Children's ART

Lilly loves to do "art". It really doesn't matter if she's painting a cardboard box or making bracelets out of rubber bands. She LOVES being creative.

We are VERY FORTUNATE in this area to have not one -- but TWO wonderful art museums.  The Figge and the Putnam.  (my best guess is both institutions are named after a rich white guy who died and left a pot of money).

The Figge has a partnership with all the schools in the area, whereby each school gets a "weekend" to display the best art from each class.  This year, Lilly was invited to represent the 2nd Grade for her school, Virgil Grissom.  She was DELIGHTED...

It was exciting for her to see her picture hanging IN THE ART GALLERY...

There was also a reception, where each artist received a certificate

Of course, Uncle Ross and I both went to let Lilly know we support her art. (Warren does, too!)

After the reception, the kids wanted to go to their favorite place at the Figge...

Oh, yes...it's the Lego Studio...a room they are both very familiar with!!

Thanks to the internet, there is a new twist in the world of childrens' art. It's a service called "Artsonia".  (check out the link).

Here's how it works.  When Lilly (or any student in the world) creates a new piece of art, her art teacher takes a digital picture and uploads it to the Artsonia website.  Lilly's parents must approve the people who can go to Lilly's page...and we all get a notice when a new piece of art goes up.  And we are encouraged to write comments to Lilly...

AND -- of course -- you can ORDER THINGS WITH THE child's artwork!!  Mugs, t-shirts, aprons, prints, keychains, jewelry...all kinds of things.

I think it's genius.

There could be a turtle keychain in my future.

Happy Birthday, Deborah

MHAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister Deb. (thanks to some blogging mistakes, this is two days late)...

I think Deb had a VERY good year!! Because every time I saw her, she had a huge smile on her face. And I saw her A LOT this year. So, there was a lot of smiling...

That has always been Deb's nature.  Smiling is what she does. For her, it is more than a practiced skill. Her smile is a gift...one she gives to other people. I think it's actually her way of life...

Last summer, we had our first SISTERS SEWING WEEKEND!!

And I hope we do it again this year!! (gheesh, I was so fat!)

In 2009, Deb took ALL OF HER GIRLS to NYC -- (I was their official tourguide)  My sister Deb is one of the most generous people I know.  On this trip, she paid for everything...airfare and hotel for her two daughters, her daughter in law, and two granddaughters...

My favorite picture of 2009 NYC Deborah.

We got to go to NYC again -- in March -- with our granddaughters!! (yes, I am wearing the same black trench coat. It's a classic)

My favorite picture of the four of us -- with some of our NINE Featherweights!

I bought this vintage velvet polka dot coat -- hoping it would fit Deb.

It's a swing coat -- remember those?

The asymmetrical buttons were INCREDIBLE...

So, to honor Deb's birthday, I just want to say CALL YOUR SISTER. Don't have one? Well then, call your brother, or that favorite cousin you grew up with. Get in touch with an old childhood friend...because, the older I get, the more I treasure those relationships.

In many ways, we are most ourselves as children...before we've been pummeled by life and bullies and making a living, getting along with a man.... Life is a complicated roller coaster, layered with good times, bad times and situations we don't control.  It just goes better if you stay in touch with the people who loved you from the start ...

Making/Facing Armhole Openings

This post was SUPPOSED to go up yesterday...but it didn't!!  Today was SUPPOSED to be a Happy Birthday message for my sister Deb.  Then, I remembered she doesn't read this blog anyway -- so, what the heck -- I'll put that off until tomorrow!

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At the end of the Ya Ya show in Beaver Dam, I told Mary I was going to come out on stage wearing a swimsuit (one I'd recently Frankensewed).

However...as I was changing into that final outfit, I just could not put the audience through the trauma of seeing my cellulite-y thighs...so I whimped out and wore a pair of exercise shorts over my suit.

So, it is no surprise that I don't have an actual picture of me wearing a swimming suit...but swim COVER UPS were a big part of this year's Ya Ya show -- and this is one of my favorites.

It's basically a towel with two slits for your arms.

One of Lilly's NYC souvenirs was a towel of the MTA Subway map. Lilly loves taking it to the pool -- and it is often a conversation-starter. I thought it would be pretty easy to add the armhole slits...

Of course, I am using scraps of t-shirt knit. It's lightweight, it won't ravel, and it's so pliable..

I wanted the final slit to be 10 inches...so I serged a 10" dart into the middle of the piece of knit.(it was easier than measuring and marking)

I sewed around my serged "dart"

Then, I used a seam ripper to cut the slit in the towel.

Then, I cut away the "t-shirt dart".

Turned the t-shirt fabric to the back side of the towel...and ironed it in place, using some fusible hem tape.

Then, I stitched around the slit.

The final step was to cut away the excess t-shirt fabric...

Lilly LOVES it.  Warren??  Well -- he cannot be in a picture nowadays without making some crazy face.  I think he's just going through a Donald Trump phase...

Iowa Fence Laws and Hamilton

In 1981, we built our house in a housing "addition" just outside Princeton, Iowa. There are 19 houses here...and our next door neighbor is a 400 acre family farm. We are the only house that shares a fence with a farm.

FYI: In the State of Iowa, a farmer can replace fence at any time, and no matter how elaborate the new fence is, you, as his neighbor, will be billed (by the fencing company) for HALF THE COST.

So, when we received this whopping bill ($2500) -- John decided that he would pay for it by NOT GOING out for breakfast for a whole year.

Believe me, his local breakfast joint is MISSING HIM (three of the guys called this week, worried that he died).

Although I'm sure there is some flaw in his logic...in some strange way, it made sense. Then, this happened...

Fast forward: I have the chance to see Hamilton in Chicago. (My friend Linda and her daughter Kim are going in June, and I invited myself along...)

The ticket would be $200. (the LAST single seat left in the theater -- with an "obstructed" view). It was a lot of money...I really can't afford it...I'm still paying the bills from my Lilly New York City trip...at first, I was just kidding about tagging along on Linda's Hamilton adventure...

Then, on a beautiful Saturday morning, I took Lilly and Warren to the Beaux Arts Fair at the Figge Art Museum. There was a dress I liked, but it cost $55. Altho I was very tempted...I walked away. THEN IT HIT ME.

I just saved $55....!!

Wow.  That was easy.

 So, I took another walk around to find something else I could NOT PURCHASE today.

I decided NOT to buy the necklace made out of a bullet casing ($38)

I also saved more money by NOT buying the pink flamingo metal sculpture ($79)

Good job, Rita.  So far, I saved $173.

THAT'S ALMOST ENOUGH TO PAY FOR MY HAMILTON TICKET..!!

Then, Warren said he was hungry -- and the food stand lemonade and pizza would have cost $35.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!   I'M OVER THE TOP, PEOPLE...

I took the kids home to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Then, I went online to buy that last Hamilton ticket!!

I AM SO EXCITED!!

Ponytails and Swimming Pools...

Lilly has long hair, and as far as I'm concerned -- it's a nightmare. She has a very tender head, and brushing out the knots and tangles was time consuming and painful. (for both of us!)  I cannot tell you how much I dreaded that job.

For the last two years, she has almost exclusively worn it in a pulled back low pony tail. It was something she could manage by herself...and it more or less hid the fact that her long ponytail was full of tangles.

During our NYC trip, I snapped this picture...

And this one, too. (she is walking like she OWNS that city!)

Now that Grandma Rita is living at the Bettendorf YMCA pool (I attended six Swimfit classes last week) -- it has become a favorite place for Lilly and Warren, too.

When they go to the pool with me -- her wet ponytail becomes A WET, HEAVY KNOTTED MESS...I swear...if we swim for an hour, it takes another hour to brush out the tangles...

This is just a random shot of two VERY HAPPY CHILDREN.

They love, love, love swimming at this beautiful pool.  Thank you again, Bettendorf, Iowa.  Well done!!

They were whipped!!! These pictures were taken moments after we got in the car.

Hey -- I'M TIRED, TOO. But somebody's gotta drive us home!!

Here's the good news. LILLY GOT HER HAIR CUT!! Her ponytail was long enough to be donated ..and she liked the idea that her hair would be used to make a wig for some other little girl who lost her hair because of chemo treatments.

Yes, she's pretty happy with her new look.

And it is SO EASY to comb...two swipes of the brush, and she's good to go.

The beautician who cut Lilly's hair sends it to Wigs for Kids

Apparently -- Locks of Love (which is the organization I knew about) -- sells more hair than they donate, and cancer patients aren't even eligible to receive wigs from them.

Who knew, eh?
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MMWI:  246 pounds   

More Mother's Day...

Even though I don't usually write on Sunday -- today is MOTHER'S DAY.   If you're having a great day, you won't be reading this.  But if you're having a terrible Mother's Day (and I've been there!) -- you might be cruising the internet...wondering why all the other Mother's are having a better day than you are.

I'm writing today to say YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  We are legion...

And you need to protect yourself...remember, the best armor here is EXTREMELY LOW EXPECTATIONS. 


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Written in 2011:

For many years -- I spent Mother's Day lamenting the fact that it was such a NON-EVENT in my house.

One year, the boys were maybe ten and six years old -- I made breakfast, did laundry...the usual running after two small kids. They had nothing for me...no gift, no card, no burned-toast-breakfast in bed.  Hummm.   At some point, I started banging cupboard doors. John was completely perplexed. We had a big fight...and when he said, "but you're not my mother"...I slammed out of the house, got in my car, and spent Mother's Day afternoon sitting in a parking lot, crying my eyes out.

Now -- so many years later -- I can look back and laugh. At this point, John starts planning Mother's Day a month in advance. "What do you want to do, hon? Where should we go to eat? Do you want me to grill out?"...He shops for the most beautiful, sentimental Hallmark Mother's Day card...

And, hey -- one year, Ross and Elliott went together and bought me a clock.

But I am old enough and wise enough to know the truth -- that no son ever went into a jewelry store and ordered a "mother's ring". It's always DAUGHTERS who do that kind of thoughtful shopping. We girls put together the gifts, the dinners, the special occasions.

So on this Mother's Day, I hung around the house until 2:00 PM -- waiting for the phone to ring...before I remembered.

I am the mother of boys...

And, oh yes, they were lucky to have me....





And someday -- long after I'm gone -- it's gonna dawn on them...

P. S. Please do not send me an email, telling me that YOUR son is a thoughtful, considerate gift-giver who always buys you the perfect present. You just got lucky -- your son is gay.

Happy Mother's Day

From 2013:

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I almost never post on Sunday. But this is special. Because it's Mother's Day. And if you came here to read this blog, I'm thinking you could use a chuckle. So, of course, I turned to PINTEREST...
This picture reminds me of my favorite memories with my own mother..

And I think this poster will be something my boys will associate with me and their childhood...

Today, if things go right, 4-month old Warren will have his first Sunday Dinner at Grandma's house...(I'll let you know how it turns out)

One of my credos...(there are SO MANY -- it's hard to pick!)

I don't usually think in terms of my "mission in life" -- but I think Maya says it well. And it reminds me how much I miss Oprah and the Guiding Light...

If you are reading this blog post -- YOU ARE MY FRIEND. And I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day. And if your day is suckin' -- try to think of one little thing you can do for somebody else. That's what I do if I fall into a funk...and it ALWAYS WORKS FOR ME...


Last week, a very good friend of mine said, "when I read your blog, I've gotta tell you -- your life sounds WONDERFUL." That made me laugh. I have the same issues everybody else has...I'm too fat, my house is a mess, my taxes are due, my back is killing me, I thought I had a heart attack last week, my Uncle Melvin died -- well -- you get the idea. I have some bad, sad days...but I choose not to write about that. So maybe you get a distorted view of my life...but, believe me -- everything I share here in this blog is 100% true. I just decided, somewhere along the way, that my life feels better to me if I focus on the happy little moments...