Lyrically speaking, of course....

Made a wrong turn, Once or twice
Dug my way out, Blood and fire
Bad decisions, That's alright
Welcome to my silly life

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss "no way, it's all good", It didn't slow me down
Mistaken, Always second guessing
Under estimated,
Look, I'm still around.

Music keeps me snapping my fingers, music keeps me tapping my toes....

So the latest song that makes me sing out loud -- really loudly -- when I'm driving, is Lada Gaga's "Edge of Glory". How this song doesn't just make everyone want to get up and belt it out - is beyond me.






I find it really interesting that a columnist from the Boston Herald said that when Amy Winehouse died, we lost "one of the greatest voices of this generation".

I mean, don't get me wrong - I enjoyed Amy Winehouse. Stylistically, she was great - and she was talented. I think what the person should've printed was that when she died, we lost one of the most promising artists, or one with great potential. But seriously....

Has this person not heard of Adele, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson. Literally, amazingly talented voices of this generation. If it was the figurative sense of the word, then please - we don't need a heroin addicted and defiant voice for anyone's generation. Really.

Just sayin'.

Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking into spiderwebs....

I know, I know - it's been a long time since I've posted.
But it's summer, and I've been busy.

So here's a little catch up on what's been roaming around this girl's thoughts.

1. Namaste. I'm beyond excited that my local yoga studio has added more classes so I can take yoga Monday through Friday now. I'm starting on Monday - and I have to say, I've taken this whole summer vacation thing really seriously - though not with doing anything per se. I've been eating like there's no tomorrow and doing zero in the exercise aspect. No yoga, no running, nada. I can't take it after work so it has to be in the morning and now that there's classes 5 days a week - it allows for me to have no excuse if I miss a class -- I won't have to wait three days before the next one comes around. I've got to get into form because at the end of August is the Annual 108 Suns for the Jimmy Fund that I participate in each year and I want to be sure that I'm rip roaring and ready to go....

2. I'm trying something new: Natural Nails. So, I've had acrylic nails for years now. But after being so frustrated because the nail tech I go to makes them look good - they break constantly. Constantly. And that shouldn't really be happening. So, I took them off and now I'm trying to grow my own nails. It sure feels good, but I'm not loving the look truthfully. I guess in a few weeks I can do a French Manicure once again.

3. Are you ready for some football? So, I'm psyched that the lockout is over. But truthfully, given the things they agreed on - it almost seems like this was all just a big waste of time. Really picky une things and not a whole heck of a lot changed. Wasted time....

4. Nothing new on the house front. So frustrating. We've raised our price point but there's nothing available where we live right now. And there are some beautiful homes in other communities but we're not looking at them actively right now because we don't want the kids to change school systems after the school year starts. If nothing comes up this season, we'll wait until Spring. Such a bummer though.... such a bummer.

Sure it might be a heatwave....

But I'm still burning my Pumpkin candles and using Cinnamon & Sugar Febreze.
Because those are the smells of home to me.

That's just how I roll....

Happy Birthday Princess Petunia....

Seven years ago today, my Princess Petunia brightened my world.

She's fiesty, and fiery.

Sassy & Sensitive.

Artistic & Creative.

Witty,Thoughtful & Bright.

She is my constant growth - as she is always challenging me to be a better parent. (Code for she is totally giving me a run for my money!) She is going to go far in life -- she's strong willed, comfortable in her own skin and doesn't put up with anyone's crap. (Being the only granddaughter out of 8, she didn't have much choice. She'd have no one to play with otherwise!)

She is the one & only Princess Petunia Mini Marshmellow.

And I'm so very glad that she's mine.

I had the time of my life.....

So while the vacation I was just on was not exotic....it was definitely relaxing. I can't remember the last time I ever wasn't on a schedule - and that in of itself was priceless.

G actually relaxed which was something I don't think I've seen in years....we had no concept of what time of day it was outside of watching the sun in the sky. Great company, good food, fabulous weather, and a perfect seascape.

Ironically, the photo in my previous post actually shows the house we stayed in! Who knew?? It was a random photo of the beach we were at, and yet in retrospect, two of the three houses we were in is in it. How were we in multiple houses you ask? Well, it was a group vacation. Three families, three houses - one beach.

Good times....good times.

Well East Coast girls are hip - I really dig those styles they wear...

Beachin' it.

May the Weather Gods be with us.

So very sad...

So, I'm hoping that this will be my last post on Casey Anthony for this week.

I was happy to see that she wasn't able to leave jail today; it was a tiny battle victory in a war that has been lost. I know that a week from now she will be free, but it still was a good thing to see her reaction when she realized she wasn't going anywhere today. It was just a tiny pop in her balloon.

I'm very sad about the way people are villianizing her family; first of all - show me a family that isn't "dysfunctional" and I'll show you a group of mannequins. Every family has their dynamics and histories and behaviours that aren't perfect, and to tear this family apart because they're under scrutiny in the worst of situations - I think is just horrible. To hear stories that her parents might have not been very kind to her after Caylee was born - well, wouldn't most parents be irritated with their child who doesn't work and relies on them to take care of her and a baby? I'm thinking there might be some resentment there.... not so "dysfunctional" - at least no more so than a family thinking that it's perfectly okay to just coast through life. Or thinking it's okay to steal hundreds of checks and thousands of dollars from family members and friends. All this time I was thinking that they were too nice to her, and in reality maybe they were trying tough love - and that's what made her spiteful and take Caylee away. I don't mean killing her - I mean taking her from the house which is what triggered all of this anyway. Doesn't anyone remember that Casey left the house a month previously with Caylee and refused to let her mother see her? Does anyone remember that Cindy begged her to leave Caylee with her so she could go do her own thing when she wanted to? I wish the Prosecution focused more on the dynamic between Casey & Cindy in the parenting aspect -rather than just physical evidence - and maybe it would've painted a more rounded picture of the volatile personality that the jurors were dealing with. It was more than just Casey's relationship with Caylee; it was Casey's relationship with everyone - and how she manipulated, controlled and lied. That is the underlying path in this poor girl's death - accidental or otherwise.

I find it so sad that post verdict jurors have come out and said they know she's guilty but didn't feel that without knowing "how" she died, they could convict her. I'm sorry but you can't play Monday morning quarterback now. Listen, I've said it before - and I'll say it again. Does it matter if they're shot, stabbed or suffocated? Bottom line is a person is dead that clearly isn't natural causes with evidence to support it. How can that be ignored? I've never heard of so many people discussing Double Jeopardy as much as they are with this case. So many people feel that this wasn't the right decision.

I guess the bottom line is that I'm just so sad about this in general. I'm not irate; I'm not irrational about it. I just find it so sad that a jury completely disregarded physical evidence seconded by corroborating circumstantial evidence - and went with a theory that had zero evidence, admittedly. And yet, their decision will stand because that is our justice system. Even if her death was initially accidental, no matter what the means - the actions that followed were anything but accidental, and aggravated manslaughter should've been the verdict. And ask yourself this jurors: Why wasn't 911 called?? Because it wasn't an accident.... at least not the accident you'd like to think it was. It was accidental overdose by chloroform which she knew she would have to explain.... the duct tape and what not - I'm sure that was initially to make it look like a kidnapping. Truly, Casey's not that tough to figure out...

Just my humble opinion.....

The aftermath....

So, of course it's almost impossible to have the television on and not hear about Caylee Anthony.

What disturbs me most is that the jury completely disregarded all the evidence and clearly had their minds made up prior to deliberation. One alternate juror even came out and said that he knows something happened to Caylee and that they chose not to convict because "the family is dysfunctional and knows more than they're letting on.".

1. What family isn't dysfunctional at some level?
and 2. Of course they KNEW Casey did it....we ALL know it -- its just none of us can know exactly what happened. Of course her parents knew - they did all that they could to get it out of her. They cried, they begged, they bribed, they threatened. But they didn't cover it up for her -and for the jury to NOT convict based strictly on the fact that they feel the family is involved when there is zero evidence to point to that - is a complete and total miscarriage of justice. That is not bravery from the jury -- it's laziness.

There will be no justice for Caylee, I don't see how. And it's absolutely gutwrenching.

A friend of mine sent the following to me. She saw it on Facebook today and doesn't know if the person wrote it themselves or copied & pasted it. But either way - it's worth sharing.

"Dear Mommy,
I see you smile down there below, why are those tears of joy you show? I'm glad you're happy, although you lied, I'd still love to be smiling right by your side. Tell my grandparents I send my love. It's beautiful here, that's all I can say. I'm happy your life will go on without me in your way. I'm glad you get to walk free. Just remember sooner or later, there will be justice for me.
Love Caylee ♥♥♥ "

Disgusted. Disturbed. Disheartened. Disbelief....

It is an incredible travesty of justice that Casey Anthony was acquitted today on all charges related to the disappearance and obvious murder of her daughter Caylee.

I watched this trial and I'm sorry - reasonable doubt was not presented; irrational, unexplained and desperate doubts were presented. But reasonable? No, I think not.

This was not a jury of MY peers that acquitted this girl; and if it was a jury of HER peers, then I pity the state of Florida and those who live within it. It speaks volumes about what you can and can not do regarding your children, or other people for that matter.

While I did not believe a Murder One, Death Penalty award was going to be given - I believed for sure that a lesser charge would. And yet this girl has been cleared on everything except for lying to police.

So, clearly in the state of Florida it's okay to have a dead body in your car for weeks on end and then deny that it was ever there - even with DNA evidence. I don't care if there is no cause of death proved because when it comes two a 2 year old child - there doesn't need to be cause because the mere fact that she's dead shows that there is some semblence of unnatural occurance that happened. If it's an accident - then you don't lie about it; and you also don't drag everyone else into it either. If it's an accident - then you state that, and that scenario only. You don't come up with various possibilities. Two year olds don't die of natural causes; so whether it's shooting, neckbreaking, or chloroform poisioning - is irrelevant. The fact you have a dead body that no one other than the Mother has access to - speaks volumes. And with DNA in the car, multiple lies and basically NO information other than misinformation with intent to mislead -- who else do you look to.

This is a very sad day in the justice system; a very sad day for the Anthony family who I think is disgusted that Caylee has received no justice -- and a very sad day for this girl, who was so emotionally invested into this case. I don't know how the State of Florida couldn't have slammed this case shut -- but I'm so very dissapointed that they weren't able to make any of the charges on the table stick. There was NO justice for this beautiful little girl.

It's shocking, and sad. And it's going to take quite a long time for me to get over this case....

Oh say can you see....

Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave.....

O'er the land of the free....and the home of the brave.

Happy 4th of July!

Saturday Survey: Revisited

It's the 4th of July holiday weekend, and I am really excited to enjoy this nice weather we're finally having. This is the first long weekend that we've actually got the opportunity to have a few plans going; typically I don't know what we're going to do and we end up winging it. Today, the kiddies and I are going to our town's Family Day - complete with carnivals & fireworks. Tonight my son is having a friend sleepover - and then tomorrow we're going to a family BBQ. Tomorrow night - more fireworks, and then on the 4th - another family BBQ and more fireworks. Nothing is more fun on a hot summer night, then a good round of fireworks!

So in an effort to stay true to my Saturday posting of surveys - here is today's random things that you may or may not already know - or wanted to know - about me.

Coke or Pepsi? - Neither. I don't like tonic.
Regular pool or heated pool? - I'd take either. I just want a flipping pool.
Hot tea or ice tea? - Hot tea.
Sunflower or daisy? - Sunflower. Especially the bright red ones....
Red rose or pink rose? - Pink Rose.
Salt or pepper? - Salt. Preferably sea salt.
Red or Green Apple? - Green Apple, but of course...
Red or Blue? - Blue.
Christmas or Thanksgiving? - Christmas. No better time of year...
Pink or Green? - Green
Hamburger or Hotdogs? - Hot dog.
Music or Movies? - Music... words and music, words and music.....
Heaven or hell? - Heaven. That's a stupid question.
Comedy or horror? - I hate horror movies.
aol or aim? - I don't use either.
ipod or mp3? - MP3 all the way.
Purse or backpack? - Purse.
Parision or Sears? - Don't know what Parision is, but I've seen the softer side of Sears - and liked it.
Paris or France? - Hello, but isn't Paris in France...? I'd say all of France
Milky Way or Sneakers? - Um, I think they meant "Snickers." Milky way
Vanilla or Chocoloate? - The person who created this survey can't spell, clearly. Vanilla...
Phone or Internet? - Nothing beats a good phone conversation....
Steak or Shrimp? - That's a tough one. Depends on my mood.
School or Work? - My school days are over kiddies.... it's all about work.