Poor Darcy is spending her last day as a minor on the couch sick. Likely won’t be much better tomorrow. Her requested birthday celebration–getting her ears pierced, buying a lottery ticket, and going to that great Italian restaurant in Bloomington–will likely have to wait.

So, my daughter has an interest in doing some volunteer work before college–both in order to get some life experience and figure out what she’d like to do. Something like the Peace Corps. Does anyone know of good organizations or resources to find such organizations? Can be domestic or overseas.

The big winter storm is moving through our neck of the woods and the result is mostly relentless rain and gray skies. But maybe some snow on Friday evening.

I made a New Year’s lucky lunch of sausage and sauerkraut and black eyed peas. I got choked on it. Gonna be a good year!

The holiday party at work did not go my way…

It was a great time tonight, despite the unseasonably cold weather. (36F!) Every year we have hundreds of kids through our neighborhood. The number was down a bit this year but still more than expected. It’s truly a special thing we have here.

Happy Halloween!

Appropriately enough for the opening of Allhallowtide, the print shop finished the scan of an 1864 letter written by my great-great-great grandfather–Private David S. Morgan, G Company, 49th Infantry, Union Army. I’ll be framing a copy printed on cardstock and keeping the original in an archival quality folder.

I repeated a previous design this year. The star eye is a little lopsided so I’ve decided that’s him winking at you.

Planning to carve a pumpkin today, so I’ve been looking at some of the ones I’ve done over the years. I know there are nifty tools and patterns and such now, but I still love the traditional Jack-o-lantern carved with a kitchen knife.