Where seeds of thought have room to grow
Category: Family
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Back then it was chocolate cake, candles, games and presents. I would be stressing about having the house ready, the cake ready, the presents wrapped, enough games, food and movies to fill the time so the house wasn't destroyed by bored little boys and girls. We would have a pinata filled with candy and pray…
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When I was growing up, we didn't hang stockings – we didn't have a fireplace, for one thing, but it just wasn't part of our tradition. But I learned about stockings from Dickens and other writers, and I didn't like being left out, especially if it held the potential for more gifts, so I made…
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It's not a good idea to stay up late, late, late Sunday night working at the computer when you need to get up early, early, early Monday morning for work. So now you know how my Monday started…with bloodshot eyes and plenty of yawns and scrambling to be on time. When will I learn? I…
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Home again late last night, after a family-filled Thanksgiving – one of the best ever – and a wide loop to see dear friends on the way home and drop Daniel off at his apartment downtown. Happy to be home, of course…happy to see Belle and Max and just be home. But Tom did something…
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Morning rain, cooler temperatures, snuggling under the covers, sleeping late. No Black Friday shopping for this family. Football on the television. Feet propped up. Empty coffee cups, and more percolating. More dessert. More coffee. Afternoon sunshine. Long walks Brother snoozing in the recliner. Mother, sister, son sharing stories at the table. Baby napping in the front room,…
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Tom and I headed to Pasadena yesterday to celebrate my mother's 79th birthday. This is what greeted us upon arrival at my childhood home…not a good omen… The young plumber (Ryan) assured us it wasn't a big deal though. Whew! Daddy and I watched him and chatted with him while he worked. I'm sure he…
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Today is my mother's birthday! Guess which one? Two years ago I listed 77 things I'd learned from my mother. Last year I added #78, a very important one. You should read both of those. (Go ahead… I'll wait for you!) So, ready for Lesson #79? Every afternoon I call my mom. (Well, almost 'every'.)…
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Please forgive me…this is pretty much a re-post from last year, except for a small, much-needed addition… My big brother Buster was headed to Viet Nam, saying his goodbyes, when I stood beside him in this photograph and smiled. I had no idea what was ahead of him. This was probably taken before…
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Each of us stands our ground, doing our best to remain upright through the elements… We're pushed and shoved by the weather… By life. By time. We have our own space, separate from the rest, vulnerable to the wind in just a slightly different angle than the next one… …but that's good, because…
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Years ago, my grandparents had a little cabin near Lake Medina, in the hills west of San Antonio. As you can see from this photo of Grandad on the front steps, it wasn't much to look at…and "little" is an understatement… But in my mind, a weekend at the cabin was a trip to Paradise!…
Long Hollow 