Warning! Sermon Follows. Owl Quilt Video at End.

Church was just over.  Pastor Hagee is still talking about end times and went through the entire book of The Revelation in fast motion.

I wish -- and I pray -- and it is my heart's most earnest desire -- that EVERYONE could know the truth of God's word.

Hagee preached it fast and hard this morning because time may be very short before The Revelation fully unfurls its ugliness into our lives.  Hagee believes that Christians will be raptured before the worst of it, but other preachers teach differently.  Only God knows as my dear blog friends always point out.

Hagee talked about something today that has been my "sermon" since I was a child.  It is one of the main reasons that family members -- Christian family members -- and friends -- Christian friends -- are turned off by me and run for the hills if I bring this up.

I have lost more than one good friend because of my refusal to watch filth coming from their TV, and I walked out of their home.

So, I warn you, here it comes again!  THE sermon.  And remember.  It was also Hagee's sermon today.  Go to www.getv.org if you would like to hear it for yourselves.  It will be in the archives after today.  The date is 8-28-16.

There are only TWO FORCES in this world:  GOOD and EVIL.  You should have learned that from Star Wars if you don't know the Bible.

The God of "GOOD" is Jesus.

The God of "EVIL" is Satan.

The lovers of Satan and his world have become so deceived that they don't even realize they have GIVEN HIM PERMISSION to ruin their lives, their children's lives, their health, their well-being, and on and on it goes.

HOW????

By bringing his literature -- his movies -- his books -- his statues -- his speech -- his attitudes -- right into their homes.  Examples:  Harry Potter.  Exorcist.  Almost every movie.  Pornography.  Television!!!!!!!

I have gotten onto very close loved ones about this very thing, and they just gafaw and act like I'm a mean, horrible, judgmental witch for even thinking such a thing -- NEVER MIND, telling them they need to REMOVE all of the books, movies, garments, posters and all other objects from the world of EVIL from their homes and never allow them in again.  I assure you, they prefer to REMOVE ME and keep me removed!

This includes Satan's high holiday:  Halloween.  I met someone new the other day, and she told me her favorite holiday is Halloween.  It is just ignorance, I know, but I wanted to scream, "NOOOOOO!"

Sooooooooooooo, for the one or two of you that are still here, let me ask you to please just go to God yourselves, and ask Him for a revelation in your heart and mind of how He feels about these things.  Remember, God shares his glory with NOBODY!  He is a very jealous God.  He wants your total love, worship and loyalty.  Not much to ask from your creator!

Gotta run.  I have finished the owl quilt.  If you haven't seen the video, here it is:

Have a very blessed week.  Count your many blessings and be a blessing whenever God gives you the opportunity.

I intend to.

Hugs, Joy

Warning! Sermon Follows. Owl Quilt Video at End.

Church was just over.  Pastor Hagee is still talking about end times and went through the entire book of The Revelation in fast motion.

I wish -- and I pray -- and it is my heart's most earnest desire -- that EVERYONE could know the truth of God's word.

Hagee preached it fast and hard this morning because time may be very short before The Revelation fully unfurls its ugliness into our lives.  Hagee believes that Christians will be raptured before the worst of it, but other preachers teach differently.  Only God knows as my dear blog friends always point out.

Hagee talked about something today that has been my "sermon" since I was a child.  It is one of the main reasons that family members -- Christian family members -- and friends -- Christian friends -- are turned off by me and run for the hills if I bring this up.

I have lost more than one good friend because of my refusal to watch filth coming from their TV, and I walked out of their home.

So, I warn you, here it comes again!  THE sermon.  And remember.  It was also Hagee's sermon today.  Go to www.getv.org if you would like to hear it for yourselves.  It will be in the archives after today.  The date is 8-28-16.

There are only TWO FORCES in this world:  GOOD and EVIL.  You should have learned that from Star Wars if you don't know the Bible.

The God of "GOOD" is Jesus.

The God of "EVIL" is Satan.

The lovers of Satan and his world have become so deceived that they don't even realize they have GIVEN HIM PERMISSION to ruin their lives, their children's lives, their health, their well-being, and on and on it goes.

HOW????

By bringing his literature -- his movies -- his books -- his statues -- his speech -- his attitudes -- right into their homes.  Examples:  Harry Potter.  Exorcist.  Almost every movie.  Pornography.  

I have gotten onto very close loved ones about this very thing, and they just gafaw and act like I'm a mean, horrible, judgmental witch for even thinking such a thing -- NEVER MIND, telling them they need to REMOVE all of the books, movies, garments, posters and all other objects from the world of EVIL from their homes and never allow them in again.  I assure you, they prefer to REMOVE ME and keep me removed!

This includes Satan's high holiday:  Halloween.  I met someone new the other day, and she told me her favorite holiday is Halloween.  It is just ignorance, I know, but I wanted to scream, "NOOOOOO!"

Sooooooooooooo, for the one or two of you that are still here, let me ask you to please just go to God yourselves, and ask Him for a revelation in your heart and mind of how He feels about these things.  Remember, God shares his glory with NOBODY!  He is a very jealous God.  He wants your total love, worship and loyalty.  Not much to ask from your creator!

Gotta run.  I have finished the owl quilt.  If you haven't seen the video, here it is:

Have a very blessed week.  Count your many blessings and be a blessing whenever God gives you the opportunity.

I intend to.

Hugs, Joy

Princes Di, Owls, and a Sew-Along w/Peggy

Hey Everyone!

How are you all doing?

I am at work, but since I am the boss, I decided I could spend a quick 10 minutes while I eat my dessert to do a quick blogpost.

Not much to tell you since I already said it in these two videos.

Check them out.

So I really have to get back to work now.  

I have several applications to review and interviews to schedule.  We shall see who wants Jacobi's job.

Be back soon!  And isn't Princess Di the cutest thing ever!?

Hugs, Joy

Sunday and Birthday Surprises from Jolene

Hi Everyone!

The weather down here in Southern Oklahoma is LOVELY today.  I swang on the back porch for over an hour just enjoying the coolness.  I was TRYING to clear my mind and fill it up with something else, so I took out a spiral bound steno pad to doodle on.  My doodling looked as confused and sad as my mind has been since yesterday.

But THEN:
Alooooooooong came Jo-le, ee, ene!  (Remember the song?)

She "untied me from the railroad track" and gave me something to smile about.  She told me she was going to make me smile today, and she did.  I was truly grateful too because I expected all my friends to tell me to take a flying leap into the Big Baby Crib because I am just too hard to please -- expecting people to call me when they aren't going to show up when they said they would.

So anyway, let's HAPPY THIS UP, and I'll show you the wonderful gifts I got from Jolene for my birthday which was August 4th.  She told me they would be late, BUT worth waiting for.  She was right!

You know -- if you read my blog much -- that I have been making Mug Rugs for the last several months since the Serg-a-Thon that Di and Deb came to.

Here are the ones I made for Di and Deb:

 And I made this one for my Mom on Mother's Day:

I was DEElighted to receive one of my very own from Jolene that about blew my socks off!

You may recall that Jolene just took 2nd place in the Hoffman Challenge quilt contest.  She is REALLY good!  I made a mug rug for her too to celebrate her win, but I didn't get a picture of it.

Here is the mug rug she made for me. Those are 1/4" half square triangles!  Yikes!

I love it, and I am using it on my nightstand.  I have had a paper napkin there for 18 years!  This sure is a whole lot prettier.  Diana pointed out that the "J" looks like a butterfly, and it does.

Do you all remember Erma Bombeck?  She was a real funny lady who got cancer and died way too young. She wrote an article before she died about all the things she WISHED she had done differently.  One of them was she wished she had USED all the pretty things she had bought or that people had given her that she put away inside a cupboard because they were TOO NICE to use.

That really touched me.  I am using my pretty gifts!

Jolene included two patterns for this so Terry and I can both make it.  Hopefully, we will have a play day again SOMEday.  Terry is always SO BUSY!  Look at this teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy paper-piecing pattern!!!  I may just have to start without Terry.  I want to try it.

She also bought me two things that I have wanted for a looooooooooooooong time, but I have been waiting for them to go on sale.  I don't think they ever will.

I was so surprised to see these!  They go with my Accu-Quilt cutter.  Remember the one that Terry and I bought?

And, of course a pattern to use those on.  This is a table runner, and I really like it.  I will make one soon.

And this wasn't a birthday present, but I want to show it to you.

As you know, Terry, Jolene, Diana and I are the Cuatro Quilters participating in a Friendship Swap of 720 Half Square Triangle Blocks.  I asked the three girls to please make me a little label/sign to put in my quilt.  This is the first one I recieved.  It is so pretty on that fancy fabric.  I want to know WHERE to get some like that.  Don't know if it is a printed fabric or software that you print out your own labels with.  I'm sure one of my readers will let me know, and thank you in advance!

I want to color it.  Wonder if Jolene would mind.  I need a coloring project to concentrate on.

Have a fabulous, wonderful, blessed, happy week, my friends, and count your many blessings every day! Something GOOD is about to happen!

Hugs, Joy

Rainy Day and Really Tall Grass

There is SOME button or area on this laptop that I accidentally hit with my wrist every once in awhile, and it completely erases all I have typed.  I cannot MAKE it happen no matter what I press on.  UGH!  If any of you happen to know HOW I am doing that, please let me know.  It happens when I rest my left wrist down on the laptop -- but not if I do it on purpose.



Anyway,
if I can keep my words from disappearing,
I was saying that it has rained a lot yesterday and today and maybe for several more days.

It is a welcome rain but our grass is SO HIGH, and the man who is supposed to show up every other week to mow it never shows up.  I have called him and texted him.  No response.

Looks like Jerry is going to have to get the mower out -- like it or not -- but he can't while it is raining.



I planned on having a new video for you today, and I was really excited about it, but plans kept changing and then they just didn't happen at all.  I stopped the owl project and cleaned off a mountain of stuff from one of my cutting tables, prepared a sewing project, and then nothing.  I was really upset about it because I didn't know WHAT happened, and I had made so many plans including ignoring my husband.  I told him I had to get ready for company in my quilt room.  We were going to sew and make a video.  I spent most of the morning preparing.  

I've decided that I expect too much from relationships.  I expect that other people think like I do and when they say something will happen at a certain time, that I can count on that happening.  Or, at the very least, a phone call saying "the reason I'm not showing up when I said I would is....".  Our day had already been cut in half due an unexpected occurrence that couldn't be helped.  At least, I knew about that one.

I got notice 45 minutes late that a better offer had come up, and it would be even later still, but by then I had convinced myself that the person just didn't give a ****, and I couldn't quell the tears.

Soooooooooooo, it is back to the owls tomorrow morning after church.  I'll make plans to meet with MYSELF and I WILL show up.  I am going to finish those owls tomorrow, at least, the quilting part. I would love to put Edyta's quilt on, but it has quite a ways to go before it will be ready.  I think I'll go back to making clothes for awhile except for my triangle friendship top.

OH, I have the butterfly quilt too.  SO MUCH TO DO, but that is a good thing.

Princess Di WAS going to come today, but she couldn't come due to thunderstorms, heavy rain and lightning.  She let me know first thing this morning, and I totally agreed.  I don't drive in that weather either.  Don't know when I'll see her again.  It is supposed to rain all week.

Yesterday, I received my birthday gift from Jolene.  I would show you a picture of it, but our internet is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo sloooooooooooooooooooooooow right now, I can't upload a pic. Come back tomorrow, and I will show you all the fun stuff Jolene sent me for my birthday.  It is easier to do upstairs then in my bed, where I am right now.

Blessed Sunday to you all!

Hugs, Joy

Good Evening On a Cool Thursday

Yes.  The weather has cooled down a lot here in Southern Oklahoma.  It is very nice.  Even had some rain today.  I have the screen door open in my kitchen because I tried to cremate a pot of beans tonight.  I FORGOT I had put them on the stove to warm up, and I came upstairs to check on things.

You KNOW how it is when you enter your sewing/quilting haven.

My mind was attracted to all the different projects going on and I completely forgot about the beans.










About an hour later the yukkiest smell wafted up the stairs and into my room.  YUK!  I ran down and pulled the pot off the stove.

I feel so bad when I do stuff like that.  I immediately wonder WHAT ELSE I may have forgotten!


So, for those of you following my owl saga, I have only TWO MORE OWLS to do!!!!  I believe I can finish the quilt top tomorrow morning before I go into work.

I'll show it to you again when it is all quilted.  Then I will have to bind it.  I want to finish my friendship quilt top before I do that though.

I've gotten a couple more ugly remarks under my videos.  Some people are SO HATEFUL!  I guess I need to explain that the videos are made for my blog, because people seem to think I'm some sort of certified sewing/quilt teacher, and they get upset if I stray from those subjects.  Jolene says people like that are called "trolls" and to just ignore them.  Good advice!

I don't know if I should confess this -- even to myself -- BUT, I just received four more pieces of pretty fabric in the mail today.  I couldn't resist it.  It is from Silhouette Patterns.  Slinky, lightweight, soft solid color knits in royal blue, bright pink and black.  A silky piece in red with borders.  I'll be back in sewing mood as soon as I can get things straightened out at the store.  Our newest employee gave two weeks notice today.  She got a better offer that we can't match.  So, heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go again!  Looking for a new employee.

Di is coming Saturday to work on my hair, and then we are going to play in the sewing room.  I want to make these cute little "bean bag chair" things that hold your cell phone in an upright position on your desk. Deb has been making them.  I'll show you mine when I get it done.  Terry might even come out to play!

For the lady who asked me if I ever showed my sewing room.  YES.  Search sewing room videos or look through my videos.  It was over a year ago, maybe 2.  I did a detailed tour and a quick tour.  Hold on a sec, and I'll see if I can get a link for you.....

Here you go:

Gotta run.

Hugs, Joy

I Want a Vegetable Garden!

Hey everyone!

I have been so busy this week, I haven't had time to talk to you all.

PLUS, I spend a lot of time Marco Poloing with The Cuatro Quilters and my friend, Deb, these days.

If you don't have Marco Polo, you should try it out.  I have enjoyed it SO MUCH!  Get to see my besties up close and personal wherever they are and doing whatever they do every day.  You make little videos of yourself, and the other person can watch them whenever they have time.  They can send a video back, and you can watch it whenever.

Terry is on a missionary trip with her husband this week.  She left me in charge of her garden.  She told me I could pick whatever was ripe.  I went over today after work to water it, and there were about 6 large Okra ready to pick.  I brought them home, cut them up and fried them.  They were SO, SO, SO GOOD!  The best I have ever eaten.  Cannot wait for more to grow.  She has lots of Okra plants, so there should be a bunch.

Here it is after I cooked it.  The only BAD thing about it was I had to share it with Jerry.   Sure am looking forward to the next batch.

I also got one little tomato when I checked the garden this morning.  I reached up to touch it, and it just fell into my hand.  I took it to work with me this morning, and it was a morning snack.  DEElightful.  I picked a big tomato and several bell peppers too, but I'm saving them for Terry.

If we EVER get a Summer when Jerry isn't busy 7 days a week, I hope to have a garden of my own.  We will have to take some trees down, and he does NOT want to do that.  I will just have to get him to see things my way.  I'm going to have mine in wooden containers up off the ground so you don't have to bend over so far to work in them.  I actually bought a Craftsy class teaching how to do it.

Won't keep you.

Just wanted to say howdy.

I'll try to get back soon and make a new video for you.  I have 720 half square triangles I am playing with, and I want to show you.

Hugs, Joy

Precious Memories and a VLOG

Shocking that it is already August.  Before we blink, it will be the holidays again.  I always dread the holidays and kind of wish we could just go from October to January.  Thank God for my friends at that time of the year!

So I told you yesterday I would have a VLOG for you today.  Here it is:

I also said I would share some pics of our super-fun weekend.

Friday night, none of us wanted to watch a movie, so we played a fun game.  Lauren and I won three games in a row, and for SOME REASON, the guys didn't want to play anymore!

This pic is fuzzy.  Sorry.  We are SO EXCITED that Jerry gets his braces off soon.  MAYBE next visit!  His teeth are beautiful if you could SEE them behind all the wires and rubber bands.

This pic is better.  John decided to grow a beard while on his long vacation from the Army.  Don't know if he will be allowed to keep it or not.

Saturday morning, John and his Papa Jerry went fishing.  Lauren and I stayed home and got to know each other.  I was DELIGHTED at how easily she "fit" into my sewing/quilting life even though she doesn't do either.  She told me her Mom used to make beautiful custom wedding dresses, and I cannot WAIT to meet her Mom!

I was showing her my various quilting projects, and we got to my Edyta Sitar Seasons quilt blocks that are lying on my desktop.  I told her I needed to figure out what colors to use where for sashing, borders and binding.  Lauren just started picking things up and arranging them as though she has always done that.  She told me she used to help her Mom decide on designs and color.

Here is a picture of Lauren with one of the arrangements she made for me:

We both decided that we like this way best:

The blue will be sashings.  The green will be the wide border.  And the red will be the binding, unless I change my mind for the 100th time!

Lauren was so sweet, she even took this huge machine from me and blew the patio off for grilled burgers.  It was like she has always known us.  So comfortable.

After lunch, we got ready for our next adventure.

We went to a really fun bowling alley with lots of flashing lights and pretty colored lanes.  It is so easy now because you don't have to keep score.  Will definitely go again when the kids come back. 

That is Lauren's hand.  I was TRYING to take her picture.  Next time, I'll have to take my own lighting, lol.

Here we are later enjoying dish after dish of AWESOME crab legs:

And after that, we all went to waste the $10 on our player cards.  Lauren and I won a few bucks several times, but we both ended up with zero. 

I ended up with cigarette pollution!

And THIS is my MOST FAVORITE OF ALL the pics this weekend.  Lauren took it with an app on her phone. 

She even said, "I think we look a little alike."  DON'T I WISH!!!!!

Gotta go.  Want to go finish row #2 of the owls.  I will snap a pic when I'm done for my next post.

Hugs, Joy