Long Hollow

Canyon Wrens, Laptops, Irish Beer, and other Sweet!s

 

I sat on the front porch for a few hours this afternoon. The sunshine and blue sky were so crisp I couldn't stand to be inside any longer.

I grabbed my laptop and planted myself in a rocking chair to listen to training webinars while watching a cardinal and tufted titmouse take turns at the birdfeeder, always keeping one eye on me.

Eventually I also had my camera and a glass of wine with me. Unfortunately, as soon as the cardinal spotted the zoom lens, he disappeared into the oak trees. They are such chickens.

But the little bird above appeared, hopping around on the rocks of the retaining wall. One often appears on the window of my office, intent on cleaning bugs off my screen. I love watching it, but didn't know what it was. So tonight I searched and searched until I found its name. 

It's a Canyon Wren. Of course.

The titmouse was a bit of a chicken, too, but I managed to capture this photo when he flew into the tree to groom himself. He thought I couldn't see him.

 

For me, it was a gloriously sweet! way to spend an afternoon. 

But, except for the concert of Irish ballads I caught at my mom's nursing home today, it didn't feel much like St. Patrick's Day to me until my son came home, bearing Irish beer and pulling up Irish music on his computer.

Having adult kids living at home isn't so bad. Erin Go Bragh!

Here are some other sweet!s from the past week... (remember to share yours in the comments!)

 

Tuesday: enjoying "margaritas" and a musical performance with your mom at her nursing home 

Wednesday: finding out your daughter-in-law sang onstage for the audience at Jimmy Kimmel's SXSW show; a stranger in the eye doctor's waiting room offering to let you show it to your mom on his iPhone because your phone is dead; your mom's successful eye surgery

Thursday: beautiful cards and letters from your friends to your mom; news that your cataract hasn't grown or moved; your daughter entertaining a client's children; grilled shrimp tacos

Friday: glowing recommendations from clients on your website; showing homes to clients; popcorn and movies with your daughter

 

Saturday: a baby shower to welcome a friend's first grandchild; winning a game at the baby shower!

Sunday: taking time to catch up with a friend after church; visiting a recently widowed neighbor; helping a precious young family get into a home; your husband and sons making it back from Florida, safe and sound; surprising your mom and her roommate with brownies; courtesy of your daughter

 

Monday: getting back on your exercise schedule; paychecks; hugs from friends in your office; listening to Irish ballads and eating tiny cupcakes with your mom; an afternoon of birdwatching/working on your front porch; Irish music, thanks to Pandora, and Irish beer, thanks to your son

Here's an extra sweet! ... 

Spring is finally getting the best of Winter, here in Austin. Hallelujah! 

 

 

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. 

~Adrienne Cook

Signs of Spring...and other sweet!s

Cedar Waxwings have returned to the Hollow! A huge flock of them graced the tall leafless willows near the pond most of the morning, just kind of hanging out. I ventured as near as I dared and snapped about a thousand photos with my zoom. 

I'm not sure if any of the pics will do them justice - it was a gray morning and I was still pretty far away, because I didn't want to spook them. But it doesn't matter. It was enough to just stand there and exist with them for a little while.

If any are worth sharing, I'll post them later over at Confessions. In the meantime, here are a few definite signs that Spring is moving back in..

I spotted this odd couple Saturday morning...a Cedar Waxwing and a Robin.

 

Rosemary is blooming in front of one of my listings. Bees were going crazy!

 

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

Monday: getting to watch a portion of your company conference in Phoenix from the comfort of your Austin office with friends, while sipping on a cocktail and snacking; coupons for free Chik-Fil-A sandwiches; dining outside on a balmy Austin evening with your daughter

 

Tuesday: property tours; gorgeous Lake Travis scenery; a call from a neighbor you didn't know before, thanks to the neighborhood group you formed; a new haircut and re-blonding

 

 

Wednesday: your son's help in getting a copy of your mom's birth certificate easier and faster than it was going to be; your errant puppies heading home with just a single "Go home now!" command given through your car window

 

 

Thursday: the Flight Path coffee shop; a Turkey Reuben eaten outside at Avenue B Grocery; your adventuresome puppies (apparently) staying home without their shock collars; learning how to add emoticons to your text messages

Friday: classes with free lunches; a referral by a friend; picking up a lead at the grocery store; warm brownies, thanks to your daughter 

Saturday:  Robins and Cedar Waxwings returning to your hollow; meeting with potential buyer clients; watching and critiquing movies with your kids

 

 

Sunday: inspiration on an A-frame sign; Quiche Lorraine; encouragement for your writing; a visit with your mom, son, and daughter-in-law, all at the same time; writing critique group meetings; quesadillas for dinner, courtesy of your daughter

Monday: taking time to just watch a flock of Cedar Waxwings; a glimpse of bright yellow bird in the bushes; your mom just suffering a couple of bruises from a fall; taking 10 minutes from an over-busy day to play your neglected drums

I wish I could send our warm weather, bees, and blossoms up to those of you in the north still stuck in signs of winter! I hope you still find plenty of sweet!s in each day.

 

"Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience."  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."  

~John Quincy Adams

Number 1: Laughing Hard Times into Wine

 

 

 

 

1. This is my new favorite quote:

“The woman had laughed the hard times into wine.”
-Ann Voskamp 

I'm not sure if it's possible to laugh hard times into wine, except theoretically, of course... but I love the imagery of it. Thanks to Jennifer at Ripplespeak for posting it. (And for all of her own beautiful words full of imagery and inspiration!)

 

 

 

2. I've had to spend a lot of time dealing with the Social Security Administration and other agencies lately, trying to get things straightened out for my mom. It can be pretty frustrating and confusing.

So when I was having trouble getting my mom's birth certificate last week at the Bureau of Vital Statistics, my son Daniel moved up to total Rock Star status with me when he provided the information and advice via text that I needed to help the Bureau employees figure out what to do in only one trip!

I forgave him any headaches he gave me when he was little.

 

 

3. Have you heard of Sundown Syndrome? I hadn't until my mom started showing signs of it. Sigh.

 

 

4. I just created a Nextdoor.com group for my neighborhood. It's kind of like Neighborhood Watch, only online.

"Nextdoor is the private social network for you, your neighbors and your community. It's the easiest way for you and your neighbors to talk online and make all of your lives better in the real world. And it's free." (from the website)

I heard about it in a real estate class and thought it would be perfect for my little area where walking next-door is a bit of a hike and the potential for wildfires is very, very real.

 

 

(photo from the Duluth Animal Hospital Facebook Page)

5.And last but not least, just in case I'm NOT the last person in the world to meet this adorable couple, I'm introducing you to Roo and Penny, best buddies who were both adopted by Alicia Williams of the Duluth Animal Hospital. Daniel introduced them to me. 

I have fallen totally head over heels, wanting to reach in and cuddle both of them, in love with them! 

If you're like me and can't get enough of their cuteness, go HERE to learn more about their stories.

God bless Alicia for saving them.

 

 

Joining with Nancy's...

 

Not the Sweetest Valentine's Day...

 

I received my Valentine's Day surprise early Friday morning - a stomach bug. It knocked me out all day and left me feeling like a ragdoll all weekend. 

Thank goodness my son Daniel was able to deliver the fancy box of Millionaire candy I bought for Mama, so she still had something special, and I'm so grateful to TG for staying home to take care of me and the puppies.

But I had to cancel appointments, scrap my plans of dropping Valentine surprises by my clients' houses, and didn't even have the energy to work on my computer or read.

If you've already had this cursed virus, I give you my full sympathy. If you haven't, I pray it misses you!

And I hope your Valentine's Day was a lot sweeter than mine! Share them with me in the comments.

I still collected a few sweet!s this week, though... 

 

 

Sunday: helping a dear friend celebrate her birthday; sitting with friends on a deck, watching deer watch us

 

 

Monday: your clients pleased with the photos you took of the Women's Gala; picking up an extra phone duty; getting to see your mom for the first time in three days; learning that one of the ladies your mom eats with every day is a friend's mother-in-law

Tuesday: property tours; the photo you took on a friend's beautiful business card; enough hot coals still alive in your woodburning stove when you get home to get a fire going easily

 

 

Wednesday: yellow flowers that continue to bloom along your path despite the freezing temperatures; support in your new career; picking up another extra phone duty; hand and arm massages; listening to your mom's memories

Thursday: nurses who keep you posted on your mom's health issues; subbing in a high school classroom and listening to their mock job interviews (impressive!); getting a potential lease client while on phone duty

Friday: your daughter taking care of you and the things that need to be done around the house when you get knocked out of commission by a stomach bug; get-well wishes from friends on Facebook; your son delivering your Valentine's Day box of candy to your mom for you; finally being able to take some medicine for a day-long headache without fear of it coming back up again; your mom's fever staying low; care givers who keep a close watch on your mom, especially when you can't

 

 

Saturday: a full night's rest and waking to sunlight splashing into your bedroom; breakfast, after a 36 hour involuntary fast; enough energy for a morning walk with your puppies; a Mexican Jay posing for you; your mom testing negative for pneumonia; relaxing on your porch, watching the cardinals visit your birdfeeder, even though they wait until it's too dark for you to get a good photo of them

 

 

Sunday: Mass with your kids; Shirley Temple movies; visiting your mom after not seeing her for three days - again!; listening to your body and going to bed at 8pm

Monday: realizing you slept for 10 hours!

 

The best things in life are nearest: 
Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. 
Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. 

~Robert Louis Stevenson

 

P.S. Happy Presidents' Day, by the way! Whether you have the day off, or you have to work (like me) I hope you enjoy it!

 

An Austin Winter

A sky of faded gray flannel. The swoosh of a cold wind bullying the treetops, making the old cedars creak and groan down to their roots. Frozen toes eager to be back inside, warming near a fire.

After days of sunshine and spring-like temperatures that sent juniper spores partying through the atmosphere, we're reminded that it's still just January.

I'm actually relishing this down time, despite the possibility of icy roads when I hit the highway after phone duty this evening, and it's not just because it shuts down the cedar fever party. If the forecast of snow in the morning comes true, it will be a good excuse to slow down and catch my breath.

But I know a day - or a few hours - of forced slowing down will be enough. I can only take so much gray flannel before yearning for golden mornings.

 

 

Whether your sky is wearing gray flannel or gold, I hope you're staying warm!

A Cousin, a Mom, and Mexican Food. Sweet Sunday!

 

 

Tomorrow is my cousin Patricia's birthday.

She's always held a special place in my heart, beginning when she was a teenager. Unlike some of my other teenage cousins, she was consistently nice to me when we went to visit, even though I was a brat.

I haven't forgotten.

Her dad was one of my favorite uncles, too...a self-taught artist and musician who made me laugh and triggered my interest in antiques and family history.

However, even though Pat doesn't live far from me, we've only gotten together a few times over the past twenty years, for an occasional lunch or hike through a cemetery. (We're both into genealogy.)

But soon after Daddy died, she made a one-day trip to Houston, just to see Mama. Then she sent Mama a care package around Thanksgiving, full of cookies, snacks, and I don't know what else. And as soon as I brought Mama up to Austin, Pat was there...bearing gifts, of course. 

Love is, above all else, the gift of oneself.
~Jean Anouilh

So this afternoon, Mama and I took Pat out to dinner. It's just a drop in the bucket of repayment, and pales in comparison to her thoughtfulness (especially since she brought another basket full of goodies for Mama) but I hope it helps her understand how much we love and appreciate her.

She's a sweet! all by herself, for sure!

 

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich."  

~Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford

 

 

Here are a few others from the past week...

Monday: finally having your camera when you spot ducks on a pond; learning the tricks of real estate photography

 

 

Tuesday: time to walk with your puppies and pray before getting caught up in the busy-ness of your day; a friend saving you a seat at a meeting when you're running late; sponsored lunches; interest in a beautiful house you just posted on MLS

Wednesday: your first closing; a hug from your sister who travelled up to see your mom; finally getting all of your Christmas decorations boxed up; taking time to watch a gorgeous full moon rise from behind the hills

 

 

Thursday: safely spotting - and photographing - a gorgeous coyote; saving ducks from getting eaten by a coyote; obedient puppies

 

 

Friday: getting a lead while on phone duty; making progress on some to-do's; a movie with your son

Saturday: catching the end of a Shirley Temple movie and traveling to Wales with Rick Steves while eating breakfast, checking email, and sipping your morning coffee;  your tall son helping you hang portraits in your mom's room

Sunday: helping your cousin celebrate her birthday with your mom; Green Chili Tortilla Soup and spicy salsa that opens your sinuses when you're suffering from cedar fever; a quick phone visit with your eldest; selling one of your many "For Sale"s

 

What were some sweet! moments from your past week? I hope you've been paying attention!

Oops! I almost forgot one of the sweetest moments of the week. (My days blend together so much lately. That's one reason it's important for me to sit down here and count my sweet's! at the end of the week.)

Anyway, on Wednesday my sister and her husband took an overnight road trip to Austin so she could spend time with Mama. I didn't get much time with her, but enough for a sister-hug and a quick visit. 

Very, very sweet!

 

 

 

 

Closings and Close Encounters

"...and suddenly, it was Thursday night."

That was going to be the title of this post, because there I was, still chipping away at my Monday To-Do list,

"...and suddenly, it was Thursday night."

Does that ever happen to you?

I did have a couple of exciting things happen this week I want to tell you about, though...

On Tuesday I had my first real estate closing! Remember Lisa, my friend with the beautiful horses? She bought a lot that adjoins her property to give her horses more space to run. I'm so glad I was able to help her realize that dream. 

Then, this morning on my usual walk with the puppies I encountered a different kind of excitement...

A flock of mallard ducks on a nearby pond was raising a ruckus. While sneaking up on them with my camera, I noticed something else sneaking up on them from the other side of the pond: a coyote. A great big coyote! To me, it looked as big as Max, who thank goodness obeyed my command to 'stay'. Belle, too.

 

 

I knew coyotes were out here. I've heard them howling at night, driving my dogs crazy. I've seen the torn, bloody remains of their prey/dinner...and their scat.

But until this morning, I've never actually seen one so up close and personal here in the Hollow. 

The click of my camera alerted it that I was there, and it melted back into the brush. All the way home I searched the woods, wondering if it was watching us.

Part of me is unsettled by the knowledge of its presence...but most of me feels grateful that I caught a glimpse of it, and that I had my camera with me. Also, of course, that no ducks, dogs, or people were harmed in the process.

It's really quite beautiful, isn't it?

 

 

Last night I had a close encounter with another beautiful, yet much less harmful, object: the full moon rising over Lake Travis and the small village of Point Venture...

 

 

Hope you have a great weekend!

 

 

Searching for Silver Linings

  

Let's just say...

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

"'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

 What if Your healing comes through tears

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

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

~Laura Story

Random 5 Friday

 

1. Max can still run. Considering all the times over the past couple of years I thought the "early lameness" diagnosis was coming true, watching him disappear into the woods with Belle after a deer makes my heart soar!

 

2. After a year of posting an old piano on Craig's List, I finally sold it back in August. The woman asked if she could pick it up in a week or so because they were going on vacation.

I haven't heard a word since and she doesn't respond to my emails. So...can I sell it again? Anyone know the protocol on things like this?

 

3. Two years ago I started using minoxidil for my thinning hair. I blogged about it at the beginning, and then a year later with the results. I also published that post on Vibrant Nation, where it triggered conversations that are still going on today.

It makes me feel good knowing my post triggered that dialog, and possibly provided a solution, for other women who struggle with the same problem. 

 

4. Yesterday it was in the 80's here. This morning we woke to drizzly 40's that steadily dropped all day.

Brrrr! How do you people up north live with this for months and months?

 

5. I spent a lot of time looking up this week...

 

Daughters-in-Law and other sweet!s

Yesterday I drove to the other side of Austin to wish my daughter-in-law a happy birthday in person for the first time, grateful that they finally live close enough that I can do that. It comes in handy for someone like me who always forgets to put birthday cards in the mail in time to arrive by the actual birthday.

I first met her when she was in high school, and have watched mostly from a distance as she grew into the beautiful, smart, fun 26-year-old woman she is today...

(photo by Bloom Photography)

They're settling into their new home and I love being able to see the progress. Tommy even installed one of those pull-down stairs to the attic in the garage, all by himself! And every time I go, Kirby has added new decorative touches.

It was pretty early in the morning - I was on my way to a new listing on that side of town - and they wouldn't let me take any new photos of them. But my grandpuppy Josie was willing to pose for my camera!

 

 

Pretty girl!

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

 

Monday: open roads when you're running late; support and guidance in your new job; figuring out problems on your own; your son cooking dinner for you

Tuesday: signed contracts; exploring cute little flipped houses; riding in a car full of women realtors

Wednesday: clear skies on your drive to and from Houston; giving your mom a birthday hug and kiss, and joining your brother, sister, niece, and nephew in helping her celebrate

 

Thursday: lunch at Mandolo's with your daughter; traveling to Munich and Prague via your son's photos

Friday: finally buying a new printer/scanner/copier, thanks to your thoughtful writing group; taking a break from everything to read a few chapters of "Game of Thrones" for the first time in weeks

 

 

Saturday: your name and number on a For Sale sign in front of a listing; water in the Pedernales River, despite the major drought; soaking in views of the Texas Hill Country; helping raise money for the sons of a friend who died way too young; seeing the full moon slip above the horizon as the sun sets in fiery glory behind you; celebrating a friend's 60th birthday

 

 

Sunday: a walk with your puppies before Mass; selling something on Craig's List; driving around Austin on a beautiful day; setting up your new printer; catching up with a friend/neighbor/client over a glass of wine; moonlight on a caliche road

 

Whew! That was quite a week. I hope yours was full of sweet! moments! Share them here!

"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate." 

~Robert Brault

Dodging Rain and Traffic Jams...and other sweet!s of the week

I made another overnight trip to the Houston area this weekend to visit my mom. Because of the weather forecast, I expected to be driving in rain coming and going.

And dreaded it something fierce!

So what a sweet! surprise to have sunshine to and from Houston, with the predicted rain passing through early this morning while I snuggled in bed.

Unfortunately, a section of the interstate we needed to travel was completely shut down for maintenance. Not so sweet!, but my son Daniel acted as navigator, directing me onto side roads where we avoided the worst of the traffic jams using the mapquest app. Absolutely sweet! 

But while we were at Mama's, Daniel spotted a baby gecko whose hind legs had gotten tangled in a spider web. Daniel rescued him and untangled his legs the best he could using some tiny scissors. He let him go in the front yard, hoping the little guy wouldn't get into any more trouble.

Witnessing the care and compassion that resides in my son's heart...the sweet!-est of all.

"The best portion of a good man's life:

 his little, nameless unremembered

 acts of kindness and love.”

 ~ William Wordsworth

 

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

Monday: new leads and listing appointments; a soul-cleansing night wind, starry sky, and bright clouds

Tuesday: being qualified for phone duty; Rudy's barbecue; touring homes with friends 

Wednesday: meeting the "Williams" of "Keller Williams";  grocery shopping with your daughter

Thursday: a day spent working from home, playing catchup; your first listing appointment

Friday: the golden morning light of autumn; being present in the moment; a new haircut; helping a friend celebrate the last day of her 20's; catching up with friends over Mexican martinis

Saturday: sunshine when you expected rain on a roadtrip; a quick visit with your grandpuppy, son and daughter-in-law; your other son riding shotgun, acting as navigator around traffic jams; a mother's hug and kiss, and the joy in her eyes when she sees you; your son's gentleness and care with your mother...and a baby gecko; staying up late, laughing with your mom at "Big Bang Theory"

Sunday: waking to the sound of rain; a too-quick visit with your nephew; driving into a beautiful sunset, instead of driving on a wet highway; home

 

I hope you are able to dodge things you are dreading in this coming week. Don't forget to share some of your sweet!s (or the link to a blogpost about them) in the comments!

New Careers, Full Moons, Church Bazaars, and other sweet!s

Long ago I dreamed of having the job I have now...only I didn't know what it was at the time. Does that make sense?

As with any entrepreneurial endeavor, it's agonizingly slow getting started, but I'm confident in my abilities and that I'm on the right track. That's sweet! all by itself. (But if you, or anyone you know, needs/wants to buy, sell, or invest in real estate, please send them my way! I can use all the referrals I can get!)

Anyway, this past week I attended the Realty Roundup in Austin, a conference sponsored by the Austin Board of Realtors that brought together people in all different areas of the industry.

And people in the real estate industry are some of the friendliest, most giving and supportive people I've ever met. In fact, just a chance encounter on the stairs turned into a friendship with an agent from another Keller Williams market center in Austin. We hung out together the rest of the day, going from booth to booth picking up freebies, talking to vendors, and tossing business cards into fish bowls in hopes of winning a drawing.

She won a big basket,  but my name was never called. However, I don't hold a grudge. We look forward to getting together again soon. 

Dr. Jim Gaines from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University was one of the main speakers at the Roundup. Using lots of charts and graphs, he assured us the Austin market was just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger.

For an Austin Realtor, the news that everyone wants to live in Austin is pretty sweet! As good as a gift basket any day!

And here are some other sweet!s from my past week...

Tuesday: spotting old trucks when you're out on a property tour with friends; photo shoots; meeting clients

Wednesday: rush hour traffic in the rain when you share it with your daughter; rain; a random encounter with a stranger turning into a friendship; great news about the Austin real estate market 

Thursday: walking at sunrise; meetings with vendors over morning coffee and lunch; an afternoon walk with your puppies; baby geckos; playing around on MLS; a longtime friend getting married; homemade pumpkin bread, courtesy of your daughter-in-law

Friday: friends becoming prayer warriors for other friends; dancing under a full moon with friends and strangers in your church parking lot; making it home in time to watch the end of "The Lost Boys" with your daughter

Saturday: sleeping in; walks with your puppies on crisp autumn days; butterflies and fall wildflowers; sipping on a Bloody Mary while you work at your church bazaar; cake walks, washer tournaments, and ziplines; watching Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail for the zillionth time with 1/2 of your kids

 

Sunday: waking early without an alarm clock, in time to walk your puppies before Mass; chipping away at your to-do list; working on your laptop on the back porch, watching the sunset, listening to the little creek below you singing its gratitude for the recent rain; a good report from a friend with cancer

 

Last, but not least, getting comments on your blog even though you haven't had time to make your rounds lately.

Blogging is a give-and-take thing, and I'm so grateful to those blog friends who continue to have patience with me as I try to find my balance in this new time-sucking career of mine. I miss making my regular blog rounds, but I'm finding my footing and will be back soon.

The essence of true friendship is to make allowance for another's little lapses. 

~David Storey

Please share one of your sweet!s from the past week in the comments! And don't forget to keep your eyes open for them in the coming week. They're there, I promise!

Sunshine in My House

"A good laugh is sunshine in a house."

~William Makepeace Thackeray

 

We were already running late to church this morning when we spotted him, a little dirty-white fluff of a dog at the top of our dirt road near the highway.

I knew before he asked that Daniel would want to get out and check on him, so I bit my tongue about being late and gave thanks that my middle child, who turned 25 today, is such a caring, thoughtful, compassionate human being.

I've been lucky to spend a lot of time with him this past year, hanging out watching movies here at home, and hitting the road to visit my parents, where I watched him and his brother shave my daddy's grizzled face and clean his dentures and hold my mama's hand. 

This has been a tough year in many ways, and having Daniel here at the house these past few months has lightened my heart. Besides always being eager to help with dog-care, laundry, cooking, or whatever we need, he makes me laugh, listens to my rants, offers encouragement and support, gives wise advice and a shoulder to cry on.

He hasn't just become an adult...he's now a friend. His birthday is one of the best gifts I've ever received.

I could go on and on and on about his awesomeness, but I've written about it before more eloquently than I can today (here and here and here and here and here and here) and right now I need to go finish cleaning up the kitchen.

In honor of his birthday, I made some of his favorite foods: Cyclops Cookies and Jim's Chicken Tenders (from a recipe given to us by our friend Jim, of course.)

Consequently, every surface in my kitchen is covered in grease and flour. Daniel's totally worth it, though. 

Oh, by the way, the puppy was excited to see Daniel at first, but then got scared and ran to the house closest to the road. We're hoping that's where he lives. We went on to church (really, really late!) and then kept our eyes open as we drove back home afterward.

No sign of the little guy. I hope he's okay and we scared him from straying close to the highway again.

My prayer today is that today is the beginning of a wonderful year for you, Daniel...that all of your thoughtfulness is returned to you times ten.  May you have clear paths and bright skies, and no matter what this year brings, I hope you continue to 

 "Be silly. Be honest. Be kind."  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

P.S. Happy birthday wishes to my sweet sister-in-law Kim, my young cousins Ashley, Kayce and Kayce's daughter, Tayvie, and my inspirational South African friend Pete! 

 

 

After every storm the sun will smile...

"After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer."

~ William R. Alger

We finally had enough rain this week to leave small pools in limestone bed of Long Hollow creek and set the frogs singing in celebration of several feet of water in the pond again.

And if that's not sweet enough, yesterday morning dawned clear and bright and cooler than it's been in six months, as if the rain just washed summer away. A gorgeous welcome for autumn.

On this morning's walk, I noticed these little moths (or something) dancing in the sunlight...

Sweet!

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

 

Monday: a morning at home to work on your to-do list; grocery shopping with your daughter; Bible study groups; finding more cards full of sweetness, sympathy, and friendship in your mailbox

Tuesday: waking without a stuffy nose for the first time in several weeks; the sun spilling over the hills into your Hollow; having an excuse to tour beautiful houses; real estate leads

Wednesday: walking under the stars; finding back roads to skirt clogged highways; a full moon lighting your way down a dirt road; finally having time to open your mail and finding a gift card from your writing group to help you buy a new printer; a hug from your brother-in-law, visiting from Arizona

Thursday: experiencing a real estate convention with your sister-in-law and a dear friend; friends who keep bandaids in their purse when you have blisters on your feet; the smell of rain

Friday: enough rain falling for the second day to make a difference in a drought; having your daughter for company when you're stuck in traffic; introducing your sister-in-law to Whataburger; the rain spigot shutting off almost every time you need to get in or out of your car, but then starting up again; giving thanks for your parents on their 64th wedding anniversary; the two-hour version of The.Most.Beautiful.Wedding.Ever

Saturday: a heron waiting for you to wake up and take its picture; a morning walk with your puppies for the first time in days; blue skies, cooler temperatures, and the golden glow of autumn in the sunshine; lunch overlooking a lake with your husband and in-laws and wandering through gift stores with your camera; a second evening spent around the table with loved ones playing 3-13

Sunday: sleeping in and still having time for a morning walk before Mass; a call from a dear friend; finishing your 'sweet' post on Sunday, in time to go sit on the front porch and just soak in the day

Whether your week is filled with sunshine or storms, I hope you experience enough sweet!s to fill your soul with good cheer! Share them here!

The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun.

 ~John Greenleaf Whittier

 

 

 

Five Things on Friday...er, Saturday

 

1.

I am kicking myself every day that I didn't become a realtor years ago. And I haven't even made any money yet! (Call me!)

(Thanks to my sweet sister-in-law for the blingy name badge!)

 

2.

I believe juggling real estate, my blogs, photography, writing, and family responsibilities is going to be harder than I thought it was...at least at first...but I'm going to keep trying to do it, anyway.

 

3.

It's September, yet we're hitting triple digits every day, as if it were still summer! Consequently, my house smells like country dogs and my allergies are going crazy because of it.

4.

Our 'big' pond is now a marsh. We need rain.

 

 

This is the original creek bed. In a good year, the pond level is ten feet above the banks of the creekbed.

 

5.

We experienced a family tragedy this week, in the true sense of the word. It isn't my story to tell, other than a broken heart because people I love are suffering, so I'm not going to share details here.

But I will ask that you lift them in prayer.

Thank you.

 

Sadness flies on the wings of the morning and out of the heart of darkness comes the light. 

~Jean Giraudoux

Linking with Nancy's Random 5 Friday

September Sweetness

September has always been one of my favorite months.

The air feels a little drier, crisper...summer temperatures begin their slow (and short, in Texas) descent into winter...the sky sheds its faded denim and dresses in vibrant azure. I'm eager to spend every minute of September outside, enjoying it all.

But there are other reasons I love September...

I first met Tom on a September evening, thirty-two years ago. We spent the last week of that month getting to know each other and falling in love. 

It was in September fourteen years ago that I first gathered a group of other exhausted moms for what became an annual retreat in Port Aransas. September is the sound of waves washing onto a sandy beach, the last kiss of summer sun on my skin, hours of reading or wandering with my camera, four days of laughter and a night of dancing with girlfriends.

When I was growing up, school didn't start until after Labor Day and three months of summer...enough free time to grow weary of the same neighborhood friends and Monopoly games that last for days...so September meant new clothes, new friends, and new beginnings.

Now that I'm in a state of reinvention as a real estate agent, September is still a time for new beginnings and new friends. Every day I'm pulling on seldom worn 'nice' clothes, attending classes and training, and meeting so many people, both newbies like me and experienced agents, willing to help me along this path. 

It's just making Septembers even sweeter.

 

Here are a few sweet! moments I noted from the past week. Please be sure to add yours in the comments!

 

 

Monday: a pond full of Snow-On-the-Prairie; your husband's help getting your puppy into the car for her check-up; people who are willing to share their methods of success; the comfort of friends when you hear of another friend's death

Tuesday: continuing to learn new things when you're 54; krispy kreme donuts; offers of help in your new career

Wednesday: helpful salesmen; your very own laptop; the arrival of your official real estate license; potential clients; spotting a bunny on your evening walk; your puppy not spotting the bunny

Thursday: the glint of morning sunlight on a dove's wing; meeting new people; cake and cookies and learning; friends who help you mourn the deaths of a two friends in one week; a letter in the mail

Friday: soft gray mornings; your old puppy running and playing with his puppy; your son sending you marketing tips for your new real estate business; spotting a creative sign while you're stuck in traffic; new purple flowers

Saturday: a long overdue haircut by Michael; walking at dusk with your puppy; making progress on your real estate to-do list, even if it feels like you're crawling along; nagging checking up on a longtime friend with some help issues; reconnecting with two old friends on Facebook, one from your chemical plant days and another from high school

Sunday: attending Mass with your husband and 1/2 of your kids; homilies that touch on things that have been on your mind the past week; being able to delegate puppy care when you have tons of stuff to do

 

I hope this September overflows in sweetness for you!

"The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions - the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling." 

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

 

 

Saving Roadrunners and other sweet!s of the week

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

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

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

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

Now that was sweet!

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

~Epictetus

 

 

 

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

 

1.

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

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

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

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

 

2.

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

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

I'm ready to hit the ground running!

 

3a.

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

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

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

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

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

3b.

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

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

 

4.

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

5.

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

At long last, we meet again...

They were waiting for me in the mailbox yesterday evening.

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

Sweet!

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

~ Oprah Winfrey

Dog Days of Summer

There are dogs in my house.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Anonymous 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Friday Randomness

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 – Confucius

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

Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal

A Daddy's Hugs and other sweet things

 

I made another quick trip to see my parents this weekend, accompanied by a son and daughter this time who pitched in to help with dishes and cleaning.

I'm so blessed that I still have my parents...that I only live four hours away so I can make quick overnight trips to see them...and that I have kids who don't hesitate to give up a weekend to go see their grandparents and help them out.

When we arrived and I leaned in to give Daddy a hug, he embraced me so tight and fierce, held on so long, and I relished every second of it, reluctant to break apart from the warmth of him and the strength in his arms. I'll carry that hug in my heart the rest of my life. 

A hug like that, especially from your daddy, is one of the sweetest things ever, ever, ever.

Here are a few other gems I tucked into my heart this week...

 

Monday: Rudy's breakfast tacos, especially when they're free; managing to stay awake in your night class, after spending all day in another class; your caliche road glowing in the light of a full moon; your son home for a visit

Tuesday: your son volunteering to feed your puppies so you're not late to class, since he has a day off; finally reaching your mom after playing phone tag; passing the test for your third real estate course; the full moon playing peek-a-boo with you through the trees

Wednesday: spotting a painted bunting on the birdfeeder; only getting a warning instead of a speeding ticket on your way home after night class 

 

Thursday: breakfast frittatas and homemade hash browns; passing your fourth real estate course exam; remembering to slow down on your way home

Friday: beginning to check out different real estate agencies so you can decide which one to work with; finally connecting with an AT&T representative who takes the time to do the math and, therefore, correct your phone bill, after at least four unsuccessful attempts with other reps; another road trip with 2/3 of your kids; staying up late, laughing at old episodes of "Friends" with your daughter

 

Saturday: being a help to your parents; your Daddy's hugs and your Mama's laughter; sons and daughters who enjoy spending time with their grandparents; watching your son shave your daddy; Whataburgers and salty french fries

Sunday: discovering that some of your customers are fellow parishioners of your church; hunting for a blue-tailed skink with your husband and camera, even if you don't find him, because you see another cool lizard and notice that your crape myrtle is finally blossoming!

 

 

I hope you all have a pockets full of sweet! moments you've collected along your path!

 

"Kiss your life.
Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now.
So that those moments of happiness you're waiting for don't pass you by."

~ UNKNOWN 

Five Things on Friday

 

I hate to wish time away, but this has been a long, tiring week, and I'm glad to be on the other side of it, with two more real estate classes behind me.

Four down, two to go. Then the BIG TEST.

 

 

I missed four morning walks in a row!

I felt like hugging this dirt road by Wednesday.

This cedar tree and oak tree are entwined from the base on up, reminding me of a couple in love walking through the woods.

I think these are the last of the mountain pinks growing along the road.

I'll miss them!

I don't know what these little wild wildflowers are...or were. I'm not sure what stage I'm seeing....

...but don't they remind you of Phyllis Diller?

(Thanks to all of you who are stopping by even though I haven't had time to make my rounds lately. I promise I'll reciprocate soon!  I hope you have a great weekend!)

Linking with Nancy's Random 5 Friday

Breathing...and other sweet things in life

We've been on a rollercoaster ride with my parents the past two days...my sister, Brenda, on the front lines with them, dealing with EMS and emergency rooms...me on the receiving end of texts and phone updates from her.  

It started yesterday, when Daddy apparently had a mini-stroke. The sweet! of it is he made it home from the grocery store before it really hit, and by the time EMS arrived, he had recovered.

But during the excitement, my mom fell. She seemed okay at the time, and EMS helped her back into her wheelchair, but this morning when Brenda checked on her and Daddy after church, Mama couldn't put her weight on her left hip. EMS made another visit to the house, but this time whisked Mama off to the hospital, Brenda and Daddy in a car close behind them.

Thank God (literally!) Mama's hip isn't fractured. (I tell you what, that woman has bones of steel!)

But while there, a nurse noticed Daddy looking a little saggy and droopy on one side of his face and body. Sure enough, he was having another mini-stroke. They admitted him, too, and for a time the texts and calls I received today from my sister made me think I needed to head straight to Houston right after work if I wanted to tell my Daddy goodbye one last time.

But...another sweet!...his CAT scan showed no blood on the brain. Daddy perked up, talked to my sister, and asked for a glass of milk. The doctor was concerned about his blood sugar and blood pressure, but that's a broken record I've been listening to, and singing along with, the past ten months.

Seeing as how my Daddy doesn't think he needs his diabetes or heart medicine, the record is bound to start skipping more and more. We're thinking it's time to get firm with those two about moving out of their home of 50+ years into some kind of assisted living.

Please tell me...how do you practice tough love on your parents? 

I would appreciate your prayers, but the good thing is, we don't have to do anything about it tonight, so I'm just giving thanks that Mama doesn't have a fractured hip and I don't have to rush to Houston. 

Those are the sweet!est things I can imagine right now. But here are a few others from the past week...

 

 

Sunday: time between church and work to take your puppies for a swim in the backyard "pool"; a chance to meet with your writing group again after several missed meetings

Monday: working in your church again; watching rain pouring down outside of your window; starting your second real estate class, moving closer to your goal; a successful Silpada party, where you earn enough to pay 1/4 of your real estate class expense, plus get a beautiful silver bracelet for free; photos of your bff's brand-new grandson

Tuesday: people who volunteer for your church; church bells that play "How Great Thou Art" and other hymns; your son and daughter-in-law buying their first home

 

Wednesday: realizing the coral snake lying a few feet away is dead; visiting with retirees who hang around after communion services, drinking coffee; a gift of tomatoes, squash, and eggplant, fresh from a garden; your story about your dad published on savvydad.com

Thursday: a 95 on your second real estate final; a classmate with jumper cables when you discover your car battery is dead after class; a gorgeous sunset keeping you company on the way home

Friday: plants that smell like spearment; cardinals playing tag all around you; arriving at work early enough to receive communion; a long therapeutic girl-talk visit with a friend

Saturday: great customers all day long; an overnight visit with your son, daughter-in-law, and grandpuppy

Sunday: after a rollercoaster day of texts from your sister about your parents, by the end of it your mom does NOT have a fractured hip, your dad's CAT scan looks good, and you don't have to be torn about whether to take off work to see them; your husband making brownies while you're at work

 

This morning at church we had a visiting priest, originally from Nigeria - Father Justin Udomah. He told a great story about a pickpocket stealing his wallet, leaving him stranded in a small town...how he asked for help at a local church but was turned down.

He said he was tempted to get angry, but instead, decided then and there that he would never turn away anyone in need. He used the experience to illustrate the story of the Good Samaritan and how we should help each other, but he also stressed the importance of turning the negative in our lives into positive results. 

I really liked that.

If you find you have a hard time finding the sweet! moments in your day, or turning the negative into positive, I recommend a book that will help: Basket of Blessings: 31 Days to a More Grateful Heart , by Karen O'Connor. (Full disclosure: this is an Amazon Affiliate link, but I wouldn't offer it if I didn't really recommend it!)

I received it in a box of books Tom brought me from my mother-in-law. It was the first one I read, and now I'm re-reading it, even though I've already developed the habit of looking for those sweet! moments in my day. I'm always looking for inspiration. This book helps you learn to recognize the blessings all around you and make gratitude part of your every day life.

I hope your week overflows wth sweet! moments...a basket overflowing with blessings.

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. 

~Kak Sri

 

 

 

Five Things on Friday

1.

I've captured Belle leaping three days in a row now. All I had to do was write about how I kept getting distracted at the last minute, and BOOM! now I stay focused.

It took about fifty years, but I've finally figured out how to manipulate myself. How do you trick, er, train yourself?

 

(I just said I've captured the photos...not that they were any good!)

 

2.

A scorpion stung Tom last night. In all the years we've lived here, through all of the rock moving and house construction, none of us has ever been stung until now, so all things considered, we've been pretty lucky...

...But I don't think Tom is feeling very lucky right now. 

 

3.

My son and his bride just bought their first house. It reminds me a lot of the first house Tom and I lived in as newlyweds...small, but just right. I'm so excited for them! And now my grandpuppy Josie will have her own yard!

 

4.

Last month I wrote a post about my dad for Generation Fabulous's Father's Day Bloghop. The writers behind SavvyDad.com spotted it on Huffington Post and approached me about using it on their website. Of course I said yes! The more I can brag about my awesome Daddy, the better, is my opinion!

If you hop over to SavvyDad to read it, be sure to stick around and read more stories about dads...or even offer your own. Their aim is to help promote good fatherhood practices.

 

5.

Have you heard of Malala Yousafzai? She's the 16-year-old who the Taliban shot in the head for speaking up about the educational rights of women. Of the moment she was shot, she says..."Weakness, fear, and hopelessness died; strength, power, and courage was born." She is an amazing young woman, a bright light shining in the darkness. I'd say she's destined for great things...but she's already achieved it.

I just listened to her speech to the UN Youth Assembly and urge you to listen to it HERE as well, if you haven't already. It's totally worth the sixteen minutes. 

 

Linking with Nancy's Random 5 Friday

 

 

Monday becomes Tuesday becomes...

I started this post yesterday, then suddenly yesterday was today.

Do your days blur together like that? Mine have a lot lately. I think it's because I work weekends and workdays, plus there was the 4th of July holiday in the middle of a week, and now I'm squeezing real estate school into an already awkwardly over-packed week.

But then...it could just be me.

Whatever the reason, there's so much going on, it's tough to stay focused. My mind tends to sneak out a side door and go exploring instead of facing forward and paying attention.

For example, there's a splash of tall weeds near a curve in our road, where either mice or lizards or some other small scurrying creatures hide. Every morning for several days in a row, as soon as we got there Belle would make a flying leap into the grass, trying to catch whatever's in there by surprise.

I, in turn, want to catch a photo of Belle in the middle of her flying leap. But it never fails: I get distracted by something seconds before we get there, and...oops. I missed it again, dang it.

This morning I was determined to stay focused. It took a lot of effort, grabbing my errant attention by the ear every time I caught it trying to sneak out the side door to investigate some flowers or watch the clouds or some such nonsense. But I was firm, and when we got to the curve, my camera was ready and I had my eye on Belle. 

Naturally, she didn't leap.  

 

 

I'm working in our church office a few days this week, then heading straight to real estate class in the evening. The picture up above is framed and hanging on a wall of the office. Talk about an inspirational environment!

Except for a few flurries of activity, it's been quiet, just the hum of the computer and the whisper of wind outside my window. I've thought about pulling up some music on the computer, but I like the quiet.

It's great for studying. I'm learning about Finance this week; last night we were given a crash course in the recent mortgage-crisis-near-world-depression. My brain is on overload!

 

 

 

Have you ever floated a river in an inner tube, when the river was up and moving fast? That's what time feels like to me right now.

I'm sort of relaxed and enjoying the scenery, but keeping an eye out for those little whirlpools that twirl you around and around, stuck in one place. I also want to avoid the whitewater that knocks you off your tube and pulls you under.

I just want to keep moving forward, with my head above water. I don't want to miss a thing.

"I See You" does it again. Sweet!

 

I'm so grateful my friend Lisa asked me to take some photos of her colts last year, and that I went kind of crazy, snapping away at all of the horses in the pasture, because on Tuesday I was Huffington Post's Featured Fifty Fine Artist, all because of that beautiful horse up there.

That pretty much topped my sweet! list this week, but I did find quite a few more...

 

Sunday: new flowers blooming in the Hollow; a marriage proposal at a winery; a family joining hands in prayer before eating

Monday: having an elliptical when your beloved treadmill dies (and a husband who can find exercise equipment cheap on Craig's List); a note from a customer letting you know how pleased she is with the photographs she bought from you; arriving at your first real estate class across town on time

Tuesday: your old puppy snuggling with you after your morning walk; hearing the original version of "Last Kiss"; being selected as one of Huffington Post's Featured Fifty Fine Artists

Wednesday: hopeful buds on your crape myrtle; a classmate bringing "Pakoda", an Indian treat, for everyone to try (fried cabbage - yummy!); making 100 on your final exam; one course down, five to go for your license; fireworks on the horizon as you drive home

Thursday: celebrating your country's birthday; carriage rides around a vineyard at sunset; fireworks from a hilltop

Friday: a day at home to play catch-up; making it through the week with a dying car battery without getting stranded; your husband replacing the dying battery with a young, vigorous one

Saturday: capturing a photo of a camera-shy cardinal, despite his best effort; a long-overdue trip to the grocery store

 

I hope you captured plenty of sweet!s this past week, and spot even more in the week ahead! 

If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. 

~Robert Quillen

Just Me and Belle, Huntin' Lizards

 

I'm not sure if Max was mad at me for sleeping in, or if he thought it was already too hot, but Monday morning there was nothing I could do to coax that old dog to go for a walk with me.

It hurt my feelings, because I didn't have time Saturday or Sunday to go for walks before work. In fact, I'd barely seen him since Friday. Old fart.

So Belle and I went without him.

She's usually reluctant to venture far without him, but that morning she seemed to relish the alone time with me.

We came to an area of tall grass. She froze in her tracks, listening...and smelling. I watched her nose, fascinated at the way it twitched this way and that, rhythmic and intent. She stomped her paw. Waited. Listened. Smelled. Stomped.

There was a rustle of grass. She pounced, and at the same time, I caught a glimpse of a striped lizard zipping past me. I turned, barely in time to snap this photo before the lizard disappeared in the grass near the building.

 

Meanwhile, Belle still snuffled in the grass behind me, searching, clueless; I didn't have the heart to tell her I caught the lizard.

Five Things on Friday

1.

 

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

 

2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.

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

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

4.

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

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

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

(And free.)

 

5.

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

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

Not familiar with him? Listen to this...

 

 

{Remembering}

to link with

Random 5 Friday

Wild Turkey and other sweet!s

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

The Simple Things are the Sweetest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Sons, Sunday mornings, and other sweet!s

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

Five Things on Friday

1.

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

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

Shingles...heart palpitations...

You'd be nervous, too!

I'm grateful I got a break this year.

2.

photo from HERE, courtesy of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

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

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

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

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

3.

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

 

4.

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

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

5. 

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

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

 

 

Linking up with A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday

 

Raindrops and Photo Shoots

Saturday morning I woke to the sound of rain. Lots and lots of rain. I staggered to my computer and pulled up radar of our area.

A huge green and yellow blob was blinking its way straight for us. A blessing for sure in this time of drought, two days in a row of serious rainfall, but dang it, I had a photo shoot scheduled that morning.

It wasn't supposed to rain, according to the weather forecast.

But it was raining. All I could do was call off the shoot, hope to reschedule, give thanks for the rain, and crawl back into bed. I was disappointed, but sleeping in on a rainy morning is pretty sweet, don't you agree?

Making it even sweeter was being able to reschedule the shoot for yesterday evening and having the weather cooperate. We didn't even let the fact that dozens of other people decided to celebrate Memorial Day in the little park where we'd planned the shoot, swimming all around the little dam and waterfall that was supposed to be a pristine backdrop. We just carried on as planned.

So far I'm very pleased with the shots and I think my clients will be, too!

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

 

 

Monday: spotting a great blue heron soaring over the Hollow through the french doors; the first tiny bud on your miniature rosebush; a day with no makeup; hummingbirds

Tuesday: helping your co-worker explain the relationship of Catholics and saints to his non-Catholic sister-in-law and having her say "That makes sense."; seeing a friend and her family at work; hearing of miracles on a sad day; being able to talk to your mom and sister about anything; hearing that your neighbor's lost dog wandered back home, safe and sound; new tires on your car, thanks to your husband; the call of a Chuck-Will's-Widow

Wednesday: cotton-tailed rabbits and white-tailed deer on your morning walk; Greek pizza; seventy-year-old newlyweds; a dog's tail wagging at the sight of you; punk-rocking teenager cardinals; the silence of the woods; progress on one of your books

Thursday: a high-five from your allergy/asthma doctor; typing 74 wpm and making a 96 on an employment spelling test; a hug from your baby girl; Chuy's creamy jalapeno dip and tortilla soup; a call from your mom; a thoughtful card in the mailbox from a dear friend; your son's wedding video; painted buntings; playing your drums 

Friday: remembering your puppies' heart and flea protection; much-needed rain in your Hollow; the relief and gratitude in your puppies' eyes when you let them be house dogs during a thunderstorm; your mom calling to warn you about severe thunderstorms headed your way

Saturday: roadrunners; a second day of much-needed rain; a full moon over a vineyard; wedding cake; a midnight serenade, courtesy of happy frogs

Sunday: the sound of a waterfall; brunch, wine, and a long visit with a dear friend while being the customer instead of the server for a change; a visit from your oldest baby; your youngest calling to check on you; making it to your writing critique group

Monday: your photo chosen for a Mortal Muses Mosaic; watching the new Star Trek movie with 1/2 of your kids; popcorn for lunch; a photo shoot with a beautiful, fun family

Tuesday: summer mornings; watching your old puppy swim across a pond; shopping with your baby girl; a long phone call with a dear friend

I hope sweet! moments rained down on you all last week and overflow into the next!

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

Dusk

Lately, when dusk falls, it finds me taking a break from the computer, folded into my rocking chair on the front porch, Belle snoozing beside me, camera at the ready, glass of wine in hand.

It's a transitional moment between day and night. The front porch faces east, so there's no dramatic sunset, just a quiet hush and shadow settling over the woods. A breeze floats through, tickling the wind chimes.

The Mexican Jays take their turn at the birdfeeder before calling it a night, relinquishing control of the feeder to the cardinal family.

Baby cardinal has turned into Punk-Rocker Teenager cardinal, full of spunk, but wary of me. Dad flies in every so often, but I haven't seen Mom lately.

I hope she's okay.

A squirrel tiptoes close to get a drink of water from our pie plate bird bath, keeping a wary eye on me. One last drink before heading to bed. 

I try to quiet the voices and noises in my head so I can listen to the woods. The buzz of insects. Belle's rhythmic breathing. A peep, peep from somewhere, then, as dusk deepens, I hear the Chuck-Will's-Widow, so like a Whippoorwill's song that I mistook it for one for years.

A mosquito buzzes in my ear and I wave my magic yellow bracelet at it. Take that, sucker! The buzzing stops. It's a miracle! I'm so glad I spotted these yellow bracelets in our grocery store. It's like wearing a citronella candle, and they seem to work, if you can stand the smell. Just 99 cents. I plan to load up on them. 

Belle sighs in her sleep. The shadows deepen and the buzzing gets closer. I haven't seen the cardinals in awhile. I picture Teenager snuggling into the nest between his mom and dad, not quite as tough as he wanted me to believe. 

Time to go inside and get back to work.

 

Longhorns and other sweet!s

 

 

Yesterday I helped a friend celebrate her son Ryan's graduation from the University of Texas. 

We enjoyed beer, barbecue, and a cake decorated like Big Bertha, the large drum wheeled around at halftime performances, because Ryan was on the Big Bertha team for the Longhorn Band.

I got to see all of my kids and spend time with friends in a beautifully landscaped backyard close enough to campus to see the fireworks through the trees at the end of the ceremony. 

It was a very sweet! day!

(We watched the ceremony itself on television in the air-conditioned comfort of the house, and I'm glad because summer has officially arrived in Austin, Texas. Whew! That was sweet!, too!)

Here are some others from the last half of the week. (I'm trying to stay on track now!)

Wednesday: being able to wish your husband a happy birthday; chocolate torte

Thursday: getting a parking spot downtown when you need it; hanging out in a genealogy library; dinner with your son; the floppy ears on German Shepherd puppies; attending a panel on writing with your son

 

Friday: a call from a dear friend; Panda Express fortunes that come true; bumping into a friend in Walmart; the smell of warm brownies; the taste of warm brownies 

Saturday: celebrating a friend's son's graduation from the University of Texas; Rudy's Barbecue; getting to see all of your kids  

 

Sunday: your friend sneaking into Mass even later than you; a bee buzzing up to a Texas Thistle just as you snap the photo, even if it makes you jump; spotting a Green Heron in a tree down the creek

 

I hope you've had a week full of sweet! moments. If you find yourself getting down, start looking for them. They're there, just waiting to be noticed, and it's one of the best ways to climb out of the dumps! (The absolute best is helping someone else, of course.)

What was one of the sweetest moments of your past week?

Five Things on a Friday Night. And a Puppy.

 

1.

You know you're getting old when, instead of taking friends up on an invitation to listen to live music on a Friday night after work, you walk your friend's dogs, eat dinner alone at Panda Express, pick up a few things at Walmart, and make brownies for your friend's son's college graduation party on Saturday.

And then write a blog post about it.

 

2. 

 

Nothing smells better than brownies baking in the oven. Amen.

 

3.

 

The fortune in my cookie at Panda Express read: "A pleasant surprise is in store for you." Sure enough, within the hour, I was standing in the check-out line at Walmart when a familiar voice said, "Barbara?"

It was the former high school librarian who I loved working with as a substitute assistant and who loved having my son as her aide. I haven't seen her in ages.

It truly was a very, very, very pleasant surprise. (But how did Panda Express know? It's almost creepy!)

 

4.

 

One of the feral cats that adopted my parents has disappeared. They believe it died.

When I was there for Mother's Day, it had tucked itself into a tight spot between the house and the deck. It was too wild for them to catch. Daddy just made sure it had food and water nearby, but it had no appetite.

They had enjoyed watching that cat sleep on the deck (and try to catch birds at the feeder and bath - sometimes successfully) for over a year.

She was a pretty little thing, and they forgave her for trying to kill (and succeeding in killing) the birds, and scaring the squirrels away.

It makes me so sad for them. 

 

5.

 

I attended a Writer's League of Texas panel on magazine writing last night. Four writers shared their experiences: Sarah Bird, Chuck Eddy, Alicia Dennis, and Michael Hall.

In a nutshell I learned that magazine writing used to be a great gig, but that it's getting harder and harder to make a living at it because so many magazines have folded, so much is online now, and there are tons of writers doing it for next-to-nothing...or nothing, period. 

The writers were all really interesting and funny, and still all actively writing for publications, including People and Texas Monthly, but overall it was kind of sad and bittersweet.

So don't you think it's ironic that I want to do it even more after listening to them talk about it?

P.S.

 

Before the magazine panel, Daniel and I ate at Opal Divine's. This little Mini-Max and his mom sat near us, and, oh! he stole my heart!

I'm going to post more street photos on Confessions, but had to share Augie with you here, too.

I think I want a puppy.

Mother's Day and A Sweet Confession

Here it is, my confession: I've fallen out of the habit of looking for those sweet! moments in every day. It hasn't been too much of a problem until now, what with The Wedding and Mother's Day and all, because they overflowed in sweetness.

But today. Ah, today. A Monday by any other name would still be a Monday, if you know what I mean. So even though the calendar said it was Tuesday, once I stepped into the winery this morning, I knew it was really a Monday, with all of its Murphy's Law madness. 

Nothing big. Just one little thing after another that kept me a little grumpy all day, and now here I sit with brain freeze, needing to pay bills and finish laundry, wanting to work on my book, but overwhelmed with...everything.

I just want to climb in bed and forget about today.

That's what happens when I stop really paying attention to the sweet!s. 

So for my peace of mind I need to walk backward through the day with open eyes and find those sweet!s I was too blind to notice earlier.

...First of all, after writing that first part I took a break out on the porch swing, letting the evening breeze ruffle my hair, imagining it filtering into my brain and cleaning out the cobwebs.

A cedar tree creaked in the wind, the leaves rustled, my wind chimes played in harmony with the evening songbirds. Belle and Max lay nearby, eyes open, just listening with me. 

No matter what else happened today, that was all pretty sweet!

But my day began with a sunrise walk with my life-loving puppies. Besides all of the yellow flowers, prairie verbena, and Indian Blankets that are blooming right now, the cactus are dotted with delicate yellow flowers that should have reminded me that sweet! moments can transform the thorniest of days.

 

And then there was Mother's Day.

Over the weekend, I saw all three of my kids, plus my mom. Not all at the same time, but I'm grateful for what I can get!

Friday night my oldest came to see us, bearing gifts from their honeymoon adventures in Italy. He brought me a bottle of wine from one of the vineyards they visited in Tuscany and this gorgeous bracelet from Venice made of Murano glass beads.

 

I always regretted not buying some of that beautiful glass on my own trip in 1976. 

 

Thank you, Tommy and Kirby! (How did they know?)

I stayed up later than I intended, listening to Tommy's stories from Italy, making him look at my old Italy photos from '76, laughing over funny videos, and watching (dozing through) an episode of Game of Thrones, but it was worth losing a few hours of sleep.

Saturday morning I dropped groceries off for TG who was in the middle of finals (and got a quick hug) then picked up my middle one for a road trip to Houston to spend Mother's Day with my mom.

We celebrated with lots of family over lunch on Sunday at an Italian restaurant. 

(I forgot to get one of Mama with the grandkids until she was already in the car. But I love it!)

Daniel gave me an updated version of my absolute favorite cookbook - Cooking Texas Style. I ordered mine out of Country Living magazine back in 1983. Its pages are smudged and worn from use.

This latest version is not only cleaner, but it has all of my old favorites, plus a bunch of new recipes I can't wait to try!

 

Thank you, Daniel!

And now, the Squirrel.

Every time I drive to Houston I pass this huge squirrel at the Berdoll Pecan & Gift Company outside of Bastrop...and I always wish I had stopped and gotten a photo of it. 

Okay, with it.

So this time I did.

 

And bless his heart, Daniel agreed to be in the photo with me since there was a couple who could take the photo for us.

I am one lucky mom!

Here are a few other sweet!s from the past few weeks that I actually did jot down, but I don't think I officially posted...

Seeing an owl swoop past at dusk; the Hoary Bat; fireflies; finally watching the Hunger Games movie with your son; getting a score of 26 in a game of 3-13 with your mother-in-law; a mani-pedi; your own cowgirl boots courtesy of your sweet friends; hummingbirds; a friend's help on the centerpieces for your son's rehearsal dinner; dancing at your son's wedding; YOUR SON'S WEDDING!; photo-booth pictures; keeping up with the honeymoon via Instagram and Facebook; chocolate-covered strawberries; spending a week with your grandpuppy; a free prime rib dinner with friends; wildflowers lining the road

I hope you pay attention to the sweet!s in your week! I'm going to make sure I do!

 

 

Five Things on Friday

1.

I've spent the last two hours in shorts, relishing the sun on my skin and the brilliant, cloudless blue sky. Tom has the chainsaw out and is busy trimming branches in the woods in front of our house.

I'm dragging them down along the side porch and tossing them over the back railing. We'll later drag them from there over the hill into a new pile that we'll eventually burn once the burn ban is lifted. 

My arms and legs are all scratched up, and there are bits of bark and leaves stuck in my hair, but I don't care. I love working outside.

And to think yesterday I was wearing a winter coat...

 

2. 

Last night I enjoyed a delicious prime rib dinner for free, courtesy of a friend who invited me to be her date at one of those promotional things put on by financial advisors.

It was at one of our favorite restaurants, and besides the great food and getting to spend time with dear friends (two others joined us) I actually learned something about investments and retirement. Nothing I can use at the moment, of course, since I'm still trying to start a career and can't even think about retirement, but a girl can be optimistic, can't she?

Especially when enjoying a free prime rib dinner.

3.

My mother-in-law bought me flowers when she first arrived. My brain finally slowed down enough to take a photo of them yesterday. Some of them are starting to droop, but overall they're still beautiful. Thank you again, Mom! 

4.

I have terrible nails. I never wear polish, because I don't want to draw attention to them!

But the day before the Big Wedding, the mother-of-the-bride and I got together to go over the slideshow we presented at the rehearsal dinner, and she shared her Walmart stick-on French Tip fake nails with me. My manicure from earlier in the week was long gone, thanks to three days of washing dishes at the winery (Hello? What was I thinking?) so I was very grateful.

Oh, I felt so elegant, even though I had to relearn how to type and put on earrings and text and button my pants. They were a tad longer than my normal nails..."normal" meaning "on a good day are longer than my fingertips." 

Only three of the nails are left, so you can imagine how goofy my hands look now. 

 

5.

The last report I had from the honeymooners was this photo from Cinque Terre, one of my dream destinations. I'm so grateful for Instagram and Facebook.

Meanwhile, we're having fun with our grandpuppy, and she's having fun being a country dog. (I promise we're only spoiling her a little bit, Kirby!)

 

Linking with Friday Fragments and Random 5 Friday

Back to Reality

The fairy tale is over, at least for me and Tom. While my son and his beautiful bride continue their romantic story over in Italy, we've said goodbye to the rehearsal dinner leftovers and the last out-of-town guest.

My mother-in-law left this morning. No more eating out or playing cutthroat games of 3-13, where I actually got on a winning streak for the first time in 30 years.

We're puppysitting our grandpuppy (which I love!) but otherwise we're back to our old routines. I went back to work yesterday and, while Tom is taking a few days off, he's back to piecing rock together for our driveway. I hear his hammer tapping as I type this.

But thank goodness (and bless my husband who built it) reality includes a break in the evening beside a little terrace bordering a small pond shaded by new green leaves, with splashes of crimson flowers and baby dewberries along the rim, where I can sit with a glass of wine, a pen and some paper, until the mosquitoes tell me it's time to go inside.

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. 

~e.e. cummings 

 

Be Still

 

It was a gray morning, the sun not yet able to break through the clouds above the Hollow or the dark thoughts clouding my brain. Worries and what-ifs mingled with sorrow for the people of Boston and scenes of the explosion in West were fresh in my mind.

My feet tread a familiar path through the woods, but I hardly paid attention. My camera dangled, forgotten, around my neck because I was too distracted by darkness to look for light.

Then, as I stepped into an area surrounded by tall trees, I heard it, the wind moving through their branches, singing a lullaby. A song straight from God to my heart.

"Be still."

That night, after a day of to-do's and running later than I'd hoped, I'd already forgotten that feeling of peace when I arrived at my meeting. Soft music and candlelight greeted me, thanks to the committee member in charge of our opening reflection.

"Be still and know that I am God," she read to us (Psalm 46:10) and once again I heard the trees' lullaby and God's voice: "Be still. Don't worry. I've got it."

For the next fifteen minutes or so, she guided us through a centering prayer, where we focused on interior silence, using a single sacred word to pull me back when those distracting thoughts try to pop back in and get me all rattled.

"Be still." The words have continued to echo in my heart, so simple, so full of love and comfort and security.

 

It's on the darkest night that you see the most stars, isn't it? When the moon and sun are both resting, the darkness provides a black backdrop to stars you would never even notice with a full moon on the stage, or when the sun rules the sky.

I think that's the way it is with sweet!s. When times get tough, that's when the sweet moments of our lives shine against the darkness. Once again we pay attention and give thanks for the simple things we all too often take for granted.

This past week, the shadows cast by terrorism and tragedy made me look closer for those bright spots I knew were there. 

 

Monday: a day off to play catch-up; a morning walk with happy dogs; turtles; cardinals at the birdfeeder; prairie verbena spreading everywhere; witnessing (via television) ordinary people becoming heroes

Tuesday: time for a long morning walk; a just-right day at work...not too busy, not too slow; spotting a Painted Bunting on your bird feeder

Wednesday: the sound of trees singing to each other; puppy kisses when you're feeling blue; praying with others for a small community hit with tragedy

Thursday: spending time with your baby girl, even if it's at the DMV and doctor's office; Five Guys cheeseburgers; arriving right on time everywhere on a tightly-packed day

Friday: trainees who catch on fast on a busy day at work; UPS and FedEX deliveries; your photos turned into beautiful greeting cards and prints; spotting a hawk out your kitchen window

Saturday: time for a long walk with your puppies and son before work; weddings, even on the sidelines; a belated birthday phone message from a friend; philosophical discussions with your son late at night

Sunday: sleeping in, late Mass with your son, and breakfast with friends; a walk with your son and puppies; the sun's kiss on your legs and arms; making a clean dent on a dirty house; your son making a delivery for you, saving you a trip into town

Monday: a forecast for absolutely perfect weather on your son's wedding day

 

A crazy, busy week awaits me, with one of the happiest days of my life ahead - the wedding of my oldest son. Talk about a bright light! But I'm determined to keep my eyes open and appreciate the simple blessings each day provides. I hope you do, too. Please share yours with me!

Five Things

1.

What a week full of tragedy, heartbreak, and heroism. First the bombing in Boston and subsequent acts of unselfishness and goodness that proved only light can conquer darkness...and that there's plenty of light in Boston. We witnessed it in the behavior of all of its citizens.

Next, the explosion in West, Texas, so close to home, where even more were killed and injured than in Boston. I've driven through that little town on my way somewhere else so many times, stopping for kolaches or to let the kids get rid of energy. In a tiny rural community like that a tragedy like this touches every resident and my heart goes out to them.

Now the earthquake in China. The numbers keep growing of those whose heartbreak is broadcast to all of us via the media...which means we can all pray for them. A universal prayer chain. An image glowing with light in yet another moment of darkness.

 

2.

I love sending cards to friends, but often don't have them on hand or the time to run out and buy one. So I decided to create my own...from my photographs and favorite quotes. I posted them on FineArtAmerica.com and placed my order. It arrived this week in a great box. 

I'm sending this one to all of those affected in #1, as well as anyone else reading this who is suffering loss right now.

 

 

"Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains."

~ Kahlil Gibran

 

3.

Without excusing their behavior, I feel those two young men who planted the Boston bombs were merely pawns played by some greater evil who is sitting back, laughing at how they held us hostage for awhile and probably planning their next move. I pray I've raised my kids to be strong enough not to fall for false flattery, that they may never be manipulated in that way. 

4.

Just home from work yesterday evening, wondering where to get started on things I needed to do, one glance out the kitchen window put everything else on hold. A hawk perched in a tree overlooking our big pond ("big" only in comparison to our "little" pond; it's just a wide spot in a mostly dry creek right now, but it does have water!) I popped the 70-300mm lens on my camera and snapped a few through the window. Then I snuck out the front door, tiptoed around the corner, and managed to snap a few more before he swooped down to the pond. 

"Do you mind?"

They aren't great photos - he was pretty far away - but they're good enough to help me remember and be grateful that I stepped out of "to-do's" and just enjoyed the moment and this beautiful, amazing world around us.

 

5.

We're winding down to the Big Wedding of my son and his beautiful bride-to-be. For a long time the wedding was a year away, and now suddenly it's almost here! How does that happen?

So please don't forget me if I continue to be AWOL from your blogs for awhile, and negligent of emails and Facebook posts. But as my mom pointed out, Tommy's wedding is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things. A time to forget about the world and to-do lists and worries about the future, and focus, instead, on love and family and today.

"Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale." 

 
--Anonymous 

I Blame LinkedIn

Instead of exercising this morning before heading to work, I made the mistake of clicking on my LinkedIn profile when I got on the computer to pay some bills. By the time I finished updating it, I was scrambling to make it to work on time.

So as soon as I stepped in the door this evening after work, I changed into my work-out clothes, determined to keep up my routine. But I was starving. First I would eat, then I would work out.

But I couldn't work out right after eating, could I? So I cleaned off my desk and sat down to finish paying bills until enough time had passed that I wouldn't puke when I jumped rope.

Money on my brain, or rather the lack thereof, I couldn't resist clicking on the email from LinkedIn telling me about jobs I might like. 

Well, I didn't like any of those, but I kept clicking and found one that actually did appeal to me and matched my experience and skills. So I clicked on "apply", which took me to a window requesting my resume.

Uh-oh. Updating my resume had been on my to-do list...or I should say, it's been ignored on my to-do list. It immediately moved up in priority.

I spent the next thirty minutes...hour...who knows how long, tidying it up to match the job, then finished applying.

Time to work out. No, it was late. I would just pay bills and get in bed early so I could wake up early enough to work out.

Oh, but first, I needed to print out one of my critique group member's submission for the next meeting in case I got called to substitute teach in the morning. I like to do my critiques during my long break periods. Too cheap to use new paper, I decided to clean out my file cabinet and find some paper I could recycle.

So I headed into the bedroom where the file cabinet is and noticed the basket of towels on the bed waiting to be folded. I remembered I had clothes in the washer and dryer, so I turned on "Dancing with the Stars" for ten minutes while I folded, then moved the loads around downstairs.

But instead of folding the next basket of clothes I pulled from the dryer (just Tom's work clothes - wrinkling wouldn't hurt them) I thought I better get back to paying bills.

Back on the computer, a quick glance at Facebook reminded me I wanted to submit one of my blog posts to BlogHer's Voices of the Year.

I'm getting very audacious in my old age! Perhaps I've read this enough times to believe it:

"Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers, why not gather your own bouquet?"

- from P.S. I Love You on my bathroom wall

 

But which post should I submit? I started scrolling through my posts until I came to The Artist. That would do. I filled in the nomination page then shared my audaciousness on the GenerationFabulous Facebook page, which is full of supportive women, but I've been neglectful of my own support for them lately, so I spent some time reading over a few posts and voting for their submissions as well. 

Finally! Time to pay those bills. Except, gosh, couldn't this whole crazy scenario make a great blog post? Especially if I mention the Painted Bunting I spotted out the bathroom window while I was flossing my teeth, in between eating dinner and sitting down to pay bills the first time? The one I captured in my camera when I left mid-floss to sneak out the back door and creep up on via the side porch?

And that's why I never seem to get anything done. I blame it all on LinkedIn. Now excuse me, but I really need to finish flossing, pay those bills and get in bed.

Oh, but first...

 

Birthday Cards and other sweet!s

Does anyone read blog posts in the middle of the night? It seems it's the only time I finally get to post, after finishing up the higher priority items on my to-do lists. 

BlogHer is asking for nominations for their Voices of the Year, in the categories of Heart, Humor, Inspiration, and OpEd. I had thought about nominating myself (that's what you do when you get older - you quit waiting on other people to toot your horn - you just do it yourself!) but to be honest, I can't think of a post that might have a chance of winning, so I'll probably just wait until next year.

I'm not putting myself down...it's just that I don't post about controversial stuff. And I don't cuss. Or have small children. I'm not an alcoholic or drug addict who had an abortion at 18.

I'm not complaining - I know I'm blessed. But those seem to be the criteria in the posts with the highest ratings, along with alcoholism, drug abuse, and abortions.

 I have too many other things on my plate to worry about. Namely, a wedding (my son's) and finding a job which is more than a job, but a career. And writing a book. And...

Okay, I'll stop and get on with this post, which is about birthday cards and other sweet!s of the past week.

 

Next year for my birthday, I'm going to go to Barton Springs Pool and wear a bucket on my head.

 

 

This is the card my son gave me. Inside it says: "It's your birthday, so take it easy. Relax. Wear a bucket on your head. Whatever."

 And he wrote: "Do you want to go to Barton Springs and wear a bucket on your head?

If I had said yes, he would have cringed, but I know he would have gone along with me, and my other two kids as well. As I've already said once in this post, I'm blessed. (Of course, they would have pretended they didn't know me, but that's understandable.)

My friend Tamara (Tamara, Tamara, Tamara!) sent me a card that proves she knows me very well...

 

 

And here are some other sweet!s of the week...

Monday: antelope horn blooming; spotting a rabbit's tail on a morning walk; a hug from an old co-worker/friend; reminiscing with a friend about your kids and old times

Tuesday: Russian accents; meeting a Headhunter who promised to critique your resume; a blog friend requesting to buy a series of your photos

Wednesday: a walk in the rain with your pups during a drought; homemade chicken soup and a fire in a fireplace on a cold, rainy day in a vineyard

 

Thursday: wildflowers bordering a Texas highway (they were beautiful, but I had to wait to take the photo when I was stopped at a red light, where they were more sparse); standing by your friend when she says goodbye to her mother; sharing memories of your childhood with people you still call friends; an evening with your parents

 

Friday: coffee and reading the newspaper at the kitchen table with your dad; sneaking a photo of your dad with your phone; new growth in an old neighborhood; red-winged blackbirds; splashes of primroses on a roadside that remind you of your wedding 30 years agoan afternoon with your daughter and seeing both of your sons

 

Saturday: time for a walk with your puppies before work; two elderly people finding love again; patches of bluebonnets; going to bed earlier than you expected 

Sunday: waking early enough to go to early Mass; the joy on your puppies' faces when you take them for a walk; baby turtles; your writing group liking your latest story; getting a lot of stuff done on your day off

I hope you have a fantastic week, full of sweet! moments! I'll leave you with one of my favorite photos...the red-winged blackbirds ignoring the kitties in my parents' backyard to meet at the birdbath...

 

 

Five Things on Friday

 

1. "I'm off my game. I discovered a little mouse in my glove compartment this morning and didn't even think of taking its picture." That was my Facebook status on Wednesday.

Remember when I told you I discovered mouse turds all over my car Easter morning? Well, it became a morning ritual for me to clean up the mouse turds with duct tape every day after that, until Wednesday, when I pulled the hand sanitizer out of my glove box...and then noticed the tiny little mouse sitting in there. 

I'll tell you our whole Mouse Saga later (I've been holding out on you) but suffice it to say, for now, that (after screaming and screaming and screaming) I moved the (terrified) little mouse to the woods by the tail and haven't had any mouse turds in my car since then. Whew.

I did regret not taking its picture.

2. I upgraded my iphone to a 4. It's charging right now. I can't wait to play with the camera. I heard the 4S was better, but I figured, for $1 versus $50, I could make do with the 4.

3. I have eaten two Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs every day since Easter. I love those things. I barely even feel guilty about it.

4. After several days of crazy, stormy weather, including hail and tornado warnings, and more rain than we've gotten in the past 6 months, the sun finally came out today... and I felt like something heavy was lifted off of my chest.

I wish my mood wasn't so dependent on sunshine. I'd never make it in the northeast. 

5. Tomorrow is my 54th birthday!

 

Prairie Verbena scattered through a field like Easter eggs...much nicer than mouse turds scattered all over my car! 

 

Linked with

and 

Alleluja!

"Because Christ rose from the dead, we know that sin and death and Satan have been decisively defeated."

~ Billy Graham

It rained today. Normally, that's not what you want on Easter Sunday, but when you're in the middle of a drought like we are, rain is an Easter blessing. 

And then the sun came out this afternoon. Perfect!

I threw 'healthy' away this morning and fixed bacon and eggs for breakfast for my two boys and myself (blueberry muffins for Tom)...then I indulged in Reese's peanut butter eggs...and ate a delicious dinner which included ham AND lamb, potatoes au gratin, and cheesecake. 

But being Easter, it was a day of celebration, not a day to worry about calories or arteries or, um, trying to fit into the clingy dress you bought for your son's wedding less than a month away. Hmmm.

Anyway...unfortunately, sometime during the night a bunch of field mice had a celebration of their own inside my car, leaving little mice turds everywhere! We have no idea how they got in...but thank goodness they got out again. I had to spend quite a bit of time today vacuuming and wiping down every surface (ugh!) and I'm just hoping they're through celebrating... at least in my car!

Despite the rain and the mouse turds, it was a gloriously sweet! Sunday. I hope it was for you, too.

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

 

Monday: a friend who knows how to (possibly) recover your photos from your re-formatted camera card; bluebonnets popping up everywhere despite the dry winter

Tuesday: the full moon waiting up for you; margherita pizza; especially when you're really, really, really hungry; a package containing the new shoes you ordered waiting on your doorstep 

Wednesday: a long walk with your puppies; a chorus of cardinals; writing; playing your drums; Macy's putting Keurig coffee makers on sale when your old pot is dying 

Thursday: (almost) catching up on email; regaining your lost NEF photo files, thanks to your friend

Friday: decorating your house for Easter while listening to Third Day; Stations of the Cross outdoors; sharing funny videos with your son

Saturday: a walk with your puppies and grandpuppy before work; your sons helping you prepare dinner; playing ping-pong, listening to music on the back porch watching the sunset, then enjoying a movie with your sons after work

Sunday: Easter; making breakfast for your baby boys; a church overflowing with people singing Alleluja; sharing Easter dinner with friends; Easter egg hunts; wishing your baby girl Happy Easter, even if it's from a distance

A new month starts tomorrow, can you believe it? I hope it's a good one for you, full of sweet! moments!

 "Jesus Christ is risen today...alleluja!

Caught in the Act

The schools are closed for Spring Break, the winery is always closed on Monday, Tom had the day off, and it was cold in the house this morning. Do you blame me for sleeping in a little?

Because of daylight savings time, the sun was just creeping down the hills into the hollow when I drug myself out of the warm covers and spotted Belle peeking in at the French doors. I stepped out to say good morning and she went all wiggly, grinning and sneezing, and Max came prancing around the corner, ready to play. 

So I hurried through my own breakfast, changed clothes, and stepped out onto the front porch to go for our morning walk.

No dogs. 

I hollered for them off the back deck.

No dogs.

I walked up to the road, calling their names and whistling as I went. I waited...and waited...and waited.  

Finally, a small black dot appeared far down the road, way outside the boundaries of our "yard", breaking into a run at the sight of me. 

Max, oh you bad boy. Can you see him way down there?

Look how his ears are lying flat. He knows he's in big trouble. 

Belle came running out of the trees from our property about this time. That's their trick. Max sends Belle ahead by a different route to try to make me think they were in our "yard" the whole time.

Busted.

We went for a walk, anyway. It was too gorgeous of a morning to waste on punishment.

Why should I suffer for their bad behavior?

I'm a terrible mother.

 

Sweet March

 

I blinked and February was gone, just like January. Now March seems hell bent on keeping up the same grueling pace, but at least the scenery flashing by is prettier, dotted with the colors of Spring.  

Redbuds are still sporting their pink bling, bunches of yellow and white wildflowers are popping up everywhere, and bees are racing butterflies from bloom to bloom, too excited at the abundance to light for long anywhere.

Last night my friend Leslie had a few of us over for hamburgers and face-time. The weeks fly by too quickly in between our get-togethers. It was another friend's birthday, so we sent her a photo-wish, via Facebook.

Now I'll send it via Long Hollow, as well. I'm so grateful for all of these long-time friends and the technology that helps keep us connected!

 

Here are a few more March sweet!s from the past week:

 

Sunday: late Masses, so you can sleep in; toll roads when you're running late to a meeting; Mr. Bean, drums, a funny video containing both, and the friend who sent you the link 

Monday: taking a day off; your puppy getting a good report at his annual checkup; winning giveaways hosted by talented, creative blog friends, and finding the gift in your mailbox

Tuesday: watching high school theater students rehearse Snow White; spotting a turtle swimming with your puppy; a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for you at home, a gift from your future daughter-in-law; redbuds and prairie verbena blooming in your hollow

Wednesday: watching high school theater students rehearsing The Jungle Book and a King Arthur parody; fluffy sparrows and blue birds posing for you

Thursday: watching an old movie you love and a new one that makes your heart swell; conquering your after-work lethargy by running and writing when you get home; a walk with your puppies in the late afternoon sun; discovering natural stone sculptures near your little pond, put in place by your husband

Friday: the alarm clock snooze button ; the smell of spring on a misty morning; fish-fries at your church; Stations of the Cross; books you find it hard to put down

Saturday: sleeping in; a day for playing catch-up; dinner with dear friends; Siamese cats; skies lit up with lightning and rain on your windshield

Sunday: a blue sky washed clean of clouds; Quiche Lorraine and visiting with friends after church; a long walk with your puppies; yellow flowers

 

I hope March is giving you plenty of sweet! moments, too. Share them here! Now I'm off to try to convince workaholic Tom to play ping-pong with me on this glorious Sunday afternoon...

Cat-Friend versus Dog-Friend

I am a dog and cat person. For some reason, that seems to be a rare thing.

I love my puppies and their unconditional love and joy of life, but I also love cat personalities...their sauciness and independence and supposed indifference to anything but themselves. I love how they purr and stretch and give you sandpaper kisses, despite themselves...then bite you and run away.

Cats keep you on your toes!

If it weren't for a promise I made to our allergy doctor years ago not to replace my aging Siamese, Char, when she passed away, I know I'd have several cats lounging in patches of sunlight in my house, shedding on and shredding the sides of my couch, and leaving hairballs on my new comforter. 

So this video my friend Hilary at The Smitten Image sent me literally made me double up in laughter...something I haven't done in a long time!

Of course I had to share it with you, because laughter is the best medicine, and I care about you! Whether you love cats or hate them, grab a kleenex and prepare for a good teary-eyed breath-gasping belly-laugh...

You're welcome. (Thanks again, Hilary!)