Fiesta de Quinceanera



 

 

I was so excited to receive a July invitation to a Fiesta de Quinceanera for Miss Isabelle. Isabelle, is the younger sister of my friend and former colleague Nellie.

 

The fiesta marks a girl's transition into womanhood.  What a beautiful purpose for a party.  In my culture the world moves so swiftly often times without much pause to recognize and savor important moments. For my friends daughters we wrote them letters expressing gratitude for their past and hope for their future. I gave Isabelle a note too, and a pretty necklace. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little salt shakers were dressed to look like the celebrated 15 year old.

 

 

The excellent escort Brody helped to meet guests, danced with the lovely Isabelle and danced with the guests and patrons of the party.  Some of the patrons bought food, the cake, dress etc.  I loved the communities contribution to the celebration.

 

There was excellent foods, seasoned pork, tamales, green beans, refried beans, carrot corn salad, fruit, and flavored waters.  

 

 

My favorite by far was rice water that was slightly spiced with cinnamon.

 

 

There were two cakes with a bridge connecting the two. I imagine the bridge symbolized the crossing from childhood to womanhood.

 

 

Here I am with Sara (also from Marshalls) and Nellie.  Sara's husband Joe likes to dance, but Sara doesn't. I danced it up with Joe.  It made me so happy!

 

There were many special touches.  Isabelle's father and brother carried around totes filled with ice sodas, and beers.  A mariachi band played 15 songs and left for another party and then a DJ played  Latin and contemporary music. There was a dance for the patrons. And then there was a dance that circle around Isabelle and Brody while they danced with guests. It seemed tribal to me and it seemed filled with petitions for blessings on Isabelle.

 

Great times!

 

The Color Run

 

It was a fun run. This was my family's first time participating in the Color Run. We enjoyed seeing how seriously some folks take "fun." The best example was a heard of inflatable unicorns galloping along the route.

 

Getting powdered paint in your eyes and mouth is not so fun.

 

 

Having a cheer squad is very nice, as well as getting loads of stuff.  We got snacks from Lays and icy cold flavored sparkling waters. We got magnets, a t-shirt, and a golden unicorn medal.  What was most valuable was sporty family time. The grandkids ran the full distance and were ready for more at the end.

First Time for ....

What's with this blue barked tree with leaves sprouting out of it? I was thinking it was a prank, but it's the real deal.  I never learned what kind of tree or shrub it is.

 

Awww, baby Levi had his first ice cream on Arianna's birthday. My other grandson is in the background growing up too fast.

 

This farm fresh egg wasn't so fresh. You could see where the feathers were going to come in.

 

On a nice spring day I went hiking with my friends.

 

I made some sad looking meringues, but they were mighty tasty.

 

This was the first time I made an asparagus, tomato quiche with cherry tomatoes.

Love in a Cup

So cute, the bubble in my tea bag formed a heart.

Uhhhhh....weelll....Yeah, it's highlights from last year.

 

It's October 2017 and I finally have a more stable internet connection. Hallelujah! The Lesson: I can survive with limited internet, but I miss blogging about little aspects of life that give me joy. Yeah, some of my experiences are ordinary and lack drama, but they make me smile.

 

 

 

I was at a bakery in Farmington Hills, MI. On the counter was a little model bakery complete with a jolly baker; all of it made of Legos.

 

I watched Brutus the golden doodle. At the time he had an in-ground pool.  His mama Jamie, got him a life jacket.  My granddaughters enjoyed swimming him.

 

Jamie her boyfriend Scott took me to Eastern Market.  I hadn't been there in decades. We had rain, but it didn't keep people from getting out for some fresh produce. I really liked this moment when a dog and owner were waiting out the rain.  They seemed so relaxed even though behind them was a bustle of activity from vendors and shoppers. 

 

It was nice to see the stalls have gone through some restoration.

 

 

This was Louvre Jr. at Art-a-licious art festival in downtown Adrian, MI.

I have been the curator since it's beginnings. The goal of Louvre Jr. is to give community children "Art Experience." Non-profits offer art projects that reflect their mission. Afterwards they give the child a bead signifying completion. When the child has the designated amount of beads they head to Louvre Jr. I confirm  that they have the correct number, engage in some small talk about their favorite activity and then give an art lesson on the actual Louvre and a famous artwork found there. I begin by asking questions to check for previous knowledge. After the art lesson children are invited to select a work of art on display that has been donated by artists selling at the festival or who are members of local art guilds.  The goal is to give children experiences in making, appreciation and collecting (being a patron). This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever seen given to children.

Louvre Jr. fills my heart with joy. Thank you artists!

This is Noa outside of J & G's Pizzeria in Sylvania, OH. The restaurant hired someone to paint an elaborate mural on one of the windows.  If you notice the pizza is cut in diagonals, which is J & G's practice.

I attended a wedding in Wisconsin last October.  The venue was on a river and this was the view across it.  The tables were named after places the bride and groom had visited (mostly in England). It was a sweet wedding and a beautiful beginning to bonding two lives.

 

Rock, Paper and Scissors. They were really too cute for school.

 

Adrian Public Library holds an annual Gingerbread House competition.  This was my favorite. It love those Marshmallow piggies.

 

Again, I made fancy gift boxes.

 

Also, I went to Siena Heights University to hear a Christmas concert to see my friend Larissa. The concert was solemn and just the right event to put folks in the Christmas mood. The audience was invited to bring a canned good to give to needy families.

2016 Tastiness

  

One of my favorite things to make and eat during this past summer was zucchini tortillas.  

These little peppers came out of Gwen's garden.  They are sweet and perfect for stuffing with tuna or egg salad.

Sulfur shelf mushrooms are a favorite late summer treat.

Hen of the Woods or Maitake are my favorite mushrooms.

I bought the little one.

This is the BIG one that was going to a restaurant.

Profound Moment

It's my baby having a baby.  

There is a wonderful party with friends and family. There are preparations made while your child incubates and life within her. A soul is inside a soul. A body with a body growing in it. 

May baby shower.

July 4th 

 Just before leaving for the hospital.  

 Baby love! Levi Daniel, born at 2:23pm July 26. 8 lbs 10oz.

Blessed people. 

I get to journey with them.

When Sister Comes to Visit

When sister comes to visit it is always an adventure, she brings her little hamster, her hamster's name is Chip.

We went looking for a lavender farm and met a lovely lady who owns a charming lavender-centric business in Jackson, MI. Nellie's Lavender Estate is located at Art 634 on Mechanic Street.  Art 634 are on the grounds of the old prison and has been tastefully converted to hold shops, galleries, studios, and the Jackson School of the Arts.

We hoped to eat crepes at City Limits Crepes, but the restaurant was closed for the July 4th weekend.

We browsed an antique store where I found a book on Oregon hiking trails, which I gave to Joel for a belated birthday gift.

We found a great coffee shop, Jackson Coffee Company, which had a Kaffee Hag tin.  I really really wanted to get a picture of the lady just right of the tin, but it just wasn't a nice thing to do because it would have been really funny at her expense.  Truth is I could have posed for that picture because sometimes I'm a coffee hag schlepping around in my robe and slippers looking for a pick me up.  I love the long mornings in pjs; reminds me of The Big Lebowski who extends the coffee drinking with his white russians.

I have inched away from the coffee though and have opted for green tea, which soothes my soul.  My belly just can't handle the caffeine any more. Plus I am finding that I am sleeping better now that caffeine isn't taxing my system.




                                                     

The Jackson Coffee Company has a little model of the shop sitting in the window.

Across the road was Imagine Planet which is a non-profit hands-on science center.  I really like the concept, but this operation desperately needed some organization.  

There's a popular burrito bar in Jackson that serves up some tasty food.  We had lunch there. 

Afterwards we headed to the Art 634 center. At Nellie's we both bought lavender chamomile tea, and sister bought lavender shortbread.  It was super tasty and later we regretted not buying more.

We hit a Goodwill and then we headed to McCortie Park and Flavor Fruit Farm. A wedding party was being photographed at the park. I wanted to take pictures of the activity because the bridesmaids dresses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen.  They looked lovely among the foliage and faux bois bridges.  

At Flavor Fruit Farm I bought an amazing loaf of whole grain bread, hard cider, and a garlic peeler which I really could have used a few weeks earlier when I was helping Jerry prepare the boiled dinner.

Marlene and I saw many, many wonderful things on our adventure. I believe in focusing on the good things that edify and build up a person or situation. It's an important habit focusing on excellence so you can build off this effort, but I can't deny that I saw disturbing things - a disgusting mess, rudeness, a junkie waiting for and finding her fix, sinfully overpriced items, filthy peculiar homeless people, neglect.  It's there and it needs love to clean it up, which reminds me that the love of the Triune God can change the ugly and indecent into something of incomparable beauty.  Christianity isn't a do-it-yourself, self-improvement course, the cure for our vile repulsive natures was accomplished by Christ who gifts us with faith and the Holy Spirit who works with and in us to transform our sinful natures in this earthly realm into holier, true, pure versions of ourselves, and who gifts us with the opportunity and ability to magnify God's love for us. This is miraculous indeed.