Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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about

Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: My Evolution

  • Transformation a la Plane, Train, and Hovercraft

    My blogging group, Generation Fabulous, hosts a monthly Blog Hop. July's theme is “Transformative Travel.” I knew exactly what to write about…    On this date thirty-seven years ago I stood beneath the glorious ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I also toured St. Peter's Basilica that day, thinking – paraphrasing my travel diary - "It's really pretty, but…

  • Progress and Pre-Celebrations

    Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. -Nido Qubein   Driving home along a near-empty toll road tonight, the horizon beside me suddenly came colorfully alive with beautiful fireworks. Great timing, because inside I was celebrating the 100 I had just made on the final exam of my…

  • Evolution of a Career Woman

        I'm home from my first real estate class. I don't count the one Tom and I took when I was pregnant with our firstborn. That was almost thirty years ago…and to be honest, it just didn't click with me at the time…maybe because I was pregnant, attending class after working a twelve-hour shift.…

  • Five Things on Friday

    1.   We stopped by the little pond on our walk this morning. I noticed that when the puppies waded in and drank from pond, drops of reflected sunshine splattered across the surface. It was magical!   2. I did it. I registered for Real Estate School today. I scheduled the classes (which begin next…

  • Remembering Rena

    Once upon a time, I was an elementary school librarian. Well, technically an aide, barely making minimum wage and working 50+ hours a week …but essentially I ran the library and absolutely loved it. If I had the time and money to go back to school, that's what I would be if I ever grow…

  • The Simple Things are the Sweetest

    Dawn is waking to rain and thunder this morning. She must have pulled the covers back over her head because the Hollow is still dark outside my window, except for occasional flashes of lightning. On a normal morning, the puppies and I would already be out on the dirt road, saying hello to the new…

  • Why I’m My Father’s Daughter

      If Daddy answers the phone when I call my parents, our conversation is a quick one. "I can't talk," he'll complain.  "You sound fine to me," I'll tell him.  "What? I can't hear you. Here's your mother." And that's that. Strokes have taken their toll on his vocal chords. The effort to speak is…

  • Adventures in Hyundai-land (No autographs, please)

    When you have a husband who can do just about anything, you don't spend much time waiting for your car to be serviced or repaired. He prefers doing it himself to save money. But sometimes that husband ends up with too many cars and projects that need his immediate attention, or your car requires something…

  • The Sugar on Top, Part 2 – Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!

    Today is my beautiful mother-in-law's 80th birthday. She didn't want a big celebration, although she deserves it after raising nine boys into nine wonderful men. …Probably because that would tempt all nine boys plus their families to converge on her house (or nearby vicinity) all at once…and even for a wonderful mother, that's a lot…

  • Fifteen Years Ago Tomorrow Morning…

        "Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same." ~ Patty Loveless, "How Can I Help You To Say Goodbye" That Memorial Day weekend in 1998 was one of the best we'd ever had. We had laughed with friends and danced to Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88's. Spent a glorious day swimming in…