Traditional American Dream, Only Some Are Deserving....?

The traditional American dream was to work hard, provide for one's family, and enjoy life's little pleasures. The new American Dream? Win the lottery and eat any and every food that is deep fried.

The "America" I read about in my history books in school was a place that ANYONE could come to as a sanctuary from oppression,  poverty. Somewhere people could turn to for a better life for their families and a place where they could build a foundation or the future generations of those families. And now America looks to me like some sort of exclusive club.

Clearly, I'm not Republican. I'm not a political person. The political labels are complete bullshit. We're to busy in this country fighting social wars between these labels about when "life" starts and whose fault it is that this country has become one of fried foods and lottery dreams. Too busy to recognize the complete lack of logic in arguing when life starts, but being okay with shooting someone on-site who merely wants to come into this country to live out the traditional American dream. Blue Collar Mexicans that simply want healthcare for their kids, and to build a future for their children, and to work and do the jobs that Americans are too good for these days. What happened to acceptance and humanitarianism?! We will give to charities and "adopt" children from other countries for $20 a month but deny a good life earned from someone wanting to work for it.

Have Americans really gotten this complacent and naive and unable to think for themselves that they don't see this? Yes.

I brought up Republicans because a few people who label themselves as such have told me that because of my opinion on these matters that I am not American. Labels are so important to people these days....


The Greed of society today sickens me. America. The healthcare and good jobs are okay for us to have. But Mexicans are lowly and disgusting and do not deserve the same respect as we clean American humans do. Our babies deserve those things because they were born here. Those Mexican babies do not.

WTF America? W...T....F?  

Need A Penny, Take A Penny

What if everyone in the world acted like a "Need A Penny, Take A penny" cup?

So many people live in so much access that they don't need, don't use, don't even know they have. Then there are so many people who don't have what they need. Whether what they need is material possessions, time, help, support, it seems that there are so many people who could offer their services or their surplus but don't. When did humanity become fueled by greed and selfishness.

How much better would our world be? How much happier would we be- as individuals and as a whole people...
I remember the day that I was going for my job interview I think I had $5 in my pocket. I was starving and exhausted, and I stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee. My esteem was really down that day, because I didn't really have any office clothes that were suitable, I was nervous about getting the job, and I was just so stressed. The car in front of me in the drive-through was a new black Mercedes-Benz. I made a judgement. "Stuck-up rich person." I thought. That stuck up rich person paid for my coffee, and I payed it forward the next time I had enough money. Then I thought about the movie, Pay It Forward.

How novel is that idea?! Why can't people do that ALL THE TIME?!

How to Kinda Sorta Almost Mostly Speak Like A Cajun

Went back to Maurepas (mar~paw), La this weekend to stay at my sister's house. I really love Louisiana more than I could ever really say, and though my heritage doesn't really qualify me as truly "Cajun," I will self-proclaim that I am, because it's generally more understood and associated with the manner and customs I grew up with. People understand the word "Cajun."

Being "Cajun" means a few things for me
1) it's impossible for me to exactly follow any recipe...or write one down.
2)I have small revelations each time I go home. Such as "if your vehicle ran outta gas on the way to make groceries, it would be much easier to paddle that vehicle than it would be a push it. Hence the ingenious of floating villages and waterways as highways.
3)I never knew of a potato masher. And even now that I do, I still use a glass.
4)I don't waste much, I reuse as much as I can.
5) My good pots and pans are cast iron, and I NEVER wash them

There's probably many more. My main concern about not living in Louisiana anymore is that my accent, which I was so proud of, has dissipated. When I go back down and then come back to TX, I stutter. And this is why:

How to Mostly Kinda Sorta Speak like a South Louisianian.

Drink 1/2 of a 5th of vodka.. It will help to naturally slur your voice. We like to put as little effort as possible into talking. That means skipping lotsa vowels and combinin words that could otherwise be recognized without some unecessary components.


Change any sound that involves a long "i" sound to an "aw" sound. Think How ya doin? Howzya momma an' em'?" "Oh, dey fawn."


Don't worry bout any usual rules of the English language. Double negatives are completely fine (fawn). Notice i said "Make groceries" earlier in this post. Makes perfect sise in south Louisiana. it means grocery (groshree) shopping (shawpin).

My sister lives in Maurepas. Read that ya'll: "Maw-paw." there's only a slight hint of an "R" anywhere in there.
Ya know how Canadians are known for sayin "Eh" at the end of thoughts? Our equivalent is "yeah" at the end of any thought warranting enthusiasm or concern. "You heard bout dat wreck down by Marchand's? It was a nasty one, yeah!"

And they shall be called "Cher." pronounced "sha."

When asking dircetions...in some areas....you will be on the receiving end of something like this:

"You go up da by-ya (bayou) a ways, then turn leff (left) ownnuh (on the) crawsroad (crossroad) then come back downnuh (down the) by-ya and lookin fuh dem beat up mailboxes an deyyago! (there you go!)


Go forth and speak easy. Cher!

Louisiana, LucyAnna, Loozana, Louweezyannuh.

I miss Louisiana. Sometimes, i miss it so much I'll watch documentaries about Hurricane Katrina or The Princess and the Frog just so I can try to get my accent back. I think it's impossible for anyone to truly understand the simplistic charm of Louisiana unless they've lived there. There's scattered old-world charm everywhere you go. Reminders of Louisiana's cultural diversity, foundations.

sprawling lazy oak

my all time favorite coffee!

Lake Maurepas

Images-take me home!

Cooking

Let me start off by saying this...I can't really stand Italian food. I like cooking things that make me feel like I created artwork, and leave me feeling light after I eat it. Most of the time. That means little or no dairy. Or pasta. Or grease. Except for my mom's CHicken N Dumplins, or her Roast N rice N gravy. Or my Pound Cake. That's right...MY Pound Cake. The first recipe I've ever concocted by myself that is brilliantly successful.

Tonight, I made California Rolls. Super easy thanks to THIS YouTube video:


I didn't even have a bamboo mat, either. I MacGyver'd one by putting saran wrap around a sale paper. Pretty nifty, eh. I'm resourceful like that! (don't tell anyone i walked around WalMart for an hour looking for one, though. they were just selling them a week and a half ago!)

Home remodeling

I'm gonna take on a really big project this year, much to my husband's dismay. This project ( and all the projects contained therein) may actually become the heart of this blog altogether. I'm going to start remodeling the house, using almost completely free materials off of craigslist, and when needed, things from the habitat for humanity restore. My first projects: simple bathroom upgrade, banquet breakfast areA, outdoor space. Will post before photos and idea photos later!

i'm especially excited about picking out some lovely corbels for the open shelving around my kitchen window. My kitchen is configured exactly like the first photo up there, so this should all work out very nicely, and similar to that photo. 

When the mood strikes me.

NO...i'm not talking about that mood...silly!

I just want to say that I don't expect to accomplish a whole lot by writing this blog. writing helps to get my thoughts out and organized, and maybe some of the experiences that I've been through might give someone else insight for their own. Soe of the most profound words i've ever read were by people who selflessly put themselves out there on the internet in the hopes of doing the same, and i am forever grateful for having the opportunity to read theirs.

I know that I am no extraordinary person. I try to be consistent. I try painfully hard to be consistent. I try to convince myself myself and everyone else around me that I'm consistent...but I'm not. There are days that I am okay with that, and there are days i struggle with it. There are days that I silently suffer with the very reasons I am not consistent and days that I suffer not so silently. But if you find that you, yourself have been silently suffering, and reading my words has ever given you insight, then I feel that at least some things that have caused me so much pain have maybe brought some good to the world, brightened someone's day, helped someone work through their own problem, learn how to cope and/or come to terms with pain, and maybe learned something more about themselves in the process.

I have many regrets. I try not to linger upon them. That is all I feel that I can do some days. And that is all anyone can ask of me.

This is for you!