a celebration and treated the day as any other, getting up and going to work and declining my suggestion that we all go somewhere for dinner in Austin because it would mean a late night and he had to get up early for work. 

Yes, my kids have grown up. 

I'm glad he at least took his big brother up on an offer for a late lunch/early dinner. Moms always hope and pray their kids will not only get along, but actually enjoy each other's company, so it made me happy to see this photo on Facebook ... even though they didn't invite me to join them. Ahem. 

 

 

I was busy making Cyclops Cookies, anyway. After the year we've had, I couldn't let the day go by without doing something special to acknowledge it. So I made an appointment with myself in the kitchen, ignored calls and emails, and made way too many cookies for just the four of us. 

Tomorrow I'll shove healthy eating in the closet again when I fry up his favorite meal - Jim Linton's Chicken Tenders. (The recipe is from a friend of ours, so the name stuck.) It's a huge flour-y, greasy ordeal, so I only make them for special occasions, and when I have enough time to scrub the whole kitchen afterwards.

It's worth it though, if it helps me express how much I appreciate him just being alive, and his thoughtful, caring soul that led him to stop and visit Mama on his way home from work at least once a week, even though that meant he wouldn't get home or eat dinner until close to 9 pm.

It meant so much to her for him to visit, and it helped ease my mind on the rare days I wasn't able to stop and check on her to know he would fill in for me.

 

 

 

 

And then to have him and TG stick beside me for hours as Mama made her way home to heaven and Daddy... it made me proud and humble and grateful, all at the same time. 

I feel honored and so truly blessed for the privilege of watching him and all of my kids grow up. They aren't perfect, thank goodness (what fun would that be?) ... but somehow, despite all the mistakes I made as their mom (and still make!) they are really, really, really good human beings. 

Celebrating the day they were born - the day I became their mom - well, that is truly a chance I can't pass up. 

 

 

Happy 28th birthday, Daniel! I hope the coming year is the best ever for you, that all of the blessings and care and thoughtfulness you bestow on others comes back to you a hundredfold!

 You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes. 

~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

 

 

Memories, and other sweet!s

 

"...remember someone said that God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December...."

~J.M. Barrie, "Courage" (The Rectorial Address Delivered at St. Andrews University, 1922 May 3rd)

 

There are some days when the not-so-sweet! seems to overshadow the sweet! Yesterday was one of those days.

First, I heard of the passing of a high school classmate from a form of brain cancer. I didn't know her well in high school, but at our last reunion I had the chance to visit with her. She was an opera singer and graciously agreed to sing for a few of us at an after-reunion gathering.

Her voice was simply amazing; I can't help but think God called her home to sing with his angels. 

I don't count her death as a sweet!, of course, but the chance to finally connect with her decades beyond high school, her impromptu performance, and the magic of her voice, will remain sweet memories.

Rest in peace, Melinda, and let your voice join those of the angels...

 

 

Later in the day, I got word that one of my favorite human-beings had also passed away unexpectedly. Bill was my cousin's husband, but Sheryl is one of the oldest cousins and I am the youngest, so he had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. His daughters are just a few years younger than I am. 

He was a hardworking, gentle giant, devoted to family and friends, especially his wife, daughters, and their families, who are truly heartbroken now, especially since Sheryl's father recently passed away, as well. 

From all accounts Bill was a reluctant Texan, always hoping to return to his beloved Colorado, but providing for his family was top priority.

I'm glad he stayed put in Texas, so that he was a frequent part of my life, but I like to think God made sure Bill's heaven looks a lot like the Rocky Mountains, like in this old photo I found in my grandmother's slides of him, Sheryl, and their firstborn. 

May you rest in peace, Bill...

 

 

An easy thing, O power divine, to thank Thee for these gifts of Thine,

For summer's sunshine, winter's snow, for hearts that kindle, thoughts that glow;

But when shall I attain to this - to thank Thee for the things I miss?

~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson

 

In every day there are going to be dark clouds that distract you from the sweet!s left in your path as a gift. Don't forget to keep your eyes open for them... and remember to say thank you!

Here are some I jotted in my journal or captured in a photo since my last post...

Hummingbirds buzzing close and hovering; feeling rested even though you woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep; reconnecting with old friends on Facebook

Gorgeous, cooler summer days, after weeks of rain and/or double digit temperatures; news that someone dear to you is improved enough to move from ICU into a regular room, and that there's still hope his cancer can be beaten; Facebook reminding you of sweet mornings spent on your back deck with three of your favorite guys, who you truly miss ...

 

 

A "catch-up" email from a friend; a call from a potential buyer for one of your listings; torrential rain holding off until after your morning walk with your puppy.

A long visit with a friend after church; yummy breakfast burritos sold by the Knights of Columbus to raise money for the victims of the floods in Louisiana; a referral from a friend; rain holding off while you get to and from the grocery store; finally getting to play and snuggle with your foster-grandpuppies before they are adopted; babies who will soon be baptized being introduced to the parish

 

 

Making progress on sorting through the boxes from your parents' home that are piled in the middle of your living room, without getting emotionally overwhelmed; a referral for an out-of-town buyer from an agent/friend; dinner with friends at Stubbs Barbecue; enjoying Finite Fidelity's performance at Stubbs afterward, featuring your friend's son on the drums

 

 

 

Following through on promises; a good check-up at the dentist; memories of experiencing Hurricane Alicia in League City with your husband shortly after celebrating your first anniversary, and being grateful you suffered very little damage; a blossom finally appearing on one of your crape myrtles, thanks to all of the rain

 

 

Your friends home safe from their adventure to Rio de Janeiro to watch the Olympics; finally being able to walk your puppy after three solid days of rain; great customer service at ATT when your iPhone decides to shatter on its millionth drop; getting a listing lead from another customer while you're there

 

 

Making plans for your annual girls' weekend at the coast; your church holding a clothing drive for the Louisiana flood victims; viewing several gorgeous homes with a buyer-client, including one that made you feel you had somehow stepped through the door into Italy

 

 

Whataburger, for the first time in months; watching "Community" with your son from the beginning; finding a card your best friend sent to your parents when your grandmother passed away twenty years ago; stepping out of a meeting just in time to see this sunset...

 

 

And last but not least, the things your grandmother kept in her purse...

 

 

I hope you are always able to spot the sweet!s in your path, and that your good memories never fade...

Rain. A sweet! for me... a curse for others.

 

 

Our rain started last night. A determined, confident rain that would match any long-distance runner in the Olympics... persistent and focused. I can hear it even now, picking up a second wind, stepping up its pace. 

However, except for a few low-water crossings, and unlike poor Louisiana, thank the good Lord there haven't been any dangerous flash floods here. That might change in the next day or so, because the ground is now saturated, but considering how dry we were, it's kind of amazing we didn't have any before now. 

This afternoon I even spotted a few buds on my crape myrtle - that hasn't happened in a long time! (I would say "in a few years" but I know how faulty my memory is; it could have been just 6 months ago. Sigh.) 

I feel so bad for Louisiana, though, although my friends there have reported in and are high and dry so far, thank goodness. Please keep everyone there in your prayers.

 

And now for some other sweet!s over the past couple of weeks...

 

Taking two classes about pricing properties from a teacher who believes in giving out goodies while sharing her knowledge, and earning the Pricing Strategy Advisor  designation in the process.

Your sister coming to your rescue with advice on how to get more storage on your iPhone.

 

Remembering your first married kiss on your 34th wedding anniversary

The movie "Princess Bride" for the millionth time. It never gets old. 

 

The cuteness of the pitbull/black lab puppies your son and daughter-in-law are fostering.

Your son and daughter-in-law fostering puppies!

Making progress on emptying the boxes that gather dust in the middle of your living room. 

Being able to attend the funeral and offer condolences when your sister-in-law's father passes away

A new buyer asking for your help

Remembering to sell raffle tickets to raise money for your church (ask me about them!)

 

Pink sunrises

A phone call with your mother-in-law, verifying she's okay after her area has been pounded with rain

Store clearance racks

Knowing your sister was having a lot of fun on her birthday

Meeting up with a dear friend at a Greek restaurant for lunch to celebrate her birthday (double sweet!)

 

Lunch with another friend at Chuey's to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the closing on her first home

Hitching a ride with your husband to an early class in town, and a ride home with your son

Your husband making it home safe and sound when his transmission goes out on his truck one night, and when all the tread flies off of his tire on another night. 

A friend passing her test to become a REALTOR® and choosing you as her sponsor

Making it onto your company's Top Producer list 3 months in a row, and the August Home Run list

Finding a tiny red feather in the bird bath

Past clients leaving awesome reviews for you on several different social media sites

 

Finishing an awesome book written by your neighbor

Having your 4th article published in TexasHillCountry.com... this time about the Johnson City Ghost

Visiting a past client who is still really happy about the home he purchased two years ago

Nine hours of sleep (in one night!)

 

Your hummingbird plant finally blooming!

 

I hope you are able to find sweet!s in your day, even if you are caught up in a catastrophe like the floods in Louisiana. I do believe there is light even on the darkest days. If we look hard enough, we'll see it.

 

"To the lamp of love:  may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial."  ~Author Unknown

 

 

Getting Unstuck, and other sweet!s...

 

 

At the time of my last 'sweet' post, I mentioned going through one of the boxes of my mom's things and crying when I came across her uneaten Easter candy. In all honesty, I fell into a funk that day that I just couldn't shake... like a perpetual gray cloud was hovering above my head.

Usually those gray clouds only stick around a day. I'm pretty good at focusing on the positive out of habit. I listen mostly to Christian stations in my car (upbeat and positive, nothing depressing or sad ... music is powerful!)  and have learned to silence those negative voices in my head before they really get going.

After all, I've spent the last few years stepping forward in faith and dealing with a lot of transition - I wouldn't have survived otherwise. But even though this was a relatively thin gray cloud, it lingered for days.

And then the phrase "stuck in a moment" popped in my head. I realized that's exactly where I was - stuck in a moment that I couldn't get out of. 

I dug out a U2 CD and popped it in. The first song that played was "It's a Beautiful Day"... and it was like someone jerked aside the curtains and let sunshine into a room. Yes, it really was a beautiful day, or at least it was going to be. I was determined not to let another one get away without seeing some beauty in it.

I could sense the gray cloud thinning even more. 

"Stuck in a Moment" came on a few songs later...

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better, now
You're stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it.

By the end of the song, that gray cloud was gone. 

I still have a mountain of my parents' things piled in the middle of my living room waiting for me to sort through. I know that gray cloud will drift in again - sometimes I can sense it there on the edge - but it's good to know U2 has my back. And it's good to feel the sunshine with no clouds blocking it. Definitely sweet!

 

 

 

I met up with two dear friends for lunch a couple of days ago in a funky little part of south Austin. While munching on Torchy's Tacos (I recommend the "Crossroads"!), we tried to cram as much conversation and cover as many subjects as possible in the short time we had. The more history you have with someone, the more ground you have to cover in a 'catch-up' session, and we all have a lot of history with each other, spanning decades.

Exactly three weeks ago I was doing the same thing, only on a grander scale and spanning a weekend, in a lake house at Lake Livingston with 16 other women I've known since at least high school, but some since elementary school. We call ourselves the Deer Park Divas, and try to get together at least once a year, but that doesn't always happen. This was the first one in a couple of years and was only possible because two of the women opened up their lake houses to us. And of course, there are many who couldn't make it.

I've hosted a couple and it's a lot of work, so I truly appreciate them putting together this therapy session... 

... because when you get together with friends who have known you for decades, you can't help but be yourself. You can pretty much talk about anything without fear of judgement because they know you... the all of you... and because everyone has been through something by now, and survived.

They remind you you will survive whatever it is you're going through at the moment. Or, you'll be able to assure someone else they will survive whatever they are experiencing, because you've been through it. 

That's the key.

No matter what it is, we're assured we can survive it, because of our friends. Divorce, cancer, death of a sibling, a husband, a child... and almost all of us have experienced the death of at least one parent. In fact, one friend lost her mother right before the weekend, and another lost her dad two weeks after, both from cancer. She couldn't stay the night because she needed to take him for a treatment early the next morning.

Yet, look... there are smiles on everyone's faces!

I have some tough, awesome, wonderful, amazing friends, don't I? I'm grateful for the history we share. 

 

 

 (This was a magnet I gave my mom years ago. She was the toughest woman I know!)

 

Another sweet!... air conditioning. Our outside temperature has been in the triple digits for days. Maybe weeks! It's just a blur of heat, sunshine, and sweat!

I can remember when my childhood home had no air conditioning. Instead, there was a huge fan in our attic (hence, we called it "the attic fan") which somehow pulled enough air through the screens of our open windows to keep us cool during those hot, humid summers in Houston.

At least it must have, because I don't remember feeling miserably, vaporously overheated like I did earlier this week when our air conditioner decided to stop working.

I'm grateful for our air-conditioner repairman who, for the third year in a row, has been able to patch up our old system to get us through the rest of summer. We will definitely get a new system this fall. I think our repairman is as relieved as we are!

 

Those are the three major sweet!s of the past few weeks. Here are a few others ...

 

 

Visiting your mom's aides and noticing her rose bush is surviving the hot, dry summer outside the nursing home where she lived.

A friend passing her real estate exam!

A cooler-than-normal morning when your air conditioner breaks

 

Driving around a funky south Austin neighborhood with one of your forever friends, admiring the eclectic architecture

Sitting on your back porch with your puppy watching the sun splash over your hollow, letting the busy birds entertain you

Receiving wonderful reviews from past clients

A client offering a cool room for the night at their home when your air conditioning is out

 

Noticing gorgeous sunsets before they disappear

Playing a part in helping a friend in Greece sell their property

Your puppy playing a joke on you by stealing your shoes while you're in the shower

Helping out with a memorial service at your church for the family of a parishioner who passed away

 

The arrival of  your Cheesy Sauce from The Honest Stand, a company that a dear friend's son helped create

Phone calls with your sister, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and dear friends

Reconnecting with a friend from your childhood neighborhood on Facebook

A cardinal nest in a tree right outside your front door

 

 

Getting to visit with a sweet friend from high school while showing property to her and her husband

Spending a day showing property to a new out-of-state client

Finding out a "neighbor" was caught stealing electricity through an illegal wire and stopped before he "accidentally" set fire to your neighborhood

Having other neighbors who help keep an eye on your neighborhood

 

A chance to visit with another dear high school friend while she's in town visiting her sister

Rain, even if it's just lasts a day

New listings

A stranger in the grocery store noticing, and taking the time to warn you, that a man is showing a lot of interest in you before he has a chance to steal your purse

 

Morning walks with your daughter, your puppy, and the neighbor's dogs while the neighbors are away on vacation

Kittens... their playfulness, purring, and sandpaper kisses

Paychecks

A former client referring you to someone he sees buying a For Sale By Owner sign in your local Ace Hardware store. 

 

Finding a blue feather from a Mexican Jay

Celebrating your baby girl's 25th birthday

A hummingbird discovering your hibiscus bud

Publishing an article about your little town

Finally finishing a blog post you've worked on little by little for three days!

 

If you stuck with this until the end, thank you!!

I hope this coming week overflows with sweet! moments, memories, and music that lifts you up!

 

"And I am glad to see, that you have also put to flight the gloomy thoughts which used to haunt you. I like to see people cheerful and happy. What is the use of giving way to sadness in this beautiful world?"

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hyperion, A Romance, "The Evening and the Morning Star," 1839

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last First 25 Years...

 

"The first fact about the celebration of birthdays is that it is a good way of affirming defiantly, and even flamboyantly, that it is a good thing to be alive."

~G.K. Chesterton, "Our Birthday," 1935

 

 

TG turned 25 two weeks ago. She spent it floating the San Marcos River with her boyfriend, brothers, sister-in-law, and other friends, while I snuck away for a weekend with my Divas  at Lake Livingston.

But she let us celebrate it when I returned with her favorites: pizza, chocolate cake (courtesy of my daughter-in-law) and a surprise bottle of champagne, because she really never asks for anything.

Only fitting for a first quarter century birthday, right?

 

 

However, I've felt like a terrible mom and blogger that I haven't wished her a happy birthday here yet, as I always do. But I've been trying to sort out my thoughts about my baby - my youngest baby - turning 25. It's a true milestone for both of us!

I can't put it off any longer, though. I'll just try my best to sort them out now...

 

 

She was my last baby. But from the time a baby draws its first breath, it begins growing up, a steady progression from infant to toddler to pre-teen to college student to grown-up. There's nothing you can do to stop it, even if you wanted to.

But why would you want to? Each age of your child is an amazing thing to behold, even when they get so grown it makes you realize how old you are and how fast your life is flying by. 

 

This past year has been one of transition and clarity. When I realized my mom was going downhill... when I  sensed that my time with her on earth was limited... my focus shifted to just being there for her, making sure she knew she wasn't alone. 

Looking back, I can see that TG shifted her focus at the same time, whether she knew it or not... except it was to be there for me, to be sure I knew I wasn't alone as my mother drifted further away from me.

So instead of sad memories filling those last few months, I remember a lot of bantering and teasing and my mother's eyes lit with joy at the sight of her beautiful, funny, smart granddaughter. There are memories of us laughing at corny Hallmark movies, Walker-Texas Ranger, and the Golden Girls, and of getting up earlier than normal on Sunday mornings to maneuver Mama's wheelchair into the chapel for Baptist services.

I'll never forget TG passing out hymnals, charming the other residents, and holding up her hymnal where Mama could see it. 

It had been TG's idea to attend the services with Mama, so it's to her that I'm eternally grateful for my last "truly alive" memories of Mama: the feel of her hand clinging to mine while three generations sang the hymns of my childhood together. 

And then, of course, TG and Daniel were both there beside me during that long night in the hospital as I said my last goodbye to Mama. They were no longer children needing my attention,  just there for me and their grandmother ... friends supporting us and helping me have strength to be there for my own mom as she traveled past the pain of this life. 

The thing is (as my mother loved to say)... somewhere along the way, when I wasn't looking, my babies grew up.

And it's an amazing thing to behold. 

 

Happy 25th birthday, TG!

I hope the next quarter century is filled with love, laughter, and wonderful memories.

Your sweet soul deserves it.

I love you, precious girl. 

"A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend." ~Author Unknown

  

Parades, Freedom, and other sweet!s...

 

 

"I been one poor correspondent, and I been too, too hard to find, but it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind."

~ America, "Sister Golden Hair"

Despite good intentions, I don't blog as much as I'd like anymore, or have time to visit those of my favorite bloggers. But I'm hanging on to those intentions and plan to just drop in as frequently as I can for now, grateful that my business is keeping me so... well, busy.  That's a pretty major sweet!

I do make time to collect my sweet!s in an old black journal every day before they drift right out of my head. Obviously they are much lighter than worries, wrongs, and perceived bad luck, because those tend to stick around in my memory on their own and weigh me down unless I switch my perspective by focusing on the blessings and sweet surprises of the day. 

Since this is the 4th of July weekend, my thoughts are turned toward my wonderful country, the United States of America, because it's her birthday! There are plenty of things to worry about regarding her, but in all honesty, there has never been a truly 'easy' time for everyone here. It's a continual give-and-take when you're trying to protect everyone's freedom. One person's freedom usually steps on someone else's. 

But we're still going strong. I believe so, anyway. We've survived a lot. I'm grateful we celebrate with parades and festivals that bring us together... all the different sizes, shapes, and flavors of us ... and with fireworks that remind us that the birth of this country wasn't an easy one. 

 

 

My small town started the 4th of July celebration early: our parade was yesterday morning, followed by a festival and fireworks over the lake last night. I skipped the festival, but did enjoy the parade from the sidelines and the fireworks from a friend's backyard that has an amazing view of Lake Travis. 

I wish I had a photo for you, but imagine sparkling, shimmering fireworks against a backdrop of low-lying hills and distant eruptions from other firework displays from surrounding communities. 

The lake itself glittered gem-like from all of the boats anchored there to watch the show. From the park below, strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner" drifted up to us, and after the grand finale, cheers and applause echoed from the darkness around us. 

Yes, I'm still proud to be an American. I know I'm not the only one.

 

 

And now for some other sweet!s from the... WHAT?? It's been three months since my last real "sweet!" post?

Holy cow. Where does the time go?

Well, I won't bore you by listing all of them, but here are a few highlights - quite a few - working backward through June, May, and April ...

 

Your grown kids hanging out and having fun together.

Working as a team with other agents, lenders, and the title company to make it to closing on a challenging transaction. 

Following through on promises you make to yourself.

A little hummingbird buzzing up close to you while you say your prayers on your back deck. 

Being able to help blog friends with their real estate needs.

Morning walks with your puppy.

Remembering that your joy and happiness come from God, and are independent of other people, circumstances, or events.

Phone calls with your mother-in-law... sister-in-law... sister ... dear friends...

Your kids helping you with little projects around the house that have been bugging you. 

Your clients' offers being accepted in multiple-offer situations. 

Seeing and hearing James Taylor in person for the first time.

A full Lake Travis.

Spending a day with a longtime friend, helping him find a home in Austin.

Finally getting to see your brother's new home and have a long visit with him and his family. Your brother's smile.

 A gender-reveal party, where everyone found out at the same time that a friend's daughter will be having a daughter of her own.

 Helping organize a successful parish picnic.

Finally experiencing Blanco's Lavender Festival... and Lavender beer!

Playing your drums when you realize you have the house all to yourself

A longtime friend sending you two jars of homemade fig preserves

A cookout with friends at a park on the lake, like you used to do all the time when your kids were little

Spotting a fawn nursing in the yard of a house you're showing to a buyer

A visit from your brother-in-law and his family

Watching your nieces and nephews play Bubble Soccer at a festival near the lake

Dinner with friends you haven't seen in months

Hanging on to voice mails from your mom so you can still listen to her voice when she's gone

Your husband's successful gall bladder surgery

Having an article published in TexasHillCountry.com

Your Keller Williams Market Center choosing your mom's nursing home as their RED Day focus, and planting a pink rosebush beside a bench at the entrance in your mom's honor

 

All of your kids with you on Mother's Day

A friend singing "Lily of the Valley" after Mass on Mother's Day, in honor of your mom

Tulips from your sister on Mother's Day

Overwhelming love and support from friends and family when you lose your mom

Memories of many Sunday church services shared with your mom at her nursing home; the volunteers who provide them

Friends helping you celebrate your birthday at "Painting with a Twist"

Being able to tell your mom "thank you" on your birthday - and remembering to do so.

Watching the sunset over Lake Travis on your birthday 

 

I hope the past three months held plenty of sweet! moments for you, too, and the next three bring even more. Share some in the comments!

"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel."  

~Author Unknown

 

 

A few truly rich men I have known ...

 

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

 

 

On one of the last visits I had with my Daddy before he passed - maybe even the last one - his face lit up in a smile at the sight of me and he hugged me tighter than I've ever been hugged before or since. 

If I close my eyes, I can still see that smile and feel his arms around me, holding on as if he never wanted to let me go. Just another gift from my sweet Daddy to add to my treasured memories. A gift that soothes me on days like today and triggers gratitude from every pore of my body that God blessed me with that man as my father. 

 

He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland

 

 

God also blessed me with an amazing father-in-law. I didn't get to see him as much as my own father, but we were blessed to spend a lot of time with him and Mom, visiting at their home in Maryland and then Florida, traveling with them through Wisconsin, Yellowstone National Park, and Mexico, or having them visit us in Texas. 

After raising 9 boys, he loved each one of us daughters as his own, showing a softer side to us than he ever showed to his sons, I'm sure.

A month before his passing, we joined most of Tom's brothers and their families to celebrate Mom and Pop's 60th wedding anniversary. Pop hadn't been feeling well, but I managed to tease a bit of a smile out of him for the photo above. I had no idea it would be the last one I would ever take of him - or that the goodbye hug I received a day or so later would be the last.  That smile was a gift from him that I cherish, along with all of the others.

 

 

If your father is still around, available to hug or tease or photograph, don't pass up those opportunities. It may not be your last chance, but you'll be grateful for every single one you are able to stash away for later.

Believe me, "later" eventually shows up. 

 

On Father's Day, I also give thanks that God brought Tom into my life to be the father of my children, the three best gifts he's ever given me, even including the drums. 

They were all here today to celebrate him, not with store-bought gifts or cards (he thinks they are a waste of money) but with their cooking skills (a bacon and egg breakfast, followed by grilled hamburgers for lunch), their voiced appreciation, and their time, which is about the best gift a child can give their parent... or themselves.

I didn't snap any photos today, but here's a blast from the past...

 

 

For more Father's Day reflections, please read, "Dear Daddy" and "What a Father Does..." I hope you enjoy them! Be sure to share a favorite dad memory with me in the comments. 

If you are a dad, then I hope you have had a wonderful Father's Day!

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

 

 

A Different Kind of Mother's Day

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.

~Graycie Harmon 

When you think about it, life is so very fragile, so touch and go, and there are so many things that can go wrong - that do go wrong sometimes - that it's a miracle any of us are even here. 

When you think about the pain of childbirth, the exhaustion of taking care of an infant, a toddler, a teenager, it's a miracle any of us are born, much less survive into adulthood. 

So all of us are lucky just to be alive. But let's face it ... some of us are luckier than others, and I think I'm one of them, because I'm my mother's daughter.

I was born to a mother who loved her children with God's love - selfless and unconditional. The four of us had the security of that soft cushion of love at all times, no matter what we did.

Now, it didn't mean we got everything we wanted, or we could do anything we wanted. Love ... real motherly love ... means placing boundaries, setting limits, doling out consequences. She let us know when we crossed those lines. I felt the sting of spankings and felt the heart-wrenching pain of guilt, and I knew its source was Love.

Like Mary Poppins' spoonful of sugar that helped the medicine go down, my mother taught us by example that Laughter makes life easier. It sweetens the inevitable sour. We can't foresee or control what life has in store for us, but we sure as hell can laugh about it!

On Mother's Day and every day, I thank God for my beautiful, loving mother, and for her laughter which will live in my heart forever ...

...  for my wonderful mother-in-law, who raised 9 boys into wonderful men, and who welcomed me into her heart as a daughter...

...for my beloved grandmothers, amazing women who overcame the heartbreaks and adversity and hardships of life with grace and laughter... who taught me the secrets to survival and happiness...

.. for my friends, kids, and family who sent me so much love and support on this first Mother's Day since my mother passed. 

(Tulips from my sister and her husband!)

To all mothers, in all shapes and forms, hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. To those who can't be with their own mothers this weekend, or with their sons or daughters, remember their love is always with them, inside and out.

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

~ Abraham Lincoln 

(A slightly edited re-post, but still sincere in my wishes! Happy Mother's Day! I was blessed to spend the day with all of my kids, the originals and the add-ons, and to help celebrate other mothers and their mothers. I have been blown away with the messages and expressions of love and support. A friend even played "Lily of the Valley" in honor of my mom after church services this morning. It has truly helped. May God bless each and every one of you, and your mothers!)

 

To all God's beloved... who are called to be saints...

To all God's beloved who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

~Romans 1:7  

"The memory of those who have gone before us, to whom we are linked by bonds of fidelity and gratitude, must also accompany us in all the acts of our daily life. For this is the memorial they deserve; this resounds to their honor; this is the spirit of Christian prayer for the dead, which is inseparable from Christian life and practice."

~ St. John XXIII

 

A week ago this evening, I watched my mom breathe her last breath.

What a blessing it was that Daniel and TG had joined me in the vigil that had begun the day before, in case I needed to get some sleep. I didn't want Mama to be alone when she passed. 

And we knew she was going to pass soon. 

She had spent a week in the Intensive Care Unit, mostly unresponsive. She couldn't breathe on her own without a mask covering her face, and when the antibiotics failed to control the infection, we knew it was time to take off the mask and make her as comfortable as possible as she transitioned into her new life in heaven. Her body was just worn out. 

For the most part, I've been at peace, thanks to my faith and for my almost daily visits with my mom over the past few years, which provided me with a huge cache of hugs, smiles, and kisses for the future.

She kept a smile on her face and made the best of things up until the end, but I know she is now in a much better place, holding hands with Daddy, free of her aging body that struggled so hard to breathe. 

In her honor (and for my benefit), I've decided to re-post my words from her last birthday. I have a feeling she knew, as I suspected, it would be her last birthday here on this earth...

 

 

Last week I asked my mom what she wanted for her birthday. She stared off for a few seconds, then looked at me and said "More time."

But there was a twinkle in her eye, and her mouth turned up in a grin as she added, "Can you tell I live in the present?"

What a wise woman. 

Even now, anchored to an oxygen machine, rarely leaving the small room she shares with another woman, and having to rely on others for even the simplest things, like having a glass of water near enough to drink, Mama finds enough joy in life to want to stick around awhile longer.

I know it isn't because she's afraid of death. My mom is a Christian. She has taught me all my life - and I know she believes it most of the time - that there is life after death, much more beautiful than this one, free of pain and sorrow. Most of her loved ones have gone before her...her parents, siblings, her firstborn, and her beloved husband.  

Despite what her life appears to be to us, she is still loving it. Her smile is always close to the surface, and she laughs often, finding joy in the simplest things. She loves her aides and nurses, her cups of coffee, her cookies, and the photos of Daddy, her kids, grandkids, and great-granddaughter hanging on the walls.

She does NOT like being told what to do, but that's understandable after years of being such an independent woman and caregiver to others.

For her sake - actually, for mine - I hope she gets her birthday wish, and that she finds joy in every extra second she is given. I believe she will. I know I will.

And in her honor, I will try my best not to waste a single second of the time I'm given with remorse or regrets of the past, or with wishing away my today for some future moment that may never come.

I will continue to keep my eyes open for even the simplest sweet!s. Today they will include picking up some fried shrimp for her birthday dinner, then gathering with family to celebrate her and give thanks that she's in our lives.

 

On her 77th birthday, I listed the things she had taught me, and I've added to it every year. So without further ado, here's the list...

Things Mama has taught me...

1. it's never too late to learn something new
2. if you have a choice between laughter and tears, choose laughter.
3. don't let anyone mess with your babies!
4. only give advice when asked for it (I'm still working on that one)
5. pray every day
6. pray some more
7. reading a good book might not solve your problems, but it's a nice escape from them
8. bend but never break
9. some people are just takers
10. be nice whenever possible, but sometimes nice doesn't cut it
11. take care of family
12. we're all individuals - let your kids blossom into themselves, not "mini-me's"
13. be there
14. Johnny Weismuller is the best movie Tarzan
15. don't be in a rush to be older than you are - you're only going to be this age once in your life
16. if you like something, and you'll use it, and you can afford it, then buy it, or you'll regret it later
17. quality over quantity
18. never think "can't"
19. people will stand in line for a dead skunk if it's free
20. roll with the punches
21. have fun
22. laugh often
23. believe in yourself
24. don't let others change who you are
25. be honest
26. don't steal
27. forgive yourself
28. God loves me
29. don't judge
30. just do it!
31. inside matters more than outside
32. don't use God's name in vain
33. you can learn anything if you put your mind to it
34. you're never too old to dance
35. it's okay to ask for help
36. show appreciation and express gratitude
37. use my manners
38. consider the source
39. an office or position of authority should be respected, but the individual in that position has to earn your respect
40. sleep is good
41. take advantage of opportunities
42. keep your eyes open and your wits about you
43. people aren't always nice
44. things can't make you happy
45. use your imagination
46. just get started and the rest will be easy
47. don't be intimidated by anyone - we're all the same, all human, we all have strengths and weaknesses
48. you can love someone even if you don't like them
49. forgive but don't forget
50. learn from others' mistakes
51. there are times for being patient, and time for putting your foot down
52. speak up
53. stand up for what you believe in
54. admit your mistakes and expect others to do the same
55. persistance pays off
56. let your kids be kids
57. love unconditionally
58. take lots of pictures
59. kids grow up fast
60. your kids need a mother, not another friend
61. pets are family
62. help others
63. a sense of humor is essential for sanity and survival
64. if you look close enough, you can find something to love about everyone
65. coffee is good anytime
66. messes can be cleaned up
67. prayer works
68. God is strong all the time - let him carry you
69. if you say you're going to do something, do it
70. be nice to yourself in case no one else is
71. you have to show respect to get respect
72. girls are tough
73. don't put up with temper tantrums - yours or someone else's
74. listen to your body - doctors don't know everything
75. don't say everything you're thinking
76. asking questions is the best way to learn something
77. your babies are always your babies (and their babies are your babies, too!)
78. God is. 
79. Just listen. 
80. people are more important than things
    
81. there is a time to help others, and a time to let others help you
82. God has his reasons, and He will give you whatever strength you need for the road ahead...and never leave you to walk it alone.
83. smile and show appreciation to those who are willing to help you - they may have it tougher than you in many ways
84. Appreciate every second you're given, because life is beautiful.

 

Rest in peace, my beautiful Mama. We will be okay. You saw to that. Please give Daddy a hug from me. 

 

Call your mother. Tell her you love her. Remember, you're the only person who knows what her heart sounds like from the inside.

~Rachel Wolchin

Promises Kept... a sweet catch-up

A few days ago, I traded my phone for an umbrella when I took Belle for our morning run/walk down our dirt road. And that's why I don't have a photo of  the most beautiful rainbow ... a perfect arch above the horizon, and below it, a summer-blue sky that winked at me from behind stormy gray clouds, and then finally, a river of cream-colored clouds that flowed just above the treetops.

I had to just stop and soak it all up for a few minutes, that perfect reminder of promises kept. Belle understood. She's very patient with me. 

The storms that brought much-needed rain finally moved on and that blue sky has ruled every since. As grateful as I was for the rain, I was relieved when it ended. I get tired of umbrellas, wet shoes, and windshield wipers. 

But still, the rain is definitely on my sweet! list for the past (gulp) month and a half, and by scrolling back through time on Facebook, I remembered a few others...

My new camera strap arrived, and Tom attached it to my old camera. It was my Christmas gift from my son and his wife, but was backordered. So it was like celebrating Christmas twice!

(Yes, that's tape on the card slot. Hey, it works!)

 

The Pedernales River is full! This is the view from one of my lot listings. Know anyone who wouldn't mind looking at this every day?

 

Bluebonnets!

 

The woods are splashed with redbud blossoms, and my crape myrtles are budding. Maybe this year they will actually flower! 

 

I took advantage of a few minutes alone in the house and played my drums for the first time in ages. 

 

Reese's peanut butter eggs have hit the shelves. A curse and a blessing!

 

Before going to Sunday Mass, I've been attending Baptist services with Mama and TG .

It was TG's idea, which is doubly sweet! because neither of them are morning people, but they are doing it for each other. And what a blessing that members of the nearby Baptist church come in to provide the services for the residents. We literally wheel my mom into the room next to hers!

I'm actually enjoying spending my entire morning in church. I confess I didn't think I would!

 

On a completely different note, I also enjoyed getting to view the Bongo house for a client, and picturing in my mind that infamous episode in Austin's history...

 

When my friend Rachel told me Stoney LaRue was playing in Cedar Park, just down the road, I made an exception to my rule about staying up late during the week to go hear him with her.  It was worth it!

 

I took a road trip with my daughter to San Antonio one weekend, via Highway 281, which meanders through small towns and the hill country with very little traffic, so it was truly a sweet! in itself.

But I went for TG's boyfriend's graduation from his TACP school, which is such a huge accomplishment, such a physical and mental challenge, and I'm glad I could congratulate and thank him personally. 

 

Plus, being in San Antonio that weekend meant I could help a dear friend celebrate her 50th birthday party in 70's & 80's style. We danced until almost 2 am. Whew! (An extra sweet! - finding just the right dress to wear in TG's closet at the last minute!)

 

The next day TG's boyfriend introduced me to the King William district of San Antonio, full of great architecture and eclectic restaurants. I kept my camera clicking. 

That's macaroni and cheese and cole slaw you see peeking out of the BBQ sandwich below. It was awesome! 

 

Would you  believe we lucked upon a puppy birthday party? A massive pitbull sporting a birthday hat is a definite SWEET!

 

My cousin posted parts of old family videos on Facebook. Seeing myself in action at 6 years old... seeing my young mom hugging my oldest brother, and so many other family members who have passed was truly a sweet!, even though it brought me to tears. 

 

I spent a gorgeous afternoon with friends in Spicewood on Lake Travis, exploring their neighborhood in a golf cart, taking photos of  it and their  golf course lot I have listed for sale.  Just spending time with them was sweet!

 

I won a bottle of Dom Perignon at a new home REALTOR event at Travisso. That was sweet! but the occasion that warrants popping the cork will have to be really sweet!

 

I battled two mornings of the worst Austin traffic to get to the all-day classes, but I earned my CNE designation - Certified Negotiation Expert. 

Watch out world!

 

Friends graciously open their home every year for a Super Bowl party. I don't pay much attention to the game, but do enjoy getting a chance to catch up them and other friends. 

This year, it was extra sweet! because of this sunset on a full Lake Travis. That cove where docks are now floating again had been dry for at least 4 years.

 

And last but not least, by pure luck I happened to catch this group of bicyclists coming down our dirt road hill.  It's probably the last time I'll see it, too, although they fared better than I thought they would!

 

I'm grateful for my phone camera that helps me capture so many sweet!s of each day, which means a higher likelihood of remembering them, but there are some simpler ones that do slip away...

... like an unseen cardinal whistling at you, or the glimpse of a strange wild bird running on the dirt road in front of you, as I witnessed yesterday afternoon. 

So I started keeping a Sweet! Journal this week, with the intent to list them all day long. They may not all make it here to Long Hollow, but at least I'll have them recorded somewhere to remind me on those days I forget how blessed I am.  I hope you have a way to remember your blessings, as well.

 

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

 

Drumroll please... It's my 2015 Christmas Letter!

 

 

 

The day after I mailed my Christmas cards this year, I came across my Christmas letter from 2009. It was in one of the boxes I brought from my parents' home. In it, I read about what each one of us had been up to that year. For one thing, I discovered Facebook that year! But we also lost our Charly Dog.

I can't believe it's been 6 years.

Immediately after reading it, I was filled with regret that, for the first time in years, I just sent out plain Christmas cards, with nary a photo or letter in sight. For some reason, I felt it was important to get my cards in the mail for a pre-Christmas arrival. That had never bothered me before.  Why the heck now?

Even before I began adding letters, I tucked a photo of the kids into my card. For the past few years I've sent photo cards, but even they give a glimpse at the year's events. I love seeing photos of my friends and hearing about their past year, so of course they want to hear about mine, right?

But this year, for some reason, I just punted.  Too busy? No excuse. Keeping it simple? Why start now?

So here we go ... for my sake and enjoyment more than yours ... my 2015 Christmas letter that I wish I had sent with my cards...

 

Hello Friends and Family,

In many ways, 2015 was just like 2014... Tom is still working at Freescale, except they sold the company again and now it's named NXP or something,  and I'm still growing my real estate business and loving it. In his spare time Tom continues to work on the house or cars (they take a beating on our dirt road) and in my spare time I write and work on my photography ... except, unfortunately, neither of us has had much spare time this year, so there hasn't been much progress in any of those areas. 

(Please give us some warning if you plan to visit.)

However, the kids are doing great. Tommy celebrated his 30th birthday this month by bungee-jumping over a river in New Zealand! He and Kirby are already planning their next adventures - to Abu Dhabi and Iceland! He is still a Liberty Mutual Insurance Agent (and I would recommend him even if he weren't my son!) and in their spare time they run marathons and embrace life in Austin. 

Daniel is still working as an assistant librarian at the State of Texas Library and Archives, with a side job of editing short stories for an anthology. Right up his literary alley. He also just bought his first new vehicle.

TG just finished up at the University of Texas, with a Bachelor's degree in geography (also a math minor, Business Foundations, emphasis on mechanical engineering, geology, and environmental science.) She's now looking for a job, so let me know if you know of one! This fall we attended her boyfriend's graduation from Air Force boot camp in San Antonio, and he will be celebrating Christmas and New Year's with us, before heading back to training.

My mom lives about 15 minutes down the highway from us in a wonderful nursing facility. It was a rough adjustment for her, but she's in her second year and seems to finally feel at home there. Or at least she's resigned to it, and making the most of it. Her smile is never far away. I feel blessed to be able to visit her every day.

My real estate business continues to grow. I've been busier than ever this past year, thanks to recommendations from friends and past clients, and I love it more with each transaction. I earned my GRI designation (Graduate of Real Estate Institute) this year and also became a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. 

I've made several trips back to Houston this year, although not for fun reasons. My sister and I are in the process of emptying our childhood home; every Saturday over the summer I made a one-day trip to sort through drawers, boxes, and closets, each time filling my car with boxes which now form a small mountain in the middle of my living room. I've named it "Phase 2".

I've also had to return to Houston for too many funerals. Within a month one friend lost her mom and another lost her son. These sandwich years are tough, but being able to support friends when they need it is a true blessing, as is having friendships that go back to single-digit birthdays.

Belle loves being a house-dog. She was a natural - no training required.  Although I do wish we could train her to sweep up her own hair off the wood floors!

Thanks to record rains, Lake Travis is practically full again, along with our pond. It's an awesome sight...one I wasn't sure I would ever see again!

That's about it for 2015. May God bless you and your family in the coming year, and if you're ever out this way, please come see us!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2016!

 Love, the Shallue's

 

Not very exciting, I know. But with my fading memory, I'm sure I'll enjoy coming across this one day and reliving 2015, and all of its ups and downs. 

 

Farewell, old year; we walk no more together;
I catch the sweetness of thy latest sigh...
Good-bye, kind year, we walk no more together
But here in quiet happiness we part;
And from thy wreath of faded fern and heather
I take some sprays, and wear them on my heart.
~Sarah Doudney (1841–1926), "Farewell to the Old Year," in The Sunday Magazine, 1881

 

All I wanted for Christmas...

 

The last few days have been a wonderful blur of unfamiliar activity for me... hours away from my computer and phone, spent mostly in my kitchen, measuring flour and sugar, warming up ovens, with timers beeping, beeping, beeping, and dishes piling up in the sink.

I spent one day making cookies and fudge, another day getting casseroles and a huge turkey ready for the oven, and then finally yesterday, cooking and serving it all in celebration of Christ's birthday. 

I'm exhausted, but in a good way. All I wanted for Christmas was to spend time with all three of my kids at once, and I got my wish, along with the bonus of my sweet daughter-in-law, her dad and stepmom, and TG's BF. Having Tom here was even a bonus because he thought he was going to have to work. 

We sat at the table eating and talking for hours. Then the kids and I paid my mom a visit. A few gifts were exchanged, but they weren't the focus. What will live on in my heart and memory are the smiles, the laughs, and the stories, with love being the connecting thread running through it all. The best kind of Christmas gift. 

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks

 

First Came Love...

First came love...

 

 

Then came marriage...

 

 Then came Tommy in a baby carriage!

(After a few years of pre-children fun, of course. And a new perm.)

 

 

Okay, you can't really see Tommy in that one, but trust me, he's in there.

Here's a better one.

 

 

Oh my gosh, isn't he precious?

 

He's come a long way... from slides on his first birthday...

 

 

...to bungee-jumping in New Zealand on his 30th.

This is afterward. I appreciate them letting everyone know they survived!

(He's the one in front on the right.)

 

 

Happy 30th anniversary of Tom and me becoming parents, and happy 30th birthday to my oldest baby! 

 

Happy Thanksgiving, by George...

 

 

Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. - Psalm 95:2 (NLT)

I sit here at my computer tonight, listening to the rain falling outside my window. I'm still full from roasted turkey and lots of carbs:  cornbread dressing (my mom's recipe); green bean casserole (doesn't really count as a vegetable, but my kids love it); jellied cranberry (an homage to my dad); and, of course, small slices of pumpkin and pecan pie.

It was just four of us ... me, Tom, and two of the kids, since the oldest and his wife are exploring New Zealand. A white tablecloth covered my table, with a silver and gold runner. No fancy or creative centerpiece, but I set the table with silver chargers and my wedding china (Noritake Shenandoah, which I still absolutely adore) and sipped wine from my wedding crystal, which most of the time sits gathering dust in my china cabinet.

It was the first time the four of us had sat down to eat at the same time in a very long while. We are all too busy these days, home at odd hours and living mostly on frozen pizza.

After dinner, we called Tom's mom , then piled into the car to visit Mama and watch a few episodes of "The Facts of Life" with her. Knowing she would be full from her own Thanksgiving dinner (they have great food at her nursing home!) I only brought her a little bit of the cornbread dressing, hoping for her stamp of approval... which she gave before gobbling it up. Whew!

That's already enough to be grateful for , but there's so much more. Lately, when I find myself veering off into a 'poor me' whine, I've tried to redirect it into some kind of "thank you". It usually isn't too hard!

However, even though I give thanks often, I think a national holiday specifically dedicated to giving thanks for our blessings, motivating us to pull the special china out of the closet and spend hours in the kitchen trying to re-create our mother's cornbread dressing and sitting down with our family for the first time in months... or to gather with others to fill plates with turkey and dressing for those who don't have a home, much less a china cabinet, as friends of mine did today.

I was reminded this morning at Mass that I have George Washington to thank for giving us this national holiday of Thanksgiving. Thank you, George!

For his homily, our priest read us the original proclamation, which I don't think I had ever heard before. In case you haven't either, or if it's been awhile since you have, I decided to find it online and share it here...

 

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go. Washington

 

From our home to yours... Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.
~Joseph Auslander

A weekend of birthday celebrations and away they go again...

 

 

My oldest and his beautiful wife are somewhere over the Pacific Ocean right now, traveling to New Zealand with another couple for a trip of a lifetime, one they've dreamed about for years. I would say "the" trip of a lifetime, but these two have already spent Oktoberfest in Munich, honeymooned in Italy, and traveled to Moscow, hitting a lot of other countries and big cities along the way.

They've already had some "trips of a lifetime" and have many more ahead of them, but this will be the only one where my baby celebrates his 30th birthday by bungee-jumping in a foreign country. 

(Of course, at the most basic 'mother' level inside of me, that totally freaks me out! But mostly, I'm over-the-top excited for them, and so grateful for Facebook because I'll be able to keep tabs on them and experience the trip virtually, all at the same time.)

The photo above was taken at a surprise party Kirby threw for him last weekend. Somehow, he didn't have a clue beforehand.

 

Can you believe all of these people (including me) kept their mouths shut about it? I'm still amazed.

I won custody of my grandpuppy Josie while they are away, thank goodness, even from their friends who will be vacationing in Austin and house-sitting for them while they are gone. Josie's in high demand, but grandmas get first dibs! 

Tommy met me at Mama's for the pass-off, so she could get a visit in with both of them, too. 

 

Belle enjoys having her here, and Josie is having lots of fun being a country dog. 

 

 Last weekend was one birthday celebration after another, beginning with my mom's on Friday night. It was the first time in a long while she was with all of her kids. I was negligent about taking photos that night, but we did manage to get one of all of us together around the birthday cake my sister baked.

 

Mama asked for fried shrimp for her birthday dinner, and I knew that meant Gulf shrimp, not some teensy popcorn shrimp, so I was worried, because we are no where near the Gulf!

But thanks to Facebook friends, I discovered there are actually several places in Austin that serve good fried Gulf shrimp. Whew! If your Mama wants fried shrimp for her birthday, you want her to have fried shrimp.

 

After the surprise party on Saturday night, half of the group headed to the Container Bar on Rainey Street to continue the celebration, and I tagged along because, hey, it was my celebration, too, of the 30th anniversary of my becoming a mother!  

The Container Bar is just that... a bar that is actually made out of industrial shipping containers! What a great idea!

 

In true Austin style, we shared a space with a group of guys on a bachelor party weekend, with the groom-to-be dressed as Snow White, for some reason, and his friends dressed as dwarves, with fake beards, pointy hats, and obscure names on the backs of their shirts.

 

Tommy took me on a tour through the containers, and when I spotted this wall, I had to have a photo, cheesy or not.

In a crowded bar, that was no easy feat, but he did it somehow...

 

On Monday evening I was back downtown to celebrate Kirby's birthday at the Saxon Pub with a Bob Schneider concert. We had great seats at a table close to the stage, shared with a couple from California who loved Austin and had friends in Colorado who were wanting information on Austin real estate.

Lucky for them I had some business cards handy!

Bob Schneider was excellent, as always...

 

...and since we were so close to the Highball and it was Motown Monday, how could we not go there and dance to the Nightowls until 1 am? After all, it was Kirby's birthday!

If you ever get a chance to hear them, don't miss it!

 

 

It was a wonderful weekend...week...spent celebrating people I love and special events in my life. What could be better?

"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."

~ W. Somerset Maugham