Hello Kitty Hat

I've finally started Oslofia's Hello Kitty knit-along, beginning the Hello Kitty hat. This picture shows the casting on. Presently I have about 2 inches of the body knitted. Hoping to finish sometime this winter. ;-)

Uncle Eldon Died

Last week was dominated by the news of Uncle Eldon's sudden decline and passing away. Uncle Eldon--all the cousin's favorite uncle, by virtue of being a bachelor until later in life and farming the home place with all its wonderful-to-a-child farm equipment, both old and new; opportunities for tractor driving, barn and chicken coop and brooder house and milk house, the windmill, the shop, the vise in the middle of the yard, etc., etc.



We all met, save Uncle Eldon, honored his life, which was in deed storied and worthy of honor, and renewed family bonds. Extended family: Uncle Eldon was of a family of nine children, eight who survived infancy, twenty-something of us first cousins, and uncounted children of cousins. The next evening, we met again and they taught some of us "young-uns" how to play the grand, German-immigrant game of Pinochle.



Uncle Eldon, I found it difficult to visit Texas after I left home, but you were always dear in my thoughts. Uncle Eldon taught me some lessons of life, such as the time I wanted to shoot a sparrow with a pellet gun, never having hunted before. I winged one around the milk house, and it lay struggling on the ground. Uncle Eldon told me that I now had to put it out of its misery. I was conflicted as soon as I had hit the bird, seeing that I was actually inflicting pain and suffering. The glory of hunting, in deed. As Uncle Eldon directed, however, I put the bird out of its misery by crushing its head under my heel. I've never wanted to hunt again.

Hello 2008!!!

Here I sit at home on the first evening of year 2008. My little kitty is trying to sleep across from me, but every time I get up she has to look up so to see whether or not she'll need to follow me into some other room. I'm sure she wishes I would just settle down. Friends invited me to a nice party last night where I met a number of new people and renewed friendships with some recent acquaintances. Very nice.

The only interesting news was our Christmas cookie decorating party two or three weeks ago(!). I'm only now posting about this. The boring news is that I've finally finished reading the first half of the National Electric Code. This tedious task has been consuming my time for a couple of months, now. The other news is that dear "Oslofia" sent all of us in the Hello Kitty Knit-along the first pattern on Christmas Eve, but that I haven't even started it. Some of the knitters have already _finished_ the first pattern, and I haven't even started. I plan to get my supplies tomorrow after work.

The Christmas cookie event wasn't really a party--I just invited some neighbors over to decorate Christmas cookies. I remember doing this as a child, with my mother. What I learned doing it, though, is how much work my mother did to provide me with this pleasant holiday tradition. I spent the entire evening rolling out dough, baking it and mixing batches of frosting. It wasn't until everyone left (things were running late) that I even had time to frost some cookies myself. But, the end results were enjoyed by all, and the cookies were good, too! On the right is Emily with the cookies that she and Joseph decorated. And, to the left are Aaron and Erin (and Ishi) with their cookies.