In the meantime, he remarried and fathered 3 more children, a boy and twin girls. They later divorced and I don't know just how many wives he's actually had. I know the boy was named "junior" but I don't know the girls' names. I have never seen them, or communicated with them in any way. I think I was a teenager before I even knew they existed. Sad state of affairs, isn't it? When I finally did see my father after so many years, he showed me photos of my half siblings and told me a bit about them, but that's all I know. So to me I have just a sister. We are never going to be one be happy family. The sad truth is that my father is such a messed up person, that none of his four daughters will have anything to do with him, including me. It took two visits from him for me to be able to forgive him for abandoning us, but to also realize that I could never have a healthy relationship with him as father and daughter. Sadly, he is a man who does not know boundaries. My mother certainly had her problems, but we were much better off growing up with her than with him.
Shifting to another thought: my husband has been getting full time work. But not in the sleep lab. His supervisor told him to talk to the department head about working in another area, so he has been cross training is a different area that is similar to what he is familiar with. He is enjoying it, and he has been able to work full time between that area and the sleep lab. Finally, he drew a full paycheck last pay period and for the first time in months I was able to pay everything that was due. Praise the Lord! I've been borrowing "from Peter to pay Paul" for so long, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have everything paid. And in May we will have our car note paid off. Yea! We can start knocking down other bills. That's something I've been praying about. I don't like having debts. I want to get everything paid off.
I'm not a person who has to have the latest and greatest. I don't need to "keep up with the Jones." My needs are pretty basic—food, clothing, shelter. The internet is a nice bonus and some sewing and craft supplies. I've got two dolls made up in prototype and the patterns perfected. I'm still working on accessories like shoes though. Doll shoes for cloth dolls have to be made different from shoes for vinyl dolls as the feet are thicker. Right now, I've laid aside the dolls to make a few things for myself. I'm getting to the place where some of my clothes are beginning to look rather old and worn, because they are! So I'm in the process of making a few new things. I'm glad I've been a fabric stasher in the past and hung on to it. The prices of fabric have pretty much doubled in the last three years. The prices are outrageous. I can remember that just a few years ago you could walk into Joanne's and find a lot of good bargains on the discount racks. At the end of the season, the seasonal fabrics would be marked down, and would periodically be marked down over time. I got some wonderful fabrics for one or two or three dollars a yard that had been much higher. I don't see that anymore at Joanne's. It seems that very little gets marked down, and when it is, they might knock off 10% or 15% and it stays there. Needless to say, I buy very little fabric now.
I went to a friend's home this week to pick up scraps and craft supplies she was getting rid of. She's been going through her stash as they are doing to work on their house, and I was able to find quite a few scraps I can use for doll clothes. I am thankful for these things as it means I don't have to purchase them. She even had some vinyl I can use for doll shoes.
OK, time to shift back to mothers and Mother's Day. I joined the STS Road Trip for May and made a mini. Download is under the preview.
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