Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Call me mom

  • Empty Spaces, Cedar Fever, and a Handful of Stones

    There's a big empty space in my living room now. My middle son came home this weekend and helped me pack up the memories and cart the tree downstairs to its place in the storage room. (Daniel also helped Tom cut and carry firewood. We love it when he comes home!) Usually my rocking chair…

  • Rejection (and other sweet!s)

      "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." ~ James 1:2-3  I received another "sorry, you're not the right person for this job" email earlier this week. It was for…

  • Good China, Grown-up Kids, and other sweet!s

      I fell in love with this china and crystal soon after I fell in love with Tom, back in the days when brides-to-be always registered for beautiful table settings that would probably spend more time in a china cabinet than gracing a table.  Even though I can count on one hand the number of…

  • Epiphany

    Today is Epiphany. Since we couldn't all be together on Christmas, I stole an idea from my friend Jim "Suldog" Sullivan, who waits until Epiphany to exchange gifts with his wife: I gathered my kids and husband together for a special meal and gift exchange. We used the good china and everything! More on that later.…

  • A New Year and Three Small Stones

      So here we are on the third day of a new year already. When I last spoke to you, way back in 2012, there were gray skies above as well as inside. I'm happy to report the sun has broken through in both places at least a few times since then, warming me with…

  • Assorted, one by one

    TG and I shared a bag of assorted Toblerone chocolates this afternoon. Have you ever had one? They just melt in your mouth. Of course, it had been a long time since lunch, and that just made them taste even better. As much as I love dark chocolate, my favorite flavor was white chocolate, but…

  • How is your Christmas going?

    TG sits near me watching Rush Hour 2. I've been listening while editing photos from the past week, laughing because I've watched it with her often enough to see the scenes in my mind. The Christmas tree sparkles between us. I won't take it down for a couple of weeks. That's when the Christmas season…

  • A Sweet Saturday Morning

      My kids will be here today.  That was the first thought that crossed my mind when I woke up this morning. And I awoke without the usual pre-waking symphony of dueling alarm clocks.  The sun had already made itself at home in the Hollow. Belle sat patiently outside the door, staring, waiting for a sign…

  • Why I Love “The Hobbit”

        He was five, snuggled up close beside me on the loveseat for our ritual bedtime story, sucking his thumb. "Are you sure?" I asked him. "There aren't any pictures in this book. Just a lot of words." He nodded, so I opened the worn paperback and began reading… "In a hole in the…

  • Blurry Days and Short Lists

    Confession time: My tree is still bare. Also, and much worse, I'm guilty of only haphazardly noting my sweet!s this week. The days just melted into each other. I jotted a few on random pieces of paper around the house, but most never got past the good intentions stage and the memory is gone. Why…