Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Indulgence

  • 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…

  • Wimberley Market Days, Cypress Creek, and other Sweet!s of the Week

      Cypress trees towering overhead. Harsh summer sunlight softened, transformed into a magical golden glow that bounces off the glassy surface of a creek and dances on the surrounding tree trunks. Hours to float in cold, clear water under that lofty green bower, to talk and talk and talk with friends in a busy outdoor…

  • From the Front Porch

    I was busy with to-do's when Tom said the magic words Wednesday evening: Painted Bunting. That's all it took to get me to trade the vacuum cleaner for my camera and join him on the front porch. We sat in rocking chairs angled toward the bird feeder. For more than an hour we sat and…

  • 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…

  • She’s still here… and other sweet!s of the week

    I slipped through the trees on the narrow deer trail as quietly as possible to check on the mama duck and her duckling this morning. At first glance, the pond was empty. But earlier this week it appeared empty, with only a lone feather brushing the shore. I thought for sure something bad had happened…

  • 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…

  • The Art of Relaxation

    One September about twelve years ago I made a phone call to a previously unknown-to-me condominium complex in Port Aransas, Texas, and reserved a three bedroom condo on the 5th floor. I needed to escape. Not a permanent escape, of course. Just a few days all to myself, where I didn't have to cook anything,…

  • 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…

  • Mary Poppins and other Sweet!s of the week

    I would lie on the wooden floor for hours… or at least it seemed like hours… listening to my Mary Poppins soundtrack album, over and over. Asthma held my lungs hostage – each breath was a major accomplishment – so lying there listening to "Step in Time" and "Feed the Birds" was about all I…