Happy New Year

May all who read this blog enjoy prosperity, health and happiness during 2008! I’ve had the pleasure of a cheerful Christmas season and the joy of a wonderful visit from my dear sister Esther.

When Esther’s daughter and her husband, (Cindy and Arthur), bring Esther to visit, they book reservations for a week or more at a motel, but Esther stays with me in the extra bedroom we consider hers. This trip, Cindy and Arthur brought a friend, Joyce, with them who also stayed at the motel.

For weeks prior to the holidays, Esther and I planned on spending many hours beading and exchanging design ideas and techniques, but we cast those plans aside to tour Moody Gardens in Galveston. The holiday decorations of the three pyramids are exceptional and get prettier every year. From that point on, our time was filled with holiday activities.

My son, Bob, was chauffer for Esther and me when we wanted to go places not on the other’s agenda, but the group managed to spend quality time together exchanging gifts, eating in or out, shopping and sight seeing. One evening we enjoyed a live concert when Bob played guitar and a friend came with his mandolin.


A card game, Spite and Malice is usually played when we get together, but this year we chose Scrabble. Esther and Bob are the real Scrabble players. They both remember Esther’s win 3 years ago! She even remembers the two ‘a’ letters she had to work with. That particular game was my first time playing Scrabble and I had a hard time making words with the tiles I had, but this year I had beginner’s luck and won 2 games.

One of the highlights of our visit was chatting by phone with family members in other states. Because Esther’s hearing loss is so profound she doesn’t talk on the phone but when we are together she is able to talk to the person on the other end of the line and I tell her what they say. It’s such a delight hearing Esther’s voice. It’s surprisingly soft and sweet. She doesn’t have that quality of speaking too loud as many do when losing their hearing.

I have made a list of New Year Resolutions. This year they number 10. I usually make between 9 and 12 and actually keep a good portion of them. The top two are weight and exercise. They are the ones I Don’t keep. I don’t know why I continue to add them to the list and place them at the top, but guess it’s because HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL. That brings me to my latest poem…which I almost forgot to tell you.

Time

The eternal ring of time
Is a race twist moon and sun
The circle has no ending
The race is never won

In the last wee hours of morning
When moonlight’s race is run
The light of day comes dawning
To hail the golden sun

The cycle ever spinning
New days are begun
In the measured pace of turning
Another race is spun