Long Hollow

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

 

 

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

~Robert Brault

 

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

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

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

Argh. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Phone calls with my sister. 

 

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

~Anthony J. D’Angelo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories, and other sweet!s

 

"...remember someone said that God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December...."

~J.M. Barrie, "Courage" (The Rectorial Address Delivered at St. Andrews University, 1922 May 3rd)

 

There are some days when the not-so-sweet! seems to overshadow the sweet! Yesterday was one of those days.

First, I heard of the passing of a high school classmate from a form of brain cancer. I didn't know her well in high school, but at our last reunion I had the chance to visit with her. She was an opera singer and graciously agreed to sing for a few of us at an after-reunion gathering.

Her voice was simply amazing; I can't help but think God called her home to sing with his angels. 

I don't count her death as a sweet!, of course, but the chance to finally connect with her decades beyond high school, her impromptu performance, and the magic of her voice, will remain sweet memories.

Rest in peace, Melinda, and let your voice join those of the angels...

 

 

Later in the day, I got word that one of my favorite human-beings had also passed away unexpectedly. Bill was my cousin's husband, but Sheryl is one of the oldest cousins and I am the youngest, so he had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. His daughters are just a few years younger than I am. 

He was a hardworking, gentle giant, devoted to family and friends, especially his wife, daughters, and their families, who are truly heartbroken now, especially since Sheryl's father recently passed away, as well. 

From all accounts Bill was a reluctant Texan, always hoping to return to his beloved Colorado, but providing for his family was top priority.

I'm glad he stayed put in Texas, so that he was a frequent part of my life, but I like to think God made sure Bill's heaven looks a lot like the Rocky Mountains, like in this old photo I found in my grandmother's slides of him, Sheryl, and their firstborn. 

May you rest in peace, Bill...

 

 

An easy thing, O power divine, to thank Thee for these gifts of Thine,

For summer's sunshine, winter's snow, for hearts that kindle, thoughts that glow;

But when shall I attain to this - to thank Thee for the things I miss?

~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson

 

In every day there are going to be dark clouds that distract you from the sweet!s left in your path as a gift. Don't forget to keep your eyes open for them... and remember to say thank you!

Here are some I jotted in my journal or captured in a photo since my last post...

Hummingbirds buzzing close and hovering; feeling rested even though you woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep; reconnecting with old friends on Facebook

Gorgeous, cooler summer days, after weeks of rain and/or double digit temperatures; news that someone dear to you is improved enough to move from ICU into a regular room, and that there's still hope his cancer can be beaten; Facebook reminding you of sweet mornings spent on your back deck with three of your favorite guys, who you truly miss ...

 

 

A "catch-up" email from a friend; a call from a potential buyer for one of your listings; torrential rain holding off until after your morning walk with your puppy.

A long visit with a friend after church; yummy breakfast burritos sold by the Knights of Columbus to raise money for the victims of the floods in Louisiana; a referral from a friend; rain holding off while you get to and from the grocery store; finally getting to play and snuggle with your foster-grandpuppies before they are adopted; babies who will soon be baptized being introduced to the parish

 

 

Making progress on sorting through the boxes from your parents' home that are piled in the middle of your living room, without getting emotionally overwhelmed; a referral for an out-of-town buyer from an agent/friend; dinner with friends at Stubbs Barbecue; enjoying Finite Fidelity's performance at Stubbs afterward, featuring your friend's son on the drums

 

 

 

Following through on promises; a good check-up at the dentist; memories of experiencing Hurricane Alicia in League City with your husband shortly after celebrating your first anniversary, and being grateful you suffered very little damage; a blossom finally appearing on one of your crape myrtles, thanks to all of the rain

 

 

Your friends home safe from their adventure to Rio de Janeiro to watch the Olympics; finally being able to walk your puppy after three solid days of rain; great customer service at ATT when your iPhone decides to shatter on its millionth drop; getting a listing lead from another customer while you're there

 

 

Making plans for your annual girls' weekend at the coast; your church holding a clothing drive for the Louisiana flood victims; viewing several gorgeous homes with a buyer-client, including one that made you feel you had somehow stepped through the door into Italy

 

 

Whataburger, for the first time in months; watching "Community" with your son from the beginning; finding a card your best friend sent to your parents when your grandmother passed away twenty years ago; stepping out of a meeting just in time to see this sunset...

 

 

And last but not least, the things your grandmother kept in her purse...

 

 

I hope you are always able to spot the sweet!s in your path, and that your good memories never fade...

Rain. A sweet! for me... a curse for others.

 

 

Our rain started last night. A determined, confident rain that would match any long-distance runner in the Olympics... persistent and focused. I can hear it even now, picking up a second wind, stepping up its pace. 

However, except for a few low-water crossings, and unlike poor Louisiana, thank the good Lord there haven't been any dangerous flash floods here. That might change in the next day or so, because the ground is now saturated, but considering how dry we were, it's kind of amazing we didn't have any before now. 

This afternoon I even spotted a few buds on my crape myrtle - that hasn't happened in a long time! (I would say "in a few years" but I know how faulty my memory is; it could have been just 6 months ago. Sigh.) 

I feel so bad for Louisiana, though, although my friends there have reported in and are high and dry so far, thank goodness. Please keep everyone there in your prayers.

 

And now for some other sweet!s over the past couple of weeks...

 

Taking two classes about pricing properties from a teacher who believes in giving out goodies while sharing her knowledge, and earning the Pricing Strategy Advisor  designation in the process.

Your sister coming to your rescue with advice on how to get more storage on your iPhone.

 

Remembering your first married kiss on your 34th wedding anniversary

The movie "Princess Bride" for the millionth time. It never gets old. 

 

The cuteness of the pitbull/black lab puppies your son and daughter-in-law are fostering.

Your son and daughter-in-law fostering puppies!

Making progress on emptying the boxes that gather dust in the middle of your living room. 

Being able to attend the funeral and offer condolences when your sister-in-law's father passes away

A new buyer asking for your help

Remembering to sell raffle tickets to raise money for your church (ask me about them!)

 

Pink sunrises

A phone call with your mother-in-law, verifying she's okay after her area has been pounded with rain

Store clearance racks

Knowing your sister was having a lot of fun on her birthday

Meeting up with a dear friend at a Greek restaurant for lunch to celebrate her birthday (double sweet!)

 

Lunch with another friend at Chuey's to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the closing on her first home

Hitching a ride with your husband to an early class in town, and a ride home with your son

Your husband making it home safe and sound when his transmission goes out on his truck one night, and when all the tread flies off of his tire on another night. 

A friend passing her test to become a REALTOR® and choosing you as her sponsor

Making it onto your company's Top Producer list 3 months in a row, and the August Home Run list

Finding a tiny red feather in the bird bath

Past clients leaving awesome reviews for you on several different social media sites

 

Finishing an awesome book written by your neighbor

Having your 4th article published in TexasHillCountry.com... this time about the Johnson City Ghost

Visiting a past client who is still really happy about the home he purchased two years ago

Nine hours of sleep (in one night!)

 

Your hummingbird plant finally blooming!

 

I hope you are able to find sweet!s in your day, even if you are caught up in a catastrophe like the floods in Louisiana. I do believe there is light even on the darkest days. If we look hard enough, we'll see it.

 

"To the lamp of love:  may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial."  ~Author Unknown

 

 

Finishing a blog post, and other sweet!s from September...

 

Tonight there's a super moon and lunar eclipse, all rolled into one event. I planned to take photos as the moon rose above the horizon, but discovered my camera battery was dead!

So I charged it some and then made it out in time to witness the eclipse with Daniel, who just arrived home safely from a weekend trip to west Texas with his brother, where they hiked through canyons, visited eclectic art exhibits, experienced a music festival, and even saw the Marfa lights. Sweet!

However, the photos I took of the eclipse are pretty lame because my equipment isn't quite high tech enough, so I'm not even going to share them here, but standing there in the quiet of the night with my son, watching the moon slowly turn dark, was just the peaceful break I needed after a hectic, high stress week. 

The thing is, September overflowed with sweet! moments, but it rushed by so fast, it was hard to really stop and savor them. So I'm determined to get back into the practice of recording them, in some form or fashion. And reviewing them here on my blog helps a lot!

So, working backward from the lunar eclipse, here are a few I've gathered this month...

 

Anticipation of an annual weekend at the beach with friends, which isn't as good as the actual weekend, but it's still a shining light full of hope! (This photo is from last year.)

 

Joining other council members from your church for an inspirational retreat. A peaceful setting, an energetic, passionate, funny leader, and a Pope Selfie, courtesy of an iPhone app! 

After viewing several properties with a young family, walking into yet another house and knowing immediately it was just the right one for them.

Remembering the night 34 years ago when you met your love for the very first time.

 

Walking your puppy in the glow of a glorious sunrise.

 

Finding out your friend has published another book! (Buy it on Amazon and I'll get a couple of pennies! Beneath this Mountain, by Byron Tully)

 

Thinking you're attending the surprise 30th birthday party of a girl/woman you've watched grow up, and then witnessing a proposal of marriage from her boyfriend who was supposed to still be in Iraq (on his 4th tour of duty, no less.) Whew! That was a lot of sweet!s for one night!

 

Hitting a pinata for the first time in 50 years! (This photo is obviously not me. It's my son, who got lots of practice thanks to all of his birthday parties growing up. But I do have a video of myself hitting it, courtesy of my daughter-in-law's cousin. (Thanks, Sierra!) I just have to say, hitting a pinata is GREAT therapy!)

 

Football Fiestas thrown by your kids. (My son and his wife are party meisters! Food, fun, activities, games, football on several televisions, and even crafts for all ages.) 

 

The Texas Capitol Rotunda.

 

Attending a Platinum Top 50 Real Estate Agents of Austin event at Lakeway Resort, and witnessing a gorgeous sunset on Lake Travis.

  

 Another sunset on Lake Travis.

 

 

Joining others to pray for a friend's baby grandson who will be undergoing heart surgery today, Tuesday, September 29. Please join us!

Celebrating a friend's birthday at an awesome Italian restaurant.

Not having to replace your whole air-conditioning system in your house... yet.

 

 Young love and heroes.

    Dinner and a movie with friends.

    Enjoying a performance by accordion players with your mom.

 

A day of sunshine and water on Lake Travis, with your son and daughter-in-law and friends.

 

 

Remembering and honoring a special person. 

 

(You may have guessed that I actually started this post last night. Probably even before that, but I had good intentions last night. What matters most, for me, is being able to look back through the quick iPhone photos to see that the month was truly full of special moments. Too often I let them pass and fade away, forgotten. Taken for granted.

Well, here's one for today. A sweet young couple closed on their current home today after having their offer on a new home accepted late last night. My job is full of ups and downs, but that was definitely one of the ups. 

So here's to an October full of balance and appreciation and focus, where no sweet! slips away unnoticed!)

 

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

~Kak Sri

 

A Sweet Backtrack through May and June... Part 1

 

Holy cow! A month has passed since my last post. How the heck did that happen?

It's been a month full of so many things... Mother's Day, a wedding, rain in Austin, and a trip to Florida to name a few... each worthy of their own blog post. But at this late date all they'll get is a brief mention, and maybe a photo or two. Sigh. 

 

"Some day man will travel at the speed of light, of small interest to those of us still trying to catch up to the speed of time."

~Robert Brault

 

 

First I'm very pleased to announce our "big" pond is full and overflowing for the first time in years, thanks to all of the May showers!

 

 And the sound of our little waterfall is music to our ears.

It's still hard for me to believe, but Lake Travis is almost full again! I love seeing its blue shimmer in the distance as I wind my way home through the hills. It's like those dried up coves were all a bad dream. 

As I've done in the past, I'll start with the most recent sweet! and move backwards, letting my photos jog my memory ... because that's much easier! So here we go...

 

The voice of Johnny Mathis, still smooth as a fine wine, enjoyed with friends at Austin's Long Center. Magical and timeless! (He looks the same - no photos allowed inside, but none needed!)

 

Celebrating the upcoming wedding of a girl you've watched grow up...the yummy food, mimosas, and silly games of bridal showers ... visiting with friends and girls who you would swear just yesterday were in elementary school.

Time is so tricky.

 

 Grandpuppy-sitting. Double the normal puppy fun!

 

 

A gorgeous day spent showing property in Marble Falls to a couple from Georgia, especially when you learn the woman is from your hometown and graduated from the same high school you did!

 

 

 

An afternoon photographing East 6th Street with a meet-up group...and meeting Patches, whose owner is thoughtful enough to provide her with booties to protect her paws from the hot pavement.

 

Hanging out with friends under the stars on a summer night, listening to live music provided by other talented friends. (Aegean)

 

 Being able to move your office outside on a beautiful day, with the sound of your little waterfall playing in the background.

 

 

American Beautyberry blossoms.

 

Hitting the antique/thrift shops in Florida with your sister-in-law, and indulging your vintage miniature Mexican chair addiction.

 

 

 

A few hours on a Florida beach with your camera and all of those colors.

 

Looking through priceless wedding photos of your mother- and father-in-law...and realizing you can make your own copies of them with your iPhone.

 

Exploring a section of the Blackwater River State Forest with your sisters-in-law and nieces on a rainy day.

 

That's where June began, so I'll call it a post and pick up at the end of May tomorrow. I've had so much fun sorting through my photos! If you've stuck it out to the end, thanks for tagging along!

 

You probably already know, but those heavy rains which were such a blessing to us also caused deadly flooding on the Blanco River in Wimberley, south of Austin. Please keep those families in your prayers!

A sweet!-speckled day and SxSW...almost

 

 

Now, as a REALTOR®, this t-shirt from the Etsy shop SpikeStuff goes against everything I stand for. I want people to move here! And I want them to let me help them find a home! Austin is an awesome place to live and there's still plenty of room for everyone!

But tonight, as an Austinite, I let the logistics of traffic and parking overcome the excitement of going to a private SxSW party downtown in the Google Fiber Space. 

Yes, the dread of traffic and the challenge of finding a parking spot was more powerful than the allure of free food and alcohol, and the (very) slight possibility of catching a glimpse of a celebrity. 

Because at this time of year, Austin is not just full... it's overflowing! Thousands flock downtown for SxSW, and the Austin Rodeo draws a huge crowd, too.

And there really are celebrity sightings. Phil Collins visited the State Library and Archives last week, where my son works. 

I had actually been looking forward to the event tonight, very excited that I had won a spot. I would have gone despite the traffic and parking challenges, but I was busy working on an offer for a precious young couple trying to buy their first home and just lost track of the time.

When I finally looked at the clock, I realized I would barely get to the party before it would be time to leave.

So... I decided to write a blog post instead, and tell you about some sweet!s I gathered today...

...As soon as the sun rose enough to light my path, Belle and I headed out for our morning walk. (She's ready to go when it's still dark, but I draw the line at walking by flashlight, as much as possible!) It was cool, but not cold, and gray clouds were peeling away to reveal a clear blue sky and a crescent moon slow to say goodbye. 

We followed our normal path, jogging down the caliche road, then making a large loop through a neighbor-who-doesn't-live-here-yet's property. His pond actually has water in it, now, and as we followed the trail close to it, we heard a loud ruckus on the other side. Belle barked and dashed forward. I arrived in time to see the tails of three deer disappear into the woods.

Life is returning to the hollow, along with the water.

Here's a photo of our pond. Not full, but more full than it's been in awhile!

 

...Mama was still lying down when I arrived for my visit this afternoon, but the aides soon had her up in her wheelchair. I fetched hot water from the kitchen for her afternoon cup of Cafe Vienna (General Foods International Coffee - her addiction for twenty-plus years) while she had her nebulizer treatment. Once the mask was removed, I brushed her hair as she sipped her coffee.

It's longer than I ever remember it. She has no interest in going to the beauty parlor there in the nursing home and getting it cut. The beautician did a fantastic job last time, but that was months ago. Now her silver-white waves flow below her ears.

I enjoy smoothing the bed-head tangles away, chatting as I move the brush. Mostly I enjoy touching her, doing something for her. Being with her. 

 

...Our caliche road runs down a small hill, then curves around its base, paralleling the creek that gives the hollow its name. This afternoon I had rounded the curve at the bottom and was approaching our house when I spotted something that gave me flashbacks to my beloved Frankie: a huge wild turkey was crossing the road just beyond our house. He wasn't in a big hurry, but moved in a steady path, disappearing before I even turned in to park. 

I thought about trying to track him down and maybe snap a photo with my phone, but decided instead, to let him be, and just be grateful for the sight of him. Maybe he'll stay.

And adopt us. And eat birdseed on our windowsill. And come inside to inspect my bookshelves. And go on morning walks with me and Belle.

(Yeah, I know I'm dreaming. There was only one Frankie bird.)

 

 

I hope your Monday was speckled with sweet!s, too! If it wasn't (or even if it was!) here's a wish for you in honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow...

A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.
~Irish Blessing

 

 

Reality (or "Why I need you to sign this contract and show me your ID")

 

 

I worked in a chemical plant for thirteen years, where all kinds of explosive and flammable materials swam through the pipes surrounding us. Propylene, hydrogen, syngas, and methanol, to name a few.

For the first decade it was a DuPont plant, where safety and proper procedures were taken very seriously and drilled into us daily. We still had a few explosions and fires, and unfortunately, two fatalities, although they weren't DuPont people and they didn't die in an explosion, but during a shutdown. They didn't follow the rules about using plant air for breathing air. (It's backed up by nitrogen.) 

I quit that job on my first day back following the birth of my third baby. I had planned to wait a few more months, but I had a nagging fear about being killed in an explosion and leaving my children motherless.

An extreme thought, perhaps, but it wasn't that farfetched.

Fast forward twenty-three years...

I'm happy to report there haven't been any more fatalities at my old plant and I'm now a Realtor.

 

...and this past week a Realtor in Arkansas, Beverly Carter, disappeared while showing property to someone.

It hit me that my job as a real estate agent is quite possibly much more dangerous than my job as a chemical plant technician, despite the nicer clothes and smiles. 

It just doesn't seem possible, does it? But think about it. All the hours I spend on the road probably put me in more danger than walking in that pipe alley years ago.

And then consider the open houses, where you're in a house with strangers milling about (if you survive putting up the signs on busy corners)... listing appointments with complete strangers you often meet for the first time in their homes... showing property to strangers, either meeting them at vacant homes or driving them around in your car.  

Granted, Beverly was probably one of about a million agents around the world doing the exact same thing she was at that very moment, and most likely they finished up and joined their families for dinner.

From what I hear, she was an experienced agent and had taken some safety precautions before showing this home. Not enough, it seems, although I'm not blaming her at all. 

There's been a lot of discussion and sharing of safety tips and ideas in Facebook real estate groups this past week. I already practiced quite a few of them, thanks to my Keller Williams Realty training, but I've gotten a lot of ideas.

One agent snaps photos of the ID's of every visitor to her open houses and texts them to her office. Another has video cameras placed throughout the open house. 

When showing property, I already insisted on having a signed Buyer/Tenant Agreement. I figure if someone refuses to sign, they aren't serious about buying... and are thus a waste of my time.

Recently I also made it standard procedure to copy my client's driver's license and email my itinerary to Tom and the kids. 

But through the discussion, I found many more tips, not the least of which involve basicly arming myself with different products and weapons. 

It's not fun to think about, when your main objective is to help people, either to find a home or sell a home, so they can move on to the next adventure in their lives.

But no matter how much I enjoy meeting new people and helping them, I can't forget my first duty is to my family. I owe it to them to play it safe. As my cousin said, there are too many crazies out there.

I need to remember my DuPont days and be sure I follow the safety rules and procedures. I need to be aware of my surroundings at all times and never assume anything. Sometimes the greatest danger lies in complacency.

Please keep Beverly Carter in your prayers, that despite the odds, she is found safe and well, very soon. 

 

And also, please don't give your agent a hard time if they ask you to sign a contract or send them a copy of your photo ID. Cut them some slack. It's not personal; they're just trying to be safe in a dangerous world. Thank you.

 

(I just heard on GMA that Beverly's body has been found. It's not the result that was hoped for, but I pray it brings some relief to her family.)

Moving forward, but not forgetting...

 

Lord, take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say; and
Keep me out of your way.

- Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY (died 9/11/01)

 

 

Every year in late September, early October, I head to the coast with a group of friends for some beach therapy. Our annual adventure is coming up soon, in fact. We've gone every year since 1999 - except one. 

That September of 2001 we were counting down the days until we could wave goodbye to our families, ready for some alone time.... a few days not having to do anything for anyone but ourselves.

But on the afternoon of the 11th, we changed our minds. We no longer wanted to wave goodbye to our families - we wanted to wrap them around us, so close and tight we could feel their breath and smell their familiar sweetness.  

It wasn't a decision driven by fear. We knew the odds of some terrorist targeting our little Texas Hill Country town, or the little fishing town on the Gulf where we sought some peace and quiet, were slim to none.

But as that day progressed, we were reminded not to take our loved ones or the time we have with them for granted. Not to let a day go by without making sure they knew they were our whole world. Not to forget that every morning we may be opening our eyes to our very last day on this earth.

So that autumn we soaked up our families instead of the sunshine. We stayed close to home, pondered the changes in our country and our world. We prayed for peace.

But the next year we packed our swimsuits, sunscreen, magazines, Bloody Mary mix, and vodka, and headed for the beach. We've done so ever since. We continued our lives, relished our freedom, refusing to let fear mold our lives, for that would allow the terrorists to win. 

But we haven't forgotten the lessons we learned on September 11, 2001 and the days that followed, about the things that truly matter and the steel-strength of this nation. We haven't forgotten how we overcame our differences, although some days (especially around election time) it's hard to believe. We haven't forgotten those ordinary citizens who were called to be heroes - and accepted the call.

We haven't forgotten that by going about our lives, speaking our minds and sticking up for one another, we are fighting a war - and winning.

 

 

"This day and every day. Tear us down and we WILL rebuild. Knock us down and we WILL arise. We are people of diverse faith, ideologies, and color. We may be distracted or divided by internal matters, such as politics, but we are America and we will remain." 

~Johnny "Happy" Valentine, veteran and teacher

 

(A repost from 2012)

They've landed! (...and other sweet!s)

For the past week or so I've been living vicariously through a couple of my kids. Again.

My son and his wife have now experienced the beauty, beer, food, art, sights and sounds of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Amsterdam. And through the wonders of technology, I've been able to tag along through their photos and words, posted on Instagram and Facebook.

Having your kids visit the places of your dreams is the next best thing to seeing them yourself.

 

They're safe and sound, back in Austin now, although I haven't spoken to them to know that. I learned it while snooping in mom-fashion for updates on their Facebook pages tonight. 

I am so very grateful for Facebook and all of the hours of worrying it has saved me. 

Besides Facebook and kids arriving home, safe and sound, I've had a pretty sweet-filled week. Here are a few more....

 

Monday: adolescent cardinal triplets playing "King of the Mountain" on the birdfeeder; much needed rain on your hollow; staying up late, laughing over old clips of Robin Williams with your son

 

Tuesday: your client closing on her new home; sharing a private dinner at Franklin Barbecue with your son, courtesy of Google; watching the Austin Bomb Squad in action (and surviving!)

 

 

Wednesday: making the final payment on your car; reflecting on, and celebrating, the past 32 years with the love of your life

Thursday: watching your old puppy eat, without having to coax him or feed him by hand; dinner at Eddie V's with dear friends you haven't seen in a while

 

 

Friday: sitting outside on a clear night, listening to live music with friends; a glimpse of the baby fox living in your hollow

Saturday: receiving an offer on one of your listings and writing an offer for one of your buyers; watching "Sons of Katie Elder" with your mom, then later another movie with your son

Sunday: a taste of biscuits and gravy, thanks to a friend who doesn't mind sharing; helping old homes have a chance at new life; inspiration from the Garden of Eatin'

 

 

If you think hard enough, I bet you can think of some sweet! moments from your past week. Be sure to share them in the comments! 

In Homage to Robin and El Capitan

I was 19, living alone in my first apartment, relishing the solitude and the freedom of having my own space. Many nights I sat on a second-hand loveseat watching my very own television, bought via the Sears Easy Payment Plan.

Thanks to my sister, who worked in the Sears credit department, I was building my credit, $13 at a time, each and every month.

"Mork and Mindy" was one of my favorite shows. That's how long Robin Williams has been making me laugh. So hearing that he gave in to his demons today brought me great sadness.

Years and years and years ago, I almost gave into those same demons who steal the reality of hope away. Afterward, I could see what a selfish act suicide truly is. 

When you're eighteen, it's sometimes tough to believe things can get better. When you're 63, you've already survived so much, you should know better. 

However, lest I start becoming too judgemental, I remember "There, but for the grace of God..." I remember to be grateful for the chance to see it that way. Grateful for a second chance to live and love life.

But dang it. Robin Williams.

My kids know him through Mrs. Doubtfire and Disney cartoons and Hook. He's been making them laugh their entire lives. At 63, he still had so much living and giving yet to do. 

With a heart already missing the craziness of Robin Williams in this world, I also learned this evening that a treasure of my childhood may be destroyed.

The old Capitan Theater, built in 1949, has been languishing for years, waiting for an investor to restore it to its previous glory. I remember elegant velvet loveseats, carpeted stairways, ornate murals and decorations.

I can still see a young Elvis Presley dancing on the screen ... can still hear him singing "Viva Las Vegas" straight to the five-year-old me.

But peeking through the glass front doors in recent years revealed years of neglect. It once sat in the center of town, close to the newspaper office and the post office and City Hall, but now gathers dust on the outskirts of a town that continually boards up building in favor of bigger, better, and newer, rather than trying to preserve its history. The ornate old post office was left behind years ago.

And yet I still held on to hope that someone would come along and fix up the old theater. Instead, according to a story in the local newspaper, it's been sold to a chemical company and expected to be destroyed.

However, despite what Robin Williams obviously felt in his last minutes or hours, because of my own experience I believe there's always hope as long as there's breath. It's too late for Robin, but I'm holding out hope for El Capitan. 

Holding out hope that the city realizes its history is a treasure and starts to treat it as such.

But may you rest in peace, Robin. Thank you for decades of belly-aching laughter and heart-aching movies.

Perhaps you were just afraid you'd become a dusty relic, and decided to make your exit while the neon lights still shone.

 

 

Simple Sweets

 

Steve and Lisa, a couple in my church, took it upon themselves to form what they call a "hospitality" ministry several months ago. Almost every Sunday they prepare and offer some special brunch item after each Mass. Just the two of them.

 

Today it was French toast. Yum!

They also offer fruit in waffle cones, muffins, chocolate-covered strawberries...with culinary presentation the best restaurants would envy. And they do it all through donations or personal funds. The church only paid for upgrades to the kitchen area.

Lisa has turned our once-drab Parish Activity Center into a delightful bistro, with cute wine bottle centerpieces on the table and whimsical artwork on the walls. Thanks to her and Steve, parishioners now linger over coffee, getting to know one another better, instead of rushing home after Mass.

But one of the things I love best about their ministry is the sign above, where Lisa writes a different inspirational, encouraging, motivational message each week. You don't see it until you're leaving the PAC.

A sweet! to send us back off into the world, well-fed and inspired.

A funny thing about this particular message... Before seeing it this morning, I had just thanked another parishioner who I don't know very well for sending a card years ago when Tom was in his serious head-on accident. That little gesture meant so much at the time, and still occupies a large part of my heart, reminding me how important those little things can be to others.

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

  

Monday: friendly, helpful people in the Social Security Administration office; having an iPhone so you can catch up on email when you have a two-hour wait

Tuesday: being able to work from home on icy mornings; finishing a project you've been working on for weeks; restoring email to your iPhone without having to visit the Apple store; earning $300 worth of free jewelry just by hosting a catalog party

Wednesday: a cardinal's morning serenade; your son visiting you at work so you can show him off to your colleagues; a glorious sunset after days of gray skies

 

 

Thursday: resolving your mom's banking issues; touring vintage homes; a happy hour at your office; Deep Eddy's Cranberry Vodka

Friday: Yellow Cab vans with wheelchair seating; news that your mom's knee doesn't need surgery, only time to heal; dancing for hours with friends to Disco Inferno (and other great dance songs) 

Saturday: sleeping in; enough free time for a leisurely walk with your puppies; peanut butter-chocolate chip muffins, courtesy of your son; your new jewelry waiting in your mailbox; getting to visit with your mom and oldest son at the same time

Sunday: the Garden of Eatin'...food, friends, and inspiration; warm brownies; helping a friend by posting a link to her Etsy shop, where her beautiful driftwood crosses are for sale

 

 (this is the one she gave me for Christmas)

 

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. 

~Mark Twain

 

P.S. Philip Seymour Hoffman,  thank you for sharing your talent with us.
I'm sorry we couldn't help you with your problems.
May you find peace now.

 

 

Five Things

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

Who would hate me that much?

 

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

 

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

 

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

Crazy Texas weather.

 

 Joining Nancy at A Rural Journal

 

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

 

 

Five Things on...Saturday

 

 1.

 

Do any of you still have your landlines?

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

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

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

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

Yet.

 2.

 

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

Thank you, Pam and Shabby Apple!

 3.

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

4.

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

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

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

 

5.

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

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

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

 

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

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!

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 

Five Things on a Friday Night (when I should have been dancing)

 

 

1. My crape myrtles are budding! I'm really surprised because we haven't had much rain and the poor things haven't bloomed in two or three years now. I wasn't even sure they were still alive. I've got my fingers crossed they've somehow established themselves enough to give me some summer color later on.

2. I had a chance to go dancing with friends tonight. Instead, here I am editing photos and working on a blog post. Not that I don't love blogging, but...well, I love, love, love dancing!

So why am I blogging instead of dancing, you ask? Tom didn't want to go, and it was a bit of a drive...and I have to work tomorrow...so I was debating whether or not I should go. Trying to be a grown-up.

In the meantime, I went shopping for shoes to wear at my son's wedding. I should have gone prepared to meet my friends when I finished up, just in case, because shopping took longer than I expected (of course!) and by the time I got home, it was really too late to eat dinner, change clothes, and go back out.

Sigh and dang it.

Which just goes to show what I always tell my kids...if you don't make a decision, the decision is usually made for you. 

3. On Monday I had brunch with the sister and mother of a friend I've known since 2nd grade, Todd. They were traveling through a neighboring town and asked if I wanted to meet them. Of course!! 

 

That's me on the left. Beside me is Mrs. Scruggs - would you believe she's 81? She says 80 is the new 40. I love it! Across from us are Darlene and ... ah, I can't remember her husband's name!

(I'm sure my memory is directly affected by my lack of dancing lately!)

4. Jon Bon Jovi is coming to Austin in concert next month. For some reason, I wasn't that interested in him when I was younger and Bon Jovi first made it big. But now, I would love, love, love to see him, more than Eric Clapton or others who have been here recently. Love his music and his hair. Isn't that weird? Of course, I don't have money for tickets to see anyone. But if I did, now you know who I'd spend it to see!

5. In case you've been living in a closet with no access to a television, I'm please to inform you we have a new Pope! As a Catholic, I'm very hopeful about it. From all accounts, Pope Francis is a very humble, simple, but intelligent and courageous man.

I believe those are the qualities of a great leader of any institution, but especially for a church.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. If you get the chance to do something you love, don't be wishy-washy and waste time trying to be practical like me - just go do it, for Pete's sake!

 

Linking up with

Monday, Wind-day

 

 

 

The wind is howling outside my window right now. No snow. No rain. Just wind, gusting up to 59 mph, the weatherman said. In some areas of Austin power lines are down and whole trees are blocking roads. 

We're lucky. Nothing but the exhilarating wind here blowing through the Hollow, like a good spring cleaning.

Tom continues to lay stones down by the little pond. Today when he was preparing an area with a small rake, he came upon a yellow-green thing the size of a half dollar. A baby turtle!

In all, he discovered 6 or 7. He tossed them into the pond and they swam for cover. He thinks they may have been trapped in the dirt after they hatched because it's so packed from the work he's been doing down there.

I wish I could have seen them!

While he was saving baby turtles, I was in charge of two high school geometry classes. I was relieved the teacher left me an answer key for the practice sheets they worked on - it's been almost forty years since I sat in my sophomore geometry class figuring the size of angles in circles.

But when one of the kids had a question about a problem, I was delighted to find I knew the answer. In fact, when I took the time to look at it with my brain turned on, the whole worksheet was a breeze.

"Don't make it harder than it is," I told them. Alas, the voice of experience, but applicable to so much more than geometry and so easily forgotten.

I hope you've had a great Monday, no matter what the weather where you are!

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." ~ Jimmy Dean

 

My Pencils are Sharp Enough

 

I slept a full eight hours last night. And I cleaned my bathroom this afternoon. Two things I haven't done in a long, long time. That's about all I've accomplished today, but I'm okay with it. It's my day off and I've relished it.

Middle son, Daniel, is home for the weekend, mostly because it was time for him to do laundry again, but I think he also enjoys the break from the city and helping his dad with projects around the house. 

He's picking up pizza right now. After we eat, he'll be heading back home. Well, to his other home. I feel I didn't get to see him very much on this visit. The weekends go by so fast when you only get one day off. But I'm grateful for all the days I've been able to work lately while waiting for that Perfect Job to show up and sweep me off my feet.

I've let my writing motivation slip a little - it seems to be proportional to the amount of free time I have. For some reason it takes me so long just to get started that unless I have a big chunk of time, I make no real progress. I just keep reinventing the wheel. I've got to learn to jump right in and get moving no matter how little time I have. 

As Ze Frank says below, I need to realize my pencils are sharp enough and just start writing.

 

 

 

Discovering Ze Frank on my friend Walker's blog was sweet! Here are a few other sweet! moments from the past week...

Monday: getting paid to watch wonderful National Geographic videos; a whiff of wild onions in the woods; 80 degree temps in February; discovering The Louise Log

Tuesday: a cardinal singing to you and posing for a few photos; your puppy's overflowing joy at your return from work; your mom's recent bloodwork and health screenings revealing no major issues

 

Wednesday: an email from a friend letting you know you received two Posts of the Week from Hilary at The Smitten Image; getting two Posts of the Week from Hilary!; the gift of rain in a drought

Thursday: seeing your future daughter-in-law in her wedding dress; visiting eclectic Austin shops with your daughter; not getting stuck in traffic; crying over mother/son dance songs and finally finding the perfect one

Friday: that first sip of coffee in the morning; discovering someone you've known for a long time attended your elementary school at the same time you did; an afternoon walk with your goofy puppies; plump robins; working on your book

Saturday: fitting in a work-out before, um, work; warm February afternoons; hamburgers fresh off the grill; a sweet love story movie with your husband and son, instead of the usual shoot-em-up; another episode of old Dark Shadows with your son

Sunday: eight hours of sleep; coffee on the back porch; visiting with friends after church; a clean bathroom; veggie pizza

 

What were some of your sweet! moments this week?

I'm planning on watching the Academy Awards tonight. Are you? 

I haven't watched them in years, but tonight I'm going to settle on the couch with some popcorn and see all the good movies I've missed. I'm rooting for Silver Linings Playbook, but that's because it's the only one I've seen. Who/what are you rooting for?

Even if your favorite movie doesn't win, I hope you have a week overflowing in sweet!

 

Five Things (A Day Late)

 

I intended to post this last night. You know, "Five Things on Friday" - that catchy alliteration thing.

Instead, I went dancing. 

So here are my "Five Things on Friday, on Saturday":

 

1. Did you watch the Grammies? I did this year for the first time in ages. So I was even more jealous that my kids got to see the grammy-winning band "Fun." in Austin two nights later! (Is it okay to be jealous of your kids?)

2. I was raised Baptist, but converted to Catholicism more than 15 years ago after about 15 years of contemplation about it. Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign earlier this week came as a huge surprise. However, I respect him for stepping down if he feels he isn't physically able to do the job anymore.  It's unusual, as far as tradition goes, but I'm not worried about the Church and don't anticipate huge changes.

3. I received another "sorry, you aren't our choice for this job" email.  It was for an administrative assistant position that didn't pay much. I replied with my thanks for letting me know, and asked if they could tell me why I wasn't chosen, in case it was something I could change and increase my odds with the next application. I was told the "chosen one" has a bachelor's degree and more years of clerical, accounts payable, and customer service experience... which tells me they must be at least as old as I am, but they're still scrambling to find a job and are forced to resort to low-paying positions, despite years of experience and a bachelor's degree.  Which means I'm screwed in the job department, if that's my competition. (No, I'm not giving up. Just whining.)

4. THE WEDDING is coming up fast! I need to find a good mother-son song for the reception. Any suggestions?

5. I came across a fortune cookie fortune in my purse. I have no idea where it came from, but I love what it says: "In the providence of the mind, what one believes to be true either is true or becomes true." Do you agree or disagree?

I hope you've had a wonderful Saturday!  

 

 

Five Mexican Jays, keeping an eye on the Hollow

 

P.S. Typepad seems to be acting up again. Please send me an email and let me know if you have trouble leaving comments or viewing this post in any way. barbarashallue (at) yahoo (dot) com

Thank you!

 

Blurry Days and Short Lists

Confession time: My tree is still bare.

Also, and much worse, I'm guilty of only haphazardly noting my sweet!s this week. The days just melted into each other. I jotted a few on random pieces of paper around the house, but most never got past the good intentions stage and the memory is gone.

Why is it that simple little joys are so easily taken for granted and forgotten? 

But I've managed to dredge my memory and have come up with a few. I hope you're doing a better job than I am! In times like these, marred with tragedy and sadness, I believe the sweet! moments in our life are truly gifts, acting as lights in the darkness, helping us move forward. 

 

Monday: finally creating a Facebook page for your photography website 

Tuesday: watching a documentary about the survivors of the Dust Bowl with high school students, and being inspired by the survivors' resilience and hope; a piece of your genealogy puzzle slipped into place, thanks to a cousin's research

Wednesday: fitting in a morning walk with your frisky puppies before work

Thursday: frosty mornings; wood-burning stoves; a full day to work on your book

Friday: bumping into friends at the grocery store; picking out toys for your church Giving Tree; joining with your nation in prayer after a tragedy 

Saturday: feeling better after two weeks with a cold; wrapping presents; small Christmas parties with friends

 

 

 

Sunday: wearing a goofy Santa hat; the magic of Christmas glowing on children's faces when they talk to Santa; traveling to Middle Earth with your kids, via the Hobbit movie; Austin's 6th street at dusk in December; writing groups

This week I'll submit 10 pages of my book to be critiqued for February's conference... I'm going to experience Austin's Trail of Lights for the first time... my tree will get decorated... and I'll keep track of the sweet! moments that light up my life. 

Whatever the week holds for you, don't forget to breathe and pay attention. Here's to brighter days for all of us! 

 

Lighting a Candle

Thinking of those babies in Connecticut tonight, and their teachers. The families left in mourning.  

Thinking of the young man and how desperately sad he must have been...how full of despair and darkness...to do what he did.

Vowing to try harder to be a light in this world, instead of contributing to the darkness.

 

Did You Get Yours?

 

I bought a Powerball Lottery ticket today. It had been so long, I wasn't even sure how to do it, but the nice kid behind the counter was very helpful. 

I'm not sure why I decided to throw my numbers into that hat. I know what the odds of winning are (ridiculous!) but in all honesty, I have a better chance of winning the lottery than writing a million-dollar bestseller or having a screenplay turned into a real movie.

And since that whole "real job" thing isn't panning out the way I hoped, what the heck?

So I bought my ticket and have spent the afternoon thinking positive and compiling a list of what I'll do with the money. First, I'll pay off all of our loans and relish being debt-free. (Whew! That feels good!)

Then, if there's anything left...

Ha! Just joking. We're in deep, but not $360,200,000 deep, which is the estimated cash value we'd, I mean, we will receive. I opted for cash payout rather than spreading it out over 30 years. Geez, I probably won't be alive in 30 years!

Anyway, back to the rest of my list:  

• I'll buy Tom a dependable car, so his weekends are free again (for playing ping-pong!)
• I would buy the materials to finally finish this house (and hire the people to do it, if Tom would let me!) 
• I'll replace our 26 year-old couch.
• I'll hire someone to stay with my parents and fix up their 50+ year-old house, or find them another place to live. Whichever they preferred.
• I'll donate money to my church to help build a new Parish Activity Center, with plenty of classrooms and meeting rooms.
• I'll travel. There's so much of the world I haven't seen yet, including Disney World and California!
• I'll donate, and donate, and help out.
• Okay, yes, I'll buy myself a new camera and a couple of lenses I've had my eye on.

 

What I won't do:

• Buy a big new house or expensive cars or clothes or jewelry or anything extravagant.

The thing is, except for getting out from under that debt-weight and a new couch and a good car for Tom, I don't need anything. My life is pretty dang awesome the way it is. Heck, if we could just get out from under our debt, I wouldn't mind keeping the old couch!

If you win tonight (if you bought a ticket) what will you do?

 

 

 

 

Rainy Days, for a change

Gray clouds arrived in our area Thursday, causing flash floods just down the road, washing away boat docks that had been sitting on dry ground for two years... long enough for grass to grow underneath.

Drought to flood - that's how it goes around here lately.

I took this on Thursday morning. I stood on what used to be part of a pond. 

 

This is what it looked like Saturday morning.

 

Thank goodness the rain slowed its zeal and settled into a nice, steady rhythm the past three days that allowed the water to soak deep into the thirsty ground instead of falling so fast it becomes a destructive, dangerous mob.

We still need more of the slow, steady stuff, but I was relieved to see the gray clouds break last night in an explosion of blue sky and orange clouds, just in time for my oldest to head to his (other) home.  I was grateful for the rain, but more grateful he wouldn't have to drive in it.

 

 

 

I skipped my writing critique group last night because Tommy was going to hang around until after dinner. Perhaps that's not very professional and indicates I'm not serious about my writing, but above and beyond any other hat I wear, I'm Mom and grab any chance I can to soak up the sight of one of my kids...

 

 ...or a grandpuppy.

That's GPuppy Josie on the left, and my Belle on the right. Can you tell they're related?

 

They aren't really related, of course, not technically. But Josie was such an awesome dog, that when we saw the puppy photos of Belle, how could we resist not bringing that precious Rottweiler-mix face home?

Now I'm on to a new week, one that already has so many fires burning that I don't know which one to put out first. But it's a week full of sweet! potential. Hope yours is the same!

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

Sunday: an unexpected afternoon off, to piddle around the house; a text from a friend, out of the blue, even if it's a photo of a motorcycle he just bought, reinforcing your belief that he's in the midst of a mid-life crisis

 

 

Monday: meeting a porcupine on your morning walk; your puppies actually minding you and not taking off after before-mentioned porcupine;sipping coffee on a crisp autumn morning, watching the sun slip into your Hollow; meeting dear friends for dinner to help celebrate a birthday; rediscovering your taste for beer 

 

 

Tuesday: running the whole three miles for the first time since your vacation; seeing your future-daughter-in-law, dressed in THE wedding dress; Panda Express orange chicken; finding a dress for your high school reunion and one for THE wedding in one store, in one trip, and having a 20% off coupon with you; a quick hug from your baby; your husband's back well enough to help carry groceries into the house

Wednesday: connecting with another friend from the past; your cataract not growing at all in a year; a block of time to work on your children's book; your baby girl calling before you call her; good news from your sister; rocking on a porch with a dog at your feet, watching the setting sun kiss the clouds; your husband turning into a little boy at the sight of a tarantula and a snake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday:; not having to leave your house for anything except your morning walk with your puppies; making progress on your book; rain falling outside your window, all day long

Friday: walking in the rain, for the first time in months; friends letting you know about the bomb threat to, and subsequent evactuation of, your baby girl's college; hearing your baby girl's voice, knowing she's okay; two more episodes of Breaking Bad with your sweetieR 

Saturday: getting to share the Sally O'Malley Rockettes video with another friend for her 50th birthday; tall purple gayfeathers lining the roads; the smell of bread baking in the oven; a visit from your son and grandpuppy; saving almost $3K by switching insurance companies

Sunday: praying beside your husband and son in church; mist draped across the hills; homemade biscuits smothered in wild boar sausage gravy; potato and leek soup on a rainy day; hearing two favorite songs you haven't heard in ages (more on those later); your son and grandpuppy waiting for you to get home from work before heading back to their home; a glorious sunset after a day of steady rainfall

 

I hope you are stepping into a week full of sweet! moments! Remember, sometimes the simplest are the sweetest! Share them here! 

Lessons

Lord, take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say; and
Keep me out of your way.

- Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY (died 9/11/01)

 

 

Every year in late September, early October, I head to the coast with a group of friends for some beach therapy. Our annual adventure is coming up soon, in fact. We've gone every year since 1999 - except one. 

That September of 2001 we were counting down the days until we could wave goodbye to our families, ready for some alone time.... a few days not having to do anything for anyone but ourselves.

But on the afternoon of the 11th, we changed our minds. We no longer wanted to wave goodbye to our families - we wanted to wrap them around us, so close and tight we could feel their breath and smell their familiar sweetness.  

It wasn't a decision driven by fear. We knew the odds of some terrorist targeting our little Texas Hill Country town, or the little fishing town on the Gulf where we sought some peace and quiet, were slim to none.

But as that day progressed, we were reminded not to take our loved ones or the time we have with them for granted. Not to let a day go by without making sure they knew they were our whole world. Not to forget that every morning we may be opening our eyes to our very last day on this earth.

So that autumn we soaked up our families instead of the sunshine. We stayed close to home, pondered the changes in our country and our world. We prayed for peace.

But the next year we packed our swimsuits, sunscreen, magazines, Bloody Mary mix, and vodka, and headed for the beach. We've done so ever since. We continued our lives, relished our freedom, refusing to let fear mold our lives, for that would allow the terrorists to win. 

But we haven't forgotten the lessons we learned on September 11, 2001 and the days that followed, about the things that truly matter and the steel-strength of this nation. We haven't forgotten how we overcame our differences, although some days (especially around election time) it's hard to believe. We haven't forgotten those ordinary citizens who were called to be heroes - and accepted the call. We haven't forgotten that by going about our lives, speaking our minds and sticking up for one another, we are fighting a war - and winning.

 

 

 

 

"This day and every day. Tear us down and we WILL rebuild. Knock us down and we WILL arise. We are people of diverse faith, ideologies, and color. We may be distracted or divided by internal matters, such as politics, but we are America and we will remain." 

~Johnny "Happy" Valentine, veteran and teacher

Thursday?!! What happened to Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?

When I woke up this morning, light splashed across the livingroom floor, a "good night!" from the full moon who quickly snuggled under the treeline, out of sight.

Then tonight moonlight bathed our metal roof, making it glow. I never get tired of seeing that. One day I'll figure out how to capture a photo of it. For now, you'll just have to imagine it yourselves (or come visit when there's a full moon!)

This has been such a fast week, with very little time at home. Consequently,  my email has piled up... the laundry has piled up...  the dishes have piled up. But I did manage to send a short chapter out to my writing group this morning before work and got started on the laundry.

Before you think I'm complaining, I'll confess that Tom and I are hooked on Breaking Bad (via Netflix) and have watched at least two episodes this week. I rode horses last night and went to dinner and the movies with friends tonight.

I could have said "no, I have work to do", but I figure email, laundry, and dishes will always be there, right? Not necessarily true about husbands, horses, and friends.

The writing, though... I really need to make time for that. Photos, too. I don't think I'll ever get the balance down, but I'll keep trying.

 

Monday I spent the day with TG, mostly getting her settled in a new apartment. It took us hours to complete the move-in checklist - the place was a wreck! Besides being just plain dirty, there were tons of broken things.

I took at least 50 photos and then showed them to the managing company when we turned in the check-list. They really try to take advantage of those students and it makes me mad. But the woman I spoke to seemed as upset as we were and within a couple of days they had taken care of a few of the problems.

While I was downtown, I stopped by the camera shop to have them take a look at my zoom lens, fingers crossed the focusing problem would be an easy fix.

No such luck. The focus mechanism gears appear to be broken, requiring a month-long stay at the factory and a potential chunk out of my checking account. A replacement lens is totally out of the question right now, though, so I'll just pray this vacation does the trick and we have several more years together.

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

 

Dear TV Meteorologists,
Please get inside out of the hurricane. It doesn't impress me to see you trying to stand up in the wind and battered by the rain. It just makes me question your intelligence. I really don't want to see you hit in the head and killed by debris, or swept away in a flood, and have to live with that memory. 
Thank you.

I posted that on Facebook yesterday in a fit of frustration after watching Al Roker and some other guy struggle in the wind and rain of Hurricane Isaac while telling us how the wind was so strong it knocked down a piece of concrete culvert.

Yikes! 

I've been trying to keep an eye on Hurricane Isaac, praying for family and friends in Louisiana, but geez, those silly weathermen make me want to just turn off the television. What about you?

(So far everyone I know seems to have come through with minimal damage, thank goodness.)

 

 

 

I've been up before dawn every day this week, walking the puppies in the pink light of a new day. Both of Max's hind legs drag a little now and he has the bony hips that come with old age.

But he still grins and teases Belle, making her blast off and run rings around us until she's spent. He's still a happy dog and doesn't appear to be in any pain. For that I'm grateful. 

 

 

 

 

To my kids (and myself)

     ".....I urge you to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance.  Don’t bother with work you don’t believe in any more than you would a spouse you’re not crazy about, lest you too find yourself on the wrong side of a Baltimore Orioles comparison.  Resist the easy comforts of complacency, the specious glitter of materialism, the narcotic paralysis of self-satisfaction.  Be worthy of your advantages.  And read… read all the time… read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect.  Read as a nourishing staple of life.  Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it.  Dream big.  Work hard.  Think for yourself.  Love everything you love, everyone you love, with all your might.  And do so, please, with a sense of urgency, for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer; and as surely as there are commencements there are cessations, and you’ll be in no condition to enjoy the ceremony attendant to that eventuality no matter how delightful the afternoon.

            The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer.  You’ll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–quite an active verb, “pursuit”–which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots rollerskate on Youtube.  The first President Roosevelt, the old rough rider, advocated the strenuous life.  Mr. Thoreau wanted to drive life into a corner, to live deep and suck out all the marrow.  The poet Mary Oliver tells us to row, row into the swirl and roil.  Locally, someone… I forget who… from time to time encourages young scholars to carpe the heck out of the diem.  The point is the same: get busy, have at it.  Don’t wait for inspiration or passion to find you.  Get up, get out, explore, find it yourself, and grab hold with both hands.  (Now, before you dash off and get your YOLO tattoo, let me point out the illogic of that trendy little expression–because you can and should live not merely once, but every day of your life.  Rather than You Only Live Once, it should be You Live Only Once… but because YLOO doesn’t have the same ring, we shrug and decide it doesn’t matter.)

            None of this day-seizing, though, this YLOOing, should be interpreted as license for self-indulgence.  Like accolades ought to be, the fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct.  It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things.  Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view.  Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.  Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly.  Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them.  And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself.  The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special.

 Because everyone is."

 

I didn't write this.

I wish I had. It was written by English teacher David McCullough, Jr.of Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts and given to the graduating Class of 2012 as a commencement speech.

I wish someone had given this to my kids at their graduation. Heck, I wish someone had given it to my class at our graduation.

You can find the speech in its entirety HERE in the Swellesley Report (yes, really) and I urge you to go read it. And then I urge you to print it out and hang it on your wall and read it over and over and over.

Because his words don't just apply to graduating seniors but to everyone. Each morning we wake up to a new day full of moments waiting to matter and make our own... full of slippery opportunities, experiences, and chances... full of places to explore. 

Thank you, Suldog, for posting the link on your blog and making me aware of it!

"Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view.  Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you." 

Amen, Mr. David McCullough, Jr. Amen!

Under Attack

It seemed like a good idea at the time, getting off the main road and taking the path along the creek for a bit on my morning walk.

The problem is that path is little more than a deer trail in many places, making it necessary to duck and zigzag around mountain cedar branches. 

Well, normally that by itself isn't a problem, but at this time of year, and right now in epic proportions, the branches of the male ashe juniper (aka cedar tree) is bursting with these little cones full of cedar pollen. It's not unusual to see a huge puff of smoke billow from a tree at the slightest touch of a breeze... not actually fire smoke, but a cloud of pollen. 

It didn't even occur to me that when you walk through them and knock them out of your way, the pollen clings to you as if you were an oversized bumble bee.

Consequently, a few hours later when my allergy meds had worn off, the pollen hitching a ride on me went into full attack mode on my nose, throat and eyes.

But in the height of my sneezing and clawing of itchy eyes, I was grateful for one thing. Well, one thing besides my stockpile of antihistamines and nose sprays and eye drops...

 

...that during my walk, when the thought occurred to me that if knocked one of the branches hard with a stick, I might finally be able to capture one of those billowing pollen clouds in my camera, right up close, I immediately tossed that thought away, realizing the suicidal potential of such a stunt.

I'm relieved to know that, even for me, a photograph isn't worth "Death by Stupidity and Pollen".

(For more about the mountain cedars, click HERE and HERE.)

Ben's Story... When the Fantasy Ends and Heaven Begins

Ben Breedlove, an Austin teenager, died Christmas night. 

I didn't know him personally; in fact, I had never heard of him until this week. 

But after watching the videos below, I know I won't forget him or his sweet smile.

Ben had a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; according to his videos, he had cheated death three times. The first time, when he was 4, he says he saw a bright light and felt a peace he never forgot. The second time...

...well, Ben tells it much better than I can. I urge you to watch these - the total time is less than 8 minutes, but if you're like me, it will be 8 minutes you'll carry with you the rest of your life, whether you remember the name Ben Breedlove or not.

(You can read Ben's obituary HERE.)

Steve Jobs: Live Before You Die

I rarely watch videos (who has time?) but made an exception for this one.

By the end of it, I was in tears.

His words spoke straight to me as much as to those kids just stepping into their lives.

I'm starting my day with a renewed vow not to waste another minute.

Thanks, Steve, for your vision, your drive, your creativity, your courage and for your inspiring words.  

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

~Steve Jobs

 

 

                 

Thinking of Peace and Sweet!ness

I have an unexpected day off tomorrow. I'm getting dizzy trying to decide what to do with it! Do I focus on "getting stuff done" or just relax and have fun? I imagine it will fall somewhere in between. I think I'll just start somewhere and see where it leads me. Who knows what I'll get done?

Whatever I decide to do, in the back of my mind I'll be remembering the events of the day ten years ago and giving thanks that those who wanted to destroy our country haven't succeeded.

The candle I light at Mass tomorrow morning will be for our country...

...for the victims of 9/11.

...for our soldiers and leaders.

...for those who hate our country.

...for peace. 

 Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience.

~ Thomas Merton

 

And now for some of the Sweet! moments of my week: 

Sunday: learning part of the San Antonio Spurs Cheerleader audition dance; sitting in a hot tub beneath a sky full of stars and a 3/4 moon; almost winning at beer pong; spending time with 2/3 of your kids

Monday: mimosas and breakfast tacos; rope swings and cold rivers; a swingset built sturdy enough for grownup-size kids; high temperatures in the low 90s; no wildfires near your house

Tuesday: coolness of a new autumn morning; no dogs in the laundry room; still no wildfires near your house

Wednesday: reading in a hammock; spotting the doves you feared were the victims of dove season (see above); sneaking photos of birds visiting the birdfeeder; glorious blue skies

Thursday: mornings cool enough to sip coffee and read on the front porch; sneaking more photos of mountain jays and doves; meeting a book review deadline; eating Chinese food and watching "The Help" with friends you don't see often enough 

Friday: leftover Chinese food; a long-overdue phone visit with your sister; sitting on the front porch in the evening, listening to music with your husband and son

Saturday: an early morning walk with your husband and puppies; catching live footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd singing "Free Bird" on Cool TV; assurance that friends who live near current wildfires haven't been affected by the fires; an Andy Garcia movie from '95

I wish you Peace and a week full of Sweet!s!

"You comin', Mom?"

Summer Sweet and Summer Sour

Monday morning I knew autumn had arrived, riding the tail of a brisk breeze from the north that dropped temperatures nearly twenty degrees. Robe wrapped tight and relishing the chill, I sipped coffee in my pajamas rocking on the deck of a log cabin nestled in the woods above a dry creek bed.

We were at a rental lake house, guests of my oldest son's girlfriend's dad, along with his mom, his girls, their friends, my boys and Tommy's friend Ryan. It was just the change of scenery I needed after being on my feet eleven hours on Saturday and six on Sunday: fajitas, wine, a hot tub, my first game of beer pong... (Tom and I lost, of course. How could we compete against college kids?)

One of the college girls is a San Antonio Spurs Cheerleader; it took awhile but we finally convinced her to teach us part of the audition dance. ("Us" included my boys. I was one proud mom! That took guts - and resulted in lots of laughs!)

We kept one eye on the television, though. Unfortunately, the dry, brisk breeze that brought such beautiful weather also helped stir up and spread wildfires all over Central Texas Sunday afternoon.

I worried about my puppies, but my neighbors promised to let us know if the Hollow was threatened with fire danger, so before heading home we all drove to a beautiful picnic area on the banks of the Colorado River.

A rope swing beckoned. It took awhile to get up my nerve (and Tom had to mention "Bucket List") but I finally took my turn, swinging out over the river and splashing down into its cool depths.

Ah, such summer sweetness! 

It was truly a glorious day with blue skies and perfect temperatures, but driving home, seeing the towers of smoke from wildfires to our south and east, we prayed for rain instead. 

 A few hours later, I noticed the blue sky over the Hollow had turned a hazy gray. I stepped outside and the smell of smoke hit my nose. I envisioned a wall of fire just over the next hill, racing toward us. 

With a blue sky above you, it's easy to feel detached from the danger even while you pray for those affected and  worry about it coming close to you. When smoke fills the sky and your nose, detached uneasiness can flare into full-fledged panic. At least that's the way it affected me.

I searched the sky in all directions, but thank goodness no distinct columns of smoke, black or white, rose above our surrounding hills. That helped douse the panic, but I had to make sure nothing was sneaking up on us, so I grabbed my keys and drove to a nearby hill where I had a 360 view. That hazy gray smoke wafted toward us from across the lake, obscuring the horizon and washing out the blue sky, but no fires burned near us. 

Yesterday, the winds were calm. The sky above us stayed blue. I kept an eye on the horizon but no smoke drifted our way, although I knew the fires are still burning around us, both old and new. But the potential remained. I knew it could be us just as easily as it has been Bastrop, Spicewood, Steiner Ranch, Pflugerville, Leander... and what would I do if fire turned our way? 

Lists ground me, making me feel I have some control, even if it's an illusion, so I made an "Evacuation List", a reminder to me of things I need to grab if fire chases us out of our home.   

The puppies, my purse, plus some items I can fit in a backpack:  my external hard drive, my phone and charger, my camera and charger, a list of accounts and passwords, our medicine, a bottle of water...

No extra clothes or toiletries... they're replaceable. No books, family mementoes, heirloom quilts, wedding photos... I'd hate to leave them behind, potentially lose them, but they aren't crucial. 

So tell me, what's on your Evacuation List? 

Please join me in praying for the evacuees, for the firefighters and especially, for rain. Fires are also popping up near Houston. Over 3.6 million acres of Texas have burned since December - reportedly the size of Connecticut if you lump them all together.

If you would like to help the victims and firefighters, click HERE for the Central Texas Red Cross website and HERE for a list of other organizations and locations to drop donations.

Just counting a few of my blessings... (my Friday Favorite Photos)

 

1. Rain on my windshield! Before heading to Houston yesterday, I swung downtown to drop some things off for TG on campus, and I heard an unusual sound... raindrops on my car! And then it actually rained on me all the way to Smithville or LaGrange. It wasn't enough to wash the dust from my car, but I'm grateful even for this small amount. Tom says a little even fell at our house, hallelujah! At least we know it remembers where we live!

2. My parents back at home; specifically, Daddy out of the hospital. Nothing more to add. That's enough!

3. Being able to catch a photo of my great-niece Haila smiling. I love this one of her and her daddy, Evan, my brother's son. They were in Houston visiting from Wyoming and I'm so glad I was able to run down to see them. I've been told Haila never fusses, but just before I arrived, she woke from a bad dream and cried and cried a good part of the time I was there. When she wasn't crying, she was on the move. This is a miracle capture!

4. My sister Brenda can walk without her cane! Just a few steps and she keeps it handy, but still, that's a major accomplishment and a beautiful sight to see. I haven't seen her since her hip surgery 5 months ago - how can that be possible? To say she looks much better would be an understatement!

I returned this evening from a quick trip to my hometown to attend my friend's husband's funeral. As you can see from these photos, I packed a lot into 24 hours... long overdue visits with my parents and siblings plus hugs (and tears) with my lifetime friends at the viewing and funeral.

I wish I'd had more time, but I'm just grateful I was able to sneak down there at all. I have to work tomorrow.

I'm hoping to fit another trip in soon for a second interview with my parents and to gather with the other Deer Park Divas around our friend. She's doing great now, but we all know the next few months are going to be tough.

This next week I'm focusing on getting organized - I have no deadlines to make me crazy although another book is in the mail for the next BlogHer Book Club review. I'm looking forward to it, though. These book reviews have kept me reading all summer.

The last one I read was Faithful Place, by Tana French - a wonderful love story/murder mystery with the kind of writing that makes me want to go revise everything I've ever written! You can read the full review HERE on BlogHer.

I have several friends and quite a bit of family over there on the East Coast and even though I've been on the road, I know there's a hurricane headed their way, so I'll be praying it's a dud like the one aimed at us a few weeks ago! And if not quite a dud, that its damage is minimal. Stay safe, all of you!

 

 

 

Phone Calls, Heartbeats, Hugs

A call that wakes you in the morning rarely bears good news.

The call that woke me yesterday let me know a dear friend's husband had died. He had some health issues (who doesn't by the time you hit your 50's?) but nothing that warned her that a day we all dread and hope never comes would soon arrive on her doorstep.

I, in turn, began making calls and sending messages to other friends, and they then did the same... so many digital arms stretching out and surrounding our friend, embracing her in a virtual hug. It's comforting to be able to connect that way with men and women who are still just school-age boys and girls in your mind.

Most of us will come together in person on Friday for the service and we'll continue to encircle our friend afterward as long as she needs us. 

I've been wanting to head that way to see my parents, anyway, especially since Daddy's recent hospital visit, and my nephew, his wife and baby are visiting from Wyoming this week. 

I always enjoy fitting a visit with friends into my trips home, but not under these circumstances.

One friend shared a comment his father-in-law made years ago...  "when you're in your sixties, the funeral homes become your reunions with everyone." We're not yet in our sixties, but I think we've met at too many funerals already.

So if you don't mind, please say a little prayer for my friend this weekend. And while you're at it, could you pray for a bit of rain to head our way? We just passed the triple digit record - 70 (sweaty) days this summer as of today. 

Oh, and two more prayer requests. I've delivered TG and her things safely back to campus - would you say a prayer for her for a safe and successful semester... and one for her recently graduated brother to find a job?

I promise that's all (for now.)

Thank you in advance.

I'll be praying for all of the above, plus keeping the East Coast in my prayers as Hurricane Irene heads its way and I'll also give thanks the recent earthquake up there didn't do more damage.

Just too much going on, isn't there?

How do we get back to simple? Or is simple just an illusion created by our memories? Probably. If so, then I'm even more grateful for my memories. 

It could be worse, couldn't it?

Fall colors surround us, temperatures have dropped, but there's no touch of autumn in the air; daily highs still top 100 with nary a drop of rain.

(Clouds congregrate at times, but even when tinged gray, I know they're just playing games with us.)

We've had hot, dry summers before, though.

One in particular stands out in my memory (and makes me sweat!) because I was driving that old green Mercury Villager minivan with no air-conditioning and a passenger window that wouldn't roll down.

That was the summer I taught Daniel to drive. We always headed out early enough to finish the lessons by 10 am because that's when my side of the van became an oven, even with my Walmart water-mister fan, and I became a little, ahem, grumpy.

Spanky the salamander was still with us then, staying cool hiding under wet moss in his terrarium, only expending energy to gobble down a live cricket or two. Once or twice a week we'd grab a plastic bag full of them from the pet store and dump them into their own little terrarium, furnished with an empty toilet paper roll and a little water. Every day Daniel scooped a few out for Spanky's dinner.

One afternoon the kids and I swung by the pet store for a bag of crickets, the last stop on our round of errands in town. It was 4 in the afternoon and (according to the fancy digital dash thermometer) 107 degrees.

The crickets didn't stand a chance. Poor little guys, they baked right there in that plastic bag - an oven within our oven van.

Yes, things could be worse. I have an air-conditioned car this year and give thanks for it and the a/c in our home every day!

We even still - somehow - have a little water in the pond. It had dried up enough for Tom to get his backhoe down there to scoop up the silt (making the best of the situation!) and he must have somehow unblocked the opening to some underground springs.

I'm really surprised anything is flowing from the springs right now, but as you can see, there's water in the pond. It has to come from somewhere, and it sure isn't from the sky!

Belle's grateful for it.

Not much of a pond, though, is it? 

One year the water completely, totally dried up. Tom was able to scoop enough silt to see fossils embedded in the bedrock of the original creekbed, right about where my name is in the above photo. I love knowing they're there, even if I can't see them anymore.

Tom had to halt work on the pond because of the water; instead, he has turned his attention to the creek bed downstream, beyond the little pond (which still has a few inches of water in it, too) clearing overgrowth and scooping silt, preparing for the rain we know will fall, someday.

But when?

All the land is praying for rain.

 

 

 

Detours (and my Friday Favorite Photo)

This has been one crazy, zig-zagging, bouncing, stretching-myself-across-so-many-things-I-think-I'm-going-to-pop kind of week. One of those weeks where everything is high priority and you just can't procrastinate any longer. So you just do it all, period, and try your best to get some sleep.

Things like a writing deadline, a book review deadline, a contact list to compile and a group email that had to go out, a BlogHer assignment, a Parish Council meeting, eye doctor appointments x 3 of us, my car inspected, our anniversary looming, my sister's birthday, a dozen blog posts swirling in my head waiting to be born, a new FlickR project, my refrigerator filter glowing orange, watering a friend's plants while she's out of town plus trying to keep our own alive...

Whew.

All of this on top of my two day jobs (weekday and weekend) overlapping so I have only one day off in 9 days right on the heels of a quick trip out of town to a wedding. 

I confess I didn't even think about housework of any kind this week or do more than glance at my three-page to-do list. 

If it weren't for Tom, TG and Daniel helping with cooking, laundry and whatever I ask them to do around here, I really would have popped, I'm sure.

Of course, it's not over yet. I work both days this week at the Bistro; we celebrate our anniversary tomorrow night (we're thinking dessert at Sonic at sunset); reading and writing deadlines still loom, the filter light still gives me an orange wink every time I open the fridge door, my car still isn't inspected (shhh! don't tell!), I haven't started the FlickR project, and my laundry is overflowing...

But the good news is I'll have time to take care of most of these starting Monday. The bad news is it's because one of my jobs ended, which means one of my paychecks. The good news is that means I'll have more time to focus on my book and my businesses, and I'll still be moderating the Jobs4Autism website.

I haven't decided if I've come to another detour in my life or if I'm actually stepping back onto the main road. I've taken so many detours I'm not even sure what the main road looks like anymore. Some detours were results of my own decisions; some just plopped down from no where, forcing me to veer in a new direction.

I came across this on a blog today, written by Baron Batch, a Texas Tech to Pittsburgh Steelers football player/writer:

"The funny thing about all roads is that at some point they all have potholes, speed bumps and detours. However, the durability of your vehicle is what allows you to reach your destination regardless of your traveling conditions."

Baron's post is a tribute to his faith and a reminder of the value of detours in our life. Instead of playing in his first NFL game this week, he tore his ACL. He writes...

"Trying to understand Gods plan will bring insanity, trusting it brings peace."

So much wisdom in one so young! I aspire to have that kind of faith and pray my kids do, too. I hope we all have durable vehicles! (I wish I could be confident that when my own kids face detours in their lives, when things go wrong as they always will, they hear my voice whispering, "Have faith, have faith.")

 

And now for my Friday Favorite Photo!

I picked this one of Max because...

a) it's taken with my new 50mm lens! and 

b) he's eating! 

(He stopped eating for awhile last weekend when we were gone. Got me so worried! Dang dogs.)

Now that I think of it, Max himself was a detour. We had decided we weren't going to have any more dogs. Then that starving puppy wandered up and stole our hearts...

Hope you've had a wonderful week... hope you have a great weekend...  and hope you look at the detours in your life as opportunities rather than bad luck.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Why, Thank You! (and my Friday Favorite Photo!)

Thank you to everyone who said a prayer, crossed their fingers or in some way tried to steer Tropical Storm Don more to the north, providing us with a better chance of rain to ease this drought.

However, I just saw this post by my weatherman on Facebook...

Dear Don,
Thanks for nothing.
Sincerely,
Central Texas.
p.s. Emily...we're counting on you.

It seems pretty official that Don left us in the dust. Literally.

But, I know God knows what he's doing, so I guess South Texas and Mexico needed the rain more than we did right now. Perhaps this "Emily" is the answer to our prayer, so please keep 'em coming!

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Did you read my Face in the Mirror post a few days ago? 

When my my blogger friend Suldog read it, he was inspired to write his own Ode to his Face.

Hop over to his site and take a look HERE. (Warning - his version is definitely rated at least PG-13. Maybe even R.)

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ~ Charles Caleb Colton

... and I'm sure that includes parody. So thank you, Jim!

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Glancing at my stats the other day, I noticed several hits from a site called Best Posts of the Week. It seems someone nominated my Week of Moons post on my photography blog as a 'best post'. 

 I have no idea who it was, but who ever you are, thank you!

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Last year I spent a few days with my creative friend Ann in Galveston. I fell in love with an antique frame she had turned into an earring holder.

A few months later I came across a different version of the idea in a magazine and alerted my friends to be on the lookout for old photo frames so I could make my own.

My friend Mary Kay, as usual, wasn't satisfied with just finding me a frame - she went on to create this wonderful earring holder/display for me, as well as two others to use for my jewelry business. 

One thing is obvious - I need more earrings!

No, that's not it. What's obvious is Mary Kay is amazing - and an amazing friend!

Thank you, Mary Kay!

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I took the day off for some junking/photography fun today. Along with Mary Kay (see above), her friend Claudia visiting from Colorado and TG, I spent the day enjoying old Georgetown... 

...and kicking myself, because I can't even count the number of times I've been in Georgetown over the past 15 years for soccer games, college visits, doctor visits, eating out, visiting friends... and never took the time to explore the wonderful town square, full of eclectic shops and beautiful architecture. 

Thanks again to Mary Kay for finally getting me there and to Claudia for lunch at the Monument Cafe. It was a wonderful day.

 

Look at this bench made to look like a book, sitting outside of a bookstore - I LOVE it! That's Claudia and Mary Kay just a little ways down...

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But that's not my favorite photo of the week. I picked this one of the purple flower because it's no longer there - the drought was too much for it.

But in this photo, it looks like it's dancing, doesn't it? It had fun - truly blossomed - while it was here.

(It's also posted HERE on my photography blog along with other flowers that defied the drought and bloomed anyway, at least for a little while.)

I also love this photo because it's such a tiny flower that you can't even see its beauty unless you get up this close - and that's such a great lesson about true beauty and paying attention, isn't it? It's often worth taking a closer look at things that it would be easy to ignore. 

Hope you had a wonderful Friday and didn't miss a thing!

 

 

A little more to the right, please...

Normally, there's no way I'd be praying for a tropical storm to head our way, especially on a weekend, but extreme circumstances call for extreme prayer!

(Forty-plus days of 100+ degree temps and the driest 7-month span on record qualifies as extreme circumstances, doesn't it? Thought so.)

I believe in the power of teamwork, so that's why I'm asking all of you to join me in praying, focusing, concentrating, meditating or, if nothing else, just keeping your fingers crossed that Tropical Storm Don veers a little more to the right.

See the "TX" down there, just to the right of the white stripe?

Well, that's about where I am, here in Long Hollow, and I really, really want Long Hollow to be on the left side of the projected path.

See, if Don changes his travel plans and heads for Dallas instead of El Paso, more of Texas (including Long Hollow) has a chance at the good soaking rain he'll be scooping out of the Gulf of Mexico and slinging over his left shoulder.

So if it's not too much to ask... PRAY! FOCUS! CONCENTRATE!!

Thank you!!

 

He Knows Me So Well (and Saturday's Week of Sweet!s)

Tom's email read "I saw this and thought of you," with a hyperlink under the message.

My heart fluttered - he thought of me while he was at work? How sweet! Tom never emails me unless it's a two-word response to something I've sent him.

I clicked the link and laughed when the page popped up describing (and showing images of) a 557-square-foot House of Shelves in Japan that can hold 10 tons of books.

Be still my heart!

Yes, Tom knows me well. I'd have shelves on every wall in our house if he'd let me.

Click HERE to see the House of Shelves and read more about it.

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My brother Donnie also knows me well - he sent me a link to something he knew I'd love to read about... a 7-year-old drummer named Jonah. Check him out! So cute! (He's 5 in this video - amazing!)

 

 

Now I'm fired up to squeeze 'playing my drums' back into my schedule somehow. They've gotten a little dusty lately. (Go to Jonah Rocks to find out more about Jonah.)

 

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And now for my Sweet! Moments of the Week...

Sunday: witnessing more than a dozen teenagers receiving the sacrament of Confirmation

Monday: the contrast of cool lake water and hot sunshine on your body

Tuesday: a dusty rose dawn; finding a beautiful shirt on a clearance rack for $7!

Wednesday: a sky full of storm clouds and a few drops of rain on your dusty dry land

Thursday: a text message from your big brother telling you he's in love again

Friday: unwinding on a shady porch after work with a glass of Super Texan; watching "Where the Heart Is" with your honey (what a sweet movie!)

Saturday: Having friends drop in to support you at your new job; Sean's duck and Tom's slow-smoked beef ribs - double yum! Getting word that Shake Russell was finally recognized as "Entertainer of the Year" at the Texas Music Awards! (Congratulations, Shake!)

Hope you find plenty of Sweet! moments in this coming week. Remember...

‎"All things pass; God never changes."

~ St. Teresa of Avila

The (Only) Good Thing About a Drought

 

Because of the drought, the University of Texas is turning off their fountains to save water.

I'm glad I didn't procrastinate any longer than I did on Daniel's photo shoot. He would have looked funny sitting there in front of a stone dry Littlefield Fountain.

Imagine this one without the water shooting up... wouldn't it have looked like he was about to be run over by that, um, whatever it is?

Look out, Daniel!!!

 

I added the one below just because I like it.

I bet he was thinking, Surely she's almost through snapping photos...

I'd love to be standing in that fountain right now...

Well, I guess not right now, since they've turned them off.

But you know what I mean.

Okay, you've probably guessed that's not the good thing about a drought I was going to mention. It was just an excuse to post more photos of Daniel.

Plus I'm craving water.

No, the good thing I was going to mention about a drought is that it gives you a chance to clean all the silt out of your pond when it dries up.

That's what we did this past weekend.

(I use "we" lightly - I did a little bit more than snap photos, but not a whole lot more. As you can see, "we" is mostly Daniel and Tom.)

Belle helped, too.

I'm not sure what she did to help, but I'm sure it was very helpful. I believe she mostly stood in this teensy bit of water - all that's left on our property - trying to catch the last few minnows left alive.

Don't judge. Their days are numbered anyway in this heat, even if we do get a few drops of rain.

Check out the temperature  - this was in the shade on the front porch, around 4pm.

(Poor minnows.)

So now you know how Tom spent his Father's Day, in between checking on the brisket he smoked for dinner.

(It's okay. He takes naps on Mother's Day.)

I'm contributing this to Jillsy's June Water Challenge. It's definitely "water-challenged" don't you think?

Rest in Peace, Big Man

I try not to post twice in one day, but I just heard that Clarence Clemons, saxophone player extraordinaire, died today. Complications from a stroke a week ago. And it makes me sad.

I was a latecomer to Brucie, Clarence and the E-Street Band, but once there, I was hooked. Tom and I went to a few concerts early in our marriage and then had to rely on CDs until our friends George and Karen treated us to the concert here in Austin two years ago, right around the time George and I turned 50. 

I was in heaven. Brucie hadn't seemed to age, still rocking out and dancing and sliding across the stage on 60 year old knees as well as he had on 30 year old knees. And Max on the drums... well, I wrote about that here. Let's just say I'm partial to drummers.

But it was obvious Clarence felt the effects of the years. He still sounded just as great as ever, but he sat or leaned on a stool the whole time. 

Still, news of of his stroke, and now his death, caught me by surprise and make me sad. 

Rest in peace, Big Man, and thank you for your beautiful music.

Rosalita... Remember this one, Clarence? It's the one that made me fall in love with your sax...

 

The Only Water Around Here is My Sweat!

It's hot here in Texas, ladies and gentlemen!

"Yesterday was the 5th consecutive day that the Austin, Texas Bergstrom Airport tied or set a new daily temperature record. On Monday, June 6, the airport hit 103°F, the earliest in the year that location had ever hit 103°.(Dr. Jeff Masters'WunderBlog, June 8, 2011)

Hot and dry! 

"In Austin, rainfall from October through the end of April was only 5.3 inches, the third driest on record since 1856."(from the LCRA website, latest update May 2011)

And here in the Hollow, with no rain to keep it in its place, caliche dust coats everything... my car, the dogs, the juniper trees lining the road, the few flowers hardy and stubborn and resilient enough to bloom...

Even the sky is a dusty shade of blue.

Our pond is completely dry now. See that white bucket sitting in the middle? It's a souvenir from our upstream neighbor's pond, an in-your-face reminder of a time when water flowed down Long Hollow creek. When the pond is full, that spot is at least 20 feet underwater.

Hard to imagine, isn't it?

It's also hard to imagine the little waterfall ever roaring like an ocean surf crashing on a beach, so loud you have to raise your voice to be heard way up on our back deck.

The only thing making that much noise in the Hollow lately is the panting of two hot puppy dogs, searching for some cool shade.

Water, Water, where for art thou, Water?

 

 

 

 

 

Rambling on a Monday in May

Before I was fully awake this morning, I started the coffee brewing and switched on the television.

Up popped the devastation in Joplin, Missouri - that hospital with blown windows surrounded by mangled vehicles, toothpick trees and piles of rubbish ... the videos, the woman's voice praying "Help us, Jesus..."

After saying a prayer for all of those affected, I vowed never to complain about the weather here again.  

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 May is almost over and I'm feeling paranoid. 

The past two Mays have given me belated birthday presents that I wouldn't re-gift to my worst enemy.

For my 50th birthday, May gave me a case of shingles which came with an MRI because of the headaches that heralded its arrival and steroid drops for my eyes so I wouldn't go blind.

Last year I guess May felt it had to top the previous one. First, it gave me the worst urinary tract infection of my life. (It was actually only my second ever, but the first one, thirty years ago, was so bad I took every precaution to avoid another.)

I thought that was it (thank you so much!), but then just a week or so later my heart went crazy, pounding and racing so hard and fast that it woke me up. I thought it was going to fly out of my chest! Follow up tests concluded it was  SVT, or Supraventricular Tachycardia, basically an electrical short circuit in my heart that causes it to pound and race. 

I haven't had another episode, or any other health scares, but then, May isn't over yet, is it? I'm just hoping this "Welcome to your 50's" initiation phase is over.

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My book review for A Jane Austen Education went live on BlogHer this evening (along with several others, if you want more than one opinion!)

I've been thinking about the book again today, mostly thinking it's a shame Jane Austen isn't required reading for everyone. Some people learn the lessons about life on their own that William Deresiewicz, the author, learned from the books, but I know quite a few people who have never learned them, such as the one he learned from Pride and Prejudice: we aren't born perfect and there are some lessons we have to learn on our own in order to grow. We can't learn them from other people. We have to experience our own failure.

I know this was certainly true for me when I was young (and maybe it's still true!). I wish it hadn't been - I wish I'd had the sense to take the advice of those older and more experienced than I was. I hope I have a teeny bit of that sense myself now.

Which reminds me... I saw a blurb on the news today that some state is considering holding parents responsible when their child gets a bad grade. Huh? Maybe I heard it wrong, but if it's true, don't they realize they're just giving parents more reason to do their kids' work for them or encourage them to cheat or that we'd be keeping kids from learning life lessons they need later on? Don't they realize no one is born perfect and everyone has a different path to follow? A different time line?

Where are these people coming from?  Why do some people think their way is the only way? 

Oops. Sorry.

Anyway, click HERE to read my review on BlogHer... and go read some Jane Austen!

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 As far as Mondays go, this hasn't been a great one. Okay, it truly sucked in places (and I don't use that 's' word lightly.)

But I'm still keeping my eyes open for those Sweet! moments and keeping my feet moving forward, even though I don't know what's ahead of me.

These quotes help, so I'm going to add them here in case one of you needs a little 'faith reminder'. (I need them a lot - that's why I collect these quotes!)

"Suppose you plant a garden, and after a few days, you don't see results. Do you dig it up again? No, because you know that a lot of things are going on that you can't see. It's the same with God."

~ Charles Stanley, American Baptist preacher

"Patience with others is love, patience with self is hope, patience with God is faith." 

~ADEL BESTAVROS Egyptian deacon and lawyer

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

~Proverbs 3:5-6

 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

~Jeremiah 29:11

"God often closes a door before opening a new one. Between those doors, don't worry. Wait, worship and watch! It's a test of faith. Colossians 4:3"

- Rick Warren

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."

~C.S. Lewis

 "Hope is wishing for something to come true. Faith is belief that it will come true. Believe that for every problem God gives you, He will also provide you with a solution."

Anyone know who said that? I love it!

But this is my favorite, and the one that truly keeps me going...

Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, it's not the end.

~Author Unknown

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And for me, this is proof of that nugget of truth... the path might be tough, but if you keep going, you just might get fireworks in your honor! (The last of my graduation photos, I promise. Here, anyway. I'll post the rest on "Confessions".) 

 

Walking in the Rain... Sweet! #8

Well, I guess I gave it away in the title.

Rain keeps flirting with us here in the Hollow. This morning the sky opened up full force - for about three seconds. But the faucet kept dripping... I felt drops on my head all during our walk. I carried an umbrella just in case the downpour returned, but never used it. The drops felt too good.

Now the weatherman is pointing to colorful splotches on the radar map, headed our way ... they represent, in his words, "drought-relieving rain."

In my words, answers to prayers.

Sweet!

I also have a P.S. for yesterday's rambling, whining post. I can't believe I forgot about this...

I found out my photograph of the anvil cloud (below) made it to Explore on FlickR. Definitely sweet!

Hope you have a day of answered prayers ... a day full of Sweet!

Surreal

"Osama has been killed!" 

I didn't believe the words at first when I saw them posted on Facebook, just skimmed past them thinking it was some political joke or teaser.

Then I saw them again. And again. Behind me, my phone beeped - my son texting me with the news.

I turned on the television, saw the crowds cheering in the streets, and wondered why I didn't feel the same elation...

It's so surreal after all these years. 

What is it I feel?

A sigh of relief for sure - he's just one of many terrorists, but he wielded the most power, did the most damage in recent history. I feel grateful to those who risked their lives to find him and happiness that Osama has been brought to justice for the sake of those whose lives he ripped apart.

I think what I'm feeling can be summed up as cautious optimism. It seems lately the militant leaders are losing their popularity in the middle east - maybe that's why we were finally able to find Osama. Maybe his death will give power and energy to the wave of democracy, to the people who are tired of the violence in their countries. I hope and pray instead of triggering terrorist acts against us, it serves as a warning and deterrent to any out there thinking of taking Osama's place in the terrorist world.

Because, again, we know he's just one of many. And there are still American soldiers dying in Afghanistan and other places around the world. 

But today, I give thanks for a bit of justice in this crazy world and pray it soothes the hearts of Osama's many victims. I'm grateful for the determination and courage of our special forces, for this seed of optimism, cautious or not, they have planted in my heart.

I hope one day it can grow into full-bloomed elation that the wars are over and terrorists no longer wield power anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Royal Wedding, the Sequel. Yes, I'll be watching. (And my Friday-ish Favorite Photo)

 

On a summer morning in 1981, I stumbled up the stairs and into my condo after a twelve-hour night shift, turned on the television, plopped on the floor, and watched the fairy-tale wedding of Diana and Charles.

Despite the cynicism of my 22 years, I guess I believed in the fairy-tale, and must have said an envious prayer as I watched, because just two months later I met my own prince.

My life turned out to be the happily-ever-after story, not Diana's. At least as much as anyone's can be these days. (Knock on wood, quick!)

We appeared to be nothing alike, but for some reason I identified with Diana - her relationship with Charles seemed similar to a long-term relationship I had at her age ... I understood her struggle to please, to gain attention, the battles with bulimia and anorexia and self-esteem. (Thank the good Lord mine didn't result in marriage.)

I had two sons in a row, just as she did. And my oldest son even looked like William for many years (I'm not the only one who said so.) 

Because of Diana, I became a Royal Watcher. Not in excess, but I watched the interviews, the news blurbs, read the books. When she died, I cried, glued to the television for days.

I know I'm not the only one.

I really don't understand it. It's against character for me, but there you have it. And for the same reasons I don't understand, I'll be up early - really early - this morning watching Diana's son tie the knot with that lovely young girl Kate, praying that after their fairy-tale wedding, they live happily-ever-after.

For Diana's sake.

The commemorative mug above was a birthday gift from my sweet friend Kim a few years ago. Thank you again, Kimmy!

 

And now, this goofy capture of Max is my Friday-ish Favorite Photo, because the look of delirious joy on his face as Daniel pets him is a mirror of the joy I felt having all three kids here.

I hope all of you have a joyous weekend!

Dang it! I'm a couch potato after all! Are you?

 

Despite sweating at least an hour almost every day, running, jumping rope, lifting free weights, stretching  ... despite trying to strengthen my heart, lungs, bones and maintain my flexibility in my fight against the villainous side effects of menopause ... I found out I'm losing anyway, because the rest of the day I sit on my bohunkus in front of a computer.

And when I say "the rest of the day", I really mean the rest of the day.

For my steady-paycheck job, I sit in front of a computer for hours and hours. And after clocking out, I settle in again in front of the screen to write, edit photography, check emails, pay bills....

My life revolves around sitting in front of the computer.

And now I find out it's killing me!

In an article for Men's Life, Maria Masters says I could even be labeled a couch potato by some doctors: "New evidence suggests, in fact, that the more hours a day you sit, the greater your likelihood of dying an earlier death regardless of how much you exercise or how lean you are." 

But hallelujah, there's something I can do about it without quitting my desk job(s) and trying to find one as a bicycle messenger or fire fighter or lumberjack.

Apparently, just taking small breaks helps counter the effects ...  even little things like standing up when I'm on the phone can help. The important thing is to get up and do something at least every hour.

It's not as easy as it sounds, though, at least not for me. It's like I'm under a spell, frozen to my chair, and it's a major effort to unfold myself, even to go to the bathroom! My husband says he falls under the same spell at work.

But I'm not sweating every morning just to have all the benefits evaporate because of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. Now I keep an eye on that little computer clock. Every hour I stand up, face the window, jog in place, do some stretches, and every two hours or so I head outside for a brisk two-minute walk. My legs are so grateful for that stretch! And getting outside in the fresh air is a wonderful mental break, as well.  Better than a fourth (or is it my fifth?) cup of coffee. 

So if you're like me, stuck behind a computer screen ALL DAY LONG, get up and get moving for your health's sake! If I haven't convinced you, be sure to read the article yourself (click HERE) as well as THIS ONE.

Because I care about you and want you to stick around for a long, long time. 

Life and Death - a Cycle of Celebration

Tiny almond-shaped eyes - chocolate drops full of innocence, ignorant of the violence that brought us all together - peered at me over her mother's shoulder.

She wore a yellow romper and sky blue bonnet, such a contrast to the black and white donned by the rest of us who formed a circle of love and support to a grieving mother, father, sister, brothers...

Black and white. Bad and good. Death and life. Sadness, happiness. 

Yellow and blue, colors of springtime, of rebirth, echoed in the sprays of flowers edging the site, and the flowers plucked from the stands and tossed onto the casket.

We had seen a short blurb on the Sunday evening news about the stabbing that left two dead over the weekend in Austin. A gathering of friends to remember the third-year anniversary of the death of one man's mother, an argument, a drawn knife, two dead, several wounded. So tragic, so sad, but soon forgotten in the rush of our lives.

It was several days before Tom learned via email that one of the victims was the little brother of a friend, a former co-worker at a small engineering company, where the employees became like family and stayed in touch over the years.

She was the big sister of six little brothers, a surrogate mom as the family followed her to the Austin area. Tue was the youngest, still her baby brother at 28.

His funeral Saturday morning was one of the most beautiful I've ever witnessed - a full Catholic Mass, all in Vietnamese. Thanks to the unity and consistency of the Catholic Mass tradition, we could still follow along, understanding with our hearts if not our ears.

We filed to Communion along either side of his casket, and it struck me how appropriate it was, a reminder of the life after death we all profess to believe, a reminder of the communion of saints.

After the service, we joined in the procession to the cemetery, where I spotted Miss Innocence dressed in Springtime. I also noticed a young boy, probably about 4 or 5, and I knew Tue's sister, mother, father and other friends and family who watched him grow must be remembering him at that age, when the thought that he could be taken from them by such senseless violence years later was unfathomable.

Nothing is lost by peace; everything may be lost by war. ~ Pius Xll

They probably already knew the truth of this statement better than most, those who escaped war-torn Vietnam in hopes of a peaceful life for their family.

I couldn't understand the words spoken at the grave site, but I understood the gestures, the faces contorted in sorrow, the wails of his mother that touched my mother's heart and brought tears to my eyes for her pain and loss. Tue was just a few years older than my oldest son.

One brother hobbled on crutches, injured while trying to break up the fight to protect his little brother. Tue was also about the same age my brother Buster was when he became a victim of a violent act, only his was a gunshot. Buster didn't die right away; he spent several years as a quadriplegic before we lost him.

I still feel that loss, and my sister's heart wept for Tue's sister and brothers. 

After the service, we joined Tue's friends and family at a luncheon. The need to join with others, remember, laugh, celebrate transcends religions and cultures. We spoke to Tue's family and friends, including one who was there that night ... the night two of his friends were killed. 

Please keep them all in your prayers.

Tom dropped me off later at a restaurant just a few miles down the highway for a birthday lunch with dear friends. Despite being stuffed from delicious eggrolls, crab soup and shrimp salad, I savored the meal I shared with them and our Mexican Martini toast.

After a morning of such forceful reminders of life's fragility and uncertainty, their faces and the sound of their laughter felt more precious to me than ever.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.

~ a headstone in Ireland

 

 

Indie Friendlie

If you're interested in film - especially independent film - pay attention...

One of my creative friends, Byron Tully, is part of a new project,"Indie Friendlie", a weekly television program "created to give independent filmmakers an outlet for their work to be seen and for the public to learn about them", according to the website, http://indiefriendlie.com/.

The show is for those filmmakers who work on a shoestring without the benefit of an advertising budget or marketing campaign - it's an opportunity to give them the publicity they need and expose the rest of us to talent we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Tully and his Indie Friendlie partner, Weatherford Bradley, both have years of experience in the film industry and are using that experience now to help other creative filmmakers. 

The show will begin airing on May 1 in a very limited area. Go to the website to find out where and how you might be able to see it wherever you are. (Click HERE.)

While they've shot several episodes, they're at the tough part: fund raising for post production - all the editing, graphics, and music to polish them up for broadcast.

If you feel this is something you can help with, take a look at their Kickstarter page to find out how. (Click HERE.)

Here's a short video with more information... 

 

Indie Friendlie Promo from Indie Friendlie on Vimeo.

Way to go, Tully! Good luck!!