Long Hollow

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.)

There is a Bridge: Love, Music, and Earthly Angels

 

A friend shared this on Facebook yesterday. 

It was so moving, so glorious, and such a beautiful illustration of Love, that I knew right away I wanted to share it with all of you, as well. 

Searching for it on You Tube just now, I discovered it's actually 5 years old, so perhaps you've already seen it. 

But if you haven't, please watch it through to the very end... which is only 5 minutes. 

You won't be sorry. 

 Naomi Feil, founder of Validation therapy, shares a breakthrough moment of communication with Gladys Wilson, a woman who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2000 and was virtually non-verbal.

 More info: www.memorybridge.org

 

 

Love is so powerful and each of us can do so much if we allow it to work through us.

Merry Christmas!

A Saturday Morning at Austin's Franklin Barbecue

On the surface, getting up extra early on a Saturday morning to wait in line four hours for lunch doesn't sound very appealing, especially when the weather is kind of chilly and drippy.

But I did it this past Saturday anyway, just to experience Franklin Barbecue for myself. I'm on a continual quest to discover all the gems Austin has to offer, and from all reports, this sounded like one.

So I met my sons, daughter-in-law, her sister, and two of their friends in Franklin's parking lot down on 11th Street in east Austin at 8 am. I forgot a chair, but fortunately they came prepared with chairs, mimosa ingredients, and the game Uno.

Drinking mimosas and playing Uno with my grown kids would be enough fun for me anytime and anywhere, but doing it in a downtown Austin parking lot where you can watch people and make new friends and eventually eat your fill of delicious barbecue...well, that's my kind of Saturday morning.

Four hours is also plenty of time to take lots of iPhone photos, too...

 

Our little group is just this side of the building...in front of all the UT orange.

 

 

The females in our group.

 

The line.

 

 My boys playing Uno. My oldest gave me his chair and his jacket. What a sweetheart!

 

 Meet Kenzie. She was so good the whole time.

 

 

If you saw the movie "The Help" then you know what this means.

 

 

Another group played horseshoes instead of Uno.

 

 My oldest and his love. Getting close to the door!

 

We made it inside!

 

 So close. We were drooling by this time.

 

Now that's a pile of meat! Sausage, brisket, pork ribs, a beef rib, smoked turkey, and pulled pork. 

Add bread and sauce and that's a meal, right?

 

Franklin Barbecue is good about communicating with the people in line about when they can expect to be served. And they give samples.

They also go down the line getting a guesstimate of what each group is going to order so they can figure out who the last person is who will be served...that's the Last Man Standing. That way the latecomers don't stand in line for hours only to be told at the last minute "Sorry! We ran out!"

Good business!

That was a sweet Saturday morning, for sure. Here are some other sweet!s from the past week...

 

Monday: turning on the television just in time to catch an amazing lip sync battle between Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd

Tuesday: baby goats; touring new homes with a friend/colleague; hearing from old friends

Wednesday: rainy days; the return of blue skies, in time for a glorious sunset

 

 

Thursday: hearing a hawk and watching it fly in a cloudless blue sky; your mom receiving cards and letters from your friends to boost her spirits

Friday: somehow reining in your temper when people haven't done what they said they were going to do; showing your mom her birth certificate; getting an iPad on sale; watching "Ghostbusters" with your daughter 

Saturday: spending the morning with 3/4 of your kids, drinking mimosas and playing Uno; Franklin Barbecue, especially when you are really, really hungry; picking up good clients while on phone duty; watching "Ghostbusters 2"** with your daughter

Sunday: Texas Independence Day; Mass with your husband; helping a friend with an open house 

 

 

Monday: watching your mom play dominoes with Margarite, Jewel, and Lila Sue; your son vacuuming the dog hair from the laundry room without being asked; the sound of thunder, lightning, and rain outside your window, when there's a warm fire nearby

 

**Have you ever watched "Ghostbusters 2"?

All I had really remembered about it was the baby being kidnapped by the evil guy, which freaked me out because Daniel was a baby when it first came out.

Apparently baby-kidnapping was a going theme in the late 80's because that's also what happened in "Willow". What the heck??

Anyway, this time what struck me was its overall message that love and good-will toward one another can conquer evil. 

I wish they could have conveyed it without kidnapping a baby, but oh, well.

 

 

“I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.”

 

― Charles Dickens

 

 

Better Late Than Never! (and other sweet!s)

I'm sure we passed each other in the hallways of our junior high and high school. We might have even shared a class or two. Perhaps we even spoke once or twice.

But if we did, I don't remember.

So even though her face and name were familiar, I truly didn't know Debbie until Facebook revealed that she, too, lived in the Austin area and I invited her to a Shake Russell concert.

My first memory of speaking to her was at that concert in the Saxon Pub about five years ago. That's when I realized what a sweetheart she is...quiet, smart, and strong.

Since then we've shared many evenings dancing and listening to live music. She's always one of the first to give me encouragement and support, or offer prayers and a shoulder to cry on, even as she went through some heartbreaking times of her own. 

I could waste time lamenting all those years of my youth when I didn't make an effort to know her, but instead, I'll be grateful to Facebook for eventually bringing us together so that I could help this wonderful woman through tough times and celebrations...

...such as the one for her birthday this afternoon with other friends who walked those halls with us so many years ago.

Happy birthday, Debbie! I'm so very grateful for you and your friendship. Better late than never!

 

 

Monday: getting an issue resolved at the Social Security Administration even if you have to wait three hours to do it; meeting people in waiting rooms; a real estate referral on Facebook by someone you've watched grow up; seeing your mom twice in one day; dinner and dessert, courtesy of your son and daughter

Tuesday: puppy kisses; touring properties with friend-colleagues; fajitas and margaritas; the happiness in your mom's eyes at the sight of you

Wednesday: the return of birds to your hollow; time for a quick visit with your mom before heading to a meeting; grilled chicken, courtesy of your son

Thursday: Realtors who share their knowledge with associates and their lasagna with hungry colleagues; making new friends every day

Friday: a call from your mother-in-law; a day at home with your family; watching funny movies with your kids; heating your whole house with just your wood-burning stove, thanks to your husband's awesome design; the God made a Realtor video

 

 

Saturday: blue skies and balmy breezes after too many days of gray skies and freezing temperatures; French toast, courtesy of your husband; your mom feeling better after being hit with a stomach virus; two walks in one day with your puppies

Sunday: the morning sun kissing your Hollow and shining through the stained glass in your church; Mass with your husband; new church directories; the anticipation of helping a dear friend celebrate her birthday

 

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive. 

~Anäis Nin

Frances Nail

 

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

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

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

I read them voraciously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

Galas, Volunteering, Photography and other Sweet!s

Last night I spent hours with a camera around my neck, stalking guests at the local Women's Club fundraising gala.

Now, mind you, it's pretty standard for me to have my camera hanging around my neck at any function I attend...well, anywhere I go... but last night was different: instead of complaining about me taking too many photos, people were asking me to take more, because I was the official photographer!

It was truly photographer heaven!

Because it was a fundraiser for the Women's Club, my only payment was a delicious dinner and a glass of wine. The Women's Club supports our community in so many ways, including awarding scholarships to several graduating seniors. My daughter was a recipient a few years ago, and I volunteered to show my appreciation.

Not only did I get to snap photos to my heart's content, but I bumped into several friends, met new ones, listened to an awesome band...the Vintage 15...and enjoyed scenes from the Wizard of Oz, created almost entirely from toilet paper rolls.

 

 

Monday: new dog beds made from an old mattress; French toast, courtesy of your husband; a call about one of your Craig's List posts

Tuesday: an extended property tour through your small town; a son who stops by after work to see your mom even though it gets him home really late

Wednesday: friends downloading and sharing your real estate mobile app to improve your chances of winning $20K

Thursday: a stranger helping you scrape ice from your windshield; making it home before the roadways are covered in ice

 

 

Friday: a snow day...long walks, warm fires, and chili simmering on the stove; an email from an old friend, asking you to photograph his daughter's April wedding at a gorgeous outdoor chapel

 

Saturday: exploring new homes; getting to see your oldest son and your mom in one visit; being the official photographer at a Gala; works of creative wonder made from toilet paper rolls; big bands; staying up late watching episodes of American Horror Story with your kids

 

 

Sunday: a flash of blue in the woods, signaling the return of the Mexican Jays; Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies; watching a trio of Brady Bunch episodes with your mom

 

 

I hope you've all collected a bunch of sweet!s this week, too.

Share them here!

If you do a good job for others, you heal yourself at the same time,
because a dose of joy is a spiritual cure.
It transcends all barriers.

~ Ed Sullivan

 

Dona Nobis Pacem

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. "
 

 ~Mother Teresa

 

Today is the 10th Blog Blast for Peace Day, a worldwide plead for peace...a responsibility not put on governments alone, but on each one of us. 

Dona Nobis Pacem...grant us peace.

We are the seeds of peace. May we all allow ourselves to grow, and by our example, spread the message. Peace walks hand-in-hand with love.

Here's an example of someone who has peace in his heart and knows he is called to share it...

Peace be with you...

...and may peace flow out of you to everyone around you, so that they may share it, too.

 

"Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me."

~Seymour Miller & Jill Jackson

Five on Friday: Give me peace for the moment...

 

1.

I had to report for jury duty on Monday. It was in the old Travis County Courthouse, which to me is what a courthouse and jury room should look like...straight out of an old Perry Mason episode.

It was a wonderful process. The judge was very passionate and took lots of time explaining the process to us. I didn't really want to get picked (I'm in the middle of the whole real estate license thing and need to start making money!) but I decided to just be honest and see what happened.

I didn't get picked. Maybe I was too honest.

I was relieved in a way...but by then I was involved and interested in the case, so I also felt rejected!

 

2.

But since I didn't get picked for jury duty, I was free to take the State Exam for real estate on Wednesday.

I passed! I barely crossed the line on one part, but what matters is I did cross it. Whew! Now the real education begins, so I kept the momentum going and signed with an agency yesterday. Training begins next week.

I'm ready to hit the ground running!

 

3a.

There's a dead deer lying half in, half out of our creek, with a huge chunk of its rear-end missing. I'll spare you the photo of it I took to send to Tom.

Well, I'm not sure how much of the deer is still down there, actually. For the past two days coyotes have been fighting over it all night, yapping and yapping and making our poor puppies feel obligated to bark at them from our back deck. 

I'm glad they don't feel obligated to run down there!

During the day, vultures circle round and round, so close to the house that I hear the whoosh-whoosh of their wings. They glide down under the trees to where the deer is (I can't see it from the house, thank goodness) and then I hear a lot more loud noises.

Of course, the puppies feel obligated to bark at them, too.

3b.

I've taken a lot of photos of "interesting" scat on our road lately (scat = poop). There's a great site I discovered where you can identify what animal it came from. I'll spare you those photos, too. You'll just have to trust me that we've had coyote and fox and owl...and something much larger...crossing our road lately.

...Which makes me very nervous for Max with his wobbly hips and legs, poor old puppy, what with the dead (full-sized antlered) deer down there by the creek .

 

4.

 

In honor of its 75th anniversary, our local electricity co-op is sponsoring a photography contest for members with the theme: My life in Central Texas.

 

I chose a photo of a morning walk with the puppies from several years ago, back when Belle really was a puppy and Frankie, our late guinea fowl, thought he was one, too. 

Click HERE to see my submission page. Voting begins on August 26th and I would appreciate yours...and your friends' vote, too! There are some cash prizes!

It was tough narrowing it down to one photo, and there were some size requirements, too. But I had fun going back through all of the memories with that funny little bird.

I'm posting most of them over on Confessions in three posts, starting with THIS ONE, if you feel like looking at tons of photos of a precocious guinea fowl.

Rest in peace, Frankie bird. I miss you peering in the window at me while I work.

 

5.

Do you get songs stuck in your head? I have one running right now, and I'm grateful for it.

It's "Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets. Here are some of the lyrics playing in my head...very reassuring and calming in these days when there are so many things going on and decisions need to be made...

 

If there's a road I should walk
Help me find it.

If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment.

 

And here's the song itself, below. If you're feeling stressed and /or need help figuring out what direction to head, I recommend it!

I hope you have a wonderful Friday and a beautiful weekend!

(Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday)

 

 

Goodnight, Tuesday (and kids, stay in school!)

I said goodnight to Tuesday out on the porch. As I rubbed Belle's belly, the sun slipped below the horizon, leaving a smudge of orange above the trees.

I'm almost ashamed to tell you I wasn't sad to see it go. Despite my vow to not wish time away, to be grateful for every minute, blah, blah, blah...I've struggled to hang on to my smile today. First thing this morning I got an email letting me know the job I'd been crossing my fingers AND toes for since March wasn't available after all. 

It was a writing job. One where I could finally put all of my experience at the chemical plant to good use, doing what I love, and get paid to visit my parents in Houston for a week or more each month, instead of having to take off work to go. Paid well enough to get us out of debt, I should add.

A friend tried to help me out, but she just couldn't get that door open. This is where a degree in English or Journalism would have come in real handy. Years and years and years of creative writing and newspaper reporting just didn't cut it.

I guess the big lesson is, if I had stuck with Chemical Engineering, if I hadn't dropped out, I wouldn't be writing this right now.

Of course, if I hadn't been a total stay-at-home mom, devoted to volunteering and only working part-time jobs for the past twenty years, I wouldn't be writing this, either. 

  Although, honestly, I don't really regret those decisions or feel they were wrong.

My email inbox tried to cheer me up. These were the two quotes-of-the-day I received:

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to his love, and the future to his providence.

~ St. Augustine

and

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Another coincidence was a book Tom brought back to me from his mom: Basket of Blessings, 31 Days to a More Grateful Heart, by Karen O'Connor. I glanced through it this morning. It reminded me of my collection of sweet!s, although she digs a little deeper about what we can be grateful for.

This one made me really stop and think:

We can be grateful for pain: the death of a loved one, divorce, or illness...each a gift in its own way if we take time to see it.

I was still pondering that when I received the email, which for me heralded the death of a dream, of a glimmer of hope and help for my family, and smashed my self-confidence.

So I've spent the day praying for a grateful heart, thinking of those poor people in Oklahoma who have been hit so hard just recently and reminding myself of all the blessings in my life.

For starters, I was able to walk my puppies just as the sun rose on a clear summer sky, to run with healthy legs and heart and lungs on my treadmill, to shower with hot water, to drive in my car to a job in a beautiful location where I work with nice people and get to meet others.

But it's not a career. It's part-time. It's fun in a way, but I've learned all there is to learn. It's not going to evolve into something else. And it's definitely not enough money. 

So I'll keep searching, keep trying to adapt my eclectic work and volunteer experience into the requirements and explain why I don't need a college degree to do the job, of wondering if I'm perceived as too old to learn anything or start a career. 

But not tonight. To paraphrase Sister Golden Hair..."...I tried to make it Tuesday, but I got so damn depressed, that I set my sights on Wednesday and I got myself undressed."

Goodnight, Tuesday. No hard feelings?

 

Five Things from La-La Land

Linking with A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday 

 

1. 

 

This card, full of words of love and encouragement and inspiration, waited for me in the mailbox earlier this week, a precious gift from my friend Rae. 

How could I not share them with you, because the words are true for all of us, aren't they? Take a minute to read them and believe them. You are very special.

Thank you again, sweet Rae!

 

2.

In a previous life, Jeannie was my kids' high school Spanish teacher. A few years ago she retired to follow her dream of becoming a missionary in Honduras through SAMSUSA.org.

I subscribe to her newsletters and in today's I found this note that made me really stop and think. I thought it was worth sharing with you, too...

 

Dear Mission Partners,

I’ve been thinking a lot about what we pray for. I hear so many people resolve their problems and say, Oh, if God would just.....let me pass the exam, give me the dream job I want.... everything would be good and I could handle it from there. We want Him to hand our desires to us and back off. We want the control back. We think we know what’s best for us. When he doesn’t answer our prayer we feel abandoned. God doesn’t care.

We often never consider that He has other plans for us, probably much better plans that we have concocted to solve our problems and make us happy. Usually he makes us wait for His plans and the waiting is very hard when we see our solution just within our grasp. The solution is so obvious! Why won’t He just give it to us?

His plans are so much more comprehensive than our solutions. We don’t see His huge map. Like Sara with Abraham, we tire of waiting and substitute our plans for His. But the true solution is His. What we have done in the meantime may only complicate things.

I’m pretty clear on what I want. I work toward it and pray I am in line with what He wants. But I am praying that His Will, not mine, be done. I am praying to be obedient. Because I know He’s in control. And I have found his plans to be much better than mine. For His Sake,

Jeannie 

Jeannie does amazing work there with the poverty-stricken, transporting children to doctor's visits, among tons of other things. If you're interested in donating to support her mission, send me an email and I'll send you hers.

 

3.

"If you're lost and alone...or you're sinking like a stone...carry on.
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on."

~ Fun

Speaking of inspiring and energizing things, Fun. was on the Today Show this morning. This song has been in my head all day. (I'm not complaining!)

 

 

4.

It rained all day today, and I didn't mind a bit because I had no where to go. That's one of the good things about not having a real job beyond writing and a fledgling photography company. (The bad thing about it is the lack of a paycheck, of course.)

Anyway, rain makes me pensive, so I flipped through a few of the journals where I noted details of our lives for about twenty-five years. 

There were some tough times, I'll tell you, but one thing I noticed was how I always ended with a positive note...using words like 'faith' and 'prayer' and 'blessings'. I remember some of those times vividly, the ache and the worry and the fogginess of the road ahead of us.

I love seeing it from this perspective, how the paths opened up and the sun came out again. I was reminded again that God has a plan, that he's got our backs, which is a helpful reminder right now when the road ahead has gone all foggy again.

Tom says I live in La-La Land, where there's always a silver lining and everything is hunky-dory. He says it like it's a bad thing.

But if we've prayed for God's guidance and truly trust him, how can we not think everything is hunky-dory, even if we can't see it from where we're standing at the moment?

 

 

5.

The proof of that hit home when I read through my notes written during my oldest son's heartwrenching high school years...and compare them to the joy and love I see on his face in the short video below of The. Most. Beautiful. Wedding. Ever. Amen. by amazing videographer Adam Grumbo. (I can't wait for the full video!) 

My prayers of so long ago have been answered. My mother-tears were not in vain.

(It takes a minute to buffer, so take my advice -  go grab a tissue while it loads...)

 

Make Good Art (Life)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make good art.

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

Make it on the good days too."

~Neil Gaiman

                 

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

Sweet March

 

I blinked and February was gone, just like January. Now March seems hell bent on keeping up the same grueling pace, but at least the scenery flashing by is prettier, dotted with the colors of Spring.  

Redbuds are still sporting their pink bling, bunches of yellow and white wildflowers are popping up everywhere, and bees are racing butterflies from bloom to bloom, too excited at the abundance to light for long anywhere.

Last night my friend Leslie had a few of us over for hamburgers and face-time. The weeks fly by too quickly in between our get-togethers. It was another friend's birthday, so we sent her a photo-wish, via Facebook.

Now I'll send it via Long Hollow, as well. I'm so grateful for all of these long-time friends and the technology that helps keep us connected!

 

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

 

Sunday: late Masses, so you can sleep in; toll roads when you're running late to a meeting; Mr. Bean, drums, a funny video containing both, and the friend who sent you the link 

Monday: taking a day off; your puppy getting a good report at his annual checkup; winning giveaways hosted by talented, creative blog friends, and finding the gift in your mailbox

Tuesday: watching high school theater students rehearse Snow White; spotting a turtle swimming with your puppy; a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for you at home, a gift from your future daughter-in-law; redbuds and prairie verbena blooming in your hollow

Wednesday: watching high school theater students rehearsing The Jungle Book and a King Arthur parody; fluffy sparrows and blue birds posing for you

Thursday: watching an old movie you love and a new one that makes your heart swell; conquering your after-work lethargy by running and writing when you get home; a walk with your puppies in the late afternoon sun; discovering natural stone sculptures near your little pond, put in place by your husband

Friday: the alarm clock snooze button ; the smell of spring on a misty morning; fish-fries at your church; Stations of the Cross; books you find it hard to put down

Saturday: sleeping in; a day for playing catch-up; dinner with dear friends; Siamese cats; skies lit up with lightning and rain on your windshield

Sunday: a blue sky washed clean of clouds; Quiche Lorraine and visiting with friends after church; a long walk with your puppies; yellow flowers

 

I hope March is giving you plenty of sweet! moments, too. Share them here! Now I'm off to try to convince workaholic Tom to play ping-pong with me on this glorious Sunday afternoon...

Cat-Friend versus Dog-Friend

I am a dog and cat person. For some reason, that seems to be a rare thing.

I love my puppies and their unconditional love and joy of life, but I also love cat personalities...their sauciness and independence and supposed indifference to anything but themselves. I love how they purr and stretch and give you sandpaper kisses, despite themselves...then bite you and run away.

Cats keep you on your toes!

If it weren't for a promise I made to our allergy doctor years ago not to replace my aging Siamese, Char, when she passed away, I know I'd have several cats lounging in patches of sunlight in my house, shedding on and shredding the sides of my couch, and leaving hairballs on my new comforter. 

So this video my friend Hilary at The Smitten Image sent me literally made me double up in laughter...something I haven't done in a long time!

Of course I had to share it with you, because laughter is the best medicine, and I care about you! Whether you love cats or hate them, grab a kleenex and prepare for a good teary-eyed breath-gasping belly-laugh...

You're welcome. (Thanks again, Hilary!)

 

 

 

I Do

 

 

When I said those words twenty-seven years ago today, I didn't know what the hell I was talking about.

How can you, when you're just twenty-three years old? It's such a leap of faith, marriage is...it's saying "come hell or high water, come arguments about bratty kids and light fixtures or stress about sick kids and college bills, I'm going to stick with you whether you like it or not. And I hope you like it." But you don't know that at the time.

I look back over our years together and I know the only thing that got us through some of them is that I fell head over heels in love with this man, and he felt the same about me.

It's like Jim Croce's song "Time In a Bottle"...you stash those memories and good times in a box or a bottle and on those days when you look at your partner and wonder "Who IS this person?" you just open up that box and pull out some of those memories, and say "Oh, yeah...I remember you. I know you're in there somewhere and I'll just hang on till you come back."

Clinging - I understand that word now.

It feels like we've been on a long journey. I think we've pretty much covered the "better/worse, richer/poorer, sickness/ health" bits, although I'm sure more excitement awaits us, but now it feels like we've worked our way back to where we started...only closer, wiser, more humble and a lot more appreciative.

And it's a good place to be. Knowing what I know now, I'd still say "I do" and I think he would, too.

A few years ago he performed a 'dance' for me to the tune of Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind of Wonderful". 

Well, I can't top that, so I'm just going to let my old friend Carole explain how I feel - she has a much better voice than I do.

 

 

 

Happy Anniversary, Babe.

I love you, and I'm ready for the next twenty-seven, plus some.