Aiphy
67. A Straight Cut

By 1977, Alphy and Margurita had a total of thirty grand-
children. In addition to the seventeen who were mentioned earlier, there
were - Glen Doucette (son of LeRoy and Kathleen), Paulette and Janice
Bernard (daughters’ of Velda and Cyrus) , Lisa and Tyson McInnis
(children of Ida and Lloyd), Johnny McKenna (son of Helen and Roy),
Leslie Doucette (son of Ivan and Cecilia), Darryl, Connie and Cindy
Doucette (children of Dennis and Brenda), Michael, Joedy and Randy
Harper (sons of Eileen and Wendell).

In the fall of the year, Margurita would knit mittens to give to the
grandchildren for Christmas gifts. They were all different sizes and
colors. During the winter months Margurita would usually sew some
patchwork quilts. She would distribute these to her children.

One day when Margurita had the sewing machine going, Alphy
asked if she would shorten the leggings on his long johns. He told her
that they needed to be shortened by approximately one-and-a-half
inches. Alphy placed his long johns on the kitchen table, while
Margurita went to get the scissors. When she returned to the kitchen
with them, Alphy commented, “You will have to make a straight cut.”

Then he decided that he could cut them straighter than his wife.
Alphy took the scissors from Margurita and made a straight cut in one
of the leggings, then measured the other, by folding it neatly over the
first cut. He cut the second with the exact same measurement. Then
Alphy held up the long johns to show Margurita how straight he had
cut them. But, alas, when he held them up, there was only one short
leg, the other cut he had made was not on the legging, but on the
sleeve of the long johns.

Margurita laughed. “It is a complete straight cut all right.” But
now the sleeve would also need to be repaired.

Alphy chalked this up as a lesson well learned - from now on he
would leave the sewing and mending to his wife.

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