AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Before Jim and I married he warned me that he was so unlucky that if he bought a funeral home people would quit dying! I thought it was funny at the time but over the years I started to wonder about his "luck". It never seemed to fail that whatever Jim bought or did there was always a problem. Everything from cars and motorhomes to missing parts, something was always wrong. But we always joked that he could count on two things to work right - his '97 Ford pickup and me. We never let him down. Well, last week he sold his pickup. It had 135,000 miles on it. I don't exactly know how many miles there are on me and I admit I have slowed down a bit the last couple of years so I have to wonder what my future holds.

GRACE'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

Each year I have a Christmas party for Grace and her friends. When Grace got here she put on her lipstick and gloves and checked out the table which I had decorated with carousels from my collection. We then discussed the proper way to greet guests, where to put their coats and a few house rules. As each girl arrived I took her picture with Grace and Mirabella, the snowgirl. They decorated a perma-coated plate and had dessert. Jim even got into the action when the girls decided he needed to wear the reindeer antlers!

THE STOCKINGS ARE HUNG

Last year Grace fell in love with my Christmas stocking. It is a simple off white satin with lace trim around the top. I then put several rhinestone pins, vintage and new, on the stocking to dress it up. Jim's stocking I made from black velvet and vintage ties, along with an initialed tie tac. They look rather nice on our fireplace and Grace thought she should have one too. And of course I thought so as well and I promised her I would make her one for this year.

During the month of December we like to give her a few small gifts throughout the month. This way she can enjoy each gift and not be overwhelmed with so many things at once. Saturday after her party she spied the two packages under the tree and knew they were for her. She opened her stocking first and was so excited. She really was thrilled and kept saying it was beautiful. She especially liked the pearls and the the fluer-de-lis pin. (She is very interested in all things French! Some little girls want to go to Disney World- Grace wants to go to Paris!)

SCOOPIN' THE GOOP

Grace told me the other day that we needed to make another jack-o-lantern and when Grace says we need to do something we don't waste any time doing it! Jim went to three places before he found the perfect pumpkin and we set to work after school. Grace was insistent that this was a girl so we changed her name from Jack to Jacqeline. So ours is not a jack-o-lantern but a jacqueline-a-lantern. Grace took her home and put a wig, a crown and earrings on her! So cute!

A GOOD OUTCOME

I was rather disappointed after my class with Sandra Betzina with the jeans I was making but decided to keep working on them. (The details about the remake are in an earlier post.) And I am so glad I didn't quit because in the end they turned out quite nice. I very happy with the overall fit and although they were a bit labor intensive I will probably make them again with a couple of minor changes. I'll lower the waist not just in the back but all the way around by 1/2" and cut the front leg slightly larger on the outer edge. I like my pants and jeans to fall straight from the largest area of the hip and not curve in at the knee. I will also skip the belt loops - I did them this time but not like the pattern instructed but as they would be done on any other pair of jeans.

For the pockets I used a cotton print, it adds a bit of fun and reduces the bulk in the stomach area. I also did not serge the seams but pinked them before topstitching. One of my favorite tips from Sandra was to use a triple stitch for topstitching. I had never paid any attention to this stitch before but am so glad I discovered it.

I REALLY WASN'T GOING TO DO THIS

but it was like I was back in junior high andjust because everyone else had one I wanted one too. In junior high it was a tent dress and a bench coat, today it is a maxi dress. I don't think I'll get much wear out of a maxi dress but I loved Erica's and so I decided I'd just throw caution to the wind and live large. And the best part, I did it all for $6.00 and a few hours! I found this cute lycra knit at Joann's for $3.00 a yard and used super easy McCalls pattern 5039. I envision wearing my maxi dress at home for casual dinners on the patio or when we go to a friend's. And it will be nice to just slip on at the end of the day when I want something comfortable but I'm not ready for my pajamas. I made it by a size 12 and the only alteration was to lengthen the bodice 1 1/2".

AUGUST 25, 1979

at 7:00 in the evening I married the man I always dreamed about. A kind and gentle man, a man who would cherish me, pamper me, love me, treat me with respect, praise me, protect me, encourage me, provide for me, challenge me, understand me, excite me, die for me, teach me, laugh at me, listen to me, be proud of me.... me, me, me. The list goes on. This dear sweet man I married does all this and more. He's made me a better person, through his selfless ways he has shown me what it really means to love someone. I pray God gives me another 30 years with my sweetheart so I can give back to him just a little of the joy he has given me.