Sort of Homemade Lemonade by Nancy

Obsessed with drinking this stuff. I tried doing the hand squeezed, and it is expensive, labor intensive and it makes a mess. Here is my own recipe...if it weren't for this stuff, I may go insane...

Nancy's Sorta Homemade Lemonade
-1 cup lemon juice (Great Value brand is fine)
-2 cups sugar (Kroger or Great Value)
-lots of warm water (faucet)
-4 slices of real lemon (from grocery store or walmart)

So, I fill up my container about 2/3rds full of warm water. I throw in the 2 cups of sugar. I mix. I add the 1 cup of lemon juice. I mix. I turn the jar upside down. I slice up four slices of real lemon to make me feel like it is hand squeezed. I mix. I refrigerate.

Later, I pour a glass. I get to tablespoons more of sugar and put that in each glass I make. Sometimes I garnish with a slice of lemon to make myself feel pampered.

Staying Positive

It is my biggest challenge. It ain't easy. And, it is double hard to do in the midst of a heat wave. Even our preacher said so.
We all have flaws, and one of mine is remaining positive. I have had a particularly difficult time doing so lately because it is hot, it is mid-summer, students are gone, there is not a sport to follow, I am working through some personal matters, and I am just stressed out. Well, guess what...
August starts tomorrow.
Football season is almost less than a month away.
I am working through my personal matters.
It won't be 100 degrees in October, at least, I don't think it will be.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons.
Andrew can read. He knows his letters and his sounds.
I have blonde hair. And, I am getting it reblonded on Friday of next week.
My plants are still alive.
Some of our grass is still green.
David replaced our fence and fixed the roof.
I got a major project completed last week at work.
My office was repainted by me and Brian and David and our student worker, and it brings much harmony to my space.
We are going out to eat dinner tonight with friends.
I have found a new church home that I love and that works for us.
I planted carrot seeds and they are actually sprouting.
We are going to the Arkansas game in November.
Sonic has a happy hour in the morning and in the afternoon.
I have some really great friends and co-workers.
No one is perfect.

My goal this week is to give people the benefit of the doubt. See the good in others. Remain positive. Appreciate as much as I can. Redefine failure. Michael Jordan once said: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Kids Say the Darndest Things

This morning as I was getting on the scales...
Andrew: Mom. How many pounds do you weigh?
Me: A lot.
Andrew: That's because you never work out.

(Nice. True. If that's not accountability, I don't know what is. I claim the drought of 2011 has prevented my working out even though we have a membership to the Y. It is too hot to get in my car and drive there. That's my story, and I am sticking to it.)

Lately...

-I am so tired of hearing about the national debt. I really hope I still get a social security check when I turn 67. By then, they will have probably raised the age of retirement to 77. According to science, we are living longer than ever. I just read this in the McPherson Sentinel. I wonder if that is necessarily a good thing. I mean, don't you get tired at 100? My side of the family lives forever. Like to 100, so that means I will probably live to be 110 or 120 if science keeps improving. Won't I be tired? I am tired now.

-I have not watched Nancy Grace for almost ten days. Please cheer. Thank you. It has not been easy.

-I have moved from an obsession with Casey Anthony's trial to an enthusiasm towards preparing for Kindergarten. I want everything to go smoothly. We have all our supplies. We talk about and prepare for it daily. Andrew is really, really excited. Which is so great. I am scared. I am terrified. I want everything to be perfect, and I know that is not realistic. I think knowing that is helpful. I am so fretful over who we will get as our teacher. I don't know why because I have heard extremely positive things about all three teachers. I am so thankful David just happened to be off on the first day of Kindergarten. Things like that don't normally happen with David's schedule. Woohoo! I want to get in Andrew's backpack and go with him. We need a bigger backpack if that is going to happen. Transitions are scary. I know this will be fun. We are working on our reading at night. I reorganized our home library last night in order to maximize our selection. I wanted to make sure all books were getting adequate and fair usage. We have discussed where we will go after school, how we will get there, and, most importantly, we have discussed getting up earlier in the mornings and going to bed earlier at night. This is going to be a massive transition for mom who is at her intellectual peak late in the evenings. Or, sometimes it feels that way. There will be a new bedtime for all. I am not looking forward to it. I am looking forward to this new experience. It is kind of like walking across that stone bridge thing at Lakeside Park. At first it is scary. Then it is fun. We went to Lakeside this evening to take all the geese, fish, ducks and turtles our outdated bread.

-I am trying to increase the amount of quality time I spend with Andrew. I don't know why I worry that this won't be possible after Kindergarten starts. I feel like I jam pack the weekend with activities that we can do together, and I also try to do one-on-one stuff a lot during the weeks. I am trying to put down the phone, computer, Kindle or television to actually live my life. That can be really hard to do when you like all of the above as much as I do. But, it isn't all about me.

-Ending on a very positive note, all of my container plants have survived the drought of 2011. As of today. I have one out of six that doesn't look good, but it is still alive and blooming. This has been my most successful year as a container plant owner. Ever. And, during the drought of 2011. Who knew?

Letting Go...Update

I did write letters to Barnes & Noble and Amazon, as a loyal customer, requesting they not sell any books by Casey Anthony, in collaboration with Casey Anthony or in which she would profit. I have never done letter writing really to any company except the Better Business Bureau one time when I bought some address labels from a bogus internet company in 2003 in the amount of $8.88. Yes, I remember because I never got my money back. No, writing the Better Business Bureau didn't produce any results. It did, however, give me a hands-on lesson in internet safety and security.
Back on topic, I feel with all of the money I spend, specifically with Amazon, I have a right to voice my opinion. I mean, I buy make-up through them, Kindle, books, Kindle books, our Big Mable float, all of which have been in just the past two months. In a lifetime, I have no clue. I would say out of all online businesses in that exist, I use Amazon the most. They had better listen to me, or we are going to have to cut ties. That would be bad for the economy, not to mention Amazon. Not trying to say I am privileged or overspending...but I am just saying when I do spend, and it is online, it is normally with Amazon.
I read online that they will write you back. I am waiting.
Oh, I wrote to Barnes and Noble too. I told them I was a really loyal customer which is sort of a white lie...I have bought things from them, but I wouldn't say loyally. Maybe they won't check. They are supposed to write back too. I am waiting on them too.
Okay, I fear I will lose readers through my constant posting about Casey Anthony. I will really try to move forward. It is not my intention to turn this into a blog about Casey Anthony, but, for the month of July, please have patience with me.
Moving forward, I have just realized that football season is a little over a month away. God bless us all. Please hurry up and get here. I can not take the social and mental boredom of July. I am starting to think my least favorite month is July. It is too hot, school is over but it is too far away to be starting again soon, it is hot, and my plants start to die. Not to mention, things at work are ridiculously busy. I like busy but with students around. Some people get the winter blues. I have the summer blues. If I didn't have the company of my student worker, I may go insane. The youth of students makes me happy. The vitality and hope they have.
Okay, moving on. Mississippi State. They have the best football commercial I have ever seen. You may watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VpTlGeydYM
I am conflicted about a recent decision I made, but I am sticking to my guns. David, Andrew and I are going to the Miss. State vs. Arkansas game in Little Rock. This is a historic event for all members of the Young family for several reasons. I have never been to a game a Miss. State game in Arkansas, David has never been to a Miss. State game in Arkansas and Andrew has never been to a Miss. State game. Ever. Okay, that last reason trumps all other reasons. However, when McPherson College goes to the playoffs this year, their playoff game will be the weekend of the Arkansas game...November 19. I do not want to miss this. However, I feel like they will make it to a second playoff game this year, and we will be able to make it to that. So, that is what is helping me get through this conflict. If I sit in front of someone that yells Sueyyy piggie the whole game, there may be words. That is so annoying. I had to sit in front of one of those people at Miss. State once. If I had been a grown up, I would have said something. I was still in high school. More than likely we will be way ahead and they will just STFU. Sorry. I used acronyms. I get fired up just writing about it. Sometimes I can't help myself.
Okay, last, I would like to end on a positive and uplifting note. Umm. The Well is a beautiful, peaceful, spiritual place with wholesome, family fun. All I wanted last night was a snowcone. We went to the snowcone hut, and it had been moved for three days to the McPherson County Fair. I felt like Clark W. Grisswold after he arrived at Wally World. Clark and I have a lot in common...we overreact and are very nostalgic when it comes to family and tradition. For reference and enjoyment, here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbz6kvnQDA
What I am trying to say is if there had been a mousse, I would have punched him in the nose. Please don't move the snowcone stand for three days. That causes confusion, delay, frustration and disappointment.
Regardless, Andrew and I went to the Well instead. We spent probably $8 more, but we had to get a sticker/coloring book, a smoothie, chocolate milk and a cookie. I feel like that was fair for the air conditioning. Plus, it is a spiritual, peaceful place. It allowed me at least an hour of reading time while Andrew colored, did stickers and browsed the children's section. Again, worth the extra $8. I love the Well. Have you visited lately? Support downtown merchants. Peace out.

Letting Go...

Yes, I have watched Nancy Grace for over 30 days in a row. Yes, it has interfered with my love and support of The Young and the Restless. Yes, she drives David crazy, and, yes, Andrew leaves the room when she is on...the only one that likes her in this house is me, that is for sure.
Now that things are ending on the Casey Anthony front, I mean she is getting out next week, I have made a personal decision to try and move forward. Yes, I am still watching NG...and she is starting to talk about other cases. Yes, there is a special coming on tonight, yes, I am watching it. Okay, I am really going to try to let go next week.
So, my thoughts on the big bad verdict? I don't agree. As someone who watched many hours of the trial, followed Dr. Drew and NG, read blogs, newspaper...kept up with this thing since 2008...I don't agree. I know there are critics out there who are saying the public was strongly influenced by the media, but I don't agree. I have liked and watched NG long before Casey Anthony was ever on the scene. Off and on depending what was happening. I am so capable of forming my own opinion based on the facts.
31 days.
It took Casey Anthony 31 days to tell anyone her daughter was missing. 31 days in which she partied, shopped, bought beer, entered a hot body contest, layed up in the bed with her boyfriend...31 days. I would be and have been devastated once before when I lost my son for 31 minutes. I thought I was going to die. There were many things that went through my head...how will I live life without my son? Has he been kidnapped? Will he be sold to another family? How did I let this happen? All bad thoughts. All regarding my son. No thoughts of woohoo, partay. Oh, and I told everyone working at Great Wolf Lodge that he was missing. My husband and I searched and they locked all the doors and told everyone on their walkie talkies to look for a little boy in pajammas. He had ridden the elevator to another floor, found an adult and eventually found us. But, I think I had the reaction most moms have when faced with unexpected separation from their child. Panic. Fear. Tears. Not...party, sex and booze. Extreme example. I know.
Moving on...anyone who doesn't report their child missing after 31 days, and allows hundreds of citizens to volunteer looking for her, all along knowing your child is dead...this person deserves no less than hard time in prison. Hard time being 25 to life. I would say life.
Hello, what were the jurors thinking? I don't get it. I have seen one of them in an interview, and she sucks. She was all "well there wasn't any evidence." If the child drowned by accident she wouldn't have been found in a trash bag in a swamp. She would have been found floating in the dang pool. Why...oh, I will stop. Why. 2/3rds of Americans think the jury got it wrong. 2/3rds.
There is no chance ever that Casey will get retried. It is over. I know this. I am finding peace in the fact that there is now a law being considered for creation in honor of Caylee. It would severely punish any parent who doesn't report their child missing after 48 hours. Duh.
What bothers me is that Casey Anthony has already been offered one million for her story. What bothers me is that she will eventually get a book deal, a movie deal, and God knows what else. Jose Baez, her attorney, has already signed with an entertainment firm to handle his interviews. These things bother me. They bother me very much.
And let me back up...because I know many critics would say I am "judging" her. I would love to win a hot body contest. I enjoy dancing, beer and the company of my man. I have nothing wrong with these things...but I am not missing my child!! He is right here in this house.
I am finding peace. I am finding peace in the fact that Caylee is in a heavenly place. I try not to think about her mother having more children and those children meeting the same fate. I am finding peace in the fact that Caylee captured the hearts of so many mothers, including my own.
I am really hoping that others like me that got so wrapped up in this case are able to find peace too. It makes no sense, and it just never will...it is best to just let is go and realize all we can do is really nothing. The fate of this case was with 12 persons, and they chose not guilty. We were not on the jury, and we don't get a vote. I don't get it. I don't have faith in our justice system, but I can't fix all of these problems today. What I can do is say I am sorry that this happened. I love my little boy, and I would never, willingly, allow anything to happen to him. Shame on you Casey Anthony. Shame on you and the 31 days you waited. Shame on you for knowing what happened and sitting there smugly. Shame on your mother for perjuring herself to save you. Shame. Shame. Shame.

The Case Against Casey Anthony

Obsessed is a strong word. I prefer interested. I have been extremely interested in the Casey Anthony trial. I discovered this week that someone I know well does not even know who Casey Anthony is. This person, when explained the details of the case, accused me of following the trial to make myself feel better about my own life. Well, I disagree. I watch "Intervention" in order to feel better about myself.

I follow this trial because I want to understand how a mother could do this to her own child. I want to understand how that happens, and I want to understand the parenting skills and strategies Cindy and George Anthony utilized to raise and produce a child such as Casey. The fact that a woman could kill an innocent child, an adorable, beautiful child unleashes a fury in me that I can not describe in words. Ultimately, this case is about Caylee Anthony. It is about a little girl who was adored by many and who America has fallen in love with through home video and photographs. Though we will never know exactly what happened, we do know that Caylee's life ended too soon in a violent and tragic way. Lady Justice should honor Caylee's memory by convicting her killer. A killer who I firmly believe is her mother, Casey Anthony. Here is a short list of "red flags" or reasons I believe she is guilty:

-Caylee was not reported missing until Day 31 by Cindy Anthony. Cindy Anthony called the police and reported the smell of death in the trunk of daughter Casey Anthony's car.

-Casey Anthony repeatedly claimed that someone named Zanny the Nanny had abducted Caylee Anthony. Later, we discover that no such person exists. We discover that Casey Anthony often gave Caylee Anthony the prescription drug xanax in order to get her to fall asleep. Casey wanted Caylee to fall asleep so that she could go out and party.

-Casey Anthony partied hard while others searched for her daughter. She was photographed dancing provocatively with other women. She even entered a "Hot Body Contest" at a local bar.

-During the 31 days that Caylee was missing, Casey paid for and received a tattoo that read "The Beautiful Life." Most moms would probably be distraught over a missing child, however not Casey. She felt her life was beautiful.

-She lied about having had a job at Disney World for two years. She had no job.

-She lied about having certain friends.

-She didn't graduate from high school, but she had enough money to pay for an alleged nanny.

-To this day, no one knows who the father of Caylee Anthony is.

-Casey's high school and post high-school friends reported to investigators that she doesn't tell the truth. She lies even when it is unnecessary.

-She searched her computer for how to make chloroform over 80 times. She had been known to "chloroform" her child in order to get her to pass out so that she could go and party.

-Tremendous amounts of chloroform were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car. In addition, the strong odor of a dead body was there.

-Caylee was found in the woods with duct tape from the Anthony home covering her mouth. Over the duct tape was a heart shaped sticker. The same sheet of stickers were found in Casey Anthony's room.

Here is a short list of claims by the defense with rebuttal:

-Caylee was sexually abused by her brother and her father. Then why did she say the following to her father during a jailhouse visit: "You've been a great dad, and you've been the best grandfather."

-Caylee drowned in the pool. Really, well why would a victim of drowning have duct tape over their mouth with a heart shaped sticker?

That is about all I know on defense so far. I think Casey has cooked her goose on this one, and I will check in throughout the day!

On a side note, I would like for Obama to appoint Nancy Grace to the Supreme Court of the US.

In all seriousness, I believe we will never know what actually happened to little Caylee. We know she met an untimely death at the hands of her mother, but we will not know how or why. I have my own theories, but only Casey, Caylee and God know the truth. My hope is that justice is served in this case. My version of justice. God bless little Caylee.

It is about time. Kindle. Ah.

I have been waiting to get one of these since they first came out for $379. I have listened to people talk about the pros and cons of them for several years. I patiently waited for Kindle to work out all of their kinks and for the supply and demand economics surrounding a new piece of technology to drive the price down to....wait for it...$139!!!!
With savings like this, one has to protect ones purchase with a: http://www.amazon.com/Neoprene-Kindle-Display-Generation-Scatter/dp/B003NE5UXC/ref=pd_cp_kinh_2.
I got the black and white floral.
Oh yes. I did. I have to make it girly/fashionable in some way.
David doesn't know this yet, but this is what I wanted for my birthday. So, after great consideration and thought, I went ahead and purchased myself one. He is out of town, and what he doesn't know won't hurt. Perhaps he will not notice. I will tell you one thing he will notice is the 500 or more books (no exaggeration) that I have piled up in the tiniest house in McPherson will slowly begin to disappear. I will be taking those to the lake and/or trading them on www.paperbackswap.com. If the two previous ideas do not pan out, I will be taking them to the Save-N-Share. I would like to take them to The Bookshelf/Hidden Closet, but I have not had luck with many of the items I take there. They are always out of season, from Wal-Mart, stained, or just not what they are looking for. Boo. I doubt they will want my books.
I am a packrat, so I will probably download like 1000 books before Christmas. Wait. No I won't. That would be like $10,000. Well, I will download as many as I can afford and still keep the lights on and the refrigerator full. I can't wait until this thing gets here. I think I will sleep with it at night.

Nancy Grace

I can't stop. I have been watching her every single day since last week. Nancy Grace is starting to compete with The Young and the Restless, and if you know me, you know that is just impossible.
I know that some people don't like Nancy Grace. I think that is because some people are threatened by her confidence, intelligence and spunk. Did you know that Nancy Grace has twins? A boy and a girl. Also, did you know that Nancy Grace's longterm boyfriend and fiance was murdered by someone, and that led her to get into law and legal television commentary? This boyfriend is the one she had before she became married to her husband. This may be weird, but I think if I was met with a great injustice like abduction or something like that, NG would be telling people all about it. That is what she does. She is a voice for those who have been wronged by someone or society.
Yes, I know she looks like Satan at times. I know she talks real loud and interrupts people. However, I think that the latter two reason are why I like her. I don't see myself as a loud person who interrupts. Sometime I wish I could do that.
Another thing that I like about NG is that she is always able to collect her thoughts in a way that makes sense. She is able to speak intelligently when put on the spot. Hmm.
Okay, and I know how this is going to sound, at the end of her show, she lets her soft side show. She ends every show by saying "Goodnight Friend." Yeah, sometimes I talk back to the tv and tell NG goodnight. I know. I know. I can't help it. She makes it sound like she is talking to me though!
I adore that she takes phone calls on her show. I am thinking that one day I might get up the courage to call into the show. I don't know what I will say. It will have to be something related to the Casey Anthony trial because that is all NG is going to be talking about for the next few weeks if not months. My question for NG would probably have something to do with how Casey could be so cold and unfeeling while she sits in the courtroom day after day. Why wouldn't her defense attorneys encourage her to show a bit of emotion? I don't get it. I certainly don't want Casey to win, so I guess they ought to leave that alone.
Another think I like about NG, she always recognizes fallen soldiers. She also recognizes policemen killed in the line of duty. It makes me want to cry. She also honors the deceased elderly with recognition.
To end on a positive note, I have been watching NG on and off for several years now. She has been on since 2005. She seems to have toned it down just a bit. She lets others talk, has chilled out, can keep her cool and owns her show. Bravo, NG. I will keep watching. Goodnight friend.

In the words of Chris Farley...

The following is a monologue from the movie Tommy Boy-
One of the greatest movies of our time.
It encapsulates today for me pretty well.



"I can't do this anymore man. My head's
about to explode. My whole life sucks.


         
I don't know what i'm doing.
I don't know where i'm going.


         
My dad just died.
We just killed Bambi.


         
I'm out here getting my ass kicked,
and every time i drive down the road,


         
i want to jerk the wheel into
a goddamn bridge embankment!"

Tomorrow is a new day. I love Tommy Boy.
I am sorry he said GD. That was
a quote.

I don't get it...

-Every time I get on Facebook there is a tornado in Mississippi or Arkansas. I have never felt safer regarding weather than when we moved to Kansas. I can recall two times when I was really scared about the weather...both of which we had adequate warnings, basements and nothing happened. Literally, there have been "Maroon alerts" at Mississippi State like every day for the past ten days. I know. I get on Facebook about 20 times a day.

-We went to Kindergarten Roundup last night. They asked for four local emergency contacts that were local. It had about twenty boxes listed--cousin, aunt, uncle, step-brother, godparent. We didn't fall into any of those categories. It kinda made me miss being close to family, but not close enough to move. I picked four friends...one of which I have not talked to yet, so Sarah M., if you are reading this, you are one of our emergency contacts. Sorry, I know you already have four kids and all.

-American Idol. How do people still watch it? I have issues with changing up a successful formula. I can not watch it without Paula and Simon. I felt like I opened my heart to being progressive when they let that Kara Diaguadi lady on there.

-The smaller the house, the harder it is to keep it clean. When we were in Miss., we had a really big house. It was always clean. I can't keep my house clean. I don't like to have people over because I don't want to clean it up.

-Why do they deliver parts of the carnival three weeks early? Do those carnival people just serve the city of McPherson? I am glad it is here, but I worry they don't have a lot of business.

-Do that many people in McPherson buy plants? I ride by houses and look and look to see which houses have plants, and which don't. We have that Smoky Valley place, Stutzmans, Dillons, Walmart and that place by Kyle's. Where do they all go because I don't see them that often. I wonder if one of them will go out of business because of the new Stuzmans. I worry about things like this. So far, I have only lost three of one of those six pack things that I bought.

-Those people on Swamp People, do they really still need to fish for alligators? You know they are making all kinds of money with endorsements, appearances and guided hunts. I still watch it, and I pretend like they are poor and only eat wild game because that makes the show more enjoyable.

-Will I ever go to the Super Bowl? How much does that cost? If I go, will I be like those 200 people that didn't get a seat?

-How do the writers for Yahoo continually come up with those interesting, must read articles? I never get tired of reading them.

-I don't understand people who say I could never look at a computer screen all day. I could. I do it every single day. I love it. I like my office, and I don't like being away from my desk.

-Will land lines at work ever be discontinued? Why can't people just have cell phones? That way if anyone calls you, you will know mostly who they are because you gave them your number.

-This old lady called and left me a message on my cell phone asking me if I could bring her a coke. She really had a thirst for a coke. Didn't she hear my voice mail and realize I was someone she didn't know. I wish I could take her a coke. Maybe I should have called her back.

Resurrection of da Blog

I have so many things to say, and I think I need to be writing them down...so, I am going to start blogging again. Here are the things that I feel like I should share today:

• I am reading "Decision Points" by George W. Bush, and let me just say I miss him greatly. The only thing in his presidency that I disagree with is his stance on stem cells and No Child Left Behind. Love Dubyah. He and I are on about the same level intellectually, and he is really smart...he just can't seem to get the right words out at the right time. That happens to me all of the time.

• I am trying really hard to keep my flowers alive outside. I am really getting into it this year. I spent too much at Stutzman's, but it makes me feel like my flowers will live if I spend more $. I guess that was their marketing plan. I even bought some of their fertilizer. They said it was better than Miracle Grow.
  

• I joined the YMCA in January, and I have not been since March. I will do better one day, but that day isn't today, and it probably isn't tomorrow. It is definitely not going to be this weekend.
  

• I like feng shui. I have these little dogs are supposed to guard my area against mean people. They don't really work, but that make me feel like I am in charge. I also have arranged my desk where I feel more in control of my personal space. Feng Shui is all about creating positive energy. It is also about decluttering, but I only do that part of it every now and then.
  

• I am really, really glad that the winter time is over with. It seemed like it lasted forever this year.
  

• This is the longest I have ever gone without getting in the tanning bed. It has been over a year. I have given it up because I am finally old enough to worry about getting old. I don't want to by dry and wrinkly. I hate being white, but that is my natural color.
  

• I want to get my hair completely dyed platinum blonde and cut shorter. I don't have the nerve to do it yet. I have had the same hair do since the seventh grade.
  

• Our yard is gross. We do not have pretty green grass. We have weeds and patches of nice grass. David is digging it all up, and we are starting over from scratch. Our yard will probably be gross for a while.