Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

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Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Worth Quoting

  • Good boy, Max.

      "Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really." ~ Agnes Sligh Turnbull     He wandered up to our house from the woods almost 11 years ago, a not-so-small puppy with crooked ears and a face so black you could barely see his eyes. We never found out where he came from, but…

  • Sunday afternoons and belated sweets

      Just before sunset this afternoon, I escaped to the front porch swing with a glass of wine and a long-lost book from my childhood. I'd spent the day taking care of the dogs, going to church, fixing one of my signs that got knocked over by city mowers, visitng my mom, and finally making…

  • Can you hear it?

        Our grandfather clock is chiming midnight. Rain pours – no, roars – outside my window, just the kind of rain we need. A blessed sound, for sure. Every once in awhile I catch a flash of lightning in the distance. I've just finished a few things for work … or at least all I can…

  • Moving forward, but not forgetting…

      Lord, take me where you want me to go;Let me meet who you want me to meet;Tell me what you want me to say; andKeep me out of your way. – Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY (died 9/11/01)     Every year in late September, early October, I head to the coast with a group…

  • Surprises…

        “God put us here, on this carnival ride. We close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next.”  ~Carrie Underwood   There are good surprises, and there are bad surprises. Years ago I met a woman who impressed me with her beauty and bubbly personality. I didn't know her well, and haven't…

  • This time last year…

    About this time last year, I was on a walk of faith. I began a new career. It coincided with dramatic and tragic turns in my parents' lives. The changes that have taken place in all of our lives since July 2013 are mindboggling when I think about them too long. Despite his illness and…

  • They’ve landed! (…and other sweet!s)

    For the past week or so I've been living vicariously through a couple of my kids. Again. My son and his wife have now experienced the beauty, beer, food, art, sights and sounds of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Amsterdam. And through the wonders of technology, I've been able to tag along through their photos and…

  • Sisters (and other sweet!s)

      It would have been intimidating growing up with such a beautiful big sister if she had been the type to criticize or belittle. But I was blessed with Brenda.      Sure, she liked to tease me sometimes, and even lost her temper with me once or twice, but given that I was a…

  • Old puppies, morning walks, and other sweet!s

      Whether it's the heat or just old age catching up to him, Max has gone down a pretty steep hill lately. Just last week we took the long walk, around the curve and down into the creekbed. But now he can't walk far before having to stop and rest. Our walks have gotten shorter…

  • Daughters (and other sweet!s)

          They grow so fast, don't they? One minute they're crawling around on your stylish-at-the-time-rose-colored carpet, exploring and investigating… picking on their older brothers, trying to stir things up…cuddling in your arms because they're still shorter than you and easy to pick up… …and then suddenly they're wanting to explore far beyond your…