Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Food and Drink

  • Thirty Years and other sweet!s

    Last Monday Tom and I celebrated our thirtieth anniversary. (Yikes! Thirty years??!!) Because of circumstances, we didn't have time to buy each other a card, much less a gift, but his youngest brother and his wife surprised us with a cake, a dozen beautiful salmon-colored roses, a six-pack of Shiner Bock, and a funny anniversary…

  • Rhythm and Routines, Detours and Diversions

      I had finally found a daily rhythm of morning pages, photography, writing, and blogging, all balanced between dog care and house care and working out and sleeping and Breaking Bad and pastoral council duties and trying to spread the news about our upcoming high school reunion and hanging out with my hubby and helping…

  • Cardsharks

      “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” ~ Randy Pausch   When the Shallue clan gets together, you can count on a deck or two of cards appearing on the scene.  You can also count on Tom not shaving when he's on vacation. It was great spending…

  • Sweet Chaos

    I'm home. The past week has been a whirlwind of sand, sunshine, hugs, laughter, seashells, sunburns, storm clouds, card games, wet towels, buffet-style meals, birthday cake, aloe gel, clear water, ocean waves, camera clicks… But now, I'm home, hitting the ground running last night as soon as we unloaded the car… unpacking, starting laundry, uploading…

  • Ghosts of Fourths Past, Revisited

    I'll be celebrating our country's birthday today by earning a paycheck at the winery. How much more American is that?  But while I'm standing there listening to music, smiling and serving customers, sweating in the summer heat and hoping for at least a glimpse of fireworks, my mind will be drifting back to Fourths of…

  • Almonds and other sweet!s of the week

    He was dirty and carried a cardboard sign ever closer to my car that said something like "Homeless Need a Job Hungry God Bless."  I focused on the "hungry" and rolled down my window. My son was with me, so I felt safe. "Would you like some almonds?" I asked, holding out a snack-sized ziplock…

  • A Photography, Writing, Duck Soup, Fajitas, and Birthday Cake Weekend

    Several months ago, on a slow Saturday at the winery bistro, I waited on a man and his wife. The man had a Nikon, so of course I started asking him a jillion questions and talking photography. Their son had gotten married that weekend, so I gave him my email address and he sent me…

  • Passing Time in Whataburger

    I found myself with a few hours to kill one morning this week with nary a Starbucks in sight. So I stepped into the next best thing – a Whataburger. I knew they'd have coffee, a restroom, air-conditioning, and space for reading and writing the time away. Everything I needed. "You doing alright, ma'am?" It was…

  • Dark Shadows of the Soul (and Popcorn for Dinner Twice in One Week!)

    Ah, Barnabas. Almost every day, circa 1969-1970, I rushed home from school and plopped down in front of the TV, just in time to see what you and the rest of the cursed Collins family was up against in the next episode of Dark Shadows. Daddy joined me as often as his shift schedule allowed.…

  • Ah, Mother’s Day…

    For the first time in years, I actually saw my mother on Mother's Day instead of telling her how much I love and appreciate her via a card and a phone call. It meant missing church and spending hours on the road Sunday morning, but Daniel (middle son) awoke early enough to send me off…