Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Hay Hay Hay - Book Club - The Help





"You're the hay in my manger."

It's amazing what Little Baby Jesus inspires. Our book club doesn't have a lot of rules. Mostly it's just show up once a month. Or not. Read the book. Or not. We're not picky. But the one requirement we do have is to, once a year, pass around our old White Elephant Christmas tree ornament, the Little Baby Jesus (is he Asian? Polynesian? Posing for Vogue? Did somebody paint his nipple?) One by one, we talk about our year - the ups, the downs, the Thank Gods for the book club, for the girls, The Divas, the friends in the cell phone you can dial until somebody picks up to say my husband and kids are driving me crazy, I hate my job, do I look fat in this thong, or I can't believe I slept with him again. We circle the room stating the obvious.

 We're lucky. We know we're lucky. Shana was in first grade when I joined this clan, that's thirteen years. Thirteen years of 156 book clubs. And birthday parties. And happy hours. And girls' trips. That's a lot of hay. Hay in the manger that surrounds us, makes for a soft landing when we fall and also a fun place to play, to snuggle on the couch, to toast accomplishments.

The specifics: December at Laurel's, The Help (go get it, read it - incredible), sparkling new doublewide remodel - didn't even have to move the pool,  Santa, Santa everywhere, skewering the blue cheese dip, cranberries in the wine, holiday apron with the tag still on, princess flats, silver-spiked pumps, high-heeled boots, slouchy suede boots, Frye boots, metallic gladiator looking for a penis stilettos, these are not lesbian shoes but how do you like my reindeer head piece, glamorous coin poncho, vintage Cabi coat accessorized with light-up necklace. The presents - happy face scarf, Mexican Twinkies, ornaments - hot dogs in buns and the cowboy-themed complete with chaps collection, hair "Bump-It", the totally cheeky Hobby Lobby actual White Elephant, microwavable bunny slippers, Vicki Cristina Barcelona and I'm forgetting some, but last but not least, a book for the book clubbers, the Sarah Palin spoof - Going Rouge. There was the catching up, the holiday plans (karaoke New Year's Eve, anybody?), the second half of life new Cabi career, the toast to the new nurse graduate, the red-scarfed Euro Diva moving to San Francisco, the upcoming petite ya ya wedding in Southern Cal and all of the '09 seniors (wow - 5? 6? the kids are growing up).

Ho Ho Ho

Hay Hay Hay

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