March/April Jewelry

This is what I do when I am not blogging.  I love to make jewelry.  I usually find a design I like and then use the beads I have on hand.  The final project looks different than the photo in the magazine - and that's fine.
The above bracelet was made based on a pattern in the Dec.2011/Jan.2012 Beadword magazine. The bracelet is designed by Barbara Falkowitz. It is reversible with the slide clasp.
 
The above is the first bracelet I made using Barbara's design.  I didn't have the gold pearls so I just made it a flat, reversible bracelet using seed beads with a right-angle-weave base (for all you beaders out there.)
 
The earrings are a design by Alice Kharon in Feb/March 2012 Beadwork magazine.  They are fun to make and take only about an hour per earing.  The main color in the left pair of earrings is Tanzanite.  The right one has a center bead that is white opal with Fern Green around the edge.  I've made six different pairs of earrings, using different colors and different sizes for the large center bead.  I am really pleased with the final results.

Divorce, Revisited

I love to read fiction - suspense, mystery, romance - but at the beginning of this new path, I quit reading any fiction. Every book I read was positive and/or self-help. The best book on divorce I ever read was Jim Smoke's "Growing Through Divorce." It is no longer in print but probably can be found somewhere online. Smoke's contention is that we have a choice - we can grow through divorce or go through it. We can make the choice to be a victim and go through it or we can become strong and grow through it.  I chose growth.

At the beginning of this path, Life was from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m (work) and Existence was from 4:01 p.m. to 7:29 a.m. It wasn't much fun. Fortunately I didn't stay in that place very long.  Life took over for Existence.

I read books by Leo Buscaglia, Peter Marshall, Wayne Dwyer, Doug Manning, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bernie Siegel, John Powell, and a wonderful book by Marie Chapian titled "Discovering Joy." It is out of print, too.  These books combined with lots of loving people, who walked beside me, helped me grow.

I will tell you I do not believe in divorce but sometimes it is necessary. I struggle with the Bible verses regarding divorce but I know Jesus loves me and forgave me.  I know that He used me and what I experienced in many ways and many times.  I am truly blessed.

My Chevrolet Beretta

The first year Chevrolet produced the Beretta they had a print ad in Parade Magazine. I fell in love with the car right then and there. It was a nice sporty-looking car. So I started shopping. I wanted a red Beretta with A/C, radio-tape deck.  I found one at Aronson's Chevrolet dealership near Cedar Rapids, got the financing and took it home. 

On day 20 of ownership of the Beretta, I left LeFebure's parking lot to drive home. About a block from the LeFebure entrance is a "road" that is more like an alley. As I came even with it, this car pulled out and hit the Beretta on the rear quarter panel and knocked the hubcap off. I was in shock. I hadn't had the car even three weeks and it got smacked! I took it to a local mechanic.  He told me the quarter panel was only scuffed and he could fix it up to "look like new."  I told him the car was new and I wanted a brand new quarter panel.  That's what I got.

There was another interesting adventure.  Several years later, I had it in for service at the dealership. Another lady in the customer service area asked me if the red Beretta was mine.  Then she pointed out a white Beretta. She told me she had driven it into a Casey's parking lot. She opened the door and the hinges sheared and the door fell off the car.  She said it was very heavy to pick up that door and put it back on the car.  I think she had adrenalin working for her!

Some time passed. One Saturday evening I parked in front of our church, opened the door, reached for the music on the seat - I was accompanying Tony as he sang a solo that evening. I started to push the door open and noticed the space between the door and the frame looked strange. I was on a one-way street and parked with the driver's side near the curb. I remembered the white Beretta! The top hinge had sheared. So I crawled over the console to get out the passenger door. I walked around the car, grabbed the bottom of the mirror and the door handle, and used my hip to help me get the door closed. I locked the door.

After the church service, I crawled over the console, looked the driver's side door and drove home.  When I got there, I crawled over the console to get out the passenger's side again.

The following Monday I drove to work, called the service department to tell them about the door. The service manager gold me it was impossible for the hinge to shear.  That really made me angry because I knew what had happened - and the dealership had fixed the white Beretta so the guys in the service department would have known about it. I hung up and called back to talk to the sales managed.  I knew him and related the story. He assured me he would send a "loaner" for me and the driver would drive the Beretta to the dealership and they would fix it with new hinges.  The driver started to open the driver's side door but I stopped him, explained he would have to crawl over the console and that he should not open that door under any circumstances.  They fixed the door.

Several months later there was a recall notice due to a bad batch of hinges.  Impossible to happen???? It must have happened more than once or there would not have been a recall. So the hinges had to be exchanged again so Chevrolet would be happy with the dealership.

I did enjoy driving that car for about ten years. The photo of the car below is the only one I can find.

An Ego Boost

One of the side lights of the job at U.I.H.C. was meeting so many interesting people; docs, interns, nurses, support personnel, a prof who taught American Sign language and worked with Social Services. the head of campus security and the campus fire chief.





The fire chief stopped by the communictions center pretty often - enough so that the telephone operators teased me about him. He was nice looking and pleasant.





We had lunch several times. When I discovered he was 16 years younger than I, the idea of dating him was really an ego boost. Ladies do enjoy an ego boost - and I did enjoy the attention. However, for me, sixteen years was just too great an age difference. So that was the end of that. May and December relationships didn't interest me - especially when I was the "December" part!

Fallout from Divorce

This photo was taken by a friend I worked with in the early 80s. It is one of my favorites.

I discovered early on in the divorce proceedings that I had no credit rating and it was a real shock. While I paid the bills and signed the checks, my spouse got the credit rating and I got zilch!

I decided to remedy the situation. I got an Armstrongs credit card. Armstrongs was a wonderful four-story deparment store where I loved to shop.

I didn't shop there much when I was married because I made 90% of my clothes. I decided after the divorce that I would no longer make my clothes - I would buy them!

It took just over a year for the divorce to become final. During that time I received a monthly check from my not-soon-enough-to-be-ex. I used those checks to buy myself a new wardrobe.

And a wonderful wardrobe it was!

There was a neat lady at Armstrongs who became my personal saleslady. She would call me when something "interesting" came into the store. Then I would go in and try on clothes. She would ask me to try on something that no one had tried on up to that time and she and the other ladies wanted to see how it looked. I would try the item on and very often someone would buy the same item because she saw me "modeling" it.

I loved Susan Hutton blouses, Kaspar suits, Levi BendOver slacks and jackets. There were other brands that I liked, too, but these were my very favorites. The jacket and blouse in the above photo came from Armstrongs.

Patti and I sometimes shopped together. Later, after Jessica was born, we took her in the stroller and we all three "shopped til we dropped!"

I did learn that, when buying clothes, it was either "yes" or "no" because a "maybe" was usually a mistake. I can think of one particular jacket that was a mistake and it had been a "maybe." So I really did learn that lesson - and the hard way!

Newest Earrings

I am still trying to learn how to take good photos of the jewelry I make. Sometimes I have better luck than others. The photo of three pairs of earrings is made from a design by Alice Kharon in Beadwork Magazine. The center large beads are vintage crystals. The central stone in the two blue pairs of earrings came from a crystal choker I wore in the 70s. The other is from a yard sale buy that my jewelry teacher came upon.

The earrings made with the silver heart and various Swarovski crystals were gifts for the kitchen crew for Food Court at our church on Wednesday evenings. We always give them beaded gifts (usually earrings) at Christmastime.

Jobs Part 4

Looking for a job became a big part of my life after being fired. When I had a job there were other places that would have hired me. No one was interested when I was without a job. Life is funny tht way.

A friend suggested I chould get a job selling cars since I really liked cars. So I checked it out and ended up with a job with the Chevy dealer. Selling cars is not a 40-hour work week. It's more like between 60 and 80 hours! And working that many hours is hard work for anyone!
There was one other woman working as a salesman. She took me under her wing and so did my cubicle mate.

I learned a lot about the different models, about how car salesmen had to deal with people. I sold some cars but I am not now, nor was I then, a "closer." I didn't last very long at the job. One of the perks was being able to drive all those jazzy new vehicles!

I applied with a temp agency. My idea of a temp worker wasn't very complimentary - until I became one myself. I discovered most temp workers did the job well and were dedicated to doing that.

I am good with telephones and worked several places as the first voice the customer heard when calling. Those places usually wanted me back in any capacity and, especially on the phones.

Later I went to work at Rockwell as a temp in Human Resources doing a variety of things. This eventually ended up with another temp job that, if it worked out, would lead to becoming a permanent Rockwell employee. I was there as a temp for about a year and then full-time for a couple years.

Presence, a Lenten Moment

Several years ago I was invited to present a Lenten moment based on Psalm 22:1-18, 25-31. The following is my presentation.

God was present with Jesus even as He hung on the cross and died. He must have cried as He watched - tears of sorrow and of joy - as His Son took on our sins - mine and yours - the sins of the world so we could have eternal life. Perhaps God's sorrow was in the darkness that fell upon the land, in the temple when the veil was torn from top to bottom. It was there when the earth shook and the rocks were split.

God is present with us in the good times and the bad. We may be more aware of His presence in the bad times because then we really lean on Him.

I have thought about God's presence in my preparation for this moment. The first things that came to mind was the song lyrics, "Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place. I can feel His might power and His grace."

I have seen God's presence in my life many times. His presence was in the people who surrounded me and encouraged me as I walked a very unplanned path - through divorce. There were people who helped me know that I was ok and that God loved me all through that walk. One person was always at the other end of the phone when I needed to talk to her. She shared Bible verses with me many times. There were many others, especially the members of the church choir.

I went through a somewhat less traumatic time when I was fired from a good job in 1991. I had the chance to resign but decided that was not the path I wanted to take. The first Monday when I had no job to go to, it was raining outside. That matched the tears I was shedding inside. When I finally made my way out to my living room, I was amazed to find little arcs of rainbows reflected on the carpet, the walls, in the mirror over the fireplace. They were everywhere. It was as if God took my hand and said, "Look here, I am here. It is going to be fine." I can tell you where those little reflected arcs came from - a butterfly with three crystal prisms hung in the kitchen window. The sun was shining through those prisms and the little reflected arcs shown all around. I had lived there for nearly two years - and the butterfly hung in the window all that time - and I had never noticed the reflected arcs of rainbows before.

My son Tony planned a mission trip with Little Lambs Ministry to the Ukraine in 1994. His wife, Lisa, asked me why I didn't go with him. I told her I had no time off at my job, really didn't have the money to pay for a plane ticket, and just couldn't possibly go. When I got a very nice-sized tax refund, I looked at that check and decided to see what would happen. I gave 10% to the church, had enough money left to pay for my plane ticket, buy a Nordic Track, and enough to pay me for the two weeks I would miss work. My Visa came in good time. Don't you just love it when everything works together so something wonderful happens? It happened here.

Of course, I could never have gone to the Ukraine, if it had not been in God's plan for me. I have asthma and seldom spend much time outside or in places that don't have air conditioning. I would be outside nearly 100% of the time. I would need to take my medications and my nebulizer - and then depend on God to keep me healthy. And He did! It was a trip that changed my life. I no longer take cold water to drink nor hot water for a shower for granted. That trip made me very aware of how blessed we are to live in this country.

God allowed me to go on one more trip to Ukraine in 1995 only 19 days after Don and I got married. I've been asked to return but it has not been in God's plan for me to go back. Without God, I cannot go there and be healthy.

Have you ever wondered if what you are doing has any effect on anything or any one? Have you ever wondered if you really are who you seem to be? I had those feels in about 1998. I was working at the cardiologists' office. Those thoughts were bothering me. Several days later, I got a note in the mail from one of the nurses who had shared some family problems with me over lunch one day. The note began, "BJ, I was compelled to write this." I spoke to her later and asked about that. She told me it was the absolute truth, she was compelled to write me. Her note was God's reassurance that I was where he wanted me to be.

So you see, God is present every day. You may see His presence in someone's smile, in a note that says just what you need to hear, in the touch of someone's hand. His presence is there when things come together in a way you simply could never have imagined or dreamed.

We can help change people's lives when we are present for them. We can share smiles, hugs, handshakes, joys and sorrows with the people around us. We can share words of encouragement with those who are far away via email or a letter. We can be present for people by praying for them. These things help us practice the presence of God because we are doing His work here on earth.

Jobs Part 3

Early in 1989 I saw an ad for a supervisory job at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics (UIHC) in the communications department. The wages were more than twice what I was making at LeFebure and the benefits were great! I sent a resume', was interviewed and got the job. I started in early March. It was considered a "professional" position so there was a two-year probationary period.

The Comm. department included the telephone center and this was where my job was located. The man who interviewed me was the manager. I did not realize that I would have a direct supervisor, a young woman who had very recently graduated from college. I was not aware of this until I came to work the first day.

My responsibilities included interviewing, hiring, firing and scheduling the phone operators. There were eight fulltime and a large number of students working part time. The telephone switch and computer systems were both new to me.

Pressure and stress seemed to fill my days. The manager informed me at 18 months that I was not doing a satisfactory job and I probably should think about quitting. I've never been a quitter so I told him I wouldn't quit. He was a great procrastinator and I figured he might never get around to firing me - but he did.

It was good because the stress and pressure were so bad that I would nearly be ill as soon as I got in the building for work each morning. There are always lessons to be learned from all situations and there were lessons with this. But that is another post.

Jobs I've Held, Part 2

I did not work outside of our home after we moved from Kansas. I began volunteering at Starry Elementary School when Patti and Tony were students there. I subbed for the secretary and this led to being hired to work short term in several of the district's schools. Then I was hired to help supervise the students in the lunchroom and after lunch, on the playground. Some of the 5th and 6th grade students were taller than I (5'4"). This made it interesting in keeping everyone playing nicely. Some of the sassy girls were more of a challenge than the tall boys!

Patti graduated in 1977 and went off to college. That left Tony and me at home. Chuck was traveling for Collins at that time.

So I decided it was time to find a job. LeFebure, a company that made banking equipment (safe deposit boxes, ATM, modular safes, etc.) hired me as a clerk in the Traffic department on a half-time basis. There were four fulltime clerks; 2 were younger, one about my age, and the last was an older widow. We were involved in getting the papers to ship the equipment to customers. I worked half-time about five years.

Late in 1981, I began selling Mary Kay Cosmetics as something to keep me busy in the evenings. I took the opportunity to attend Mary Kay's annual convention and heard Mary Kay Ash talk about her company. It was all very positive and uplifting.

I was still at LeFebure and needed to go fulltime. A job opened up and I applied for it and was hired fulltime. My friend Janette began training me. Within about ten days the job of supervisor of Office Services opened up. Both the Traffic supervisor and Office Services supervisor worked for the Traffic Manager.

I interviewed with the Traffic Manager for the Office Supervisor's job. He asked me if I had any supervisory experience. I told him that I had supervised 36 fourth graders! He offered me the job and I accepted.

This was a very stressful time for me being in the midst of a divorce, going from part time to full time to being hired as a supervisor. There was no description of my duties. So I began writing a manual of my duties. No one told me that paying for the post office box was one of my duties. All my training was certainly on-the-job.

I dealt with telephone techs when there was a phone problem; ordered stationery and envelopes for sales, service, accounting and engineering; took care of office machines; supervised files personnel, the mailroom clerks, the telephone operators and the ladies in word processing. There were eleven or twelve people in office services - all women except for one man. In a personnel cut the man had been bumped from his job in tech service. When he applied, I hired him. He was one of my best employees and the most loyal.

My boss, the Traffic Manager, and I were given the task of replacing the phone system. We contacted the different phone companies with requests for proposals, went over them and decided on An AT&T System 75. LeFebure sent me to Chicago to AT&T to learn all about the new system.
I enjoyed every minute of the week's schooling.

The AT&T folks came in on a Friday night to install the new switch. My boss left about 10 p.m. The AT&T techs, salesman and I were there until about 1 a.m. They installed a computer on my desk so I could troubleshoot the system, also to assign phone numbers and make number changes when an employee moved to another job he/she could take the original phone number to the new location. The new phone system was the most fun of any part of the job.

When I left LeFebure in 1989, there was a binder filled with the duties of the Supervisor of Office Services. The next person to sit in that office would not be surprised that she was to see that the post office was paid for the post office box!

Pictures of Betty Lou and me, correction

In the post "Pictures of Betty Lou and me, the middle photo was taken in early 1960 just before I left Ft.Riley for Iowa. the photo was misidentified in the computer.