December 1

I just have not had the mojo to post. Or to sew. Or to crochet. Or to do counted cross stitch. It will come back eventually.  

What I have been doing is reading, and working on genealogy. I'm doing both Ralph's tree and my own. It's fascinating and time consuming. 

November 22 was Joseph's 33rd birthday. Mike and Samantha put the balloons on his grave. Mike and Donna hosted a memorial get together on the 23rd at their house. Even though it was only announced a few days before, many people showed up to tell stories about Joe, and enjoy each other's company. Joey wanted a Dallas Cowboys cake, and wanted us all to sing Happy Birthday to his daddy. Donna and I cried thru that one! There was plenty of food, and people came and went, and many stayed most of the day. At the end of the day, we were talking about doing it every year. 

A few years ago we had changed the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner at Mike and Donna's. It began with Steph buying a house in Oregon and wanting us there. That led to Donna deciding that she needed a break from the huge gathering. So now they go to Samantha's sister's house, and we vary our location. Two years ago Steph's, last year Manda's, and this year Heather's in laws. I will probably never again make Joseph's Trifle, which he so loved. I'd cry into it. 

So we made it thru two firsts without Joseph- his birthday and Thanksgiving.