Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[doodlebug]

16 hours ago, Temperance said:

I have tried to find a registry and haven't found one. It's too bad they don't have one with gift cards for Olive Garden, Friendly's, etc.

Just remember that Jill prefers the NICE Olive Garden which I am afraid probably means 'the one with the most white clientele'.

[riverblue22]

I'm watching a retrospective of Bates Family births.  All of the babies were born in the hospital with doctors.  How novel!  Of course, the husbands have real J.O.B.S. with health insurance.  Imagine that!

[Sew Sumi]

Alyssa's were born at a birth center, not a hospital.

[Temperance]

3 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Just remember that Jill prefers the NICE Olive Garden which I am afraid probably means 'the one with the most white clientele'.

My point was that it's too bad they didn't try to get free food, because I think the family could use it.

I'm not sure what the qualifications for NICE are.  I used to eat at a lot of chains. I would prefer one branch over the other sometimes, because sometimes the service or wait times were better or the carpet at one was nasty etc. Has Jill R said anything beyond "the NICE Olive Garden" to lead us to believe this is what she meant?

Edited September 5, 2017 by Temperance

[BitterApple]

10 minutes ago, Temperance said:

My point was that it's too bad they didn't try to get free food, because I think the family could use it.

I'm not sure what the qualifications for NICE are.  I used to eat at a lot of chains. I would prefer one branch over the other sometimes, because sometimes the service or wait times were better or the carpet at one was nasty etc. Has Jill R said anything beyond "the NICE Olive Garden" to lead us to believe this is what she meant?

In fairness to Jill, no she hasn't.

[momofsquid]

I interpreted the "nice" Olive Garden differently. I took it to mean that the Olive Garden in general is a NICE restaurant compared to their usual haunts. I assumed that "nice" was the most descriptive adjective she could come up with to emphasize the elegance of the occasion. But who knows? Interpreting the writings of Jill Rodrigues might be better left to the great literary scholars of the future.

[Catlyn]

Where to start? I'm with the poster who thought the bride's maid dresses were from the clearance rack. They look like cheap knit  prom dresses. It looks like the slit in front was sewn up and is now a vertical ruffle. Jill's dress was probably from a thrift store as it does look a couple of decades out of fashion in bridal wear.  The boys and Chimpy would already have suits from their church entertainment, but may have acquired the pink ties.  Jill must have lucked out and shopped at a thrift store where there were also first communion dresses on sale. (See, those nasty heathens are good for something!)

Jill, in spite of going to cosmetic school, has darkened the older girls eyebrows too much. On my screen they look like someone was playing with those fashion editor apps for smart phones. The make up is outdated and they look much older than they are, not fresh faced teens. I hate snarking on them, but it's not their fault. Mom should wake up and take the clouds from her eyes. (Great, I'm now hearing Dulcina's response from the movie Don Quixote. Something these kids and the Duggars will never get a chance to enjoy!)

[Arwen Evenstar]

 Bbbbbecause Dulcinea was a hussy! They couldn't be corrupted with classical literature, now could they? 

[Celia Rubenstein]

47 minutes ago, Temperance said:

I'm not sure what the qualifications for NICE are.  

Years ago when we would do group lunches at work for birthdays and such, we would hit up the Olive Garden on occasion.  We always made sure to trek over to the "nice" one on the far edge of town after a cockroach fell off a potted plant into someone's plate at the "not nice" Olive Garden which was closer to the office. 

My point being that the Olive Garden has been around for a while and some of the older locations are not very well maintained.  There are some Olive Gardens that are much newer - and cleaner - than others.  I think that may have been what Jill was referencing.  At least I hope so. 

[Sew Sumi]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

In fairness to Jill, no she hasn't.

Didn't she have her ill-fated encounter with a supposedly transgender person in an Olive Garden bathroom? I remember the post but not the location. But just making an educated guess, I'd say that's the BAD Olive Garden 

[Celia Rubenstein]

That happened at an IHOP ... a BAD one, of course. At least in Jill's opinion.

Here is Jill's blog post about her SEVERE terror in the toilet.  It would actually be funny if there weren't so many people out there who feel the same way. 

I believe Jill also tried to spread an effort to boycott Target for allowing people to pee in the bathroom of their choice.  She's just so full of shit LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND! Just so long as the men don't block her from using the mirror in the bathroom because then she has a fit. 

[drafan]

20 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I thought this was Gramma Duggar. Figured she spent so many hours in the laundry room, that she took all the fabric that got tangled in the agitator and made herself a skirt.

[cdp73]

On 9/4/2017 at 7:27 AM, doodlebug said:

Speaking of nausea, the closeup shots of Chimpy could be used for his entry in the Ugliest Man Alive contest.  He is about as physically unattractive as they come; leaving aside the personality defects.  I'm no  beauty queen myself, but that guy is physically repugnant.

On 9/4/2017 at 10:50 AM, Marigold said:

That is one tacky family. 

If he was in the Ugliest Man Contest, there would be no contest.  He's beyond icky.  As for Jill, is it her goal to be the next Tammy Faye Bakker?  She is definitely in the same territory with the level of make-up troweled on.  Those poor kids didn't stand a chance genetically and with those two as parents, no hope for any treatments that might help.

[Arwen Evenstar]

LOL, at first I thought the "terror in he toilet " had to do with falling shower racks, until I realized we were  talking about the other equally annoying Jill. 

JRod makes herself up poorly enough to look like an amateur aging drag queen herself. Maybe the "man" in the ladies' loo thought she'd seen a fellow drag queen. I only wished some tea had been spilled and some shade thrown.

[Sew Sumi]

Oh, for shade by Bianca or Bob. Sasha's pretty sharp as well and would REALLY confuse JRod in a ladies' room. 

[Arwen Evenstar]

Just now, Sew Sumi said:

Oh, for shade by Bianca or Bob. Sasha's pretty sharp as well and would REALLY confuse JRod in a ladies' room. 

Yes!!! Or Acid Betty! Or TexaRican Cynthia Lee Fontaine telling JRod all about her cucu.  Then, Latrice Royale could "take her to church". Now that's a Spectacle in Fuschia we could all enjoy.  @Celia Rubenstein could be resplendent in fuschia as she reads JRod for filth!

[Fuzzysox]

On 9/4/2017 at 10:27 AM, BitterApple said:

They can afford formal gowns, professional photography and flowers but can't feed their kids? #priorities

Those look like thrift store finds because they are DATED!!

As for Jill's nails my daughter out of desperation got some fake nails at Walmart. They actually aren't bad and we have naturally long nails. I would never had thought they would look as good as they did.

 

I think Erin Bates has the fake Walmart nails, a 30 pack for under $6 they are very affordable.

Edited September 6, 2017 by Fuzzysox

[Arwen Evenstar]

46 minutes ago, Fuzzysox said:

Those look like thrift store finds because they are DATED!!

As for Jill's nails my daughter out of desperation got some fake nails at Walmart. They actually aren't bad and we have naturally long nails. I would never had thought they would look as good as they did.

 

I think Erin Bates has the fake Walmart nails, a 30 pack for under $6 they are very affordable.

Dollar Tree has them too.

[Genevrier]

8 hours ago, Temperance said:

Has Jill R said anything beyond "the NICE Olive Garden" to lead us to believe this is what she meant?

I thought she was just saying Olive Garden is a 'nice' restaurant. Not all of her followers are such sophisticated diners out; they may not realize what a classy joint it is, unless she tells them. ? 

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, Temperance said:

My point was that it's too bad they didn't try to get free food, because I think the family could use it.

I'm not sure what the qualifications for NICE are.  I used to eat at a lot of chains. I would prefer one branch over the other sometimes, because sometimes the service or wait times were better or the carpet at one was nasty etc. Has Jill R said anything beyond "the NICE Olive Garden" to lead us to believe this is what she meant?

No, she didn't specify what she meant.  I just found it kind of unusual that her post implied that one Olive Garden was nicer than another.  I'm no expert, but I've eaten at quite a few of them in more than a couple places and they all seemed pretty similar to me.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Fuzzysox said:

Those look like thrift store finds because they are DATED!!

As for Jill's nails my daughter out of desperation got some fake nails at Walmart. They actually aren't bad and we have naturally long nails. I would never had thought they would look as good as they did.

 

I think Erin Bates has the fake Walmart nails, a 30 pack for under $6 they are very affordable.

I hope she did find most of the fixin's for the vow renewal at discount stores and resale shops.  It doesn't change the fact that they don't have enough money to adequately feed their kids (she said that the new baby would mean less food for the others) and that ANY money spent on that ridiculous exhibition could have been better spent elsewhere. 

Reading through her blog, there are numerous instances where Jill and David spent money on themselves while bragging about all the sacrifices their kids have made because they just love being in such a big Christian family and WANTED to fast or buy gifts for her rather than get anything for themselves.  There are virtually no posts where Jill or Chimpy spent money doing something nice for their kids; plenty of posts where they treated themselves to unnecessary stuff.

Edited September 6, 2017 by doodlebug

[queenanne]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

I hope she did find most of the fixin's for the vow renewal at discount stores and resale shops.  It doesn't change the fact that they don't have enough money to adequately feed their kids (she said that the new baby would mean less food for the others) and that ANY money spent on that ridiculous exhibition could have been better spent elsewhere. 

Reading through her blog, there are numerous instances where Jill and David spent money on themselves while bragging about all the sacrifices their kids have made because they just love being in such a big Christian family and WANTED to fast or buy gifts for her rather than get anything for themselves.  There are virtually no posts where Jill or Chimpy spent money doing something nice for their kids; plenty of posts where they treated themselves to unnecessary stuff.

You have to admit it's a pretty good racket, managing to convince your kids that it's "Godly" to fast and save you money by skimping on the food budget; whereas you, yourself, have clearly never fasted more than a token overnight's worth after a sermon on the topic at church.

[Fuzzysox]

10 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Dollar Tree has them too.

The Walmart ones are "fancy" because they had adhesive on the back of the nail.

The DT ones require you to buy glue to get those  suckers on.

Erin's nails look like the exact ones my daughter got short and more elegant.

[Rabbittron]

17 hours ago, Catlyn said:

They look like cheap knit  prom dresses. 

I read this as cheap knit porn dresses?

[Genevrier]

16 hours ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

Here is Jill's blog post about her SEVERE terror in the toilet.  It would actually be funny if there weren't so many people out there who feel the same way. 

Oh for pity's sake. She is disgusting. She is so over the top she's like a parody of herself. 

[doodlebug]

4 minutes ago, Genevrier said:

Oh for pity's sake. She is disgusting. She is so over the top she's like a parody of herself. 

Love the part where she tells us her sister's neck was 'severely broken', unlike those whiners with minor cervical fractures out there. 

I had no idea that hand washing was such an intimate act that it is a violation of Jill's privacy to do it in the presence of a transgender person.  She specifically mentions there were stalls in the ladies' room for the really private stuff.  This woman lives with 13 people in a tiny trailer with the baby sleeping in a closet much of the time, but washing her hands next to a transgender person applying makeup is where she draws the line, people!

It's also kinda remarkable how, when both the manager of the IHOP and the cop they stopped (can you imagine demanding someone be arrested for minding their own business standing in front of a mirror in a restroom?) blew them off; Jill still interpreted this to mean that they understood and agreed with her and Chimpy but it was those ebil liberals and their laws preventing good people from doing the right thing!  Meanwhile, I can imagine the manager and the cop, both of whom apparently knew the person in question, laughing at the idiots getting all irate about a harmless individual fixing her lipstick in the john.

[doodlebug]

18 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Didn't she have her ill-fated encounter with a supposedly transgender person in an Olive Garden bathroom? I remember the post but not the location. But just making an educated guess, I'd say that's the BAD Olive Garden 

It was an IHOP.  I suppose we can assume that it is now the NAUGHTY IHOP, not the NICE one.

[questionfear]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

It was an IHOP.  I suppose we can assume that it is now the NAUGHTY IHOP, not the NICE one.

Is there such a thing as a nice IHOP? When I was in college IHOP was the only 24hr option, so it was prime people watching around 3am-you'd have frat boys, drag queens, high school kids sneaking out, and just generally trashed people all hanging out eating pancakes.

My parents came to visit once and we ended up there midday, and I remember having this moment of "WHO LET CHILDREN EAT HERE?" because to me it was always the seedy place you went after clubbing. 

[doodlebug]

Just now, questionfear said:

Is there such a thing as a nice IHOP? When I was in college IHOP was the only 24hr option, so it was prime people watching around 3am-you'd have frat boys, drag queens, high school kids sneaking out, and just generally trashed people all hanging out eating pancakes.

My parents came to visit once and we ended up there midday, and I remember having this moment of "WHO LET CHILDREN EAT HERE?" because to me it was always the seedy place you went after clubbing. 

Well, Jill raved about how delicious the food was there.  I've been to my share of IHOP's and I wouldn't say I went for the delicious food.  Of course, after her bathroom encounter, I am sure Jill changed her mind about the quality of the food, too since the transgender person worked there.

[questionfear]

5 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Well, Jill raved about how delicious the food was there.  I've been to my share of IHOP's and I wouldn't say I went for the delicious food.  Of course, after her bathroom encounter, I am sure Jill changed her mind about the quality of the food, too since the transgender person worked there.

Well she does prepare her food in a crowded trailer, so the bar for good food isn't that high. Personally, I think IHOP's best quality is the consistency. You're never going to get amazing food, but it's edible and exactly what you would expect, no matter when you order it. 

[lookeyloo]

34 minutes ago, questionfear said:

Well she does prepare her food in a crowded trailer, so the bar for good food isn't that high. Personally, I think IHOP's best quality is the consistency. You're never going to get amazing food, but it's edible and exactly what you would expect, no matter when you order it. 

I think IHOP makes the best pancakes. I always tell the waitress I want them hot off the griddle, no heat lamp.  Then the butter (or butter product, never sure) melts and it is yummy to me.  Maybe you are thinking of Waffle House?  Those seem much seedier to me, at least the ones I've been in.

[questionfear]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

I think IHOP makes the best pancakes. I always tell the waitress I want them hot off the griddle, no heat lamp.  Then the butter (or butter product, never sure) melts and it is yummy to me.  Maybe you are thinking of Waffle House?  Those seem much seedier to me, at least the ones I've been in.

Definitely IHOP, it was in Watertown, MA, and at the time it was the only 24 hour restaurant option in the Boston area (aside from a Dunkies here and there and the occasional CVS-it is/was hard to get 24 hour licenses in MA). So I think it was seedy because it was the default post-clubbing/drinking hangout when everything else closed at 2am.

Also, I am spoiled when it comes to breakfast foods because I hail from New Jersey and nothing beats a solid NJ diner breakfast. Mmmmmm....

[ariel]

4 hours ago, questionfear said:

Is there such a thing as a nice IHOP? When I was in college IHOP was the only 24hr option, so it was prime people watching around 3am-you'd have frat boys, drag queens, high school kids sneaking out, and just generally trashed people all hanging out eating pancakes.

My parents came to visit once and we ended up there midday, and I remember having this moment of "WHO LET CHILDREN EAT HERE?" because to me it was always the seedy place you went after clubbing. 

Back in my day Ho Jo's was the place to go after clubbing.  I miss Ho Jo's & sadly I'm too old for clubbing.

[lookeyloo]

2 hours ago, questionfear said:

Definitely IHOP, it was in Watertown, MA, and at the time it was the only 24 hour restaurant option in the Boston area (aside from a Dunkies here and there and the occasional CVS-it is/was hard to get 24 hour licenses in MA). So I think it was seedy because it was the default post-clubbing/drinking hangout when everything else closed at 2am.

Also, I am spoiled when it comes to breakfast foods because I hail from New Jersey and nothing beats a solid NJ diner breakfast. Mmmmmm....

I am originally a Jersey Girl too, born and bred, and do love a diner.  But, as far as pancakes, IHOP is my favorite.

[MargeGunderson]

2 hours ago, questionfear said:

Definitely IHOP, it was in Watertown, MA, and at the time it was the only 24 hour restaurant option in the Boston area (aside from a Dunkies here and there and the occasional CVS-it is/was hard to get 24 hour licenses in MA). So I think it was seedy because it was the default post-clubbing/drinking hangout when everything else closed at 2am.

Also, I am spoiled when it comes to breakfast foods because I hail from New Jersey and nothing beats a solid NJ diner breakfast. Mmmmmm....

I know that IHOP! You're right about the lack of 24 hour places. 

[Albanyguy]

4 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Maybe you are thinking of Waffle House?  Those seem much seedier to me, at least the ones I've been in.

FWIW, every Waffle House I've ever been in has looked slightly run-down and a little dirty. I actually think it's part of the aesthetic. 

[Chicklet]

Little known fact- Maryland won't let Waffle house in the state because their cleanliness aint up to state standards. I have to go to Virginia to find one and their food isn't bad. I do love HoJo's pancakes though. (this is a few years old so they might have franchises in the state now)

And where would Jill's family even sit in a HoJos? I can't remember enough seating there unless all the tables were pushed together.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Chicklet

[questionfear]

I was thinking about this discussion last night, and bringing it back to J-Rod and crew...I wonder if they rank "nice" restaurants by things like air conditioning and clean bathrooms. I remember heading to the sketchy IHOP at 2am once in the summer because it was 95 degrees and we didn't have AC and were broke college kids so we couldn't swing a hotel room with AC. Instead we just hung out at IHOP because it was air conditioned.

I bet the Rodriguii use chain restaurants for the climate control and clean facilities just like we did as drunk college kids.

[MunichNark]

I think I know why Jilly Rodders is totally insane looking and doesn't sleep. I was just reading a fairly interesting article on this pink Plexus shit and the amount of Vitamin B this has is truly nsane. Too much Vitamin B may lead to insomnia...

That woman has several screws loose - those poor daughters look like tarts on a night out with some seriously strange hairstyles, they are all malnourished and underweight. Can they not be reported to CPS?

[RazzleberryPie]

On 9/5/2017 at 11:48 AM, riverblue22 said:

I'm watching a retrospective of Bates Family births.  All of the babies were born in the hospital with doctors.  How novel!  Of course, the husbands have real J.O.B.S. with health insurance.  Imagine that!

Except for Gil. Remember they used the ER for health care bc they didn't have unsurance for a long time. 

On 9/5/2017 at 10:33 PM, Genevrier said:

I thought she was just saying Olive Garden is a 'nice' restaurant. Not all of her followers are such sophisticated diners out; they may not realize what a classy joint it is, unless she tells them. ? 

Keep in mind JRod is stuck in 1995, when she was in high school, and Olive Garden was probably pretty fancy to a teenager. I mean they have like cloth napkins and goblets. I would think they'd boycott it because of the wine, though. 

[Sew Sumi]

I'm pretty sure she was comparing it to another Olive Garden in their area. I imagine the "nice" one has more Christian employees or is in some other way more acceptable to their bigoted worldview.

[ariel]

Maybe the "nice|" one is located between a Hobby Lobby & a Chick-fil- A?

Edited September 7, 2017 by ariel

[Ocean Chick]

On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 7:53 AM, doodlebug said:

Love the part where she tells us her sister's neck was 'severely broken'

Whenever I see her write this, I keep thinking of internal decapitation instead of "merely broken", like the rest of the quads out there.  But that's just me.  LOL

[latetotheparty]

4 hours ago, MunichNark said:

I think I know why Jilly Rodders is totally insane looking and doesn't sleep. I was just reading a fairly interesting article on this pink Plexus shit and the amount of Vitamin B this has is truly nsane. Too much Vitamin B may lead to insomnia...

That woman has several screws loose - those poor daughters look like tarts on a night out with some seriously strange hairstyles, they are all malnourished and underweight. Can they not be reported to CPS?

I really want to find a way to do this. 

[doodlebug]

35 minutes ago, latetotheparty said:

I really want to find a way to do this. 

The thing is, even if they are reported to CPS, the kids would never cooperate with the investigation; kinda like what happened with the Duggars; the girls were never going to agree to testify against their brother, let alone their parents.  All the Rodriguii who can talk have already been brainwashed into believing that they are livin' the good life.  Kids who've never had a 'normal' life don't know any better.  Unless one is seriously injured from a beating (I am sure they don't spare the rod) and ends up in the ER, DCFS is going to be hard pressed to find anything to hang an abuse case on.  The kids have been 'trained' to watch while their parents get the bigger portions, the best of everything.  There is an awful video out there of Chimpy cutting open a coconut and Jill eating it, telling one and all how delicious it is while the kids just stand there watching and looking hungry.

I just read 'The Glass Castle', a terrific book; a woman's memoir of a hellish childhood being raised by an alcoholic, mentally unstable father and a mother who was also mentally ill.  Initially, the kids are homeschooled and really don't know what is missing.  It isn't until later, when they are going to school and interacting with neighborhood kids that they start to realize how bad things are for them.  For that matter, the author herself says she didn't even consider writing the book until, after hearing the umpteenth bizarre but true story from her childhood, her husband told her she needed to write it down, that other people wouldn't believe it.

Edited September 7, 2017 by doodlebug

[lookeyloo]

3 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

The thing is, even if they are reported to CPS, the kids would never cooperate with the investigation; kinda like what happened with the Duggars; the girls were never going to agree to testify against their brother, let alone their parents.  All the Rodriguii who can talk have already been brainwashed into believing that they are livin' the good life.  Kids who've never had a 'normal' life don't know any better.  Unless one is seriously injured from a beating (I am sure they don't spare the rod) and ends up in the ER, DCFS is going to be hard pressed to find anything to hang an abuse case on.  The kids have been 'trained' to watch while their parents get the bigger portions, the best of everything.  There is an awful video out there of Chimpy cutting open a coconut and Jill standing there eating it, telling one and all how delicious it is while the kids just stand there watching and looking hungry.

All true.  I wonder if they got a Child Advocacy Center involved with the trained forensic interviewers and started with the younger ones would that make any difference, but first someone would have to report them, and then the workers would have to see deeply so to speak to advance it.  And we know that most CPS agencies are overburdened.  

[EVS]

13 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

The thing is, even if they are reported to CPS, the kids would never cooperate with the investigation; kinda like what happened with the Duggars; the girls were never going to agree to testify against their brother, let alone their parents.  All the Rodriguii who can talk have already been brainwashed into believing that they are livin' the good life.  Kids who've never had a 'normal' life don't know any better.  Unless one is seriously injured from a beating (I am sure they don't spare the rod) and ends up in the ER, DCFS is going to be hard pressed to find anything to hang an abuse case on.  The kids have been 'trained' to watch while their parents get the bigger portions, the best of everything.  There is an awful video out there of Chimpy cutting open a coconut and Jill eating it, telling one and all how delicious it is while the kids just stand there watching and looking hungry.

I just read 'The Glass Castle', a terrific book; a woman's memoir of a hellish childhood being raised by an alcoholic, mentally unstable father and a mother who was also mentally ill.  Initially, the kids are homeschooled and really don't know what is missing.  It isn't until later, when they are going to school and interacting with neighborhood kids that they start to realize how bad things are for them.  For that matter, the author herself says she didn't even consider writing the book until, after hearing the umpteenth bizarre but true story from her childhood, her husband told her she needed to write it down, that other people wouldn't believe it.

I just saw the movie. It was good but now I really want to read the book. 

[lookeyloo]

That was a great book and I guess since the movie came out the author has been interviewed.  She still has issues, which she acknowledges, but then again, who wouldn't.

[doodlebug]

5 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

That was a great book and I guess since the movie came out the author has been interviewed.  She still has issues, which she acknowledges, but then again, who wouldn't.

Even more incredible is, despite their childhood, she and 2 of her siblings managed to escape and get an education and have successful careers.  At the beginning of the book she speaks of leaving her lovely apartment in NYC to attend a business function for her job and seeing her mother, homeless, rooting through the trash along the street.  Her parents were living in an abandoned building and refused all efforts to help them.

[queenanne]

21 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

That was a great book and I guess since the movie came out the author has been interviewed.  She still has issues, which she acknowledges, but then again, who wouldn't.

Jeannette Walls?  She's a true inspiration about the triumph of humankind, that lady.