Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: My Country Life

  • Signs of Spring, and other Sweet!s

    Like the Munchkins when Dorothy first arrives in the (movie) land of Oz, yellow flowers are popping up and peeking out at the world, one by one, to see if the coast is clear and the rumor is true..that the wicked old winter is gone. (Not that our winters here around Austin, Texas are actually…

  • The Artist

      I stand mesmerized, watching him consider the next space before choosing a rock from a collection he's gathered over, not just months, but years. That's how long the vision has been in his mind. To me, the rock he chooses looks like a perfect fit, but his eyes see more than mine can. He…

  • Retreat! and Silver Linings

      I took a quick overnight road trip with a friend Friday. We stayed in cute little apartments with screened porches set in a woodsy area full of walking paths… a great place to take deep breaths and relax and take a break from the rest of the world. There was wine, laughter, and great…

  • On A Windy Day

    A brisk north wind roared through the hollow this morning, whisking cobwebs from the corners of my brain and slapping my face with its cold hands, saying "Wake up! Look around at this glorious morning! Isn't it great to be alive?" I love the wind. It has felt like spring the past few days, and…

  • Gratitude (and other sweet!s)

      My dad is still in the hospital following his little stroke earlier this week, but he's stable and should be able to go home tomorrow. However, considering his health history and his stubborn determination to no longer follow the heart/diabetic healthy diet he's followed for a couple of decades, I doubt this is the…

  • Choices, Decisions, and Foggy Roads

      A thick blanket of fog settled on the Hollow every morning earlier this week. Heading out on my walks, I could only see a few steps ahead before the fog obscured the path.  Isn't that the perfect metaphor for life, that our paths are hidden, clouded by so many unknowns? And yet we know…

  • Empty Spaces, Cedar Fever, and a Handful of Stones

    There's a big empty space in my living room now. My middle son came home this weekend and helped me pack up the memories and cart the tree downstairs to its place in the storage room. (Daniel also helped Tom cut and carry firewood. We love it when he comes home!) Usually my rocking chair…

  • Rejection (and other sweet!s)

      "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." ~ James 1:2-3  I received another "sorry, you're not the right person for this job" email earlier this week. It was for…

  • Sea of Grass

        Surrounded by bare branches so still I could believe they are doodles on a pencil-smudged-gray sky, I stand in a sea of grass that bows down, unmoving, waiting.  The earth holds its breath.        Fence posts lean like old men, weathered gray and full of stories.          I'm still collecting…

  • Surprise! and other sweet!s

      I can't believe it. I surprised my friend Darla with a Diva gathering in her honor at my house this past weekend. Ten women who graduated from high school with us piled into my house for a slumber party, one even driving from Louisiana to be here. Many more who couldn't attend still donated…