Long Hollow

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Having clients who are that thoughtful is really sweet! 

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

In other words, it was a great vacation! 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

 

 

An Acceptable Time

 

The phrase 'an acceptable time' has been popping up lately on the fringes of my consciousness. There's a Bible verse about "an acceptable time" which refers to salvation, and a Madeleine L'Engle book of that name, which I've been intending to read for years, but still haven't yet. 

 

But I finally finished a book that Gary Keller wrote called "The One Thing", about how important time-blocking is to accomplish the high priority items in our lives. 

 

 

You figure out what one thing is most important to achieve your goal in any area of your life, then you block time for it, and most importantly, protect it from all distractions.

 

For example, if your goal is to get in shape, then it's really important that you work out a certain number of days for a certain amount of time. So I'm getting a lot better about turning off my phone in the mornings when I walk Belle and say my Rosary, as well as during the hour I work out. I know (from experience) that if I take the call or answer the text, I won't get back to my workout.

I also know that, whatever the issue is, it can wait until I'm finished. 

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.

Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

~Carl Sandburg

There's more to the book than that, of course, and he writes it a lot better than I can, so I encourage you to read it, even if you're not in the real estate business. It applies to all areas of our lives, and addresses how to maintain balance in those areas. 

Even in the blogging area. I decided tonight was an acceptable time to publish a long-overdue blog post. It's important to me to keep blogging, for my own pleasure, therapy, whatever...

But like most things that are put off too long, it becomes harder and harder to get started the longer you put it off. Writing a blog post takes longer than anyone other than bloggers can imagine. For me, anyway.

It requires a big chunk of relatively uninterrupted time, so I'm ignoring emails and to-do lists to do a brief catch-up over the past couple of crazy months. I plan to block time each week or so for a post.

It's important to me and, therefore, worthy of my time. 

 

Seasons change.

Sometimes they are pretty subtle, though, and that's been the case here in central Texas this year. Summer was pretty distinctive (100+ degree days!), but Autumn, Winter, and now Spring have all pretty much blurred together, temperature-wise. Mostly a rollercoaster of  warm and cool. 

There are other seasons in our lives that change, too, though. Just a few years ago my kids were in college, still mostly dependent on us. Besides my family, I was focused on photography, writing, and blogging. 

Now my kids are grown, and even though two still live at home, they are paying rent. They have real jobs with their own insurance (thank God) and I can enjoy having them here, because I know it's temporary. 

These days, I use my phone for photography more than my Nikon, and my writing consists of a rare blog post, marketing materials, and my daily summary of 'sweets'.  I haven't been faithful at posting them here, but this week marks a year of writing them in a journal every day. Yay!

If you struggle to keep a positive attitude, I encourage to keep track of your 'sweets', too. It could be a bird singing, a warm fire, getting enough sleep one night, a friend calling, or maybe taking advantage of an opportunity to help someone else. Pay attention and write them down, if possible. I bet you find your list grows longer each day.

 

One of the best parts of my job is helping friends get what they want.

In all honesty, by the time we get to closing, I consider all of my clients to be friends, since I've been so focused on their needs.

But I've been blessed to help several long-time friends with their real estate needs, most recently ShiShi, in the photo above with her husband. We were the only two girls in our high school physics class. After that, we lost touch. She went on to become an architect, and, well, if you read my blog, you know what I've done since then. 

Until we started viewing potential properties for her and her husband Ike to buy, I hadn't seen her since 1977. It was so awesome to reconnect with her and get to know Ike and her sons. 

I was almost sorry when we finally closed on a property. But now that we've reconnected, I feel sure we'll see each other again. 

 

A recurring theme right now for my peers is aging parents. A dear friend recently left her life in Texas to live in California and help care for her aging parents. We sent her off in style with a farewell party in a local restaurant overlooking Lake Travis. 

Her own real estate career had just begun to take off; she plans to continue it in California, so if you know anyone who has a real estate need there, let me know and I'll connect you.

 

 

Last weekend I attended a bridal shower for a beautiful young woman, one of my older son's friends I've known since their elementary school days, along with her family.

The shower was held in her cousin's home... a home I helped her and her husband buy this past summer. I can't describe the joy of still being a part of these "kids'" lives, helping them buy their first homes and celebrate the milestones in their lives. 

Also attending were other mothers... friends who supported me and my kids, and who share many of the same memories of their growing up. I am still so grateful we moved to this small town, where my kids have so many 'other mothers' who love them almost as much as I do, just as I love their kids. 

 

 

Yes, seasons change. It seems like yesterday that I was their age. But my joy and excitement for them doesn't leave room for any wistful, rose-colored-glasses wishes to be younger. I haven't forgotten the challenges of that season. Despite the challenges that come with age, I'm enjoying the one I'm in at any given time.

The next one will be here soon enough.  

 

Every season hath its pleasures:
Spring may boast her flowery prime,
Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures
Brighten Autumn's soberer time.
So life's year begins and closes;
Days, though shortening, still can shine;
What, though youth gave loves and roses,
Age still leaves us friends and wine.

~Thomas Moore (1779–1852), "Spring and Autumn"

Silent Love and Friendship

 

I was headed to Houston last Saturday ... dreading the drive, the task ahead of me, and a whole day away from my business which I really can't afford at this time ... when I spotted a Panda Express.  I decided to cheer myself up with an early lunch. 

It was delicious, of course, but the best part was this message tucked into my fortune cookie...

 

 

Have you ever received a big hug from a friend just when you needed it? That's how I felt when I read that tiny little piece of paper.

Those words lifted me above the sadness of the task and helped me see it instead as a chance to revisit a lifetime of happy memories. The long drive, the physical labor, the sweat and tears all became acts of love,  a way to give back to my parents and grandmother and siblings and children... all of us who knew the abundance of love and laughter in that house. 

Words can be so powerful, can't they? 

These words will ride with me again tomorrow, and the next Saturday, and the next... however many it takes to sort through sixty years ... trying to decide what to keep, what to give, what to sell, and what to toss. 

I'm grateful for my sister who will be beside me in the process, adding more precious memories to tuck away in my heart as we prepare to say goodbye and thank you to the humble home that sheltered our childhood. 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

Embrace

 

em·brace

əmˈbrās/

verb

 

 

1.hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection.

 

2. accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically

 

 

Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course. 

~William Shakespeare

 

"Embrace" is more than my word for the year. It's my call-to-action, a one word reminder to welcome each day as a new opportunity to correct mistakes, to challenge myself, to keep an eye open for blessings ... to be a blessing to someone else ... no matter what the day brings.

 

"Persevere" was in the lead for 2015, until "Embrace" popped out at me from a song or somewhere,  and I pictured the card below that a friend gave me. It has echoed in my head ever since. 

 

"Persevere" seems negative. Gray. It trudges alone through the problems of the day, sweating and straining just to get to the end.

 

But "Embrace" is golden, full of light and warmth. It reaches out to accept not only blue skies, but stormy ones as well, knowing there is a type of beauty and purpose in each, and that when it's all over, everything will be okay.

 

 

 

 

So each morning, when I first start grumbling about having to get up so early or feel overwhelmed and stretched thin when I remember all of my urgent to-do's, I'm learning to turn those thoughts into gratitude for the new day by dropping to my knees beside my bed and asking God to guide me, give me strength, and help me embrace whatever the day has in store ... the pains, the joys, the successes, the failures. 

 

Life is too short to do otherwise.

 

Love... it surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be.

~ Khalil Gibran

 

 

Surprises...

 

 

“God put us here, on this carnival ride.

We close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next.” 

~Carrie Underwood

 

There are good surprises, and there are bad surprises.

Years ago I met a woman who impressed me with her beauty and bubbly personality. I didn't know her well, and haven't seen her in years, but back then we shared a lot of laughs at monthly PTA bunco games (not as innocent as they sound!)

Today I attended her memorial service. She was barely in her 40's. Learning of her death earlier this week was a bad surprise.

I spotted many friends at the service who I haven't seen or spoken to in years...not since our kids grew up. We all agreed we need to get together, under better circumstances.

I hope we do.

 

 

 

Yesterday I drove to a small town near San Antonio to help surprise my dear friend Nancy for her 50th birthday. I liked being part of a good surprise.

 

  

Nancy was my first friend in Lago Vista, then later agreed to be my Confirmation sponsor when I finally decided to convert to Catholicism after years of attending Mass with Tom and the kids, and months of discussing it with our priest.

Within a few years she had to move away from Lago, but we've somehow held onto our friendship, despite the distance (and age difference!)

 

 

Happy birthday tomorrow, Nancy!

 

"May your September be spacious like a long, slow bloom..." 

I've been reading Jennifer Richardson's beautiful, evocative, inspirational prose and photographs on her blog Ripplespeak for a few years now, so when she announced she was giving away a copy of her monthly zine, I crossed my fingers and tossed my comment into the bag. 

What a great surprise to hear I'd won! She sent two copies - one for me and one for my mom.

 Her words are like sunshine and fresh air, and I know I'll keep her zine close by to read often. You can get your own at her Etsy shop, Ripplesongs.

 

 

Another one of my favorite writers is Wolf Pascoe, author of the blog, Just Add Father.  We met in person when he came to Austin for a blog conference a few years ago.

Wolf is actually a pseudonym. Besides being a gifted writer, he's an anesthesiologist. He wrote about it in an e-book "Breathing for Two" last year. I immediately bought it, of course, but months turned into a year while it sat unread on my computer. (Who has time to read for pleasure when they're starting a business?)

So I finally broke down and bought the audio book last week. Wolf himself read it to me while I worked out and drove around Austin. (Why didn't I do this before?)

Here's my review on Amazon...

"In "Breathing for Two", Wolf Pascoe does a wonderful job weaving his story through the dry medical stuff, making even the history of anesthesiology come alive for the reader. He compels us to care about his patients and root for him when things go wrong. And he's very honest and upfront about his mistakes. I felt I was standing right beside him in anatomy class, and then later, as he watched over his patients. He relates the lessons he has learned in his decades as an anesthesiologist in such a way that they can be applied to everyone and to all areas of life. This is a book I could read over and over again, because I feel each time I'll get something new from it. I recommend the audio version - Wolf is a wonderful reader."

In short, go buy this book!

I wasn't surprised I loved the book, but I never thought I would like audio books, so that was a great surprise. I have two other e-books written by friends getting dusty on my computer. I'm going to see if there are audio versions for those, as well!

 

A week ago, Tom and I were discussing making that decision about Max. This morning, he made it to the top of the walkway before I did, and while we didn't go on a long walk, he did prance around and play with Belle. 

I believe in miracles. They are the best surprises, aren't they?

 

"I wish you hopeful eyes, fresh wings, and a second wind in the living."

~ Jennifer Richardson

 

Happy Birthday, Long Hollow...and other long overdue sweet!s

 

Today is life - the only life you are sure of.

Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you.

Live today with gusto.

~Dale Carnegie

 

On my left, a chuck-will's-widow sang to the sliver moon hanging in the dusky sky. On my right, a frog answered from the pond in a deep baritone. And in between cicadas chirped a staccato rhythm.

Belle at my feet, I rocked in my chair, adding my own squeaks to the evening symphony.

A strong breeze playing along the deck.I thought it was sweeping the mosquitoes away, but when I finally stepped back inside last night, the tiny bites on my arms let me know I had been wrong. But those brief moments catching my breath were worth a few little bites.

There's no definitive line between work and play for me anymore. My phone is never far away and I wear my Keller Williams name badge just about every where I go... because you just never know when you're going to meet the next person you can help.

But there are times I don't answer my phone, like during visits with my mom or in church or meeting with a client...or at a Shake Russell concert, like Sunday (although I did wear my name badge! You just never know....)

 

Shake Russell is a Texas music icon, one of my favorite artists for several decades, so I treated myself by going to an afternoon concert at the Saxon Pub on Sunday with my friend Maggie. She's been a fan of Shake's even longer than I have and had been urging me to go for over a month.

I'm so glad she did. It was long overdue, just like the rest of these sweet!s, so I'll get right to them...

 

 

Wednesday - a class on Facebook and a Realtor/happy hour/networking event, where you bump into a friend of your son's who you've known since they were in middle school

 

Friday - an afternoon spent visiting with a friend at her sister's house that has an awesome view of the Colorado River, aka Lake Austin; dancing under the stars with friends at Steiner Ranch Steakhouse; finding a parking spot when the lot is technically full

 

 

Saturday -  your son putting together a dresser for your mom; watching him with your mom, along with a half dozen episodes of "Who's the Boss"

Monday - the joy on your old dog's face as he swims in a pond on a summer morning;  word that ground is breaking on your client's new home

Tuesday - fawn triplets following their mama; a meeting with a buyer in the afternoon and a seller in the evening

Wednesday - giving thanks for lasting friendships with amazing people...whispering "goodbye" to one and shouting "happy birthday" to another

 

 

Thursday - working while cheering on the U.S.  in the world cup with your daughter; celebrating a friend becoming a U.S. citizen; watching the sun set on Lake Travis with colleagues; evening breezes; dancing with friends on a Thursday night

 

 

Friday - a friend reporting to you about the memorial service for another friend, because he knows you wanted to be there but couldn't; great finds at Goodwill, thanks to your daughter's sharp eye; celebrating a dear friend's birthday; Siamese cats and sweet dogs

Saturday - touring model homes; being able to stop and visit your mom on your way home, no matter where you've been; grilled chicken for dinner, courtesy of your daughter

Sunday:  Shake Russell's distinctive voice; the face of a dear friend you've missed; still being able to vent to your mom; a roadrunner couple crossing the dirt road in front of you; fajitas for dinner, courtesy of your son

Monday: new leads; showing cute houses to friends; your daughter keeping up with the laundry, dishes, and the home invasion of ants trying to escape the summer heat; your husband making it home safely after working 24 hours

 

 

 

"This is a big step for me - putting my thoughts out there for anyone...or no one...to read. Why am I doing it? I think it's to satisfy my conflicting needs of writing (a solitary journey) and connecting with other people. I really have no idea what I'm doing yet, so it will be fun to see how it evolves..."

 

That's what I wrote in my very first blog post ever, here on "Long Hollow" six years ago this month.  And it has been fun to see how it's evolved, and to think about how it expanded my world, connecting me to wonderful friends around the world. 

Happy birthday, Long Hollow!

I had completely forgotten about its birthday until someone wished me a "happy work anniversary" on LinkedIn. I'm so glad LinkedIn is keeping track!

Many of my posts were short and sweet back then. I need to get back to that, instead of waiting until I have two weeks' worth of thoughts to dump on you. 

Nevertheless, I'm going to leave you with one of my first, and favorite, posts, because rediscovering it this morning was another sweet!

I needed the reminder.

 

Coming back from the doctor this afternoon, tired from the weekend and too little sleep, and feeling depressed because I always believe the worst-case scenario when something is wrong, I stopped at HEB.  

"How's your day going?" the check-out boy asked. He was only about seventeen, tall, thin. Shaggy-ish brown hair. 

 "It's great," I said, but he was still looking at me. His question had been a real one, not just an automatic greeting. "I'm just a little worn out," I added. 

 "I thought so. I see it in your face." 

 I couldn't bear to spread this "down" that had taken control of me, and especially not to this sweet kid. I was ashamed that I had let it get to me - I have so much to be grateful for.

I smiled at him. "Every day is a great day."  That's what I believe, even if can't always feel it.  But he made me remember. So...I said a prayer for him on my way out. 

God has a way of dropping gifts in our path. Somehow, he knows just what we need. God bless that check-out boy.

  

And God bless all of you today! Thank you so much for stopping by to say hello, whether you've been coming around for six years or this is your first time.

Don't forget to share your sweet!s with me in the comments!

 

 

 

A Blog Stroll on a Rainy Night

I'm sitting here at my computer, relishing the sound of rain just outside my window, and even the occasional growl of thunder and flash of lightning.

Rain is a welcome guest when you've been in a drought as long as we have...when you begin to doubt if your pond was ever full, or if you just imagined it, along with the roar of the little waterfall below your house that seemed to echo the sound of waves on a shore. Music to the ears of this beach-loving girl.

I hope that music has returned to the Hollow by morning.

More than that, I hope this is just the first of a series of summer thunderstorms that will turn nearby rivers back into lakes, and dried-up canyons back into rivers.

And keep the wildflowers blooming...

 

 

Rain is also good for reflection, and that's a good thing right now because I was invited to participate in a little blog stroll by my best friend, Annie Lockhart, a soulful artist, writer, and photographer who has always been a source of inspiration to me ... a catalyst for my own creativity. 

It's because of Annie that I discovered the therapeutic, free-writing joy of blogging, and rediscovered my love of photography. She's also a gifted artist. You can see her beautiful work over at Annie Lockhart, soulful painting, and find out about her soulful painting workshops.

Now, let me pour a glass of wine and reflect upon these questions...

1. What am I working on?

That's actually a tough question for me. I'd like to say I'm working on my middle grade novel or my picture book or the historical fiction based on my great-great grandfather's memoir.

But the truth is, they are all gathering virtual dust inside my computer while I focus on building my real estate business and taking care of my family. I've even neglected my blog and photography lately, except for images from my morning walks that rarely get published, a few photography jobs for friends, and my weekly sweet! post.

But if life wasn't see-sawing, it would get awful boring, wouldn't it?

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

None of my work - my blog, my writing, my photography, and even my real estate business - conforms to any type of niche. I have no specific genre. I'm an eclectic, through and through.

3. Why do I write/create what I do? 

I have no idea. I joke that it's cheap therapy, but the truth is that the process is vital to me, like eating, sleeping, and breathing. It's something that begins as a seed inside of me, but grows and grows and grows until it has to be set free.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

You'll probably say I'm crazy, but there's a constant voice inside my head, always narrating, experimenting with words, toying with ideas and thoughts. It can be pretty annoying. 

My stories come from "what if's", combined with a run-away imagination. I free-write my original ideas as fast as possible, trying not to edit until I've dumped them all out onto the page. Writing can be exhausting and agonizing for me, trying to hear my characters' voices and stay true to  their stories.

My photography simply comes from a desire to capture moments in time so I can remember them. I love to share the miracles of life I see around me with others, especially when seen up close and/or at different angles or light. 

With writing or photography, I could spend hours editing and tweaking and trying this or that. I'm learning to tell myself, that's enough.

 

 

I've met so many talented, creative artists and writers through blogging. I'm happy to introduce you to three of them right now. I met all three while traveling the wonderful world of Blogland, and while I haven't met any of them face-to-face, I call them all friends, just the same, and feel my life is richer for knowing them.

First...

Cyndee Starr is a mixed media artist and obsessive doodler. You can see her work at SheWhoDoodles.com or on Etsy at SheWhoDoodles.

(She turns anything into a work of art with her intricate doodles. Beautiful! I'm lucky to own one of her original doodled shirts.)

Next...

Carol Cassara is a writer, blogger and sometime college professor who lives out loud in Northern California with her crazy dog and very patient husband. She blogs daily at www.carolcassara.com

(I met Carol through a network of midlife writers. She's a gifted writer, but she earned my eternal loyalty when she sent a card to my mom, even though she's never met either one of us in person.)

And last, but certainly, not least, is Jim "Suldog" Sullivan, one of my favorite characters in Blogland. His writing can be irreverant, relevent, insulting, funny, and touching, all at the same time! Catch him at Suldog and the following....

Jim Sullivan is a freelance writer from Watertown, Massachusetts. His work has been published in Discover magazine, Funny Times, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, among others. His plan is to win a Pulitzer and a Nobel by 2017 and then spend the rest of his life being insufferably pompous about it.

His latest, in the Boston Herald - http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/op_ed/2014/05/sullivan_mom_knew_what_was_best

He has a piece in this month's Discover, also, but you'll have to buy it to read it. Likewise, the upcoming issue of Funny Times will feature his stuff, but it will cost you. And rightly so. It's funny stuff.

Go read them all now, but be sure to catch their posts next Monday when they get to answer all of these questions!

Blame it on the Moon

 

 

I'm not really blaming the moon for anything. It accompanied me on one of my morning walks this week and I just wanted to share the photos with you. I just thought it was a catchy title!

I slept in this morning. I've looked forward to it for days and it lived up to my expectations.

I'll be scrambling the rest of the weekend to "get stuff done", but it was totally worth it.

 

 

I spotted a small patch of bluebonnets Tuesday. By Thursday, I noticed them blooming all along Austin's roadsides, together with Indian Paintbrushes.

So it's official: Spring has arrived in Austin!

No photos yet, unfortunately. For some reason bluebonnets don't bloom in Long Hollow, but my big girl camera is going back in my bag in case I see a safe place to pull over when I'm out driving to snap some. 

 

 

After meeting every two weeks for two years ... supporting, critiquing, and encouraging each other ... my writing group has disbanded. Temporarily, we hope.

I admitted defeat in my battle for writing time last week, and stepped out of the group. I was the third of the original members to do so in just a few weeks because of the demands of our lives.

Then this past week a fourth announced she was pregnant with her first child. She knew she wouldn't be able to focus on her writing or give the group the attention it required for several months. 

It's bittersweet, to say the least, but I know we'll all still be there for one another... supporting, encouraging, and even critiquing each other's work. Just not in person every two weeks.

 

 

I got together with friends on Thursday night to celebrate my friend Karen's 54th birthday with dinner and a movie. She chose "The Muppets Most Wanted". 

I have nothing against the muppets, mind you, and love some of the characters, but it wouldn't have been my first choice by a long shot. I wasn't alone. We joked that our gift to Karen was watching it with her.

But I'll admit to the world that I loved it! So creative, and the supporting actors like Tina Fey were hilarious. It had us laughing out loud, probably scaring the little boy watching it with his dad a few rows in front of us. They were the only other ones in the theater with us.

Time to search for the other muppet movies on Netflix.

 

 

My mom is doing much better lately. She had so many changes in her life in such a short time that sent her reeling, but she's settling into a routine, learning to accept the realities she's been given.

I'm grateful she's so close and that the home where she's staying is, for the most part, full of people who truly care about the residents. 

Thank you to all my friends who took the time to send her a card or note to brighten her day.

It's the smallest things we do that often make the biggest difference in someone's life, isn't it?

Signs of Spring...and other sweet!s

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

~John Quincy Adams

Frances Nail

 

Today I went to a friend's Facebook page to wish her a happy 90th birthday, and that's how I found out author/artist Frances Nail passed away, sometime before Christmas.

So she probably didn't see the note I scrawled on my Christmas card to her..."I hope to see you in the coming year!" If she did, she probably just laughed, way too familiar with my good intentions.

Once upon a time in Houston, a special magazine came with the Sunday Chronicle. It was just named "Texas", and included a column called "State Lines" where each week you could read stories about Texas (of course!) - personal essays written by a different writer each week, as wide and varied as the state.

I read them voraciously.

"State Lines" was my first paid publishing gig, way back in 1991, with "A View from a Catwalk". I went on to publish two more essays in "Texas" before the Chronicle stopped publishing the magazine. 

Soon after "Catwalk" was published, I read an essay by Frances about things she had lost, which included the words to one of my favorite poems from childhood - "Little Boy Blue", by Eugene Field. She could only remember a few lines. 

Immediately I typed out the poem and sent it to editor Ken Hammond, asking him to forward it to Frances. Within a few weeks, I received a letter from her, thanking me for the poem. And thus began our friendship. 

By that time several more of her essays had been published in "State Lines"...

...so many that I couldn't help feeling discouraged, comparing my words and stories to hers. Mine seemed flat and lifeless, hers rich and vibrant, but she was always full of support and encouragement for my writing. After all, she pointed out, she didn't even start writing until she was seventy.

(I admit, that's more consoling to me now that I'm in my fifties and still struggling on my writing path, than when I was in my thirties and had it all figured out.)

When we moved to Austin, she invited us to the publishing party for her first book, a collection of essays, of course, named "Crow in the House, Wolf at the Door". It was held in a fabulous old Victorian home downtown.

TG was barely 4, Daniel around 6, and Tommy no more than 9, but when Frances read from her book out on the screened-in porch, with her distinctive soft, soothing, Texas accent, they sat still and listened. She was that good. Austinites enjoyed listening to her read her stories on pubic radio station KUT for years.

I wish I could say we grew closer once I moved to Austin, but we didn't. We kept in touch with occasional Christmas cards and phone calls, and in 2005 she invited me to a play based on one of her books, "I'm Not the Woman I Was".

But we lived on opposite sides of Lake Travis...I was busy with my three kids and building our home and broke. 

I didn't go see the play, just as I didn't take her up on an invitation for lunch when we first moved here, or follow through with any other good intentions I had to see her, except attending the Texas Book Fair panel she was on years ago, along with authors Leon Hale and Liz Carpenter, two of her good friends.

I really wasn't half the friend she was to me.

Frances was truly a remarkable woman. I have wasted many opportunities in my life, but I think one of the biggest is not taking advantage of the chance I was given to know her better.

I still have her words and her stories, though, and thanks to Jim Swift, I can still hear her voice...

 

 

Godspeed, and thank you for leaving a part of yourself with us, Frances!

I know the angels are enjoying your stories as much as we always have.

I look forward to seeing you again... and I mean it.

 

 

 

Epiphanies (and other sweet!s from the past week)

 

epiph·a·ny

 noun \i-ˈpi-fə-nē\

Epiphany : a Christian festival held on January 6 in honor of the coming of the three kings to the infant Jesus Christ

: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way

 

Yesterday was Epiphany in the Catholic world. It's the 12th day after Christmas, celebrating the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.

It's a light shining into darkness, revealing and guiding and reassuring. I love that it's celebrated in January, giving us hope and calming our trepidation as we face the unknowns of the coming year...especially when we look back and see what we survived in the last one.

Sweet!s are like little epiphanies...points of light that shine in the shadows of our day, helping us move forward and not get lost in the darkness. They are there; we just have to see them. Which is pretty sweet! all by itself.

And here are a few more from the past week...

 

 

 

Monday: fiery sunsets; the peace that comes from having your mom close by and the sense that she's in good hands

 

 

Tuesday: listing a beautiful home with views of Lake Travis; welcoming the new year watching movies with your kids; adults kids who can share a bottle of champagne with you...and realizing champagne does go with popcorn!

 

 

Wednesday: celebrating a new year with your family...including your mom; smoked ribs, a la your husband; time to sit on your deck with family, soaking up the sunshine; a husband who loves your mother enough to build ramps for her wheelchair

 

 

Thursday: morning walks with your puppies; sunlight glistening on your pond, now full of water again

Friday: finding time to revise your children's story; watching movies with your kids

Saturday: a day spent helping clients; visits with your mom and cousin at the same time

 

 

Sunday: helping to celebrate a dear friend's birthday; restaurant staff who sing "Happy Birthday" with gusto; strawberry cake topped with chocolate covered strawberries; writing critique group meetings with amazing women

Monday: a glimmer of hope that a deal you thought had died might come back alive; your son and husband stopping to visit your mom

Tuesday: the anticipation of a reunion with co-workers from your past who stayed in your life as friends

I hope you notice the points of light along your path. Have a great week! 

 

Keep your flame lit, and you will never feel darkness. ~J. Parker

Raindrops are falling on my head...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and I'm glad of it! We've needed the rain! Ponds are filling up and I'm already envisioning the fields of wildflowers we'll have in the spring.

The rain brought other gifts, too. I've been trying to capture a tiny reflection in a raindrop for a long, long, long time. This week I finally did it! Can you see it up there? 

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

 

Monday: a friend who will change her plans to go check on your mom for you; a growing collection of clients and potential clients; the full moon rising over the horizon; friends' prayers for your mom

Tuesday: your mom NOT having pneumonia; attending an event downtown with your son...and bumping into a friend there 

Wednesday: publishing your first listing on MLS...and friends helping to get the word out about it; the Knights of Columbus Silver Rose visiting your church

 

 

Thursday: working in your church for a week so the secretary can take a vacation; good news on a parishioner's surgery; Giving Trees; church volunteers

Friday: the first fire in your wood-burning stove; spicy chili; having a double-oven when one decides to break; sharing popcorn and silly movies with your kids

Saturday: a morning walk with no mosquitoes buzzing in your face; not having to leave the Hollow on a cold, wet day; referrals from friends

Sunday: raindrops falling on the surface of a pond that was recently a dry field covered in snow-on-the-prairies flowers; meeting long-distance clients in person for the first time and welcoming them to Austin; making it to your writing group meeting for the first time in weeks

Monday: ordering your Christmas cards in time to mail them before Christmas for the first time in a few years; colleagues who are willing to share what they've learned; homemade chicken soup on a cold night; submitting paperwork so you can get paid; your husband figuring out what's wrong with your oven and fixing it, without having to buy a single part, so you're ready for Thanksgiving...

 

What were some of your sweet! moments from the past week? Please share! And have a blessed Thanksgiving week!!

 

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. 

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

 

 

A Letter in the Mailbox

 

 

 

I got a letter this past weekend. A real letter, written just to say hi, how are you, I'm thinking of you, and catch me up on the doings of my friend's life. What he's working on, what he's reading, what he's thinking about. It wasn't a required letter - a thank you or a filler around something he needed to send me.

It was just a letter.

Once upon a time, I wrote letters like that. And received them. Lots of them. It was how I kept in touch with my cousin, my grandmother, the teacher who left mid-year to move to the Dominican Republic, the boys I met at Garner State Park, the friends who went off to college...

I loved getting letters, so I wrote letters. Sometimes on pretty stationery, but more often on plain notepaper, because I could write pages and pages and pages!

Now, after just a few lines my hand and fingers are tired.

I never had great handwriting (I specifically remember getting a 'B' in 4th grade, Ms. Haygood!) but at least it was legible. Now, even before my hand gets tired, I have limited control of the pen or pencil; it'll go zigzagging off on its own wild adventure across the page.

The letter was from a writer friend. He has decided too much time on the internet has made him lose focus and it has affected his work. He's getting back to plain old paper, for his writing, communication (when possible), and for leisure, as in reading books with pages of paper.

Perhaps tonight I'll pull out some paper and re-train my fingers to hold a pen, to tame it to create legible words on a page once again.

What about you? Do you write letters the old-fashioned way? When was the last time you received one?

 

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

Before I could publish this post, I received a phone call that required me to add a little bit here on the end.

My friend's letter mentioned a plan to get together with Joe, a classmate of ours from high school who was visiting Los Angeles. Joe, too, had sent me a Facebook message letting me know he'd be seeing my friend. I told him to tell him hi for me.

That evening Joe posted a photo of them on our class Facebook page, smiling, toasting their friendship and life.

The next morning, Joe died of a massive heart attack.

What's the moral of this story? I'm not sure.

I know I'm grateful for all of the ways I've been able to stay in touch with my longtime friends and get to know some of those faces from my past as adults. I'm grateful for letters, for email, for Facebook, and for phone calls that draw us together in times of joy and sorrow.

Perhaps the moral has something to do with living each day to the fullest, for not letting opportunities slip by to spend time with a friend or loved one.

Maybe it's to present a smile to the world at all times, like Joe did, no matter what's going on in your life, and in that way inspire others to find a way to smile, too.  

I don't know. But I do know I'll miss seeing that smile.

Rest in peace, Joe. 

“My friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges.”

~Helen Keller

Baby Girls

 

Baby girls

twirl into your life

a sweet pink rush

of kisses and hugs and giggles,

petticoats and tiaras,

soccer cleats and mudpies,

baby dolls and bicycles,

makeup and skinned knees,

spitfire and swallowed tears.

They're a wonder to behold, 

an ever-changing blessing.

 

  

 

At 6:59 pm, twenty-two years ago this evening, I beheld my own baby girl for the first time.

There have been tears but mostly laughter, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude and amazement, as I watched her grow into the beautiful young woman she is today.

 

 

 

My parents are both still in the hospital. I'm not sure if they realize today is her birthday, but I am sure that they love her more than she can imagine.

 

 Happy birthday, baby girl.

Today and everyday, I love you!

 

"My Wish"
(Rascal Flatts)

 

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

 

Five Things on Friday

1.

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

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

 

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

 

2.

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

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

 

3.

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

 

4.

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

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

 

5.

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

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

 

Linking with Nancy's Random 5 Friday

 

 

The Simple Things are the Sweetest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

A Rich Inheritance (Happy Father's Day!)

Friday my mother thought Daddy was having a stroke. She's seen enough of them to recognize the symptoms in him.

He wouldn't let her call an ambulance, so she called my sister, who in turn called me en route to their house. 

The kids and I already had plans to leave early yesterday morning to celebrate Father's Day with Daddy. I hoped we wouldn't be visiting him in the hospital, instead.

With my sister's next call, the relief in her voice soothed my worries. Daddy's blood pressure had already dropped and he seemed okay. She would stick around a little while, but didn't see a need to call an ambulance. Thank you, Lord!

So yesterday we were able to celebrate Daddy with lunch at Applebee's, just as he requested, and then hang out with him and Mama in my childhood home, talking around the kitchen table, dozing in front of the television...

...and giving thanks every single second.

We'll head home early today so the kids can spend time with their dad, too.

I'm wishing Tom's Pop a happy Father's Day in my heart. I can still hear his voice echoing in my mind. I hope it never fades away.

My heart goes out to his sons who are missing him so much today, this first Father's Day without him, wishing they could give him a call and tell him "I love you".

So I'll give mine an extra hug and "I love you" for them, and for all of you who are missing your fathers today.

In honor of Father's Day, I gave Daddy a print-out of "Why I'm My Father's Daughter". I'm re-posting it here. I'm so honored that it was chosen for "Best Lessons from Dad" - a slideshow on Huffpost 50 of posts about fathers. Hop over there and see what other daughters had to say about their fathers.

 

If Daddy answers the phone when I call my parents, our conversation is a quick one.

"I can't talk," he'll complain. 

"You sound fine to me," I'll tell him. 

"What? I can't hear you. Here's your mother."

And that's that.

Strokes have taken their toll on his vocal chords. The effort to speak is too much for him and his voice gives out after just a few words. Perhaps his hearing loss can be blamed on strokes, too. (Although hearing aids could help with that. Sigh.)

But he was never one to talk much, anyway, and especially not on the phone. If I wanted or needed to talk, I went to my mother. I could talk to her about anything, and I'm very grateful for that.

 

Daddy and I communicated in other ways, though. We teased each other and toured old houses. We fought over who was going to mow the yard.

He chauffeured me and my friends to the movies and high school basketball games before I got my license. He taught me how to drive, and tried to teach me how to play golf and be a better bowler...without much luck.

Instead, I tagged along with him on the golf course, satisfied to watch him and admire the beauty of the courses. We took road trips to visit his mother, traveling along the back highways with the windows down, stopping often to visit historical sites or other interesting places that caught my eye or his.

We square-danced.

 

 

But words still formed our greatest connection. I was seven, maybe eight, when I uttered that inevitable childhood chant: "I'm bored." 

 "Bored? Here, read this," he said, handing me an old, mildewed copy ofBlack Beauty, "You'll never be bored again."

Well, I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but they should have been. I was hooked, and as long as I've had something handy to read (and I try to make sure I do), I've never been bored again. 

Besides Anna Sewell's Black Beauty - and hence, every horse book I could get my hands on - Daddy got me hooked on historical fiction via James Michener and Leon Uris. It's still my first love.

He also introduced me to Leon Hale and his Texas-flavored, rambling, memoirish columns in the Houston Post (and then the Chronicle)...the inspiration for my own personal essays and blog posts, I'm sure. I still read his columns online.

Because of Daddy, I surround myself with books, and I'm partial to old ones.

I read our ancient copies of Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, Daddy-Long-Legs, and A Girl of the Limberlost over and over and over, and to this day the smell of a musty book takes me miles away in my mind to those stories.

When I enter an antique store, I head straight for the book section. Not to buy, necessarily, but just to breathe, feel, and say Hello, you're not forgotten.

Our house overflowed in paperbacks, too, though. Daddy always had one in his metal lunchbox, usually a Louis L'Amour, and when I followed in his steel-toed-shoe footsteps years later, I always carried a paperback with me to work.

Today neither of us consumes books like we used to. Daddy reads the morning newspaper, but then turns his attention to the television when he's not doing laundry or other household chores.

I'm always somewhere in a just-for-fun book, but it takes me forever to finish them, only cracking them open to read while I eat lunch. When I'm at home. And don't have something else I have to read.

But all of those books and words and voices still bind us, and despite the miles between us, and the words we cannot say, I feel him with me every time I open a book. 

Thank you, Daddy.

 

 

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. 

~Ruth E. Renkel

Tom and I don't have a lot of money, yet we are blessed with riches, thanks to our fathers.

Happy Father's Day to all of you who fills the role of father to someone!

 

My Tiny Taste of BlogHer Food 2013

 

I am not a food blogger.

Oh, I may write about my Cyclops Cookies, Tom's better-than-Hooter's hot wings, and yummy sushi from Eddie V's, but they're mingled with my stories about dogs and mice and dancing and friendship.

I'll never be a niche blogger of any kind, because I could never make up my mind. Well, I do have my photography blog, but it's still all over the place, subject-wise. 

So when BlogHer announced it was holding the BlogHer Food 2013 conference in Austin, I was more disappointed than excited. I've been wanting to go to a regular BlogHer conference ever since I heard about them, but they're always held in exotic far-off lands, like New York City, Los Angeles, and, later this summer, Chicago. 

Even if I could afford the cost of the conference, the travel expenses make it impossible.

(Dang it, why didn't they send the food bloggers to Chicago and have the Big Deal in Austin?)

But BlogHer must have sensed my discontent. They actually opened up the closing party to outsiders like me for next to nothing.  And because the closing party included live music, dancing, barbecue and one free drink at Stubbs BBQ downtown on a Saturday night...well, I couldn't pass up a bargain like that and the chance to get at least a taste of BlogHer Food 2013.

It wasn't until I was trying to figure out what to wear that it hit me: I was going to a party where I didn't know a soul and everyone else had been hanging out together all weekend.

Blah! But I decided to go anyway. I mean, I'd already bought the ticket. There was a plate of barbecue waiting at Stubbs with my name on it. I couldn't just abandon it.

So I went. It helped that there were several nametags waiting for other outsiders on the table where I checked in.

Until that night, I'd only seen four bloggers in person, period. I wasn't sure what I expected the food bloggers to look like, but I'll just say they didn't fit into any niche as far as appearance goes. No standard gender, age, size, or even taste in clothing. That helped me feel more comfortable right away.

I traded my drink ticket for a frozen strawberry sangria concoction, filled a plate with barbecue, and found an empty spot on a picnic table near a blonde lady who looked about my age.

I don't remember her name or where she was from, but we had a good conversation over the loud music. This had been her first BlogHer conference and she said all the freebies really balanced the cost of it all.

She left and young girl named Kayla who worked for one of the vendors sat down to eat. We had a good conversation, too, about trying to find jobs (she recently graduated) then she went back to work filling cookies with ice cream, and I wandered over to the photo booth where I met Sarah, who worked for the photo booth company sponsored by Ninja Kitchen.

When she found out I was from Austin and didn't know anyone (I tell my story to everyone I meet, of course) she wrote on a chalkboard and joined me in my photos.

I thought she was just feeling sorry for me, but when all of the photos were posted online, I saw quite a few people in photos by themselves.

I guess it was that Austin connection, after all, and not (just) pity!

The awesome music of The Grooves, an Austin cover band, lured me closer to the area near the stage. Small groups of ladies had finally started dancing so I just joined in.

(Would you believe I used to be shy? I know. It's hard for me to believe it, too.)

As much as I love dancing, I confess the highlight of my night was seeing Pioneer Woman. Yes, Ree Drummond, herself, stood just inches from me at one point. And my camera joined all the others snapping away while she was telling jokes onstage.

For you non-bloggers, PW is the Queen of the Bloggers, and not just food blogging! She has it all down: Home-schooling, Home and Beauty, Entertainment, Photography, Life on a Ranch in the Middle of Oklahoma Nowhere.

She's written a couple of cookbooks, a children's book, and a memoir. Probably a lot of other stuff, too. How the heck does she do it??? Yes, I'm terribly jealous, and that's what makes her a blogging Rock Star!

Finally, the last song was sung and danced to, I grabbed another bottle of water (They were free, thank goodness. Dancing on a hot, humid Texas night under the stars = sweat!) and headed to my car. 

While I waited at an intersection, I chatted with a couple of Pedi-Cab drivers. And they agreed to have their picture taken even though I wasn't a potential customer.

 

(This one got distracted by an actual customer, but I took his photo anyway.)

I love Austin. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Sons, Sunday mornings, and other sweet!s

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

Why I'm My Father's Daughter

 

If Daddy answers the phone when I call my parents, our conversation is a quick one.

"I can't talk," he'll complain. 

"You sound fine to me," I'll tell him. 

"What? I can't hear you. Here's your mother."

And that's that.

Strokes have taken their toll on his vocal chords. The effort to speak is too much for him and his voice gives out after just a few words. Perhaps his hearing loss can be blamed on strokes, too. (Although hearing aids could help with that. Sigh.)

But he was never one to talk much, anyway, and especially not on the phone. If I wanted or needed to talk, I went to my mother. I could talk to her about anything, and I'm very grateful for that.

 

Daddy and I communicated in other ways, though. We teased each other and toured old houses. We fought over who was going to mow the yard.

He chauffeured me and my friends to the movies and high school basketball games before I got my license. He taught me how to drive, and tried to teach me how to play golf and be a better bowler...without much luck.

Instead, I tagged along with him on the golf course, satisfied to watch him and admire the beauty of the courses. We took road trips to visit his mother, traveling along the back highways with the windows down, stopping often to visit historical sites or other interesting places that caught my eye or his.

We square-danced.

 

 

But words still formed our greatest connection. I was seven, maybe eight, when I uttered that inevitable childhood chant: "I'm bored." 

 "Bored? Here, read this," he said, handing me an old, mildewed copy of Black Beauty, "You'll never be bored again."

Well, I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but they should have been. I was hooked, and as long as I've had something handy to read (and I try to make sure I do), I've never been bored again. 

Besides Anna Sewell's Black Beauty - and hence, every horse book I could get my hands on - Daddy got me hooked on historical fiction via James Michener and Leon Uris. It's still my first love.

He also introduced me to Leon Hale and his Texas-flavored, rambling, memoirish columns in the Houston Post (and then the Chronicle)...the inspiration for my own personal essays and blog posts, I'm sure. I still read his columns online.

Because of Daddy, I surround myself with books, and I'm partial to old ones.

I read our ancient copies of Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, Daddy-Long-Legs, and A Girl of the Limberlost over and over and over, and to this day the smell of a musty book takes me miles away in my mind to those stories.

When I enter an antique store, I head straight for the book section. Not to buy, necessarily, but just to breathe, feel, and say Hello, you're not forgotten.

Our house overflowed in paperbacks, too, though. Daddy always had one in his metal lunchbox, usually a Louis L'Amour, and when I followed in his steel-toed-shoe footsteps years later, I always carried a paperback with me to work.

Today neither of us consumes books like we used to. Daddy reads the morning newspaper, but then turns his attention to the television when he's not doing laundry or other household chores.

I'm always somewhere in a just-for-fun book, but it takes me forever to finish them, only cracking them open to read while I eat lunch. When I'm at home. And don't have something else I have to read.

But all of those books and words and voices still bind us, and despite the miles between us, and the words we cannot say, I feel him with me every time I open a book. 

Thank you, Daddy.

 

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. 

~Ruth E. Renkel

(This is my contribution to the Generation Fabulous Father's Day BlogHop. Click HERE to see the other wonderful posts about women and their fathers.)

Raindrops and Photo Shoots

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longhorns and other sweet!s

 

 

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

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

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

It was a very sweet! day!

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

Five Things on a Friday Night. And a Puppy.

 

1.

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

And then write a blog post about it.

 

2. 

 

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

 

3.

 

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

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

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

 

4.

 

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

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

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

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

It makes me so sad for them. 

 

5.

 

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

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

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

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

P.S.

 

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

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

I think I want a puppy.

Back to Reality

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

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

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

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

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

~e.e. cummings 

 

Five Things

1.

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

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

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

 

2.

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

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

 

 

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

~ Kahlil Gibran

 

3.

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

4.

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

"Do you mind?"

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

 

5.

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

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

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

 
--Anonymous 

I Blame LinkedIn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Oh, but first...

 

Birthday Cards and other sweet!s

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

Five Things on Friday

1. Last night I attended a funeral for the mother of one of my long-time, closest friends. Hers was one of the houses where we all congregrated, from middle school on up (I had my first kiss on the sidewalk in front of that house)... and now my friend opens up her home to all of us for get-togethers as well.

My - oh, I'll go ahead and use the word - 'old' classmates and I filled several rows, and even my mother tagged along with me. One of the guys got up and spoke about his memories - our memories - but I have to admit, when he said the words "forty years ago" and "back in the day", I cringed at the truth of it. We are old! Argh.

But we're also forever young, thanks to those memories. Rest in peace and thank you for putting up with us, Mrs. Stanley, and thanks for speaking for all of us, Randy.

2. I saw a news report about cicadas that said they only appear every 17 years. Well, if that's true, I want to know what the heck we have around here every single summer that does a perfect impersonation of a cicada!

3. Just when I decided I needed to give something up for lack of time, whether my blog or my book or photography, I had a request to purchase some photos, an idea for a{nother} children's book that wouldn't leave me alone, I passed to the next level on a paid online writing gig, and I got a lot of attention on my blog.

Murphy's Law, but in a good way for a change.

But I'm still trying to figure out how to do it all...

4. My girlfriends pitched in and gave me a gift card for my birthday for me to buy a pair of cowgirl boots to wear to the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding.

(It's a Texas thing. I had a great pair of boots...but then had three kids. Now TG has a great pair of boots, and I have my mother's which are about a half size too small.)

Anyway, I'm in a quandary. I'm tempted to squeeze my foot into my mother's boots that night, and use the gift card to {mostly} pay for an iPad or Kindle or something like that. Several of my friends have written e-books, and I have them on my computer, but I have limited time at home in front of my computer. I can't even keep up with my book writing or photo editing, so their books are still unread, along with tons of blog posts and articles, because I can't read them on my iPhone.

I'm thinking if I got an iPad, I could tuck it in my purse and stay caught up with my friends' writings. Sure, I'd look cute in a pair of Heritage Westerns, with jeans tucked in or a cute summery dress, and two-stepping in wedges is kind of a challenge, but...

See the fix I'm in? 

If any of you has an iPad or a Kindle or other similar device, please share your input and help me with this decision before it drives me crazy!

5. I'm happy to report that I've had a couple of mouse-turd-free days since retrieving the last one from the back seat and tossing it into the woods. Fingers crossed they've decided my car isn't the luxury hotel they were hoping for!

P.S. The onion flowers are back!

(Yes, that's technically 6 things. But I had to share these - such simple elegance in our little bit of woods.)

Linking with

 {Random 5 Friday}

and

Friday Fragments

Make Good Art (Life)

Last night I stepped away from my computer before midnight for a change, set my alarm for 4:30 am, and before drifting off to sleep, asked God to remind me when it went off that I was excited about getting up so early because I would have time to write.

He did. And so, for the first time since the conference in February, I pulled out the critiques on my children's book, opened up the file, and began yet another revision in a silent house, well before the distraction of a husband stirring or a pink sunrise or a puppy's face hoping for a walk could distract me. 

I haven't given myself a deadline, other than to move forward every day, even if it's just to develop a character or backstory that no one will ever read.

On the wall of my office, right in my line of vision, is a placque, a gift from my friend Jill, that says "never, never, never give up" and on the other side is reminder from my friend Rae to "Find a passion and pursue it...never give up...do what you love...follow your dreams...make every moment count...be true to who you are..."

And who I am is a writer. Perhaps not the best, but I won't get better unless I write.

I even resisted glancing at my email this morning, because...

"There was a day when I looked up and realised that I had become someone who professionally replied to email, and who wrote as a hobby.  I started answering fewer emails, and was relieved to find I was writing much more."

Those are the words of writer Neil Gaiman from a commencement speech to a class of university art students in May of 2012. One of the women in my critique group sent the link of his speech to the rest of us.  

His words are aimed at artists, but since life itself is a form of art, I'm sharing it below with all of you, just in case I'm not the last person in the world to watch it. (That happens a lot!)

The speech is almost 20 minutes long, but every word is worth listening to. They were my wake-up call to re-focus on my book, but might be your wake-up call to re-focus on whatever gives meaning and satisfaction to your life. He has a lovely British accent, which makes it even better.

So turn it on, get up and stretch or do your nails or something while you listen. 

Okay, here's another little bit from it, if I haven't convinced you yet...

"Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do.

Make good art.

I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it's all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn't matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Make it on the good days too."

~Neil Gaiman

                 

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from The University of the Arts (Phl) on Vimeo.

If I could talk, I'd tell of...

Births. Deaths. Certainly those.

Celebrations for birthdays, for weddings, for the end of a drought and good crops.

Tables in the yard, laden with food. Tantalizing smells wafting from the kitchen, promising more.

Heartache. Loved ones who went to war and never returned. Arguments and screen doors slamming.

Joyous reunions.

Neighbors helping put out a fire, build a rock fence, raise a windmill, plant a harvest, chase down a runaway cow.

Friends delivering a baby. Providing food and a silent shoulder in times of mourning.

Bicycles and toy wagons littering the yard. A beloved mutt curled up on the porch near the door or sprawled in a patch of sunlit dirt in the yard.

Young couples, just married, and older ones, helping each other up the steps. 

The squeak of a porch swing on a summer evening. The smell of a bonfire on an autumn night. 

Days when voices and laughter echoed from the windows, open to capture a cool breeze in a stifling Texas summer.

And days like these when silence is palpable...when only memories and shadows walk the worn wooden floors.

I pass this old farmhouse on my way to work and it always starts my mind wondering about its history. Finally, one day, I stopped with my camera...and that's when it spoke to me.

 

My Pencils are Sharp Enough

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

What were some of your sweet! moments this week?

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

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

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

 

Signs of Spring, and other Sweet!s

Like the Munchkins when Dorothy first arrives in the (movie) land of Oz, yellow flowers are popping up and peeking out at the world, one by one, to see if the coast is clear and the rumor is true..that the wicked old winter is gone.

(Not that our winters here around Austin, Texas are actually wicked, but I had to go with the theme.)

And last week I spotted a few American Robins up in the trees, another sure sign that Spring is headed our way, despite the lack of buds on the trees.  

(Obviously, the trees have grown cynical.)

 

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.  ~Virgil A. Kraft

Here are a few more sweet!s that popped up in front of me this past week...

 

Saturday: watching old episodes of Dark Shadows with your son

Sunday: Mass with your son; celebrating friends' birthdays with margaritas and Mexican food, laughter and hugs; a long walk with your son and puppies; watching the Grammys for the first time in years

Monday: rain falling on the hills; working in a school library

Tuesday: drizzly mornings and mist on your face; homemade chocolate and peanut butter covered strawberries; wood-fire-oven-roasted veggies; crab cakes; a call from your oldest son; new running shoes

 

Wednesday: watching the sun rise on your morning walk; meeting interesting people; joining with your church family to celebrate traditions of your faith 

 

 

Thursday: a Mexican Jay escort on your morning walk; getting paid to watch a video on Fitness and Nutrition; a text from a friend letting you know about a job opening; finishing a project; Valentine's Day dinner with the love of your life

Friday: first graders, even when they stretch your patience; silence in a church filled with people praying; dancing the Cotton-Eyed Joe and the Schottische; waltzing; stars dusting the hilltops

Saturday: fresh pizza when you're famished; the giggle of leaves playing in the wind on a stone terrace; making a dent in your laundry and email after a week when you've barely been home

Sunday: a deep breath and a cup of coffee on the back deck before returning to the fast track; making surly customers happy; news that your son and his love completed the Livestrong Half Marathon with their personal best times; sitting on the back deck after work, sipping a glass of wine and pouring the characters and stories buzzing around in your head onto paper until it's too dark to see

Here's to another Sunday and another week full of sweet! moments waiting to pop up and surprise us! Keep your eyes open!

Share some of your own sweet!s from the past week in the comments. I love to hear them!

(Typepad's new spam-blocking system is still dumping 95% of comments, including my replies (!), into the spam folder. So don't worry if your comment seems to disappear! I'll retrieve it as soon as possible. Thank you!)

Validation (and other sweet!s)

I stood in the empty bathroom staring at myself in the mirror, repeating the same sentence over and over and over, forcing myself to look me in the eyes as I spouted my pitch.

Practice, practice, practice. Breathe, breathe, breathe.

There were two of them, one right after the other. They each sat at the end of a long table on the far side of a small room. I didn't come away with an agent begging me for my whole manuscript, but I did walk away from the two critique sessions at today's writing conference with validation and hope and encouragement.

Each of them, the experienced author and the agent, gave me suggestions on how to improve my children's book, but overall, they liked it. In fact, the author said she loved my main character. It made me feel the same way I did when a teacher praised one of my children.

Sweet!

(Everyone says they aren't looking for validation at these things, but it sure feels good when you get enough to make you feel your work hasn't been a total waste of time, and you feel motivated to keep working on it rather than tossing the file in your virtual trashcan.)

Here are a few other sweet! moments from my week...

 

Sunday: watching the Super Bowl with your parents; being able to check your email on your phone

Monday: plumbers who come out right away to fix your parents' broken faucet; helping your mom get to her doctor's appointment; the crunch of gravel on your caliche road signaling you're home

 

 

Tuesday: running for the first time in days; a slow day at the winery so you have time to take photos; recognizing one of your son's friends at the grocery store, despite all the whiskers on his now-grown-up face; Girl Scouts and Girl Scout cookies

Wednesday: a busy day at the winery, with great customers, so the time passes fast; the contrast of storm clouds and bright sunshine 

 

Thursday: the smell of crayons; the creativity of elementary school kids; an afternoon walk with your puppies; an oasis in the woods; a virtual trip to Prague, courtesy of a friend's photographs and Facebook posts

Friday: Great White Pyrenees and shaggy black labs you meet in the vet's office; a catch-up talk with a friend;  shopping with your daughter; paychecks in the mailbox; a son who bothers to remove a piece of dust from a tiny spider's leg

Saturday: your son waking early to wish you good luck in pitching your book at your writing conference; writing conferences; new blossoms on a redbud tree

 

I hope the coming week is full of validation and sweet! moments for you!

Sea of Grass

 

 

Surrounded by bare branches so still I could believe they are doodles on a pencil-smudged-gray sky, I stand in a sea of grass that bows down, unmoving, waiting. 

The earth holds its breath. 

 

 

 

Fence posts lean like old men, weathered gray and full of stories. 

  

 

 

 I'm still collecting small stones like the ones above, although I haven't had much time on the computer to share them.

We've had a lot of gray days, can you tell?

 

To warm you up, here's a photo of Belle. She is pure sunshine-joy!

It is impossible for gray skies to seep too deep inside with that wiggly, grinning, leaping puppy around!

 

Linking up with Lissa's...

Scattered stones on a Friday morning

Good morning!

I rose way before dawn to work on my children's book because the rest of the day will be crazy busy, and look what I was given as a reward for not hitting the snooze button...

 

A gift wrapped in misty blue, tied up with swirly pink ribbons.

small stone #11

That ended my writing session, of course. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera, and headed out for a morning walk with the puppies for the first time in days. 

I hadn't gone far before three deer leaped out of the woods and disappeared on the other side of the road, one after another. No photos - I'm not fast enough. But it triggered this...

Full of grace they leap, white-tail-tutus sailing through the air. Ballerinas of the woods.

small stone #11.2

I walked down to the pond and creek, drawn by the sound of water playing and giggling.

 

I'm sure there's another small stone in there, but it hasn't come to me yet. Hmmm...playing, giggling...

Oh, well. I do have this one from a few days ago I forgot to post...

Raindrops tapdance on my umbrella.

small stone #8

 

 

A dear friend is coming to visit this weekend, and before she gets here I still have a lot of cleaning and shopping to do, as well as help TG get resettled before the new semester begins.

(I'll miss her. There's no way this house would have been even half-ready for visitors without her help! I've been in a spring-cleaning frenzy which is usually counterproductive to actual housecleaning!)

Between visitors, spring-cleaning, and writing, I'm sure it will be a few days before I get a chance to catch up with all of you. I hope you have a beautiful weekend, full of sweet! moments and lovely small stones. Savor each and every one, and if you get time, share them with me!

Happy Friday!

 

Pole Dancing

The little waterfall is flowing again. I heard it this morning when I was feeding the dogs. We've had two solid days of rain, and while I'm grateful for the rain in this time of drought, and for the sound of the waterfall, I was so, so, so happy to watch the sun reach into the hollow this morning and give it a big hug.

There was no time to visit the little waterfall today, though. I had to rush off to work at the middle/high school library. I never mind that - libraries are my favorite places to work - but today was especially wonderful because the morning sun blasted through the huge windows on the east end of the library and I could watch the clouds and the flags playing all day. 

To top it off, back home I heard a choir of frogs singing from the direction of the pond, echoing the song in my heart. (Sunshine does that to me!)

And so my small stone #10 was born...

Creek giggling, frogs singing, and flags dancing at the sight of the sun.

 

(ha! fooled you with the 'pole dancing', didn't I?)

 

The rain inspired small stone #9 yesterday:

Raindrops plopping on rocks and machinery, strumming trees and grasses, tapping caliche and a metal roof. Growing loud, then soft, slow, then fast, following the baton of an unseen Maestro.

Do you have any small stones to share?

A New Year and Three Small Stones

 

So here we are on the third day of a new year already. When I last spoke to you, way back in 2012, there were gray skies above as well as inside.

I'm happy to report the sun has broken through in both places at least a few times since then, warming me with its soft light and reminding me it's still there before slipping back behind that gray curtain.

Last night it burst forth at sunset, making the sky look like molten lava and taking my breath away with it as it dropped below the dark hills. (I only had my phone to capture the moment. You can see it on my instagram page here but it really doesn't capture the beauty of it.)

The clouds rolled back in as it disappeared, but tomorrow morning we might wake to a few snowflakes and that will make the gray clouds totally worthwhile! 

My dad is still in the hospital. He had surgery today to insert a stent in his carotid artery, but it turned out the artery wasn't blocked enough to require one. I'm grateful for that, except it's the same conclusion doctors at another hospital came to just a few months ago when he had the arteriogram and the surgery on the other artery.

But, instead of focusing on whether or not these doctors did enough homework before heading into my dad's arteries (!!!!!) I'm just grateful he made it through today's surgery okay. And I'm grateful for my brother who was able to be there with my parents, and for my sister who makes sure I know what's going on despite being so far away. 

 

 

Despite the cold, TG and I have been spring cleaning the past few days, lugging clothes to resale shops and Goodwill. I'm in a fever to get organized and downsize and simplify, so I've also been weeding through piles and drawers of paperwork, and posting odds and ends on Craig's List. (Cha-ching! I've had two buyers!)

I've submitted job applications, worked on my book, finished a photo project I started months ago, and dove headfirst back into Flickr with two photo challenges. Interacting with other photographers motivates me to try new things with my camera. (Besides, I missed my Flickr friends.)

So that my writing doesn't get jealous of the attention I'm giving photography, I've joined the Mindful Writing Challenge on Writing Our Way Home, committing to write a "small stone" every day of January.

A small stone is just a short piece of writing that captures a moment when you are fully focused and engaged with the world around you. Writing stones helps me slow down, pay attention, and stretch my mind to use words creatively. I think I'll try to continue this beyond January.

Here are the three I've written so far:

1. Sun rays sweep gray clouds from the sky, like a straw broom clearing cobwebs from an old windowpane.
2. The flaming sun drops below chocolate hills, blowing rosy goodbye kisses to hovering clouds.
3. Tennis shoes crunch-crunch on caliche. Eight paws tap-tap beside me. Music of my mornings. 

 

 

Did you make a New Year's resolution? I usually don't, except for echoing Michael Franti's song "Hey, hey, hey..."

No matter how life is today, I won't let another moment slip away.

~Michael Franti

That includes another moment to take care of myself (daddy's health issues are a great reminder for that!), support my family and friends, be kind and encouraging, work toward my dreams, follow through on promises, dance, laugh, listen, love, be still...and take a deep breath before getting angry. 

It's been a full, emotional roller-coaster of a year already. I think I've used my whole repertoire!

So...what do you think of 2013 so far?

 

Linking up with Lissa at...

 

Sweet Relief

I almost didn't publish this post.

Late this afternoon my sister called me at work to let me know Daddy was heading to the hospital via ambulance again. Another suspected stroke. Even if I had the time to post my collected sweet!s of the week, it just didn't seem right when I had such a heavy heart.

I made plans to leave for Houston early in the morning... and then Brenda called again with news I hadn't even dared to hope for: Daddy had checked out just fine and was on his way back home. Hallelujah! Talk about answered prayers!

I gave Mama and Daddy time to get home and settled before calling them. Hearing Daddy's voice on the other line was the sweetest sound ever.

So now I'll share what I had thought was the biggest sweet! of the week... 

I went dancing last night!

It was our annual church Adult Christmas party where we're one of the youngest couples, there's enough space on the dance floor that we're not getting bumped and elbowed all the time, and there's a group of ladies who love to dance as much as I do, so poor Tom is off the hook. (One of them, a spitfire in her 70's, did a full body shimmy to Proud Mary that would rival Tina Turner's! I have so much to learn!)

I also wanted to share a great quote I came across earlier this week...

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

I can't help but believe Longfellow wrote it with me and my writing in mind.

And now for a few more sweet! moments I collected this past week...

 

Saturday: watching Princess Bride for the one zillionth time with your kids

Sunday: a Sunday spent at home, not out of town or at work; sleeping in and going to late Mass for the first time in months; finally having time to dust and vacuum your filthy house; your kids hauling your boxes of Christmas decorations upstairs for you before they head back to their own places; a call from a dear friend

 

 

Monday: getting paid to hang out in a library all day; finishing up a project (well, almost); dredging up the willpower to work out after work; an email asking about using one of your photographs in a newsletter

Tuesday: seeing deer dash in front of you on your morning walk; your old puppy running after the deer; finally making it to a doctor after rescheduling twice; getting your flu shot; helping your daughter shop for a tacky sweater in an eclectic resale shop; finding an authentic Scottish wool kilt for only $10 in the same shop; joining your husband and most of your kids for happy hour at Double Dave's; grocery shopping with your daughter

 

 

Wednesday: moonlight splashing in your kitchen when you first get up;  watching the moon set on the horizon on a chilly morning; the shimmer of frost; finally shushing the negative voices in your head and making progress on your book; dreaming about winning the lottery

Thursday: morning walks three days in a row; getting started on your book easier; helping your parents get the paperwork together to dispute the penalty for filing for Medicare Pard D "late" (why is there even a penalty??); saying to heck with to-do lists and deadlines and meeting friends for dinner

Friday: working on your book before heading to work; helping four-year-olds pick out books for their Book Fair wish list; hugs from four-year-olds; a check for one of your photographs waiting for you in the mailbox; a husband who doesn't make fun of you for crying in a movie about aging dogs

Saturday: french toast, a la Tom; time for a morning walk before work; slow dancing with your husband; teaching others how to do the Cotton-Eyed-Joe 

Sunday: sunlight through stained glass; talking photography with customers; answered prayers; your daddy's voice; Christmas lights on your tree, thanks to your husband

 

I hope you are remembering to keep track of, and give thanks for, your sweet! moments!

Taking a quick break to share this with you...

I'm writing. For the second day in a row!

Actually making a little progress, too, once I managed to ignore the voices inside my head who kept telling me to give it up, just quit, that it wasn't any good.

After staring at the screen and out the window and at the screen again, I finally said "Who cares?" and started typing. 

(Those first words after a few days away from my book are always the toughest. I need to stop staying away for days at a time.)

As if the voices weren't distraction enough, for some reason, I keep finding myself scrolling around on Facebook, but it's not toally a bad thing, because I came across the video below that a friend posted. (Thank you, Gina!)

It made me laugh so hard I just had to share it here with you. Ah, the memories.

And now back to my book...

(No, really. I mean it!)

(Well, maybe I'll watch it one more time.)

 

 

Small Things

I made it to my writing group tonight for the first time in weeks. At least, I think it's been weeks since I've attended. Time has been playing tricks on me lately.

At any rate, I made it there tonight. My compadres critiqued the handful of pages I submitted and I critiqued theirs and we talked about books and I felt like a writer. It was wonderful.

It wasn't until after the meeting that I saw the texts from my sister letting me know my nephew had to go help Daddy get Mama off the floor. She hadn't technically fallen, thank goodness. When she knew she was losing her balance, she leaned against the wall and slid down, with Daddy holding her.

A controlled fall, I guess you could say. 

(I'm grateful my nephew is living close to them again.)

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

 

I really need to go dancing. Yes, I said "need".

Tom and I were invited to go with friends Friday night, but he had been working on cars all day (with no luck!) and was totally wiped out.

I had a lot of work to catch up on, myself, and would have gotten even farther behind if we'd gone. But, if only for therapeutic reasons, hitting a dance floor is rising ever higher on my priority list. 

Laughing is good therapy, too, though, and thanks to my blogging friend, Bill, of A Few Clowns Short, I got a good chuckle this week from the following video.

If you've never watched the TV show Breaking Bad, don't bother watching it. You won't get it, and you'll probably never want to watch the real thing!   

 

And now for more sweet!s of the past week, although I kind of gave some away in my last post... 

Sunday: no slow cars in front of you on the way to work; repeat customers; the sacrifice veterans make to ensure you stay free; majestic skies that make you pull off the road to stare and snap a photo; one more movie with your sweetie before heading out of town for a few days

Monday: leaving ahead of schedule on your road trip so you totally miss morning traffic; the red-orange rising sun peeking through low clouds on the horizon; your dad's surgeon giving him a good follow-up report; spinach enchiladas; laughing with your parents

 

 

Tuesday: telling your mom "Happy Birthday" first thing in the morning; making chili for your parents; the smell of a pumpkin pie in the oven; celebrating your mother's 81st birthday with family; reconnecting with a dear friend from your past

Wednesday: old red trucks; your parents' neighbor caring enough about them to call you for an update and to see how they can help; time to walk around the state capital with your camera while waiting to pick up your son from work; helping your future daughter-in-law celebrate her 25th birthday with margaritas and Mexican food; arriving home after being away (again) 

 

 

Thursday: hitting snooze and snuggling deeper under the covers on a cold morning; the moment when the first sunrays hit the Hollow; neighbors who tattle on your puppies when they are off on an adventure so you can call them home before they get into trouble; being stranded at home without a car so you have hours alone to work on your book; a surprise in the mailbox from one of your friends

Friday: a long walk with your puppies; finding writing inspiration in a fourth grade classroom; finally getting a chance to grocery shop for your house for the first time in weeks; watching an old Haley Mills movie with your sweetie 

 

 

Saturday: your puppy reminding you to go for your morning walk; a visit from your son and grandpuppy; a deluxe chicken quesadilla a la your son; a photo shoot of a beautiful family; red-haired babies; hearing good news about a friend's son

Sunday: French Toast after church, courtesy of your husband; a slow day at work when you're tired; finally making it to your writing group meeting for the first time in weeks

 

I hope, no matter how busy you are in the coming week, you remember to make note of your sweet! moments! 

Transitions

My Uncle Bobby passed away this week. Daddy's younger brother.

Like Daddy and the other men in his family, Uncle Bobby had suffered from heart and vascular problems for years, but it was a slow battle with cancer that took him away. He was a sweet man. In my heart I will always see him smiling, ready to laugh about something. 

That's him in the photo below, wearing my sister's wig, flanked by his son, Jeff, and yours truly, the Tomboy in ripped jeans. 

 

I'm grateful that I got to speak to Uncle Bobby a few times recently and assure him of my love and prayers. He called often to check on Daddy after his surgery. I'm glad they got to speak to each other, too.

Jeff stopped by my parents' house on my mom's birthday with a satchel full of old photo albums he'd found at his parents' house that had belonged to our aunt and grandmother. We opened them and stepped back into the years when we were oblivious to time.

When you're young, you can't imagine standing where your parents stand. You never dream that someday you'll be one of those pillars holding up the family, trying to help make decisions about things you had been happily oblivious to just months before.

 

 

Now time is tick, tick, ticking in my head. I feel the weight of it on my shoulders. I see, more than I ever did when I first became a mother, that circle of life, and I know that one day my kids will be taking my place as the pillars. 

But I remind myself that, if my kids are as blessed with oblivion as I have been, that time is still years away, and that I need to live each of these days, these years, to the fullest, just as my parents still do, to the best of their abilities.

I can't let the tick-ticking or the weight on my shoulders keep me from noticing blessings like cool old red trucks on display along the highway...

 

I pass Timeless Texas Classics on my way to and from Houston. Usually I travel too early or too late, and it's locked up. The old cars are tucked safely to bed up near the building.

But this past Wednesday the gate was open and these beauties were lined up close to the road. They smiled and waved at me, but I drove on by, in a hurry and too caught up in all I needed to do once I got home.

Then I realized the gift of the moment and made a U-turn. I spent several minutes walking up and down, snapping their photos, relishing that bit of suspended time.

Old cars and trucks make me smile - especially old trucks painted cherry red like the beauty above. And when you're a pillar - no, especially when you're a pillar - you need to do things that make you smile.

 

It really made me smile to hang out with a bunch of twenty-somethings that same night in honor of my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's 25th birthday. 

 

 

 

It was a little over six years ago when Tommy went to a friend's cousin's high school graduation party and fell in love. It's hard to believe Kirby was just eighteen when we first met her (and fell in love with her, too.)  

I love that all of my kids are living in Austin now, close enough to wish them happy birthdays in person.

 

Despite the challenges of the past few months, I'm still loving this season of my life.

I haven't been dancing as much as I'd like, but I can still dance. I can still walk down my dirt road and climb hills with my sweetie and puppies. I can hop in the car and meet friends for dinner... when we have time.

Time is the biggest challenge.

I haven't had time to finish my photography website or post new samples to sites where I can sell my photos or a dozen other things I need to do for my business, but this afternoon I get to photograph a beautiful family for the second year in a row. Last year the weather didn't cooperate and we had to take a few shots inside, so this year I'm going prepared with lights I borrowed from a friend, and I've been brushing up on how-to's of indoor portraits. Just in case.

I can still learn.

I'm also preparing for my writer's group meeting tomorrow evening. Thursday I was gloriously stranded at home alone for hours because Tom's car is out of commission and he needed mine to get to work so I spent them working on my children's book. Despite all that time, I barely eked out one short chapter, but I also overhauled my outline and fine tuned previous chapters, things I couldn't have done without several undistracted hours.

The next few chapters should come easier, and that's good, because I'm holding on to my goal of finishing my book by December 19, so I can submit it for critique before February's conference.

 

I hope whatever season of life you're in right now, you live it to its fullest. Let's make a pact not to waste a single moment of this sacred time we've been given... and especially the time we have with our loved ones.

 

 

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

 

Small Stones from Methodist Hospital

Today is the first ever Mindful Writing Day, and I almost missed it.

Small Stones is a term used by Fiona Robyn, from Writing Our Way Home, to describe a moment when you stop, focus and really pay attention to one thing and write it down, using words that evoke the senses.

I began gathering my stones in Methodist Hospital last week, while waiting there with my mother during my dad's surgery. I'm not sure if I did it right, but in any case, these are a few stones I gathered to share. Others gathered today...more private...I've tucked away in my heart.

 

Low voices. Muffled laughter. Squeaks and rattles and hums of carts and curtains and beds. Seconds tick in slow motion. Nearness and life press into heart and memory.

Momma's breath, rising, falling in sleep. Curtain-filtered light softens the lines on her face so close to my own, erases the years to a time when she was the night watchman who guarded my slumber.

Hospital time, measured in tap-tap-taps of IV drips, a succession of television shows, and nurse visits. 

Purses and bags of hospital-waiting necessities dangle from above. Snacks, medicine, writing material, books. Daddy's street clothes rest in Mama's lap, wrapped in a clear bag. Excuse me, excuse me, and everyone smiles, opens doors, makes room for the pretty lady in the wheelchair and her klutzy driver.

 

Check out the other stones on Writing Our Way Home and on the Mindful Writing Day Facebook page. And join me in the Rivers of Stone Challenge this January - write one stone every day. 

 

"Pay more attention and fall in love with the world." ~ Fiona Robyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muddling along on a Monday...

I woke in darkness yesterday morning.

A thunderstorm paid us a surprise visit in the middle of the night, giving us the whole shebang... lightning, wind, huge thunder booms and buckets of rain. Great snuggling weather. 

But a power outage, when you need to get ready for church and work, makes you realize how much you take electricity for granted, doesn't it? And you would think, by the third time you hit the light switch heading into the bathroom, you'd remember it's not going to work because there's no electricity!

By the time the sun rose, the dark clouds had moved on to terrorize other parts of the world and we've had glorious sunshine and dryer, cooler temperatures ever since... all the way down in the 80's!

Autumn has most certainly arrived in my part of Texas, even though the only color is still along the roadside in the form of yellow, white, and purple wildflowers. The only colored leaves are ones that succumbed to the long drought.

 

I met with my writing group last night. I'm still working on my book, even though progress is in baby steps. I even signed up to meet with an agent and an author for feedback at the writing conference coming up in February. That means I need to send samples of the book to them sometime in December...which means I need to have it {mostly} finished.

I love deadlines - without them I'd put everything off forever.

I've been subbing more lately, both in the elementary and the high school. I love the diversity of it, being able to help, and learning new things. Plus I love meeting new people. Even those a fraction of my age can be fascinating, like the third grader who gave me a refresher course on mancala last week.

What I don't love are rude kids, but those are few and far between, thank goodness.

Today is my sweet niece/goddaughter's birthday. I love being a Nina, but wish so much I could see her more often. Arizona is a long way from Texas.

This was from our summer reunion in Florida. (Nino Tom always grows a beard on vacation.)

Happy birthday, sweet Nicole! I hope you've had a beautiful day!

Through my writing journey, I've met so many talented writers. One friend from my screenwriting class, Richard Dean Johnson, has decided to tell his story in novel form first, just as I did with the historical fiction I'm writing based on my great-great grandfather's memoir.

Richard's story, Saving the Farm, was one of my favorite screenplays in the class, and I can't wait to read it in novel form, where he'll be able to better develop the characters and relationships without the page limits of a screenplay. 

Through Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects, he's raising money to hire a professional editor and publish the book in both digital and physical hardback book formats. Depending on donation amounts, supporters get perks, like copies of the book.

He's almost halfway to his goal, but only has a week left to raise the other half. Would you take a look at his Kickstarter page and possibly toss a few coins into his hat to help him with the project? You can find a synopsis of his book and information on how to donate on his Kickstarter page HERE.

P.S. I don't get a kickback from this plug - I'm just supporting a fellow writer who I believe in!

Good luck, Richard! Remember me when you're famous!

And now, my collection of sweet!s from the past week...

 

Sunday: a day with family; knowing your boys made it home from a road trip to visit their grandfather on his birthday

 

 

Monday: watching the Dark Shadows movie with your mom and dad; spotting a woodpecker just out the window; driving into a glorious red sky, headed home; a wiggly puppy greeting you on your front porch

Tuesday: a heating pad on a pinched muscle and a few more minutes to sleep; taking a day off for a slow walk through fall wildflowers and getting reaquainted with your drums

Wednesday: mist draped across a hill's shoulders; finally creating your photography business website; a whole hour of Modern Family, and watching it with your sweetie; following through on your promise to yourself to go to bed early

Thursday: getting up in time to run before heading to work; a refresher course on Mancala from a third grader (and winning!); elementary school assemblies; spending the evening with your daughter

Friday: your son letting you know of job openings he knows you'd love; finishing up a chapter in your book-in-progress; a call from a friend you haven't spoken to in awhile; a good news text from a friend; cyclops cookies, fresh out of the oven

 

 

 

Saturday: remembering the day your blue-eyed, dark-haired middle son was born; helping prepare for a wedding at a winery; celebrating your son's 24th birthday; pumpkin ale, pumpkin cider, and silly movies with your son and hubby 

 

 

Sunday: snuggling deeper under the covers on a stormy pre-dawn morning; blue skies after a night of thunder and lightning; power returning after an outage; spicy carne asada when you're feeling really drained; meeting with your writer's group in person for the first time in weeks

Monday: being in the right place at the right time to help someone; teenagers listening and following rules when you're subbing; high schooler's informational speeches; an afternoon walk with your puppies

 

I hope you already have a great collection of sweet!s started for this week!

Linking up with

Rainy Days, for a change

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

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

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

 

This is what it looked like Saturday morning.

 

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 ...or a grandpuppy.

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Yikes! 

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

Disappointment

 

How do you deal with disappointment,

and what lessons do you have to share from those experiences?

That's BlogHer's Life Well Lived Getting Happy question of the week and it's had me sorting through my past, trying to remember disappointing moments in my life. It was tougher than I thought it would be - I think the way I deal with disappointment is to accept the feeling, try to learn from it, forgive or forget as necessary, and move on. 

But I finally dug up a few disappointments: crumbled friendships that I thought were rock solid, some broken promises, missed opportunities, rejection letters... 

I remember like it was yesterday finding that letter in my mailbox...the one telling me the Texas magazine wanted to publish and pay me for the very first personal essay I had ever submitted anywhere in my entire life. I was flying so high from their acceptance and the validation of my writing that I'm sure my feet never touched the ground on my way back to the house.

The low that followed when I sat down to write again was fueled by the fear of rejection. It was so scary sending that next essay out into the world, sure that people were going to read it, shake their heads, and whisper that my first success must have been a fluke.  

But I made myself write it and send it out anyway. I also read all I could about famous writers who had received numerous rejection letters. It helped prepare me for my own inevitable rejection letter.

In a way, it was a relief to get that first rejection out of the way. I was disappointed, of course, but I lived. And I also learned, because the editor, Ken Hammond, let me know his reasons and encouraged me to try again. 

Before the Houston Chronicle quit publishing the Texas magazine, it rejected several of my essays, but accepted and published two more.  And one they rejected received an honorable mention in a Writer's Digest contest.

The thing is, disappointment is just part of life. If you want to experience the highs... if you want to appreciate the highs... well, you have to expect the lows.

You probably get bonus points for appreciating them, too.

So... 

 

How do you deal with disappointment,

and what lessons do you have to share from those experiences?

 

Please share your answer here, but then hop over and join in the conversation on the main post HERE. To win an iPod Touch, leave a comment on the sweepstakes page HERE.

 

 

A Photography, Writing, Duck Soup, Fajitas, and Birthday Cake Weekend

Several months ago, on a slow Saturday at the winery bistro, I waited on a man and his wife. The man had a Nikon, so of course I started asking him a jillion questions and talking photography.

Their son had gotten married that weekend, so I gave him my email address and he sent me the link to the photos he took (fantastic!) and some websites to check out for posting pics, etc. 

Well, this past Saturday Steve (that's his name) dropped in for lunch and a photography shoot. He sat by a window and was able to snap images of some hummingbirds that never stay put long enough for me to grab my camera and capture.

It was a busier Saturday than the first so we didn't get to talk shop as much, but it was still fun seeing him in person again.

Isn't it amazing how friendships are born?

From work I drove straight to my writing critique group meeting. I finished my latest chapter too late for everyone to critique this time (the key thing is I finished it!), but I benefit just from meeting with these women and sharing critiques of their works.

Three of the members were pitching their works-in-progress at the Writer's League of America conference and couldn't make the meeting; before we left we heard via phone that all three had been asked to submit chapters to agents! I'm in good company, that's for sure. (I hope they let me keep meeting with them!)

From there, I headed to a concert-in-progress by Duck Soup. Our school's previous band director, Les Huff, is a member and I had yet to hear him play in this band. I finally made it!

The place was packed and I had fun listening, snapping a few photos, and dancing in place from the sidelines, but even more fun when I met up with Les' wife and made it out to the dance floor during the last set.

That's Les on the end. Don't let all the gray hair and bald heads fool you... these guys can rock!

Here's a better one of Les. Notice the trumpet at his feet? Multi-talented! 

The dance floor was packed, with all ages represented...

(I'm not going to say where they were playing because this restaurant, previously one of my favorites and one I've given tons of free publicity in the past, has decided to put a minimum tab of $50 on all outside seats during these concerts. So I won't be eating there anymore or mentioning them on my website.)

Sunday after Mass Tom and I drove to a friend's house to help her celebrate her birthday, which was actually today (happy birthday, Leslie!)

Fajitas, birthday cake, and friendship - the perfect ending to a beautiful weekend.

(Today Tom and I went hunting snakes - but I'll save that for another post.)

Hope your weekend was filled with music, friendship, and things that bring a smile to your face!