Potty Watch and Gas Thieves

This has been a weird day.  My husband neglected to tell me that construction people were showing up this morning at 8 AM.  Well, he did tell me -- but it was about 7:30 AM.  He was in his underwear, and I was in my pajamas.  I said, "You better get ready so you can answer the door because I'm not answering it."  So after about 15 minutes passed, he decided to get in the shower.  GREAT!  So then I tell myself, "Those people are ALWAYS late, so you don't need to change."

Then I looked out the front window and noticed a black car in front of my house.  I yelled at Jerry in the shower, "THERE IS A BLACK CAR IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE!!!"  He didn't hear me.  I looked out the window again and an SUV pulled up behind the black car.  I yelled at Jerry, "THERE IS ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE!!!  ARE YOU READY TO ANSWER THE DOOR?" 

No answer either time from Jerry and, NO, he wasn't ready!

I ran into my bedroom closet as fast as I could and grabbed a bra out of the underwear drawer.  I put it on as quickly as I could under the black tee shirt I had worn to bed.  Then I ran to the sink -- grabbed a hair brush -- ran it through my very mussed-up hairdo which did no good at all -- grabbed a tube of libstick and smeared it over my chapped lips -- and then it happened:

DING DONG!!!!  It was 8:00 AM straight up.  Jerry was still dressing and his hair was all wet.  I went to the door and opened it up just a crack so my mouth could talk and someone would know where my words were coming from.  That wasn't good enough though.  The very nice man wanted to introduce himself and shake my hand.  GREAT!

"Hi, I'm David."

I said, "I'm Joy, and I usually don't look this bad."

He said, "Nice to meet you." 

David went around to the back of the house to start working with his crew on the soffits that have been ruined by leaky rain gutters clogged up with ten million leaves.  I went to get Jerry and told him I did NOT want to deal with these men, and he needed to get outside.  Guess what he said to me????  Go ahead, guess.......

"I have to leave, Joy.  I'm going to work."

So, I have been stuck here all day long.  I haven't been in the shower yet.  I did run into my closet this morning and take off my pajama pants and put on some jeans.  I didn't dare try to get in the shower because right after Jerry drove off this morning, one of the guys rang the bell.  I answered.  He wanted to know if it would be alright if they used one of our bathrooms?  I wasn't at all thrilled about that, but what could I say.  I said, "Will you have your guys KNOCK before they come in to use it?"  He said he would.  There are probably 6 guys out there.  Something was lost in the translation, however, because when they have to use the bathroom, they knock on the garage door, and then they just come in.  Several times, I didn't even know a guy was in here. 

Other than that, I have worked on the red coat.  It is almost done, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with it or not.  The "bagging" of the lining was very strange, and the hem at the bottom is supposed to be mysteriously held up by the lining, but the lining is 1/2" longer.  Bazaar.  I can only take it in small doses.  Plus, I don't like doing detail work with strange men coming in my house.

And that wasn't the ONLY strange man who came in.  Yesterday, Jerry and I finally signed a contract and paid half down to have the crumby contractor-grade windows replaced in this house.

Someone came out today to REmeasure every single window.  I don't remember his name, but I remember he was tall and skinny, had a silver ring in each ear, and the lovely crack of his butt showed as he bent over to measure something.

I can now tell you that it doesn't matter if the guy is fat or skinny.  It is still GROSS!!!

I am so glad that the built-in "carport" is being done behind our store.  That is why we are here right now.  Jerry is supervising it.  Jerry told me today that each of our delivery vans has 4 or 5 plugs in the fuel tank from thieves drilling holes in them to drain out $80 worth of gasoline.  It is just shocking how evil the world is now.  One of our employees had her fuel tank drilled and drained while we were OPEN, and she was sitting at her desk.  I would put cameras in the parking lot, but thieves could just break them with a rock or something.  And even if you had a picture of the creep, how would you ever find him?  It's not like they have their address tattooed on their forehead.

I better get up out of this chair.  Hope you are having a nice day.  The weather is very nice here.  Wish I was out in it, but I am on potty patrol.

Hugs, Joy

Thanksgiving

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!!  I am feeling ALMOST back to my usual chipper, happy self today.  This cold has hung on like a cat up a tree.  You just can't leave the house these days if you want to stay well.  Everywhere I go, someone is coughing or gagging or has a runny nose.  YUK!  I actually warn customers and clerks that I am sick, and I tell them to not come near me.  Phylly and I went to OG yesterday, and Heath waited on us, but I didn't even give him a hug.  Phylly was feeling fine at lunch, but about two hours later, she came down with a stomach bug. 

I have wanted so much to exercise on my trampoline, but I haven't been able to.  Every time I would jump just twice, I would start coughing or choking.  I wanted to go to Sears too to walk on the Elliptical that is exactly like mine, but the young salesman, Zachary, who helped me there comes over and stands right next to me and talks the whole time.  That is fine, of course, but I didn't want to breathe on him and make him sick.  Plus, I probably would have taken two strides and started coughing.  ANYWAY, the point is, I feel like a lump of lazy fat clay.  I need to get my heart rate up, and I hope to be able to do that today.

On Sunday, we picked up my sister, Judy, at 10:30 in the morning, and we headed to Wewoka to visit my Mother.  I had not been to visit her for about 5 years because she doesn't like me to visit her (as I explained in another post).  She was pretty much the same except much thinner, and much less memory.

Here is my 85-year old mother, Marie.  No arthritis.  No illnesses.  No drugs whatsoever.  She is very healthy -- except for her mind -- but don't try to tell HER that!

Animals all over the place, but she adores them, and they adore her.

The dark one is named after my husband, Jerry.

The other one is another "J" name.  "Jackie", I think.

Mother has had SO MANY animals, I can't remember all the names.

This is Jenny, I think.  She isn't the favorite, however.  Kind of like me.

Here are the two FAVORITES!

Joey, the cat, and Judy, the youngest daughter.
















Her house was very clean inside but in need of maintenance on the outside.  I offered our services, but she blatantly refused them, and she told me she can take care of it all herself because she knows some guy who knows some guy......  THAT is the reason the place is in the shape it is in now, but you can't tell her. 

When I say she lives NEAR the lake, I mean practically IN the lake.  This is a double-wide mobile home, and she had Daddy put it right up next to the water.  She grew up in Boston near the ocean, and she LOVES the water.

Are you noticing all the purple?  She is crazy about purple.  She made all the curtains years ago before she lost the sight in one of her eyes.  One of her animals scratched her eye while she was bathing him.  Notice all the water bottles and the EXTRA stove.  Mother is prepared for no electricity or bad roads.  The stove is propane and is her heat supply when the electric goes out.  The other stove is electric.

My sister gourmeted-up (a new word) the spinach because I didn't bring a vegetable.

I have to get busy.  Lots to do today, and the window man is coming at 3:00 to give us a price for replacing all the windows that are no longer sealed between the two panes.  You can get icicles on your nose if you get too near them when it is cold outside.

That's all folks.  Have a nice day!  It is a cold one here -- 26 degrees outside.

Hugs, Joy

Pics of My Camo Pants As Promised

FINALLY!  All 3 camo pants with my one SFD pant pattern are done.  All three have pockets and a fly front.  I am finally feeling better, and I think part of it is because I have not had any drugs today.  I don't know how anyone can be a drug addict.  I can't even stand the cold medicine.  I hate feeling foggy and tired.  I sound like someone snuck in my bedroom last night and hid a bullfrog in my throat, but other than that and a bit of a sore throat, I feel a lot better.

Jerry is home, of course, since it is Saturday, so I talked him into following me around with my camera.  He used to complain like I asked him to stand outside naked or something even worse, but he just does it now.  I told him he did really good, and he was so proud of himself.  I wanted to see if my camo pants really made me disappear in the trees.  Unfortunately, we are at our Edmond house today, and we have only a few trees here.  If I was in Kingston, I could have completely disappeared for you.

This is one Sure-fit Designs pattern drawn to my measurements, and three pair of pants using camouflage fabric.  Jerry thinks I've got a major problem, and he keeps asking me, "What's with all the camo?"  Well!  Everyone knows you should have at least three pair of camo pants when

A.  You live in the woods, and

B.  You are going to visit your Mother who lives in the woods.

Here's the pictures:

On the left (I hope) is the 2nd pair I made. 

It is heavy camo fabric from Hancock Fabrics.

I liked the green in it, but there wasn't a piece of fabric anywhere in Hancock's that matched this print.  Hence, the black shirt.

Pardon the shadows and the chalk marking the front fly.  Thought I washed that off.

Got Laurie's bracelet on!

On the right is the third pair I made.  One leg looks like it is from a different print than the other leg.

A good reason to choose a smaller print to make your pants out of.

Again, I liked the green pine needles in this one, and again, no fabric anywhere to match!

And below is the first pair I made out of the camo fabric I found in my stash.  This is a lightweight cotton fabric, but it has been so warm here, I have worn them many times.  Jerry says they don't even look like camo.  Maybe they really aren't.  I still like them though!

That's it.  Gonna quit for today and go watch the boring football game with Jerry and then get ready for the trip to Mother's house tomorrow.  That one is about an hour and a half drive.  So glad Jerry is driving.

Hugs, Joy

Even My New Pants Won't Pose

Let me see.  I must be on day #3 of this cold now.  I feel better than I did yesterday, but I don't feel good by any stretch of the imagination.  I thought I felt good enough to make our turkey lunch, sew my camo pants and do some cleaning. 

From the look of the pictures I took of myself in my new camo pants, however, I should still be in bed.  Even if I remove my face and my hands from the pictures, the pants still don't look good!  I look like the Goodyear blimp in them!

I'll try to look skinnier tomorrow.  Today, I want to get OUT of my clothes -- INTO my jammies -- and curl up somewhere with a hot drink.

I did manage to get some half-way-decent pics of my new Laurie bracelet to show you. 

You can tell how well it matches my new camo pants.  I am going to wear them to my Mother's house on Sunday since she lives in the woods.  She has two cats and two dogs that live in the house, and I figure the hair will blend in.  I am NOT like my Mother in that regard, I assure you.  I will take pics!  My Mother is QUITE a character!

She called yesterday while we were at my sister, Judy's, for our ribs and beans Thanksgiving.  Judy had her on speaker phone, and Mom knew it because Judy and I were both talking to her.  Mom said, "I have a surprise for Jerry, so don't tell him!"  We both looked at Jerry and said, "Okay."  Mom said she had named her new dog (and I'm praying that isn't dog #3!) "Jerry". 

All of Mom's children and all of Mom's pets have "J" names.  She had 3 fish one time that she named "Fido", "Fuzzy" and "Fooch".  Probably why they all died.

Lunch at Judy's was very good yesterday.  Between the 3 of us, we drank a bottle of Pinot Noir Wine.  I didn't think I would like it, but it was very good.  As much as it costs though, I will still like the cheaper brands better!  I think the carrot salad was a flop.  I brought most all of it back home.  Oh, well.

Until next time when I am feeling a whole lot better...  OH!  My husband did actually find a combination of drugs that helped me sleep last night.  One Tylenol Cold Tab, One Advil cold Tab, and a Tablespoon of Thick Robitussin DM Cough Syrup.  It worked great!  Will do it again tonight.  PLUS, I slept in one of the hospital beds in the grandkids' x-room, and I elevated my head.  (We sell hospital equipment, remember?)

I'll be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Hugs to Hollie and Thanksgiving

I'm going to have to learn to blow my VERY runny nose with one hand so I can write my blogpost today.  My husband -- who seldom washes his hands and touches everything in Walmarts, gas stations, restaurants and everywhere -- came home with a cold.  Jerry is a big time believer in the healing power of Jesus after being miraculously healed of cancer in his spine, and he believes that saying you are sick prolongs it. 

Mark 11:23-24  "You can HAVE what you SAY."  (to paraphrase even though I know it by heart)

Hence, he thinks if you DON'T SAY it, then you DON'T have it. 

I told him that the next time he has a sore throat or a cold and doesn't tell me, I am going to have something to SAY, and it isn't going to be very nice   Jerry isn't allergic to anything.  We wouldn't even have a box of Kleenex in the house except for me.  I go through a box a day, and sometimes two due to allergies.  When he gets a cold, he may blow his nose twice and cough once, and it is over.  He usually gets a sore throat more than the other symptoms. 

But meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  THAT'S a whole different story.  I blow and blow and blow and blow until my poor upper lip looks like hamburger meat.  Either that or it is running down my throat, which is worse.  Yes, I take drugs for it -- lots of drugs!  I have Benadryl, Nyquil, Children's Allergy Cough Syrup, Cough Drops, Mucinex D, DayQuil and a few others.  Last night, before meeting Phylly and Roger for dinner, Jerry and I stopped at Walmart where I bought AlkaSeltzer Cold and Flu, Tylenol Cold and Flu, that stuff you spray in your throat and more cough drops. 

Even with all of that, I was up ALL NIGHT blowing my nose and coughing.  Wish I had snapped a picture of the floor in both locations I spent the night in -- one being our bed and the other being the glider in the den.  Both locations appeared to have received a giant Kleenex snow storm during the night!

A little while ago I had to go to the grocery store to pick up our turkey dinner that we aren't having for Thanksgiving, but I wanted one anyway.  It just isn't Thanksgiving without leftover turkey.  This one is all cooked.  Just have to heat it up.

The people in the store were walking wide berths around me since I looked like Rudolph with tissues stuck under my red nose.  I apologized.  I decided to go to Walgreen's after that to buy some MORE drugs.  My Mucinex D expired two years ago, so I thought maybe I should get a new bottle.  When I went to the pharmacy window to give blood and ID in order to buy some, I noticed a big display right in front of the pharmacy window with a giant sign that said:

Our pharmacists SPECIALIZE in treatments for the common cold.  Please ask for help.

I did.  The Pharmacist said I should go buy a bottle of Allegra.  I did.  I bought a bottle of 70 of them.  I took one in my car in the parking lot of Walgreen's at 3:00.  It is 3:51, and my nose is still running constantly.  I am dabbing the Vitamin E oil and Vaseline on it though that I also bought at Walgreen's.  I may have to go back and cough on that "specialized" pharmacist!

Needless to say, I have not finished my pants.  I'm thinking of rigging some kind of contraption I can velcro around my chest that has a stick on it that will hold a Kleenex up to my nose so my hands will be free to sew.  Jerry is perfectly fine after his ONE DAY of having this cold.  Just long enough to give it to me!

As you can imagine, I have felt pretty awful all day long.  I decided to sit here in this glider and WAIT for that Allegra pill to start working.  It has been over an hour now.  Anyway, I decided to see if anyone commented at my blog, and I found a LOVELY SURPRISE.  Hollie commented for the first time.  She has told me she reads my blog, but I figured maybe she just read it once or twice.  She and my grandson, John, are stationed in Alaska right now.  They MIGHT come home for Christmas, but I'm not sure.  I figure when I see her smiling face and his muscles, I'll know they are here!

LOVE YOU HOLLIE AND BOO!!!  Hope you are staying warm and have nice plans for Thanksgiving.  We are going to Aunt Judy's.  She is cooking ribs and beans.  Jerry is DElighted!  I don't care.  Turkey -- ribs -- whatever.  Just feed me, or maybe just put me to bed.

I am making a carrot salad without mayonnaise in it per Judy's request.  One would think that is an easy thing to do, right????  Well, it isn't!

I did several searches on the internet because none of my thousand cook books had a recipe for a carrot salad WITHOUT mayonnaise in it.  I finally found one at Allrecipes.com that has carrots, apples, walnuts, celery, raisins, vanilla yogurt, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Hope it's good!  I also bought 2 bottles of wine, and 2 pies.  WISH YOU WERE HERE!  It will just be the 3 of us.






 I've got to go.

Going to call my pharmacist husband and ask him to go buy me some other drug to take and MORE tissues with the Aloe Vera in them.

He may be grinding up carrots HIMSELF tonight!

I am VERY thankful I will get over this.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hugs, Joy

Monday Stuff

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooo everyone!  I'm so glad you are here -- really, I am!  I wanted to show you my new camo pants and my pretty bracelet, but I didn't get anything done today because the internet wouldn't cooperate so I could finish my work for our stores.  Then I HAD to go have lunch with Phylly because I haven't seen her for almost two whole weeks!  We went to Olive Garden and Heath waited on us.  SUCH a treat.  He was spoiling Phylly more than me though, so I had to say something.

Then I went to Sears so I could exercise on their Elliptical that is the exact model that I bought a few weeks ago.  I exercised and carried on a conversation with Zachary who was my salesman.  He was telling me all about the store closing.  I couldn't believe it, but Phylly had told me about it.  It closes in January.  I asked him if the Elliptical would be marked way down.  He didn't know.  I thought I might buy it for this house.  I won't though.  It is too big for here.  I did think about a vacuum or sewing machine, however.  There probably won't be anything left by January.

I will take some pics tomorrow and post them.  DWTS is on tonight, so we have to watch that.  Kirstie Ally (Alli, Alley ?) is off, as she should be.  Who else is off?????  Oh, yes:  Gilles was voted off.  My favorite is Shawn and Derrick.  I LOVED!!!!!!! the Titanic dance.  I really like that movie though, and the song from that movie.  I really like Melissa too, and I would LOVE to see Tony win.  He has always gotten the worst dancers.  Remember that lady with the 8 kids?  He said to her, "Can you move AT ALL!?"  Cracked me up.

I am taking a class from Pattern Review by a real classy lady.  For some reason, her name keeps slipping my mind.  I am learning how to do exposed zippers -- which I think look ridiculous -- but the way she does them is very nice.  I'm going to put some in my new warm camo pants.  I also bought some boots today to wear with them.

ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, I actually bought some nice slacks and a pretty blouse for Christmas.  The clerks never can believe it when I tell them my husband WANTS me to buy nice clothes.  I never can believe that I can find any that fit me right.  I found one blouse I really liked a lot, but it MAJORLY needed an FBA.  Most RTW does.  I bought some red slacks, black slacks and brown slacks in -- get ready ......................

SIZE 12!!!  I have been wearing Size 16 and 14.  VERY exciting!  I thought it would force me to keep losing little-by-little on my DESM diet.

I better go.  Want to watch a bit of the zipper lady before I start my fun pants tomorrow.  I don't know why EVERYONE doesn't sew, as Sandra Betzina says.  It really is an awesome hobby!  Phylly just finished her plum wool coat.  She says she is wearing it tomorrow night when we drag our hubbies out to eat with us even if it is 80 degrees!  I'm sure it is beautiful.  I'll make her pose for us.

Hugs, Joy

Thanksgiving and My Life

Yes, today's sermon veered from the Four Blood Moons to the subject of "Thanksgiving".  I couldn't agree with the message more.  I feel like young people today are SO UNTHANKFUL.

Ps. 100 was the text.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Hagee talked about the 102 Pilgrims who first arrived here in 1620 and how 47 died the first year of sickness, starvation and Indian Wars.  God had made special preparation for this event, however, long before it happened.

An Indian named Squanto was born near Plymouth Rock, and as a child he saw white men.  Somehow he was able to learn the English language from those men.  He also was able to go to England where he also learned the English language and became a devout Christian.  When he returned to America, he was well prepared for his God-given calling which was to be a peacemaker between the Indians and the Pilgrims.  He made a 50-year Peace Treaty, and there were no Indian wars during those 50 years.  There was peace.  Squanto also taught the Pilgrims how to plant and fertilize corn.  This kept them from starving to death.

Hagee said that as it was then, it is now.  God already knows everything you are going to encounter.  He is preparing a way right now for whatever it is you are going to need in your future.  That is VERY comforting, don't you agree???

Just think about it.  Where did you use to be, and where are you now?

What was your first car?  I can tell you what mine was.  It was a big black 4-door Chrysler that had been my parents' car for many years.  They gave it to me when I got married.  It had something called a "rotor" that was always breaking.  Daddy had taught me and my sisters how to stop the car -- open the hood -- remove some part and find the broken rotor.  We took the rotor out -- which, as I recall, was like a little black donut -- and we had to match up the broken parts and hold them together and put them back into the receptacle they came out of.  Then we covered that up with whatever part we had unscrewed, and the car would start and run until the rotor broke again.

I drove the car for quite awhile until the driver-side door decided to stay permanently shut and never open, and the car was broken more than it was fixed.  My husband and I decided to trade it in on something else, which at that time probably wasn't a whole lot better.  We drove into the car lot.  We decided we would park away from the windows of the building so the salesmen inside would not see one of us climbing out the window because the door wouldn't open.

What was your first house like?  I can tell you what mine was like.  It was on Colfax Place here in Oklahoma City.  It was a pink wooden house with no bricks that we rented.  It had one bedroom that we used for our baby daughter, and our room was what was supposed to be a den or something.  The washer and dryer were out in the cold carport.  We could not afford curtains, so I had towels tacked above the windows.  If a towel wasn't big enough, then a sheet or blanket had to do.  If I was in Kingston, I would show you a picture.  In the living room there was a HUGE metal furnace and there were metal grates in the floor that got very hot.  I had to lift my daughter off of them one time.  I caught her right away, so she wasn't burned. 

One very cold winter day before we had switched to heat (air was from a unit in the bedroom window), I had to figure out how to light the furnace.  I don't know why I had to do it other than I was married to Phillip then, and he was NOT a "Mr. Fixit".  He stayed in bed, and I got up to light the furnace.  The Landlord had probably told me what to do.  I knew it involved two things:  gas and a match.  I figured out how to turn on the gas, but I could not figure out WHERE to put the lit match.  I was just holding the lit match in my hand while staring into the guts of the furnace that was spewing out gas.  In just a few seconds, the gas reached the match and BANG!!!!!  It was the loudest noise and it threw me back against the wall and onto my bottom.  Phillip suddenly appeared and wanted to know what happened.  I, of course, had no clue.  The heater was lit, however!  My eyelashes and eyebrows were short and curly and looked like burned rope.  I smelled like fire, and I was trembling.  Phillip started laughing hysterically.  I NEVER touched that furnace again!  

Phillip and I were married only two years as he decided to make friends with a bunch of druggies and become their Chief.  I had no idea he was involved in that until I came home from work one day, and there were several police cars in the front yard of our rent house.  They took Phillip's car and they took Phillip.  Our daughter was two years old.  I was in shock!  I cried a thousand rivers, and I prayed my guts out for years.  At first, I prayed constantly that Phillip would change and come home and be the Godly man I had married.  It never happened.  He got worse and worse and worse.  He died a drug addict about 10 years ago. 

I used to dream about having a real house someday that wasn't rented and wasn't an apartment.  Some of the girls I worked with at General Electric had married and bought homes, and I had been invited to them.  I used to think they were the LUCKIEST, RICHEST girls in the whole world.  I remember standing in the hall of one of their homes where I was attending a Tupperware party, and thinking, "I cannot IMAGINE being this rich!"  I made about $350 a month.  I never got any child support at all because Phillip moved out of State so I could not find him.  I never got any help from the government either!  I was told I made too much money.  Tammy had no father at all.  He had told me that he decided he wasn't ready to be a "Dad".   Tammy never got a birthday card or a Christmas present or anything from him -- ever. 

How did my daughter take all of that?  She IDOLIZED him, and she still does.  She blamed me for being so mean, he had to get on drugs, although she had not seen him since she was 4.  He came back to Oklahoma when she was 18 because child support years were over.  She ran into his arms, and they were best buds from thereon.  She nursed him -- and joined in some of his activities that I will not expand on -- the last few years of his life.

When Tammy was 4, I met Jerry Bernhardt in the craziest, most impossible way.  I had a friend, and he was her x-husband.  She introduced him to me one night when he showed up to get something from her for their 2-year old daughter who was staying with him for the weekend.  I hardly paid any attention to him, but he noticed me.  He called me about 6 weeks later, and asked me for a date.  I wasn't going to go out with him because of Jeannie (my friend and his x), but he said that Jeannie gave him my phone number.  Well, then I didn't want to hurt Jeannie's feelings, so I decided I could stand one date with him.

At that point -- on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being horrible and 10 being wonderful) -- men were a huge ZERO in my book.  I had had my fill of liars and losers, and I didn't want to know any more of them.  I was so rude to him, I can't imagine WHY ON EARTH he ever asked me out again.  I wasn't really rude.  More like "not there".  I practically slammed my apartment door in his face when he walked me to it.

I did go out with him a couple of times but was very cold to him.  I was renting a 3 br apartment because it was cheaper for me to have a female roommate pay 1/3rd of the rent than for me to have a 2 br apartment by myself.  ANYWAY, the day I woke up to find my roommate had left in the night with one month's rent due and some of my things, Jerry just happened to call me.  I fell apart and told him my woeful tale.  He said he wanted to pick me up at work and take me to lunch the next day.

This is when I first became attracted to Mr. Fixit.

We went to lunch and sat at a round table in the corner.  Jerry had brought a pad of paper and a pen and he had notes from our telephone conversation.  Jerry was working as a Pharmacist then, and I thought he must be a millionaire compared to me.  Actually, he made $1200 a month then.  He started asking me questions and writing down what I said.  I couldn't imagine what he was up to.  Finally, he told me that he would like to pay my month's rent for me, and then he would like to help me find a cheaper apartment for me and Tammy that I could afford by myself.  What did he want in return?  Nothing!  And he got nothing for quite awhile.

Now, can you understand why I married this man 3 months after our first date???  Yes.  Once I found out this guy was "for real", I didn't waste another minute ignoring him.  I got REAL friendly, REAL quick!  I could go on for days about all the sweet things he did for me back then.

AND MY WHOLE POINT IS THIS:  God was preparing Jerry Bernhardt FOR ME from the day I was born and he was born.  He KNEW EXACTLY that we were perfect for each other, and even though we both screwed up and married the wrong person the first time, God still allowed us to be together.  I am just as good for him as he is for me, but you will have to take my word on that.

Jerry and I TOGETHER, with God's help, have become very successful.  I not only have one beautiful home, I have TWO!  I never forget standing in the hall of that other girl's home though and wondering if I would ever be so blessed.  YES!  I am blessed -- beyond my wildest dreams back then, and I never cease to thank God for it.  I have walked around my wooded yard in Kingston and actually hugged the trees and thanked God for them.  I thank God daily as I do my chores in our homes for being so good to me and allowing me the immense privilege of being Jerry's wife.  I never forget where I was and where I am now.   

And Hagee's message was that THANKFULNESS makes your prayers effective.  We must always remember to give thanks in all things.  Even when it doesn't seem like it, God is there and working on our behalf.  Squanto for the Pilgrims, and Jerry for me! 

I better shut up for tonight.  Tomorrow, I'll show you my pretty new bracelet from Laurie, and my new camo fabric for MORE pants.

Hugs, Joy 

Exciting News!

Actually, nobody but me is going to be excited about this, but I nearly fell off the scale this morning.  I expected to step up on it as I do EVERY morning -- stark naked after my shower -- and read 150.8 or 151.4 or something in between.  I finally accepted the fact that I would probably never weigh less than 150 pounds again.  I did want to make sure that I didn't get back up to 157 again, however.  Jerry was at the sink. 

I stepped up on the Denise Austin digital scale and glanced down and COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES!  It read 149.0!  I squealed with delight and Jerry looked to see what I was squealing about.  I said, "It says 149 today!  I finally got under 150!"

He hugged me and kissed me and said how proud of me he was.  I was pretty proud of myself!  This DESM diet really works!

If I wasn't going to Kingfisher tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving Family Day with Jerry's Mom at Countrywood, I would whip up a couple more pair of pants that fit me.  I'm getting tired of pulling my pants up all day long!  At least I'm not having to put a bra extender on every day after lunch.  That is REALLY nice.  I may, however, have to start filling the bra cups with cotton balls soon.

One of my employees called me earlier this evening on her way home to tell me her son who plays in a band is going to be on Jay Leno tonight.  That means I have to stay up VERY LATE for me.  His band is called the Mowglie's (I think).  Of course, I have never heard of it.  I listen to Jackie Evancho and Josh Groban.  I am really happy for her though.  Her son lives in California, and he has been trying to "make it" for years and years.  She said their #1 song is called "San Francisco".  Never heard of it either.  She told me to look for her on the red carpet soon.  I will!

I'm headin' to the nearest recliner just as soon as I get in my jammies.  Jerry has given Boots and Barney -- our 2 cats -- their nightly treat.  I would give it to them, but Jerry says I don't do it right.  Fine.  He is welcome to the privilege.  He is now at his desk building a computer for his brother who we see only at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I'm not to ask any questions, so I'll go read or something. 

Hugs, Joy 

Pants Pictures, Praise for SFD and Thanks Laurie!

I deleted my post which hopefully, you didn't see, about my work problems.  It depressed me, so I removed it.  I went yesterday and was able to get everything resolved at least through the holidays.  I'm taking off my worry hat until NEXT YEAR.  Sounds like a long time away, doesn't it?

I am delighted to report that the plain old, by-the-book, SFD pant pattern fits me really well!  I didn't have to do all that crotch bowl stuff to it. 

Here are pictures of my turquoise pants with the crotch curve correction in them.  This fabric is a stretch cotton.  I used the SFD system, but made the crotch curve match my "bowl".  What this actually does is make the actual crotch portion quite long and the front and back seams above that quite short.

You can see the fit in the butt is pretty good, but it is TOO fitted.  If you recall -- or watch my crotch curve videos -- you take a tuck under the seat in the back to take out the extra fabric UNDER the butt.  This does make the pants CUP under your butt; HOWEVER, it also creates drag lines that require you to take a tuck from the outside of the leg.  See pic below. 

Here you can see the drag lines in the leg caused by the Peggy Sager's butt tuck, and you can see that when I take a tuck on the outside of the leg, they go away. 

I did wear these pants all day the other day.  They were very comfortable, and Jerry didn't say anything about them looking horrible, so I guess they are okay.  They certainly look as good as most RTW on me.

I had the choice of fixing my blueprint by adding the tuck from the outside leg, or starting over.  I decided to start over with a new SFD pants drawing and just TRUST the fit as it came out with NO CROTCH CORRECTIONS. 

I happened to have about six yards of this lightweight camo fabric in the closet that I bought when my 20-year old grandson was a little boy.  I decided he probably didn't want his Grandma making him camo pants anymore, so I pulled it out of the closet to use for my "muslin".  Here's how it turned out:

I really love these, and I am sorry the front fly -- flap ? -- and the pockets don't show up better.  The pockets are from Glenda's Mix 'N' Multiply Pants book, and I love them so much! 

WHY do I love them so much?

Because they stay FLAT against my body.  You can hardly tell they are there.  I can put my cell phone in one and my little credit card wallet in the other.  All ready for fabric shopping!

And I was happy enough about all of this pants success, when I heard from my new friend, Laurie, in Missouri.  She makes jewelry too, only she is way ahead of me.  My friend, Margaret, introduced me to her, and I've wanted to run away with her ever since for private jewelry-making lessons.  Laurie JUST HAPPENED to make some leather/chain bracelets for a craft show recently, and she JUST HAPPENS to have made one with green leather.  I hope she doesn't mind that I snatched this photo from Facebook.  She is mailing that bracelet to me so I can buy it to go with my camo pants!!!

THANK YOU, Laurie!

I've got to go.  I'm supposed to be packing to go to our other house tomorrow.  We have Thanksgiving with Jerry's Mom at Countrywood on Saturday.  And I NEED a Phylly-fix.  We are dragging our husbands to dinner with us one night next week so they can see what a delight we are together.  (-;  I know they will be enthralled with our conversation about coats and pants and fabric and Thanksgiving and stuff.

JUST realized that Jerry and I are going to have to go to Sears up there every day to do our Elliptical exercises!  We have worked all the way up to SEVEN minutes!  We can't stop now.

Until soon!                         Hugs, Joy

Crotchety Crotches and Red Coat "Bagging" Time

I am having a hard time accepting the fact that it is November and not Spring here.  It has been in the high 80's for weeks with an occasional 75.  I haven't even worn a sweater unless it was freezing in a restaurant.  Until late last night, I still had my air conditioners on.  I've said before that I like it COOL in the house.  It keeps me chipper and busy and awake.  Jerry would have it 80 in here all the time if I didn't go berzerk every time he touches the thermostats.  We had a big argument before bed last night.  He wanted to put the thermostats on 74.  I said, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! -- I will MELT and my nose will dry out!"

He finally agreed to put the termostats on 70 while telling me what a complete nut case I am.

That's not news, so I don't know why he brings it up.

About 5 AM this morning, I was awake and SHIVERING from head to toe under my covers.  Who knew it was going to be 30 degrees last night?  Not me.  I didn't DARE ask Jerry to turn the thermostat up for me so I wouldn't turn into a block of ice, so I had to get out of bed and do it myself.  All the way up to 72 it went, and I jumped back in bed.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Just right.  I went back to sleep.

I did confess when I got up that I nearly froze to death in the night.  Jerry just said, "I DON'T want to hear it!!!"

And, yes, I did finish my turquoise stretch cotton pants made from the SFD pattern I refined to match my "bowl" exactly.

I can now make a very important announcement:

If you aren't in your 20's or 30's and built like Brooke Burke Charvet (DWTS) or Britney Spears, do you REALLY WANT your EXACT buttocks shape to be highlighted with fabric that is formed in the EXACT same shape???? 

Let me answer that for you.

NO!, you don't.

I'll show you a picture of the different crotches I have come up with.  I haven't been in the "mood" to pose for them yet.  Today or tomorrow.

I'm still working on the red coat, but I got stumped on the BAGGING part as it applies to the sleeves.  I also noticed while re-re-re-re-reading the instructions, that I was supposed to cut off the bottom inch of all the pattern pieces when cutting out the lining.

Right now, I've got to get showered and shaved and dressed and ready for this gorgeous Fall day.

Many happy thoughts falling your way.

Hugs, Joy

Final One World Order

Rev. Hagee is still preaching the Four Coming Blood Moons series.  Very good!  He agrees with me.  God DID answer our prayers in this election.  Everything is going according to God's plan.  Tina was right when she told me God will protect us and be with us no matter what happens.  That is what Hagee said today.

I have complained for years about the Occult being everywhere -- tv, schools, movies -- and people just embracing it like it was harmless.  I assure you, it is NOT harmless!!!  My kids and grandkids think I'm just an old fogee, and I don't like anything, and I just don't fit in.  They ARE RIGHT!  I DON'T fit in, and I don't ever intend to!

I've lost a lot of friends for stating my opinions about the occult.  It's a wonder I made it through Halloween this year without losing another one.  I was absolutely shocked that my daughter, who could preach the whole Bible to you, took her daughter to see a movie about a vampire in love with a young girl.  (That was years ago.)  I let her know how wrong I thought that was.  Our young people are inundated with that kind of filth straight from the Pit of Hell, and parents don't have a clue.  Usually, the parents love it too.  So many books, tv programs and movies about vampires.  Young people with blood dripping from their teeth!  I can't even stand the commercials, and change the channel or turn off the tv.  

And I brought that up because Hagee talked about the Tower of Babel and how it was an occult tower with occult markings on it rising up into the sky.  The first "One World Order" movement.  The purpose was to do away with all diversity -- all religions -- anything not "politically correct".  The same spirit has been with us ever since.  People who want ONE WORLD RULE:  Hitler, Stallin, The Illuminati, The United Nations.  It all centers around Godlessness and perversion.  God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for sodomy.  Now, it is considered "marriage" between same sexes.  Sick!  Don't think God won't judge America for that.  He will.

The idea of One World Government is:

To remove individualism.  "You didn't build this."

To get rid of loyalty, patriotism and religion.

One currency.

US soldiers will fight under foreign commanders.

Destruction of Christian faith.

We are RACING toward Socialism, and Americans are deluded thinking America is unsinkable -- like the Titanic.

Hagee says God is about to say, "This is enough!"  He will turn the Anti-christ loose on the Earth. 

BUT REJOICE, because the LAST New World Order is coming!  How do we know?  It is in the Bible.  This was the scripture reference for this morning's sermon.  What a day that will be!  I've been waiting for as long as I have been able to comprehend Jesus and why He came.  How I long for every knee to bow.

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

Rev. 19:11-16

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

Hagee ended his sermon today with these words:

For the Lord God reigns!  NOTHING done on this Earth concerns Him.  He created it, and he controls it!  Rejoice Church of Christ.  No judgment will come close to you ....  (sorry, I couldn't write fast enough).  Men are pawns and puppets on God's stage.

As always, I encourage you to listen to it yourself at www.jhm.org and GETV.  It is usually under the Archived Events for a week.

Hugs, Joy

Comments On Your Comments (-;

First, my apologies for the typo in Marta Alto's name.  Goodness sakes alive, as much as I've watched Marta on her DVD's and read her books, you think I could find another place to make a typo in my blog then in her name.  

Thank you, Gayle, for pointing that out to me.  I am a super odd duck in that I actually appreciate it when people point out errors that I make so I can CORRECT them!  What I hate is when I make a mistake I can't fix -- like when my mouth goes off before my brain does.  Oh, for a chance to go back and unsay all the things I wish I hadn't!  But, I digress.....

And what I also hate is that when I pointed out the hundreds of mistakes in a certain person's book, she said, "So what if people say my book is full of mistakes, it is!"  Then she continues to sell the book with all the mistakes in it.  And her patterns are the same.  I do NOT get that!

To Jcortiaus who asked about my pattern for the 3/4 sleeve knit tops that I made:

I used my SFD blueprint to make my pattern for the knit tops.  I LOVE that pattern.  It sews up in no time, and the knits are SO COMFORTABLE.  I wear the three tops I made a LOT!  I took some pictures for you of my SFD pattern and the envelope I keep it in.

 

Here are the pattern pieces.  Notice all the corrections:

Forward shoulder adjustment in the sleeve.  High round back.  Sway back.  Glenda's Dress Kit Book describes how to move darts around.  You can see how I closed up the bust dart and opened up the french dart.  Notice the two facings I made.  You can, of course, just bind the neckline, but for V-NECKS, I like this method much better.

And to Anna from Sydney, Australia who thinks I have an accent and asked where I get my fabrics:

I buy fabrics pretty much wherever I see them, and ALWAYS when I have a coupon or there is a sale.  Quilt Shops, Hancock's, Jo-Ann's, and for the last year, I've bought miles of fabric from Gorgeousfabrics.com.  If you haven't checked out that website, I encourage you to go there.  What I really like about GF.com is how she gives you samples of patterns you could use for each fabric, and she describes what the fabric is like.  She also shows exact matches that you could put with it.  I don't know how Ann -- the owner of GF -- finds the time to put in all the detail she does.  ANDDDDDDDDDD, she always cuts a little extra, so you never come up short after washing. 

I wash EVERYTHING!!!  If it can't go in my washer and dryer, I won't buy it.  I have one of those new-style W&D combos that open in the front.  The washer is SO GENTLE, that I can put a FOLDED cloth napkin in the load, and when it is done, the napkin isn't even unfolded.  This is a good thing and a bad thing, actually.  How can something get clean?  I now make sure nothing is folded.  I learned a really good trick for this water-saving washing machine that WEIGHS the clothes and then measures out enough water to wash one cotton ball!  I always pour a gallon of water on top of my dry clothes inside the washer to make them weigh more.  Lots of water and clean clothes.

I better get this Saturday started.  It is so beautiful outside my tree-top view up here on the second story in my sewing room that was formerly the attic.  It gets cold at night now, and the leaves are all putting on their fall colors so beautifully orchestrated by Almighty God.  My very favorite time of year!  It makes me want to make a warm knit top -- one from Glenda's new book.  I need to finish those pants though.  Maybe pics tomorrow.

Hugs, Joy