in an 11th hour save (which, by the way, may also be when we eat dinner), we're getting a thanksgiving. the car arrived sometime after 2 and saxy and i swiftly headed off to the store to gather our feast. minus brown sugar which every store in town that was open seemed to be out of. the ham is cooking (no, we don't do turkey, i'm not a big fan of turkey; even at christmas it's cornish game hens rather than turkey), the table is about set, the tree is up and decorated. at the moment, jewel and i are kitchen divas while saxy and kiddles watch a movie. taz will help us with the rest of the table dressing - we've put the white plates on a pretty red tablecloth and have our crystal candles out and dressed with a poinsettia vine. the crystal glasses will be washed by miss jewel and set out. all is as it should be, if just a little late.

which is also how it always seem to work out for me. just as soon as i say something's not going to work out, somehow it does. except for finances, which seem to eventually work out, just not quite as nicely as everything else. this year for our thanksgiving, the only thing we're missing is kitten. we cut back a bit on the food, but that's fine. for christmas we'll have an extra mouth or two and will do everything up then. at least that's the plan.

and, as this has just shown, plans may have to be modified a bit, but they always seem to work out. this is how i seem to be just a little charmed. saxy even just fixed our wayward crystal oil candles. ;)

the tree is beautiful with it's red and white ribbons (christ's blood and the purity it gives us); candy canes (striped for his blood and his holiness and shaped like a shepherd's crook because he is the great shepherd); bells and instruments (for the celebration of his birth); angels (who greeted his birth); white lights (his pure light), colored, plastic fish (for we shall be fishers of men); crystal hearts (his unconditional love); and stars (both 5 points and stars of david to represent the star with a tail as long as a kite) all nestled in the evergreen boughs (everlasting life). and mixed in with this are our personal ornaments - the things the children have made over the years, my unicorns, saxy's wolves and puppies, taz's penguins, kitten's bears, jewel's carousels and rocking horses, and froggy's kitties. we had to put a set of angels away because they were too heavy, but the tree is quite full without it. on top is an angel. i generally prefer a lit star, but they've never lasted long, so the angel will do for this year. amazingly, only one ornament broke at all, and it's still usable, just a little lopsided. which probably gives it a little added charm even if froggy's a little upset over it. much of what we have up is hand made - cross-stitched first year ornaments, balls and bells made in church and school by the kids, and so on. the lights sparkle off the glass which fills the living room with a dim but warm glow.

i've missed our tree - can you tell? i've missed showing our thankfulness in this way. and we are thankful, not just for our lord, but for so many other things as well . . .

family & friends, online & off. through our ins and outs, ups and downs, and every other kind of twisting around you can think of, we love each other, we care for each other, and we support each other. many of my online friends have become family as either part of my writing family, or my heart family, or both. it's a sentiment that saxy doesn't quite understand, but he shares in a small way. and a few have become more stranger than familiar, they still hold a place in my heart. and they have supported us in ways that can't be measured by money or things, but only by the love they give. i thank god for each and everyone of you, and for the family of my blood. a brother who brought us to a better place, even if we still struggle, a daughter who has grown and made her choices and done well for herself already, a husband whom i love with everything within me, and children who may aggravate but are a part of me.

the growth my son has shown since we moved. i cannot express how good this school district and his current teacher has been for him. before we left cali, we were ready to combat the school system because he needed his dog and they were ready to deny him. out here, within a few months of getting into a classroom exclusively for autistics, with the right teacher to student ratio, with a teacher who has been far more interventive than any teacher he has ever had, he no longer needs his gypsy girl. he's doing just fine on his own. he's going out into the community and learning how to appropriately interact. he's typing. he's more open. he's less inclined to call and want to go home. in cali, the hope was small. here the hope bursts all boundaries.

opportunities we haven't had in a long time. granted, it's been a long journey to full time work even here, but we have the hope of full time work. in cali, the jobs were scarce beyond belief. at this point, teacher layoffs are highly unlikely, so a job will come eventually, especially with the way they keep building new schools. granted, most of them are elementary schools right now, but that means more middle schools in the future. regardless, we're working, and that's a blessing all in itself.

kitties and doggies. well, okay, one doggie. ;) and that's despite the mischievous looks the cats (well, 2 of them - roro and vagner; hitomi doesn't much leave the kitchen unless forced) are giving the tree. i'm sure other cat owners can oh so relate. as for the dog, her gift was a bone with meat still on it for dinner. vagner is my snugly boy. my jealous boy if i give hitomi attention - and i do think that's one reason he and ro still go to beat her up occasionally. they can't beat up the humans who feed them, so the smack the one who gets their attentions. i can't believe my furball is two and a half already!

the roof over my head and the landlord attached to it. one day we'll own our own home (we can actually hope for such a thing now), but for now it's good to have a landlord who is willing to work with us, understanding when we're struggling, and hasn't even hinted it's time for us to look elsewhere. if anything, he's hinted it's time for us to consider buying . . . as soon as we're both fully employed.

it's been another full year, attendant with all the joys and frustrations and unique challenges that come with every year. and in it all, despite frustration over some things, i have been content. i hope your year has given you as much to be thankful for.