Things That Make Me Happy

There are many things that make me happy, some of which I caught on camera the last few days.  Here's a sample of what I got on film.  It's not an exhaustive list of the good times I've had with friend and family the past few days, but I wanted to share just a few of the joys of the season for me this year.  Enjoy!

My hair is getting longer, and, despite not having it cut since last April or May and four months of dreads, it still looks pretty good.  It's been years since I had hair this long or my natural color.  I like both.

Out both of my bedroom windows are huge pine trees.  They may me incredibly happy.

I pretend I'm sleeping in a tree house sometimes.

The vanity in my apartment is big, well-lit, plentifully supplied with mirrors, and makes me very, very happy.  It is especially nice because it has room for all my jewelry boxes.  The jewelry rack was a Christmas present and a very necessary one.  

Yesterday morning there was a cat climbing up the tree outside my window.  It was fascinating and adorable.  

My students wrote letters to Santa again this year.  We give them to the Macy's Believe campaign, which donates $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation for every letter to Santa they get.  My students last year knocked me down with an incredible 1746 letters.  This year, my students recruited family, friends, their other teachers, and complete strangers to come up with a whopping 3761 letters.  This is the finished stack.  

Coming home for the holidays always makes me happy.  As soon as I stepped out of the car tonight, I was hit with the crisp, cold Idaho air, a mix of pine smoke from the family's fireplace, and the smell of cold fall leaves.  Add in an evening singing Christmas songs with my Dad at the assisted living center, a beautiful sunset over the fields and trees, and coming home to Christmas lights, and it's been a wonderful evening.  

Sitting on the couch, uploading pictures to my computer, watching our overly affectionate dog try and distract my mom from reading a magazine while both of them compete for the spot in front of the fireplace is another one of those "essence" of home moments.