Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

recent posts

about

Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Blogging

  • Blog Hopping!

    When I first started blogging, I saw it as 1) therapy 2) good writing practice and 3) a way to let friends and family know what we're up to without having to send so many emails and make a lot of phone calls. It was a multitasker's dream come true! It has been all of…

  • Meet Haley

    A new face greeted me when I stepped out for my morning walk last week… No, we haven't adopted another puppy. She lives next door but comes over to play almost every day, joining us for walks or just hanging around while my pups eat breakfast. I don't feed her, but if she sits for…

  • Can a girl have too many hobbies?

      Tom probably thinks so. But this is a cool picture, isn't it? Do you notice the close-up reflection of my face surrounding the door that's framing a reflection of my body? I wish I could say I planned it that way, but this is just one of the things I love about photography: I…

  • Before you throw that stone…

    I'm still hoping to post part 2 of the Shallue Vacation 2010 later today, but I came across something during my break from sweating that I wanted to share right away. (Tom and I are tidying up outside… mostly taming the overgrown weeds and cleaning up the "puppy playpen" on our porch.)   My friend Gina lives…

  • Happy Anniversary, Long Hollow!

    It's hard to believe, but today is the second anniversary of my blog! I'm hanging out in a college computer lab, passing the time until the Girl gets out of her hours-long summer Physics class. I'm her chauffeur since we're down to just two working vehicles; the other 7 or so are just for decoration.…

  • Loose Ends, Apologies and Clarifications

    I owe my kids an apology. I implied in XOXO Nina Barbara that they were slackers in the Mother's Day department. I didn't intend to, but nonetheless, reading back over it now, I understand why my sweet Tommy slipped a pressed flower into the card he sent me with a note explaining "I couldn't let…

  • Grateful for #53

    Tom turned 53 today. If you've read much of my blog, you know I never take birthdays for granted, but I'm especially grateful for each one of his we get to celebrate. I've spent too many hours sitting in hospital waiting rooms praying for him … come too close to losing him too many times.…

  • Why I Blog

    I talk to high school students every year who are preparing to take the AP exams or write college entrance essays. I tell them "Make every word count. Read back over what you've written and if there's an adverb, yank it out and use a better verb. If you see "is", yank it out and…

  • Hey Sonny, Who’s Your Cher?

    In other words, is there someone in your life who brings out the best in you? Someone who makes you better in some way? Now, once you've thought of someone in particular, try to explain how this person makes you better … That was easier said than done for me, when BlogHer asked me to…

  • Scavenger Hunt!

    Back when I was in junior high, no slumber party was complete without a scavenger hunt, when you divided up into teams going door to door through the neighborhood gathering up things like safety pins and matchboxes from Taco Bueno. The first team to gather everything on the list won. One specific scavenger hunt stands…