Second Spring.

That's what we're having this month.... our second Spring. When we first moved to Texas in 1993, we were thrilled to have such warm temperatures from November through February, with just a few days of a cold snap tossed in here and there to make sure we were paying attention.

For the past few years, however, the weather wizards have tossed in more than a cold snap or two.... last year especially, when the entire state was under a "hard freeze" for two weeks, which kept every plumber in Texas on-call and busy for 18 hours of every day from December through the end of January. Being that we had our own experience with frozen and burst pipes outside, my husband has already insulated and wrapped the pipes that are above ground..... just in case a hard freeze pops up in the middle of the night.

Some of the rose bushes are in bloom again. Little patches of red against the fence in the back courtyard. The yellow roses on the cottage arbor have lost their blooms... those bursts of sunrise-yellow flowers don't last but a day or two, then they fall to the ground and the chickens walk over them and leave little scratches on those delicate petals.

Scarlett came running up to me as I was walking in the back courtyard after dinner tonight, on my way to the coop. She ran so quickly, then came to a screeching halt right by my feet and waited till I picked her up. Which of course I did...... and I carried her back into the coop. The other hens were already in there, and this isn't the first time that Scarlett has rushed out to meet me and then sat quietly in my arms for the walk back. She is such a sweet little thing.... seems that she knows my voice and comes running every time she hears me, and even the sound of the back screen door will have her rushing from the coop to the courtyard.

Next week.... Thanksgiving. Just the two of us on turkey-day, but we're seeing neighbors the day after, and having K & B here the day after that. Neighbors J & J are back east with family; neighbors B & G will be with family; S will be with family, especially now that D has passed away so recently. Once again, my husband and I talked about a Christmas party...... once again, my husband says that a party here just "won't be the same." No it won't.... it will be different.... but we can still have a party.

I'm not pushing it. He's probably right. We have our "regular" cast of neighbors that have become friends..... there are a few others that we could invite, but then they will bring children, and that changes the atmosphere of a relaxed party for adults. Be careful there... don't touch that... can we move this over there..... (And that is one thing I've never done: moved things when children are in my house. It was never done when I was a kid, and I never did it for anyone else's kids. I expect kids to listen when they're told Don't touch! and that's just that. I have a 1950s mind-set for that sort of thing, and I know that's just not the way these days.)

From now till the end of December, my husband and I will be talking about our Christmas parties back in Clear Lake, with our house filled with 45 friends and neighbors.... a dining room table filled with food, a live band in the living room, a Christmas tree so tall that it took days to decorate, and no one wanting to leave, even after the band had gone home.

I still say we should have a party here.......