Christmas Night and All is Well

It's Christmas Night and the house is so quiet after a day full of talking and laughing and cooking and opening presents, and playing cards, and eating lots, and laughing some more. Mom, Ginny, The Danial and Mike have headed to their own homes; my kitties have come out of hiding; and the menfolk are nestled all snug in their LazyBoys:

The Darling Husband:

The Brother:

That's Lil from Cold Case on the TV screen. The episode was about the Viet Nam War draft. I can remember the gist of that time very clearly, but the details are all a blur. I remember vague talk about birthdate numbers being called and worry about my two older brothers who were age eligible, but I learned something tonight that I had missed. Bro Joe's birthday came up as number 29. He received notice to report for processing, and he went through the physical exam and testing process. He was given the 1A classification and was preparing (at least psychologically) for deployment, but the draft was cancelled and he was safe.

I can't remember ever having heard this information before.

I can't understand how this is so.

I was 13 at the time, mostly naive and decidedly unworldly, but why didn't I know about this? True, my two oldest brothers seemed so much older and I didn't really have alot of interaction with them, but my brother, in Viet Nam?? I have a cold rock in my gut at the thought of it. Last year, I cried through most episodes of "American Dreams" as Meg, Beth, Patty and Will feared for JJ, off in the jungle doing the "noble and proud thing for his country" [sarcasticism supplied].

How did I miss this? This came as a big shock to me and I'm going to have to think on it some. Did I block it out? I am perplexed.

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Bella is going through interaction withdrawal, having been firmly committed to the down under (the bed) whilst all the Loud People (a/k/a my family) were visiting. Now, it's just me and Bella up here in The Palace where we can only faintly hear the snarfling, schnuffling, snores -- decidly NOT in harmony -- from down below.

Here's what it looked like this morning. Beau is the bold one, and happily inspected empty wrap and boxes. This one got a too close inspection and he couldn't get back out. HA! Beau the Blockhead:

Later, Wally sucked up some brave and inspected their new furry creature with dunce hat on a string toy:

We'll have to check back in on Bella's reaction after all aliens have exited the premises.

In the knitting department, though I had great ideas on a number of hand knit gifts, my desire greatly outmatched my ability to deliver, and I finished only two. Here's the DH in his new Cascade Fixation socks:

He is sensitive about his feet, and wasn't 100% on whether these fit properly or not. But he did wear them around for a few hours so they must not be too bad. He was definitely appreciative of the effort nonetheless, so he will go back on the list for another potential knit gift. I'll post them in the Knitting Gallery soon with all the pertinent details.

These were my first socks, and I'm shocked I actually finished given my distate of dpns. I have to say that it did get more bearable as the project progressed, but I think my next pair will be worked on 2 circs or by the "magic loop" method on one circular. I did purchase some funky, LOUD sock yarn during the Yarn Garden's fall sale, so socks may be in the works soon.

Tomorrow, after a Boxing Day brunch with Hens, I'll have a picture of the other Christmas 2005 knit gift, God Willing and the Crick Don't Rise, as Mom would say.