Office Christmas Parties 2017

Several of you have asked me to post pics of our Christmas lunches.

For those of you who don't know, Jerry and I own a medical equipment company called Family Medical Supply.  We have two locations:  Oklahoma City and Kingston, OK.

Our lunch for OKC was last week, and we just had our lunch for the Kingston location today.  The weather was lovely, and we had great food (except for one dessert -- see below) and great fun.

FIRST, here is a picture of Jerry and me and all of our Oklahoma City employees from last week.  I will list their names because our employees at one store only know names from the other store.

In the back from left to right:
Tim, Mark, Bill, Lu, John, Sharon and Kathy (Sorry Kathy is kind of squished in there.)
In the front from left to right:
Paula, Kodi, Misty, Sheila, Phylly, Carol and Diane

Do you see Phylly, the one who resigned a few month ago?
And right next to her in the red jacket and scarf is Carol.  She has resigned several times.
They both still come to work, and we couldn't be happier about it!

Some of the employees above have been with us over TEN YEARS.  Jerry and I don't work at that location, so I don't even know what the girls do anymore.  Lu -- the tall lady in the back -- is the Store Manager, and she has so much work to do, I don't know how she stands it.  She does the hiring, the training, the job descriptions, the reviews, prepares for accreditation and does a ton of computer input and paperwork and she knows everyone else's job.  I'll ask Jerry about something, and he will say, "Ask Lu like I do.  She knows everything."  I honestly don't know HOW she does it, but we sure do love her for it.

I'm pretty sure that Paula has been with us the longest.  She has quit before too.  Thank God she came back.  She drives a very long way every day to and from work, and we are so very thankful for her dedication. 

Next to Paula is Kodi.  She has been with us over 11 years, and I think the next longest time.  We hired her part time to clean.  She kept offering to do other stuff, and now she is a super salesgirl on the showroom floor.  Everybody adores Kodi.  People that quit years ago still call her.

John is our ATP (like Jerry).  Bill is the Service Manager over the other two guys: Mark and Tim.

You all probably recall that Phylly and I are quilting/sewing/fitting friends and actually the reason I started this BLOG.  The other girls were all hired by Lu, and I don't know them very well.  I know they all get along great, and they all love Lu.

I'm sure you are all terribly interested in our food, so I had to snap some pics for you.

This is an AWESOME appetizer we always order at Zio's.  I have no idea what is in it, but we all love it.  I know it has bacon and cheese.

And THIS is why I like to go to Zio's.  Their apple pie is DELISHUS!!! and it comes with ice cream on top and a hot brandy sauce.  Thank God I don't know how to make it!  Phylly and I always share, so only ate half.

The Kingston lunch was at Roma's.  Also an Italian restaurant.  It is in Durant, OK.  We had a great set of tables for our group and a very good waitress.

Here we are.
In the back from left to right are Tim, Ronny, John, Lu Ann, Pat and Peggy
Behind me and Jerry from left to right are:  Maurissa, JJ and Larece

Tim is Service Manager and Ronny works for him.
John is the ATP we hired from Nevada.
Lu Ann works on the sales floor with JJ.
Pat is our Advantage Specialist who makes sure all our customers receive the right product on the right day.  She resigned many years ago, but still keeps coming to work. 
JJ does all the billing for what Pat does.
Peggy is "Jane of All Trades", and she does whatever any of us need her to do INCLUDING watching my Mom for me if I need her to.
Maurissa is my Administrative Assistant and you'll read more about her below.
Larece works for Jerry and John and you'll read more about her below.

And, of course, I had to take some pics of our food.  Only desserts though.

Pat took the first bite of her cheesecake and just squealed with delight at how yummy it was.  I asked her to please pose so I could take a pic, and she did.

And this is cheesecake again with a different topping.  Maurissa is posing for this one.

I ordered the same thing as Maurissa is holding up here, but I complained that mine didn't have much sauce on top.  The guy who brought it just walked off like I had not spoken.  I thought it was just as well since there are still about two million calories there!  A few minutes later though, the guy showed up with the sauce bottle and he squirt it all over my cheesecake.  Now THAT is service!

The next picture is of Larece.  Larece is Jerry's "right arm".  She gets all the ducks in a row -- and there are a LOT of ducks -- so we can get paid for what we do.  She is holding up her "wooden" Cannoli.  She ate the stuffing out of it and then tried to eat the pastry.  We saw her KNOCKING on it with her knife, and we all cracked up laughing.  She didn't even try to bite into it.  What a shame.  All the other desserts were SO GOOD!

The following picture is of me and the most precious lady that God put into Family Medical Supply before I ever came back to work there.  Someone else hired her.  She worked out front at first, on the sales floor.  I would see her when I went into the store, but she was always very quiet, and she acted like she was terrified of me.  I think she was at that time.

When I did go back to work due to the former office manager quitting without notice after a long sick leave, I HAD to have help.  Everyone was so very busy, including Maurissa, that I hated to ask anyone for help.  But whenever I had a question, or I needed assistance, or I needed someone to take on an extra duty, there she was asking if there was anything she could do to help me.  She has been a wonderful blessing to me, and she has become my personal assistant.  She is a super fast learner, and she will do anything I ask her to do, and a bunch of stuff I didn't even ask her to do.

Maurissa told me one time that I was NOTHING like she thought I was going to be.  And she meant it in a good way. Jerry and I thank God daily for all of our employees, but I am especially thankful for Maurissa because she and I work fabulously together.

   
So that is all of our employees.  They are really an extended family to us, and we love them all. 

Hugs, Joy

Mom's 90th Birthday is December 18th

Hi everyone.

I hope this is not inappropriate, but I was wondering if any of you lovely people would want to send my Mom a birthday card.  Corrected at 2 AM.  Decided to just buy her several cards myself -- one from Jerry, one from me, one from her cat, etc.  Since I am awake, I went in to check on Mom.  Her lamp was on and she was sitting on the side of her bed putting her watch on.  She also had her glasses on.  I removed her glasses, but I left her watch on, and I helped her back into bed.

Mom has taken a turn for the worse.  Her memory isn't even seconds long.  She has forgotten so many more things.  She even forgets to eat while sitting in front of her dinner.  We have to prod her.  Thank God, she has not forgotten me!

HOWEVER, the one thing she does remember is that it is near her birthday, and that she is going to be 90.

Whenever I take Mom with me anywhere, such as my doctor appointment a few weeks ago, she always does the same thing.  She will notice a new person in the room -- doctor, hairdresser, friend -- and she will turn to me and say:

"Joy, did you tell her that I am going to have a birthday soon?"

"And did you tell her that I am going to be 90!"

It is so cute.  Just like a young child.  She asked me yesterday if I was going to do anything for her birthday.  So I KNOW she hasn't forgotten that her birthday is December 18, and she is going to be 90.

As you know if you watch my videos, my Mother has three other children.  None of them will come to see her for her birthday or any other occasion.  One says it is "too far" (3-hour drive).  One says he is "too busy".  One says she has disowned me, and she is no longer my sister, so I guess Mom is no longer her Mother either.  I have no way of contacting her directly.  She does know where Mom is, and she does know that Mom's kids are welcome here because I had my brother tell her.

Thank God there are people here who love her and will come see her for her birthday, including two friends who will gladly make the 3-hour drive.

It is Sunday afternoon, and I am going to start wrapping the many new sweatshirts I bought for her.  THANK YOU so much to the ladies who told me about Younker's and Bergman's.  Weird names, but they had the perfect shirts for her.  I think I bought 7 of them.

Have a blessed Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.

Hugs, Joy

Holiday Hello with Baby Luke and Cookies for Santa

One holiday is past and Christmas is right around the corner.  Goodness!  It comes faster every year.  I have been busy, but have not felt really good for weeks.  Remember the nights I wasn't sleeping?  Well, I didn't sleep the last two nights.  Went through three boxes of Kleenex in ONE DAY!

You don't believe me?

I took a picture to show the doctor today because I know it sounds insane to go through hundreds of Kleenex/Puffs a day.  She was actually a Nurse Practitioner.  I showed her these pictures, and she gasped!

This is my floor after ONE NIGHT of no sleep.  Notice the empty box of tissues on my nightstand.  There was another one on the bed.  I used to put a trash can there, but I always missed it and the tissues were all over the floor anyway.  So now, I just gather them up in the morning along with the empty tissue boxes.

 This is what I threw away this morning.  FOUR boxes.  Notice that one is stuffed full of used tissues.

And when I wake up, I come out to my blue chair.  Same story here.  This is from this morning just before my lightning fast mind decided this has to be MORE THAN ALLERGIES!  It has been going on for weeks.  Thank God I was able to get into someone today.

I took a shower, and I fixed my hair, and I put on a little mascara and some jeans and a top.  I knew I felt like crap, but evidently, I LOOKED like it too!

I had walked into the medical clinic with my Mom.  I walked her over to the waiting area and sat her down.  Then I walked back to stand in line to wait for one of the five windows to open up, which wasn't likely to be too soon since only two were occupied.   As I was standing there -- first in line -- other people lined up behind me.  Directly behind me was a young woman and her little boy.  I turned to see who was behind me, and she looked at me and said,

"Can I help you to a seat Ma'am?  I will let you know when a window is ready."

I thought, "Dear Lord!, I must look worse than my Mother!!!"  People USUALLY offer to help her, not me.

Finally, Mom and I were directed back to Megan somebody's office.  She was SO YOUNG!  They all are when you are this old.  She was very sweet.  As I said above, I showed her the pictures I took on my phone, and she gasped.

She said both my ears were full of water and I had a fever.  She put her ear thing up my nose and she winced and said, "Oh my!, you must be miserable."

So I have drugs now.

An antibiotic which may or may not break me out in hives at which point I am to discontinue it immediately!

She also gave me a steroid for all the inflammation.  It has really helped already.

So that has been THIS DAY,
but I have to show you pictures of YESTERDAY when God's latest gift to our family and his mother came to visit me.

Yes, I was sick, but I was careful not to breathe on Luke, and I washed my hands constantly.  I thought it was allergies.

I probably took 50 or more pictures, but I will only share a few with you.

I put my Terry quilt on the floor for him to put him AWAY from my face just in case I had something he shouldn't have.

Otherwise, I would have held him the whole time.

He is SO ADORABLE!

I'm going to do something tomorrow, I hope, because I have a sitter for my Mom.  I want to do some Christmas shopping although I have NO IDEA what to get anyone.  Everyone may be getting gift cards.  I notice them everywhere these days.

Gotta go check on Mom.

NO!  WAIT!!!

I have another real fun thing to show you that my friend, Shari Marie, has been up to:

Shari Marie was INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPING each cookie for a Craft Fair at a local senior living home.  She said she had been working on them for three days.  They LOOK like it!  If there really was a Santa, I would want THOSE under my tree.  I told her she needs to open a bakery.

Be back soon feeling SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER!

Hugs, Joy

Why JCP is Bankrupt!, My New Baby, Luke, and a Pumpkin

Hi everyone!

Our new sitter here in Edmond was able to stay with Mom for four hours today, so I had the GREAT PLEASURE of meeting my friend, Margaret, for a Steak lunch at Longhorn.  We talked for an hour and a half, so I didn't have much time for anything else.  Four hours goes by really fast!

In the time I did have, I went to JC Penneys which was right in the same parking lot as Longhorn.

I was looking for sweatshirt tops for my Mom which I never found, but I happened to walk by my favorite tennis shoes in the shoe department.  I did not have a pair here at this house, so decided to by a pair of white and a pair of black.  Then I walked over to the check out counter where there were two cash registers.

If I had not left my phone in the car I would have taken a video of this.  The counter was stacked with boxes and various unboxed shoes so there was not a single square inch to put my boxes.  I tried to balance them on top of one of the registers.  Then I started looking for a cashier.

I turned around and around and looked and looked, and then I started saying, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, HELLOOOOOOOOOOO, HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?"

Nobody answered and nobody came.

I then walked out into the aisle between the shoes and the clothes, and I said, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, HELLOOOOOOO?  I need a cashier please.  HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?

Nobody answered and nobody came.

I walked back over to the shoe counter where there was still nobody.  I hollered back into the two openings into the warehouse, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?"

I really needed the shoes or I would have stacked them with all the other shoes that people had given up on purchasing and just stacked there.

I then walked BEHIND the counter and through the door into the warehouse.  I didn't see anybody there either, so I continued, "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, IS ANYONE THERE?"

Finally, a girl started moving back in the midst of the shelves, and she came to where I was.  She followed me to the cash registers.  She went to the first register to check me out.  She messed with it a minute, and then she said, "These registers don't work.  We have to go to a different department."

I then followed her to the Beauty Shop where I was finally able to buy the two pair of tennis shoes.

UNBELIEVABLE!  I promise you, it happened just like that.  No exaggeration.  I actually probably hollered "HELLO" 50 times!

I then went to a different department to look at jeans.  I found a pair immediately and went to try them on.  Where there used to be a long row of nice dressing rooms, there was now a large cubby hole with a mirror on the wall.  I said, "I'm not going to try these on without any doors!"

I wandered the length of the store to another dressing room.  Then I went to the checkout counter in that department only to find the cashier staring over and over and over and over at a receipt trying to figure out how to do a return.  I put the jeans down, and I walked out of the store.

How very sad.  NO WONDER they are closing stores and barely getting by.  I would have spent hundreds of dollars there today if there had been half-way decent service and proper dressing rooms.

I've made a couple new videos for those of you who don't see them unless I post them here.

This one is an introduction to our precious new great grandbaby, Luke:

I have not seen Luke since that day, and doesn't look like I will see him again in the three weeks I am here.  I thought they would need my help so I came up for several weeks, but it turns out that Lauren's family is coming to visit them.

So, since I have a lot of time on my hands, I am thinking Christmas.  Doesn't appear our Christmas is going to be anymore exciting than our Thanksgiving.  Just the three of us.  I want to get or make gifts for my good friends, my husband and my Mother.  I may get started on that tomorrow.

Made a video today just blabbering about the cat and Thanksgiving and a pumpkin potholder if you are interested in any of that.

TV time with hubby.

If I get anything besides a potholder made, I'll be back to show you.

Hugs, Joy

Quilt Festival and Sleepless Nights

I seem to be making MORE videos and LESS blog posts these days.

Hope you all know about my VLOGs on Facebook.  It is where I hang out when I'm not here at Blogger.

Here is my latest VLOG, just done yesterday, 11-8-17:

And while I was looking at all the comments regarding my major lack of sleep, I noticed a new video from the Houston Quilt Festival. 

It is loooooooooong, but very fun to watch if you are a quilter.

Here it is:

And for those of you who may have watched my previous VLOG about "the lady" from Missouri Quilt Company, THERE SHE IS standing next to Angela Walters.  Her name is Jenny Doan.  These two ladies are naturals in front of a camera, and I enjoy them both very much.

And here is the "previous" VLOG I referred to:

My new baby, Luke, still has not made an appearance.  I'm beginning to think he will show up on Thanksgiving Day because his Daddy was born on July 4th.  Whatever day God decides will be the perfect time!

Pastor Leon is due any moment to visit my Mother.  I think I hear him now.  I need to run downstairs to say "hi".

Hugs, Joy

Hard Day at the Not-So-OK Corral

Hello my friends.  Hope your Friday the 13th was a nice one.  Mine was very nice with a heavy blow in the middle and then a lovely surprise.

Kind of like a roller coaster ride.

I left Kingston about 10:15 this morning with my Mom.  Had to put some gas in my very low tank and then wash my extremely dirty car, and then head to our Edmond home.  It was a happy, fun, relaxing ride with Mom.  She does so very well 95% of the time.  She was so sweet today, I enjoyed being with her very much.

We stopped half way for lunch at Braum's.  She had her usual children-size chicken nuggets and a tiny pack of fries.  She loved it, and there were no complaints.

As I was standing at the drink counter, a nice younger lady was standing there waiting next to me.  For SOME STRANGE REASON I mentioned to her that I had ordered my 89-year old Mom a child's meal.  She responded that she knew exactly what I was talking about, because her Mom and Dad always ordered the kid's meal too.  Her Dad had dementia and just recently passed away.  I told her that was a blessing as long as he was ready to go.  She said that he was a Christian, and he was very ready to go.

Isn't it fun how two complete strangers will strike up a conversation and have something very much in common?

We left and had a very pleasant ride for the next hour.  We arrived at our home, and I ushered Mom into the house.  THAT is when things got a bit bumpy.

My Mom was quite confused and wanted to know where her room was and where her bathroom was and where her toothbrush was and where her fingernail file was -- and I handed her one -- and she said, "NO! Not that one!" -- and she wanted to know where her clothes were going to be and how she was going to find them and where were her slippers, and on and on and on ........

I was very patient with her because I have learned to be patient and loving because SHE CAN'T HELP IT.  After about an hour, she started to settle in, and she unpacked all of her things and put them away in her dresser and bathroom drawers.

I had asked for a family member to come help me this afternoon for a few hours so I could have some time to run and get some groceries for this house.  I was given a very pleasant reply of, "Sure, I have the ENTIRE day free."

Turned out, my request was taken as a major imposition.

That was the "heavy blow" part of the ride.

I received a very nasty message about how awful my Mom is, and that I should not expect anyone to show up here to help me with her -- and if they do, I should be grateful -- even if they can't come when they told me they would be here, and even if they don't tell me that.

It is the HARDEST thing for me to understand.  WHY can't people be CONSIDERATE of each other?  Especially, a family member.  A nice call or text explaining that something came up and they will be arriving at whatever time -- or not -- would have been so acceptable and understandable.  She texted she couldn't come when I needed her, but "soon".  "Soon" means different things to different people.  My husband's "soon" could be three days!  I was just trying to get something done before a 4:00 appointment, and I had very little time to do it. 

So my heart was hurt and I felt like a complete failure -- AGAIN! -- and I decided that it is just me and my Mom against the world.  Boo hoo hoo.  Pity party time. 

 

BUT THEN...

Don't you just LOVE the "BUT THEN's"!

I was in and out from the car to the kitchen and the bedrooms 50 times bringing things in from the car.  Every time I came in, my Mom had a question about something.  She doesn't mean to be a pest, but sometimes, she just is.  Her brain doesn't fire right these days, and her memory doesn't exist.  She can't help it, and I tell myself that a thousand times a day.

"Be PATIENT, Joy, be PATIENT!"  There, but for the grace of God, go I!

So on one of my many trips to put something away, I heard something at the front door.  I thought, "Oh, No!  I hope Mom hasn't gone outside!"

I went to the front door to see, and there was a box on the front porch from the mailman.  My new internet friend, Shari Marie, had asked for my mailing address, so I figured it must be from her.  I quickly opened the door and scooped up the box.

Shari Marie had mentioned to me a few days ago that she was PRACTICING making frosted cookies for some affair coming up.  I jokingly (sort of) mentioned that I LOVE frosted cookies, and she could send the rejects to me.

WELL, guess what????

She really did send them!

HOWEVER, they are FAR from being rejects.  They look like they are from a fancy bakery.  I took a picture so you can see. 

The flower is NOT BROKEN.  I had already started nibbling on it before I thought to snap a photo.

So, of course, being a really good friend, I texted Shari Marie that she should definitely keep practicing because these disappeared way too fast, and to keep sending the rejects. 

Shari Marie also sent something she made for my new baby, Luke, but I haven't opened it.  I want Lauren to see how it was sent.  I am sure it is darling, and I will show you soon what it is.

The only other time I have ever gotten cookies in the mail was when my friend, Jolene, sent them to me after a surgical procedure I had done.  It is the MOST marvelous gift.  I froze the ones Jolene sent and took one out of the freezer "as needed" for medicinal purposes only.

I'll be back soon with news about the new Home Care Assistance company I have hired here in Edmond.  They are sending a lady named Noella to sit with Mom next week while I am away at the B-Sew Inn classes.  She is 20 something and has worked for this company three years.  I hope we love her like we love Dorine in Kingston.  I told Dorine this morning that I wished she could just come up here with us.  She said, "Maybe someday."

Bedtime here.

Hugs, Joy 

Terry's Gorgeous Tie Dye Quilt and My Total Failure

Hello everyone!

I promised you pictures of Terry's pretty tie dye quilt in this VLOG:

Someone asked WHERE I got the aprons.  I got them on Amazon.  Just search aprons.  I love that they have pockets.  Terry said Wanda loved it.

Unfortunately, it is so very hard to show quilting definition in a photo.  I don't know why.  The light has to be JUST right.  Nothing like seeing it close up to see the true stitching.

Here is the front:

And
Here is the back.

The MOST amazing thing about this quilt is the tie dye itself.

I went over to Terry's the other day to try my SECOND ATTEMPT at the craft.

I did two small pieces.

They turned out SO UGLY, I can't stand to look at them.

Terry says she wants them.

She will probably cut them up to make the overall effect go away.

It needs to go SOMEwhere, lol!  I am giving up that adventure for good.  Even with Terry's help, I screwed it up.

So that is all I have time to talk to you about today.  I want to make another cute -- more babyish -- quilt for Luke.  Maybe some receiving blankets.  Not sure.  Need to hurry though.

Be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Falling Leaves and Flailing Fish

Can you even BELIEVE that it is OCTOBER?!

My new great-grandbaby in November, then Thanksgiving and then Christmas.

WHY do I suddenly feel very behind???

Just in case you haven't already seen it, here is my latest VLOG where I show you the cutest baby gifts I made for Luke.  And, YES, that is Terry with her brand new Millie!  She is learning how to quilt with rulers today.  She is going to be really good.  She is determined, like I am.  When we choose a hobby, we want to know everything about it and we spend many, many, many hours PPP'ing.  (Practice, Practice, Practice)

Mom and I were sitting on the patio yesterday -- her in the glider and me in my swing -- and I just happened to look around our yard.  I had just told Mom that the leaves should start turning soon.  What a surprise when I noticed several trees that have already turned yellow and red.

AND, I saw three leaves fall down!

It makes me kind of sad to have to go to my other house for a few weeks.  There are trees there, of course, but there are hundreds of them here.  Fall is beautiful here in the woods.

The pastor talked about COMMUNICATION IN MARRIAGE this morning.  Jerry and I actually passed with flying colors.  After 42 years, we should be able to talk to each other.

I did NOT agree with Pastor Hagee about women turning on tears to get their way, although I'm sure it happens.  Tears -- at least in my case -- had everything to do with PMS.  And I had the WORST PMS ever recorded, I think.

Jerry, being a Pharmacist, would never allow me to take any prescription drug to calm me down out of "angry tiger" mode, so he just put up with it.  He is a VERY strong man emotionally.

Talk about tears.

Good grief.

You could have filled Lake Texoma with mine!

I'm old now, and that part of my life is past.  I will NEVER miss it, and neither will Jerry.  I cry now if I am totally stressed and people are pulling me every which way but loose.  Very seldom.  Thank God!

I'm a happy girl most of the time as you can see in my videos.  I dance and I sing and I praise God, and I adore my husband.

Speaking of husbands.  Mine just got back from a short fishing expedition.  He was trying out his birthday present to see if it worked, and it didn't.  BUT, he put out one of those umbrella things and started trolling.  He caught THREE FISH AT ONE TIME.  One is 9 pounds, one is 4 pounds and one is 3 pounds.  I wish I had had my phone with me, and I would have snapped a picture for you.  You should see the umbrella lure.  It looks like someone ran over it with a car!  I wish I could have gone with him, but I had to stay with Mom.

Umbrella thing:

Can you imagine wrestling three flailing fish at one time on that thing!?

Won't keep you.  Need to get downstairs and prepare the fish fillets for freezing.  We will be having a fish dinner real soon!  We need some company to help us eat it.

Have an amazing, fabulous, wonderful, blessed in every way week!

Hugs, Joy

The Crying Lumberjack

Well, HAPPY Thursday night everyone!

I WAS going to make a video for you today, but there was waaaaaaaay too much going on here.  This has been the CRAZIEST week.

I actually made the tree-cutter-downer man CRY!

Jerry hired the guy to do some work in our very woodsy yard.  It is really hard to get anyone to do that kind of work here.  The people we have had in the past have disappeared from the planet, evidently, because none of the phone numbers we have for them work.

Jerry found this guy on Home Adviser, I think.  He had really good reviews.

We all know from experience; however, some of these people must have lots of family and friends who owe them huge debts write the reviews, because it usually turns out that the opposite is what actually happens when you hire them.

OH!, do I ever have the stories of bad service in my history.  You may remember the contractor we hired who PASSED OUT on the garage floor.  He was drunk!  I got down on my knees and shook his shoulder to wake him up.

He woke up and looked at me and said, "Oh NO!  Am I at work!!!!?"

Well, actually, NO, you were sleeping!!!

So anyway, Jerry hired this guy to cut the little sucker branches off the sides of all our trees, and to grind down several stumps, and to cut down three trees, and to spray all the trees for the nasty web worms that have strangled so many of our pretty tree branches.

The guy was SUPPOSED to show up LAST week.  He never did.  He wasn't able to get here until Monday, this week.  Problem with that is, Jerry left town for the entire week on Monday.  That means I was alone here to tend with the guy.

Here is what the deal was.  He was suppose to arrive WITH HELP Monday morning.  The entire job was to take a day and a half.

Guess what time he showed up Monday morning?????  Never mind, you'll never get it right, because it wasn't even in the morning.  It was 5:00 that evening!!!!  He worked until dark when he announced he would be back EARLY the next morning WITH help and he would be done by noon.

I still haven't figured out how he thought he would be DONE by noon when he didn't even show up until 1:00!  He did call that morning to say he had to pick his help up.  Dorine, Mom's sitter, decided he must have gone to Kansas for them.  He returned much later with a teenager and some other guy.

I decided to call Jerry to complain about the lack of work being done, and ask him what we were paying these people.  Jerry said it was $3,000!  After I fainted and recovered, I went out to investigate.  The tree man was just sitting in his truck.  I walked up to the window and asked if I could talk to him.

He rolled down his window.  I introduced myself and asked if I could talk to him.  He got out of his truck.

I probably could have said this a little differently, but it made sense at the time.  I said, "Exactly WHAT are we paying you $3,000 for?!"

He was immediately upset.  He said, "Look at my phone.  The bid I gave your husband is on my phone."  I told him I didn't care to look at his phone.  I wanted to know WHAT he was supposed to do.  He named a few things.  I asked if he was going to do some other things I wanted done.  He said he WAS NOT!  He said he was only going to do the back yard -- not the front yard or the side yards. I thought that was weird.  A home has a front, back and two side yards.  I asked if he was going to spray the trees by the barn.  He said that was NOT included. I asked if he was going to grind the stumps of the trees he just cut down.  He said that was NOT included.

I sure was not seeing a $3,000 bill by any stretch of my imagination!

So THEN I made him cry.

This is what I said:  "If you don't do what we hired you to do, I will not pay you."

The guy started sobbing!  He walked to the back of his truck that had a huge dump truck type trailer behind it, and he started pulling things out and tossing them.  He said, "I AM LEAVING AND I WON'T EVEN CHARGE YOU FOR ALL THE WORK I HAVE DONE!"

You all know I am taking care of my 89-year old Mom who has dementia.  Whenever ANYTHING is out of the ordinary or different in the daily routine, she gets upset and has to be very involved and asks dozens of questions.  She kept coming outside to WATCH.  I had to keep sending her back into the house so she didn't get hit by a falling tree branch or sprayed with poison.  The three cats have been locked in the garage the ENTIRE week because of the spray that never got put on until late last night and this morning.

Frustrating week to say the least.

The saga goes on and on and on.  First, the guy's "help" got fired.  Then new help was hired but had to drive up from south of Dallas.  Took them about four hours to get here.  They actually were very good though.  Today, one of their trucks got stuck in the ditch.  The other truck wouldn't start.  The machine that was supposed to spray all the bugs in the trees was broken, and the guy worked over two hours on it.  Mom kept asking me what he was doing out there.  They were here after dark two nights.  I didn't know if they were going to pitch a tent or what.

I did pay the guy this afternoon, and he and his crew are gone.  Mom has finally stopped asking me if she can go outside to watch them.  They did end up doing a good job, and I am pleased.  What a shame the boss couldn't get his act together or even tell me when he would be here. He did apologize a bunch of times.  And he did quit crying.  (-;

I have to get to sleep.  EXCITING day tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Hugs, Joy

Continuing Adventures with Mom

It is Saturday night.  Jerry is upstairs watching football.  I tried sitting with him, but he kept ignoring my questions -- even when I asked the same one three times -- so I came downstairs to talk to you.  I can, at least, PRETEND that you are listening to what I say.

My Mother shocked us last night.  She was SUPPOSED to be asleep as it was 10:30 at night.  Jerry and I were in bed falling asleep.  All of a sudden, all the lights went on in the kitchen, and they startled us shining into our doorway.  I knew right away it had to be Mom, and I heard her fiddling around with something in the drawers.

I could not imagine WHAT she would be doing in the kitchen drawers at 10:30 at night.  I quickly got out of bed and went into the kitchen.

Thank God I did!

I could not believe my eyes.

I purchased two shower caps for Mom when we were in Edmond last week.  Since she can now take her own shower, she requested a shower cap.  Having two homes, I bought her two.  Mom woke up WORRIED about the shower cap being ready for her shower the next morning, and she went in her bathroom to find it.  It was still in the UNopened plastic package.  The package was small -- maybe 3" by 4".

When I walked in the kitchen, Mom was standing in front of the open knife drawer.  She was holding a very long serrated bread carving knife in one hand and the shower cap package in the other.

I immediately rushed over and relieved her of the knife!

She informed me that she HAD to open that bag and get the cap ready for her shower in the morning. I put the knife back in the drawer and got a pair of scissors.  After opening the shower cap, I asked her to please go back to bed.

She did great today.  We put the shower doors back on her shower and put a nice bath bench with a back inside it.  She was very happy to be able to take a shower all by herself in her brand new shower cap.  Purple, of course!

I finished a pretty bracelet and started on another one today.  I got the second one about half-way done and decided it wasn't perfect enough.  I cut it all apart and started over.  Will show them both to you when I get matching earrings made.

PLEASE keep agreeing with me, my friends, that Hurricane Irma will cease and desist its threatening winds and waves and go back out to sea.

Time for bed here.

Be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Back Home with Pictures from Embroidery Class

Hey Everyone!

If you want to see me the day after I gave birth to my only child, go on over to her new BLOG.  It is really fun.  She shows you her amazing Golden Doodles in today's post.

Tammy is really excited about my readers checking out her BLOG.  I know a lot of you knit, so you will enjoy her beautiful knitted creations.

Here is a link:

Tammy's Knitting BLOG

I did some videos the last few days.  If you haven't seen them -- and you want to -- here they are:

As you will see in the following pictures, Phylly and I always laugh ourselves silly when we get together.  Neither one of us cared much about the flower or the butterfly.  We were there to see the latest Embroidery Machine called Destiny II.  When we found out it was nearly $17,000, we decided to just have fun and keep our money.

In the next pic, we were making the centers of the flower.  You had to stick a wire up into a straw. Then you had to burn tiny holes into your straw.  Then you dipped the pistols (?) into some Elmer's Glue in a plastic spoon, and you were to stick the glue-covered pistols into the holes you made.  Well, our holes were a mess.  They either sealed themselves up or they were big enough to put a toothpick into. 

We were cracking up laughing at how bad our stems looked, and I had to take a selfie.

I, at least, got the stamens (?) to stay on top of my straw.

Honestly, we were so bad, the teacher took pity on us.  Her Father was the demonstrator of flower assembly, and he came over and took MY straw and my petals away from me.  After all, it DID look better than Phylly's.  Phylly and I were sharing a machine, and we were actually making only one flower because we were too lazy to embroider flower #2.

So HERE is the teacher's Dad making my flower for me.  The idea was to make an entire bouquet.  I told "Dad" that I was going to need him to come home with me if he expected me to make any more.

He looked at me and said, "I will!"

Phylly and I had NO IDEA who this next character was other than he was wearing VERY short shorts and he had very hairy legs.

He evidently likes to be with the "fun girls" so he kept coming over to get in our pictures.  He was a hoot.  Followed us out when we left.  I thought maybe he was coming home with me too, lol.

AND, in case someone is wondering, I did ask permission to take the pictures, and I announced to them all that I would be putting these on my BLOG.  Nobody cared.

This is a picture of Phylly realizing that I had just trimmed my pieces RIGHT ONTO HER LAP!  I cracked up laughing as I didn't even realize that I was doing that.

And if you saw the videos above, you have already seen our beautiful creations.  Here, Phylly is modeling the Angel Butterfly.

We decided that a SIX-winged butterfly must have angel wings.

If you are reading this in real time, and you are a Bible believer, like me, PLEASE continue to pray with me for Florida and command Hurricane Irma to cease and desist and go back out to sea!  (Mark 11:23-24  SPEAK to the mountain...)  In this case, the "mountain" is a hurricane.  I've been doing it all day.

Good night my friends.

Hugs, Joy

Great News! My Daughter's Blog is Ready!

I am SO PROUD of my daughter.

I don't know if I've told you, but she is really, really smart and is a fabulous knitter.  She TRIED and TRIED to teach me, and I just could NOT get the hang of the sport.  She picked it up instantly.

Have a great time meeting her.

HERE is a link to her new blog:       Tammy's BLOG

I'll be back soon with a new video.  Time for church.

Hugs, Joy

We are Here at the EXPO

Yes, we arrived about noon today.  We hurried up and signed in and there was only one class we could take.  It was Linda McGehee's class on making totes/bags out of panel prints.  

I found most of them pretty non-exciting, but I really loved this butterfly print.  The picture does NOT do it justice, but I did snap one (with permission).

The idea is, you buy the fabric panel.  Either you -- or someone else -- completely quilts the panel.  Then you make a purse out of it.

This one was beautiful.  Sorry you can't see the detail.  The colors are amazing.

Fortunately, she had ONE panel there for sale.  She said we would have to order them from her website when they came in -- or something like that.  I asked her if I could buy that one.  Since I was the first one to ask, she let me buy it. 

Look how pretty it is!

After the bag class, we walked into the Vendor hall.  We stopped at a few booths and as we wandered into one of the long aisles, I saw Kathy Ruddy running with a large clothing cart in tow toward the stage.

I hollered, "HI KATHY", and she hollered back," I'm late!  I have to hurry!"  "I was supposed to be there at 2:30, but I thought I was supposed to be there at 3:15."

It was almost 3:00!

I cracked up laughing as Terry and I followed her quickly down the long aisle to the stage area.  I told Terry, "THAT is Kathy Ruddy -- ALWAYS late!"

We sat close to the stage.  There were only a few women there.  Kathy motioned to me to grab some papers from her and hand them out.  Some volunteer was supposed to be helping her, but she handed the papers to me.  I certainly didn't mind.  It was just all so unorganized and funny.

I started handing the papers out to each lady in the audience, and all of a sudden the pages changed, and there was a Page 2 and a Page 3.  The first few pages were just single sheets with no number on them.  Turns out Page 2 and Page 3 were NOT supposed to be there.  Again, Kathy Ruddy style.  

I WISH I had thought to take her picture as she was tearing clothes off as fast as she could and putting dresses on OVER her long pants.  It was crazy.  

We decided to leave the EXPO before the Dallas traffic engulfed us on the way to our hotel, and we checked in.  We were surprised to see there was a Salt Grass restaurant right next door to our hotel. We only had enough time to eat half of our yukky convention hall lunch before the bag class started, and we where SO HUNGRY!

I made Terry pose.  Doesn't she look great?!  She has lost 20 pounds.  Her diet basically consists of vegetables and apples and eggs.  She is really sticking to it though.  I'm so happy for her.

Right now, we are both in our jammies, sitting up in our very comfy Hilton beds with our laptops in our laps.  Totally relaxing.

We are going back to the EXPO in the morning so Terry can finish trying out longarms.  Unfortunately, Connie Keller with APQS had to leave because of a death in the family.  The main reason we came was to to talk to her, but we certainly understood.

So far, I have spent $11.00, and that was for the butterfly panel, lol.  Lunch cost more than that.  But there is still tomorrow.

Hugs, Joy

Guess WHAT????

I have known for months that the Original Sewing and Quilt EXPO starts tomorrow in Arlington, TX, and I tried to make arrangements to go, but could not work it out.  Phylly didn't want to go, and Terry didn't think she would be able to.  Jerry would have come with me, but then Mom would be alone at night.  THAT could never work.

So I was home today finishing my Variegated Spools quilt when Terry texted and said she was coming over.  I happened to remember the EXPO tomorrow, and I told Terry about APQS being there since she is about to buy a longarm.  She said she would like to go.

As it turns out -- after lots of texting and permission slips from spouses -- we are GOING TO THE EXPO tomorrow!

Too late to schedule any classes, but maybe we will get lucky and find one or two that aren't full and don't require pre-purchased supply kits.  I'm excited to just spend time on the vendor floor since I usually never have time to do that.  I like to watch the stage presentations too.

I really like Kathy Ruddy and would like to take one of her classes.  We shall see.

Terry is MAJORLY into tie dye right now.  HEY!  I have pics of her recent projects.  Hold on.....

Aren't those AWESOME!  I want her to help me do a better job than my first attempt, but it will have to wait.  Hers look like Kaleidoscopes.  Soooooooooooo fascinating to me.

And you remember my friend Princess Di, of course.  Look at what she just finished.  I think this is so, so pretty!  I especially love the binding done with the same strip sets.

And how awesome is the John Wayne quilt in the background?  She is making that for her hubby.  She made pillows to go with it too.  Princess Di is a FACTORY!  She shows me a different quilt nearly every day.

I've got to get to sleep.  Long drive to Arlington in the morning.  I LOVE taking road trips with Terry.  MAYBE we will see one of you there!

Hugs, Joy

What Language Does YOUR Heart Speak?

I imagine everyone in the world knows about the "Love Languages" except for me, but I'm really glad I know about them now.

Dorine, the lady that sits with my Mom when I'm not home, asked me yesterday what "love language" I spoke.

I had NO IDEA what she was talking about.

"Didn't you read the book?" she asked.

"WHAT book?" said I.

She went on to explain about the FIVE love languages, and each person has one or maybe two of them.  I asked her what they were.  She told me.  When she left a few minutes later, I forgot.

Late last night, I remembered Dorine asking me about love languages.  I decided to google "love languages".

IMMEDIATELY, they all came up along with a test to take to see what mine were.

I really could have told you without the test, but it was fun to get a confirmation.  The knowledge this afforded me has verified WHY the comments my readers leave mean so much to me.

My 1st "love language" is Words of Affirmation.  2nd is Acts of Service.  (You can have two.)

If I had to choose between an expensive gift or a card with a love note in it from him, I would choose the love note every time.

If I had to choose between my husband buying me an expensive gift or vacuuming all the carpet, I would choose vacuuming.  On Mother's Day he always gives me the gift of HIM, and I totally love that.  He is all mine for one whole day.  What do I want from him?  I want him to HELP me or do things for me.  I never want a gift.

He just asked me today what I want for my birthday.  I told him, "Nothing, I want you!"  

Of course, my 1st love language is Words of Affirmation.  I've told my best friends about this,  but I don't think I've ever told you.  Many years ago -- probably 25 or 30 years ago -- Jerry said something to me that has lasted me all these years, and I will NEVER forget it, and nothing he ever says again can top it. 

As I recall, we were alone on the couch in our living room.  No TV.  It was late.  We were just sitting there next to each other talking and sharing.  Out of the blue, he took my hands into his and looked into my eyes, and he said:

"If I could have gone to Heaven and talked directly to God and told him EXACTLY what I wanted in a wife -- what color eyes -- what color hair -- what shape and size -- what personality -- it would have been everything YOU are."

So did he ever hit my love language right in the bulls eye!

I'm pretty sure Words of Affirmation are his love language too, and I'm careful to brag on him whenever I get a chance.  But it makes sense that I can give it to others if it is my language.

So what is YOUR love language.  Here is a link if you don't already know:

Five Love Languages

My birthday is Friday, and I am so thrilled that my daughter is fulfilling my 2nd love language "Acts of Service".  She is driving all the way -- 2 1/2 hours -- to my house to prepare me a dinner she knows I love.  Just her coming here is all the gift I need, but she says she is bringing gifts.  I have decided -- being her Mother and knowing her very well -- that her love language is receiving gifts. She is a MAJOR gift-giver.  She bought her family so many gifts one year for Christmas, they got tired of opening them.  She said, "I think I overdid it Mom."

She already fulfilled my 1st love language when she said, "Mom, you tell me what you want done for your birthday, and I will make it happen."

I better go.  I'll be back soon to see what you all found out about YOUR love language.  Your "love language" is what YOU need from others in order to feel loved. 

Hugs, Joy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DI, Meet Button, Update on Mom

Today is my friend Di's birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DI!

I can now show you what I made using that calendar since Di has received her gift  I am still amazed at the quality of the print.

When I finished this tiny quilt, I took it downstairs to my husband's office to show it to him.  You will NEVER dream what he said to me when he was looking at it.

I was expecting:  "That is nice." or "How creative to use a calendar." or "Di will like it a lot." or ANYTHING but what he said.

He looked at it closely and he didn't say anything!  Then I asked him what he thought.

He said, "I don't GET the bus."

MEN!

I don't seem to get around to blogging much these days because it is so much easier to just talk to my friends via the VLOGs, but I HAVE to show you little Button as I promised.

Just in case you haven't seen my latest VLOGs, here they are:

I told you I like making the VLOGs!

If you aren't bored stiff or sound asleep after all those videos, I'll show you our little Button now.

This picture was taken the day we found him in our hot storage room at the store.   I wore a long skirt that day, and Button decided it was a good hiding place.

We brought him home to live in a large dog cage in our kitchen, and when he wasn't in it, he was hiding in this corner.

My grandson, John, came to visit for a few hours, and he really LOVES cats.  My daughter loves them, so all her kids love them.

Button has grown a lot already, and he has been moved to the back patio during the day and the garage at night.

I can only stand a cat box in the house in extreme emergencies!

Tomorrow, my new friend and neighbor, Kathy, is coming over.  I found out she loves coffee as much as I do, so I had Jerry bring home two flavors of Bundt cakes tonight so we can have a little party. Terry is out of town or she would be coming too, although Terry is on a major diet.  She doesn't eat anything but veggies and fruit.  Last I saw her, she had lost over ten pounds.  I haven't seen her for over a week, so she may be so thin I won't even recognize her!  I thought I should probably get back on my eternal diet of Herbalife, but it won't be until after tomorrow.  I did tell you I have a Lemon Bundt cake and a Strawberry Bundt cake, didn't I?  I promise I will have just one -- maybe two -- pieces, and then straight to the freezer they both go!  Then it is back to carrot sticks and celery sticks for me.

Mom is doing fine.  I changed Hospice companies this week, and the nicest people are coming to visit her.  Everyone immediately loves her.  It makes me so happy to see her loved and properly cared for.  I really liked the two Aides that came from the other company, but I didn't like the "lady in charge" (don't know her title).  Every time I called about something, she acted like I was a royal PITA.  She told me once that the Aides had to give my Mom a bath and wash her hair, but they didn't have to DRY her hair.

WHAT!!!!? 

I knew that was insane so I asked for the owner/manager's name and number.  She rudely gave it to me.  Before I called the manager, however, the "lady in charge" called me back and informed me that they actually COULD dry her hair and wanted to know if there was anything else I would like done. That was just one instance.  There were several others.

The craziest thing happened this afternoon with my Mom. 

I print out month calendars for my Mom so she can write on them.  She was a prolific writer in her past, and all she can do now is put names and notes in a square on a calendar.  She struggles greatly with just that.  She misspells something or it is messy, and she wants it fixed.  I understand that as I am the same way.  She kept asking us for correction fluid.  We don't have correction FLUID.  We have correction TAPE because that is what is made these days.

Jerry or I have gone into her room with the correction tape in hand to help her fix her calendar.  Now that she knows the stuff is in the house, she is always asking for it.  She came upstairs this afternoon and told me she had an EMERGENCY, and she just HAD TO HAVE some correction fluid. 

I told her that I would come help her in a few minutes.

NOOOOOO!  She needed it right that minute!

I grabbed the last roll of the stuff we had in the house, and I followed her to her room.  I looked at her calendar where she marks her BM's (because the Aide always asks her about them) and she writes down the names of whatever ladies are coming that day to see her.

She told me last week that she was writing all of that down because it was very important and I would need it when she dies.   )-:

I asked her what she wanted marked off.  She INSISTED that I let her do it.  I told her it was hard to do.  She said she could learn.  I showed her on another piece of paper how the contraption worked, and I handed it to her.  She TRIED to mark something out, but it didn't work.  She tried again, and it sort of worked.  She asked me if she could PLEASE just keep it so she could correct her mistakes.  I felt sorry for her and just let her keep it.

Later on, I was in the kitchen preparing supper.  I had left Mom in her room with her calendar and the correction tape an hour earlier.  She said she wanted to watch TBN, which she always does.  She suddenly appeared behind me in the kitchen.  She always "suddenly appears" because she wears slippers all the time, and I never hear her coming. 

She said, "Jooooooooooooooy, I need your help!"

I turned around to look and oh, how I wish I could have snapped a picture.

She was holding the correction tape container in her hand, and the tape was hanging all over the place OUTSIDE the container.  She had it on her face and on her hands.  Like you had pulled the tape out of a cassette.  It was so funny!  I took it all away from her and threw it in the trash can.  She had a fit!  She said she could FIX IT.  I tried to explain that it was torn apart and broken and it would not go back into the little container.  She was mad at me.  I told her I would go upstairs to see if I could find another one.  When I got back down, she had dug through the kitchen garbage and pulled that thing out with its messed up sticky tape hanging down to the ground!  She insisted she was going to fix it.

UGH!

Sometimes, it is really hard to stay patient with her!  I decided that ONE OF US was going to have to take a Xanax.  I decided it would be HER since it is her prescription, lol, and I poured a glass of wine for myself.  I can't even remember last time I had to give her a Xanax.  It has been months.  PRAISE GOD for that!  Truly, He has provided for us in the MOST REMARKABLE WAY.

After she became unstressed and relaxed, she started telling me how wonderful I am.  She said, "What on earth would I ever do without you, Joy?"  

And, of course, that melts my heart, and I just want to hug the stuffings out of her -- like everyone else does.

Gotta get.  Hubby wants to watch the 3rd season of Heartland.

Hugs,

Joy