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Sunday Happy

December 4, 2022 Colleen Stem

Ok so it’s been a couple weeks and WHOA has it been a couple weeks. There was Thanksgiving, which was chill. We had the littles over, made snowflakes, and did a dinner. The mr got a rotisserie chicken, I made bread and potatoes, and the boys wrote dirty works with fridge magnets all night. Duh.

After that it has just been a blur. Markets started up and I am basically either living in my studio or the commuity studio loading and unloading kilns (I am in charge of the whole community studio firing schedule right now which is basically me saying over and over “Yeah dude I get it, it is close to christmas and you want your piece fired but you need to get off my balls!” ) or I am at a market. I and freaking tired as all hell and it is kinda crazy town in my head right now. Two more weeks of this and then I am going to crash. Until then…

Even though I am all out we did go chop our tree down last week. We hiked into the forest with a saw and came out a good time later with the cutest, tall but skinny and slightly bare on the back, tree. It is perfectly imperfect and fits perfectly in the living room. I didn’t even have to move a single piece of furniture!!! And now the lights are on the tree and the lights are up on the house ( I think I threw those up on thanksgiving?), the Christmas music has commenced, and I am drinking all the holiday peppermint tea I can. Living it up!

So yeah, basically that is it. Well that and all the birthdays. Shannon, Erin, Justin. Then So beans last night (the big 10!) and next is the mr’s. This one is a big one too, 40, and not going to lie, I am sick of hearing about it. HA! But that is not for a few more days so until then I will just be hiding away in the basement covered in clay like a little troll.

December is wild right?

A few links.

-End of year NPR Book list. This is the only end of year list I like.

-This a a pretty wild green house. I’m into it. A Kinetic Glass Greenhouse Blossoms into a Massive Open-Air Terrarium

-When should you put up Christmas lights? A new survey illuminates an evergreen debate. I say whenever the heck you want. In this house it s the week after Thanksgiving but I also have lights around the windows in the kitchen all year long because really, they are just nice to use as lighting.

-But do we want the kids to eat them? This Designer Created Kid-Safe, Edible Crayons Out of Vegetables

-Big windows ans a shit ton of boo. I am here for this A Frame Cabin.

And some pictures of the past couple weeks.

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In sunday happy Tags pottery, stem+node, holiday, sunday happy, christmas, forest
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Sunday Happy

November 13, 2022 Colleen Stem

First week into Daylight Savings and I got to tell you, I am so into it. I love when it gets dark out early. I love being able to see the sunrise when I got for runs in the morning. It works for me. What I do not love, better yet hate right now is how warm it has been. It is making me sad and cranky. Mind body and mind crave those crisp, cold, snow filled days where everything seems quiet and all the people are tucked away and the outside world seems to be all mine. I guess I am a true Ice Queen.

Besides shitty weather the past couple weeks things were good good. Lots of studio time. Lots. And a few nice hikes through the sticks. The mr, Judah, and I cleaned the yard and moved all the leaves to the garden beds. I made fire cider, the mr carved a many spoons. I picked up the first winter farm share, voted, watched the lunar eclipse and cleaned the car. Not like super exciting but exciting enough. That is my life. Ha!

Today the mr and I are going somewhere for a hike. Now that we aren’t camping every weekend we go for a good hike on Sundays instead. It is good to have something to look forward to. And if I have time I should probably go grocery shopping, I have a long list and a shit ton of bread I need to make…The family is descending on the house this weekend for our family Thanksgiving. 23-26 people. Yeah, I am in charge of all bread. We need lots of bread.

Oh and it’s Shannon’s birthday today so yeah, Happy Birthday!

A couple links from the internet.

- I use all my flours so fast that I just keep in in the pantry but this is good info. The Best Way to Store Flour Isn't What You Think.

-Christmas Weather Forecast (2022): Will It Be White, Or What? I sure hope this is wrong.

-Why Prehistoric Herders Didn’t Spit Out Their Watermelon Seeds. I don’t spit them out cause I like them plus they are super good for you.

-This is what’s happening to your brain in the middle of a conflict. I do not like conflict because most conflict could be solved if people just listened to everything I say. For real.

-The Age of Social Media Is Ending. Yeah, I kinda hope so.

Pictures from the weeks.

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In sunday happy Tags pottery, sunday happy, the great outdoors, nature, vt, internet links, thanksgiving, pictures from the week, everyday life
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Sunday Happy

August 7, 2022 Colleen Stem

I am over it. It being summer. And don’t at me about it because I don’t care. I am over heated to the deepest parts of my soul and I just can’t even more. I’m done. And cranky as all hell.

The week was busy busy. Sunday we went to a family birthday party (Happy 1st Birthday Tan!!) before camping. It was stupid hot, I was exhausted from the market, and I tripped and fell by the river directly onto my shoulder right before the party which when I look back at it was lucky for me because I was able to grab some ice from the cooler. I was that girl walking around with a melting bag of ice on her shoulder. It is a look. After the party we went back to the campground. We didn’t do much after that but it was still great, even if I thought I broke my shoulder (I didn’t but there is a nasty ass bruise). Anyway, we mulled around, ate, had a tiny little fire, then crawled into the tent early, watched the fire flies, passed out, woke up, and came home.

The rest of the week was more of the same as always. Lots of pots thrown, lots of veggies harvest from the garden, lots of me being super cranky because it is too damn hot. I dropped off a batch of mugs to an art gallery/shop!, cleaned the fridge out, and spent as much time as I could laying on the floor of the kitchen trying to save my soul. On one of the hot days the mr and I took the littles, Megan, and Barb to the pool. That was fun, even when they had to shut one of the pools down because of a dead animal. Yeah. But there are two pools so it was fine. After the pool it was our house for peanut butter sandwiches, chalk drawing, and coco walking around with one shoe because why not. The boys ended up sleeping over and the next morning was pancakes, more chalk, and playing with clay.

And that was it. I worked at the studio, sweated threw all of my clothes, ate lots of fresh tomatoes (only redeeming thing about summer) and slowly got my shoulder to stop hurting as much.

Another Sunday and the heat is worse. I am not exactly sure of the plan beside camping somewhere but as for activities go, I am not kayaking as we had planned because it is just to hot to be out during the day. A small hike maybe, but really if we just end up at a river for the day, well I am ok with that. Stupid summer….I am so cranky.😁

Internet from the week.

-I leave so much crap in library books (bills, money, rubber bans, pictures…)but I never return a book without shaking it out first. It’s a good habit. From Lists to Love Letters, What Do People Leave Behind in Library Books?

-Huh. Why do so many bikes end up underwater? The reasons can be weird and varied.

-Carnivalcore Has Arrived to Bring the Fun Back Into Our Homes.I am here for it, just not in my house.

-This is gross and I sure the hell hope I don’t spent that much time on apps. ( I definitely do not!) Study shows most of us spend more than 4 hours a day on apps

-I am exited for some good viewing! Get ready to look up in the night sky at all those meteor showers

-California: visitors to world’s tallest tree face $5,000 fine and possible jail time. I agree, stay away from the tree folks. Humans destroy enough as it is, just leave it alone.

-I don’t eat these but I know the littles do. Which Vegan Chicken Nuggets Actually Taste Good? A Blind Taste Test of Whole Foods, Impossible Foods, and More

-Working a Shitty Job Is Linked to Mental Decline When You're Old, Study Says. Yeah no shit.

Pictures from the week.

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In sunday happy Tags stupid summer, everyday life, internet links, pottery, sunday happy, family, pool, camping
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Sunday Happy

July 24, 2022 Colleen Stem

This is the time of summer that hate or strongly dislike. The heat and humidity. All a bunch of bullshit. 😬

We went on our first camp of our camp season and I give it an A (not A+). Everything was perfect except that it was hot, like mother freaking stupid hot. So hot that when I made dinner (soup as always and forever) the mr refused to eat it .Me, well I ate it and dropped more sweat then I thought possible, So yeah it was stupid hot and yes we did go out in the kayaks at exactly the hottest part of the day (really bad choice) and sure I might have died a little but it was still all good. The stroll through the woods. The tiny little fire that I sat far far away from. My hot soup. All the stuff. And when we woke up the next morning the temperature had dropped enough to be a bit chilled, I made the coffee in a long sleeved shirt, walked to the pond for sunrise then packed up camp and home we headed.

Then the rest of the week. I blinked and it was over. First thing back I went to the dentist and had my teeth cleaned all nice and shit. Then I basically spent the rest of the days running around with my head chopped off. I was in the studio almost everyday loading and unload kilns, glazing all the stuff, and helping transition the new studio manager to the place. Wasn’t so bad given the air condition and all because, as you might also be dealing with, a stupid ass heat wave. Whenever I was home I was miserable and bitchy and cursing the sun back to hell. The house felt like a furnace and I did not deal with it well. Not my finest moments as a human but I didn’t literally kill anyone so I consider that a victory.

Sunday! Not only ar we going camping but we are bringing the crew with us. The 3 littles, Barb, and the mr and I are heading out to the woods this morning to do what we do best. We will hike and swim. They will fish and I will read (or run around with Coco). Got the frisbee and nerf ball and playing cards. And we packed a ton of food (healthy and junk). There will be fire and s’mores and when the wake up the get the full on meal along with breakfast hot chocolate. Sure there is a chance it gonna rain all night but I really don’t care because summer camping rain is just fine by me. We won’t melt, I hope anyway.

Some internet reads from my week.

-The Era of Climate Change Has Created a New Emotion . I feel the “eco-anxiety.” every damn day.

-Glamorous and unafraid are not the two words I think of when I here this design trend but hey, it’s actually pretty awesome. Not for me but I love to see it! Barbiecore Is the New Design Trend to Completely Obsess Over.

-This Is The Most Common Weather-Related Phobia. Can you guess my weather phobia? Yeah it’s definitely 100% thermophobia.

-Do cats and dogs remember their past? Obviously.

-I don’t got to restaurants but if I did I would want to know every single detail of what I was ordering. Is the Minimalist Restaurant Menu Over?

-Sad. Beloved monarch butterflies are now listed as endangered

-Crazy. This goat is all ears. REALLY! They may be the longest in goat history

-The case for caring less. All about caring less or as I like to say, not giving two fucks.

Pictures from the week.

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In internet links, sunday happy Tags internet links, sunday happy, camping, summer, Vermont, outdoors, pottery, ceramics, heat wave, everyday life, pictures, pond, Vt state parks
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Sunday Happy

July 17, 2022 Colleen Stem

It’s starting to feel like summer for real. On the one hand I am officially over the heat (and it has only barely begun), but on the other hand the flowers, tomatoes, and zucchini are really pulling their weight in life so I can’t be a complete asshole when I am picking all the lovely flowers eating the finest of produce…Or I can. Just ask the mr. Ha!

Basically I spent that past week either at the studio loading kilns and dealing with annoying stuff or in my basement studio, covered in clay, throwing pots. A marathon of making to have enough pieces for my next market and for a few stores. So yeah, my back is killing me, I have bruises on my arms from my wheel, and I am exhausted. When I go on benders like this my brain goes crazy with ideas, I can’t sleep, and I forget to like eat food and drink water. And the sick thing is that I love it.

I did manage myself a bit of time away from the clay. The littles came over and we went to the pool, ate food, and played some mean games of rock pepper scissors. (Those kids, they really are the coolest. And are getting way to old. I am officially scared.) I also picked the first zucchini and the first beans of the season from the garden, grabbed farmshare and picked flowers, pick raspberries from the yard…I guess I picked a lot of stuff this week. Yeah, a week of clay and picking. A pretty bitchin week.

And it is Sunday and were are kicking off CAMPING SEASON!!!. I am so stinking excited. They kayaks are in the truck, the camp stove and lentils are packed, and the firewood is loaded. I need this. The mr needs this. We are going to Groton where there are a few big ponds, lots of hiking, and no cell service. 24 hours of nope to anything other than the great outdoors. I mean doesn’t that sound delightful? I am so ready!

Some internet from the internet.

-More people need to know how to do this. How to admit you’re wrong. I don’t though cause I am never wrong. HAHA!

-I love this house for me The Hudson House, just maybe move it to a secluded 30 acres in VT.

-First mustard, now this. I can’t deal. Your Favorite Hummus Brand Could Be More Expensive Soon and It’s Due to a Global Chickpea Shortage

-I mean, why not? I would show some art at a casino. Can Casinos Be Art Galleries?

-Any rapid movement let alone head banging cause me. at least a week of pain. Birds. They are wild. Why woodpeckers actually don’t need shock-absorbing skulls to headbang

-5 years of nearly constant wear, my Chaco straps snapped. Grrrrrr. So I ordered these new ones.

-These pictures are freaking amazing. James Webb Space Telescope: An astronomer explains the stunning, newly released 1st images


Pictures from the week.

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In sunday happy, summer Tags ceramics, pottery, Vermont, summer, everyday life, camping, flowers, the littles, sunday happy, internet links
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