HI everyone,
I hope you have BBQ’s and picnics and reunions planned with family and friends to celebrate this Independence Day! We aren’t doing anything fun, as far as I know…but I did buy some salmon and we’ll have it, cooked in my Ninja. It’s too too too humid for both of us! The temp isn’t supposed to be terrible… 91, but the humidity is supposed to be around 90% so it’s miserable out there. I have to work at the Food Pantry for just a little while today, and after that, I’ll just want to head home.
There is a lot I could say about Freedom and how blessed we are to live in America, and I know it’s not perfect, but it’s very good compared to many parts of the world. We are truly blessed.
If you could please pray for Jean and Bithar and their 7 children… they have been notified that they have to return to Haiti because of their Visa situation. I’m not exactly sure what is happening, but decisions in the government were made and put a stop to the Temporary Protected Status Visa’s. But they were here on a temporary work permit Visa while Jean was finishing his degree. He did, but didn’t find a job in his field yet. So he took another job in the nursing field. Bithar took her nursing exams and has become an RN now. They were told they have until September 2nd, I believe, and they have to leave. They have just bought a house and another house beside it, turning it into an Airbnb. Please pray that something will happen that will cause them to be able to stay. They are such a wonderful family and they are just devastated.
Okay, that’s kind of a bummer for the 4th, but I wanted to tell you… and decided today was the day.
However, we do have some pictures from Laura and a couple of her girls. I’ll let her tell you about them.
Hi Jeanne,
I wanted to share a few pictures for the 4th of July with you and the Sofa Sisters.
First, here is Carys, my Limited Edition Rapunzel, turned historical, in her new dress with her kitty, Darkness.
Then Gilead and her kitty, Firefly, are having a picnic while playing with her spinning top as well as another toy while waiting for the parade and fireworks.
I hope everyone has a lovely day and stays cool.
Blessings,
Laura
Thanks Laura… boy, that Carys has SOME braid… it’s very pretty! Thanks for sharing with us what’s going on at your house!
I hope to get Kirsten’s outfit “possibly” listed on Ebay over the weekend, and then I’ll reveal my sewing project and hopefully have my room all cleaned up and ready to go! Good Grief… I have TOO much stuff! But just like Joy’s been doing… I’ve been “weeding” out too!
I’ll see everyone Monday… Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, yes, Jeanne, I will pray for Jean and Bithar, that things work out to their benefit. They seem like such a nice family, from all you’ve said, and hard workers, too. Perhaps there’s a lawyer locally who can help work them thru this snafu?
Laura, your girls are wonderful. I agree, Carys has quite an impressive braid hanging over her shoulders! I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have hair that thick!! And I do love Gilead; she certainly has a lot of things to keep herself busy while she’s waiting for the parade!
Thank you so much, Charlotte! I would love to have hair that thick. Eventually, I will take Carys’ hair down and try other 1800s and Edwardian styles on her. I have a heavy duty pin hairbrush on its way to me. Gilead is my kitties snuggle girl. I let them touch all my dolls, but Gilead gets to snuggle.
Oh my goodness, Jeanne, not Bithar and Jean! They are a very deserving family who have every right to live here in peace and to make a new home! They certainly are not criminals, and are the kind of immigrants that should be welcomed here. I certainly will pray for them that somehow they don’t get deported! I can’t imagine how tney must feel, after all their hard work to make a new life here, then to have it taken away!
Laura, I love that dress that Carys is wearing!😊. Also, I know that Carys is actually a Disney Princess American Girl, Rapunzel, which might explain her braid. Gilead is certainly has plenty to do today, plus even lunch! Thank you, Laura for sending these pictures to Jeanne!
Happy Fourth of July to everyone!🇺🇸
Thank you so much, Linda! I know you’ve already seen these on the doll boards, but thank you again for commenting. I am enjoying Carys immensely. Eventually, I will take Carys’ hair down and try other 1800s and Edwardian styles on her, but I’m enjoying her this way a bit longer first. Rapunzel’s amazing braid and sweet MGs face with freckles all never done by AG before came back to get me. I would love to be able to find the same wig in a brunette.
I feel so bad for Jean and Bithar and their family. I sure hope they can find someone to help them figure out what they can do. It’s so unfortunate this is happening to them and many others.
Laura, Carys is really a pretty girl, especially with her very long blond braid. Love her kitty’s name- Darkness- so appropriate!
How do you pronounce Carys?
And Gilead and Firefly look like they’re all set up with their picnic and the parade. And ice cream! Boy is Firefly a big fluffy kitty! Where did you find him? I love his face!
Hope they enjoy the 4 th of July parade.
It was fun getting to see your pictures.
Thank you Jeanne !
Hope everyone has a fun 4th of July!
Thank you so much, Paula! I am completely thrilled with Carys. Yes, the name Darkness just came to me as I looked at her. I know I already told you it’s Welsh and means love, beloved. It is pronounced KA-ris or even easier would be spelled CARE – is with the is like hiss.
Firefly was an accidental Etsy find, but then I had to have her.
You know, I was thinking about Jean and Bithar and family the other day and wondered about their emigration status and other students who attend your church. Sounds like someone is running out of criminals to deport and has gone down the list to teachers and nurses. Such a sad situation, but on a positive note, at least ICE hasn’t arrived in your area and grabbed Jean and Bithar and separated them and their children and plunked them into the new detention prison in Florida. I guess it could be worse. I hope they can become citizens some how to avoid deportation. A very sad situation. My thoughts are with the family.
Well, that was a bummer, but seeing Laura’s wonderful photos has changed my mood. Love that hair of Carys. Her Darkness is such a sweet love as well and her dress is perfect. I’ve always admired that AG dress. The trim is amazing. Now Gilead, and Firefly are a perfect duo. Looks like a wonderful day for a parade. Love the scenes. Firefly is almost an exact copy of Callie Cat, we call her, that lives around here. In fact, I just gave her breakfast. 🙂 Thanks Laura and Jeanne for the fun photos.
While weeding my way towards the lower deck yesterday, I noticed a couple of yellow jackets oh about five feet away. Just buzzing and landing on foliage. I’ve seen others around, mostly trying to eat leftover kitty food on the upper deck. I’m always very aware of those pesky things. I was able to pull a long piece of blackberry back and cut it off. Then, I could see through the brambles. Very quickly, I gathered my tools and backed away. Around the apple tree and from another direction I watched. There they were, going into the ground in a finger sized hole right at the edge of the deck above. Nice location. Shady and out of the way. Very happy that I hadn’t decided to just walk in there and do the cutting. So, now I need to email the Mosquito and Vector people so they can come out and spray the nest with Pythium. Interesting but with all of the cutting and clearing I’ve been doing, this is the only nest that I’ve encountered. Our neighbor had one though, a week or so ago. So, no weeding in that area for the time being anyway. 🙂
We are planning to bbq a tri tip later and this morning after a walk, I’ll make some potato salad. Should go nicely with the Trader Joe’s cheesecake that we bought yesterday. We’ll add some whipped cream and raspberry sauce on the top. 🙂
Have a delightful 4th everyone.
Sounds like a great day, Joy, especially after seeing the yellow jackets before they got you! We had a friend that got in the mid of them and was covered in bites. He was a old man and had quite a time getting over it. Peyton went over there and put kerosene down the hole and set it on fire. He found the exit hole and did it there, too.
We have yellow jackets too but our worst are the red wasps. Nasty pieces of work and they’ll nest anywhere. Last summer I had a lot of wild morning glories crawling all over the outside of our house. I was ready to start pulling them down when Sean happened to notice that red wasps had actually built a nest on the tendrils of the plants. I might have grabbed a handful of them because I sure didn’t expect to find them there. Usually they like a more private place. Once I had them constantly flying around my sewing room. We finally tracked them down to coming in through the whole that was made for the TV cable. Your meal for today sounds yummy.
Thank you so much, Joy! I’m glad my photos boosted your mood. Dressing a couple of dolls and setting up a scene boosted mine this week.
Actually, Carys’ dress is not an AG. It’s an Etsy custom that I had made specifically for her. True, it is a replica of Addy’s Cape Island albeit in a different color, but the soutache trim goes all the way around on this one unlike Addy’s, and the price was perfect.
Thanks for all the kind words on my dolls, Darkness, and Firefly.
Yes, feeding the porch kitties early this morning and putting ice cubes in their water as it’s so hot.
The Queen’s Treasures cats are cute. I understand that QT is going out of business. Her things come from China, and the off-again, on-again tariffs would affect her negatively. If you want a cat or some other Treasure, now’s the time. Ebay has some.
The news about Jean and Bithar is terrible. If we’re worried about population collapse, people like this family are the kind of working, carry-your-own-weight people we need. An immigration lawyer might really appreciate Jeanne’s columns about them as evidence for them. If other people the church has helped are facing similar problems, maybe the church could hire a lawyer or perhaps there are lawyers in the congregation that would volunteer.
Thank you, Marilyn! Yes, sad about The Queen’s Treasures. I’ve purchased the few things I wanted over the years.
Thank you for asking prayers for Jean and Bithar. They can use all the prayers they can get!
What a mixed up day, Beautiful dolls, sweet cats and a sad announcement all at once!
I love your Carys with her lovely braid, beautiful dress and sweet kitty.
Also Gilead with her fun time enjoying the day with her kitty. Your girls have such fun, glad mine can’t see what is going on!
Jeanne, I am heart broken about Jean, Bithar, and their sweet children. I am praying that something can be done, as others have said, a lawyer, or even find a way to become citizens! The same goes for the students in your church. This thing is going too far! I wish I knew someone we could write about them and get some help!
I hope you all are having a good Independence Day.
Thank you so much, Sissy! I’m glad you enjoyed my dolls and scenes.
Dear Jeanne, I will add Bithar and her family to my prayer list. It is so sad what is happening to our country.
Except for Native Americans, we are all the descendants of immigrants or of enslaved people who were captured and brought here.
I do believe that the Statue of Liberty is crying. If you look closely, you can see her tears.
Dear Laura, thank you for sharing photos of your lovely dolls.
Thank you so much, Dorothy! I’m happy you enjoyed seeing them.
What a beautiful picture of Carys and her pretty kitty Darkness. We had a totally black kitty once. The kids called him Midnight. Gilead is lovely and her kitty is precious. She definitely has a lot to keep her occupied while waiting for the 4th of July parade to start.
Definitely prayers being offered up for Bithar and her family and I hope a positive resolution can happen. They are for sure the type of people we need here. I would love having them for neighbors. I’ll never understand how the immigration thing works because people get in and stay that shouldn’t and people who follow the rules and try to do it right thing are threatened. My daughter had a friend in high school who married a young lady from Ireland. Because she was Catholic her family expected her to have a church wedding but agreed to a civil ceremony first so they could get the paperwork started for her to move here. They had a lawyer and did everything they were told to do. They had their church wedding and then went too Budapest for their honeymoon. They returned to Ireland to say good-bye to her family and then went to the airport to leave for the U.S. They were met at the airport by the immigration people saying she could not get on the plane. They had to say good-bye at the airport and he came back home to Texas and she stayed in Ireland. The only solution they could come up with at first was she moved to Canada where she was at least closer and he could visit her. That went on for a year. Her uncle worked for the state department in Ireland and his involvement helped a lot and she’s now been here for years, but what were the immigration people thinking? All the paperwork was completed and ahead of schedule. It seems we have rules and laws but they seem open to interpretation when they should be finite. But I find that about a lot of things.
We will be going to Sean’s house this evening to celebrate the 4th with him and his family. We will be having Dionne’s delicious stroganoff for dinner and then watch a movie, probably “Moana 2” since we saw the first one when grandkid sitting last month. Then we will head outside to see what they bought at the fireworks store. They live in the county so they can legally do them. I love that we have lots of sparklers. They’ve always been my favorites.
A wonderful and safe 4th of July to all my Sofa Sisters. Next year will be the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Can’t wait to see what events will be planned. Our Chorale is already planning to do a late concert to involve a patriotic theme. We usually try to finish up by March or April but flag day is June 14 so we are trying for sometime around that.
Thank you so much, Barbara! I’m so glad you enjoyed seeing my pictures and appreciate the kind comments.
I love black cats! (along with many other colors) I’ve had two black females with white lockets and still have my three males. One is black with a white vest and cummerbund underneath so it doesn’t show, one is a tuxie, and the third is a black Bombay so he is black from head to toe.
Barbara, I am not fond of sparklers, when I was a kid, around 7 years old, we were celebrating in the yard with sparklers. I was barefooted as usual, and stepped on one I had just thrown down. That did it for me, LOL!
Happy July 4th everyone!
I have put a prayer request in to my church for Bithar and her family.
Immigration has been a big deal now. I know how difficult it is for the people who come here and have a useful occupation and contribute to our country.
Laura, your dolls are beautiful. The dresses are so lovely. These are great photo vignettes!!
Jeanne, when you say weeding out, it gives me the shivers 😳 it is so hard with some things.
We slept in the new house, I slept like a log, like a bear in hibernation !! Seriously, and I am still kind of beat today, but just puttering around. I needed this day to putter. Our kitty is doing okay. She meows a lot and when she has had enough, so goes upstairs in her paradise room and sleeps under her hammock (It is made of pvc tubing and polar fleece so it is cozy either way.
Enjoy your day today all of you
Thank you so much, Rosemary! I’m so happy you enjoyed seeing them. I’m glad to hear you slept well in your new house. Soon it feel like home.