Wait a second

Wait a second


Wait a second

Look here,

You’re telling me

I get an extra second?

2009 is a Leap Second Year?

News to me.

I can see it now,

Times Square on New Year’s Eve

Thousands waiting, counting

down the brilliant ball

10-9-8-7-6

Wait a second!

Now,

5-4-3-2-1

Happy New Year!

My recliner is my Times Square if I’m awake.

May I grab my second from those New Yorkers ?

Even better, from Sydney way down under?

No, wait til midnight I am told.

What to do with this magical gift?

Kick the cat?

Sip some wine?

Blow my nose?

Write a line?

I will put mine in a bank, I think,

A bank of seconds for future use

To shoot the finger

throw a kiss

add one last breath

or take a piss.

Wait a second!

Hear me now!

Don’t forget!

I want those old seconds I have missed.

I’ll bank them like found money that

gathers interest every day.

Watch them grow into minutes, hours, days

Until at last it will be time

to say goodbye to 2009.

Happy New Year!

Kay L. Cox

12/08

Best Movie in years

Doubt

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[Meryl Streep]This movie will leave you talking and questioning for days to come. Academy Award wins for the whole cast. Magnificent screen play. Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman's finest acting ever.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! And it has been and still is. What a great week of parties and family and friends. My daughter and I looked at each other over the big breakfast she cooked this morning after opening gifts and thought "How could we possibly think of eating another big meal?" We have been eating wonderful Mexican food for three days....two yesterday. It is traditional in our family to have tamales on Christmas Eve...sure beats the oyster stew my grandmother always fixed (not that it wasn't good but the kids never liked it). So after another big lunch with my niece and partner at Ninfa's we had company again last night for tamales, beans and rice. You have to understand, being born and raised in Texas one grows up as a chili belly. Tex-Mex is a staple in our diet and we are indeed a family of chili bellies.

Tuesday was cookie decorating day when my friend, Susan, came over to teach us icing 101. Above picture is some of our creations. It was so much fun we will have to make this an annual event. The desserts are piling up...cookies, pecan pie, apple pie and soon pralines.

SOOooo we looked at each other after breakfast today and said, "Let's have Christmas dinner tomorrow when more family is coming and go to the movies today." So there we are and I'm even going to get a nap.

Slick and Peanut are just exhausted after a hard day of wrapping packages. They had to jump in empty bags, snatch ribbon, crumple paper and unroll the wrapping paper. Whew! They are just pooped.

The sisterhood of the traveling jean jacket

Well, sadly, the jean jacket was entirely too big for my grandaughter (what was I thinking? it had belonged to her mother in a previous life). By the time she would have grown into it, she would have a brand new idol. SOOOSSOO.....grandaughter opted to share it with my friend, Nanci, whom it fit perfectly with encouragement to add on if she wished. Thus there is now "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Jean Jacket." A happy ending for all with the agreement from Nana to work on one of my grandaughter's current jackets and "please, Nana, no lace."

The jean jacket

This is the jean jacket I am recycling with added embellishments for a grandaughter's Christmas. She is a fan of Taylor Swift so that is her picture on the back. There may be more additions but my fingers are needle sore right now...hand stiching through denim is tough.
It has been a fun project...I just hope it isn't too big for her.

Christmas down under

Christmas in Australia

Nuytsia floribunda Loranthaceae

When I was living in Western Australia while teaching at Edith Cowan University, I was charmed by this Christmas tree (it is actually called Christmas tree). It is a parasite and only blooms at Christmas time...big, clusters of yellow flowers. It has roots that tenaciously can grow for yards and yards underground and pop up a new tree a long distance from its mother.

Christmas season seemed alike but different in some ways from the USA. Santa Claus showed up in the mall and stores were decorated but there never seemed to be the prevalence of crass materialism that prevades the States. Stores would have a small display of cards and ornaments and lights but not racks and racks of glittery stuff which was really nice.
What was really fun was the big parade in downtown Perth with bands and fire engines and of course, Santa but what a difference in the crowd. We were all wearing shorts, sunscreen, sandals and Santa hats. Fun with the spirit of Christmas no matter what the temp.

Here comes Santa Claus

One of the fun things about living in a small community is the annual neighborhood rituals and events. On the second Saturday in December each year Santa Claus rides through the streets of El Lago on a fire truck while firemen throw candy to the onlookers. His potential arrival is announced by the sound of the fire siren and horns approaching from blocks away. Kids and grown-ups alike race to the curb to wave at Santa and get their share of candy. This year some yummy pieces of chocolate were included...a sign our neighborhood is aging.

Meet Lurlene

This is Lurlene. She is getting ready to order at Cuisine of India. Lurlene is a house-warming gift to my dear friends, Ann & Dennis, who had the nerve to retire and move to north Texas. They made an all together too brief a return but it was great to enjoy dinner with them and a few of the Violet Flames on a snowy night. I found Lurlene at our church garage sale months ago and snapped her up in anticipation of their move. What else to give to the couple who has everything and more? The group went together on a Lowe's gift card which I tied around Lurlene's neck with a big gold bow. Dennis seems to be quite taken with her...not sure what I think about that. She is charming I'll grant you and looking forward to being in the land of Billy Bob's Texas, Ft. Worth's renowned honky-tonk.

Unbelieveable!

It is snowing! Yep, right here in Seabrook, Texas it is snowing. For all you folks up north please don't laugh at me. You have to understand that I have lived here 46 years and this is only the 4th time it has happened. I had dinner at a local Indian restaurant with my Artist's Way group and when we came out, our cars were covered with snow and it has been coming down every since. My grandaughter called me so excited...she is 11 and has never seen snow before. I may just have to stay up all night to watch it. I want to make a snow man but nobody in the neighborhood seems to be awake. I hope it doesn't all melt quickly in the morning but it most likely will. But in the meantime let it snow, let is snow, let it snow. I'm going for the hot chocolate. Yippee!

Welcoming Amelia

Yesterday I was privileged to be part of a welcome to the planet party for a blogger friend's new baby. It was so delightful to be among all these young mothers and some new babies. Amelia is just so beautiful and I got to hold her for a while...hold her and smell her, nothing like the smell of babies. Obviously I miss having babies in the family as all my grandchild are way past the baby stage. And what a lovely group of friends had gathered to celebrate reminding me of my old neighborhood where my children grew up and the fast friends we made in that group. And I got to meet Amelia's adorable sister and dad and dog, Henry so now when I have a image in my head when I think of her.

It took me forever to travel the 75 miles to the party as I got lost in their town. Never trust Map Quest! It left out one important street totally and sent me in circles. But two calls to the hostess set me straight. Good thing I didn't throw out cookie crumbs as they would have led me into circles of unwanted territory. Fortunately thanks to Amelia's mom's great directions I was able to find my way out easily. She even called to make sure I made it home okay.

I left with a lot of hope for America's future. These young women are strong and going to work balancing kids and jobs with amazing hope and optimism and are great support to each other. They have built strong ties within their little part of the world that I think will see them through the good times and the hard.

All in the name of beauty????

I never ceased to be amazed at what is marketed telling us we are never enough. This is hilarious and yet disturbing with its message that our physical bodies are never quite right. Too weird. Auburn with pink and black dots?