Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

recent posts

about

Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Hitting the road

  • Flushing Toilets… Family… and other Gifts

    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…

  • A Not-So-Unproductive Weekend

    I had big plans for this weekend. BIG plans. Number one on the list: getting caught up on my sleep. Next, I planned to get caught up on my book. It only took me a few days to fall short of my 1500 words/day writing goal. Mostly because my body refused to put up with…

  • Pen-Pals, Paradise, and other wishes come true

    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!…

  • Running Away… a Different Kind of Survivor Weekend

    Last weekend I was surrounded by survivors… not the kind that sleep outside and eat bugs and face other challenges they take on voluntarily, but the real kind of survivors… the ones who encounter huge obstacles along their life road they didn't expect and don't want, but who keep going, head down during the toughest…

  • Morning on a diamond-studded beach – my Friday Favorite

    A week ago (has it already been a week?) at about this exact time in the morning, I was walking along a near-deserted beach, camera in hand. I snapped at least a dozen shots of this one little bird – so you can imagine how many photos I have from 4 days spent there with…

  • Relaxation, Regret, and Rejection (and lots of “firsts”)

    I caught a glimpse of the blushing horizon through my window this morning… a soft orange-pink glow just above the tree line, so similar to the sunrises that greeted me the past three mornings, except they reflected on the shimmery surface of of the Gulf of Mexico and led into days of sun and fun…

  • Meet the Walburg Boys (and a Saturday To-Do List)

    Tom and I hit the highway last night to experience a Central Texas gem we had no idea even existed until now – the Walburg Restaurant and Biergarten. I was kicking myself (in between dances) that we'd never been before. Tom danced with me, but while those fast polkas start my toes tapping, he became…

  • Divas and Sunshine – Just What the Doctor Ordered

    I've been packing a lot into my life lately, both by choice and necessity. I've been skimping on sleep at a time when I need to be getting more, stressing over finances, kids and property/neighbor issues. But there are times when skimping on sleep is exactly the right thing to do – especially if it's…

  • Back to the kitchen table

    Last night I did something I haven't done often over the past few decades: I sang Happy Birthday to my big sister, Brenda. In person, mind you, not through the cell phone. There were presents, pizza, cake and ice cream, and most of the immediate family gathered around the kitchen table, which is about all you…

  • Pond Envy, Bonfire Fun and an Old-Fashioned Lesson

    On any vacation, the things that make it the most special are those things you couldn't imagine beforehand… those little surprises that stick in your head forever. I had seen a photograph of Sue and Ron's backyard pond… I couldn't remember what it looked like exactly, but I knew it was really pretty and that,…