Monday, June 28, 2010

Win a Ride in a Duesenburg!

My husbands new company was instrumental in securing the Duesenburg Drag Races this year during the ACD Festival! If you have a child between the ages of 7 and 17, check this out. It will be an awesome event! Normally only a handful (7 or 8) of Duesenburgs are here for the Labor Day festivities, we already have close to 30 signed up!

http://www.classicaleventauctions.com/index.php

Scroll down to the lower right and click on the link under "Coloring Contest" to download the pdf file.

If you are interested in buying or selling a car at our Labor Day Auction, let me know! We will be holding our auction at the Classic City Center across from DeKalb High School. Our event is a family friendly event with activities for everyone in the whole family!

Come out and see Ayron auction live! We are also in talks to have the world's only blind (and licensed) auctioneer on the podium as well! It will be an awesome time!

Friday, June 18, 2010

I'll take a Nicholas Sparks book and a side of mayo

This one is for my sister (a librarian).


Woman, 74, put mayo in book drop

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Police in Idaho think they might have solved a yearlong condiment crime spree.
Authorities said a 74-year-old Boise woman arrested after pouring mayonnaise in the Ada County library's book drop box is a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related crimes.
Joy L. Cassidy was picked up Sunday at the library, moments after police say she pulled through the outside drive-through and dumped a jar of mayo in the box designated for reading materials.
Cassidy was released from jail and faces a misdemeanor charge of malicious injury to property.
Boise police say Cassidy is under investigation for other cases of vandalism that started in May 2009. Library employees have reported finding books in the drop box covered in corn syrup and ketchup.
I had to laugh. What did the library do that made her soooo mad that she thought, "Hmmm... some mayo in their drop box will teach them not to mess with me!" She has done this at least 10 other times. I have to wonder if she chose Mayo or that nasty impersonator, Miracle Whip. Why did she exclude mustard? All of these thoughts and no answers.
I have tried to edit this so when it posts it's not all smooshed together, but I just can't get it to work....sorry!

My Sick and Twisted Mind

Ok, so I am sitting in Magistrate Court at the moment and I forgot to bring my book with me. I have been surfing news sites for the past hour killing time and came across this article.

First thing that got me was the name of the company. Please tell me I am not the only one who giggled at that!

I am not saying that obesity is an issue to take lightly. I myself could stand to shed some pounds and am currently working on that issue.

After reading the article I then began to wonder, "Where in the world am I going to get a casket for Ayron?" (When the time comes, I love him and don't want him to go anytime soon).

For those of you who don't know who Ayron is, he is my husband. Ok, so no biggie right? Wrong. he is 6'10" and will not fit in the normal casket. I have to wonder if they make a "big and tall" casket store or if the one in the article could custom build something long enough. Heck, where to pro basketball players go to get their caskets?

I know death is a sad thought, but this article has me thinking that maybe cremation is the way to go!

Monday, June 14, 2010

10 Years.

Saturday night we went to Ayron's ten year high school reunion. I started realizing that if he has been out of high school 10 years, then I have been out 9. It seems like 9 years is a lot of time, but then again, it doesn't.

I was amazed by one of his former peers who now lives in Switzerland. She is married to a gentleman that I went to high school with and while they were living in Boston they both decided they wanted to live overseas. So they up and moved. I can't imagine moving across the state, let alone across the ocean. I can't imagine living in a country were you don't speak the language and your parents aren't close. I admire anyone who has the knowledge and emotional strength to move to a different country. I wouldn't even know where to begin.

I started thinking about what I had managed to accomplish since graduating high school. I earned a BS, got married, bought a house, started a family, got a great job. It may not be a new life in a foreign country, but I'm happy with what I have accomplished. I have strong family ties and a job (although it can be frustrating) that is rewarding and allows me to inspire young minds that would normally be misunderstood in a public high school. No, it's no foreign country, but I will stick with what I have.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Jell-O Cookies

Here is a new cookie idea I tried today. They turned out good and Ayron liked them so I think they are a "winner." I did make some "tweeks" that made it easier so I'll incorporate them below.

3 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3 Sticks butter (softened)
1 C. Sugar
2 pkgs. Jell-O (small packages of your favorite flavors, you could probably "mix and match")
1 Egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift the flour and baking powder together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly mix in the sugar and 1 package of the jello. Beat until incorporated. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until completely mixed. Place dough in fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes (keeps the mixture from sticking to your hands).

Shape dough into small balls and place 1" apart on cookie sheet (I recommend you line the pans with parchment paper). Then place the cookie sheet in the freezer for another couple of minutes. Use a clean glass to flatten the dough balls into circles (I actually dipped the glass in flour to prevent sticking). Use the 2nd package of Jell-o to "sprinkle" the cookies. Then place in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

I am assuming you could mix and match your two favorite flavors of Jell-O. I stuck with strawberry and Ayron liked them. I was certain that shaping the balls would dye my hands red, but it didn't. I was surprised!

I discovered that chilling the dough just made the process a lot easier.

Adventures in Soap Making

I knew you could make your own laundry soap, but I had never tried it. Due to sensitive skin, I have to buy the All "Free and Clear" detergent and that can be costly with as much laundry as I do (Husband, 2 year old, and a dog create a lot of laundry). I knew my sister in law made her own soap and a lady my mom knows makes her own as well. My mom brought home some soap for me to try and I loved it. It doesn't have the dyes or perfumes that cause me to break out in hives.

We had to go to Rural King this morning to get something for the dog, so I decided to get the supplies needed to make my own soap. Here is how is broke down cost wise to make roughly 30 gallons of laundry soap.

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda $3.29
Fels Naptha Bars (we bought 6) $7.74
20 Mule Borax Laundry Booster $3.99

I also bought 2 large buckets for $2.99 a piece, but those are a one time expense, so I didn't add them into my cost analysis.

So the grand total of my purchase was 15.02 (without tax). Divide that by the 30 gallons of soap it will make and the final cost is roughly 50 cents a gallon! You can't beat that! I was spending at least $9 a month on laundry soap, but not anymore!

Here is the recipe for the homemade laundry soap that I will use.

1 bar of laundry soap (Fels Naptha)
1/2 C. Borax
1 C. Washing Soda

Grate the bar of laundry soap and melt on stop with just a little bit of water. Fill 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot water. Add soap, borax, and soda. Mix well. Fill bucket with more hot water (enough to fill the 5 gallon bucket). Stir. Use 1/2 C. of the soap per load. Makes 5 gallons.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative

I was browsing through newspapers (on line of course) and came across this article from the IndyStar.

I have to say, I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! What took so long for someone to create something like this? We do something similar with our students in my program, but we are flexible enough and can make the time. Why couldn't this idea be incorporated into EVERY Health class in the nation?

Another School Year Has Come and Gone

Yesterday I ended my fourth school year running the Youth Improvement Program. For those of you who don't know what I do, here is a brief idea.

I run a school for local juvenile delinquents. Some students I get are in trouble with the law,
some are just in trouble at school. I get what most teachers would categorize as the "worst
of the worst." We choose to see them as misunderstood and seek to help them become not
only better students, but well rounded members of the community.

This past school year was our biggest yet. We had 39 students come through our doors, and of those 39, 35 were successfully readmitted back into their "home" school. It was a busy and crazy year, but it was also fun. We had some "repeat" offenders, but it was great to watch how they grew and matured and took responsibility for their actions.

As we were playing "Hillbilly Golf" in the yard yesterday with all the kids we noticed a former student (let's call him T)moving into a house across the street. He came over to visit and it was great to see a success story 2 years after we had him in our program. He is working a great job. His girlfriend is a stay at home mother to their two children and they are planning their wedding. He starts school at Trine this fall and she starts Trine next week. He and his girlfriend have even taken in his younger brother and are making sure he completes his education as well. The visit from T reminded me why I do what I do.

Now it's time to take off the teacher hat and put on the criminal justice hat. I spend my summers working for Community Corrections and this summer I will be leading some juvenile work crews (hoping to score a tan as well!) as well as my normal court duties. As I sit in my quiet office, just 16 hours after the last student of this year walked out the door, I am lonely. I got used to having all 8 of the students here early asking questions or just hanging out and reading the paper.