The year's ending

The year 2011 drew to a close two days ago, but my vacation time ends tonight.  I like my job, but I certainly haven’t stayed in it for 22 years because of the money.   There are many reasons I haven’t tried for something with a higher income, but one of the reasons is because of the vacation time.   In addition to the earned time I receive each month, I also get the last two weeks of the year starting right before Christmas and ending right after New Year’s Day.  These are the two weeks I look forward to every year.  It is during this time I can relax and enjoy the holidays without the stress of having to get up and go to a job the day before and after Christmas.  It is also nice to be home with my children during their school holidays.  

Some years my two weeks seem to fly by, and some weeks they are slow and easy.  This year has been one of those slow and easy years.  Whenever I have left my house it has been for reasons I’ve wanted to, not because of things I had to do.  Here are the highlights of my vacation time:

Family Christmas party on the Monday night before Christmas with my in-laws.  A great night, but carelessness on my part led to a broken tooth. 

The next day was a work day, but I left early to get my tooth fixed.  It was a cheating start to my vacation, but I did not want to wait for my tooth to start hurting before it was fixed.

On Thursday I was able to spend the whole day with my oldest friend and travelling partner who was in town for Christmas. We travelled in town this time, visiting graves of our dearly departed while the rain poured on and off all day.  We discovered the Christmas Miracle of the Grass Heart on the graves of my parents. We then made a short trip to Bogalusa and back to stock up on frozen concoctions for a party the next night.

Friday I made fudge and cookies, something I had wanted to do sooner but could not find the ambition to get it going.  Later that night I went to the party where the aforementioned frozen concoctions were served.  Other attendees at this party were my oldest friend and travelling partner (i.e. co-discoverer of the CMGH *see above*), some extended family members and my second family who helped raise me.  Fun times with fun people.

Saturday, Christmas Eve, was a relaxing day.  I went to mass with my family but I had to move away from an obnoxious loud-mouth behind me who was dampening my Christmas spirit.  If I had stayed in my seat I would have said some words to him that were not Christian-like, so I signaled my husband that we had to make the move.  I could still hear the man whispering loudly, but luckily when the music started he either shut up or I tuned him out.

Christmas Day was a most enjoyable day.  My children seemed genuinely pleased with their gifts as was my husband with his new iPad.  I think I finally surprised him.  The rest of the day was spent with my sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews.   Good food, good people, good gifts, good times.

The day after Christmas my sisters, brother and I made a final sweep of our parents’ house to get it ready for the new tenants.  I took pictures of practically every inch of the house and yard to remember it.  I just wish I had done it before we moved everything out of it.  

The rest of the week was spent doing much of nothing.  There was some good sleeping and many hours consuming mass quantities of old movies on TCM.  Some people may consider this boring.  I consider it a Christmas treat.  

The week and year ended with New Year’s Eve party at my house.  I don’t often have parties other than family birthday celebrations for my children and a Sunday lunch a couple of times throughout the year, so this party was special for me.  My husband built a huge fire to burn things he had been saving to burn, and the weather was perfect for spending time outside.  All in all I think the evening went very well.  I enjoy having people in my house.  My pets did not share my enthusiasm, and they were happy when everyone left and they could come out of hiding.

New Year’s Day was another enjoyable day with my in-laws, but thankfully I didn’t break anything this time.  

So here it is, the last couple of hours of my vacation.  Tomorrow will be business as usual.  It will be a busy month, January always is.  My life and my job are always going full speed in January with birthdays (three), deadlines, new semester, new students, and a new year altogether.  Speaking of a new year, I have only one resolution which I am keeping to myself as I think resolutions should be.  We’ll see what 2012 has to offer.  If the year will be anything like the last two weeks it will be a good year indeed.