not A merica, THE MERICA

Happy day-before-the-Forth-of-July! I want to take a moment to reflect on the glorious country that I call home. This blog is dedicated to the men and women who love this place enough to put it all on the line, and for that I am forever grateful. We so often take our freedom and liberties for granted, so I encourage everyone to revere this great nation and all that she stands for. Never forget the history this soil holds and all that it has overcome, and all that it continues to promise.

Two of my favorite quotes about life are about as equivalent to being American as it gets: “If you want to be happy, be” and “If you don’t like where you are, move” perfectly explain the majority of human problems as well as the solution. We are lucky enough to live in one country with 50 very different states- if you don’t like one, you’re sure to find one that you do. Though I have visited less than half of the states (so far), I still have an endless amount of respect and appreciation for each one for the depth and character they add to our “melting pot.” Here’s a list of the 50 things I personally love about our 50 states, even the one’s I haven’t been to yet…

Alabama- Football. And one smokin’ hot guy with manners! (aka, Alex)

Alaska- Deadliest Catch, dog mushing, and Mt. McKinley making the tallest point in the biggest state

Arizona- Grand Canyon

Arkansas- the LAKE

California- the pursuit of happiness and self always seem to be welcomed out there…and they have the huge trees in the Sequoia National Park

Colorado- Hiking, skiing, and the first place I ever saw a wild prairie dog

Connecticut- strangely entertaining hunting locations and nice homes

Delaware- the first of the great states, Fishers popcorn, and the lady bug being the state bug…

Florida- Disney World—so magical!

Georgia- Peaches, golf, and peanut festivals. It can keep the gnats, though.

Hawaii- Beaches everywhere…that’s a dead give away.

Idaho- Potato chips, hot springs, and the Nez Perce legends…they should have kept the Appaloosas…

Illinois- Chicago, the greatest rival to the Cards,…and the home of some of my best friends from college.

Indiana- Purdue. Agriculture forever.

Iowa- the crookedest street in the world, Snake Alley

Kansas- can’t say much because I was raised to hate a Jayhawk, but thank goodness for farm country

Kentucky- One word: Bourbon.

Louisiana- Cajun food and Swamp People

Maine- Lobster

Maryland- I read once that their Mcdonald’s offer crab rolls…

Massachusetts- Smarty pants schools that beat Asian math and science scores everytime.

Michigan- Detroit and vehicles- thanks, yall.

Minnesota- MALL OF AMERICA

Mississippi- Blues music, laid back lifestyles, Mugshots cheeseburgers, and Hail to Dear Ole State!

Missouri- The Bootheel and me, obviously. Although I should also mention the Sikeston rodeo, Lamberts, and the Cardinals.

Montana- the Horse Whisperer and the largest buffalo herd thanks to Ted Turner

Nebraska- corn, corn, corn, and the College World Series

Nevada- Sin City, baby

New Hampshire- first of the 13 colonies to declare independence from England- that’s FREE!

New Jersey- Jersey Shore and all of its awful, raunchy entertainment.

New Mexico- Hot Air Balloon Festival

New York- Sex and the City and the Freedom Tower, all 1776 feet of it

North Carolina- Nicholas Sparks and his fabulous romance novels

North Dakota- Cowboy Country, baby

Ohio- “Cleveland ROCKS!” oh, and so does Clark Gable…

Oklahoma- Oklahoma City, Still Water, Calf Fry, Corona Cartel, I could go on for days about this place…

Oregon- Carousel Horses and their ever-surprising football jerseys

Pennsylvania- HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE

Rhode Island- home to the oldest operating tavern in the country, the White Horse Tavern, which opened in 1673

South Carolina- Hilton Head

South Dakota- the fact that this is referred to as the “Bad Lands” is just awesome…

Tennessee- itty bitty Paris spared my liquor habits in college and Nashville because, duh.

Texas- the “don’t tread on me” state of mind rules in the long horn state- and I love it!

Utah- Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural land bridge

Vermont- BEN AND JERRY’S ICE CREAMMMMM

Virginia- Gettysburg and the Pentagon, demonstrating the best defense for hundreds of years and counting…

Washington- I don’t remember much about Washington because I was young when we visited, but I did enjoy picking wild strawberries out of people’s front yards…and eating them.

West Virginia- 75 percent of this state is forest…because “mountaineers are always free”

Wisconsin- CHEESE

Wyoming- rodeos, frizz-free hair, and Yellow Stone.

And if you’re not singing “50 Nifty United States” yet………..I bet you are now….

“…each individual state contributes a quality that is great…”

But the greatest of all is knowing that no matter what state you’re in, you’re an American. And if you don’t like it, “man we’ll light up your world like the 4^th of July. Brought to your courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”

Here’s a list of a few more great things about ‘Merica:

1. We have the best “away colors”- camo

2. Back to back World War Champs

3. On a scale of one to America, how free do you feel right now?

4. No more prohibition means we can get “star spangled hammered” or “red, white, and boozed” anytime we want.

5. Flags a wavin’, guns a blazin’

6. Merica needed a nice vacation home, so she bought Hawaii.

Ok I’ll stop now. But on a serious note, always remember those that serve so we can call our home the Land of the Free. They sacrifice everything” not because they hate what’s in front of them, but because they love what’s behind them.” (quote from a friend that is currently serving for us)

I hope everyone has a fantastic 4^th filled with family, friends, BBQ, fireworks, and a body of water celebrating our heritage. Let’s put politics and differences aside for one day and revel in the complexities that keep us aware and give everyone a voice, and more importantly, a chance. This is our home, let’s be thankful.

“This Lady may have stumbled, but she never fell…From the sound up in Long Island out to San Francisco Bay, and ev’ry thing that’s in between them is our home. And we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves, but you outside people best leave us alone. Cause we’ll all stick together and you can take that to the bank. That’s the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks. You just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan and I think you’re gonna finally understand.”- Charlie Daniels Band

Merica.

Love always,

Addie

“…meals are memorials that teach us how to move, history moves in us as we raise our voices and then our glasses to pour a little our for those who poured our everything for us, we pour ourselves our for them, so they can eat again.” –Jake Adam York, excerpt from his poem, “Grace”

pretend it’s Friday. mostly because it’s Monday, again.

I wrote this last Friday with every intention of posting it…until I looked at the clock and realized that I only had time to hit “save” before rushing out the door and making it to my haircut a few minutes late.

Today is a good day. I woke up unusually happy, had an amazing cup of coffee, our office still smells like crawfish from the grower meeting/appreciation dinner last night, and I just got a free pork loin- the whole loin, like the entire length of a grown, huge pig! (Not sure what I’m going to do with it all, but hey, free food!) Oh and I’m wearing my henna-elephant-looking shirt with pink pants. Sounds ugly…and it might be, but it makes me smile. I feel like this is a good weekend to go on an adventure. Not sure exactly what and where, but it just feels like one of those “kill a Saturday without actually killing anything” kind of weekends. I’m excited though I don’t know why…Fortunately, Mamie is on her way here now and is a great partner in crime for trips/adventures/weird stuff. We will probably end up in a strange hole-in-the-wall coffee shop instead because we are old ladies in 20-something bodies, but either way, we will have a time!

Here is one of the places that I want to go to soon…maybe not this weekend since it’s several hours away and Mamie is already driving 4 hours just to get here:

 

The Windsor Ruins

Windsor Ruins are the columns left standing from a huge mansion that was constructed near Port Gibson, MS in 1861. Though it’s said that the mansion never reached completion, it housed both Confederate and Union soldiers during the war. After the war it was used for large parties and was burned down in 1890 when a guest’s careless cigar was dropped. The mansion housed over 25 rooms, each with their own fire place, and a 4^th floor that held an observatory room that overlooked the plantation and river. It cost the family around $175,000 to build, which is nearly $4.5 million today. After the house burned, the family donated the ruins to the state and it is now on the National Historic Register. There are still bricks left in the rubble pile that are good for the taking, so I’m told. (So of course, I want one.)

Speaking of history, I will be the first to tell you that I love school. I know, it’s weird. Most people can’t wait to get out of school and get to college, and then get out of college and get a real job. (Though most want to go back to college as soon as the real world sinks in.) I thought that it was just the college lifestyle that I have been missing so much, but as it turns out, it’s the classes. I came to this realization after the ridiculous amount excitement that struck me when I discovered that the W (Mississippi University for Women- though it’s open for men now too) is offering life enrichment classes. I could go back to college except for the fact that I’m broke and will be paying off student loans forever as it is, and I don’t feel like writing a dissertation to get another degree. But enrichment classes are in my price range! I missed the deadline for the spring semester classes so I’m crossing my fingers that they offer them again in the summer. If not, I’ll be anxiously awaiting fall!

There’s your fun and fashion (my outfit) for today.

Has anyone else seen the knock-off Girl Scout cookies that are being sold in grocery stores everywhere?! Coming from a lifetime-member of the Girl Scouts, I am personally offended that someone else is ripping off our specialty. On the other hand, I’m excited that I can now get them year round!

And speaking of grocery store finds, check out this giant can of tuna that we found! I didn’t even know they sold these in regular stores. I figured you’d have to order a can this size!

 

Biggest Tuna Can Ever…and a lovely model 🙂

And there’s your food from Wednesday that I missed….

Happy 2^nd birthday to the baby girl who showed us all the God still works miracles. From 14 ounces at 4 months premature, to 17 whopping pounds, she has come a long way. She couldn’t open her eyes when she first got here, but as she learned to open hers, she taught us to open our own as well. I love you so much baby Henley, and can’t wait to watch you grown into an amazing and beautiful woman just like your momma!

Wishing everyone an adventurous weekend. Only one week until Gin Show and 5 days until I try to convince Alex to take me to the Josh Abbot concert in Starkvegas. Get excited!

Also, go read Gone Girl if you like suspense stories. It was weird, but I liked it.

Love always,

Addie

“You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then they let it go. They don’t want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.”- Mitch Hedberg