finished. {almost}

yesterday, we finished sewing my new temple dress...
i also finished organizing/de-cluttering the last room in my house.
it was a bitter-sweet end.
i have learned so much this summer.
my home is so fresh and clean and de-cluttery.

do you know how hard it is to take pictures of a room?
it's really hard.
especially with my 50mm lens.
that's why i haven't posted pictures of my new organization...

as we were sewing yesterday, josie told me the story of her marriage.
she was 21, he was 36.
he loved her because she could sew dresses and make money to feed him.
he drank beer, but she didn't know how much until after they were married.
if he got a job, he never went.
he slept all day and got drunk all night with her money.
in Philippines there is no divorce.
but, he didn't hurt her.
because she told him she would kill him.
when i first met her she told me, if i was not a member of your church i would have killed my husband.
yesterday, i believed her.
she said one time he tried to hit her, she was sewing and she threw her sharp scissors.  she missed him, and they stuck into the wall.
he knew she was strong.
she told him, "you would be easy to kill... i will put poison into your drink when you are drunk."
he was scared of her, and never hurt her.
she is a strong woman.
today he is sick.
he still sleeps all day but cannot get drunk.
i told josie she should take him with her on her daily exercise walks in the mornings.
she said, "No.  He is slow and I am very fast."
Ha!  what a life she has lived.

josie told me that she is finished sorting through the things that i gave her.
{it was a TON of stuff}
she made 2 piles, one for her and one for her son-in-law's family
she said her sister begged her to bring back shoes... even if they are old.
she said that when she was younger she never had money to sew curtains, curtains are for rich people.
so, she pieced together the scraps from sewing her dresses and hung 'scrappy' curtains.
i asked if she still had them?
she said no, she never keeps things, because she always has family that can use them.
and her house doesn't have closets.
oh what i would give to have that pieced together curtain...

last weekend, josie and her daughter and son in law drove to Ft. Worth to visit with some of their friends from the Philippines.
they slept at my mom's house.
josie said, "your mother is very beautiful."
i asked if she thought we looked alike?  (we don't.)
she said, "Oh no, your mother is much more beautiful I think.  For sure when she was younger.  Smart and beautiful."
i asked if she thought i looked like my younger sister.
she said, "Aaaa-me.  Yes, you look like Aaaa-me.  But she is more fat."
i love that woman.

she told me it is hard for her to eat a candy bar in America.
because it costs one dollar.
and one dollar is 45 pesos in Philippines.
2 kilos of rice cost her one dollar.
Josie has been a teacher for 21 years, 8 hours a day.
she makes 12,000 pesos in one month.  $300 a month.
and she has a great job.
i gave her some fabric from my "dress-up" box.
"what do you make with this?" she asked picking up leftover Tiger scraps.
"A costume, for my boys, to play."
she smiled.
"Oh, this is good.  In Philippines you are rich if you have costume."
i hope her little grandson is the cutest, richest tiger on the block.
she told me that her suitcases are so full she hopes they can fit her on the plane.
i do too.
i love that woman.

josie has been sewing a bit on my sewing machine.
i tease her that she sews like my mother drives.... FAST, then slow... FAST, then slow.
she's not smooth with the pedal.
she complains about my big presser foot- even though i have 20 she can choose from.
her presser foot is smaller...
she tells me, her machine is for sewing dresses, mine is for kelting {quilting}.
no, i tell her, my machine is also for sewing.
i make her promise not to go to Philippines and tell stories
"oh you should see how my American friend can not sew... she was fast and sloppy."
i keep reminding her that some Americans can sew clothes.

Josie commented how easy it was to thread my machine and was over-joyed with the back stitch button.
She said that her machine had a lot of knobs that she had to thread the string between.
"Like this?" i asked, pulling down an old machine that i have for decoration.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, "My machine is just like this, it is good, where did you get this?"
from a friend.  for free.  i have no idea how it works.  but, i keep it.
because it's cute.
and blue/green.
josie- i am TOTALLY buying you a new sewing machine for Christmas.
if i don't forget.
please, don't let me forget.