Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Hitting the road

  • Mom hugs, singing frogs, and other sweet!s of the week

    We couldn't have asked for better weather in Austin, Texas on Thanksgiving Day. Clear blue skies, a touch of autumn in the breeze…perfect for throwing open the doors to cool off a small kitchen full of cooks trying to get dinner on the table.  I'm so grateful we were able to stay here and celebrate…

  • Property Tour Tuesday!

    Just about every Tuesday, a bunch of us grab a map, pile in someone's car, and ask Siri to navigate us along the route to the one, two, and sometimes three houses or condos selected for that week's tour, scattered in various neighborhoods in Austin and the surrounding communities.  Road trip! A really short one,…

  • 1102 Cliffview Drive, Spicewood, Texas: A Slice of Pedernales Pretty

      I stood near a rocky, cactus-covered cliff on Saturday, staring down at a bend in the Pedernales River that still sparkled with water, despite this drought that has lingered for so long here in central Texas. What a sweet surprise and relief to see that water! When I listed this long, narrow acre-ish lot on…

  • Daughters-in-Law and other sweet!s

    Yesterday I drove to the other side of Austin to wish my daughter-in-law a happy birthday in person for the first time, grateful that they finally live close enough that I can do that. It comes in handy for someone like me who always forgets to put birthday cards in the mail in time to…

  • Lesson #82 (Thank you, and Happy Birthday, Mama!)

    Today is my beautiful Mama's birthday. Soon I'll be on my way to Houston to celebrate another year of having her in my life. I hope the coming year will be full of laughter and happiness for her. She's been through so many changes this past year, the toughest being having to say goodbye to…

  • Not-So-Hidden Treasure

    I've been driving in, around, and through Austin for almost 20 years now, but for the most part, I have traveled the same routes over and over and over. Lately, I've been venturing out into unknown territory so that I'm better acquainted this wonderful city and its neighborhoods, and that's how I discovered this vintage…

  • Dodging Rain and Traffic Jams…and other sweet!s of the week

    I made another overnight trip to the Houston area this weekend to visit my mom. Because of the weather forecast, I expected to be driving in rain coming and going. And dreaded it something fierce! So what a sweet! surprise to have sunshine to and from Houston, with the predicted rain passing through early this…

  • Heading West…and other sweet!s

    My middle son and I were headed west on I-10 out of Houston tonight after a weekend visit with my mom when this glorious sunset appeared before us. We were ooh-ing and ah-ing and I itched to grab my camera, but I played it safe and ordered delegated the picture-taking to Daniel. He was a…

  • Dreaming of Sandcastles and Sweet Sunrises

    Usually the Monday following four incredible days full of sunshine in Port Aransas with twenty friends is a Monday in every sense of the word. But today hasn't been bad at all…except that it's too short. With everything going on in my life right now, I really didn't have time to slip away and lounge…

  • Bittersweet

          I spotted it when I stepped out onto the front porch one morning this past week, in between trips to Houston. I noticed the fossil first, thinking it had fallen from its spot on the windowsill above the bench where it now rested. Then I realized it had been placed there to…