The Year's Almost Over!!

So, this year is almost over - thank goodness!! The last 4 months have been the longest on record for me and our family!! More death and illness - not fun. Since the last post, my Tia Licha went to Heaven on November 26, yes, the night before Thanksgiving. She passed peacefully in her sleep with Mom and Arleen at her side. Gil and I were only 2 blocks away from the hospital - coming to relieve Arleen for the evening. We lost a neighbor man that night also and the week before one of my best friend's in the entire world lost her 98 year old Grandma. That makes 6 people for us since Labor Day weekend. Luckily, in another 19 days, 2009 will be here and hopefully it will be a much happier time!! We did have some happy times sprinkled in among all this mess!! My nephew Andrew, a Junior at Nipomo High School placed 23 out of over 140 runners at the State of California CIF Cross Country Championships!! We're so proud of him and all he's accomplished so far! There's only good to come for this kid!! We celebrated Dad's 70th birthday in style!! We threw a surprise birthday party in Sacramento. Actually, Mike and Roxy planned the entire thing!! It was great!! He thought that we were going to a play that Michael was supposedly in, and going to a fundraiser dinner first at their club!! He entered the room to some of Roxy's family (Dixie & Bob were there), John and Connie, and Auntie Bev & Uncle Charlie!! Ron & Donna had flown up from SD!! Mom had sent me a bunch of pictures, so I made a slide show and played that with music from Herb Albert, Nancy Sinatra, Alabama and Tim McGraw (My Next 30 Years)!! He was completely surprised and that's not easy to do to Dad! The down side - he had a minor heart attack 2 days later!! He's fine and they are watching over him, but the joke has now become "OK, OK, we get it, no more surprise parties"!!! We're just thankful that he's doing well and finally taking care of himself!! As for knitting - I have 2 more pairs to make for the family - we'll see if this get's done. I've finished a darling baby hat for Miss Emily - since she's already outgrown the cable one that I made her!! What her Mommy doesn't know is I also made her a shrug sweater to go with it - all out of Sirdar Cotton - it's so soft!! Pinks and yellows - perfect little girl colors!! I do have to get started on the gloves I promised to Emily's brothers!! They have worn their "duck foot slippers" into the ground and Mom's put them away! Time for something more useful! I do have a teal Ella Rae shawl that I started for Tia that is about 1/4 done. I'm thinking I might frog that into a sweater for Mom Garcia! It would still be the yarn I intended for her Sis, but something that she could wear instead!! That's the project for spring. I found a great yarn shop in Ventura - Anacapa Fine Yarns. Great people, great prices, and fun yarns!! That's where I found the Vermont Fibers pattern. It will be the first of theirs that I've tried and I'm looking forward to it!