Long Hollow

Breakthrough - my word for 2025

 

 

In "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent", Gary Keller says "Natural ability can only take us so far. No matter how gifted we may be, each of us will eventually hit our own ceiling of achievement. There is no if to that assertion, only when. So the most important achievement question you may ever have to ask yourself becomes: 'When I hit that ceiling of achievement - whether it is low or high - how will I break through?' "

He goes on to show how we can add proven models, systems, leverage and creativity to break through each ceiling we hit - because there is always one on the other side after we break through. 

For the last few years I have added leverage - I have an amazing admin assistant, a great transaction coordinator, and a few favorite showing assistants who open doors for me when I am tied up elsewhere so my clients don't have to wait for me.

I have learned to 'let go and let them", which was actually a huge breakthrough for me. 

In July 2024 I celebrated my 11th anniversary of becoming a Realtor. Since that first day there I have experienced so many breakthroughs, when I really think about it. First was a mindset breakthrough about money. I didn't realize I had a scarcity mindset instead of an abundance mindset.

That had a huge impact on my life and my business. Because of it, we were able to achieve financial freedom in about 5 years after decades of being weighted down (essentially drowning) in credit card debt, student loans, our mortgage, etc. Now we have no debt. Our mortgage is paid off and we have even bought, and paid off quickly, two new SUVs. In 2023 I went to France with friends, and Tom and I traveled to Greece. I have been able to donate to so many causes that are important to me and help out friends and family who were in need. 

It is a much better feeling. "Money is good for the good it can do."

 I was fortunate that I started my career with Keller Williams Realty, and specifically, with the Northwest Austin Market Center. Because of the culture and the support of colleagues, it has been a continual path of growth, both personal and in business. 

I knew nothing about the traditional real estate process when I started. Tom and I had taken a couple of classes decades ago, but otherwise my real estate journey involved:

1. buying a new construction condo when I was 20 (without agent representation)
2. leasing out that condo ourselves and self-managing when Tom and I got married
3. bidding on a HUD foreclosure home in an open auction - losing - and then winning it in the closed bid auction when it became available again. (We had an agent submit the bid but didn't keep in touch with her, and I don't think I ever met her)
4. leasing Tom's house out once we moved into the foreclosure and self-managing it
5. going through 3 evictions on our rental properties because tenants stopped paying rent (and cleaning them up after they were destroyed by the tenants)
6. buying raw land outside of Austin (this time with an agent, although I only have vague memories of it)
7. selling Tom's house to the last couple who leased it, without agent representation (they still lived there last time we checked)
8. selling my condo and our foreclosure (now fixed up after living there 10 years) using my neighbor who had just gotten her real estate license. 
9. finding a house to lease in Lago Vista, via the local newspaper, and being tenants for 8 years while we built our home on the raw land (we underestimated how long it would take to build the house - by about 7 years!)

Becoming a Realtor was probably last on my "dream career" list. An architect or interior designer, perhaps, because I loved looking at houses and even designing them. But what I knew of being a Realtor sounded boring. 

The decision was borne of pure desperation. First of all, as I mentioned, we were broke after sending 3 children through college and building a house, essentially on one income because this blog, my multiple part-time jobs, my handful of published writings, and other handful of photography gigs didn't pay much. 

I still had my dream of finishing my college degree, but couldn't make up my mind on a major or a career path. But it would take time, and also, as we knew, more money. Would it pay off enough to warrant either of those? We were in dire straits. 

Tom had suggested getting my license, but it was my sister-in-law who finally convinced me that it would be quicker, easier, and much more lucrative financially than a college degree. She had just earned her master's degree right before going into real estate, so I had to believe her. (If you are in the Phoenix area and need a Realtor, call Kim Shallue!)

That is how, and why, I ended up becoming a Realtor. But to my surprise, this gig wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I was honestly lost the first few months. 

You see, KW is different from some other companies. Instead of giving agents buyer and seller leads, KW teaches them how to go out and find them, and to keep them coming, based on that old saying "“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

But I didn't have the right mindset. That image of a slick salesman was stuck in my mind - the last thing I wanted to be - and it created a conflict within me. Also, I didn't realize it, but I had an issue with money -that scarcity mindset. 

My first breakthrough came in a class KW offers called Bold. A huge part of it was about the power of affirmations and positive thinking (I was a little cynical at first, I admit) and in thinking Big. We learned a lot of quippy sayings, like "There is no try" and "What you focus on expands" which I realized a few years later probably came from Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich". 

Another big one was "Come from contribution." It helped me understand I wasn't selling anything - I was helping people. The better my skills and knowledge, the better I could help them through some very stressful times in their lives. For that reason I have continued to take classes and mastermind with other skilled agents. We learn from each other. 

It doesn't hurt that I'm a little competitive, and that most of the agents I work with are at least a decade younger than I am.

Now I feel I am bumping up against another ceiling. It's January, goal-setting season, and I have to admit that for two years I haven't hit my goals. What do I need to do to get to the other side?

This year I dove a little deeper into what has worked over the past year or two, and where I can improve. What do I enjoy, what can I let go of, or hand off to someone else? I didn't have as much time to spend on it as I hoped, of course. However the little bit of analyzing I was able to do helped me clarify in my mind what my 20% should be and what I can do to make it more effective. 

There is another book by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan that helps with it - The One Thing - but it is still something I have to review often.  It is about choosing the one thing in the different areas of your life - physical, spiritual, family, business, etc. - that has the biggest impact on that area. In other words, "“What's the one thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"  

My biggest challenge right now (and I think it is common with everyone) is time. That is where I need the breakthrough - creating a system or hiring the right leverage that will free up my time, so I can spend it doing the thing that will help me reach my goals.

I have been listening to other solo agents and taking notes on what they have done to grow their business. Some of their ideas will work with my business and life, but others won't. That has been another breakthrough for me... learning to stop grabbing onto new ideas before really reflecting on whether they are a fit for me. As a Realtor, I am a huge target for salespeople who are sure they have the answer to my problems. I am learning to tune out their voices. 

It seems kind of strange to be 65 years old and still intent on growing my business, when most of my peers are talking about retirement. Tom just retired so everyone is asking me when I'll quit - if not directly telling me I should. 

Yes, I work hard, and essentially work every day, although I've learned to set boundaries on when I'll receive phone calls or make appointments (another past breakthrough) so that I don't totally burn out. I make time to pray, meditate, work out, and spend time with my family and friends. I enjoy my life, and feel fulfilled, and it has been via a route I never expected. 

I love this career, love how I've been able to help people both directly and indirectly. I love helping newer agents, and love learning from top agents, or even from clients and transactions. There are always new challenges that help me grow as a person and as a better Realtor.  And with Tom retiring (and a house that needs to be finished, and more destinations that need to be explored around the world) I plan to continue working until I just don't enjoy it anymore. 

Meanwhile, I'll focus on breaking through this next ceiling...

...and only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out just how far one can go. ~T. S. Eliot, 1931

All dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. ~T. E. Lawrence

 

2023 Part 1 - “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

 

"...it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."

~ Charles Dickens

If ever there was a year of ups and downs, it was 2023.

We lost too many loved ones, and yet also experienced amazing new adventures and made memories to treasure forever.

David was Tom's best friend. He was his roommate and the Best Man at our wedding, and an amazing dancer. He took some of the first photos of us together that are still the best. His passing in January came as a surprise. But I'm grateful he gave us a goodbye call days before, which gave me the chance to tell him how much he meant to me. A priceless gift. 

 

 

 

Paul and Vanita were one of my favorite couples in our church - - always joyful, with just the right spark of mischief in their eyes. They had suffered a fair share of health issues over the past few years - only to be expected in your 80's and 90's, though. 

A few years ago they asked me to come by for a visit. They told me that when one of them passed, they wanted to sell the house, and they wanted me to list it for them. I agreed to do it, but told them  "Let's not be in a hurry."

Thank goodness it wasn't until January that Paul's health went downhill. I was able to visit him in their house and promised him I would do a good job selling the house. 

Vanita moved into an assisted living community in a neighboring town. My friend Karen and I visited and Vanita gave us a tour. I really didn't think that would be the last time I saw her - Karen and I were planning our next trip when I got news that Vanita had passed. 

 

Before March ended, we said goodbye to my wonderful mother-in-law. She had been battling health issues but was still able to live at home, thanks to the help of one of her sons and his wife who lived nearby, and also because each of her other 8 sons took turns staying with her for two or three weeks at a time.

What a testament to this amazing woman! 

 

In April we gathered with Tom's brothers and their families to honor her and her legacy. 

 

But there were also some joyful moments scattered throughout the year.

In January, the grandsons came over for a campout. It made me so happy when they started playing Candyland with me. My favorite!

 

In February, we experienced an ice storm. I enjoyed walking with Belle and my camera, capturing the magic that ice can wield on a landscape. 

I flew to Anaheim for our annual Keller Williams Realty "Family Reunion" convention. 

 

And we had fun with grandkids. My oldest grandson took the first photo. He is a natural!

In March,  I enjoyed visits with my daughter, son-in-law and my grandpuppies. They love to run and play with Belle and be country dogs for a little while.  

 

I welcomed the first bluebonnets and enjoyed the wonder of their beauty with my grandsons. 

 

In April, I celebrated my 64th birthday.

 

I took several trips to Houston visiting my sister, and on one of them, I stopped on the way to visit my friends/past clients in their antique store in Paige, Texas. (Broadway Paul's - you should go check it out!) I'm happy I help them move on to this dream by selling their house in Lago Vista!

At our KW market center awards ceremony that month, I found out I was #2 Individual Agent in our office for the previous year!

 

And we had more fun with grandkids. A campout, a small fire and S'Mores! And Monster Jam! 

In May, I had another visit with my sister. Some long time friends also paid her a visit, which meant to much to both of us. 

 

I enjoyed lunch with my awesome assistant and my transaction manager - a way overdo thank you to them!

 

I have been a Steve Martin and Martin Short fan for decades, so I couldn't pass up buying tickets to see them in person. No photos allowed during the show - this is the best I could do to capture the memory. 

 

We celebrated Tom's birthday at a new (to us) restaurant in Georgetown, TX with my daughter and son-in-law. 

 

And we also celebrated my granddaughter's 1st birthday! Growing too fast!

 

It is rare to get a still photo of my grandpuppies. These turned out so good! 

 

It is hard for me to believe it now, but our pond was full of water in May of 2023. The boys enjoyed canoeing. 

 

That was just a year and a half ago! We entered a drought soon after this and the pond is now completely dry. Please pray for rain!

(Stay tuned for 2023 Part 2, and thanks for taking a trip back in time with me, if you made it this far!)

We do not remember days, we remember moments.

~Cesare Pavese

And I remember moments through photographs!

2023 - A Year for Gratitude

 

Gratitude.

That's my word for 2023.

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

I plan to change that this year. 

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

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

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

~ Stephen R. Covey

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

Much love,

 

 

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

— St. Teresa of Kolkata

 

 

 

I couldn't help myself!

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

~Author unknown

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

I spotted this heart at the house above...

 

 

And I spotted this little heart this morning...

 

 

I have a new ride! 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

I almost forgot the candle!

 

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

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

~Lois Wyse

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

~Author Unknown

Sweets in the Time of COVID-19

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

I'll start with Easter.

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

I turned 61 last month.

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

 

 

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

 

 

I still enjoy daily morning walks and prayers with Belle.

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

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

 

 

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

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

We have enjoyed gathering via Zoom, though.

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

The Keller Williams Family Reunion was in Dallas this year.

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

I can share these photos, too.

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

The Home of the Brave

I was lucky to be a child of the late '70's, which means none of my contemporaries had to serve during time of war or in a war zone. While many of them volunteered, and there is never any guarantee that a war won't break out on any given day, their service was focused on preserving peace. On protecting us.

My oldest brother volunteered for Viet Nam twice, but I was too young to understand the danger or the effect it had on him. 

I'm older now, and while still experiencing it mostly second-hand, I understand a little better about the sacrifice and the effects of deployment in war zones through my son-in-law's service in the Air Force, as well as clients of mine who have served. It makes me marvel even more at the apparent ease of that many war-time veterans experienced when stepping back into civilian life after witnessing death and destruction. 

In gratitude to all of you who have served, or who continue to serve, here's my annual tribute about my own favorite veterans. All too often we take your service and sacrifices for granted. Thanks for serving anyway. 

 

"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done."

~St. Martin of Tours

 

.

 

My dad was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy soon after high school graduation because his country was at war and "it was the thing to do." 

In the next twenty-two months he traveled a long way from Texas aboard the U.S.S. Geneva...to places like the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, China, Burma, Japan.

Before he turned twenty, he had seen cities that had been destroyed by war and piles of dead bodies waiting to be buried. 

A few years later, his little brother Bobby followed his lead and joined the Navy, and many years later, so did my brother Donnie and two nephews.

 

Pop, my wonderful father-in-law, missed out on World War II, but joined the Air Force in time for the Korean War. He worked base supply in Okinawa, supporting bombers flying missions to Korea...about 100 aircraft every day.

He re-enlisted, got married, and hopped around the globe...living in England, Germany, and over a year in Pakistan, separated from his family (the other heroes - Mom had 8 teenage and younger boys to deal with by herself!)...visiting a dozen other countries...eventually staying put for awhile in Maryland, working with NSA (and a second job at the bowling alley to make ends meet), until his retirement.

A lifetime of service and sacrifice for this country.

 

My husband Tom was raised in that military family. For him it was normal to move every few years to someplace completely different...by the time he was eight or nine years old, he had lived in three countries!

He grew up on a tight budget ... hand-me-downs, powdered milk and only two cookies a day...period! And yet as soon as he could, he joined the service...the Coast Guard. Among other things, he helped rescue fisherman off the coast of Alaska.

Four of his brothers also joined the service (three career Air Force, just like their dad, and another Coast Guard) and the youngest joined the Army Reserves. Now the next generation is following in their footsteps: two Air Force and one Coast Guard, plus numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews who serve. 

 

 

My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before his first tour of duty and so he had only a vague idea himself what to expect.

When he volunteered for his second tour, however, he knew full well what he was stepping into...but he did it anyway...

...like so many before him did, and many after him continue to do... like my son-in-law. He followed in the footsteps of his parents, who were both in the military. I know it's tough, living with so many unknowns, but it's a calling. 

 

To him and all of the Veterans - and their families -  I give thanks... for their determination,  their sacrifice, and their bravery.

 

 

 

 

 

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

 ~Elmer Davis

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"

"Freedom is never free." ~ Anonymous

 

In gratitude to all of you who have served, or who continue to serve, here's my annual tribute about my own favorite veterans. All too often we take your service and sacrifices for granted. Thanks for serving anyway. 

 

"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done."

~St. Martin of Tours

 

.

 

My dad was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy soon after high school graduation because his country was at war and "it was the thing to do." 

In the next twenty-two months he traveled a long way from Texas aboard the U.S.S. Geneva...to places like the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, China, Burma, Japan.

Before he turned twenty, he had seen cities that had been destroyed by war and piles of dead bodies waiting to be buried. 

A few years later, his little brother Bobby followed his lead and joined the Navy, and many years later, so did my brother Donnie and two nephews.

 

Pop, my wonderful father-in-law, missed out on World War II, but joined the Air Force in time for the Korean War. He worked base supply in Okinawa, supporting bombers flying missions to Korea...about 100 aircraft every day.

He re-enlisted, got married, and hopped around the globe...living in England, Germany, and over a year in Pakistan, separated from his family (the other heroes - Mom had 8 teenage and younger boys to deal with by herself!)...visiting a dozen other countries...eventually staying put for awhile in Maryland, working with NSA (and a second job at the bowling alley to make ends meet), until his retirement.

A lifetime of service and sacrifice for this country.

 

My husband Tom was raised in that military family. For him it was normal to move every few years to someplace completely different...by the time he was eight or nine years old, he had lived in three countries!

He grew up on a tight budget ... hand-me-downs, powdered milk and only two cookies a day...period! And yet as soon as he could, he joined the service...the Coast Guard. Among other things, he helped rescue fisherman off the coast of Alaska.

Four of his brothers also joined the service (three career Air Force, just like their dad, and another Coast Guard) and the youngest joined the Army Reserves. Now the next generation is following in their footsteps: two Air Force and one Coast Guard, plus numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

 

 

My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before his first tour of duty and so he had only a vague idea himself what to expect.

When he volunteered for his second tour, however, he knew full well what he was stepping into...but he did it anyway...

...like so many before him did, and many after him continue to do. 

 

 

 

 

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

 ~Elmer Davis

Before we go any farther into November...

 

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

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

 

 

Aren't we cute? Sigh.

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

I'm so blessed to have them. 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

Meet Father Raj...

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

"Is, then, September come so soon?"

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

So, here I go...

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

Never a dull moment for us!

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

Another tiny thread that sews us together. 

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

~Simone Signoret

 

 

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

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

Multiple referrals from friends and past clients

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

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

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

Commission checks

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

Audible, so I can "read" while driving 

Rain

A sky full of stars in a pre-dawn morning

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

Playing my drums

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

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

Two separate 60th birthday parties for friends

Reading the journals I kept for my kids during their childhoods

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

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

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

Being dive-bombed by a hummingbird

The macaroons at Elizabeth Street Cafe

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

 

 

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

 

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

What does a father do? He leaves a legacy.

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What does a father do?

 

A father gives advice 

A father nourishes the body 

and the soul 

 

A father encourages

A father is joyful

A father reads

 

A father lends a hand 

 

A father plays 

 

A father offers support 

 

A father sticks close by your side

 

A father makes memories

A father teaches 

A father laughs 

 

A father is gallant

 

A father proves age is just a number

 

A father reaches out 

A father hangs on tight

 

A father dances

 

A father helps you aim high

A father shows pride 

A father sets a good example to follow

A father relaxes

A father listens

 

A father teaches you how to play fair

 

A father helps out

 

A father loves

 

A father experiences awe

 

 

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

~Clarence Budington Kelland

 

Happy Father's Day! 

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

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

~Jack Layton

 

 

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

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

I wanted to help celebrate her 85th birthday. 

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

    17. Viewing a rainbow from above!

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

Sleeping with the windows open

Our HVAC system fixed after several days without it.

Dinner and the movie "The Book Club" with friends

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

 

 

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

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

A kitchen still sporting vintage tile 

 

 

The call of Chuck-Wills-Widow at dusk

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

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

 

 

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

Mornings with Belle

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

Spotting a pink heart on the back of a caterpillar

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

~Henry Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Love? (A Rerun for Valentine's Day)

Love talked about can be easily turned aside, but love demonstrated is irresistible.~

W. Stanley Mooneyham
American minister and speaker, 20th century

 

One of my favorite Valentines from Tom one year ... our little pond shaped into a heart

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd go back into the archives and find one of my favorite posts to share again. It was prompted years ago by a friend/blogger who challenged us to answer the question, "What is love?" Please share your own answer in the comments!

 

...Love is the sound of drums coming from my house...fulfilling a wish I had tossed aside, believing it couldn't come true because there wasn't a spot for them in our new house. Tom surprised me with a set (thank you, Craig's List) on our anniversary a few years ago. It proved to me he pays attention. At least sometimes.

(Love is throwing him not one, but two surprise birthday parties...plus a huge family reunion/50th birthday party that lasted two weeks and involved having people sleeping on every square inch of the house, including on a mattress in the downstairs shower stall. Poor Kirby)

...Love is coming in the house from a long weekend, relieved to discover your coffee grounds from four days before have (thank the Lord!) been dumped and all the pieces are clean and dry, ready to go...despite the fact that your spouse doesn't drink coffee. (If he hadn't cleaned it for me...ooh, gross!)

(Love is picking up empty Dr. Pepper cans from all over the house...and outside...and biting my tongue. Pretty much.)

...Love is finding the coupon section of the Sunday newspaper separated for me, without asking.

(Love is gathering up the Sunday newspaper, at times from different rooms in the house, and putting it in the wicker basket where it goes.)

...Love is not minding that I plant myself in front of the computer every evening after dinner to write...and biting his tongue when he sees I'm on Facebook instead.

(Love is not minding that some nights he just crawls in bed and flips channels, instead of working on whatever project is in progress at the time, because he's physically and mentally worn out. He leaves the house at 5:30 am, for goodness sake!)

...Love is not being jealous about phone calls from old boyfriends, or emails from old boyfriends, or birthday lunches with old boyfriends.

(Love is not being jealous about his women friends and co-workers...even when he pinches Lisa's rear-end.)

...Love is always dancing the Cotton-Eyed Joe and the Schottische even though his hips and ankles still hurt from that accident in 1998.

(Love is sitting by his side in the hospital for a week, afraid to leave him...holding the urinal in place for an hour because he thinks he can go on his own...feeding him ice chips, sleeping on a fold-out chair, grateful for the sound of his snoring because it means he's alive.)

...Love is piecing together sections of workshop floor matting for me to lie on when I do sit-ups, so my tailbone doesn't get bruised anymore.

(Love is subscribing to Men's World e-newsletters and forwarding the good ones to him to keep him healthy.)

...Love is not nagging each other because the bathroom he/she is in charge of cleaning is a borderline health problem.

...Love is hanging on to and supporting each other through the illness and death of a parent, financial worries, and the never-ending ups and downs of having children.

...Love is saying to hell with everything that needs to be done around here to play ping-pong...or go for long walks along the creek...or travel virtually to Ireland or Istanbul or Italy with Rick Steves...

...Love is still joking around, still having fun, still laughing at each other and at ourselves after more than 36 years together...and hoping we have at least another 36 together.

The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.

~Pope St. Gregory the Great

 

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

Seeing him like that just broke my heart!

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

She called the puppy 'Thibodeaux'.

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

~Agnes Sligh Turnbull

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

Allergy medicines that keep my cedar fever under control

Belle snuggling in her puppy beds all over the house

 

 

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

Getting a contract on one of my listings in 9 days

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

My photo book of my Italy trip delivered to my doorstep

Friends recommending me, bringing me new buyer and seller clients

Warm temperatures returning after three days below freezing

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

 

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

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

And of course, plenty of heart rocks... 

 

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

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

~Thornton Wilder

 

I give thanks for you...

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

 

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

Philippians 1:3

 

 

Reflections on Veterans Day

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, I stood under a gray sky in the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery paying tribute to a friend who passed away a few months ago. He had retired from the Texas Army National Guard as a Sergeant Major. We also paid tribute to his father-in-law, a retired Air Force Major, who also recently passed away.

White markers surrounded us, a testament to the sacrifice of so many for the sake of our country. 

After the ceremony, I received a text from a recent client/friend - a retired Marine. He sent me and a few others a link to "The Warrior Song - Hard Corps" in honor of the Marine Corps' birthday, which was yesterday. Just another reminder of the price that has been paid for our freedom. 

So in honor of Veterans Day, here's a re-posting of my annual tribute to the veterans in my own family, including TG's boyfriend who has been overseas for several months and still has a few to go. Please keep him and all of the others in your prayers. 

 

"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done."

~St. Martin of Tours

 

My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before his first tour of duty and so he had only a vague idea himself what to expect.

When he volunteered for his second tour, however, he knew full well what he was stepping into...but he did it anyway. 

 

 

My dad was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy soon after high school graduation because his country was at war and "it was the thing to do." 

In the next twenty-two months he traveled a long way from Texas aboard the U.S.S. Geneva...to places like the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, China, Burma, Japan.

Before he turned twenty, he had seen cities that had been destroyed by war and piles of dead bodies waiting to be buried. 

A few years later, his little brother Bobby followed his lead and joined the Navy, and many years later, so did my brother Donnie and two nephews.

 

Pop, my wonderful father-in-law, missed out on World War II, but joined the Air Force in time for the Korean War. He worked base supply in Okinawa, supporting bombers flying missions to Korea...about 100 aircraft every day.

He re-enlisted, got married, and hopped around the globe...living in England, Germany, and over a year in Pakistan, separated from his family (the other heroes - Mom had 8 teenage and younger boys to deal with by herself!)...visiting a dozen other countries...eventually staying put for awhile in Maryland, working with NSA (and a second job at the bowling alley to make ends meet), until his retirement.

A lifetime of service and sacrifice for this country.

 

My husband Tom was raised in that military family. For him it was normal to move every few years to someplace completely different...by the time he was eight or nine years old, he had lived in three countries!

He grew up on a tight budget ... hand-me-downs, powdered milk and only two cookies a day...period! And yet as soon as he could, he joined the service...the Coast Guard. Among other things, he helped rescue fisherman off the coast of Alaska.

Four of his brothers also joined the service (three career Air Force, just like their dad, and another Coast Guard) and the youngest joined the Army Reserves. Now the next generation is following in their footsteps: two Air Force and one Coast Guard, plus numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

I think it's very fitting that Veterans Day shares November with Thanksgiving, a day when we slow down to remember and be grateful for things that we usually take for granted, because veterans, despite the sacrifices they make for all of us, probably don't even make it onto our Thanksgiving thank-you list.

That's how much most of us take them for granted - as well as the freedoms they protect for us. Even when our country isn't at war, they go where they are needed to unfamiliar places, away from extended family, often living on a minimum salary.

 

Thank you Daddy, Tom, Pop, Buster, Donnie, Uncle Bobby, Uncle Howard, Kenny, Steve, Joe, Robbie, John, Sheila, Michael, Tom, Lynn, Robbin, Evan, James ..and all of the other Veterans, past and present, out there! Because of you, we're free to go about our daily lives, without a thought in the world to how much that freedom costs or how much you've given.

I'd like to thank TG's B and all of the others who are continuing to step up to fill those ranks for our country... those who, through their actions, still say, "Don't worry. I got this."

I hope we always show them the support they deserve. 

 

"Freedom is never free."  ~Author Unknown

 

 

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

 ~Elmer Davis

Thirty-Six Years Ago Tonight...

Thirty-six years ago tonight, I had no idea my life was about to veer onto a drastically different course when I decided to go out dancing alone.

That's when I first met Tom.

Looking back, it's easy to see God's hand in the whole thing, but I was just going on 'gut' feelings. Being an agnostic at the time, I didn't realize I was actually stepping out in faith. 

God works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?

Re-reading this blog post always reminds me that God has a plan for me. So, without further ado, here's yet another repost of "The Beginning of Us"... because I love this story! Happy anniversary to us!

 

Tom asked me to dance on Sept. 25, 1981. I was at Kenny Stabler's Diamondback Saloon on a rare Friday night off, in a bad mood because my boyfriend of five years "had other plans" that night. That wasn't unusual - he wasn't a very good boyfriend. To top it off, none of my friends I expected to see were there that night. I felt very alone.

I guess that's how it is with a miracle - when you least expect it, when you feel like nothing is going right, it pops up out of the blue, or, in this case, steps up and asks you to dance.

This is my version of that night: It was some Michael Jackson song that I didn't like - Tom knows which one - and I wouldn't normally dance to it, not even in a good mood. I had the "no" on my lips, but "yes" came out instead. What could I do but follow him onto the dance floor, waiting for the song to end so I could go back in my corner and brood some more?

But when the song ended, a country-western tune started right up and he asked me to dance again. I hesitated - I had talked to him enough to notice he had a funny accent, which meant he was probably a Yankee and wouldn't know how to two-step. But before I could answer, he took me in his arms and started dancing. Two-stepping, no less!

While we danced, we talked. I learned his name was Tom, that he was from Maryland, and that he was twenty-four even though he looked younger than me. By the time the song was over, I had agreed to sit at his table.

He was with an interesting mix of people...including a friend's Welsh wife (the friend was a Pasadena cop who was working nights), her New York friends, and Chris, a redhead from Maryland who preferred punk rock to country-western.

I was the only Texan.

When it was time to leave, he walked me outside, asked what I was doing the next night (going to Gilley's to see Alabama perform) and could he meet me there? Sure. My boyfriend had already told me he didn't want to go. Then, with a peck of a kiss, Tom walked away to join his friends, leaving me to wonder what the heck had just happened.

I told my boyfriend, Chris, I was meeting someone at Gilley's. He didn't care. He obviously wasn't worried. 

I was worried, though. Worried I wouldn't recognize Tom. I stood at the bar where I could see customers coming through the door. Was that him? "Tom," I called. He glanced up in the direction of my voice. I smiled and waved. He smiled and made his way to me. Whew!

I don't know if I believe in "love at first sight," or if there's such a thing as "someone for everyone," soul mates destined to meet and live happily ever after. But I do know that something changed in me that night at Gilley's. Tom and I talked, laughed, and danced. Later, he walked me to my car, and we really kissed. He asked for my phone number and I gave it to him. I didn't know if this was something that would last forever, but I knew I wanted to spend more time with him. I knew I would be telling my boyfriend good-bye, no matter what happened between me and Tom.

The next two weeks were a blur of emotions and firsts...

• Our first movie: Continental Divide with John Belushi.
• Our first dinner out: Mario's Pizza in Galveston, followed by stargazing in a sleeping bag on the beach. (He brought stemmed glasses and wine in an ice chest. Lying there in the sleeping bag, he gave me his dog-tags; in my pre-Tom life, I would have thought it was a corny gesture, but that night it put butterflies in my stomach and melted my heart.)
• Our first rock concert: Pat Benatar.
• Our first trip to the Renaissance Festival.

Cute cards saying he missed me rested on my condo doorstep when I stumbled home after working the night shift. Was this guy for real? I dragged him to meet my friends and family, to get their opinion. Maybe there was something I wasn't seeing. But they all liked him...I liked his friends...they liked me. Where was the glitch? I couldn't find one.

It was an emotional high with an undercurrent of deep sadness. Chris had been a terrible boyfriend most of the time, but I loved him. We just weren't good for each other. However, I really didn't think I could fall for anyone else until I met Tom.

As jealous as he'd always been, I guess Chris didn't think I would fall for anyone else, either, and it hit him hard. One morning soon after meeting Tom, I had just gotten to sleep after working the night shift, when a banging on my door woke me up.

It was Chris. He went straight into my kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. Before I had time to be scared, he jerked a small Norfolk pine he had given me out of its planter, scattering dirt all over the carpet, and started hacking away at the trunk, saying it was a symbol of our love. (To his credit, a few months later he called and apologized for how badly he had treated me and wished me well. We had just been kids, after all.)

Two weeks after that first dance, Tom and I spent a perfect day at the Renaissance Festival outside of Houston with my parents, my brother, his girlfriend, and Tom's best friend. That evening, it happened: "Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

Wait! Was I crazy? "But don't tell anyone," I added. "Ask me again in a couple of months, and do it right, with a ring, even if it's a Cracker Jack ring."

Two weeks was just too soon. I had to find out what was wrong with him. There had to be something - he was just too good to be true. Two months should be plenty of time.

But he called all of his brothers and friends, anyway. "I'm getting married!"

They couldn't believe it. At his older brother's wedding just two months before, everyone had teased him he'd be next in line. "No way! I'm too young. I'm not getting married until I'm thirty-five."

Two months later landed on Thanksgiving. We went to my parents, after I had worked all night and only squeezed in a couple of hours of sleep. He dumped a dozen boxes of Cracker Jacks on my lap and told me to start looking for a ring. "What? You're nuts. They don't put rings in Cracker Jacks boxes anymore."

"Okay, you open these two and I'll open these," he said, somehow still smiling at me.

Grumbling, I opened the first box and dug out the prize envelope. I felt it before I opened it - a ring.

My mouth dropped open. "Is it real?" But I knew it was. "How did you do that?" I might have been a little foggy from lack of sleep, but I swear the box and envelope had both been sealed.

He took the ring from me. "Will you marry me?"

Of course I said yes - again - and the rest is history.

Postcards from Greece, Dragonflies, and other sweet!s

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

~Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Silent Noon

 

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

What a sweet moment!

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

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

 

 Dragonflies are just amazing, aren't they?

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

Lunch with my cousin

Finding a heart rock in my path almost every day

 

 

Helping a friend's dad find a home

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

Enjoying sunrises over the hill country with Belle

 

 

Dinner with friends at a floating restaurant on Lake Travis

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

Watching the Game of Thrones finale with my kids

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

 

 

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

 

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

~Francesca Reigler

 

35 years!... and other sweet!s

 

 

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

~Rita Rudner

 

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

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

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

~Simone Signoret

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Finally remembering to get the oil changed in my car.

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

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

 

Glorious sunrises over the hills.

Rescuing a Daddy-Long-Legs from my bathtub. 

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

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

 

Belle getting better about letting me take her photo!

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

~Jim Carrey

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

 

Did I mention I went to Florida?

 

If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached to it.      

Jimmy Buffett

You didn't think I could spend two weeks in Florida and only share that one photo I published in my last blog post, did you? 

I did hope to finish editing all of my photos before I published this post about Florida, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. (Can you believe it's already August? Where did the summer go?)

My kids are actually in Florida now. They took a quick road trip together to visit their grandma, which, of course, makes my heart burst with pride and happiness. (It's the first time they've been there without me and Tom, so you can imagine how many times I've texted each of them a reminder to have someone take a photo of all of them with her.)

So, facing the end of summer, and being in a Florida state of mind, here we go...

 

My Summer Vacation

by Barbara Shallue

 

First, let me clarify this was a working vacation. Not so much for me, although I did check email and actually wrote a contract while I was there, but for my husband and a few of his brothers who also came to visit for their mom's birthday. They've had an ongoing project of painting all of the wood trim and kitchen cabinets in her house white for a few years now. 

It looks awesome, doesn't it?

 

Being the mother of 9 boys, she knows how to keep them busy...

 

It's not always work, though. She enjoys beating them at cribbage and a rummy game called 3-13. 

 

 (Cribbage is more serious, as you can tell.)

 

Mom is a regular at Bingo, so we made it a girls' night out: mom, me, sisters-in-law Kim and Cathy, and niece Sheila. Mom and I actually won!

 

We planned our trip to be there for mom's birthday. While we didn't have the whole family there, we had enough Shallues in attendance to fill a room at a local Mexican food place to celebrate. Per tradition, the waiters made a fuss over her, a lá sombrero and singing. 

 

We also celebrated a few days later at a cute little restaurant near the water in Milton with Tom's brother Rob and his wife Joanie, who was also celebrating a birthday. 

 

We had fun hitting thrift stores with Rob and Joanie looking for bargains and eating at McGuires. They also let me crash a romantic evening on Pensacola beach. Tom had a migraine, poor guy. We had dinner, then settled into our beach chairs to watch the sunset and the moon rise.

Both were absolutely breathtaking. My i-photos don't do the evening justice. 

 

I also hit a lot of thrift stores with my sister-in-law Erin, who lives in the area and knows the best ones.

Even though I've spent the past year sorting through my mom's things and tossing a lot of my own, I still brought home a lot of "treasures" like a Ziggy figurine (I can't resist a good Ziggy) and an antique child's rocking chair painted blue (I have a thing about small rocking chairs, too.)

But I also solved a mystery. In my grandmother's things, there was a strange metal music box. It's not particularly pretty, and I thought perhaps it was handmade, but then I came across this in one of the stores...

... and then I spotted more in other stores. It turns out they were powder boxes. One still had the powder puff inside. 

The top of mine is decorated with a small blue insert and a single gemstone. I'd still like to know more about them, but at least I know it wasn't handmade from a piece of machinery! Although, actually, that would be pretty cool. 

I also came across this plate that I knew was perfect for mom. She loved it!

 

Tom, his brother Randy, Erin, and I also played "old-fart tourists" one day, visiting historic forts and climbing to the top of the Pensacola lighthouse. I took about a zillion photos, because I'm a real nerd when it comes to old forts, history, architecture, etc. But I'll spare you and just share these...

First, Fort Pickens, where Geronimo and his family were held for a time...

 

I've visited Fort Pickens quite a few times over the past 25 years, but somehow I had never been to the Pensacola Lighthouse or Fort Barrancas, located inside the Pensacola Naval Air Station. 

Fort Barrancas has an actual drawbridge over a dry moat, and a creepy corridor (if you have an imagination) that circles the fort. We arrived near closing time, and didn't want to be locked up inside, so we only walked a little bit of it. 

 

Climbing a lighthouse has been on my bucket list, and the Pensacola Lighthouse is one of the tallest.

 

Heading up that metal stairway in bare feet was a tad painful on these old feet (no flip-flops allowed) but it was worth it for the view at the top.

 

Plus the intricate metal stairway was actually pretty cool, too. 

 

I wasn't sure if I'd make it to the beach at all on this trip, between the rain and the work projects. But we managed a few quick trips. One of the best (besides the sunset/moonrise) was an early morning visit to Navarre Beach. We had it all to ourselves. I took my big camera and snapped some of my best birds-in-flight photos ever, and Tom had a turtle swim right past him. 

The storms rolled in not long after we arrived, but it had been so fabulous, I didn't mind. 

 

But of course, while the beaches, thrift shops, and sightseeing were awesome, and time with his brothers and sisters-in-law is priceless, this photo really sums up why we were there, and why we'll be back as soon as possible..

 

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

~Irish Proverb

A Truly Rich Man...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What does a father do?

 

A father gives advice 

A father nourishes the body 

and soul 

A father encourages

A father is joyful

A father reads

A father lends a hand 

 

A father plays 

 

A father offers support 

 

A father sticks close by your side

 

A father makes memories

A father teaches 

A father laughs 

A father is gallant

 

A father proves age is just a number

 

A father reaches out 

A father hangs on tight

A father helps you aim high

A father shows pride 

A father sets a good example to follow

A father relaxes

A father listens

 

A father keeps you honest

 

A father helps out

 

A father loves

 

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

~Author Unknown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you have lived, take thankfully the past.

~John Dryden

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<whew>

Happy birthday, Tom!

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Run-walking with Belle while I say my Rosary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.

~Rumi

 

Shallue Go Bragh! (revisited)

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

Accompanied by two daughters and two sons, Bridget first arrived in Quebec, traveled to New York, and finally settled in Wisconsin in 1856.

One daughter died on the passage from Ireland and was buried at sea. Two older sons chose Australia over America to begin their new life. I doubt if she ever saw them again; her goodbye to those sons was probably as final and heartbreaking as her goodbye to her home, her homeland and her husband Thomas's grave - he had died just a few years before, at age 45.

And then the added heartbreak of watching a daughter's lifeless body disappear into the ocean...heartbreak I just can't imagine.

My own Tom Shallue and I found all of this out shortly after we were married, by talking to relatives and researching in libraries. We traced his family back to Ennistyman, County Clare...to that first Tom's grave, but that was as far as we could go. There was no Internet twenty-five years ago, no Ancestry.com, and we couldn't afford a trip over to do our own research or to hire a professional to do it for us.

It hit me that I knew more about the Shallue history than my Wilson's, so the next few years I focused my genealogical fervor on that line and other branches of my family ... for example, my great-great grandfather George, memoir writer and protagonist of (one of) my book-in-progress.

But today is St. Patrick's Day and my thoughts are green...drawn toward the Shallue family and Ireland. Tom and I dream of traveling there one day, visiting the places that are only names on a map to us right now. 

It would be extra fun to travel there with my son and daughter-in-law, Kirby, whose Irish-born grandmother left for the United States when just a teenager. She still has semi-close relatives living there. Even now, decades later, her grandmother hasn't lost her beautiful Irish accent!  

The photo above isn't the final resting place of a direct descendant - it was taken by an aunt or cousin on a visit to Ireland several years ago - but it's no doubt a relative's final resting place because every Shallue is related. There just aren't that many!

Even these very names...James, Margaret and Denis Shallue...are echoed on tombstones on both sides of the ocean.

The Australian Shallues were always a mystery to the American branch. Rumor had it those brothers got on the wrong boat...they went to Australia totally by accident! But even though the American and Australian Shallues have connected on Facebook and Instagram, I still haven't gotten any clear answers about how they ended up there.

Tonight we'll be celebrating St. Paddy's Day with dear friends... the very Irish Monahans. There will be Guiness and Irish music and way too much corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, Irish soda bread, and no telling what else to eat. I can't wait!

Here's wishing all of you a happy St. Patrick's Day, too! And may God give you...

For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

 

Where Do I Begin?

My dear, dear blog,

I have had so many good intentions of writing to you over the past few weeks, but alas, they got lost in the dust stirred up by time racing by. And now here it is, the first of December, and all I've written you since August are two little birthday posts. 

Enough is enough. It's time to catch you up on all that's been happening around here....so many things worthy of their own blog post - in my opinion, at least - but a condensed version will have to suffice.

First of all, you may remember that last year at this time my eldest was in New Zealand, celebrating his 30th birthday.

Well, guess where he is tonight? Cuba! He'll be celebrating his 31st birthday there in a couple of days, traveling to some of the smaller towns, meeting the locals, and soaking it all up. 

For him and his adventurous wife, it was a pretty spur-of-the-moment trip, although they've gotten really good at researching and planning their vacations.

For example, they explored Iceland in August via a camper van. I hadn't even gotten around to telling you about that! 

That is just not like me. 

I'm so grateful for their photos, Facebook, and their adventurous spirits. 

 

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

Tom and I took a road trip to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving with his mom. Although I call her a couple of times a month, somehow a year and a half had passed without me seeing her in person. Tom traveled there for her birthday in May, but I just couldn't get away. (My business exploded after my mom passed away. I think she stirred things up. Thank you, Mama!)

My mother-in-law is an amazing lady, so sharp and energetic, with such a positive outlook on life. I'm determined to help her celebrate her next birthday in May. 

On this trip there was a lot of card-playing, television-watching, and sleeping. In other words, it was a true vacation! Plus, my sweet sister- and brother-in-law took me to my favorite antique/thrift store where you can still find bargains. 

And then they hosted Thanksgiving, with another brother- and sister-in-law driving up from central Florida who I hadn't seen since Pop's funeral in 2012. 

Overall it was an awesome trip. No beach...nothing exciting or fancy....but absolutely wonderful. 

The week flew by for me - and then I had to fly home. By May I plan to have systems in place that allow me to stay the whole time. 

 

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

On our way to Florida, we stopped in Houston to help one of our oldest friends celebrate his 60th birthday. Bob was in the Coast Guard with Tom, and except for Tom's roommate David (who was also at the party), Bob and his wife Lisa were the first of Tom's friends I met.

They always hosted the best New Year's Eve parties, which included silly interactive games which ensured everyone got to know each other fast... sometimes pretty intimately. 

(No, not that intimately. Totally innocent. Just sort of embarrassing, in a junior high kind of way.)

Anyway, we played them again at Bob's birthday party. It's a great way to peel away 30+ years!

No photos of the games, though, just us and our dear friends...

 

There are no friends like old friends, right? I'm very grateful for these!

 

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

My daughter-in-law turned 29 a few weeks ago. For her 30th birthday next year, they are already planning a trip to Italy, so she has been taking Italian lessons, and to celebrate her birthday, we joined her at an awesome Italian restaurant in Austin, Vespaio. 

Afterwards, we went to Cedar Street Courtyard and enjoyed a Spazmatics concert. It had nothing to do with Italy, but it was a lot of fun and worth staying up late on a Wednesday night!

 

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

 

This is a terrible photo of a photo from my 16th birthday. That's my grandmother on my right, my sister on my left, and my brother-in-law Boyce behind me. 

I was 10 when my sister went on a blind date with Boyce. Five years later they were married, and they stayed that way for a very long time. He was absolutely the funniest person I've every met, very loyal, smart, helpful... but a very complicated person. 

He loved to embarrass me, but was one of my most ardent cheerleaders, too, keeping me humble and building me up at the same time. He was one of my best friends. 

Boyce and my sister were second parents to me when my parents divorced, giving me valuable guidance, financial advice, and stability. 

But he was also bi-polar (we later realized) and it got worse as he got older. They eventually divorced, but remained friends, and he always remained my big brother, a dear friend, and one of the funniest people I've ever known. My parents adored him. 

So it broke my heart when he passed away several weeks ago after almost a year of severe illness. 

May you rest in peace, Boyce. I love you, and thank you for being such an awesome big brother. 

 

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

If you're a fan of the HGTV show Fixer-Upper, then you are familiar with Magnolia Market.

I finally got to visit it in person!

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

 

I always love helping my clients, whether buyers or sellers, realize their real estate goal or dream. But I recently had the joy of helping my son's best friend and his wife (who is also one of my son's long time friends I've watched grow up) move back to Austin from Washington D.C. and buy their first home - a really cool modern home in east Austin. 

They were so much fun to work with - they had thought it out thoroughly and knew their priorities. There was one house they kept coming back to... and they got it. I'm so grateful they let me help them in their adventure. And I'm so happy they are back in Austin!

 

I had a little adventure of my own on the way to their closing... a flat on a major highway!

I made the mistake of pulling off on the left shoulder, but fortunately an awesome Austin policeman came to my rescue. With his car, he blocked traffic on the highway so I could get across to the exit, then blocked traffic on the feeder so I could pull into an Academy parking lot. Then he proceeded to change my tire until the highway assistance truck arrived and took over. 

His name is Office Wally and he's my hero. 

 

I still made it to the closing, though, because my awesome son met me at the tire store, gave me his car, and waited there while mine was repaired. Later, he met us for brunch to celebrate the closing and we traded back.

What might have been a horrible day turned out to be wonderful, thanks to Officer Wally and Tommy. 

 

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

 

 

 

For something like 15 years, I've been retreating to the beach in Port Aransas each fall with friends. I've truly lost count of the number of years.

A few of the faces have remained the same, but every year there are some changes. 

This year was extra special because one of the ladies - who happens to be the daughter of one of the originals, but who has been joining us since she turned 21 ten years ago when we picked her up at the Corpus Christi airport and now she essentially keeps the whole thing organized... um, where was I?

Oh, yes, Lauren is expecting her first baby, so we gave her a surprise baby shower. 

That was definitely a first. 

A lot of us also went out dancing one night and witnessed some fights (and subsequently knew it was time to leave) so it all balanced out and was yet another memorable weekend that will blur together with all of the others into a blissful montage that I remember distinctly but can't keep straight from year to year. 

 

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

And that's it for now. Those are just the highlights of the past couple of months. In between these big blessings are so many small ones that are easily overlooked, and I feel guilty for not sharing those.

But I do hope you have been keeping an eye open for them. To me, they are the most powerful... the quiet reminders of hope and God's love. 

Until next time... whenever that may be. 

Love,

Barbara

 

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by"

~Carl Sandburg

 

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

 

 

Thirty-Four Years... wait, thirty-four years?

 

One thing you learn in a long marriage is how many sneezes to wait before saying, "Bless you."

~Robert Brault

 

 

Aren't we cute? It's hard to believe that was 34 years ago.

Well, actually what's hard for me to believe is we're 34 years older than we were in that photo! We were newly pronounced man and wife, and eager to move forward together as one, beginning with a honeymoon in the Bahamas. 

And that's how I still picture us in my mind.

 

One of the good things that come of a true marriage is, that there is one face on which changes come without your seeing them; or rather there is one face which you can still see the same, through all the shadows which years have gathered upon it.

~George MacDonald

 

Thirty-four years  have passed in a blur of laughter, tears, frustration, relief, adventure, illness, challenge, excitement, celebration, perseverance, love, forgiveness, and blessings too numerous to count. 

 

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:7

 

I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but looking back it's easy to see that God directed our footsteps to each other. As I mentioned in my last post, I believe God gives us what we need to get over the bumps he knows we will encounter in our lives. I also believe he provides what we need to challenge us and make us the best 'us' we can be, if we let him. 

And while I don't always see it or appreciate it enough, Tom has definitely done both for me, supporting and indulging me in my dreams ... encouraging, challenging, and believing in me when my self-confidence wavers. 

Through him, because of him, I rediscovered my faith and God's great love. And I wouldn't have survived the past few years without that. 

I can only hope Tom feels I've been more of a blessing than a curse in his life, too. I think too often he believes I have this philosophy...

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

~Rita Rudner

 

For all of you youngsters just starting out, wondering what the secret is to a long marriage, I'll confess that I'm still not sure. But I do have three tips:

1. Ask God to help you love your spouse with His love (because yours won't be enough sometimes!)

2. Procrastination can be your friend. 

3. I didn't think of this one, but it's a good one: "To keep the fire burning brightly there's one easy rule: Keep the two logs together, near enough to keep each other warm and far enough apart — about a finger's breadth — for breathing room. Good fire, good marriage, same rule." ~Marnie Reed Crowell

 

Happy 34th anniversary to my amazing, crazy, gifted, stubborn, generous Tom. I give thanks every single day for you, and for all of the beautiful, tiny threads of our life that bind 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

 

Parades, Freedom, and other sweet!s...

 

 

"I been one poor correspondent, and I been too, too hard to find, but it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind."

~ America, "Sister Golden Hair"

Despite good intentions, I don't blog as much as I'd like anymore, or have time to visit those of my favorite bloggers. But I'm hanging on to those intentions and plan to just drop in as frequently as I can for now, grateful that my business is keeping me so... well, busy.  That's a pretty major sweet!

I do make time to collect my sweet!s in an old black journal every day before they drift right out of my head. Obviously they are much lighter than worries, wrongs, and perceived bad luck, because those tend to stick around in my memory on their own and weigh me down unless I switch my perspective by focusing on the blessings and sweet surprises of the day. 

Since this is the 4th of July weekend, my thoughts are turned toward my wonderful country, the United States of America, because it's her birthday! There are plenty of things to worry about regarding her, but in all honesty, there has never been a truly 'easy' time for everyone here. It's a continual give-and-take when you're trying to protect everyone's freedom. One person's freedom usually steps on someone else's. 

But we're still going strong. I believe so, anyway. We've survived a lot. I'm grateful we celebrate with parades and festivals that bring us together... all the different sizes, shapes, and flavors of us ... and with fireworks that remind us that the birth of this country wasn't an easy one. 

 

 

My small town started the 4th of July celebration early: our parade was yesterday morning, followed by a festival and fireworks over the lake last night. I skipped the festival, but did enjoy the parade from the sidelines and the fireworks from a friend's backyard that has an amazing view of Lake Travis. 

I wish I had a photo for you, but imagine sparkling, shimmering fireworks against a backdrop of low-lying hills and distant eruptions from other firework displays from surrounding communities. 

The lake itself glittered gem-like from all of the boats anchored there to watch the show. From the park below, strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner" drifted up to us, and after the grand finale, cheers and applause echoed from the darkness around us. 

Yes, I'm still proud to be an American. I know I'm not the only one.

 

 

And now for some other sweet!s from the... WHAT?? It's been three months since my last real "sweet!" post?

Holy cow. Where does the time go?

Well, I won't bore you by listing all of them, but here are a few highlights - quite a few - working backward through June, May, and April ...

 

Your grown kids hanging out and having fun together.

Working as a team with other agents, lenders, and the title company to make it to closing on a challenging transaction. 

Following through on promises you make to yourself.

A little hummingbird buzzing up close to you while you say your prayers on your back deck. 

Being able to help blog friends with their real estate needs.

Morning walks with your puppy.

Remembering that your joy and happiness come from God, and are independent of other people, circumstances, or events.

Phone calls with your mother-in-law... sister-in-law... sister ... dear friends...

Your kids helping you with little projects around the house that have been bugging you. 

Your clients' offers being accepted in multiple-offer situations. 

Seeing and hearing James Taylor in person for the first time.

A full Lake Travis.

Spending a day with a longtime friend, helping him find a home in Austin.

Finally getting to see your brother's new home and have a long visit with him and his family. Your brother's smile.

 A gender-reveal party, where everyone found out at the same time that a friend's daughter will be having a daughter of her own.

 Helping organize a successful parish picnic.

Finally experiencing Blanco's Lavender Festival... and Lavender beer!

Playing your drums when you realize you have the house all to yourself

A longtime friend sending you two jars of homemade fig preserves

A cookout with friends at a park on the lake, like you used to do all the time when your kids were little

Spotting a fawn nursing in the yard of a house you're showing to a buyer

A visit from your brother-in-law and his family

Watching your nieces and nephews play Bubble Soccer at a festival near the lake

Dinner with friends you haven't seen in months

Hanging on to voice mails from your mom so you can still listen to her voice when she's gone

Your husband's successful gall bladder surgery

Having an article published in TexasHillCountry.com

Your Keller Williams Market Center choosing your mom's nursing home as their RED Day focus, and planting a pink rosebush beside a bench at the entrance in your mom's honor

 

All of your kids with you on Mother's Day

A friend singing "Lily of the Valley" after Mass on Mother's Day, in honor of your mom

Tulips from your sister on Mother's Day

Overwhelming love and support from friends and family when you lose your mom

Memories of many Sunday church services shared with your mom at her nursing home; the volunteers who provide them

Friends helping you celebrate your birthday at "Painting with a Twist"

Being able to tell your mom "thank you" on your birthday - and remembering to do so.

Watching the sunset over Lake Travis on your birthday 

 

I hope the past three months held plenty of sweet! moments for you, too, and the next three bring even more. Share some in the comments!

"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel."  

~Author Unknown

 

 

A few truly rich men I have known ...

 

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

 

 

On one of the last visits I had with my Daddy before he passed - maybe even the last one - his face lit up in a smile at the sight of me and he hugged me tighter than I've ever been hugged before or since. 

If I close my eyes, I can still see that smile and feel his arms around me, holding on as if he never wanted to let me go. Just another gift from my sweet Daddy to add to my treasured memories. A gift that soothes me on days like today and triggers gratitude from every pore of my body that God blessed me with that man as my father. 

 

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

 

 

God also blessed me with an amazing father-in-law. I didn't get to see him as much as my own father, but we were blessed to spend a lot of time with him and Mom, visiting at their home in Maryland and then Florida, traveling with them through Wisconsin, Yellowstone National Park, and Mexico, or having them visit us in Texas. 

After raising 9 boys, he loved each one of us daughters as his own, showing a softer side to us than he ever showed to his sons, I'm sure.

A month before his passing, we joined most of Tom's brothers and their families to celebrate Mom and Pop's 60th wedding anniversary. Pop hadn't been feeling well, but I managed to tease a bit of a smile out of him for the photo above. I had no idea it would be the last one I would ever take of him - or that the goodbye hug I received a day or so later would be the last.  That smile was a gift from him that I cherish, along with all of the others.

 

 

If your father is still around, available to hug or tease or photograph, don't pass up those opportunities. It may not be your last chance, but you'll be grateful for every single one you are able to stash away for later.

Believe me, "later" eventually shows up. 

 

On Father's Day, I also give thanks that God brought Tom into my life to be the father of my children, the three best gifts he's ever given me, even including the drums. 

They were all here today to celebrate him, not with store-bought gifts or cards (he thinks they are a waste of money) but with their cooking skills (a bacon and egg breakfast, followed by grilled hamburgers for lunch), their voiced appreciation, and their time, which is about the best gift a child can give their parent... or themselves.

I didn't snap any photos today, but here's a blast from the past...

 

 

For more Father's Day reflections, please read, "Dear Daddy" and "What a Father Does..." I hope you enjoy them! Be sure to share a favorite dad memory with me in the comments. 

If you are a dad, then I hope you have had a wonderful Father's Day!

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

 

 

Drumroll please... It's my 2015 Christmas Letter!

 

 

 

The day after I mailed my Christmas cards this year, I came across my Christmas letter from 2009. It was in one of the boxes I brought from my parents' home. In it, I read about what each one of us had been up to that year. For one thing, I discovered Facebook that year! But we also lost our Charly Dog.

I can't believe it's been 6 years.

Immediately after reading it, I was filled with regret that, for the first time in years, I just sent out plain Christmas cards, with nary a photo or letter in sight. For some reason, I felt it was important to get my cards in the mail for a pre-Christmas arrival. That had never bothered me before.  Why the heck now?

Even before I began adding letters, I tucked a photo of the kids into my card. For the past few years I've sent photo cards, but even they give a glimpse at the year's events. I love seeing photos of my friends and hearing about their past year, so of course they want to hear about mine, right?

But this year, for some reason, I just punted.  Too busy? No excuse. Keeping it simple? Why start now?

So here we go ... for my sake and enjoyment more than yours ... my 2015 Christmas letter that I wish I had sent with my cards...

 

Hello Friends and Family,

In many ways, 2015 was just like 2014... Tom is still working at Freescale, except they sold the company again and now it's named NXP or something,  and I'm still growing my real estate business and loving it. In his spare time Tom continues to work on the house or cars (they take a beating on our dirt road) and in my spare time I write and work on my photography ... except, unfortunately, neither of us has had much spare time this year, so there hasn't been much progress in any of those areas. 

(Please give us some warning if you plan to visit.)

However, the kids are doing great. Tommy celebrated his 30th birthday this month by bungee-jumping over a river in New Zealand! He and Kirby are already planning their next adventures - to Abu Dhabi and Iceland! He is still a Liberty Mutual Insurance Agent (and I would recommend him even if he weren't my son!) and in their spare time they run marathons and embrace life in Austin. 

Daniel is still working as an assistant librarian at the State of Texas Library and Archives, with a side job of editing short stories for an anthology. Right up his literary alley. He also just bought his first new vehicle.

TG just finished up at the University of Texas, with a Bachelor's degree in geography (also a math minor, Business Foundations, emphasis on mechanical engineering, geology, and environmental science.) She's now looking for a job, so let me know if you know of one! This fall we attended her boyfriend's graduation from Air Force boot camp in San Antonio, and he will be celebrating Christmas and New Year's with us, before heading back to training.

My mom lives about 15 minutes down the highway from us in a wonderful nursing facility. It was a rough adjustment for her, but she's in her second year and seems to finally feel at home there. Or at least she's resigned to it, and making the most of it. Her smile is never far away. I feel blessed to be able to visit her every day.

My real estate business continues to grow. I've been busier than ever this past year, thanks to recommendations from friends and past clients, and I love it more with each transaction. I earned my GRI designation (Graduate of Real Estate Institute) this year and also became a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. 

I've made several trips back to Houston this year, although not for fun reasons. My sister and I are in the process of emptying our childhood home; every Saturday over the summer I made a one-day trip to sort through drawers, boxes, and closets, each time filling my car with boxes which now form a small mountain in the middle of my living room. I've named it "Phase 2".

I've also had to return to Houston for too many funerals. Within a month one friend lost her mom and another lost her son. These sandwich years are tough, but being able to support friends when they need it is a true blessing, as is having friendships that go back to single-digit birthdays.

Belle loves being a house-dog. She was a natural - no training required.  Although I do wish we could train her to sweep up her own hair off the wood floors!

Thanks to record rains, Lake Travis is practically full again, along with our pond. It's an awesome sight...one I wasn't sure I would ever see again!

That's about it for 2015. May God bless you and your family in the coming year, and if you're ever out this way, please come see us!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2016!

 Love, the Shallue's

 

Not very exciting, I know. But with my fading memory, I'm sure I'll enjoy coming across this one day and reliving 2015, and all of its ups and downs. 

 

Farewell, old year; we walk no more together;
I catch the sweetness of thy latest sigh...
Good-bye, kind year, we walk no more together
But here in quiet happiness we part;
And from thy wreath of faded fern and heather
I take some sprays, and wear them on my heart.
~Sarah Doudney (1841–1926), "Farewell to the Old Year," in The Sunday Magazine, 1881

 

All I wanted for Christmas...

 

The last few days have been a wonderful blur of unfamiliar activity for me... hours away from my computer and phone, spent mostly in my kitchen, measuring flour and sugar, warming up ovens, with timers beeping, beeping, beeping, and dishes piling up in the sink.

I spent one day making cookies and fudge, another day getting casseroles and a huge turkey ready for the oven, and then finally yesterday, cooking and serving it all in celebration of Christ's birthday. 

I'm exhausted, but in a good way. All I wanted for Christmas was to spend time with all three of my kids at once, and I got my wish, along with the bonus of my sweet daughter-in-law, her dad and stepmom, and TG's BF. Having Tom here was even a bonus because he thought he was going to have to work. 

We sat at the table eating and talking for hours. Then the kids and I paid my mom a visit. A few gifts were exchanged, but they weren't the focus. What will live on in my heart and memory are the smiles, the laughs, and the stories, with love being the connecting thread running through it all. The best kind of Christmas gift. 

 

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

 

First Came Love...

First came love...

 

 

Then came marriage...

 

 Then came Tommy in a baby carriage!

(After a few years of pre-children fun, of course. And a new perm.)

 

 

Okay, you can't really see Tommy in that one, but trust me, he's in there.

Here's a better one.

 

 

Oh my gosh, isn't he precious?

 

He's come a long way... from slides on his first birthday...

 

 

...to bungee-jumping in New Zealand on his 30th.

This is afterward. I appreciate them letting everyone know they survived!

(He's the one in front on the right.)

 

 

Happy 30th anniversary of Tom and me becoming parents, and happy 30th birthday to my oldest baby! 

 

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

Lesson #84 (Happy birthday, happy Friday the 13th, and thank you, Mama!

 

 "You must have been a beautiful baby..." ~Johnny Mercer

 

 

Last week I asked my mom what she wanted for her birthday. She stared off for a few seconds, then looked at me and said "More time."

But there was a twinkle in her eye, and her mouth turned up in a grin as she added, "Can you tell I live in the present?"

What a wise woman. 

Even now, anchored to an oxygen machine, rarely leaving the small room she shares with another woman, and having to rely on others for even the simplest things, like having a glass of water near enough to drink, Mama finds enough joy in life to want to stick around awhile longer.

I know it isn't because she's afraid of death. My mom is a Christian. She has taught me all my life - and I know she believes it most of the time - that there is life after death, much more beautiful than this one, free of pain and sorrow. Most of her loved ones have gone before her...her parents, siblings, her firstborn, and her beloved husband.  

Despite what her life appears to be to us, she is still loving it. Her smile is always close to the surface, and she laughs often, finding joy in the simplest things. She loves her aides and nurses, her cups of coffee, her cookies, and the photos of Daddy, her kids, grandkids, and great-granddaughter hanging on the walls.

She does NOT like being told what to do, but that's understandable after years of being such an independent woman and caregiver to others.

For her sake - actually, for mine - I hope she gets her birthday wish, and that she finds joy in every extra second she is given. I believe she will. I know I will.

And in her honor, I will try my best not to waste a single second of the time I'm given with remorse or regrets of the past, or with wishing away my today for some future moment that may never come.

And I will continue to keep my eyes open for even the simplest sweet!s. Today they will include picking up some fried shrimp for her birthday dinner, then gathering with family to celebrate her and give thanks that she's in our lives.

 

 

On her 77th birthday, I listed the things she had taught me, and I've added to it every year. So without further ado, here's the list...

Things Mama has taught me...

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

 

(from last year's celebration) 

They're not gray hairs. They're wisdom highlights.

~Author Unknown

 P.S. Happy Friday the 13th anniversary to my husband!

Reflections on Veteran's Day

They are all around you, disguised as ordinary people. They may be generous or grouchy, quiet or boisterous, socialites or loners.  They come in all colors, sizes, and ages. They are our veterans... those who gave anywhere from three to thirty years of their lives, doing whatever our country needed them to do, wherever they were told to go. 

Tonight our church held a special dinner in their honor; at the end, each veteran was asked to give their name and tell a little about their service. I felt very humbled and grateful. My mind naturally drifted to those veterans I hold most dear, and I realized I hadn't yet published my annual tribute to them...

 

 

"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done."

~St. Martin of Tours

 

My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before his first tour of duty and so he had only a vague idea himself what to expect.

When he volunteered for his second tour, however, he knew full well what he was stepping into...but he did it anyway. 

 

 

My dad was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy soon after high school graduation because his country was at war and "it was the thing to do." 

In the next twenty-two months he traveled a long way from Texas aboard the U.S.S. Geneva...to places like the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, China, Burma, Japan.

Before he turned twenty, he had seen cities that had been destroyed by war and piles of dead bodies waiting to be buried. 

A few years later, his little brother Bobby followed his lead and joined the Navy, and many years later, so did my brother Donnie and two nephews.

 

Pop, my wonderful father-in-law, missed out on World War II, but joined the Air Force in time for the Korean War. He worked base supply in Okinawa, supporting bombers flying missions to Korea...about 100 aircraft every day.

He re-enlisted, got married, and hopped around the globe...living in England, Germany, and over a year in Pakistan, separated from his family (the other heroes - Mom had 8 teenage and younger boys to deal with by herself!)...visiting a dozen other countries...eventually staying put for awhile in Maryland, working with NSA (and a second job at the bowling alley to make ends meet), until his retirement.

A lifetime of service and sacrifice for this country.

 

 

My husband Tom was raised in that military family. For him it was normal to move every few years to someplace completely different...by the time he was eight or nine years old, he had lived in three countries!

He grew up on a tight budget ... hand-me-downs, powdered milk and only two cookies a day...period! And yet as soon as he could, he joined the service...the Coast Guard. Among other things, he helped rescue fisherman off the coast of Alaska.

Four of his brothers also joined the service (three career Air Force, just like their dad, and another Coast Guard) and the youngest joined the Army Reserves. Now the next generation is following in their footsteps: two Air Force and one Coast Guard, plus numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

I think it's very fitting that Veterans Day shares November with Thanksgiving, a day when we slow down to remember and be grateful for things that we usually take for granted, because veterans, despite the sacrifices they make for all of us, probably don't even make it onto our Thanksgiving thank-you list.

That's how much most of us take them for granted - as well as the freedoms they protect for us. Even when our country isn't at war, they go where they are needed to unfamiliar places, away from extended family, often living on a minimum salary.

To many, they are a symbol of war, not peace, and sadly become targets of derision, scorn, blame... and even violence, like the sad incident at Ft. Hood a few years ago.

They deserve to be thanked every day of the year. A friend of mine says that when he's in a restaurant and sees a man or woman in uniform, he secretly pays their bill. What a wonderful idea! I think more of us should go out of our way every day to show our appreciation, but I'm glad there is at least one special day where we shine a spotlight on them, remember their sacrifices and make clear our gratitude.

Thank you Daddy, Tom, Pop, Buster, Donnie, Uncle Bobby, Uncle Howard, Kenny, Steve, Joe, Robbie, John, Sheila, Michael, Tom, Lynn, Robbin, Evan, James...and all of the other Veterans, past and present, out there! Because of you, we're free to go about our daily lives, without a thought in the world to how much that freedom costs or how much you've given.

"Freedom is never free."  ~Author Unknown

But let's hope we do remember the price, as well as those who, through their actions, say, "Don't worry. I got this."

Many at tonight's dinner brought up, with much pride, the current service of their sons and daughters, which reminded me of TG's boyfriend's Air Force graduation back in September. He's from a military family himself - his parents met while they were both in the Army. He's well aware of the commitment he's made.

So I'd like to thank TG's B and all of the others who are continuing to step up to fill those ranks for our country. I hope we all continue to show them the support they deserve. 

 

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

 ~Elmer Davis

 

On a Friday the 13th...

 

Thirty-three years. That's officially how long Tom and I have been married as of this evening, around 6 or 7 pm.

And they said you couldn't find lasting love in a bar...

 

...No more looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching your eyes, looking for traces
Of what.. I'm dreaming of...
Now that I found a friend and a lover
God bless the day I discover 
You, oh you, lookin' for love.

~Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan

 

(For our first dance as a married couple, we chose "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places."  Yes, really! And I still love that song!)

They also said getting married on a Friday the 13th was bad luck...that once Tom graduated from college with his degree he'd dump me...that building a house together was suicide for a marriage...

We proved them all wrong.

At least for thirty-three years, now, anyway. If I've learned one thing since my wedding day, it's to not take your love or marriage for granted. To say we've had our ups and downs is putting it mildly...and it can turn in a heartbeat.

But if it ended tomorrow, I'd have no regrets. Meeting Tom that fortuitous night in the Diamondback Saloon was a blessing...a seed that continued sprouting and blooming into a garden of blessings.

I'm so grateful for each and every one of these thirty-three years...even the bad ones, because they helped me appreciate the good ones.

 

photo by bloom photography

 

(I've also learned that thirty-three years can go by really fast!)

Happy 33rd anniversary to the love of my life!

...But the greatest of these is love.

~1 Corinthians 13:13

(This is a slightly edited re-post from another anniversary a few years ago, if it sounds familiar, but it's all still true!)

 

A Sweet Backtrack Through May and June... Part 2

 

Okay, where was I?

Oh, yes... May.

Thank goodness I have photos to remind me of some of those sweet! moments from last month. Here we go...

 

Hanging out with your sister-in-law's precious shelter rescue "Penny" for 10 days. (She plopped down between my feet like that all on her own! I'm so grateful I had my phone in my hand!)

 

 

Discovering a Wall of Honor for your sorely missed and beloved father-in-law built by his sons in his garage.

 

A walk along the Blackwater River in Milton, Florida at dusk under a full moon with two of your sisters-in-law, a niece, and your iPhone camera.

 

 Paying respects to Pop and other veterans at Barrancas National Cemetery on Memorial Day. 

 

 Celebrating your mother-in-law's birthday in person!

 

 Carrot Cake, healthy-style, thanks to your gifted sister-in-law.

 

 Tagging along with your brother-in-law's family to the National Naval Aviation museum...and re-creating a favorite photo pose. 

 

Peg-Leg-Pete's in Pensacola with some of your family. (Try the Cajun Burger. YUM!)

 

 

Your first visit to the Gulf Islands National Seashore in over 2 years... and having your zoom lens with you so you can go all paparrazi on the nesting American Oystercatchers. 

 

A shrimp and crab leg feast, courtesy of your sweet mother-in-law. 

 

 

The joy on your mom's face when she receives a Mother's Day card and photos from her great-granddaughter who lives several states away.

 

 

 Confirmation and First Communion ceremonies at your church in one month.

 

Helping your market center and Thomas Wright Ministries serve a barbecue lunch to many of Austin's homeless population on Keller Williams Realty's Red Day (Renew, Energize, and Donate) 

 

 Being able to celebrate Mother's Day with your mother; dear friends visiting from out of town who want to see your mom; and a sweet cousin who faithfully visits her (always bringing gifts).

 

 

 

The wedding of your "other" son (your son's best friend) at Sholz Garten; getting to see all of "those kids" all grown up; the bride and groom exiting via pedi-cab, Austin-style.  

 

 

 

 

Dinner and an Ed Sheeran concert with your daughter-in-law and friends. 

 

Time spent with your puppy Belle. And summer wildflowers in your front yard. 

 

One last sweet! from May... Tom's birthday! This photo is from the weekend before - we didn't have a formal celebration this year. But another year with him in this world is definitely a sweet! 

I believe I'm officially caught up now. I would vow to never get this far behind again, but I know myself better than that. Sigh. 

 

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday."

~Author Unknown

 

To all of you dads out there, I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day weekend. To all of you who, like me, have lost their dads, let's toast their memories and give thanks for the time we had with them!

 

 

Looking back from an Easter Sunday

 

Howdy! Have you missed me?

It's hard to believe it's been over two weeks since my last post. A lot has happened! But don't worry ... I'll just give you the sweet! highlights, not all the boring details.

First of all, it's Easter Sunday - Resurrection Sunday - for me, the source of all hope, a reminder of renewal and rebirth and begin-agains. 

 

 

My heart also felt light from the moment I opened my eyes because I knew all of my kids were here under the same roof as me and Tom.

Of course, it wasn't the same as Easter mornings years ago. I knew the Easter bunny hadn't paid our house a visit during the night. The colorful baskets were still tucked away in the storage room, covered with dust, not crowding the dining room table filled with candy and toys, and we had no colored egg hunt scheduled for after church. 

I did, however, make some mini-quiches for breakfast before heading off to Mass, and they were almost as big a hit as those baskets of the past.

Almost. 

After church, we enjoyed smoked turkey a la Tom. He woke up at 5 a.m. to start it cooking so it would be ready on time, bless his heart. And I still got him to smile for the camera!

 

 

Here are a few other sweet!s, in no particular order...

The bluebonnets have popped! Every year it's like they count to three and spring up all at once, blanketing roadsides and pastures. The yellows and purples and even some reds have joined them. It's a wildflower fiesta! 

 

 

Yesterday I met a cousin for lunch for a long-overdue catch-up session, then we both visited Mama. My cousin always brings her gifts... this time a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers and a box of gourmet chocolates. 

Last week ... or maybe it was the week before ...  I had dinner overlooking Lake Marble Falls with a friend, celebrating her birthday a little late and mine a little early...

...then we celebrated again a few nights later in an awesome Italian restaurant with two other friends. I love dragging my birthday celebration out over days, weeks, months... 

An agent friend brought me some beautiful handmade pillow covers back from India to thank me for helping her with a property while she was away helping her father. Aren't they gorgeous?

 

My brother-in-law paid us a surprise visit on his way home to Arizona from Arkansas, where he bought a three-wheeled motorcycle off of Craig's List. No photos, but it was wonderful to see him!

There have been a ton of new home events lately. At one I met Vince Young...

...and at another I test-drove a Tesla!

 

Last Saturday evening I was able to help friends celebrate their 20th anniversary by listening to the music of Shake Russell, Mike Roberts, and Michael Hearne, as the sun set on Lake Travis.

 

 

Earlier this week I finally reconnected with a high school friend who only lives a few miles away. She introduced me to a great Cajun restaurant right in our little town that I've passed every day for years. Two sweet!s in one!

Then there were the usual sweets, that are so easily taken for granted or overlooked ... morning walks with Belle when the sun first peeks into the hollow, the sight of a llama in a pasture along a highway, hawks singing and soaring over the hollow, the brilliant green of new leaves against a blue sky, the purple splashes of redbuds and mountain laurel and wisteria, and sunlight highlighting a spider web before you walk right into it...

 

 

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. 

~Douglas Horton

I hope all of you have been paying attention to the sweet! moments in your life, the big and the small. Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Sunday!

 

 

My son, at not quite 30...

 

He doesn't take himself too seriously.

For instance, this is his latest post on Facebook...

"I jogged through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel... To Bangers for a beer."

 

It makes me so happy to know he's secure enough, and fun-loving enough, to dress as an elf and run through the streets of Austin on an Elf Pub Run. Also, that he can quote Will Ferrell in "Elf".

Of course I'm also proud that he's an awesome insurance agent who was smart enough to fall in love with that gorgeous redhead beside him.

 

He volunteers to host Thanksgiving for 20 people.

Including roasting the turkey. Yum.

 

 

He doesn't let things shake him up.

After an 8 hour drive, which included hitting a huge deer on a dark highway 30 minutes outside of Lubbock, and then only 4 hours of sleep, he ran 14 miles in freezing weather with his wife because it was important to her to keep up with her marathon training. 

Plus , it was her birthday weekend.

"Ninja training: 8 hour road trip, 4 hours sleep, 14 mile run. Now endurance tailgating with Tx Tech girls."

 

Can I brag some more? He's an Eagle Scout, he visits his grandmother regularly, runs marathons despite having struggled with asthma all through his childhood, has the before-mentioned successful insurance business...

 

All in all, he lives life to the fullest.

 

 

 

But it's still hard to believe it's been 29 years since this...

 

 

Who knew then that he would be my hero? 

Yes, I'm a proud, extremely grateful mom.

Happy 29th birthday to my Sunshine Boy. 

 

You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.  ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

 

Don't worry. I got this.

"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done."

~St. Martin of Tours

 

 

My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before his first tour of duty and so he had only a vague idea himself what to expect.

When he volunteered for his second tour, however, he knew full well what he was stepping into...but he did it anyway. 

 

 

My dad was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy soon after high school graduation because his country was at war and "it was the thing to do." 

In the next twenty-two months he traveled a long way from Texas aboard the U.S.S. Geneva...to places like the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, China, Burma, Japan.

Before he turned twenty, he had seen cities that had been destroyed by war and piles of dead bodies waiting to be buried. 

A few years later, his little brother Bobby followed his lead and joined the Navy, and many years later, so did my brother Donnie and two nephews.

 

Pop, my wonderful father-in-law, missed out on World War II, but joined the Air Force in time for the Korean War. He worked base supply in Okinawa, supporting bombers flying missions to Korea...about 100 aircraft every day.

He re-enlisted, got married, and hopped around the globe...living in England, Germany, and over a year in Pakistan, separated from his family (the other heroes - Mom had 8 teenage and younger boys to deal with by herself!)...visiting a dozen other countries...eventually staying put for awhile in Maryland, working with NSA (and a second job at the bowling alley to make ends meet), until his retirement.

A lifetime of service and sacrifice for this country.

 

 

My husband Tom was raised in that military family. For him it was normal to move every few years to someplace completely different...by the time he was eight or nine years old, he had lived in three countries!

He grew up on a tight budget ... hand-me-downs, powdered milk and only two cookies a day...period! And yet as soon as he could, he joined the service...the Coast Guard. Among other things, he helped rescue fisherman off the coast of Alaska.

Four of his brothers also joined the service (three career Air Force, just like their dad, and another Coast Guard) and the youngest joined the Army Reserves. Now the next generation is following in their footsteps: two Air Force and one Coast Guard.

I think it's very fitting that Veterans Day shares November with Thanksgiving, a day when we slow down to remember and be grateful for things that we usually take for granted, because veterans, despite the sacrifices they make for all of us, probably don't even make it onto our Thanksgiving thank-you list.

That's how much most of us take them for granted - as well as the freedoms they protect for us. Even when our country isn't at war, they go where they are needed to unfamiliar places, away from extended family, often living on a minimum salary.

To many, they are a symbol of war, not peace, and sadly become targets of derision, scorn, blame... and even violence, like the sad incident at Ft. Hood a few years ago.

They deserve to be thanked every day of the year. A friend of mine says that when he's in a restaurant and sees a man or woman in uniform, he secretly pays their bill. What a wonderful idea! I think more of us should go out of our way every day to show our appreciation, but I'm glad there is at least one special day where we shine a spotlight on them, remember their sacrifices and make clear our gratitude.

Thank you Daddy, Tom, Pop, Buster, Donnie, Uncle Bobby, Uncle Howard, Kenny, Steve, Joe, Robbie, John, Sheila, Michael, Tom, Lynn, Robbin, Evan...and all of the other Veterans, past and present, out there! Because of you, we're free to go about our daily lives, without a thought in the world to how much that freedom costs or how much you've given.

But let's hope we do remember the price, as well as those who, through their actions, say "Don't worry. I got this."

(If this sounds familiar, it's a re-post from last year and the year before and the year before, with just a few tweeks. With the passing of Daddy, my Uncle Bobby, and Pop in recent years, and my brother Buster years ago, this day feels especially poignant. I don't want their service to be forgotten.)

 

 

House dogs, Hangar Parties, October(fests), and other sweet!s

 

Belle is snoring behind me, curled up on a purple and pink fringed blanket TG gave to her. The past couple of nights she's slept beside my bed on a small rug. She's getting better about sleeping through the night without waking me for attention. Just like a baby. 

I've never had a house dog before now. For one thing, I'm allergic to dogs, and it amazes me that I'm not a sniffling, wheezing mess right now. I haven't even taken an allergy pill.

Way back in the '70's, when I first brought my Siamese kitten home, I sneezed constantly for a week.  Then, like magic, I was fine. Maybe I built up a tolerance for Belle during those weeks she and Max lounged in the laundry room, out of the summer heat.

As much as I loved my cat (and miss having one) I have to admit that house dogs - especially country ones, used to being outside - are so much easier. No litter boxes to clean, for one thing. And when we leave, Belle just goes outside and guards the house from her bed on the porch until we return.

She follows me from room to room, and I'm really enjoying her company. It's eased that place in my heart that still misses my Max.

I dreamed of him two nights ago. He was lying beside me and I ran my hand through his long fur. It was a sweet dream, and having Belle near has been a calming, sweet comfort in a crazy-busy week which culminated in a crazy-busy, but fun, fun weekend.

Friday night I helped celebrate the anniversary of Waddle Auctioneers by dancing with friends to the music of  Groove Knight, an awesome band, in my friend Rachel's airplane hangar. It was bittersweet, though, since it was probably the very last party in that hangar. It's currently on the market.

(Know anyone who wants to buy an airplane hangar with a 5 bedroom home attached? You can catch some beautiful sunrises and sunsets!)

 

Saturday I spent the day pouring beer for customers and taking photos at my church's annual Oktoberfest. A friend's son works at a local brewery - Live Oak - and they donated a keg to our cause. (Thank you, Live Oak Brewing Company!)

The weather was perfect, I saw tons of familiar faces, and we ended up raising a lot of money that will be given back to our community.  

Sunday turned out all different than originally planned, but I'm learning to be flexible and it turned into a wonderful day, as well.

I had registered to run 5K in the Run for the Water downtown. However, by this weekend the rest of the family made plans to be out of town, and I realized there wouldn't be anyone home to feed or walk Belle!

So instead of driving downtown to run 5K at 7 am, I slept until 7 am and then ran a mile with Belle at dawn.  I figured the Gazelle Foundation benefited from my entry fee and it didn't really matter where I ran.

All in all, it was a good week. My mom made it through surgery just fine, and even though she isn't getting the quality of care I expect at the moment, I'm grateful she's close enough that I can step in and raise a little, um, heck until it gets on track. 

(Don't mess with my mama!)

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

 

 

Monday: pink clouds in the morning; a message from a potential new client waiting in your inbox when you wake up; your husband home safe and sound from his roadtrip; watching a family of cardinals have a bedtime snack at your feeder

Tuesday: catching up with friends and learning about personal safety at your office meeting; moving forward on a contract; a text from one of your mom's nurses, checking on her after a fall and ambulance ride to the hospital; being able to be by your mom's side when she's in great pain from a broken femur and facing surgery

Wednesday: good wishes, thoughts, and prayers from all over the world (thanks to Facebook!) for your mom as she undergoes surgery; laptops, smart phones, and wi-fi so you can work and stay in touch with loved ones while you wait; calls from potential new clients 

Thursday: cousins who visit your mom in the hospital; watching old movies with your mom; nurses who show special care for your mom

Friday: your mom making such great progress she's released from the hospital earlier than you expected; dancing with friends in a hangar to the awesome band Groove Knight

 

 

Saturday: working with your son in a church festival booth; a visit from your oldest; being close enough to see your mom every day and be sure she's getting the care she needs

 

 

Sunday: cutting yourself some slack by not trying to do everything; running at dawn with your puppy; watching an old, silly movie with your son; new real estate leads

Monday: waking to another new lead; hearing that your son and husband made it to their destination safe and sound; visiting your mom twice in one day; cheese popcorn; a dog snoring beside you as you work

 

I hope you all had a great week and this next is even better!

 

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

--Roger Caras

 

 

The Story of Us

 

Tom asked me to dance for the very first time 33 years ago tonight. 

I was at Kenny Stabler's Diamondback Saloon in Houston on a rare Friday night off, in a bad mood because my boyfriend of five years "had other plans" that night.

That wasn't unusual - he wasn't a very good boyfriend. But to top it off, none of my friends I expected to see were there that night, either.

I felt very alone.

I guess that's how it is with miracles, though. When you least expect it, when you feel like nothing is going right, one pops up out of the blue, or, in this case, a blue-eyed miracle steps up and asks you to dance.

This is what happened that night. At least, this is my version...

 

A Michael Jackson song was playing. I can't remember which one, but it was one I didn't care for and wouldn't normally dance to, even in a good mood.

I saw the guy coming toward me and had the "no" ready on my lips, but to my surprise, I said "yes" when he asked me to dance.  I had no choice then, but to follow him onto the dance floor and wait for the song to end so I could go back to my spot at the railing and brood some more.

But when the song ended, a country-western tune started right up and he asked me to dance again. I hesitated - we had conversed enough for me to know he talked funny, which meant he was probably a Yankee and wouldn't know how to two-step.

And I hated teaching guys how to two-step.

However, he didn't wait for my answer. He just took me in his arms and started dancing. Two-stepping, no less!

While we danced, we talked. I learned his name, that he was from Maryland, and he was twenty-four even though he looked about eighteen.

By the time the song was over, I had agreed to sit at his table.

He was with an interesting mix of people...  a friend's Welsh wife (the friend was a Pasadena cop who was working nights), her New York friends, and Chris, a redhead from Maryland who preferred punk rock to country-western music.

When it was time to leave, Tom walked me outside, asked what I was doing the next night (going to Gilley's to see Alabama perform) and could he meet me there?

Sure. (Why not? My boyfriend had already told me he didn't want to go.) Then, with a peck of a kiss, Tom walked away to join his friends, leaving me to wonder what the heck had just happened.

I told my boyfriend I was meeting someone at Gilley's. He didn't care - he wasn't worried. We had a pretty loose relationship by then, you can tell.

I was worried, though... that I wouldn't recognize Tom. I couldn't remember what he looked like!

That night I stood at the bar where I could see customers streaming in the door to pay. Wait... was that him?

"Tom," I called, testing. He glanced in the direction of my voice. I smiled and waved. He smiled and made his way to me. Whew!

Now, I don't know if I believe in "love at first sight," or if there's such a thing as "someone for everyone," soul mates destined to meet and live happily ever after. But I do know that something changed in me that night at Gilley's.

Tom and I talked, laughed, and danced. Later, he walked me to my car, and we really kissed. He asked for my phone number and I gave it to him.

I didn't know at the time if this was something that would last forever, but I knew I wanted to see him again and spend more time with him. I knew I would be telling my boyfriend good-bye, no matter what happened between me and Tom.

But I didn't dwell on it, just started taking things a day at a time. The next two weeks were a blur of emotions and fun and firsts...

• Our first movie -  Continental Divide with John Belushi.
• Our first rock concert - Pat Benatar.
• Our first trip to the Renaissance Festival. 
• Our first dinner out - Mario's Pizza on the seawall in Galveston, followed by stargazing on the beach in a sleeping bag. He brought stemmed glasses and wine in an ice chest. And he gave me his dog-tags, which in my pre-Tom life I would have considered a corny gesture from anyone else. But it put butterflies in my stomach and melted my heart that night.

After working the night shift that week, I would find cute cards resting on my doorstep that said he missed me. Was this guy for real?

I dragged him to meet my friends and family, to get their opinion. Maybe there was something I wasn't seeing. But they all liked him. I liked his friends. They liked me.

Where was the glitch? I couldn't find one.

It was an emotional happy high with an undercurrent of deep sadness. Admittedly, my now ex-boyfriend had been a pretty bad boyfriend most of the time, but I loved him. We just weren't good for each other. I hadn't thought I could fall for anyone else until I met Tom.

As jealous as he'd always been, I guess my ex thought I would never fall for anyone else, either, and it hit him hard. One morning soon after meeting Tom, sound asleep after working the night shift, a banging on my door woke me up.

It was my ex. He went straight into my kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. Before I had time to be scared, he marched across the living room to a small Norfolk pine he had given me. Jerking it out of its planter, scattering dirt all over the carpet, he lifted the knife and began hacking away at the trunk, telling me the tree was a symbol of our love. 

(To his credit, a few months later he called and apologized for how badly he had treated me and wished me well. I had already forgiven him. We were just kids, after all.)

Two short weeks after that first dance, Tom and I spent a perfect day at the Renaissance Festival outside of Houston with my parents, my brother, his girlfriend, and Tom's best friend. That evening, it happened:

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

Wait! What? Was I crazy? 

"But don't tell anyone," I added. "Ask me again in a couple of months, and do it right, with a ring, even if it's a Cracker Jacks ring."

Two weeks was just too soon. I had to find out what was wrong with him. There had to be something - he was just too good to be true. Two months should be plenty of time.

But he called all of his brothers and friends, anyway and told them, "I'm getting married!"

They couldn't believe it. At his older brother's wedding just two months before we met, everyone had teased him he'd be next in line.

"No way! I'm too young. I'm not getting married until I'm thirty-five."

The two months later I had ordered landed on Thanksgiving Day. We celebrated at my parents' house, after I had worked all night and only squeezed in a couple of hours of sleep. 

I was sitting on the couch in the living room when he dumped a dozen boxes of Cracker Jacks on my lap and told me to start looking for a ring. 

"What? You're nuts. They don't put rings in Cracker Jacks boxes anymore."

"Okay, you open these two and I'll open these," he said, somehow still smiling at me, despite my crankiness.

Grumbling, I opened the first box and dug out the prize envelope. I felt it before I opened it... a ring!

My mouth dropped open. "Is it real?" But I knew it was. "How did you do that?"

I might have been a little foggy from lack of sleep, but I swear the box and envelope had both been sealed.

He took the ring from me, then offered it back. "Will you marry me?"

Of course I said yes - again.  The rest is history.

 

Aren't we cute? I first posted this in 2008, but the story remains the same, and will always be one of my favorites.

 

"I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn't something about you at all. It was just you."

~ Jamie McGuire

 

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! 

Lucky in Love

 

 

Thirty-two years ago today, Tom and I dismissed superstition by getting married on a Friday the 13th. We were so sure of our decision, so confident of our love and our future together, that we challenged those centuries-old superstitions to a duel.

Well, of course they just turned tail and ran, because they could see for themselves what we already knew - Tom and I were meant to be together. Love trumps superstition any day.

But being meant for each other doesn't mean you can just join hands and skip into the future through a field of daisies. It's more like joining hands and jumping off a ledge together into the unknown. You have no idea what's ahead of you but you decide to take that leap together, trusting the other one to be there with you whatever happens.

It doesn't mean you're always going to like each other, much less see eye-to-eye on everything. All it means is you have someone to share your joys and your sorrows, someone that is going to love you at your worst, physically and mentally, someone that believes in you and wants the best for you, and who, with one look, can ignite a warm tingly feeling inside of you that sets your heart to beating fast and makes you smile for no apparent reason.

And you can see without being told that you have the same affect on them.

But how did we know this was IT? Now that our own kids are reaching the age we were when we got married, how do we explain it to them when they ask us how they'll know when they've found "the One"?

I've scrambled around for the words, but I realize I can't tell them how they'll know. That's something between them, God and their hearts. All I can do is pray that they'll know.

And I can repeat the Story of Us, how after just a week of seeing Tom I got a feeling inside that this relationship was more than just the two of us having fun.

For me, it was a scary feeling, not a warm bubbly one. What was going on?  I knew Tom was going to ask me to marry him, and I knew I would say yes, and that scared the hell out of me.

But once I said yes, I shooed all those tiny doubts out of my mind. They served no purpose except to block the giving and receiving going on between us. And that's why I was so sure of us that I was able to turn Friday the 13th into a day to look forward to, rather than fear. From that point forward, it has been our lucky day.

You can have many loves in your life, but there are some loves that lift you up above yourself, that make you believe in yourself and want to be a better person. The best person possible. For a marriage to work, both of you have to feel that way. It could happen when you're a teenager, but it might not happen until you're in your fifties.

But whenever it happens, both of you have to treasure that feeling, not take it for granted. Don't just show the best part of yourself to the world, and the worst to this person because you know they love you anyway. They deserve the best of you, not the worst, because they love you.

I admit that hasn't always happened with me and Tom; I'm glad we're both stubborn enough to have held on to each other over the years despite ourselves.

So I think what I would tell my kids is this: Concentrate on living your life, on being the best possible "you" you can be, on searching for and following the path that has been laid before you.

But keep your eyes and heart open, because when you least expect it, you'll realize someone else's path has connected with your own, blending with it. If they make you better than you were before, or maybe just more "you" than you were before, chances are that's the One.

At least, that's how it happened to me. But then, I got lucky.

 

Happy 32nd Anniversary, Tom!

I'm so glad that when you crossed my path, I had my eyes and my heart open.

I love you!

 

(This is a slightly edited re-post from another anniversary a few years ago, if it sounds familiar, but it's all still true!)

The first Father's Day...

 

Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes.

~Gloria Naylor

 

 

For the first Father's Day in years and years, I don't have a phone call or road trip to make. Tom and I have both lost our dads, and, well, I have kind of a lost feeling today.

I'm glad I took the time the last few Father's Days to travel to Houston so I could spend the day with Daddy, and be sure he knew how grateful I am that God allowed me to be his daughter. The photo above was taken last year. In my heart I knew it was probably the last Father's Day I'd spend with him.

 

 

I didn't get to see Pop as often, but we talked a lot on the phone, especially the last year of his life. I'm sure he, too, knew how grateful I am that God allowed me to become his daughter through marriage. I didn't realize the photo above would be the last one I took of him.

 

This year I focused on Tom ... on getting a plan in place to celebrate him, so he knows how grateful I am that he's the father of my children. It was low-key, the way he wanted it. Just us, the kids, and my mom enjoying hamburgers fresh off the grill.

And all around us, the memory of two other very special fathers.

 

 

The greatest gift I ever had
Came from God; I call him Dad!
~Author Unknown

 

They made it home! (plus a few belated sweet!s)

Tom and his brother straggled in later than expected from Florida this evening. They had to spend an extra four hours in Louisiana due to the muffler on Tom's car trying to make a break for it.

It didn't succeed in getting totally away, but it did break loose of whatever major part it's supposed to stay connected to. (I am not a mechanic and don't pretend to be one!)

Thank goodness they are both McGyvers (as my sister-in-law puts it) so they diagnosed and treated the problem themselves, and continued on their way to Texas. 

They were a sweet sight, stepping through the door this evening, that's for sure!

While they were working on the car, I was working to help a friend get a home she fell in love with, despite us getting to the party late and having to rush through the application process.

The house had already been on the market 5 whole days, enough time to collect multiple offers within 30 minutes of our viewing. But I convinced the other agent to delay their decision, scrambled and submitted our offer through our paperless system, only to get an email from the agent three hours later saying she had been unable to open the offer, and perhaps next time I should send it as a PDF attachment. 

It wasn't something I had considered before; up until now, no one has had a problem opening the documents I sent through that system. But I'll definitely take the advice. I only wish she had let me know right away so I could have emailed them.

But I consider it a lesson learned, and even though my friend most likely lost her chance at this house because the agent couldn't open the documents, I believe it just wasn't "meant to be" as one of my other buyer clients kept saying...until she finally did find and buy her dream house. 

That was pretty sweet...and I'll trust in a sweet home-buying ending for my friend, too. We'll keep searching and I'm sure the right one will appear for her.

Meanwhile, here are some other sweet!s from the past week and a half. Be sure to add yours in the comments!

 

Thursday: graduations and trophies

Friday: making time to run for the first time in a long while; nurses who care about your mom; a quick visit with your brother-in-law

Saturday: sleeping in; your real estate seeds beginning to bloom; turning door-knocking solicitors into leads; your husband and his brother arriving in Florida, safe and sound;  "The Lego Movie"

 

 

Sunday: a field of Mexican hats; First Communicants; meeting your new neighbors; talking your kids into watching "Saving Mr. Banks"

 

 

Monday: rain, rain, rain, breaking long enough to take your puppies for a walk and go visit your mom; getting your new neighbors' puppies home safe when they've escaped to explore the neighborhood; watching "Mary Poppins" after watching "Saving Mr. Banks"

Tuesday: taking on the challenge of a new long-term class; finally finishing the editing of the photos of your friend's grandchildren you took a few weeks ago

Wednesday: meeting with a dear friend to help her become a homeowner; meeting new people and exploring a beautiful home

 

 

Thursday: learning about historic homes; finally visiting Hill's Cafe; a quick visit with your son, daughter-in-law, and grandpuppy

Friday: visiting with neighbors; your daughter making sure you stay awake through a movie

 

 

Saturday: potential buyers calling from one of your yard signs; birthday parties that include live music wonderful friends, and a wine tasting; a phone conversation with your mother-in-law on her birthday

 

 

Sunday: a morning walk before Mass; high school seniors, ready to take on the world; trying to help a dear friend buy a home she loves; your husband and his brother making it home from their Florida adventure, safe and sound

 

I hope no matter what is going on in your life, you're able to spot some sweetness in what first seems to be unbearably sour circumstances! 

Just remember...

 

 

Happy birthday to the best mother-in-law in the world...

 

Tom and I were driving up to Maryland for the first time so I could meet his family and childhood friends before our wedding. It was my first time in Tennessee, the Carolinas and all of those other states between Texas and Maryland.

What a fabulous trip - seeing the sunrise just outside of Nashville, driving through the Smokies, the Blue Ridge, and the Shenandoah Mountains, seeing the lights of Washington D.C.

But I think it was soon after we crossed the Virginia state line that I started scavenging for food in the car - I was getting really nervous about meeting his family, and that's one thing I do when I'm nervous. Eat.

When I ran out of food, I pulled out my "practice" photo, the one of Tom and all of his eight brothers - yes, I said "eight" - taken at a recent wedding, and started testing myself on the names. Thank goodness I'd only be meeting five on this trip.

I was mostly nervous about meeting his mom. I would be the first non-Catholic daughter-in-law! We had written back and forth and she seemed to like me, but I couldn't keep those worries out of my head. 

Now I can't believe I was ever nervous. Mom welcomed me with open arms and her beautiful bright smile. She and Pop treated me like their own daughter from the very start.

Over the years, I've seen and heard tales of horrible mother-in-laws, and I realize how very lucky I am...not only did I snag the best husband ever, but he came wrapped in a package with this fabulous woman.

She raised nine boys into nine good men without losing her sense of humor, sense of self, and sense of fun.  She's the kind of mother-in-law who was quite willing to turn the care of her sons over to their wives, thank-you-very-much. There was never any kind of test to see if I was "good enough" for Tom - as long as he loved me and thought I was the right one, she did, too.

She's always been quick to help and quick with advice...when asked. I've learned by watching her and my own mother how to generously give of myself to my family and my community, but ensure I retain something for myself.

Today is Mom's birthday. Tom is with her. He's been there all week, along with Steve, the Arizona brother, alternating between painting and playing cards, depending on the rain. She raised good sons.

I wish I could have been with her, rather than just sending my happy birthday wishes over the phone... and in a slightly altered blog repost.  Maybe next year.

But the wishes are true whether given in person or over the phone, for showers of birthday blessings in the coming year.

I love you, Mom!

 

With mom and my Shallue sisters a few years ago - she made us all family.

  Dancing with son #2 at "The. Most. Beautiful. Wedding. Ever." last year.

 

 With the first seven. 

I really can't even imagine this, can you? Those two imps on the far right are the ones who have been busy painting this past week.

 

Memorial Day...memories and gratitude

 

Thanks to you...

...I slept in a little this morning, until the impatient sunlight pestered me awake.

...I walked with the dogs along a country road, safe and free.

...I'll spend time with my family, maybe play some ping-pong with my kids or watch a movie. 

Thanks to you...

...I grew up in a country where I (mostly) make my own choices.

...I live in a land where my dreams are limited only by my own lack of creativity, ambition and drive.

...my children face a future where almost anything is possible.

...I'm free to live my life because you gave your own.

 

I promise I won't forget. I promise I won't take it for granted.

I promise your sacrifice won't be wasted on me.

 

 

I wrote that post a few years ago, but it sums up my feelings so well, I wanted to share it again.

Memorial Day always triggers a little extra gratitude in me for a completely different reason, so here's another slightly-altered repost...

 

We spent that Memorial Day in 1998 with our kids and other families, swimming in a cold river, eating fresh pineapple, grilling burgers. That night we laughed and danced to Johnny Dee and the Rocket '88s.

Then a phone call early on Tuesday morning made me realize how much I had been taking for granted and how quickly life can change directions.

That Tuesday was sixteen years ago today, but at times it feels like yesterday. Tom left for work, expecting it to be like any other day, but it wasn't.  He didn't expect the other car to come into his lane, didn't expect to spend a week in the hospital or the summer trying to heal and recover instead of building our home. He didn't expect to live with pain for the next sixteen years.

But that's what happened, whether he expected it or not. And the thing is, we got through it. We built our home... not that summer, but there were other summers... and I'm grateful for that.

We've spent more days swimming in cold water with family and friends, and evenings laughing and dancing. I don't think a day goes by when Tom isn't in some degree of pain, but somehow he moves on and doesn't let it stop him from doing what he needs, or wants, to do.

It wasn't the last unexpected detour in our road we've encountered, and I'm sure there are more waiting for us. I can't say I'm grateful it happened. I'd love to tell you something positive that came from it, but honestly, I haven't been able to see that ray of light yet. Perhaps it's shining where I can't see it. I can only hope so.

But life is just too short for grudges and regrets that burn holes in your heart, for dwelling on the past or the future so long that you miss your today.

It's too short not to pursue your passion even if you only have a few seconds free each day to do it.

Too short to sit back and wait for things to happen, or for someone else to do it, or to make excuses.

Too short not to love with your whole heart, leaving no room for pride or selfishness, always trying to understand, listen, forgive, and ask forgiveness.

Too short not to take care of yourself and those you love.

Life is just too short, period, and too wonderful to take for granted.

Happy 16th anniversary of a second chance, Tom. I love you!

 

(I've spared you the most graphic images of Tom. His face was split open. You're welcome. I took notes during those long days and turned them into an essay... "In the Aftermath of a Car Crash" )

 

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

~Gladys Bronwyn Stern

 

What are you grateful for?

Grateful for #57

This adorable, freckle-faced, blue-eyed boy turned 57 today. Can you believe it?

If you've read much of my blog, you know I never take birthdays for granted, but I'm especially grateful for each one of his we get to celebrate.

I've spent too many hours sitting in hospital waiting rooms praying for him ... come too close to losing him too many times. I know there are dozens of close calls I'm not even aware of, times I'm sure his angels kept him from falling off the roof or wrecking the backhoe, the motorcycle, the car ... 

And then there's his heart, the time bomb in his chest that he inherited from his grandpa. The grandpa who died of a heart attack at 56. The father of Tom's aunts who died from heart attacks before their 50th birthdays.

When we were in our twenties, 56 seemed so old. Not so much, anymore...

I'm grateful Tom listens to his body and doesn't hesitate in seeing a doctor when something is wrong. We wouldn't be celebrating his birthday today if he hadn't insisted more than a decade ago that the pain in his chest was more than just a pulled muscle, even though a stress test and EKG said otherwise.

Hallelujah! his wonderful cardiologist listened to him and ordered an arteriogram. She saved his life! An arterial blockage hid in the one spot a stress test couldn't find it. They popped in a stent and sent him on his way - with plenty of prescriptions and requirements for yearly blood work and check-ups, of course.

I support his efforts to take care of himself ... to eat right and exercise. I buy the things he should be eating, not ice cream or cookies. I make sure we have plenty of raw fruits and vegetables on hand.

What I wish I could do better is help him with stress. He worries, and not without reason, over finances, retirement, our kids, our cars, our land, our house.

Mostly over finances.

And that's why this post is mostly a repeat of one from a few years ago, because I didn't have time to write a new one. I'm working hard to build my real estate business ... to be so successful that Tom's able to stop worrying about finances, once and for all.  I knew he'd appreciate me using this time to get another closed transaction than write about him.

(But I couldn't just ignore this special day.)

Now, time to get back to work...

Happy 57th birthday, sweet Tom!

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

~A. A. Milne