Long Hollow

Thirty-One Years

August 13, 2013

Thirty-one years. That's officially how long Tom and I have been married as of this evening, around 6 or 7 pm.

And they said you couldn't find lasting love in a bar…

…No more looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching your eyes, looking for traces
Of what.. I'm dreaming of…
Now that I found a friend and a lover
God bless the day I discover
You, oh you, lookin' for love.

~Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan

(For our first dance as a married couple, we chose "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places." Yes, really! I still love that song!)

They also said getting married on a Friday the 13th was bad luck…that once Tom graduated from college with his degree he'd dump me…that building a house together was suicide for a marriage…

We proved them all wrong…

…at least for thirty-one years, anyway. If I've learned one thing since my wedding day, it's to not take your love or marriage for granted. To say we've had our ups and downs is putting it mildly…and it can turn in a heartbeat.

But if it ended tomorrow, I'd have no regrets. Meeting Tom that fortuituous night in the Diamondback Saloon was a blessing…a seed that continued sprouting and blooming into a garden of blessings.

I'm so grateful for each and every one of these thirty-one years…even the bad ones, because they helped me appreciate the good ones.

photo by bloom photography

(I've also learned that thirty-one years can go by really fast!)

Happy 31st anniversary to the love of my life!

…But the greatest of these is love.

~1 Corinthians 13:13
Stormy Skies, and other sweet!s

August 11, 2013

I made another quick trip to visit my parents this weekend, accompanied by two of my kids.

I'm grateful it's just a four-hour-drive…grateful my kids want to go with me…grateful for Subway sandwich shops where we can eat relatively healthy, relatively cheap…and grateful that I can do something for my parents for a change…

…grateful we were heading west when the eastern sky turned dark and threatening…grateful for the full rainbow stretched between us and the storm.

But somehow, halfway home, the storm snuck around and reappeared ahead of us, providing a dramatic horizon.

On its outer edge, we veered north, avoiding the rain. Driving parallel to the wall of clouds, we were blessed with a view of a beautiful lightning show without having to deal with blinding rain on a highway.

Sweet.

Here are a few other sweet!s from the past week…

Monday: having your friend/neighbor teach your last real estate course; your daughter home and helping with procrastinated chores, like polishing the silver you want to sell; laughing at the Jimmy Kimmel's Blurred Lines video with your son

Tuesday: finishing up your last real estate class; cell phones, so you can talk to your mom even though she's hours away

Wednesday: a morning walk with your puppies for the first time in several days; a slow day at work so you can study your real estate flash cards; finding a favorite book you've been searching for since you were in 7th grade

Thursday: sitting by your little pond, soaking in the soft breeze and the silence; a day of errands with your daughter; catching up with girlfriends over chips, salsa, and margaritas; being able to chat online with one of your oldest friends, reliving precious memories, despite the miles between you

Friday: news that your dad does NOT have pneumonia; road trips with your kids; watching tons of Jimmy Kimmel videos with your kids

Saturday: waking up in your childhood home, surrounded by memories; spending time with your parents; neighbors who care about your parents; a beautiful sky full of rain clouds, lightning, and dramatic sunsets on your drive home

Sunday: church with your kids; seeing a familiar face you haven't seen in awhile; friends who drop in to visit your parents; help, when you least expect it; hearing from a friend you've been worried about that life has blossomed for her again

I hope you find beauty and blessings even on stormy days!

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you
gotta put up with the rain."

~Dolly Parton
…sisters are the chocolate chips.

August 10, 2013

One of the first and best gifts my parents ever gave me was my big sister, or "See-uh-stuh" as I called her for the first few years – I don't remember when I switched to Brenda.

How do people make it through life without a sister?

~Sara Corpening

I've asked myself this question so many times and always felt a twinge of guilt that TG doesn't have a sister, even though she's got two great brothers.

Because I truly can't imagine how different, how empty and downright dull my life would have been without my big sister in it.

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.

~Author Unknown

Brenda added drama and conflict to my life (fighting over the state of our bedroom)… enriched it with literature (sharing her books with me, like Swiss Family Robinson and Pollyanna and Jane Eyre)… expanded my world (taking me to museums, the zoo and movies I probably shouldn't be seeing)… and gave me a great soundtrack (exposing me to the best from the 60's and 70's.)

Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.

~Carol Saline

Well, she was certainly there for me. If I ever had a problem, I knew she'd be right by my side, no matter how much I'd irritated her seconds before.

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.

~Clara Ortega

Oh, here's another good one that truly applies to Brenda and me…

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us?

~Pam Brown

You don't want to test that, believe me. It could get ugly. We're formidable.

That being said, we're not just alike. Sure, we both like reciting Little Boy Blue and watching old movies. We share the same taste in books (just about anything) and enjoy visiting museums, no matter how small.

But she's always been a 'dress' person. A girly-girl. I'm jeans or shorts, definitely a tom-boy. She knew all about coloring hair and curlers. I'm totally hair-inept.

I tend to make mountains out of mole hills while she refuses to even acknowledge mountains exist.

She truly has the most positive outlook of anyone I've ever known.

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.

~Author Unknown

By example, Brenda taught me about love and acceptance, about appreciating the eccentricities that each of us on this earth has, about the importance of family connections, about looking on the bright side. We had our share of spats and arguments, but as I grew they dwindled, dried up and drifted away into childhood memories and stories.

An older sister is a friend and defender – a listener, conspirator, a counsellor and a sharer of delights. And sorrows too.

~Pam Brown

She doesn't hesitate to correct me if my facts are a little awry when I relate those memories and stories here on my blog, or I misspell a word. But as she's my biggest fan and cheerleader in whatever I attempt to do, I know not to take it as criticism. She's just burdened with a better memory and writing/spelling skills than I have!

A sister smiles when one tells one's stories – for she knows where the decoration has been added.

~Chris Montaigne

She turned 62 today, a number that is hard for me to grasp because in my eyes and heart, she hasn't aged a day in my life.

Sister to sister we will always be,
A couple of nuts off the family tree.

~Author Unknown

And proud of it! I love you!

There is no better friend than a sister. And there is no better sister than you.

~Author Unknown

I've lived long enough, seen enough other sisters, to know that I was blessed with an extraordinary big sister. Thank you, Brenda…thank you, Mama and Daddy…and,of course, thank you, God.

This was an updated, conglomerate re-post in honor of my sister's birthday today (for fun memories we shared, go HERE)

Even though I'm in town to see my parents, I'm not sure if I'll get to wish her a happy birthday face-to-face. Tonight she'll be partying at her high school reunion, and since she's on the reunion committee, she'll probably be busy preparing for it today.

But I know she's been looking forward to this for months, and I think it's awesome she'll get to celebrate with all of her classmates. Have fun and happy birthday, sweet sister!
It’s been a year. And what a year.

August 9, 2013

A year ago today, I whispered goodbye to this man and promised him I'd help keep an eye on his beloved wife.

It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by without him…until I stop and think of all that has happened in that time. So many changes.

Much happiness and laughter, but also much heartache, heartbreak, and many, many tears.

So for today's Five Things on Friday, I'm sharing five things about Pop:

1. I can still hear his voice. I'm grateful for that.

2. When he picked me and Tom up from the airport years ago, he always had a couple of cold beers waiting in the car for us. Later, Pop and I both switched to wine about the same time, and he was quick to offer me a glass as soon as we arrived for a visit. Cheers, Pop.

3. His eyes twinkled more than anyone else's I've ever known. He was such a flirt!

4. Nothing got my husband moving on finishing projects around the house more than an impending visit from his dad. And if there was something he couldn't get to in time, Pop would take care of it.

5. He never let anything keep him from going to Mass each week.

I love and miss you, Pop! I give thanks that you were in my life and honored to be among your daughters.

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

~Clarence Budington Kelland
Dog Days of Summer

August 7, 2013

There are dogs in my house.

Winter and jackets are a distant memory. I'm not even sure how many days in a row we've soared above 100 degrees now, and there's no end in sight. We are breaking records left and right here in Central Texas.

Morning walks happen before the sun is fully awake…or not at all.

We even have sand from the Sahara desert swirling in our atmosphere!

So I'm grateful for air conditioning, in my car and my house…and also for stained concrete floors downstairs so the puppies can turn into house dogs during the day with no worries about earlier swims in the pond.

(We knew this old bed pad would come in handy some day!)

As some of you may know, Max, our German Shepherd/Great Dane, was a stray who adopted us about ten years ago, when he was just a puppy…although, since he was already about the same size as our yellow lab mix, Charly, we didn't realize he was just a baby.

He grew to be twice Charly's size, but remained a puppy at heart until Charly's death a few years ago.

We didn't plan to get another puppy, but Max was despondent, so when TG spotted a photo of Belle on Facebook, and we heard she was a wandering stray puppy searching for a home just like Max had been…well, how could we resist?

(See the boxes behind her? Our empty nest is temporarily full again.)

So now we have Belle and Max, filling in for those who have gone before…Charly, Chewy, Maggie, and Jake…keeping the memory of those other sweet puppies alive while settling into their own spots in our hearts and easing the pain of losing the others.

Stephanie Weaver of Recipe Renovator, has written a book about pet love and loss, called Golden Angels, about Buddy Girl, their first dog, who they lost at age 11 to an aggressive cancer, and Daisy May, their new puppy, a year-and-a-half old.

Stephanie has undertaken a Kickstarter campaign to get her book into print and to help spread the word through a book tour.

If you are a pet lover, please check out her site. She is offering some nice thank you gifts for people who donate to her campaign.

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog
they take a piece of my heart with them.
And every new dog that comes
into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart.
If I live long enough,
all the components of my heart will be a dog, and I will become as generous and
loving as they.”

~Anonymous

http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=206615
So if you get a summer cold…

August 6, 2013

I caught a cold last week.

It's a matter of pride to me that I never, ever, ever get sick…so, of course, I had to eat my words when I felt that ache in my bones and started sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose.

(That's what happens when you you say "never", right?)

I know why it hit me. Just too much going on between class, work, trips to Houston, kids moving home, too little sleep, and my work-out routine forgotten in the bottom of the closet with my tennis shoes and jumprope.

But instead of sitting back and taking it easy, I got on the treadmill. I didn't do a hard workout, just enough to move some air into my lungs and sweat a little. It's a trick I learned the last time I got sick.

(Ahem. So much for "never".)

I also started taking Mucinex DM. I'm not being paid to tell you that. I'm doing it as a friend. You're welcome.

By the next day I felt so much better.

The pace has slowed a bit, making it easier to get at least 6 hours of sleep and fit at least a quick workout in my day, thank goodness. I hope you're staying well, but if you feel that achiness and start sneezing…get moving!

Health is not valued until sickness comes.

~Thomas Fuller

(By the way, I passed my last real estate class today and submitted the application for a license. Now I just need to find a sponsoring broker, get fingerprinted, take at least one intense two-day review class and then…the Big Test. Still a ways to go…but I'm closer! If you're planning on buying a house in Texas, hold off just a few more weeks!)
I Saw An Owl…and other sweet!s of the week

August 4, 2013

The puppies were pouncing in tall grass, chasing some tiny unseen prey.

It made me laugh, but it was time to get home so I wouldn't be late for work. So, calling them to follow, I turned to continue down our path…and that's when I saw it: an owl sitting on a low branch not ten feet away, looking over his shoulder at us, I'm sure wondering when the heck we were going to leave.

He was within perfect range of my 50mm lens, and with its wide aperture, the low light wouldn't have been a problem.

However, staying true to Murphy's Law, I had switched to my kit lens for the first time in months right before heading out, hoping to get some macro shots of the wildflowers toughing it out on these scorching, dry summer days.

So my photos of the owl are pretty sorry. I wish you could see the look he's throwing us.

Later on in the evening, as dusk fell on the trees across the creek from our house, Tom spotted him again.

I popped on my zoom lens, but didn't anticipate any good shots, since he was pretty far away and the light was weak. So I was pleasantly surprised that the photos came out as well as they did.

Here it is again, cropped to zoom in a little…

That is one big owl, isn't it?! I'm guessing it's a Great Horned Owl, but any owl experts out there, feel free to correct me.

I realize owls are pretty common in some areas, but this was a first for me, and as usual when I see another of God's creatures up close, it just feels…well…pretty sweet!

Here are a few other sweet!s from my past week…

Monday: purple sage blossoms; a walk with your puppies at dusk

Tuesday: making 100 on your fifth real estate course exam; resting on a summer afternoon with your baby girl; having 2 of your kids home, even though your house is beginning to look like a warehouse

Wednesday: time before work to walk your puppies; meeting a young blogger; margherita pizza; paychecks; friends who drop in to visit your parents

Thursday: a slow day at work so you can study your real estate flash cards; pork chops hot off the grill, courtesy of your son; Ryan Gosling movies

Friday: a day off; your kids helping you find your old errant puppy; getting help carrying the groceries down to the house; watching the sun set, listening to Shake Russell, sipping wine, studying your real estate flash cards in your rocking chair on the back deck until it's too dark to see

Saturday: spotting an owl in your hollow, twice in one day; helping a friend celebrate her 50th birthday; dancing in an airplane hangar

Sunday: sunlight through stained glass windows, splashing reds and blues on the carpet; bumblebees; hearing that your son and daughter-in-law visited your parents when they were in Houston for a friend's wedding

What were some of your sweet! surprises from the past week? I hope in this coming week you find one every time you turn around!

‎"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is
beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting – a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in
every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it
as a cup of blessing."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday Randomness

August 2, 2013

1. Max can still run…when he's motivated.

Can you see the deer standing in the middle of the road? What about the big grin on his face, laughing at the silly puppies who think they can catch him? (Me, either, but I'm sure he is!)

2. Real Estate License Adventure Countdown: 5 classes down, 1 to go!

3. I met a fellow blogger at the winery this week! She's a twenty-something named Kendall who writes about travel and adventure at Go Here Do This. It's a great mix of inspiration, encouragement, and fun tips. (If you check it out, let her know I sent you!)

4. We're in the middle of a long stretch of triple digit days. Needless to say, my outdoor puppies are now indoor puppies…at least during the day. And so, needless to say, my house smells like outdoor puppies.

5. Look what I discovered blooming down near the creek…the Buttonbush!

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

– Confucius

Hope you have a great weekend! Thank you for stopping by!!

Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal
From Wednesday

July 31, 2013

The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us, and we
see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are
gone.

~George Eliot

These days, more than ever, I'm trying stay focused on the minute I'm standing in…to not let my mind replay 'what-if's' from the past, ad nauseam, or drift too far into future what-if's that just cause worry and needless stress…

…because balance has been thrown all out of whack for the time being. Between class and studying and my job and quick trips to see my parents and kids moving back home, I've had no time for regular morning walks or work-outs or works-in-progress.

My body is feeling it. I have a summer cold, the first time I've been sick in ages.

Thank goodness the pace has slowed. I relished my walk this morning and quit procrastinating on paying bills tonight in time to rock in my chair on the deck with a dog snoozing beside me, watching the sun slip below the horizon, behind silhouetted trees and telephone poles.

I watched as it pull its swirling scarves of pink and salmon behind it until there was nothing left but a deep azure sky…and the buzzing of mosquitoes in my ear.

It's hard to believe tomorrow is the first day of August. The month has a big question mark stamped on it.

It will be a month of transition…finishing up classes and getting my real estate license, starting on a real career for perhaps the first time in my life, while trying to emotionally support my parents and kids as they face big life transitions at the same time.

It won't be easy, but it will be rewarding, and what more could we ask from life?
A Daddy’s Hugs and other sweet things

July 28, 2013

I made another quick trip to see my parents this weekend, accompanied by a son and daughter this time who pitched in to help with dishes and cleaning.

I'm so blessed that I still have my parents…that I only live four hours away so I can make quick overnight trips to see them…and that I have kids who don't hesitate to give up a weekend to go see their grandparents and help them out.

When we arrived and I leaned in to give Daddy a hug, he embraced me so tight and fierce, held on so long, and I relished every second of it, reluctant to break apart from the warmth of him and the strength in his arms. I'll carry that hug in my heart the rest of my life.

A hug like that, especially from your daddy, is one of the sweetest things ever, ever, ever.

Here are a few other gems I tucked into my heart this week…

Monday: Rudy's breakfast tacos, especially when they're free; managing to stay awake in your night class, after spending all day in another class; your caliche road glowing in the light of a full moon; your son home for a visit

Tuesday: your son volunteering to feed your puppies so you're not late to class, since he has a day off; finally reaching your mom after playing phone tag; passing the test for your third real estate course; the full moon playing peek-a-boo with you through the trees

Wednesday: spotting a painted bunting on the birdfeeder; only getting a warning instead of a speeding ticket on your way home after night class

Thursday: breakfast frittatas and homemade hash browns; passing your fourth real estate course exam; remembering to slow down on your way home

Friday: beginning to check out different real estate agencies so you can decide which one to work with; finally connecting with an AT&T representative who takes the time to do the math and, therefore, correct your phone bill, after at least four unsuccessful attempts with other reps; another road trip with 2/3 of your kids; staying up late, laughing at old episodes of "Friends" with your daughter

Saturday: being a help to your parents; your Daddy's hugs and your Mama's laughter; sons and daughters who enjoy spending time with their grandparents; watching your son shave your daddy; Whataburgers and salty french fries

Sunday: discovering that some of your customers are fellow parishioners of your church; hunting for a blue-tailed skink with your husband and camera, even if you don't find him, because you see another cool lizard and notice that your crape myrtle is finally blossoming!

I hope you all have a pockets full of sweet! moments you've collected along your path!

"Kiss your life.
Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now.
So that those moments of happiness you're
waiting for don't pass you by."

~ UNKNOWN

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