Good News, Great Joy

I had the most wonderful Christmas, and I hope you did, too.

First, just before my husband's birthday he was offered a permanent, full time job as a technician with a successful and busy company.  They asked him to begin immediately, and so within days he was on a plane to attend a two-week training in Los Angeles, California.  Mind you: my husband has not had a permanent, full time job in more than 3 years.  It's a huge victory, and I couldn't be happier for him.

I hatched a plan to fly to LA for the weekend, since Dennis couldn't travel home in between his training weeks; it was a way to punctuate this awful year we've had, and celebrate his new job!  I was very pleasantly surprised to find extremely inexpensive flights for me and my son at the last minute!  And so, the weekend before last, Ben and I hopped on a plane and spent a wonderful, joyous couple of days basking in the sunshine of California's beaches, and my husband's happiness!  It was the best Christmas present ever!

California beaches make me happy.

It's a Christmas I'll never forget!

On the night before Dennis got home from his two weeks of training, my son's girlfriend Cora joined us for dinner and a night of Christmas crafting.  The three of us "refurbished" some damaged vintage putz houses, repainting and decorating them with some of my vintage Christmas supplies!  When we each finished at least one of those, we went to to create Christmas ornaments from vintage tins and materials.  We crafted long into the night!

Dennis came back home on on Saturday; by then, Ben and I had decorated the house (as much as possible in light of the kittens and their continuing enthusiasm for decorations), and done the shopping for the Christmas weekend festivities.  We had our closest friends over on Christmas Eve for my family's red enchiladas -- quite a non-traditional, but delicious, holiday feast!

For the first time all year at my house, all is calm, and all is bright.  I wish the same for you!