'Ring' in the New Year

First post of the New Year! So much serendipity in 2008. And 2009 started out with a 'ring' (don't get excited, Mom. I don't mean THAT kind).

Angie and Carly invited me for New Year's Eve. Two very fine parties with very fine friends. The second a bit more raucous than the first, but as it should be.

A good topic for girls at any party is jewelry. And what better piece to discuss as you 'ring' in the New Year than ... well, you guessed it. I wore my hammered gold 'wonder twins' ring New Year's Eve. The setting is raised, and at one time framed a gorgeous piece of green glass, hand-carved with a scene from Italy. Until I wore it out dancing ... I had to replace the broken glass with the best alternative, a piece of green tourmaline that makes it look like something I won at the fair. But it's a party ring, nonetheless, so I wear it when I go to one. Another friend at the party wore her green tourmaline, too, though hers was set inside a swirl of diamonds. Of course we talked about our rings long enough to drink an entire glass of wine.

That was just the warm up for the rowdier party - with the South Americans.

At the second party, it didn't take too much champagne for me to get curious in the guest bathroom and peek into the little wood box next to the sink. It was FULL of amazing rings! All shapes and colors, many of them acrylic, or made of wood with special designs. I snapped it shut. "Don't try one on, Amy. That would be a gaffe." Instead, I went to the hosts and confessed. Lili and Ana laughed when I spilled the beans (not the rings), about discovering their ring treasures. They took me to the room where they kept even more spectacular jewelry from artisans in South America, whose work the two art collectors bring back to sell in the U.S.

Partially due to too much champagne, I gushed and awed at the jewelry, until Lili offered me one of the most spectacular, raspberry-colored acrylic rings. "Here, you take this one," she insisted, and shoved it onto my finger. I was delighted, of course, and got to 'ring' in the New Year with a cercie and smile!

P.S. I gave it back the next morning ... don't drink and 'cercie.'

Traveling giraffe goes to Greenville

After much protest - not from Tess, but from her Uncle Greg - Traveling Giraffe left its first stop in Columbia, where it had found a loving home at the Maxwell's. I think it really liked the fine view of the lake from their back porch, and the constant little girl sounds echoing throughout their beautiful home. But it was time for a new adventure, and just before Thanksgiving, I went by the Maxwell's to claim Giraffe, promising them that Giraffe would certainly make its way back to a place where it was once so well-loved.

And so we were off - Giraffe and I - on a road trip to Greenville. I think it enjoyed listening to the iTunes mix I made for the trip: an eclectic assembly of Deanna Carter, the Troggs, Calexico and Iron and Wine, Gnarles Barkley ... good tunes make for good travel.

My friend Amanda - the next unawares recipient of Giraffe - met me at the Place of Peace at Furman. If you need renewal, go there. It has magical powers. Much like Traveling Giraffe has powers of spreading cercie love and joy wherever it goes.

First – renewal, second – serendipity ...

After the Place of Peace, Amanda and I headed to downtown Greenville and I surprised her with Traveling Giraffe. We took him to lunch with us. Turned heads. Smiles. Friendly commentary. Envy. "I want a Giraffe!" exclaimed the grown man at the table beside ours.

Amanda took Giraffe home that day and surprised her daughter Stella with it. As you can see from the photo capturing the moment, Stella is quite enamored of Giraffe. So enamored, in fact, that she's given it a name!

Say hello to Georgie Giraffe.

The perfect guy cercie

I spent time this week at the Museum of Natural History in D.C. The T-Rex replica was particularly exciting. If only my friend's son Noah could have been there with me. He's a two-going-on-twenty-year-old dinosaur buff. Can name 'em all. So I went by the museum shop on my way out and bought Noah the Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs pop-up book by acclaimed pop-up artist Robert Sabuda. When I delivered Noah the book today, I also promised his four-month-old brother Liam that he'd get one, too, some day ... as soon as we figured out exactly what he likes besides breast milk. "A pop-up boob book!" his mother quipped.

The perfect guy cercie [giggle].

Annabelle and Peppercorn

Annabelle and Peppercorn were all dressed up for Halloween.

Two basset hounds - fat ones. It's hard to tell them apart, and rarely are they. Two peas in a pod you could say. Or in the case of Halloween night, two 'bees' in a pod. Each has black and white spots, droopy ears, short legs, a long tail -- and on October 31st, bumble bee wings. "If Annabelle and Peppercorn could fly ..." we teased later.

My friend Tonya is a true Cercie Lover. Annabelle and Peppercorn are her babies. She dresses them up every year for trick-or-treaters. For the past two years she's had Halloween photos made of the 'kids' dressed as bumble bees. She leaves the photo with a tiny little bag full of candy at my doorstep on Halloween. A little BOO! cercie.

Save the date

I got a little save-the-date cercie today.

How can a notice about something in the future be serendipitous, you ask? Easy, when you're saving the date for a baby-on-the-way! Two of my dearest friends today sent word that each is expecting her first baby in the Spring of 2009.

Kelly made the announcement by posting a picture on Face Book of a Carolina Gamecocks 'onesie' with a note on it that said: Save the date! May 4, 2009. Karen sent out her daily e-mail poetry snapshot - this time with a special poem attached by Nan Cohen called “A Newborn Girl at Passover" (though she's actually expecting a boy). Congratulations, Kelly and Jeff, and Karen and Jim! And thanks for sharing your joyous surprise news with me. It gave me my cercie rush of the day. I'm starting to get addicted ... more - more - more!

Later Gator

Lucky for me, my aunt and uncle decided on a coastal retirement. Uncle Bill likes big toys, to boot - RVs, waverunners, motorcycles. His latest: a Hurricane, the one we took out to the marina on Sunday. "Later Gator" is a 300 hp bright and shiny deck boat.

"Want to drive it Little Aimmer?" I couldn't believe he was going to let me behind the wheel of his brand new, very expensive water baby. Pull up on the throttle, adjust the trim, plane out ... watch that wake!! Sharp right around that buoy! Pull into the marina ... are you kidding??

Well, I didn't go all the way into the marina, but I came close enough. And what's better, I got a cercie rush on the intercoastal waterway!

Traveling giraffe

One of my friends has a little silent auction fetish; she shows up to every fundraiser armed with a blank check and ready to do some bidding.

This night was no exception. We were elbow to elbow with the other guests at the gala, all admiring the options set out on tables inside the auction room ... an authentic Japanese dinner, a hiking weekend getaway, a piece of original art. And a hand-carved and painted GIRAFFE. With unbridled excitement I shrieked, "I love that!"

It was done. Fetish friend had already written in #78 with her bid, and it went unmatched. I tried to talk her into bidding on something for herself, but she insisted. "You got the giraffe!" people shouted after me as we were leaving. Yes, I thought - the perfect cercie - given by a good friend eager to spread some cercielove.

I'd love nothing more than to keep the giraffe all to myself, but if it's going to continue to spread cercielove, then it needs to be circulated among friends. We agreed we would pass it around, surprising friends with it, sending it often on adventures. First stop: Columbia, South Carolina. Giraffe is staying with two of my dear friends, and I'm hoping their little niece will name it, and share with it lots of adventures before it goes on to its next destination.

Keep watch - Traveling Giraffe cercie might end up on your doorstep next!