Long Hollow

Time

 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 

I am grateful I started blogging so many years ago. I love looking back at my old posts, where my thoughts are preserved and photos keep loved ones and experiences alive in my heart. It's an archive of our lives during the past 13 years.

Or at least a pretty good archive until 2018. That's when blogging lost out to other parts of my life that were demanding more of me ... my real estate business, grandchildren, friends and family.

Those are all important, for sure, and worthy uses of my time. But I miss having that archive. I miss being able to revisit moments and memories whenever I want to. And I have begun to realize that my time spent blogging was important in other ways. It helped me process what was going on in our lives, to either celebrate the good times or find the joy in the sad and tough times. 

I've been faithful about writing in my gratitude journal every morning. I will continue that, but there are no photos in my gratitude journal. Photos capture moments in ways that words can't, and vice versa. My blog allows me to do both. 

In the beginning, it was about the words. I was a writer. Then photos took center stage, as my photography addiction grew. And I enjoyed connecting with other bloggers, writers, photographers around the world. Many of them have stopped blogging, but I've stayed connected to them through Facebook, and I'm grateful for that. 

I realize I don't care if anyone else reads what I write now. I am truly doing this for me. 

Of course, last year I had good intentions of blogging at least once a month. By the end of December, I had published two. I started many posts, but finding the time to finish them was the challenge. My real estate business grew and there is always something I should be doing for it or my clients. 

Time slips away too easily. I'm really not sure where 2021 went. Or 2020. Or 2019. So this year I'm focused on the motto "Life by design, not by default." I'm going to block time in my schedule for the important things related to my business, clients, family, friends, spiritual life, physical health, and mental health.  I've done that before, of course, but I'm determined to do a better job of protecting that time and being intentional with it.

I've decided blogging is one of those important things, because it brings me joy, so my goal is at least one post a week.

Time is precious, and I want to relish what I've been given. And since 2021 was such a blur, I'm going to reflect back and preserve each month with some photos and memories, before I lose them.... both the photos and the memories.

But that will be my next post. I'll end this one with some highlights from the first week of 2022...

 

I get up before dawn each day. I eat breakfast, write in my gratitude journal, then head to my office to plan the day.

I'm not sure how many beautiful sunrises I've missed because I'm glued to my computer, but I'm grateful I looked up and out on this morning. 

 

 

Belle doesn't let me linger in my office very long before herding me out for our morning walk.

The highlight is the view from our neighbor's hill. 

On cold mornings the hollows near the lake fill with clouds. 

 

 

I'm still finding heart rocks on our caliche road. 

 

 

We had a stretch of unusually warm, spring-like weather, but a few days ago winter arrived and Tom got the first fire going in our stove.

It heats our whole house.

I'm so grateful for it! 

 

 

In the first days of the new year, I already felt stressed and overwhelmed.

I'm sure it's because I was thinking of all I needed to do but wondering how the hell I would fit it all in my schedule, because getting enough sleep is one of my priorities, also. What should get my "yes" and what should get my "no"?

Then a friend posted this quote. It's something I knew and have practiced, but I had let it get away from me. 

I needed the reminder, so I'll share it here, in case someone is reading this who also needs it. It may be me again in a few months! 

 

 

No offense to Ralph, but I have to add that I believe occasionally reflecting on the highlights of all the yesterdays isn't wasted time if it brings you joy and helps you remember how rich you really are!

Happy 2022!

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

 

It is a glorious autumn day here in Long Hollow.

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

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

First and foremost, we have a new grandson!

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

They had a condo right on the beach. 

Definitely one of my happy places!

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

Eventually I'll mail them to my relatives.

 

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

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

 

 

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

I became very familiar with doggy diapers.

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

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

She was always a wonderful big sister. 

 

 

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

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

May God bless each one of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

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

~Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

 

Even in the madness...

 

Every morning Belle and I take a walk on our caliche road. We have a set path of about 1.5 miles. First we head in one direction where the road twists and turns and dips, then we backtrack past our house and up a short hill before turning around and returning home. 

Belle sets the pace, mostly at a fast trot which means I'm jogging to keep up with her, but there are a considerable number of stops along the way as she picks up scents and has to investigate. She will also stop and wait for me as I photograph heart rocks and flowers or when I  pause to listen to the birds singing to one another.

In particular, there's a mockingbird living at about the halfway mark on the first leg of our adventure.  I always stop to enjoy his performance for a few minutes. He is so talented!

I also pray along the way, counting the decades of a Rosary on my fingers in time with my steps and breathing.

In the quiet of the morning, I reflect on all that I have to be grateful for...  like heart rocks, flowers, birds, our dirt road...and of course also my family, friends, and clients, asking for the health and safety of each one, along with any other special prayer requests for the day. 

Even before COVID-19 introduced extra challenges and new fears, life could be pretty chaotic and challenging, making it easy to get distracted by what-ifs or worry about things I have no control over.

Some mornings I wake up already feeling overwhelmed by all I should accomplish that day, wondering how I'm going to prioritize them or where the strength will come from to stay focused and get everything done.

And that's where the hill comes in. 

As I said, it's a small hill. Maybe 1/10th of a mile. It doesn't rise at a steep angle and even levels off in a couple of places. 

But I'm 61, and even though I have run up this hill almost every morning for a few years now, it always feels like a huge challenge. Each time I take that first inclined step, I hear a voice telling me I'm just not strong enough for it that morning. It tells me it's okay to just skip it.  

I've learned to ignore that voice and tell myself, instead, to just move forward, one step at a time. If I really need to, I can stop, but I remind myself I've done it over and over and over, and somehow I always have the strength to get to the top.

Just focus on taking one step at a time. Keep moving forward. 

Some days I'm slower than others. Some days I walk a few steps on the level parts. And some days our neighbor's dog notices us and comes out barking a warning, whereupon out of respect for Frankie (the dog) I give myself permission to cut it short and head back downhill. 

But I don't let the fear of Frankie's bark keep me from heading back up the hill the next morning. 

I'm not sure when I started applying the lessons of the hill to the rest of my life, but I do now. Whatever challenge lies ahead of me that day, as I'm running up the hill I remind myself that I just need to take it one step at a time, keep moving forward, and that God will give me the direction and strength I need for it, if I just ask.  

Beyond the physical benefits of running up that little hill, I also find peace. 

 

 

 

Besides my morning walks with Belle, here are a few other sweet!s from the past week...

 

 

A bluebonnet still blooming! 

Tom making it to his mom's safely

Referrals from friends and past clients

A watercolor of my grandson in his rain boots painted by my daughter-in-law's mom

Fireflies lighting up the woods

 

 

Two closings, including this cute condo

Finding someone to install my large sign on a commercial listing

A virtual happy hour with friends

No lines getting into the grocery store

FaceTime with my grandson

 

 

Listing a charming bungalow built in 1923

An in-person-with-social-distancing gathering with other friends

Limoncello

Watching a lightning storm at night from our covered back deck

 

 

The roadside exploding in wildflowers

 

Heart rocks in my path

 

 

I hope you've found sweet!s throughout your week and I pray you don't let fear keep you from stepping forward to climb the hills in your path.

I pray you find peace.

 

And even in the madness, there is peace
Drowning out the voices all around me
Through all of this chaos
You are writing a symphony...

- "Symphony" by Switch

(If you haven't heard the song "Symphony", I encourage you to take a listen HERE. It's one of my favorites.)

I couldn't help myself!

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

~Author unknown

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

I spotted this heart at the house above...

 

 

And I spotted this little heart this morning...

 

 

I have a new ride! 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

I almost forgot the candle!

 

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

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

~Lois Wyse

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

~Author Unknown

Sweets in the Time of COVID-19

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

I'll start with Easter.

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

I turned 61 last month.

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

 

 

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

 

 

I still enjoy daily morning walks and prayers with Belle.

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

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

 

 

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

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

We have enjoyed gathering via Zoom, though.

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

The Keller Williams Family Reunion was in Dallas this year.

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

I can share these photos, too.

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

On Hearts

 

Man has made many machines, complex and cunning, but which of them indeed rivals the workings of his heart?

~Pablo Casals

 

I had just stepped into the last house on a property tour when it happened: my heart seemed to turn a somersault, I nearly passed out, and the pounding started ...as in, my heart started pounding in my chest like I had somehow trapped a hard rock drummer inside of it. 

It had happened once before, almost 10 years ago (Heart Beats, Heart POUNDS) but follow up tests revealed nothing wrong with my heart, and I hadn't had another episode since that first one, which hit in the middle of the night. It only lasted about 30 minutes and stopped as quickly as it started, so of course, that's what I expected this time. So I gave my feedback on the property to the host agent, got in my car, and drove home, expecting the pounding to stop before I could walk in my front door.

Well, it didn't. So an hour and a half later, I was strapped on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance in my doctor's office's parking lot with my heart still racing and pounding, about to be transported to the hospital. At one point they clocked it at 177 beats/minute. My neck, back, and shoulders ached from the pressure.  

The paramedics had given me an empty syringe which I had been blowing into every few minutes for the past 20 minutes or so - like trying to blow up a stubborn balloon. Just as they were taking one last set of readings before pulling out of the parking lot, I blew into it and immediately felt relief. The paramedic said he saw my heart rate drop down to 90 beats per minute.

After waiting a few minutes to be sure my heart was going to behave itself, I was relieved that I was able to climb out of the ambulance and go home. A trip to the hospital as a patient in an ambulance isn't something I want to add to my 61 x 61 list (61 new experiences by my 61st birthday), if I can help it!

I've since seen the cardiologist, who diagnosed the pounding as SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) based on the EKG my doctor took in the middle of the episode. It's an electrical malfunction, where the nerve signal gets stuck in a smaller, easier loop in the cartilage where the four heart chambers connect. For some reason I don't completely understand, the strain of blowing into a tough syringe, or a balloon, or even making yourself cough hard can reset it back onto the correct pathway and normal heartbeats. If that doesn't work, and the episodes are frequent, there is medication and a procedure called an ablation that can be done. 

I'm praying mine is just a random thing, possibly brought on by a few weeks of steady allergy and cold medicine (thank you, Cedar Fever!) combined by I'm-not-sure-how-many cups of coffee a day I had been drinking. Now I'm paying attention to how much coffee I'm drinking each day, and I'm also making sure I work out regularly and get enough sleep, since stress can play a part in it (although I didn't feel unusually stressed out either time it has happened.) 

Getting older is a blessing, but it can also be tricky and full of surprises! 

[A]ccept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields....

~Khalil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923

I counted a number of 'sweets' that day.  I didn't pass out, wreck, and hurt anyone...my doctor's office was very responsive and helpful...the paramedics were so knowledgeable...I didn't have to be transported... my husband and kids were on standby ready to help and meet me wherever I ended up.

But there have been many others this past month, including...

 

 

Lots of playdates with my grandson, supplemented by Facetime in between our visits

He calls me BiBi now!

 

 

I formed a corporation for my business (Shallue Property Group, Inc. - sounds so official!)

 

 

Sharing some beautiful sunrises on my daily walks with Belle (she turned 10 this month!)

 

 

My old Hyundai Elantra is going strong, even though she is also now 10, and has over 220,000 miles on her.

 

 

Steady business, closings, referrals from friends and past clients, and listings with multiple offers

 

 

Taking breaks to tap dance and play my drums (when no one is home!)

 

 

Still finding heart rocks along my path and friends sharing photos of the hearts they find with me

 

 

My kids bathing Belle for me when she rolled in poop on our morning walk 

 

 

The rose bush planted in my mom's honor at her nursing home is still alive, growing and blooming

 

A motivating book and set of question cards from our leadership at the Associate Leadership Council retreat, and a belated Christmas gift from my daughter... one of my favorite movies 

 

 

Wine in the mail (a gift from clients)

 

 

Feeling snow on my face and finding a dusting of it still on everything the next morning (unfortunately there wasn't enough for a snowman)

 

I also lost a classmate this month, and two friends lost their brothers. I'm getting more intentional about connecting with my friends and family, even if it's just a quick phone call or text, so they know they are important to me. Time goes by so fast, and when we are busy, it's easy to put off the things that matter the most. Don't wait!

I hope, no matter what is going on in your life, you keep a lookout for the 'sweets' in every situation. Believe me, you'll find them if you look for them, expecting to find them.

Happy Valentine's Month! I'm grateful for you!

 

 

Heart & me—
Fragile
and strong
Broken
and whole
Loving,
and loving.
~Terri Guillemets

 

 

On Peace, and a decade of surprises

 

"There will be peace in the valley..."

 

Almost every morning I run up a small hill near our home to take in this view of the Texas Hill Country. The last couple of days of 2019, I was greeted with this image of golden light, crisp blue skies, and mist forming over Lake Travis. In my mind I could hear Elvis singing "There will be peace in the valley..." 

That's not surprising, since over the past few weeks the word Peace has been catching my attention more and more. I'm not sure if it's because of our country's current political rhetoric or because the last few months - no, the whole past year - has just been more hectic and demanding than I could ever have imagined, but it's clear Peace is going to be my word for 2020.

I will aim for the inner peace that comes with knowing I am doing my absolute best each day, even if I don't accomplish everything I hoped to accomplish or if others don't appreciate or understand all that I'm doing.

I will strive to be a peacemaker, to help others... friends, clients, colleagues... find resolution, perspective, and common ground in conflict. I won't run away from conflict (how could I be at peace with myself if I did that?) but will look for constructive ways to handle it.  

I will pray for peace in our world, for more wisdom and education and tolerance and LOVE, and less pride, ego, selfishness, and greed. 

I hope you will join me. 

 

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.

~William Ewart Gladstone

 

Speaking of 2020, doesn't that number just seem surreal? How did it get here so fast? I realized on this past Christmas Day that I had no memory of last Christmas Day, except for the Facebook memory that popped up. That's another reason I feel Peace is a good focus word for me this year, to help me be still, process, and (hopefully) remember more of these precious moments.  

That being said, last year was an awesome year for my business. I helped more families than ever with their real estate needs, even doubling the number of listings I sold. We paid off our credit card debt (I won't tell you how much, but if you knew, your jaw would drop and you'd be impressed), plus we have money saved for expenses we know are coming. For example, both my computer and my car recently celebrated their 10th birthdays. I have emotional ties with each which I really need to sever and move on from. Wish me luck!

In 2010, my focus was on being a writer. We had two kids in college and one recently graduated. We were empty-nesters, enjoying the freedom that brings. Every weekend we were celebrating someone's 50th birthday, going dancing, listening to music. 

It was a lot of fun, but it actually makes me tired thinking about it. 

We lost my father-in-law in 2012. Shortly afterward, my own parent's health began declining rapidly. I was constantly driving back and forth from Austin to Houston for my parents' doctor's appointments.

2013 was truly a year of highest highs and lowest lows.  My oldest got married in April of that year. Shortly after that, I realized that neither writing or photography would provide the extra income we needed at the time, so I finally took my sister-in-law's advice and started completely over at the age of 54 with a career in real estate. 

Just as I began my classes, my parents' lives changed: Daddy had a stroke, Mama fell, and they both ended up in the hospital, then a nursing home, where Daddy died a couple of months later.

Just before we said goodbye to 2013, I moved my mom to a nursing home near me. Weekly trips to Houston to check on her were replaced with daily visits. Just part of my normal routine until she passed in 2016.

In a way it was a time of mourning, watching her steadily decline no matter how hard I fussed and fought, but I am so grateful for that time I had with her. 

When both of your parents are gone, it is such a lost, scary feeling. You realize you are an orphan, no matter how old you are. You aren't someone's child, you're just a grown up, the matriarch or patriarch of a family. Your own mortality stares you in the face and, if you're lucky, you come to terms with it and decide to make the best of the time you have left, which brings me to the highlights of the past 10 years. These are just skimming the surface... 

As I've mentioned, my oldest got married. (see The Most Beautiful Wedding Ever) 

 

 

My real estate business skyrocketed after Mama passed. I know she had something to do with it. Thanks, Mama. 

My two youngest graduated from college and both got jobs right away...in Austin. Still close to me!

I spent a week in Italy with dear friends I've known since high school. And we're planning a trip together to Paris this year. 

 

I became a grandmother... or BiBi, as I now prefer to be called. 

 

 

My daughter met and married the love of her life.

 

 

In 2010 I never imagined how challenging my life would get within a few short years, calling on every ounce of faith in my heart. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I would be running my own real estate business in 2020, and I honestly don't think I would be as successful as I am now if I hadn't been faced with those earlier challenges.

It's never too late to learn and grow, to start over and change, when necessary.

"Never give up, never surrender."

~ Galaxy Quest

As we move forward into 2020... into the inevitable highs and lows... the peaks and the valleys... I wish all of you joy and gratitude in the peaks, and peace and faith in the valleys. Happy New Year!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

~ John 14:27

 

 

 

 

On Joy ... plus a smattering of sweet!s

 

 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).

 

A few months ago, in a process I can't really describe, Joy stepped up to be my word for 2019. 

When pulling out my Christmas decorations, seeing it written on so many ornaments, I realized it had been trying to get my attention for a long time,  waiting for me to truly understand it.

Now, I'm not talking about joy that is used interchangeably with happiness.  The joy I speak of isn't dependent on circumstances or events. It's certainly there in happy times, but also in sorrowful ones, too.  

This joy is happiness, all grown up. Wiser. More resilient. It's the friend or spouse who knows all of your quirks and bad points, but loves you anyway. You know they will always be there when you need them, lending their wisdom and strength. 

I've heard that JOY is an acronym for "Jesus, Others, You", and that makes sense to me. To feel joy, I think it's necessary to cultivate your spiritual side, to reach out and help others, but also to take care of yourself. 

Joy helps us overcome fear and anxiety with the knowledge that everything will be okay. It is a gift that hold hands with faith, and brings peace along with it. Circumstances change... today's happiness will inevitably fade, perhaps even end in tears. But possessing joy is knowing today's blue skies and sunshine may disappear behind storm clouds, but the sunshine is still there, bright as ever, and will return. Stormy days just help us appreciate the sunny ones, and remind us we're not going to melt in the rain.

But joy finds beauty even in gray skies.  It's where we find those silver linings.  

Today was a gray day. But finishing up my prayers on our back deck after this morning's walk with Belle, I spotted a robin perched on a bare limb about 20 feet away. He remained there quite a while, perfectly still, staring straight ahead, as if lost in thought. Maybe he was finishing up his prayers, too. Then he chirped an 'amen' and flew off. 

That was just one sweet! for the morning. Another was the sound of the rushing creek below us. Our ponds are full and overflowing, thanks to all of the rain we've had this year. I'm grateful recent rains have been spread out, not falling all at once and causing floods. 

Here are a few others from the first couple of weeks of 2019...

My sister had surgery on a herniated disc this morning and she can already tell a difference in her hands. 

Belle's 8th birthday!

 

 

Long visits with older clients who don't 'e-sign' documents

A visit with Little C, Josie, and their mama and daddy after two longs weeks since the last visit

 

 

Dinner and viewing houses with a friend who is ready to buy her own home again after several years of personal challenges

The Eiffel Tower in our little town, all lit up (I hate to stop and get a photo)

 

Rain washing much of the cedar pollen away

An inspiring and fun retreat with our priest and members of our church finance and pastoral councils

 

 

Beautiful weather for a one-day trip to Houston with colleagues, and perfect timing to witness the day's glorious sunrise and sunset

Remaining semi-calm when my phone completely died overnight and hours of charging didn't seem to revive it

Trying one last time... and seeing a spark of life in my phone!

A great clinic with other Agent Leadership Councils from all over southeast Texas and finally eating at Peters BBQ in Ellinger (the ribs! yum!) on the return home

A season of gorgeous sunsets and sunrises

 

 

The bright red of a cardinal on a gray day

Enjoying a fun lunch sponsored by builder DR Horton with my accountability group

 

 

Three listings under contract within one week

Toasting the birth of the Shallue Property Group with my teammate, Amanda

 

The sight of ducks flying through the hollow

Celebrating a friend's 60th birthday at one of my favorite restaurants...Ajo in Round Rock

 

 

Pots of Hoppin' John and chili for welcoming 2019 with our nephew, his family, most of our kids

Little C's first visit to our house and our Christmas present from him

 

 

May you be able to focus on Joy and cling to it throughout this new year!

I think Joy sleeps in strange places. We're always looking for her in shiny, happy, fun times, assuming that Joy prefers her twin brother, Pleasure, when she often hangs out with her somewhat stoic big sister, Strength. Joy is not always easy to recognize, dirt-smudged and sweating, brambles in her hair. I want to believe she sometimes wears a ski mask.

~Edmond Manning, King Perry

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

It's the year I became a grandmother! 

 

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

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

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

Just more to look forward to in this new year!

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

 

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

 

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

 

 We celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida...

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

We read good books and have some great conversations!

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

Closings always land on the sweet! list...

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

Before we go any farther into November...

 

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

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

 

 

Aren't we cute? Sigh.

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

I'm so blessed to have them. 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

Meet Father Raj...

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

"Is, then, September come so soon?"

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

So, here I go...

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

Never a dull moment for us!

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

Another tiny thread that sews us together. 

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

~Simone Signoret

 

 

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

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

Multiple referrals from friends and past clients

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

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

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

Commission checks

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

Audible, so I can "read" while driving 

Rain

A sky full of stars in a pre-dawn morning

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

Playing my drums

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

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

Two separate 60th birthday parties for friends

Reading the journals I kept for my kids during their childhoods

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

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

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

Being dive-bombed by a hummingbird

The macaroons at Elizabeth Street Cafe

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

 

 

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

 

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

Call me BiBi (Have I mentioned I'm a grandmother?)

 

 

Yes, yes. I know I've already mentioned it, but hey, I'm a grandmother now, so you'll probably hear about it a lot! 

It's hard for me to believe, but my grandson will soon celebrate his 1 month birthday. He is still mostly just eating and sleeping and growing, but it's so amazing to hold him and watch him while he sleeps. I can see him dreaming...  his eyes twitch, his mouth moves, he smiles...

What are you dreaming about, little C?

 

 

To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid.

~Robert Brault

I don't live close enough to see him everyday, but I'm close enough to be there pretty fast if ever I'm needed. I'm not sure if that will ever happen. My son and daughter-in-law have things under control, but they know we are here if they need us.

Thanks to my job as a Realtor, though, I travel all over the city, so I've been able to swing by at least once a week after showing property, whether they need me or not. 

As I imagined, becoming a grandmother brought me a lot of "firsts" to add to my 60 by 60 list: the first time I heard little C cry... the first time I watched my son change little C's diaper...the first time I held little C... fed little C a bottle... changed little C's diaper myself... 

Yes, a lot of firsts and "sweet!"s come with the birth of a grandbaby.

(Isn't he beautiful?)

 

If your baby is "beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time," you’re the grandma.

~Teresa Bloomingdale

 

Life continues apart from grandmothering, though, so here are a few "sweet!"s from the past couple of months (just a handful for the sake of time!) ... 

 

I continue to find heart rocks, and friends continue sending me images of hearts they are finding from clouds and leaves to onions and radishes!

My front porch when it's all swept of leaves, dirt, and dog hair

 

 Hard hat tours of downtown Austin hi-rise condos, like 70 Rainey and 5th & West

 

Amazing views of Lady Bird Lake from 70 Rainey 

 

Hard hats shaped like cowboy hats!

 

Inspiration and chocolate, courtesy of Dove

Driving to Belton to meet an interesting, elderly, "off the cloud" client in person to sign a listing agreement

 

Stopping for lunch afterward at a restaurant on Lake Belton where I ate with my grandmother decades ago

 

A visit from my nephew and his precious kids

Finding valuable podcasts and books on Audible to listen to when driving

Playing my drums 

Spotting a deer, a cotton-tail, and a fox all on one morning walk

 

Helping a friend's son and his wife buy their first home, and having their offer selected over others

Referrals from friends and past clients

Getting a $70K reduction in our county property taxes because of my protest

Stepping out of my comfort zone

 

Friends from high school letting me know when they are in town

Rain, rain, and more rain

Listening to the birds chattering in the trees, excited about the rain

A friend living in Paris sharing photos of a sunset over the Seine River

 

Purple flowers, and other things we tend to take for granted. 

(This is an old photo of prairie verbena, a tough and beautiful flower that continues to bloom despite drought or flood, freezing winters or scorching summers.  It's blooming at the curve of our road right now, but I realized yesterday morning that I hadn't even noticed it until then, even though it's one of my favorites. I just wasn't paying attention. What favorites are you taking for granted right now?)

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.

~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982

 

 

 

 

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

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

~Jack Layton

 

 

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

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

I wanted to help celebrate her 85th birthday. 

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

    17. Viewing a rainbow from above!

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

Sleeping with the windows open

Our HVAC system fixed after several days without it.

Dinner and the movie "The Book Club" with friends

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

 

 

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

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

A kitchen still sporting vintage tile 

 

 

The call of Chuck-Wills-Widow at dusk

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

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

 

 

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

Mornings with Belle

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

Spotting a pink heart on the back of a caterpillar

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

~Henry Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

60 by 60

 

 

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.

~Larry McMurtry

 

 

I can't believe I've been 59 for over a month now and haven't yet posted about the "60 by 60" challenge I've made to myself for the coming year.  Time continues to spin faster and faster, and there are still so many things I've intended to do or experience just around Austin, much less the rest of the world. If I'm not intentional about it, I'll just keep putting things off and miss opportunities to experience new things, which means I'll miss opportunities to learn and grow.

It's so easy to get 'too busy'.

So I've started a list that I will add to over the coming year, as ideas come to me or opportunities arise. My goal is to experience 60 new things by my 60th birthday.  It might be as simple as trying a new food or restaurant, or experiencing a city I've never been to... New Orleans, for example, the site for the 2019 Keller Williams Family Reunion.

The biggest and best new experience this year, of course, will be becoming a grandmother. That, in itself, will bring a ton of new and wonderful firsts.

But most of the things on my list are just touristy things around Austin or somewhere else in Texas that have been on my "one day" list for far too long.  You know how it is when you live in a city - you don't sense any urgency in visiting these places, and all too often, you never get there. I don't want that to happen.

I'm not putting everything I've ever wanted to do on here, like visit every country in the world, and some for a second or third time. If the opportunity arises during the year, that's great, but I do realize my limitations in time and finances.  

Now, without further ado (and without putting this off another day or week) here is my list so far, starting with the new things I experienced in April. May has been pretty uneventful so far, which is another reason I want to get this going!  

 

 

1. Visit Hope Outdoor Gallery/Graffiti Park -
   
   Done! This place is iconic Austin and I've been wanting to visit for a long time. Its days are now numbered; rumor has it it will be moved to another location in Austin, but I can't imagine it will be the same. I wanted to go to the original on Castle Hill, so after showing property nearby one day last month, I finally made the time to stroll through, admire the artwork and watch people putting their own mark on the concrete walls. I also met... shoot, I can't think of his name right now... who sells his own style of art created from chunks of the wall. You can see the layers of paint in each piece. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Eat at the Soup Peddler -
   
   Done! I'll admit I had never heard of this little restaurant before I spotted it and decided to eat there. But the parking lots near Graffiti Park are full of warning signs about getting towed unless you're visiting one of the businesses they front ... plus I was hungry... plus I had never been there... so why not two new things in a row? I had an amazing turkey sandwich before climbing Castle Hill to view the artwork. Everything there is so fresh and different. It's a great spot for me to stop when I'm in the area - quick and cheap and delicious. I'm so glad I know about it now!
   
   
3. Eat at Fareground -
   
   Done! Another place I didn't know about, but experienced by tagging along with my son and his wife, who are on top of everything going on in Austin. It's an underground food court right downtown, full of satellite restaurants from some of the best spots in town, including Ni-Kome, where I experienced #4...
   
   
4. Try real Ramen -
   
   Done! Prior to this, my knowledge of ramen was limited to those cheap little packets you get from the grocery store. I had no idea ramen could be a gourmet food. My kids are always teaching me new things! Thank you, Tommy and Kirby!
   
   
5. Eat at the Bouldin Creek Cafe -
   
   Done! I finally enjoyed brunch at this iconic Austin restaurant with my dear friend Lisa when she was in town visiting her son. It was so good! Now I know where to pass the time when I'm stuck on the south side. Thank you, Lisa!
   
   
   
   
6. Celebrate San Jacinto Day at the San Jacinto Monument -
   
   
   
   
   Done! San Jacinto Day is the celebration of  the final battle on April 21, 1836 of the Texas Revolution, where Texas won its independence from Mexico.
   
   I grew up in the shadow of the San Jacinto Monument and have visited it more times than I can count, first as a child with my parents on up until I was a mom taking my own kids out there. I'm such a Texas history geek that I would even visit the museum by myself.
   
   So would you believe that even though every year there is a re-enactment of the battle and a festival, I've never gone? And I wouldn't have made it this year if my sweet and smart friend Rae didn't suggest I come in a day earlier than I planned for my reunion with friends/co-workers from my DuPont days.
   
   I admit I didn't actually watch the re-enactment on Saturday (I had to get ready for the reunion), but I experienced something even better ... I met Sam Houston at a special preview on Friday night who acted as tour guide for us through the Texan camp and the battleground. We also heard the Mexican side of the story from someone in their army. The whole time a trio of Texan pioneer minstrels followed us at a distance, serenading us with period music.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   At the festival the next day, we visited booths, bought kettle corn, watched Native American dancers (who were amazing!), and even bumped into a high school classmate dressed in period clothing who is an expert on cannons from that period, and actually owns an exact replica.
   
   
   
   I know a lot about Texas history but learned so much more that weekend. Thank you, Rae! (And thank you for sharing some of your photos like this one!)
   
   
   
   
7. Take a hard hat tour of a downtown Austin hi-rise - 
   
   Done! It wasn't my first time in a hard hat by any means, but for the first time in more than 25 years, I donned one again, this time to view a new hi-rise condo being built in Austin right now.
   
   My clients and I joined the sales rep for the ride up via a construction elevator - much more secure than being lifted in a cage by a crane like we were during construction and shut-downs at my chemical plant! They are in the finish-out stage of the interior now, so the building itself was enclosed and secure.
   
   
   
   
   
   I can't wait to see it when it's all finished.
   
   That's a first I'm looking forward to! But it's not the only one...
   
   
8. Visit 5th and West when it's complete. 
9. Visit the Elisabet Ney museum.
10. Visit the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.
11. Hike the Greenbelt and see the Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls 
12. Visit the Blanton Museum (It's true. I admit I've never been inside.)
13. Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
14. Visit the Zilker Botanical Garden.
15. Have my photo taken in front of the real "Greetings from Austin" mural at Roadhouse Relics.
16. See the Harlem Globetrotters. (a dream from childhood)
17. Experience Sound & Cinema at the Long Center
18. Go to the Austin Kite Festival.
19. Visit New Orleans.
20. Take a Louisiana plantation tour with my friend Sandy. We've been talking about it for too many years.
21. See the Lipizzan Stallions (if they come to Texas this year - another dream from childhood)
22. Visit Hamilton Pool (it's another travesty that I've never been)
23. Swim in Jacob's Well.
24. Eat at Mattie's at Green Pastures.
25. Go to Unplugged at the Grove.
26. Experience Microsessions.
27. Listen to live music at the Continental Club.
28. Listen to live music at the Elephant Room.  
29. Make it to a taping of Austin City Limits. 
30. Visit Marfa, Texas, and see the Marfa lights.
31. Visit Marfa, Texas, and stay in a TeePee
32. Experience the Christmas light show at Mozart's 

 

It's already halfway through May. I need to get busy! If there's something you don't see on my list that you recommend, please let me know! I might go ahead and start my "70 by 70" list! So...what are some things you've wanted to do that you've just never gotten around to? Please share so I know I'm not the only one. 

 

The problem with putting off things you've always wanted to do is that eventually you run out of always.

~Robert Brault

 

 

Italy flashback, time capsules ... and other sweet!s

 

"The next best thing to the enjoyment of a good time, is the recollection of it."

~James Lendall Basford 

 

 

For someone who has a zillion photo albums collected on shelves all over her house, it amazes even me that I rarely print photos anymore. But I didn't want my memories of Italy languishing in a file in my computer, forgotten, so in December I took advantage of the awesome promotions Shutterfly was offering and created a photo book. 

It's wonderful, but the bonus was a coupon for a free calendar, which arrived in the mail yesterday! Now I just have to glance up and to the left from my desk when I need a quick mental retreat to Italy. Thank you, Shutterfly!

 

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

 ~From the television show The Wonder Years

 

 

Speaking of hanging on to memories... my oldest now has his own home, so I finally gave in to his urging and dug out the remaining 6 boxes I've had held onto that were filled with mementoes of his childhood.

I didn't have a chance to go through them before Tom loaded them in his truck. That was probably for the best, though, doing it cold turkey like that. I doubt if all 6 boxes would have made it out of here intact, if I'd had time to dive into them. 

So I'm grateful my son posted photos of the Ninja Turtles, pogs, Marvel comic cards, Hot Wheels, etc. the boxes contained. They are all treasured memories for me, too... providing flashbacks to a younger him, collecting and sorting and playing with them. 

 

And now, even more sweet!s.... 

~Every year for the past 10 or 12 years, our friends Karen and George have hosted a Super Bowl party. They are from Philadelphia and huge Eagles fans, as you can see from the banner below.

 

 

I'm not a football fan, so I really don't know if the Philadelphia Eagles have played in a Superbowl before, but I do know they've never won one... until this year. 

I usually go to the parties for the food and the chance to catch up with girlfriends. Sunday night I still ate and gabbed my fair share, but I also actually watched a large portion of the game, rooting for the Phillies, of course. 

And it was so gratifying to witness Karen and George as that final second ticked away, and they knew their team had won. You don't have to be a huge football fan to be happy for your friends and grateful when loyalty is rewarded. 

 

Congratulations, George and Karen!

 

~My friend's son letting me know I'm having a few e-seconds of fame! Click on this link and scroll down to Franklin's BBQ...

Me at Franklin's, thanks to Google City Experts, circa 2014

~Helping to celebrate two friends' birthdays in one day, with awesome food, good company, and a return to Esther's Follies

 

 

~Finally making it to the Lago Vista Market Days, visiting with friends and spotting some cute puppies. 

~Friends and past clients recommending my Realtor services on Facebook... and even to strangers in Sephora!

~Deciding to wait out the worst of traffic by having dinner at East Side Cafe after showing property in the area.

 

 

~A morning spent on the Austin Luxury property tour of amazing off-market homes. That it's part of my job makes it extra sweet! 

~Gaining new clients because they googled "Keller Williams agent - Austin" and my name popped up, plus they felt my website was "very professional". 

 

 

~Witnessing the Super Blue Blood Moon, in all of its stages.

~Contracts on two of my listings

 

 

~Continuing to find heart rocks along my path

~Watching the space station pass right over our house

~ A 91st birthday party for an amazing lady

~ A wedding shower for a friend's daughter, who is now a new home owner and past client

 

~ My son sharing a precious photo of Belle

~ Christmas decorations all put away until next year

 

 

~ Experiencing the energy of a 2Cellos concert for the first time

~ A phone call with my high school yearbook teacher

 

 

~ Friends thinking of me and sharing when they discover hearts in unusual places, like the center of this cedar post (thanks, Stan!)

Those are true Valentines. And so...

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you tomorrow! 

 

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

~Thornton Wilder

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

Seeing him like that just broke my heart!

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

She called the puppy 'Thibodeaux'.

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

~Agnes Sligh Turnbull

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

Allergy medicines that keep my cedar fever under control

Belle snuggling in her puppy beds all over the house

 

 

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

Getting a contract on one of my listings in 9 days

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

My photo book of my Italy trip delivered to my doorstep

Friends recommending me, bringing me new buyer and seller clients

Warm temperatures returning after three days below freezing

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

 

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

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

And of course, plenty of heart rocks... 

 

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

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

~Thornton Wilder

 

December Sweets on a Christmas Eve...

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

And Merry Christmas!

 

 

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

~Ada V. Hendricks

 

October, Friday the 13ths, Baby Boys, Birthdays, Growing up, Reunions, Italy, and a bunch of other sweet!s

 

 

Our weather has been in a see-saw pattern the past few weeks. Beautiful, cool, autumn-like days swoop in, making everyone smile, and then suddenly summer is back, with highs in the 90's, sticky air, and sneaky mosquitoes. 

But at least we're getting the promise of autumn and a reprieve from the true summer days of triple digit temps. 

October has always been one of my favorite months, if not the top of my list altogether. The weather is awesome, which means there are tons of festivals. Probably too many, if that's possible. Everything gets planned for October.

And that's why I'm going a little crazy right now. The Keller Williams Food Drive is today, but I couldn't participate this year because today is also our church Oktoberfest, and I've been in charge of promoting it to be sure we get a great turnout.

But I can't even attend it this year because in a few hours I'll be heading to Houston to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my high school graduation, which I've also been organizing from afar. 

 

Would you believe we've lost 14 of those kids up there since our last reunion five years ago? It's heartbreaking. 

The homecoming football game was last night and they honored all of the past homecoming queens. I was a homecoming queen (1977!), but for the first time since we started having our reunions on homecoming weekend, I couldn't be at the game. 

For one thing, on Sunday I'm flying out with high school friends for a week in ITALY!  Oh my gosh, how totally SWEET!

The photo above is from my whirlwind budget/student Foreign Study League tour through Europe way back in 1976. I've been dreaming of returning  ever since, and finally riding in a Venetian gondola, which I neglected to do the last time.  

I'm also glad I get to see David again. All giggling aside, it is a magnificent piece of art and I can still remember the amazement I felt seeing it the first time. 

At the time we planned this trip,  it seemed so perfect to leave right after our reunion. 

Oh my gosh. We were sooooo wrong.

This past week has been tough, trying to be sure I was ready for the trip, that I had done all I could do to promote Oktoberfest, that everything for the reunion was done and I had done my best to let all of my classmates know about it, and that I had taken care of all of my clients.

Besides needing the extra day to prepare for my trip, I also skipped the game because yesterday was my "baby" boy's 29th birthday!

 

And it fell on a Friday the 13th, which made it even more special. That's a lucky day in our family. He didn't want a big celebration or gifts, so we celebrated with hamburgers and brownies, and he gets a discount on his rent this month. 

Time flies and birthday celebrations change, but I'm grateful for each and every one. I'm glad I stayed to celebrate with him. 

There have been so many other sweet! moments over the past few weeks... so many heart rocks, images of hearts friends have shared with me (one on a dog's nose and another on a cat's chest!), get-togethers with friends, new clients, contracts on listings, beautiful sunrises like the one at the top, and colorful autumn wildflowers lining our dirt road, like the False Foxglove below.

(TG looked up the name for me - another sweet!)

I hope your October is overflowing with sweet! moments, too. 

 

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

~Robert Brault

 

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

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

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

Argh. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Phone calls with my sister. 

 

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

~Anthony J. D’Angelo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35 years!... and other sweet!s

 

 

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

~Rita Rudner

 

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

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

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

~Simone Signoret

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Finally remembering to get the oil changed in my car.

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

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

 

Glorious sunrises over the hills.

Rescuing a Daddy-Long-Legs from my bathtub. 

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

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

 

Belle getting better about letting me take her photo!

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

~Jim Carrey

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you have lived, take thankfully the past.

~John Dryden

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<whew>

Happy birthday, Tom!

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Run-walking with Belle while I say my Rosary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.

~Rumi

 

I had no idea...

I had no idea, when I decided to lug the recycling up to the bin tonight, that a full moon was waiting for me at the top of our winding path. It peeked at me from between the trees, but then BOO! there it was, resting just above the silhouetted hill in front of our house, shining bold and bright and casting shadows of trees across the dirt road. 

What a sweet surprise. I had no need for a flashlight -the moon cast a soft glow across my path. An echo of daylight.

I paused and embraced that moment...

...The moon, and its frame of wispy clouds.  The sprinkling of stars. The slight chill of a Texas autumn. Far off, I heard a car making its way through the hills. A dog barked.

Mostly, it was quiet and peaceful, and I let it just wash over me. 

I gave thanks. 

This can be a crazy time of year. And it can be a sad time of year, even while it's joyous.

It's like a rainbow. Or maybe a braid. 

Peace is often the weakest color. The weakest strand. 

We demand a lot of ourselves and our families. For instance, I was not going to let this Christmas go by without putting up my tree and decorations. But between me and that goal sat my mom's chest of drawers and my grandmother's cedar chest in the middle of my living room (not where furniture belongs), plus a bunch of boxes full of my mom's photo albums and of my own books still longing for a place on a shelf. 

I had one Saturday to find a place for the furniture , and then weed through all of my books, deciding who stays and who goes. so I had a spot for the tree.

And I did it. I admit I still have 3 or 4 boxes full of children's books stashed away until I have grandkids, but I filled several more boxes of books that will go to other homes. 

It was another week before I had time to actually decorate my house and tree. So I gave the task four hours (or, three favorite Christmas movies, however you want to put it), then had the kids put away all of the boxes, even though only about 2/3 of the decorations made it out.

But it was done. 

 

 

I'm trying to keep sight of what the season is all about than just be busy with the signs of the season.

For me, it's the season of Advent, which I've already written about HERE, and preparing for the coming of Christ.

Like other religions, that also means spending more time with family and friends, and showing your appreciation to them. It also means spending more time in reflection and prayer. 

But life, and work, continue, making the same demands as always.

Something's got to give.

We no longer do mandatory gift-giving, but I do still plan to send out cards, even though I send way more than I receive.

I just love the tradition. It makes me sit and think of each person on my list, to reminisce and give thanks they are still in my life. Even if it's just to send a Christmas card once a year. I've been sending my own since I was in 9th grade.

Actually, I had planned to work on cards this evening.... until I saw the moon.

Which made me say thanks, and made me think of other blessings in my life lately.

So, without further ado, here are some recent sweets...

 

Having all my kids together, and finally properly celebrating my 31st anniversary of becoming a mother. And, of course, my son's birthday. 

(Weird, wonderful coincidence: Two girls who graduated with my son gave birth to their firstborns on my son's birthday - so we share the anniversary! Isn't that amazing?)

 

An afternoon of food, friendship, and wine! We had been trying to schedule a day to meet at Flat Creek Estate Winery for about a year to take advantage of a raffle-prize group wine tasting, and finally managed it this past Sunday.

Of course, it was perfect timing, right in the middle of the holiday stress, to just sit and relax with friends you've known for ages, who know your ups and downs and are always cheering for you. 

...especially when you've just become a grandma like the beautiful un-grandmotherly-looking woman on the right, whose beautiful granddaughter was born on my son's birthday. 

 

The beauty of autumn leaves.

Each morning I run/walk with Belle down our dirt road, reciting the Rosary. I never quite finish, so I take a couple of laps around my house.

One day I noticed these leaves lying on our porch swing. I mean, I finally saw them lying there, and realized how beautiful they were. 

Sometimes we get too caught up in our habits - even good ones - to really pay attention, don't we?

 

Another morning I was jogging down the road and noticed a splash of red in the cedar trees.

Out of pure curiosity, I continued running past our house to see what it was. 

And I was glad I did. (Thank you, God!)

Yes, the beauty of autumn leaves. 

 

Being accepted as a member of the next Agent Leadership Council of our market center was a huge honor. You have to be in the top 20% of production - which I didn't even realize I had reached - plus go through an interview process.

And I made it!

Keller Williams is different in that agents help make big decisions in the operation of the office. We won't get paid for our time. It's just a way of giving back and trying to help make us even better.

We started with an all-day retreat last week... which started with breakfast tacos from Taco Donut Palace. (Remember, we're in Austin!)

 

One morning, after way, way too many gray, drizzly days, the clouds disappeared and we were given the most beautiful, crisp, clear sunrise.

That moment when the sun kisses my hollow is always so amazing, like a painter bringing his work to life, and especially after you've been starved for color. This photo doesn't do it justice, but I hope it gives you a hint. 

Definitely another "thank you" moment. 

 

 

Belle has a new friend. 

Our neighbor's cat, Willow, has started hanging around our place quite a bit. 

It made me nervous at first because Belle has a gung-ho hunting spirit, and I was afraid she would hurt (kill) Willow, without meaning to. 

But Willow is pretty savvy. She has not only survived, but seems to have the upper hand in the friendship most of the time.

Honestly, I know she's just here because of the mice and the bird feeder - and the slim hope of making it indoors. 

But seeing them together, especially during this political season that seems to never end, brings me hope that we can all focus on our common goals and interests. I know we have them. 

We don't have to give up our individual beliefs, but we can show respect for each other's. Fear is taking on way too much power in this country these days.

And that's what will be our downfall. Not our differences, but Fear.  

Don't let Fear guide you. Focus on hope, love, and peace. They are just as powerful.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, full of love, hope, and peace. If you're missing loved ones, as I am, focus on the people you still have in your lives, on giving and sharing. I do believe it helps keep sadness from clouding the sweets all around us.

 

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

 

Memories, and other sweet!s

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

May you rest in peace, Bill...

 

 

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

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

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

~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Remembering your first married kiss on your 34th wedding anniversary

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

 

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

Your son and daughter-in-law fostering puppies!

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

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

A new buyer asking for your help

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

 

Pink sunrises

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

Store clearance racks

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Finding a tiny red feather in the bird bath

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

 

Finishing an awesome book written by your neighbor

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

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

Nine hours of sleep (in one night!)

 

Your hummingbird plant finally blooming!

 

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

 

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

 

 

Getting Unstuck, and other sweet!s...

 

 

At the time of my last 'sweet' post, I mentioned going through one of the boxes of my mom's things and crying when I came across her uneaten Easter candy. In all honesty, I fell into a funk that day that I just couldn't shake... like a perpetual gray cloud was hovering above my head.

Usually those gray clouds only stick around a day. I'm pretty good at focusing on the positive out of habit. I listen mostly to Christian stations in my car (upbeat and positive, nothing depressing or sad ... music is powerful!)  and have learned to silence those negative voices in my head before they really get going.

After all, I've spent the last few years stepping forward in faith and dealing with a lot of transition - I wouldn't have survived otherwise. But even though this was a relatively thin gray cloud, it lingered for days.

And then the phrase "stuck in a moment" popped in my head. I realized that's exactly where I was - stuck in a moment that I couldn't get out of. 

I dug out a U2 CD and popped it in. The first song that played was "It's a Beautiful Day"... and it was like someone jerked aside the curtains and let sunshine into a room. Yes, it really was a beautiful day, or at least it was going to be. I was determined not to let another one get away without seeing some beauty in it.

I could sense the gray cloud thinning even more. 

"Stuck in a Moment" came on a few songs later...

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better, now
You're stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it.

By the end of the song, that gray cloud was gone. 

I still have a mountain of my parents' things piled in the middle of my living room waiting for me to sort through. I know that gray cloud will drift in again - sometimes I can sense it there on the edge - but it's good to know U2 has my back. And it's good to feel the sunshine with no clouds blocking it. Definitely sweet!

 

 

 

I met up with two dear friends for lunch a couple of days ago in a funky little part of south Austin. While munching on Torchy's Tacos (I recommend the "Crossroads"!), we tried to cram as much conversation and cover as many subjects as possible in the short time we had. The more history you have with someone, the more ground you have to cover in a 'catch-up' session, and we all have a lot of history with each other, spanning decades.

Exactly three weeks ago I was doing the same thing, only on a grander scale and spanning a weekend, in a lake house at Lake Livingston with 16 other women I've known since at least high school, but some since elementary school. We call ourselves the Deer Park Divas, and try to get together at least once a year, but that doesn't always happen. This was the first one in a couple of years and was only possible because two of the women opened up their lake houses to us. And of course, there are many who couldn't make it.

I've hosted a couple and it's a lot of work, so I truly appreciate them putting together this therapy session... 

... because when you get together with friends who have known you for decades, you can't help but be yourself. You can pretty much talk about anything without fear of judgement because they know you... the all of you... and because everyone has been through something by now, and survived.

They remind you you will survive whatever it is you're going through at the moment. Or, you'll be able to assure someone else they will survive whatever they are experiencing, because you've been through it. 

That's the key.

No matter what it is, we're assured we can survive it, because of our friends. Divorce, cancer, death of a sibling, a husband, a child... and almost all of us have experienced the death of at least one parent. In fact, one friend lost her mother right before the weekend, and another lost her dad two weeks after, both from cancer. She couldn't stay the night because she needed to take him for a treatment early the next morning.

Yet, look... there are smiles on everyone's faces!

I have some tough, awesome, wonderful, amazing friends, don't I? I'm grateful for the history we share. 

 

 

 (This was a magnet I gave my mom years ago. She was the toughest woman I know!)

 

Another sweet!... air conditioning. Our outside temperature has been in the triple digits for days. Maybe weeks! It's just a blur of heat, sunshine, and sweat!

I can remember when my childhood home had no air conditioning. Instead, there was a huge fan in our attic (hence, we called it "the attic fan") which somehow pulled enough air through the screens of our open windows to keep us cool during those hot, humid summers in Houston.

At least it must have, because I don't remember feeling miserably, vaporously overheated like I did earlier this week when our air conditioner decided to stop working.

I'm grateful for our air-conditioner repairman who, for the third year in a row, has been able to patch up our old system to get us through the rest of summer. We will definitely get a new system this fall. I think our repairman is as relieved as we are!

 

Those are the three major sweet!s of the past few weeks. Here are a few others ...

 

 

Visiting your mom's aides and noticing her rose bush is surviving the hot, dry summer outside the nursing home where she lived.

A friend passing her real estate exam!

A cooler-than-normal morning when your air conditioner breaks

 

Driving around a funky south Austin neighborhood with one of your forever friends, admiring the eclectic architecture

Sitting on your back porch with your puppy watching the sun splash over your hollow, letting the busy birds entertain you

Receiving wonderful reviews from past clients

A client offering a cool room for the night at their home when your air conditioning is out

 

Noticing gorgeous sunsets before they disappear

Playing a part in helping a friend in Greece sell their property

Your puppy playing a joke on you by stealing your shoes while you're in the shower

Helping out with a memorial service at your church for the family of a parishioner who passed away

 

The arrival of  your Cheesy Sauce from The Honest Stand, a company that a dear friend's son helped create

Phone calls with your sister, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and dear friends

Reconnecting with a friend from your childhood neighborhood on Facebook

A cardinal nest in a tree right outside your front door

 

 

Getting to visit with a sweet friend from high school while showing property to her and her husband

Spending a day showing property to a new out-of-state client

Finding out a "neighbor" was caught stealing electricity through an illegal wire and stopped before he "accidentally" set fire to your neighborhood

Having other neighbors who help keep an eye on your neighborhood

 

A chance to visit with another dear high school friend while she's in town visiting her sister

Rain, even if it's just lasts a day

New listings

A stranger in the grocery store noticing, and taking the time to warn you, that a man is showing a lot of interest in you before he has a chance to steal your purse

 

Morning walks with your daughter, your puppy, and the neighbor's dogs while the neighbors are away on vacation

Kittens... their playfulness, purring, and sandpaper kisses

Paychecks

A former client referring you to someone he sees buying a For Sale By Owner sign in your local Ace Hardware store. 

 

Finding a blue feather from a Mexican Jay

Celebrating your baby girl's 25th birthday

A hummingbird discovering your hibiscus bud

Publishing an article about your little town

Finally finishing a blog post you've worked on little by little for three days!

 

If you stuck with this until the end, thank you!!

I hope this coming week overflows with sweet! moments, memories, and music that lifts you up!

 

"And I am glad to see, that you have also put to flight the gloomy thoughts which used to haunt you. I like to see people cheerful and happy. What is the use of giving way to sadness in this beautiful world?"

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hyperion, A Romance, "The Evening and the Morning Star," 1839

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slide Projectors and other sweets

 

 

Last Saturday night I pulled out my grandmother's slide projector, propped it on my kitchen table, and went back in time through the images splashed on the wall above our stairs. 

Most I had never seen before, like the one above of my grandmother standing in a field of bluebonnets. What you are seeing is actually an iPhone capture of the projection on my wall. I felt the need to share these with my siblings and cousins, and that was the fastest way.

The quality was greatly diminished, of course, but I felt it gave them the same dreamy quality I was feeling as they carried me back to my childhood.  To me, this one looks more like a painting than a photograph. Don't you think so?

One of my cousins (the one on the left in the image below) has offered to scan all of these. She is also the one who regularly visited my mom, always bringing new clothes and treats, so her generous offer doesn't surprise me. I am blessed to have her!

(The beauty on the right is my big sister. The little brat in the middle is me, of course.)

 

 

In my opinion, that was definitely a sweet way to spend a Saturday night, and the gratitude and reactions from my family even sweeter.

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

 

A tiny hummingbird appears to have taken up residence off of our back deck.

Since I no longer keep a hummingbird feeder, this seems strange to me.

(I read several years ago that the sugar-water can turn rancid really fast in the extreme heat of our Texas summers, potentially poisoning the little birds. It's necessary to change out the water often, and I don't trust my memory to do so.) 

So the semi-regular sightings of this busy little bird is such a joy. Several times it has flown close to me as I stand saying my prayers near the railing, and this morning it flew up to my library window, just a couple of feet away from me at my desk. 

My mother was partial to hummingbirds. I like to think she somehow has a hand in sending this one to say hello... and make me smile.

(How can you not smile when you see a hummingbird?)

 

I have no photos of it, but I do have this one of Lake Austin taken from a home an agent friend was holding open this afternoon.

I was on my way home from showing properties to a high school friend's son, so I decided to stop and say hi to my agent friend, and check out the listing. Three sweet!s in one trip!

 

 

I'm still working my way through the mountain of my mom's things in my living room. Yesterday's box was full of some items from her room at the nursing home.

Overall, I'm at peace with her passing. But for some reason emptying this box made me acutely aware of the physical absence of her from my life, especially seeing her Bible bag, which contained both her and Daddy's Bibles, along with several notes tucked in the pages, and also a cardboard Easter egg box I gave her full of Hershey's miniatures this past Easter. There were still several pieces of candy left. 

Now, I believe in heaven, and I know it is much better than chocolate. And I truly am happy that Mama is at peace and with Daddy now. But the tears came anyway, and I let them. 

I still count this as a sweet!, because to miss someone, they first had to be a part of you. To feel sorrow or sadness, you must have also felt joy and happiness and love.  

They were and I did. Amen. 

 

 

I had a second article published in TexasHillCountry.com called "Beyond the Bluebonnets - 5 Other Things You Should Know About Willow City", about a small town near Enchanted Rock, one of my favorite places. Yay!

Going to my office to pick up a commission check and discovering another one I hadn't expected!

Another University of Texas mom calling me for help, based on referrals from other parents.

 

One of my clients had specific requirements and a busy work-travel schedule. After working with her off and on for about a year, we finally closed on a property last week that turned out to be just what she was needing.  

We won in a multiple offer situation, so that was doubly sweet! To celebrate, we had lunch at the Shady Grove, one of my favorite restaurants. 

(This photo is of the back of the restaurant - taking a photo was an afterthought! But look at that tree!)

Summer nights... refreshing, soft breezes, stars speckling the sky, cicadas and frogs singing in the background. 

 

As usual, there were a few lakefront properties on the Lago Vista property tour this past week. I never get tired of seeing a full Lake Travis! 

Giving another agent a ride on the tour and getting to know her better.

Some friends from my church warning me they are trying to convince some friends in California it's time to move to Austin and want me to help them when the time comes. 

 

 

I spent the 4th of July outside, but not out on the lake or even in a park eating hot dogs and hamburgers. I took advantage of a holiday (and the sudden motivation) to mow our small front yard, organize my yard signs, and just generally clean up around the outside of our house.

Most importantly, I discovered the joy of a power blower! I had so much fun clearing the clippings and dead leaves off the porch floor... and then the small insect webs off the ceiling!

I didn't know it could do that! Much better than using a broom. 

Afterward, I rewarded myself with a Shiner Ruby Redbird beer on the porch swing. I don't normally drink beer, but it just seemed like the patriotic thing to do. 

(It was awesome!)

 

Despite the national tragedies of this past week, I hope all of you had plenty of sweet! moments. But more importantly, I hope you rededicated yourself to love and forgiveness, including forgiving the inexcusable. I believe it will take each of us doing that to attain true peace in our country and the world.

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. 

~John E. Southard

 

 

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

 

 

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

~ America, "Sister Golden Hair"

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

Holy cow. Where does the time go?

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

 

Your grown kids hanging out and having fun together.

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

Following through on promises you make to yourself.

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

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

Morning walks with your puppy.

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

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

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

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

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

A full Lake Travis.

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

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

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

 Helping organize a successful parish picnic.

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

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

A longtime friend sending you two jars of homemade fig preserves

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

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

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

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

Dinner with friends you haven't seen in months

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

Your husband's successful gall bladder surgery

Having an article published in TexasHillCountry.com

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

 

All of your kids with you on Mother's Day

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

Tulips from your sister on Mother's Day

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

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

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

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

Watching the sunset over Lake Travis on your birthday 

 

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

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

~Author Unknown

 

 

"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas..."

 

Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas - Senator William Blakley

 

Today is Texas Independence Day, so I had to pop in and wish her a happy 180th birthday. I am so very grateful that my way-back grandparents were drawn to Texas, just like Davy Crockett, although their story had a happier ending.

Life was still pretty tough, I imagine, but they knew enough to stay put. 

I've visited other places and can appreciate their beauty and good qualities, but no matter where I go, Texas calls me back. 

And March is a wonderful time to be celebrating a birthday. Bluebonnets and redbuds and azaleas are blooming. Mountain Laurel fills the air with the smell of grape Kool-aid.

 

 

Cedar Waxwings and robins love to visit in March. They stopped in Long Hollow for a one-day visit recently. Fortunately it was on a morning when I could venture back out with my zoom lens. 

 

I am forced to conclude that God made Texas on his day off, for pure
entertainment, just to prove that all that diversity could be crammed into one
section of earth by a really top hand - Author Mary Lasswell

Sunset and a smattering of sweets

 

 

This evening I did something I haven't done in a long, long time.... I sat in my rocking chair on my back deck and watched the sun set. 

It wasn't a dramatic sunset, like the one in this photo.  Just a deepening blue sky with a few wispy pink clouds dancing above the treetops. But my phone camera couldn't do it justice, so you get this one again.

The creek sang to me from the bottom of the hollow, and as dusk fell, frogs joined the chorus from the direction of the big pond. 

Belle lay beside me, a little confused. When it grew dark, and cooler, she moved behind me, between my chair and the house, probably attracted to the stone, still warm from the afternoon sun. 

It may still be February, but it has been a perfect spring day ... sunset ... evening. I felt the least I could do when given such a gift was to halt my busy-ness for a time and just be still in it. 

 

(Another sunset that wasn't from today)

I've had good intentions of publishing a post. However, the more time that goes by, the tougher it gets... like unplugging a clogged drain. There's just so much I want to write about, but challenged by time, the list grows so long that I end up writing nothing.

So I'm not going to play catch-up from the past month or so in this post.  I just wanted to share my sunset with you, and this smattering of sweet!s from the end of January that have been waiting patiently since I left them here two weeks ago...

 

Your Christmas decorations finally put away before the end of January

 

Surprising your cousin with a gift like she gave your mom

 

Ducks taking up residence on the pond next door

 

Discovering a heron on your pond

 

Bicyclists on your dirt road

 

Your mom's smile

 

"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

Oh, October...

 

 

 

Yes, I realize we're already a third of the way through November, but I'm still recovering from October. Was it just me, or did October take more than it's fair share of the year? It seemed much longer than 31 days. 

Granted, my October dance card was not just full, but taking backups. But still... "busy" usually makes time pass faster, as in "Gosh, where did October go?" (That's the way November is for me right now, just flying by. Slow it down!)

 

 

But this year, even though it's one of my favorite months - if not THE favorite - by the end of it I was saying "It's still October??" 

 

 

I mean, really, who can resist October? The weather is usually perfect - warm days, cool evenings, low humidity. (At least here in the Texas hill country.)

There's a golden glow over everything, including the purple and yellow wildflowers that flourish along the roadsides. It's like spring sprinkled with fairy dust.

 

 

And this October couldn't have started any better, with that gorgeous weather and my annual women's weekend in Port Aransas.

 

 

The beautiful weather held on for our church's annual Oktoberfest the next weekend. 

As if that wasn't enough, less than a week later, I boarded a plane for the first time in more than a decade, headed for Chicago to help celebrate a friend's daughter's wedding. Again...beautiful weather, albeit quite a few degrees cooler.

 

 

 

I experienced my first real deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. YUM!

Then just a few days after my return home, three dear friends visited Austin. Gray clouds and drizzle had replaced the blue skies, but it didn't stop us from getting together at some yummy restaurants for plenty of catching up. 

 

 

However, by the time Sunday rolled around, the rain had not only continued to fall, but it had broken records! My excitement over finally seeing Elton John perform live waned in direct proportion to the number of inches that fell.

I had imagined his concert under a gorgeous, star-filled Texas-in-autumn sky, not under an umbrella, shivering, stomping around in mud. 

So when my compadres changed their minds about going, I wasn't that upset about staying home. I needed to write up an offer for clients, anyway, which probably doesn't seem like much fun to you, but is pretty dang exciting for me!

I'm sure exhaustion and age played a huge part in our decisions, and the terrible weather just pushed us over the edge. My friends were both in Chicago with me (one was the mother of the bride!)

Plus business went bonkers for me in October - yay! No complaints there! New clients, new contracts, closings... all answers to many prayers, and despite falling splat into the middle of such a crazy-busy month, I was - and still am - very grateful.

 

 

October was as full of emotional extremes as it was weather extremes. There were all of these good times with friends, but I also gathered with friends to grieve.

There was Father Joe's death. He had helped guide me into the Catholic Church. I could talk to him about anything.

Then my ex-brother-in-law became seriously ill and spent days in ICU. Despite his flaws, he remains one of my favorite people and probably the funniest person I know, and I've been really worried about him. He's home now, but I'm not sure he's getting better.

Before October took its final bow, a dear friend's mom passed away unexpectedly. She was one of our childhood moms, who had watched us grow from elementary school slumber parties to proms to being moms ourselves, hosting slumber parties for our own kids. I made an overnight trip to Houston for the funeral, stopping by my own childhood home before heading back to Austin. 

 

 

I'm still trying to pay attention to the sweet!s in my life, and since my phone (essentially, my office!) rarely leaves my hand, I've been doing it more and more through photos, posting to Instagram and Facebook, and sometimes through words on a list on my phone. 

So here are a few more from the end of October...

Letting your puppy talk you into walking before the sun is up so you catch the first glow of sunrise ... a glimpse of zebras in the Texas Hill Country ... a roadrunner crossing in front of you ... a full moon waiting up for you ... clouds painting the sky...

 

 

Pink clouds...

 

 

A surprise in the mail from Jennifer at Ripplespeak... 

 

 

And the welcoming glow of home.

 

 

May your November already be overflowing in sweet!s!

Then summer fades and passes, and October comes. Will smell smoke then, and feel an unsuspected sharpness, a thrill of nervous, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure.

~Thomas Wolfe

Oktoberfest, Lago Vista Style!

 

 

St. Mary Our Lady of the Lake's Oktoberfest tradition started way before we moved to Lago Vista. Some of the aspects of it change from year to year, but overall it remains the same in two areas:

1. it's a lot of fun

2. it's the main fundraiser for our small church

Those are two good reasons why you and your family should come visit us between 10 and 3 this Saturday, if you are anywhere near the Austin vicinity.

All proceeds benefit church organizations, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, who use it to help the disadvantaged in our community, provide scholarships, finance youth activities, and support local first-responders, the Lago Vista Volunteers, seminarians, and more.

Sure, I know ACL is going on downtown. But if you're looking for something to do for the whole family, away from the craziness of Zilker Park during ACL, look no farther. This is it!

 

 

There will be games for the kids, with prizes. Games for adults, with prizes. A zipline for the kids. A classic car "show and shine" for all ages. 

 

 

Inside the church you'll find a silent auction, handcrafted items, baked goods, and frozen casseroles (although those sell out fast so you need to get yours early! You can pay for it and pick it up when you're ready to leave.)

We'll have a dunking booth and a washer tournament, of course. What's a small town festival without those?

Come hungry. We're offering bratwurst, turkey legs, hamburgers, hot dogs, giant soft pretzels.... lots of choices! 

 

Of course, there will be beer. What's an Oktoberfest without beer? Live Oak Brewing Company, which is Austin's oldest brewery, has agreed once again to donate plenty of keg beer for the day, and Capital Wright Distributing is donating plenty of Miller Lite, Coors Light, and St. Pauli Girl beer.

 

 

By the way, thank you for your prayers for Father Joe. He passed away soon after I wrote my last post, surrounded by his family. 

This year's Oktoberfest will be bittersweet because of his passing. He pastored the church for forty years, guiding it as it grew from a small gathering of ten families in a rustic campground building to an established parish caring for over 300 families.

He saw Oktoberfest as a way for the parish and community to come together for a good cause, and get to know each other as one family in the process. That was always very important to him. 

Rest in peace, Father Joe.

 

 

So come on down and help us make it the best ever!

St. Mary Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 6100 Lohman Ford Rd., Lago Vista, TX

Saturday, October 10 from 10 am to 3 pm

If you can't join us on Saturday, please say a prayer for a successful Oktoberfest, and continue to pray for Father Joe's family. Thank you!

 

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

~Robert Brault

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

Time is so tricky.

 

 Grandpuppy-sitting. Double the normal puppy fun!

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

American Beautyberry blossoms.

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Remembering to look up....

 

Nature reserves the right to inflict upon her children the most terrifying jests.

~Thornton Wilder

 

It was such a crazy, busy weekend that yesterday morning I decided to focus on the simple gifts I had been given...a chance to walk with Belle, legs and lungs that could run (at least a little ways), the recent rain, the birds singing...

...and just as that thought entered my head, I suddenly had a mouthful of spider web.

I immediately screamed, threw down my umbrella and my hat, and ran forward several feet, swirling my hands all around my head, before turning around to see this poor little...well, not so little...orb spider curled up in fright in the center of his broken web. 

 

I'm sure he was at least as scared as I was! 

He was really pretty amazing to look at - from a safe distance, anyway - such intricate designs, and two little horns on its back.

I cropped the photo so you could get a closer look...

 

 

After my heart stopped racing, I snapped a few photos (sort of blurry because the now unsecure web was bouncing in the breeze) and warned him/her that I walk that way every day and it wasn't a good place to weave a web.

Then I scooped up my hat and umbrella and continued on my way down our driveway, remembering to look up as well as down at the rocky terrain under my feet, and full of gratitude that I didn't end up with that huge spider somewhere on my body!

That is definitely something to be grateful for, as well as the rain that has lured these beautiful spiders and the insects they feed on back to our neighborhood. 

I've had other, less creepy sweet!s this week, but I'll share them tomorrow. I hope you're still keeping track!

Because I like you, I won't leave you with that an image of a spider, even one who has an intricate, interesting pattern on his/her back.  Here's a little wildflower bouquet to make up for it...

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes... and other sweet!s

 

Did you notice my blog looks a little different? 

Apparently, my blogs weren't 'mobile-friendly', so to keep up with the times (and to keep BlogHer happy) I had to make some changes. 

Updating my Confessions blog (hosted by Blogger) was easy. Just one click, and it was done, somehow retaining my same old design, including the banner my friend Jill created for me years ago.

But this one? My original blog hosted by Typepad? Not so easy. I had to pick a whole new template. 

In the long run, it's a good thing, though. I've been wanting to change it up for quite a while, but I have a tendency to overthink everything and have a tough time making decisions. The key ingredients in procrastination. So I was actually grateful for the kick in the rear. 

It still took me a week to make the change. The past couple of weeks since my last post have been really busy. Fortunately, they were dotted with many sweet!s...

Last night I spent some time with the full moon, just standing on the path in front of our house, gazing at it and listening to the frogs singing down by the pond. That's the best kind of re-charging. 

My sister got my mom an iPhone. She can push a button and tell Siri to call someone. Plus, it's much easier for me to navigate than her old flip phone. Those things are so complicated!

 

 

My client-turned-friend Tammy's closing. She has become such an inspiration to me. Breast-cancer survivor, recent widow, always positive even through some bumps on the way to finding her new home. She showed me what faith looks like. 

 

The weeds in our front yard have turned into Indian Blankets and Mexican Hats, thank goodness!

 

Cedar Waxwings graced Long Hollow with their presence one day last week. I'm so glad I noticed them and had time to snap a few hundred photos of them while they were here. 

 

I spent an afternoon learning all about the history and brewing of beer, courtesy of my son Daniel, who invited me to tag along on the the tour he coordinated for his State Library co-workers, and Ryan, who I've known practically all his life. He is now a cellarman at Live Oak Brewing Company, the oldest microbrewery in Austin. (I'll write a whole post about it later.)

 

Someone gave me this little rose bush for my 50th or 51st birthday. I wish I could remember who it was. It's the toughest little thing I know, blooming every year after freezes and droughts, with no help whatsoever from me.

 

Our church's Garden of Eatin' once again offered encouragement, via the sign above, and culinary delight, via the homemade cannoli below. 

Once upon a time, I was active on FlickR, and that's how I met Debbie, another photography addict. We met in person in Houston several years ago and have stayed close via Facebook.

This weekend she came to Austin with friends for a winery tour, so on Saturday we met out at Flat Creek Estate. Not only did I get to spend a little time with her, but I satisfied my craving for a Flat Creek Margherita Pizza. Yum!

(P.S. People who say 'virtual friends aren't real friends' don't know what they're talking about.) 

 

My latest listing is situated on Slick Rock Golf Course in Horseshoe Bay. I snapped this photo while tagging along after Brent, a real estate photographer from  QuickPics Photography. Isn't this a gorgeous view? For photos of the actual house, check out the slideshow.

(No, I don't take my own real estate photographs. Timewise, it's cheaper to hire someone, freeing me to find buyers for my listings! And then more listings!)

 

I already knew I had passed all of the required classes, but it was still an awesome feeling getting this official certificate in the mail!

 

I hope you've been keeping track of your sweet moments, too. Share them in the comments! My phone has become a handy log for mine.

 

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.

~Eudora Welty

 

 

 

 

 

Well, 56 isn't so bad...

 

I turned 56 two weeks ago. I've had intentions of writing this post ever since, but somehow the days have just flown by me.

I hope that's not indicative of this coming year! But I know it will be. Heck, it's indicative of the past decade!

But otherwise, I'm kind of liking 56. I like the sound and feel of it. It fits better than 55 for some reason. Maybe I've just gotten used to the idea that I'm sliding on in to 60, and I'm okay with that.

For my birthday, I didn't celebrate as I have in the past with some new-to-me Austin experience, like Esther's Follies last year.

Instead, this year I treated myself by earning the GRI designation. It stands for "Graduate, REALTOR® Institute" and to earn it (in Texas) you take 90 hours of classes covering topics like diversity, finance, agency, contracts, marketing... all packed into three 30-hour classes: Finance, Marketing, and Brokerage, each with its own test. 

 

 

My birthday fell on the first day of my final class, Brokerage. That may not sound like an exciting way to spend your birthday, but thanks to a few Facebook friends in the room, including the teacher, my day started with 60 or so people singing happy birthday to me.

And for lunch we had ice cream! Pecan Praline! I even went back for seconds. 

Because, hey, it was my birthday!

Of course, I really started celebrating a week or so before my actual birthday by way of dinners with friends and it continued on through yesterday when our office sang to all of the April birthday-people and treated us to a cake decorated with bluebonnets.

Speaking of bluebonnets, every April, just in time for my birthday, I'm blessed with a bouquet of them... so to speak.

 

 

I'm so glad I was born in April! 

Here are a few other sweet!s that had me celebrating the past couple of weeks...

 

 

Graduation ceremonies and rubber duckies

My mom gaining enough strength to stand and relinquish the need for a hoyer lift

 

The smell of a sea of bluebonnets 

A gift certificate in the mail from friends for a haircut with my favorite hair guy!

 

 

Receiving a tote featuring my own photograph that a sneaky friend bought from my Redbubble account

Being an advocate for my mom and her roommate

Not getting hammered by the hail that pounded surrounding neighborhoods

Deciding to donate a portion of my commission for every transaction above $150,000 to the nonprofit of my client's choice.  (This week it will be Wounded Warriors.) 

Finally publishing a new post on my Confessions of a Photography Addict blog  (bluebonnets!)

Yellow flowers filling in when bluebonnets begin to fade 

 

 

I hope April is giving you bouquets of sweet!s! 

"A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip."

~Author Unknown

Looking back from an Easter Sunday

 

Howdy! Have you missed me?

It's hard to believe it's been over two weeks since my last post. A lot has happened! But don't worry ... I'll just give you the sweet! highlights, not all the boring details.

First of all, it's Easter Sunday - Resurrection Sunday - for me, the source of all hope, a reminder of renewal and rebirth and begin-agains. 

 

 

My heart also felt light from the moment I opened my eyes because I knew all of my kids were here under the same roof as me and Tom.

Of course, it wasn't the same as Easter mornings years ago. I knew the Easter bunny hadn't paid our house a visit during the night. The colorful baskets were still tucked away in the storage room, covered with dust, not crowding the dining room table filled with candy and toys, and we had no colored egg hunt scheduled for after church. 

I did, however, make some mini-quiches for breakfast before heading off to Mass, and they were almost as big a hit as those baskets of the past.

Almost. 

After church, we enjoyed smoked turkey a la Tom. He woke up at 5 a.m. to start it cooking so it would be ready on time, bless his heart. And I still got him to smile for the camera!

 

 

Here are a few other sweet!s, in no particular order...

The bluebonnets have popped! Every year it's like they count to three and spring up all at once, blanketing roadsides and pastures. The yellows and purples and even some reds have joined them. It's a wildflower fiesta! 

 

 

Yesterday I met a cousin for lunch for a long-overdue catch-up session, then we both visited Mama. My cousin always brings her gifts... this time a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers and a box of gourmet chocolates. 

Last week ... or maybe it was the week before ...  I had dinner overlooking Lake Marble Falls with a friend, celebrating her birthday a little late and mine a little early...

...then we celebrated again a few nights later in an awesome Italian restaurant with two other friends. I love dragging my birthday celebration out over days, weeks, months... 

An agent friend brought me some beautiful handmade pillow covers back from India to thank me for helping her with a property while she was away helping her father. Aren't they gorgeous?

 

My brother-in-law paid us a surprise visit on his way home to Arizona from Arkansas, where he bought a three-wheeled motorcycle off of Craig's List. No photos, but it was wonderful to see him!

There have been a ton of new home events lately. At one I met Vince Young...

...and at another I test-drove a Tesla!

 

Last Saturday evening I was able to help friends celebrate their 20th anniversary by listening to the music of Shake Russell, Mike Roberts, and Michael Hearne, as the sun set on Lake Travis.

 

 

Earlier this week I finally reconnected with a high school friend who only lives a few miles away. She introduced me to a great Cajun restaurant right in our little town that I've passed every day for years. Two sweet!s in one!

Then there were the usual sweets, that are so easily taken for granted or overlooked ... morning walks with Belle when the sun first peeks into the hollow, the sight of a llama in a pasture along a highway, hawks singing and soaring over the hollow, the brilliant green of new leaves against a blue sky, the purple splashes of redbuds and mountain laurel and wisteria, and sunlight highlighting a spider web before you walk right into it...

 

 

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. 

~Douglas Horton

I hope all of you have been paying attention to the sweet! moments in your life, the big and the small. Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Sunday!

 

 

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

 

 

The Great Austin Ice Storm of 2015

  

 

This past Thursday - the morning of the Great Ice Storm - I slept in, made myself a delicious veggie omelette, then took the girls (Belle and my grandpuppy Josie) for a long walk through the hollow.

 

It was cold, but the cloudless sky was a brilliant blue and the sunshine was a welcome sight after days of drizzly gray.

The girls were excited about getting out of the house.

 

 

 

The city pretty much shut down in anticipation of what could have been a very dangerous situation due to a cold front and warm front crossing paths above us.

 

 

However, we lucked out because of timing. The rain fell before the temperatures had a chance to drop low enough to be a problem ... or something like that. I can't remember the weatherman's exact explanation for the no-show-ice-storm.

 

 

 

All I found to photograph was a little frost and some tiny frozen droplets. 

I really didn't care.

My last GRI Marketing class was postponed until Friday, so Thursday was a much-needed deep breath in an exhausting week, and I took full advantage of a day at home.

 

 

Josie and Belle were happy about it, too.

 

 

But since I teased you about an ice storm, I'll share my photos from earlier in the week...

 

 

That's about all the winter I want, thank you very much.

I think this little yellow flower agrees.

 

Instead of compiling my sweet! moments in one post, I'm going to try to share some of them separately. This was definitely a sweet! spot in my week!

What was one of yours?

Travisso! New Homes on the North Shore of Lake Travis

 

 

One of the perks of being a REALTOR® is receiving invitations to special events at new developments where we get sneak peeks at the model homes. Since I live on the north shore of Lake Travis, I had been watching the development of Travisso for months, eagerly waiting for a chance to check out the master-planned community nestled in the hills between Cedar Park and Lago Vista.

 

 

In September, I finally got my chance to drive past the amazing entrance and check out the model homes by builders Taylor-Morrison, Drees, Toll Brothers, Grand Haven Homes, and Highland Homes and find out more about this new community.

 

 

I discovered the development was presented by the people behind Steiner Ranch. That’s a pretty good resume, in itself. The homes will range from the $200s to the $800s – something for just about everyone! There will be over 10 miles of hike-and-bike trails winding through the community, enough so that the residents won’t have to drive to the amenity center which will be situated on a hilltop with awesome views of the surrounding hill country.

 

 

The amenity center will feature a resort-style pool, a work-out center, open-air pavilion, park and playscape, recreational fields, and tennis courts. Eventually the community will include over 2900 homesites, 355 acres of open space, a nature trail system, a 58-acre regional park, and 42 acres of commercial land.

 

 

All of this is just a short drive from Cedar Park and Austin in one direction, and Lago Vista and Marble Falls in the other direction. From personal experience, I can say the north shore of Lake Travis is a great place to call home.

 

 

I was recently asked to contribute to a blog/website about new homes and builders in the Austin area - and of course, I said yes!

This was my first post, published a few weeks ago. I haven't had time to write another. Heck, I'm scrambling for the time to post it here! But in real estate, busy is good, so I'm not complaining. 

If you want more information about new homes and builders in the Austin area, be sure to check out Builder Boost. 

Or better yet, give me a call, leave a comment, or send me an email. I'm never too busy to help someone sell their home and/or find a new one!  (I'm just too busy to write many blog posts!)

 

Here are a few more pics I took that day that may give you an idea of the area and the style of the builders...

 

 

 

 

I'm Still Here! (and other sweet!s)

I took advantage of the "icy roads" warning yesterday and just huddled inside my toasty warm house, not even venturing down the highway to see my mom. I was probably being over-cautious, but when the roads you travel are twisty and hilly, and not made to resist icing, it's better to play it safe than find yourself sliding out-of-control down a hillside, in my opinion. 

Besides...I really, really needed a whole day at home, both mentally and practically. I didn't accomplish as much as I'd hoped, despite working about 15 hours answering emails, making phone calls, and fulfilling promises I'd made. But I made a dent, and that feels good. 

In between I kept the fire going in our wood-burning stove, moved the laundry along in its never-ending cycle, and made a pot of chili. Not a bad day, at all. 

Maybe that helps you understand why I haven't posted lately - if you've noticed, that is. There have been plenty of sweet! moments over the past couple of weeks... my son and daughter-in-law completed the Austin Marathon, I helped a friend celebrate a birthday, and experienced a Frankie Valli concert, just to name a few.

We've even celebrated Valentine's Day and started the season of Lent, all without a single post from me. That's hard for me to believe!

This is where I would normally vow to be sure to publish a post at least once a week from here on out, but I know better than to make any vows or promises when it comes to blogging.  

I know this hectic, over-stuffed period of time will eventually slow and lighten. Before I know it, I'll have more time for photography and blogging and Facebook, but I'm sure I'll also complain that I need more business.

So I'm grateful for the current busy-ness of my business, for my clients and the opportunity to help them find homes they love.

I love that people from my past are asking me to help them or referring me to their friends and family. People who knew me from high school or as a scout leader or band mom or their elementary school librarian.

I treasure those long-time connections and their trust in me. The vow I will make is to put my heart and soul into helping them. 

But now, back to my sweet! post....

I managed to jot a few down ...

 

 

Discovering another colorful fence near a college campus; functioning on 4 hours of sleep; taking a professional headshot of your handsome insurance salesman-son; a late visit with your mom

...and recorded a couple in my phone while on my morning walks...

Standing in a clearing in the woods on a crisp cloudless winter morning, listening to bird song all round you and watching sunshine drip down tree branches; the way your puppy's nose twitches as she investigates the air

But for the most part I just snapped photos. So here is a mostly pictorial version of my sweet! moments from the past two (three?) weeks ...

 

 Gorgeous sunrises.

 
 

 My house.

 

Eating hot lentil soup outside at Avenue B Grocery in Hyde Park on a cold day.  

 

Water in your little pond (and walks with your puppy!)

 

Stopping to visit a friend and catching a gorgeous Hill Country sunset from his back porch.

 

A Valentine's Day filled with flowers from your kids.

 

Discovering a new restaurant in Georgetown while helping a dear friend celebrate her birthday 

 

 

A photo op with George Strait (sort of)... 

 

 

A surprise card in your mailbox containing coffee money from a friend, for no reason.  

 

Cheering your son and daughter-in-law on in the Austin Marathon and watching them cross the finish line holding hands.

 

Somehow remembering all the words to "Rag Doll" and singing them along with Frankie Valli and a few hundred other people.

  

A long walk with your puppy down to the little pond after four intensive days in your first GRI designation class. 

 

A woodburning stove on a cold night... 

 

 

I hope your days are filled with sweet moments, whether you write them down or not. Just be sure to take the time to recognize them, soak them up, and give thanks.

The key to enjoying the moment is to always carry a list of "Things I Gotta Do That Can Wait."  

~Robert Brault

There's water in the ponds!

 

Despite my gratitude for rain while we're in this drought, it's really tough for me to embrace day after day after day of the constant cold, wet stuff like we had earlier this week.  I was so happy when sunshine finally returned Friday afternoon.

But now I'm ready for more rain. Those four days of rain actually made a difference - our ponds have water again! However, the big one is still about twenty feet low, and the waterfalls aren't falling, so come back soon, Rainy Days! I will welcome you with open arms!

 

 

Belle's happy about it, too.

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

 

Friday: dancing with friends to 80's music, courtesy of LC Rocks

Saturday: finishing the last module in your luxury marketing class; watching and listening to your puppy as she dreams of a hunt 

Sunday: showing property on a warm, sunny day; passing your final exam and becoming a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

Monday: no bugs on your morning walks; making progress in organizing your cluttered office

Tuesday: catching up with friends and colleagues at office meetings; sponsored lunches; real estate networking events; red Ferraris (and blue ones, and gray ones....)

 

 

Wednesday: a favorite aide returning to your mom's home; a buyer lead from a new friend

Thursday: waking to the sound of a steady rainfall; joining other agents for a luncheon in a fabulous house; Beef Burgundy and built-in espresso machines

 

Friday: the rain clearing in time to show property; a friend thinking of you when a friend of his needs to sell her home

Saturday: a morning walk when the world is still frozen; getting trained in CPR so you're prepared to save a life, if necessary; "Silver Linings Playbook" (again) and Bradley Cooper's eyes

Sunday: discovering your ponds have water in them again; a husband who will fix your car's flats and change its oil; sharing Girl Scout cookies with your mom; yellow flowers still blooming in January

 

 

Now it's your turn. What were some of the sweet! moments of your past week? Share them in the comments!

I hope sweets fall like raindrops on you in this coming week!

 

Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger.

~Saint Basil

Austin Winters and other sweet!s

I just heard on the news that the first 15 days of January here in Austin set a record: so far it's officially the 10th coldest winter since 1897. 

People who live up north, who have to live with snow from November through March, will probably laugh at that. I'm sure they think what we experience here in Austin could hardly be called "wintry weather".

But it does get cold here - icy, even. In fact, we heat our entire house with our woodburning stove, and we've almost used up all of our wood already!

The good news is our "wintry weather" comes and goes. The first 15 days might have set a "cold" record, but tomorrow it will warm from the low 30's to 70 by afternoon, with plenty of sunshine. As much as I whine about not getting any snow, I'd rather have the warm January afternoons. 

Yes, Texas winters are mighty sweet!

 

 

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

  

Wednesday: spicy chili on a chilly evening; the warmth of a wood-burning stove

Thursday: the crunch, crunch, crunch when you walk on frozen caliche; a tree full of birds breakfasting on juniper berries; a call from your sister after her surgery; haircuts and head massages; clients leaving great reviews for you on your business pages

Friday: an early morning call from your mom; a buyer's long-awaited closing on her new home; sharing a peanut butter cookie with your mom; finally starting the last season of "Breaking Bad"

Saturday: getting to visit your mom when you thought you'd be iced-in all day; your Christmas decorations all boxed up; the smell of a roast in the oven; the sound of rain outside, when you and all of your loved ones are safe and warm inside

 

 

Sunday: Garden of Eatin' inspiration; experiencing new restaurants; helping a friend celebrate her birthday; sharing a creme brulee with friends; watching the end of "Annie Hall" with your mom

 

 

Monday: a walk on a foggy morning; meeting with a CPA in anticipation of making money in 2015

 

 

Tuesday: dinner and the movie "Jersey Boys" with friends, in preparation for seeing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in February

Wednesday: making progress in organizing your office; watching your first hockey game with colleagues and 3/4 of your kids

 

 

Thursday: the return of sunshine after too many cold, wet, gray days; finally getting all of the Christmas boxes out of your living room

 

 

Friday: working out five days in a row for the first time in weeks; having enough money to pay your bills; your sister getting a good report from her doctor following her surgery; gorgeous sunsets; finally posting your sweet!s

 

 

 

When scattered clouds are resting on the bosoms of hills, it seems as if one might climb into the heavenly region, earth being so intermixed with sky, and gradually transformed into it.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

(What were some sweet! moments of your past week? Share them in the comments and make them twice as sweet!)

New years, new phones, birthday wishes, and other overdue sweet!s

 

 

First of all... Happy New Year! I can't believe this is my first post of 2015. I have had so many ideas for posts, but alas, no time to write or publish them.

Have you picked a word for 2015? I have, but I'm going to save it for another post. I hope you don't mind. I just hope I actually publish it before 2016!

Yesterday was my dear friend Darla's birthday. We spent hours on the road together Friday driving to Houston in the rain to be by another friend's side as she said goodbye to her sister. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Darla, and see my other friends Rae and Ann, and Ann's kids face-to-face (for the first time in 20 years!), even if the reason was bittersweet. 

My mom is much better, thank you, and by all reports is progressing in her physical therapy. She still has a long way to go before she can come to our house again, but I'm grateful for a move forward, however small. 

I broke down and ordered a new iPhone, just in the nick of time. My old one had been warning me it was getting sick (rebooting in the middle of a phone call!), but I ignored it as long as possible. Yesterday, it was really acting whacky, moving in slow motion, but just like the cavalry coming to the rescue, the FedEx man drove up with my new, shiny gold one. Whew!

Photography has, by necessity, fallen by the wayside over the past year. I admit I've missed the camaraderie of my photography friends. So I was elated to receive an invitation to join a 365 FlickR group by a friend I first met years ago in my first 365.

The same day another friend tagged me for a 5 day black & white challenge on Facebook. I'm not going to pressure myself to post something on FlickR every day this year, but these challenges are great motivation to pick up my camera and see things in a different way, and to reconnect with my blog and photography friends.  

Putting on my Realtor hat, I have a long-awaited closing coming up Friday for a client who has been waiting months for her new home. Also, I spent a day last week exploring a ranch and learning more about farm & ranch real estate. And I'm almost finished with my luxury real estate online class. 

My Christmas tree and decorations are still glittering throughout my house... however, technically we're still in the Christmas season until this weekend. I put off decorating, so I might as well enjoy it as long as possible!

Anyway... here are some other sweet!s from my past week and a half...

 

Monday: getting back into your daily routine; a walk on a frosty dawn

Tuesday: experiencing a taste from your childhood again... La Colmena Mexican candy from 40 years ago that is being manufactured by the same family again and available online

 

Wednesday: exploring ranches with a client; listening to stories about old Austin; greeting the new year with sparklers and good friends

 

 

Thursday: a visit from your brother-in-law and his family, including your goddaughter; sister-in-laws; a house full of kids and dogs

 

 

Friday: knowing your brother-in-law and his family made it safely through the ice in West Texas on their way home to Arizona; joining with other friends to help another say a final farewell to her sister

Saturday: the sun returning after days and days of wet, cold, and gray; watching "Cat Ballou" with your mom

Sunday: visiting with friends after church; getting to spend time with your oldest and his wife while helping another friend celebrate her 50th birthday

Monday: your new iPhone arriving via FedEx just as your old one is giving up; invitations from photography friends to join in 1) a 5-day black & white photography challenge and 2) a FlickR 365 Photo Group with friends you met via FlickR years ago; making time for photography

 

 

Tuesday: light from the pre-dawn full moon splashing into your house; news that your mom is making progress in physical therapy; a creative handmade greeting card from a friend in your mailbox

Wednesday: watching your puppy hunt for lizards on a crisp morning walk;  finally posting your overdue sweet!s

 

 

Here's to new adventures and overflowing blessings to all of you in 2015!

 

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.

~John Burroughs

Surprise! and other Christmas sweet!s

Wednesday afternoon a friend and her husband braved our dirt road to deliver a huge bag of Christmas goodies to my family. They do this every year. Seriously, they're crazy!

They give each of us something and there are always lots of cookies and other treats. We've just learned to accept the gifts with gratitude. 

But this year, my friend went overboard. Besides a couple of cute Texas ornaments, she gave me a ticket to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in February! I'm pretty sure she has one for herself and that two other friends received them, as well, because last year she treated us to a Harry Connick Jr. concert! 

Crazy friends are the best, aren't they?

(I really have to figure out a way to repay her. Any ideas? She's nuts about Matthew McConaughey and Josh Groban.)

I was able to be on the other side of a Christmas surprise this year, too. A friend's kids wanted to surprise their parents with portraits of themselves, and approached me about taking the photos.

So last month we spent a few hours at a beautiful wedding venue near my house snapping photos. (Thank you, Lynn, at Villa Antonia!) This friend always coordinates our annual Port Aransas trips - no easy feat! So I was happy for the chance to do something for her.

Now that the surprise is over, I can reveal the photos. I'll post the rest on my photography blog, but here's one of them...

 

 

 

Aren't these kids gorgeous? They are so photogenic, it was an easy job!

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

 

Monday: nurses who are proactive about treating your mom's cough; seeing one of the 'kids' you've watched grow up and meeting her husband; one of your son's student loans being forgiven; a gorgeous sunset when you leave the grocery store

 

 

Tuesday: prayers for your mom when she's diagnosed with pneumonia; Christmas partying with your mom at her nursing home, including a visit from Santa and gifts from the staff to the residents

Wednesday: children performing the Christmas pageant; watching "It's a Wonderful Life" while baking cookies; Mucinex, so you can sleep without coughing when the cedar pollen count tops 3000

Thursday: sleeping in; breakfast, courtesy of your son; Shirley Temple movies; a phone visit with your mother-in-law, goddaughter, and other friends and relatives; celebrating Christmas with your mom, husband, and kids; a ticket from a friend to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in February; watching a movie with all of your kids for the first time in ages

 

 

Friday: introducing your mom and her roommate to the movie "Elf"; time to catch up with friends on Facebook; yellow wildflowers still blooming in December

 

 

Saturday: sleeping in three days in a row; finally straightening up your laundry room, like you've been wanting to do for months; physical therapists who are willing to give your mom a second chance

Sunday: a cousin who visits your mom, bearing Christmas gifts, and getting to see her when you visit your mom; making someone's day by finding their lost glasses; helping yourself and someone else by weeding out stuff to give to Goodwill; sunlight-woven gold on a late afternoon walk through the woods

 

 

Even when there are plenty of sweet! moments, the holidays aren't protected from sadness. A classmate's mother passed away earlier this week and a dear friend's sister lost her battle with cancer today. Please keep them and others who are suffering in your prayers, that they may still find something sweet in these days. 

 

Christmas — that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance — a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

~Augusta E. Rundel

Don't Stop Believing!

I didn't become Catholic because they consider it okay to dance and drink, but I have to admit, those are great fringe benefits!

Every year I look forward to our parish "adult" Christmas party, where there's always great food, great dance music, a huge dance floor, and a mostly older crowd who make me feel young and old at the same time. There are some 80+-year-olds who can out-dance me!

Tonight I expected to go, eat, and leave, because I had so much work to do. I didn't even bring my big-girl camera. But I met new people at my table, saw some old friends, and this great band was playing...

The next thing I knew, I was one of the last ones there, as always.

There were four of us women still on the dance floor when the band said good night. We convinced them to play an encore. They acquiesced, choosing "Don't Stop Believing", the perfect lead-in for the post I'd already written for today...

It's been almost a year since my mom made the move from Houston to Austin. Things haven't gone quite as well as I hoped ... she's had two trips to the emergency room and is much weaker now than when we made that 4 hour road trip last year. 

But she is still my mom. I can talk to her about everything that's going on in my life, just as I always could. I am blessed that way. She's still a great support and sounding board. And I think it helps her to know I still need her that way.

But in the same breath, she'll refer to my dad as if he's alive. We're on a totally different playing field, and it's taken some getting used to. She knows he's passed on, but there are times she just refuses to accept it. 

In her previous life, my mom was a CPS - a Certified Professional Secretary. It was a big deal. You had to pass a test. She worked all while I was growing up, and then beginning in 1975, she also took care of my quadriplegic brother in the evening when she got home from work. 

Her nature has always been that of a nightowl who loved staying up late and sleeping half the day, unless she had to get up for work or some other good reason.

It's unfortunate that nursing homes don't operate on that time schedule. Physical therapy comes by in the morning. She refuses them. By the time she's awake enough to participate, they're gone for the day. 

Consequently, she's gotten weaker and weaker. This week, they categorized her as a hoyer-lift patient because they say it took four people to weigh her. A hoyer-lift patient is pretty much a jellyfish, not having to use any muscles to get in and out of bed, or even to the bathroom.

However, when they said they had to move her to another hall because she was now a hoyer patient, I reminded them that she did fine with two people assisting her until one aide ignored the "Two Person" assistance notice and tried to move her on her own. Consequently, Mama landed on her knees. The very next day, it took four people to weigh her.

So, they gave me a week. If she shows improvement and cooperates, she won't have to move.

I am now officially her coach. 

Yesterday morning I arrived at 11:30 and she was still in bed. I pushed the button to call the aides to get her out of bed and when they asked her if she would eat lunch in the dining room, I answered for her: Yes. 

She eats really, really slow. We were the last ones in the dining room. Her nurse had her nebulizer treatment already set up, so I got her started on that, then went to find a portable oxygen tank. When she finished her treatment, I hooked her up to the portable tank so she could take a "stroll" down the hall, using her hands and feet to propel herself, rather than someone pushing her.

I want her to build her strength. I don't want her to be a jellyfish on the other hall, and she doesn't want to be, either. I told her she had to want that in an active way, not just a theoretical way.

That's true for all of us, isn't it? If we want something, we have to take the action that will get us there, not just wish for it to magically happen.

I was there four hours yesterday, and two today,  but most days I can only be with her an hour. So please, please, please keep my mom in your prayers, as well as her aides and nurses. They have a tough job. I'm depending on them to keep her moving and gaining strength.

Don't stop believing... (and please keep her in your prayers!)

Being there for my mom and dancing tonight are definitely both sweet!s of this week.

Here are a few more...

 

 

Tuesday: property tours that include lots of lake views; singing Christmas carols with your mom; investor clients; online classes you can attend at your convenience

Wednesday: your son's 29th birthday; remembering the day you became a mom; spending time with your own mom

 

Thursday: the silence of a foggy morning; showing properties; bathroom inspiration; discovering new restaurants with your daughter; remembering your sister's wedding 10 years ago; hanging out with twenty-somethings 

Friday: showing more properties; seeing results from nagging your mom; reaching the halfway mark in your new class; watching a full moon climb up through the tree branches

Saturday: the company of house-dogs; working out six days in a row; getting to spend four hours with your mom; sunsets in the hill country; quick catch-ups with friends; new clients

 

Sunday: walking through a carpet of autumn leaves; enjoying beautiful Christmas and gospel music with your mom; an evening spent visiting with friends, making new ones, and dancing

 

I hope you had a week full of sweet! moments, and the next is overflowing. Share them here!

And remember, don't stop believing!

 

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

~Author Unknown

 

Thanksgiving, Advent, and other sweet!s of the week...

 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did. I feel especially blessed that in my 55 years I've only been responsible for the whole dinner a handful of times, thanks to my mom and, more recently, my son and daughter-in-law.

 

 

For the second year in a row, my son did an amazing job on the turkey, a huge 21-pounder! There was a ton of other delicious stuff... gorgeous appetizers, casseroles, desserts. 

 

I brought the cornbread dressing, my mother's recipe. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving for me without it. 

(I also brought a green salad, but it was mostly for show. It takes up way too much room on a plate!) 

Even though my mom wasn't strong enough yet to join us at my son's, she was too stuffed with turkey and dressing to eat any of the goodies we brought her on our way home that evening. I'm grateful for that, and for the staff of her nursing home who made sure the residents celebrated. 

 

 

The next day we celebrated Thanksgiving again with friends. No skipping work-outs for me for the next few weeks, that's for sure!

 

 

Thanksgiving was just the first in this season of celebration. Yesterday was the first official day of Advent, a time when we (as in Christians) reflect on what we need to do to prepare for the second coming of Christ while commemorating his first coming - Christmas. A season for reflection of the past and the future. 

 

 

A few years ago I googled "Advent" for another post and found a description on Spirit Home that I thought was perfect. I've chopped out bits to save space, but here it is...

Advent is a season of preparation. So's Lent, but it is a different kind of preparation. Lent is very adult and serious, because it leads to a death; originally, Lent readied new Christian adults for baptism. In Advent, we thank God for Christ's first coming, prepare for his final coming at the end of time, and celebrate Christ's presence among us today through the Spirit. God loved us and wanted to share that love. But this existence isn't well-suited for a god; it's too broken, evil, painful, unjust. So, to rescue the created world from this evil, God chose to come here and walk the earth, to grow up, to live the truth, and to die. The only way to start such a thing is as a baby, and the only way to be a baby is to be born. Hence Christmas. Because Christmas is centered in the new hope brought by a baby, it's a very child-oriented holiday. Because Advent leads us up to that baby, Advent is also child-oriented.

There's a time to get ready by focusing on your own sinfulness and wrongdoing, a time for personal transformation and following Christ to the cross. That's Lent. There's a time to get ready by rejoicing that our God is not far away and unfamiliar with the struggles of human life, that Christ is here right now among His followers, that God has already begun to bring in the Kingdom, and that Christ will come again to make it clear who really runs the place. That's Advent. "Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the age", says Jesus.

  

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as if everything is."

~ Albert Einstein 

 

I love that quote. And I do believe each day is full of miracles.

Keeping track of my sweet!s has helped me recognize them. Here are a few from the past week...

Monday: being able to start a new week and every new day with a morning walk; your mom agreeing to do her physical therapy

Tuesday: starting a new real estate class; a happy hour at sunset with friends

Wednesday: a blogger/writer friend's op-ed published in the LA Times; open parking spaces and short check-out lines when you procrastinate grocery shopping until the day before Thanksgiving; a pre-Thanksgiving phone call with your mother-in-law

 

 

Thursday: only being responsible for the cornbread dressing and green salad for Thanksgiving dinner; truly liking your daughter-in-law's family; creative appetizers; no traffic when you hit the road for Thanksgiving; another Wes Anderson movie with your son

Friday: the smell of fresh-baked brownies; sons who love to visit their grandmother; Thanksgiving Part 2 with friends

 

 

Saturday: three days in a row with no alarm clock; a "hello" from a raven on your morning walk; learning the difference between a crow and a raven; a silly movie with your son; finishing the edits on a special photography job

 

Sunday: referrals from friends; a spring-like day in winter; a glimpse of a Great Blue Heron disappearing over the treetops; two walks in one day with your puppy; your son calling to see if you need anything from the grocery store on his way home 

Monday: the sound of the wind dancing in the treetops; your puppy running and running and running with joy and exuberance; spending a morning with a client viewing properties; a shadow-puppy/guard dog who follows you from room to room; your son getting a fire going when winter returns to your hollow

 

 

Beginning this Advent, I'm also going to work on being more aware and more supportive of my friends and family who are currently facing huge challenges. Time to pay it forward. 

Whether you think about Advent or not, I hope your next few weeks are full of reflection, hope and joy.  

The Power of a Wheat Penny

Like my Daddy, and his daddy before him, I have a coin collection. My coins aren't categorized into small blue books like theirs, though. Mine -all wheat pennies - jingle around in an old bourbon bottle.

 

This doesn't look like much of a collection after fifty years, does it?

 

I'm not sure when or why I became enamored of wheat pennies. Maybe because they stopped being minted the year before I was born. Maybe because, as far as old coins go, they weren't that rare when I started.

 

Whatever the reason, I'm sure it was Daddy who introduced me to them and contributed the majority of them to my collection. Daddy had an eye for coins. He gave me every wheat penny he found, and his excitement at finding one in his change was contagious. I scoured every penny I came across for years, searching for those two stalks of wheat.

 

For some reason, whether lack of time (kids? life?) or lack of luck finding them, I stopped. 

But earlier this week, on a day when my heart was feeling pretty heavy and wheat pennies were the last thing on my mind, I was reaching for my computer bag on the backseat when I spotted one resting alone, wheat-side up, smack dab in the middle of the rear floorboard hump of my car.

I think somehow Daddy put it there for me, encouraging me to hang in there, reminding me that he always believed in me, and always will. 

Thank you, Daddy.

 

 

 

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

 

Monday: finding out your kids survived their road trip, despite hitting a deer and encountering icy conditions; the knowledge that you did your best, even if things don't work out as well as you hoped; finding a wheat penny and feeling your daddy nearby

Tuesday: your mom agreeing to get out of bed, at least for a little while; meeting a new client in person; not having an accident in terrible stop-and-go traffic; a fun photo shoot with photogenic siblings

Wednesday: puppy kisses; continually learning; being able to offer support when loved ones lose their daddies

 

Thursday: free food and drinks, music, and a chance to catch up up with a sweet friend while touring beautiful new subdivisions; sunsets in the hill country; a Google City Expert event downtown with your son and daughter-in-law, where you get to sample some of the food, drink, and fun several Austin businesses have to offer

 

 

Friday: a Thanksgiving pot-luck gathering with your colleagues and time to visit with friends; clients ready to make an offer; still being able to talk to your mom about things weighing on your heart

Saturday: rain, rain, and more rain, but none of the dangerous thunderstorms that were predicted; watching yet another Wes Anderson movie with your son

Sunday: waking to sunshine and clear blue skies; the trickle of a little waterfall; a cousin who visits your mom and brings her gifts; a sliver moon floating on a sunset

 

 

Monday: watching the sun set treetops ablaze with golden morning light; forgiving yourself for not finishing your blog post on Sunday, as you intended; crossing a huge, dusty to-do off of your list

What was the sweetest moment of your past week? I hope this next one overflows with them for you.

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.

~Ruth E. Renkel

Birthday Snow

 

It snowed in Texas today, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. 

Granted, it was in Lubbock, up in the Panhandle, farther north than most of Texas. My son and daughter-in-law (a Texas Tech graduate) were there this weekend, celebrating her birthday, and she welcomed the snow as a special birthday gift. (I just hope it doesn't interfere with their drive home!)

I'm glad she had a special day, and a fun weekend, because she is such a special young woman. I feel so blessed that she is part of our family.

A daughter is a gift of love.  ~Author Unknown

We've had unseasonably cold weather here in Austin, too, this past week. When winter decided to move south, it didn't waste any time. 

I'm enjoying the change, though. I love the way a brisk cold wind slaps me truly awake on morning walks and seems to blow through my brain, like Mary Poppins in the nursery, putting things in order.

I know I'll be ready for warm days way before they actually return, but for now I'll enjoy a different wardrobe, the smell of woodsmoke, and not having to douse myself with mosquito spray before my morning walk.

Yesterday morning I wandered down to the little pond and for a change was able to linger awhile, without mosquitoes buzzing my face. I watched tiny birds flit from tree to tree, chattering to each other. A few American Beautyberries still graced a bush by the edge of the pond, but the paved terrace was littered with gold and rust colored leaves. 

It was a typical Austin winter day and I won't complain, but I'll still keep my fingers crossed that at least one of these Canadian blasts brings a little snow with it all the way to Long Hollow.

 

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

 

Monday - your mom agreeing to get out of bed for physical therapy; sticking to your healthy eating regimen

Tuesday - the briskness of that first really cold morning; helping college students find housing; remembering those who sacrifice to keep your country safe

 

 

Wednesday: beautiful weather when showing properties; the first fire of the season; your mom up eating in the dining room when you expected to find her still lying in bed

Thursday: hot showers on cold mornings; helping your mom celebrate her birthday again; a haircut and re-blonding, a la Michael; homemade chili on a cold night

Friday: finding out you used to work with your new client's stepfather; discovering a healthy fast food restaurant; a husband who can start a fire in the blink of an eye

 

 

Saturday: your puppy letting you sleep in; a leisurely morning walk to your small pond with your puppy; working out details for a contract; a break from work to enjoy a Wes Anderson double-feature with your son

Sunday: Chicken Adobo that is yummy and easy to make; more time than usual to visit your mom; help getting groceries into the house on cold, misty evenings

I hope all of you had a great week (share your sweet!s in the comments!) and I hope this winter is just the right kind for you.

 

 There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.

~Ruth Stout