Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Family

  • Back to Reality

    The fairy tale is over, at least for me and Tom. While my son and his beautiful bride continue their romantic story over in Italy, we've said goodbye to the rehearsal dinner leftovers and the last out-of-town guest. My mother-in-law left this morning. No more eating out or playing cutthroat games of 3-13, where I actually…

  • The. Most. Beautiful. Wedding. Ever. Amen.

      (By Bloom Photography)   And I'm not saying that just because it was my son getting married. Well, maybe I am a little partial, but it was also the setting, the weather, the bride, the groom (my son), the attendants (including two of my kids), the chaplain, the guests… Trust me. It was absolutely…

  • No. 1 of 5 – Because I’m from Texas

      1. Well, I got me some cowboy boots. You might recall, from my Birthday post, that some of my friends pitched in to give me a gift card to buy a pair because I kept entering contests on Facebook trying to win some. I debated on whether to be practical and buy an iPad…

  • Be Still

      It was a gray morning, the sun not yet able to break through the clouds above the Hollow or the dark thoughts clouding my brain. Worries and what-ifs mingled with sorrow for the people of Boston and scenes of the explosion in West were fresh in my mind. My feet tread a familiar path…

  • Five Things

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

  • Birthday Cards and other sweet!s

    Does anyone read blog posts in the middle of the night? It seems it's the only time I finally get to post, after finishing up the higher priority items on my to-do lists.  BlogHer is asking for nominations for their Voices of the Year, in the categories of Heart, Humor, Inspiration, and OpEd. I had…

  • Oh, my aching back…

    So yesterday, I get home from work and Tom tells me he needs my help, which makes me happy, because he rarely accepts help on his projects. That's the artist in him, I think. Anyway, he needed my help lifting a heavy rock he'd found on one of his scavenger hunts through the countryside in…

  • Birthdays, Austin Adventures, and other Sweet!s

    Once you reach a certain age, numbers become surreal. They change (faster and faster and faster) but you feel the same. Wasn't it only yesterday I was cage dancing in honor of my 50th birthday?  Way back in my thirties and forties, I set some goals for myself. By my 50th birthday, I planned to…

  • Alleluja!

    "Because Christ rose from the dead, we know that sin and death and Satan have been decisively defeated." ~ Billy Graham It rained today. Normally, that's not what you want on Easter Sunday, but when you're in the middle of a drought like we are, rain is an Easter blessing.  And then the sun came…

  • Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

    (photo by Deborah Barrett) I love dancing. Nevermind the therapeutic benefits, both mental and physical. When I hear certain beats and rhythms, I really can't sit still. If nothing else, my toe will be dancing. What I love almost as much as dancing is getting others out on the dance floor with me, getting them…