Minivanessa

Me too!!

I assume JB would hate the idea of having his estate go through probate, which is why I think he and Meech have their major assets in one or more trusts. I'm not at all expert in that area (bored me to tears in law school and still does), but they can be set up in any number of ways. It's possible that if the significant marital assets are in a trust, the surviving spouse just gets it all when the first spouse dies.

The idea that children can be molded (programmed) and set for good on the desired path of righteousness, seems to me to be consistent with the thinking of people in high demand, high control religions. They set themselves apart from "The World" and its evils, control the information their children (and their congregations) receive, closely monitor thoughts and speech, etc. So, according to their logic, all the people who are reared and properly indoctrinated and live in their bubble, will continue to do so for their lifetimes, and spawn and train another generation of bots true believers to carry it on into eternity. [Disclaimer: I'm not a theologian or trained in psychology. I'm just stating some opinions here.] But, yes, AFAIK, narcissistic thinking objectifies other people and sees them as objects to be controlled or manipulated. So there's that.

I ❤️ that ^^. What a great turn of phrase!!

I agree. The new church seems to be larger than their previous church. So the Rods couldn't just sweep in and be large and in charge like they may have done in a church with a smaller congregation and perhaps a pastor who was willing to go with their flow. For awhile, anyway. (They've been scrubbed completely from the website of the church they recently left. No videos, no photos, no audio of any of the Rods.) IMO Jill may have had good intentions when she took over the retreat from the woman who used to run it. But I wonder if, over time, it's fallen victim to her nature. I think that for all her nonstop Jesus talk and showing us her annotated Bible, she's not a deep thinker. She's also self-centered and although I'm no psychologist I think she's probably a narcissist, based on her behavior over the years. I can't see Jill thinking long or deeply about the content of the retreat, and we've seen that she uses it as a showcase for herself and her kids and even David ("Men's night" for husbands, with David and as much free pizza as the guys can grab before David dips it all up). I think she also can't resist using it as a cash cow for herself. Directing attendees to pay her directly for their rooms instead of the hotel is IMO a big tell on that issue. So she picks a tagline for a theme for each retreat and comes up with one or two non-family speakers and pads it all out with herself and her family. I don't claim to understand how IFB people think. But I suspect that having attended last year's retreat, someone who got this year's retreat flyer might well think, they've been there and done that. tl:dr: Jill's let the retreat become a stale overpriced showcase for herself and her supporting cast (her kids and husband), she's left the church that used to support it, and although her new church signed off on it, the event may not have been attractive to many women in the new church. I suspect Jill's not the big hit there that she expected and wanted to be. She must be frustrated as all get-out because she's not getting her narcissistic supply there, the pastor doesn't let her wave her phone around during services, and so far she hasn't been able to maneuver David into moving the family to yet another church. Or she hasn't found a better target, I mean church, to move to. Yet.

That happened to me too last night. Can't remember if I was on my iPad or my MacBook Air. I decided to be prudent and closed out the browser page. No issues logging on today.

True, that. IIRC they live in Siloam Springs, which, to be fair, is right on the border with OK.

Thanks for the kind words and virtual hugs, friends. I had such a great nap that it messed a little with my bedtime last night. But I'm actually feeling that - no longer dizzy - I can drive without being a danger on the road. Car is long overdue for a wash and I'm long overdue to get out of the house for some fresh air.

The Wissmans are way way above the Rods in education, the quality of their music, and I think quality of life (at least as to material comforts, income level, nutrition . . . ). I haven't looked at their theology but I assume they're in the IFB world, ugh. But the bios of the adult kids show that they have : JOBS. Like, real jobs. Anyway, their website - https://wissmannfamily.com/ - although it hasn't been updated for a few years, compares favorably to the mess that Jill R maintains for public consumption. Edited to add: they also have a YouTube channel with a few videos, the newest of which is 4 years old: https://www.youtube.com/@wissmannfamily6451 Also, this interesting statement is on the page about their "Ministry:" Sounds like "trust others but count the cards." Or "In God we trust. All others pay cash." They'll travel to perform at your church, but they aren't going to go broke paying for the gas and other travel expenses to do so. I wonder how often they got burned before they decided not to make over-generous assumptions about the "generosity of God's people." 🤣 BTW I'm not slamming them for this. I think it's sensible.

@Jynnan tonnix - love that painting. Thanks for sharing! @BetyBee, I hope you find the solution for your cat. I'm sitting here catching up on discussions after a few days that I'd rather forget. Topped off by a few hours in urgent care yesterday. I'm NOT complaining about urgent care: they were great. I'd toughed out for 36 hours of feeling ill, dizzy with eye discomfort and other things. Did the stroke self-check: negative. Blood glucose, blood pressure and pulse taken at home were all as usual. Yesterday I finally called my HMO, talked to a nurse, was told to go to their urgent care clinic (I took a Lyft both ways). Diagnosis: positional vertigo. After a lot of tests the doc administered a specific maneuver, and then I got IV for hydration plus some meds to relieve symptoms. I came home feeling better- but MEGA sleepy. I swear, I had to fight to stay awake on the ride home. I think I've slept 12 hours since I got home. Now that I'm up and have had breakfast: I want a nap. 🤣 I'm no longer feeling ill but have zero energy. Just placed an Instacart order for groceries so I won't starve, LOL. In case this sounds negative, I'm truly thankful that I was able to get medical care, and that I'm back to feeling okay. I think it's just that at my age it takes longer to bounce back from illness or injury. Thanks for all the fine snark and discussions here to keep me entertained while I'm awake, friends! Now, back to my previous slide into naptime . . . 💤 😴

My friend Google identifies that package as Melaleuca Simply Fit Nut & Fruit Clusters, Peach Praline [edit to correct] Mango Coconut flavor. A six-ounce bag sells for $13.00 to non-members and $8.99 to members, according to the company's website. Fancy snacks, Jill. Gonna let any of your skinny kids have some? I doubt it. Ugh. Of course, in that photo, sharing the limelight with the nut & fruit cluster: an excellent shot of Jill's thumbnail. Featuring a very grown-out acrylic overlay. Maybe Jill spent all her money on expensive snacks - oh, excuuuse me, inventory? - and office furnishings, and can't afford a nail fill. Or can't grift one. I think she's probably touched up the polish from time to time, so there's that. But it still looks kinda sloppy. I used to have acrylic overlays. I'd have gone crazy if mine had grown out that much before I got a fill done. I do give Jill props for apparently keeping the overlays on for as long as they've been on there as shown by how much the nail has grown out. I was forever breaking an overlay. Maybe Jill keeps her acrylic overlays from breaking because she doesn't do much with her hands except using her phone and pointing with The Finger™ as she directs her kids to do all the housework, furniture moving, hanging pictures, etc. EDITED to add: Maybe the snacks aren't inventory, but were part of whatever starter pack Jill bought when she joined up. I haven't done a deep dive, but from what I've read, it's possible that Melaleuca operates on a model where products are ordered and shipped directly to the buyers from the company. Not like Mary Kay where the reps keep inventory on hand for sales/delivery to their customers.

I don't think Jessa thinks very deeply about the religious teachings spouted by her umbrellas of authority. She just wants the security of belonging to a group/family which provides her with status and financial support. If Jessa even ever noticed contradictions between what Gothard/JB/Ben are laying down as religious rules and what really happens, she'd ignore/deny them. It's consistent with her obvious discomfort when interacting with strangers outside her little bubble of Fundy-land, as shown on the show. I think she disdains and fears the outside world in probably equal proportions. She's just gonna do Jessa. Lots of babies, sh*t housekeeping standards, incompetent home-schooling, and all. Edited to add: @Zella was writing the same time as I was, and did an excellent job re true believers vs those who didn't buy in deeply. I see Jill as a true believer, certainly more so than Jessa has ever been.

Hi small talk friends! I left cold Colorado two weeks ago in the minivan, headed for the desert SW. I've been camping with a few friends, and then at a big meetup. I've stayed in hotel rooms a few nights especially en route because this girl don't camp in ffrreezing temperatures. 🥶 At the moment I'm solo boondocking although there are plenty of other campers in the area. It's a little chillier here than I'd like but it's tolerable. I'm happy to be away from serious winter weather for awhile.

So let's get down to all that really matters about a Duggar: is Jana pregnant yet?

I agree. I suppose the worst case actual scenario was that she was bullied. I suspect that she showed up at cosmetology school after years of being homeschooled and assured she was the dogliest and Jesus' favorite. And interacting with others only at home and at church. Which would hardly equip her to deal with ordinary everyday interactions with instructors and the other students. Especially if her personality was as loud and proud and in-charge as it is now. That could have activated some mean girl measures against her. I'm not an apologist for bullying, but of course we don't know what really happened to Jill. She could be crying "persecution" over just not being included at a lunch table, or being the object of some unfriendly comments, or not be praised to the skies. Or just tolerated by the people around her, and not becoming the teacher's pet in any of her classes.