Long Hollow

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

 

It is a glorious autumn day here in Long Hollow.

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

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

First and foremost, we have a new grandson!

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

They had a condo right on the beach. 

Definitely one of my happy places!

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

Eventually I'll mail them to my relatives.

 

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

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

 

 

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

I became very familiar with doggy diapers.

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

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

She was always a wonderful big sister. 

 

 

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

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

May God bless each one of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

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

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

It's the year I became a grandmother! 

 

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

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

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

Just more to look forward to in this new year!

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

 

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

 

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

 

 We celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida...

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

We read good books and have some great conversations!

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

Closings always land on the sweet! list...

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

"Is, then, September come so soon?"

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

So, here I go...

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

Never a dull moment for us!

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

Another tiny thread that sews us together. 

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

~Simone Signoret

 

 

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

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

Multiple referrals from friends and past clients

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

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

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

Commission checks

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

Audible, so I can "read" while driving 

Rain

A sky full of stars in a pre-dawn morning

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

Playing my drums

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

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

Two separate 60th birthday parties for friends

Reading the journals I kept for my kids during their childhoods

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

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

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

Being dive-bombed by a hummingbird

The macaroons at Elizabeth Street Cafe

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

 

 

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

 

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

December Sweets on a Christmas Eve...

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

And Merry Christmas!

 

 

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

~Ada V. Hendricks

 

A weekend of birthday celebrations and away they go again...

 

 

My oldest and his beautiful wife are somewhere over the Pacific Ocean right now, traveling to New Zealand with another couple for a trip of a lifetime, one they've dreamed about for years. I would say "the" trip of a lifetime, but these two have already spent Oktoberfest in Munich, honeymooned in Italy, and traveled to Moscow, hitting a lot of other countries and big cities along the way.

They've already had some "trips of a lifetime" and have many more ahead of them, but this will be the only one where my baby celebrates his 30th birthday by bungee-jumping in a foreign country. 

(Of course, at the most basic 'mother' level inside of me, that totally freaks me out! But mostly, I'm over-the-top excited for them, and so grateful for Facebook because I'll be able to keep tabs on them and experience the trip virtually, all at the same time.)

The photo above was taken at a surprise party Kirby threw for him last weekend. Somehow, he didn't have a clue beforehand.

 

Can you believe all of these people (including me) kept their mouths shut about it? I'm still amazed.

I won custody of my grandpuppy Josie while they are away, thank goodness, even from their friends who will be vacationing in Austin and house-sitting for them while they are gone. Josie's in high demand, but grandmas get first dibs! 

Tommy met me at Mama's for the pass-off, so she could get a visit in with both of them, too. 

 

Belle enjoys having her here, and Josie is having lots of fun being a country dog. 

 

 Last weekend was one birthday celebration after another, beginning with my mom's on Friday night. It was the first time in a long while she was with all of her kids. I was negligent about taking photos that night, but we did manage to get one of all of us together around the birthday cake my sister baked.

 

Mama asked for fried shrimp for her birthday dinner, and I knew that meant Gulf shrimp, not some teensy popcorn shrimp, so I was worried, because we are no where near the Gulf!

But thanks to Facebook friends, I discovered there are actually several places in Austin that serve good fried Gulf shrimp. Whew! If your Mama wants fried shrimp for her birthday, you want her to have fried shrimp.

 

After the surprise party on Saturday night, half of the group headed to the Container Bar on Rainey Street to continue the celebration, and I tagged along because, hey, it was my celebration, too, of the 30th anniversary of my becoming a mother!  

The Container Bar is just that... a bar that is actually made out of industrial shipping containers! What a great idea!

 

In true Austin style, we shared a space with a group of guys on a bachelor party weekend, with the groom-to-be dressed as Snow White, for some reason, and his friends dressed as dwarves, with fake beards, pointy hats, and obscure names on the backs of their shirts.

 

Tommy took me on a tour through the containers, and when I spotted this wall, I had to have a photo, cheesy or not.

In a crowded bar, that was no easy feat, but he did it somehow...

 

On Monday evening I was back downtown to celebrate Kirby's birthday at the Saxon Pub with a Bob Schneider concert. We had great seats at a table close to the stage, shared with a couple from California who loved Austin and had friends in Colorado who were wanting information on Austin real estate.

Lucky for them I had some business cards handy!

Bob Schneider was excellent, as always...

 

...and since we were so close to the Highball and it was Motown Monday, how could we not go there and dance to the Nightowls until 1 am? After all, it was Kirby's birthday!

If you ever get a chance to hear them, don't miss it!

 

 

It was a wonderful weekend...week...spent celebrating people I love and special events in my life. What could be better?

"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."

~ W. Somerset Maugham

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!

Princess Josie, Country Dog

 

While my son and daughter-in-law have been traipsing through castles in Germany, we've been lucky enough to hobnob with a princess this past week - Princess Josie, our grandpuppy. 

 

 

Belle's had mixed emotions about it. She's always loved Josie, but has gotten used to being an "only" puppy since Max passed away. For her part, Josie is a little older and has always been an "only" puppy.

 

 

Plus, on visits in years past, when Max was still with us, he and Belle were outside dogs; Josie had the house to herself. That's just the way it was and everyone accepted it.

I'm sure Josie was surprised when Belle followed her into the house this time!

 

Still, as a princess, she has managed to maintain some perks that Belle doesn't get to enjoy. For instance, I gave up ages ago trying to keep Josie off of the couch. She is a persistent little poot.

 

 

But so cute! It's tough saying "no" to that face!

Belle is more obedient; it only took one "no" for her to realize the couch was off-limits. Of course, she was just grateful to be inside at all, and didn't want to jeopardize her new status!

I was worried that Belle would try it again when she saw Josie snuggled up there on the couch, but she's been content to lie on her bed in my office during the day or next to my bed at night, while Josie snoozes on the couch and Aunt Cathy's afghan. 

 

 

 Overall, they are both really, really good dogs. I was nervous about leaving them in the house all alone for hours and hours  but apparently they both have iron bladders and just sleep when we're not here. 

(Although it's obvious one - or both - have been sleeping on my bed when we're not here. But considering there were no messes and nothing destroyed, I choose to turn a blind eye.) 

For the most part, the girls have enjoyed each other's company, especially these last few days of gorgeous weather... chasing squirrels, barking in harmony at the slightest noise, and graciously sharing the attention of all of us with nary a growl. 

Well, very few growls.

 

 

But this was their last day together. Josie's parents are back from their European jaunt. Her dad picked her up this evening.

Josie and I were both happy to see him, but Belle and I will both miss Princess Josie. 

 

 

"If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around."

~Will Rogers