Lynette Lea

And Other Things That Happened in June.

Actually the piano recital happened in May.  This is Lynette's first one ever.  She is doing really well in piano.  She likes it, all except the practicing. 

Did you know you can't buy skirts that are just below knee length? If you don't you must not have girls, or you don't care if they wear dresses 5 inches above their knees.  I happen to care and it takes a lot of extra time to find skirts that are long enough, or can be made long enough by letting down the hem or adding more fabric.  This skirt adapted very well to adding on.

I sewed a 1 1/2" strip to the bottom after taking the hem out. (doubled over so no new hemming.)

Pressed, but shows on the right side, it looks too much like an "add-on".

Trims were 50 % off at Hobby Lobby that week, so I pinned it on ready to sew on by hand as soon as I saw Lynette.  ( I was doing this while she was gone)

Now, she is getting all dressed up.  It took me 45 minutes to make these braided hair flowers, partly because I messed up the first time. We got the idea from a cool hair blog. 

Here's the completed outfit, with hair done and longer skirt. 

Lynette has been busy with other things, like making baby shower invitations.  She found the idea from some place where these could be ordered, but with punches and glue and a lot of patience she did 45 of them herself!!

VERY CUTE!!

My brother's family decided that Nebraska couldn't offer them what they needed anymore, namely jobs.  So, they packed up and moved to Oregon.  We visited them at my folks the weekend before they left.  We will miss them, a lot. 

I love it when Zane comes to visit.  Lorene and family stayed over night the week before these photos were taken, and since Jim and I went to bed before everyone else, Zane had to check in our room to make sure we really had.

So, THIS time when they came and we were ready to go to bed, Zane knew where we were and came right on in.  He's a bed hog and got all snuggled up in MY spot ready to read a book.  Just like Maury does, (according to Zane.)

It's Isn't the Place We Live That Makes it Home

My daughter and her family live in an apartment made of two tiny motel rooms.  In that little space they call home right now, live two parents, a two year old and a cat. A new baby is coming in Sept. The walls are crowded with the boxes and shelves that need to hold the stuff of daily living.  The kitchen's only cupboard is above the single sink.  The stove is a scary looking gas affair stuck off in what used to be a shower stall, and is blocked off from cats and kids. So, the only cooking is done with the microwave that sits on a little cupboard next to the fridge and makes the narrow space even narrower.  The bedroom is almost filled with the queen bed and toddler bed, with boxes to hold clothes and blankets.

I can't write about what it is like to live in a place like that, because it isn't my life.  I wish Lorene would because it would be interesting.  She's not a writer, and she just lives her life; she doesn't feel compelled to document it. (not like me)

So, here we come to visit. She's sitting on the front step with Zane in the pool that's on the little patch of weedy dirt between the building and the road.  It looks like the old stories I used to read about people living in the middle of New York City with NOTHING.  No space, no money, no nothing, making do with what little they have and being happy or not happy as they decide.  Just a cement stoop, broken siding, no grass, no light cover, peeling paint, odors coming through the heating vent, ugly carpet, ugly paint, old fixtures. 

The gravel drive is full of big holes that collect water when it rains, and it's been raining, a lot.

It isn't the best place and I don't think anyone would want to live there forever, but Zane doesn't care, and they make the best of it.  It is a place to be together.  And they are happy.



These photos are from a nice little "grilling hamburgers for supper" party they had with both sides of the family.

Even if you don't live in a very big place you can still have company and enjoy them.

Filled Cupcakes

Seriously easy peasy fun dessert.  These are just regular cake mix cup cakes and the filling is shortening, marshmallow creme, and powdered sugar.  It started out with 1/2 shortening, 1 container of marshmallow creme and 1/3 cup powdered sugar and I tasted it and blaahhh, it tasted like shortening.  So I added more powdered sugar and half and half until it tasted like something I'd like to eat in a cupcake. I found another recipe that just uses whipped cream.  So, you just squirt the filled into the baked cupcakes. 

After they are all filled, dip in Ganache Frosting, 1 cup chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup heavy cream, which I didn't have, I used half and half and it worked just fine.  These were SOOOO good. I ate way too many. 

Pound a Ball

Once upon a time a little girl came to live in our house, and when "Gotcha Day" came around the first time, we had a party and gave her this pound-a-ball toy.  As you can see it is still in good shape and is being enjoyed by another generation of kids that love to pound things. 

He LOVED it, just like our kids did.

Photo Gallery, May 2011

I haven't had any pictures of Zane up for quite a while.  So, these are just some pictures when Lorene and family visited in May.  

Mommy and Zane

Horsey Rides with Lynette

Speedy fast.

Zane is into pushing balls with his head.  I remember doing that as a kid, but we did it to get our heads and selves all full of static electricity so we could go shock someone else or shock ourselves on our hot water radiators.

The only picture I have with Lynette's braces.

Practicing the splits.