Sunday Happy

What a week. The weather was fantastic, so spring like. I had all the windows open in the house, I didn’t have to wear gloves and heavy jackets every time I stepped out the door, and I even busted out my sandals for a day. It was so needed. A good reminder that spring will come, even if it did snow again since and that it’s gonna get kinda cold this week. But I’ll take it because it is not -10 anymore!

Beside all the nice weather, the week just flew by. We had the kids Sunday and then dropped them off at home so they could start back at school the next day. Once they left I spent the remainder of my day washing snot off the walls, washing and folding every blanket I own, and restocking food. (they ate EVERYTHING!) And now I miss them. But that is how it goes. The following day my Mom went in for her hip surgery, emerging a day later with a new strut and a scary amount of energy for someone who just had a bone replaced in her body. The mr and I have been going over everyday to check on her and walk her up and down the street and help her with any of the things that she might need help with because we are the best and also her favorite. HAHA! Other then that, we have been keeping busy with the usual. The mr has been off and around doing the things. I have been puttering around stacks of papers and going up and down the stairs to the studio more times then I would like to just check on pots that are just not wanting to dry. We had lunch on the front stairs at Megans , well we ate and the mr threw snowballs at So, I fell really hard on some ice on a run (actually I have fallen like 3 times..) and I pulled my piece of shit bike out (The one I rode before my old one get stolen. It is to small and the gears down work and the brakes are bad. I need a new bike ASAP!) and went for a little bike ride to the library. That was nice?

Sunday. It is not going to be as warm as it has been but it will be warm enough. My hopes for today are that I can get out of town for a bit and get in a little hike or at least a nice walk (probably should stay off the the trails right now, the are covered in ice!), read a lot, drink lots of coffee, and to take a nap. A simple day. Sounds freaking fantastic to me.

Some internet from the week.

-Did you remember to set your clocks? (if you have any normal, non smart clocks) Daylight saving time begins Sunday: 8 things to know about “springing forward”

-A year ago…Do you even remember? I remember not thinking that this could not possible last longer then a month. Boy was I wrong. How scientists correctly predicted the pandemic would last more than a year

-Why some people can deal with the cold. I am one of those people.

-I love this bedroom. EMMA’S PINK BEDROOM TOUR

-There’s a Better Way to Parent: Less Yelling, Less Praise. Really interesting read and I for one completely agree. Less yelling!

-$75 to hug cow…. that is steep! Here in Vt we hug our cows for free. The Comfort of Cow Cuddles

-Desperate Times Call for Elaborate Buttercream. Love loving at pretty cakes.

-Not all viruses are bad. Most viruses around us are benign; some are even lifesaving

-Eastern coyotes are increasingly common—here are 5 facts to know about them. We hear coyotes a fair amount when camping and it used to freak me out a bit but now I find it soothing. Is that weird?

Pictures from the week .

Sunday Happy

All of a sudden I feel it. Spring is in the air. Not like spring is coming right now but there is a hint. The temperatures are rising a little (not -15 every morning) , the sunlight is stronger and the rising earlier. I am starting to get annoyed at my winter jacket. I want to clean every single nook and cranny of the house. Yeah, spring time. It is ah coming and I am not made about it!

Past another week and here we are. Not much different then other weeks for the past while. We went hiking on Valentines day and enjoyed just being together. Hung out with Barb, had a snow storm that didn't actually accumulate to much (although I did have to shovel a lot…stupid plow kept me busy) and spent a lot of time with the clay in both studios. Uneventful but eventful enough. I am starting to feel a bit antsy, like I need to run the streets screaming, and I am not sure if it is pandemic fatigue, a little touch of cabin fever, or if I am just losing my mind. It’s probably a bit of all three. So yeah, there is that. HA!

Today, circled right back to Sunday. What to do? The mr and I both have a bunch of stuff going on the next few days (weeks) so I don’t know how much time we will have to wonder off today but we really need to chill for a least a little while. Thinking maybe a smaller hike nearby or even just a nice long stroll along the lake. That actually sounds nice. And coffee. A lakeside coffee stroll.

And I think I might have just made a plan. Good on me!

Some internet from the week.

-Explaining this week’s deadly US cold snap. A shitty week down south for sure. And why it matters The Impact of Severe Winter Storms

-A Vegan Community Fridge at a Boxing Gym? Oh hell yeah! Boxers can be vegan too!

-A Bicycle. A Trip. Or Just Pants: The Things We Buy When Pining For Normal Times. Have you bought or planned anything in anticipation? I am planning, planning on doing then things that got screwed the past year.

-The trees know everything. Ancient Trees Show When The Earth's Magnetic Field Last Flipped Out

-I am not moving Mars. The Perseverance rover is now on Mars. What does it hope to find there?

-How To Keep Your Pantry Free of Creepy-Crawly Pests. My biggest problem is always fruit flies. Stupid flies.
-The BOOKS! Tokyo’s Kadokawa Culture Museum Houses an Arresting Kengo Kuma-Designed Bookshelf Theater

-There is something about this kitchen that I just really like. Calamine Pinks in a Converted Barn Kitchen by Plain English

-Thats a big drawing. Artist breaks world record for largest solo drawing

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

The weeks started off with blue sky, extremely cold weather, and me, going for my morning run, not giving a fuck, and getting what I am self diagnosing but am pretty sure it is, frost bite on the tip of my nose. Yup, I went for an hour long run in what they said was a -10 morning and when I came home I had ice all over my eyelashes, my face cover, my hair, and my nose was numb. And the tip was fire red. I kind of freaked a little but then figured that the worst case scenario would be that I would have to cut the tip of my nose off and after I asked the mr if he would mind if I needed to cut if off (he was cool with it) I calmed down a bit and smacked a salve covered bandaid on the honker and just hoped it would figure it self out. Lucky my nose is still intact but there still is a big red blotch on the tip and I can feel it now, it just hurts a little when I touch it. SO, lesson learned. Go inside when ice forms on your face.

Besides my nose issues, the week has been good. Went for a long city walk with Barb, picked up a bunch of new books at the library, got a few packages of seed!!! and did a lot of glazing. I am really excited to see how the new designed mugs comes out of the kiln but also a little nervous. When things go right in ceramics, well it is the best feeling. When they go wrong, it really freaking sucks.

Also we got a good little snow storm that dumped close to a foot of snow. That made me smile a bunch, even when I was shoveling for the fifth time. (I actually really like shoveling.)

And that’s about it. I think. My brain is shit these days….

Back at Sunday. The mr and I are heading up into the mountains and into the woods today to go for a hike, drop of some mugs, and just get out of town. I am probably more excited then I would normally be but I am feeling a little stir crazy and can’t wait just to get out of town. And good news, it is suppose to be a warm 20 degrees where we are going so I don’t have to worry much about freezing my freaking face off. YAY!

The internet stuff.

-How to build an igloo that’s structurally sound and cozy because it is defiantly a skill, one that I hope to be putting into use. (Got to get the littles to help me of course.)

-How Fast Will Biden Need To Move On Climate? Really, Really Fast. This is truth and also some scary shit. Lets just hope that we can stop being fuckers stop killing our planet! At least we have a president now who give a shit!

-What do you even have to talk about anymore? The Pandemic Has Caused a Gossip Shortage

-Stunning Images of Starlings in Flight. Birds make me believe in bigger things.

-It is not morbid, it is a fact of life. We all gonna die! And now we can be compost! The First U.S. Funeral Home That Turns Bodies Into Compost Is Now Open

-We Asked People Who Lost Their Taste to COVID: What Do You Eat in a Day? I don’t know what I would do and I for sure hope to not have find out. Can you imagine not tasting or having your favorite food taste spoiled?

-Vegan Cheese Is Meltier & Creamier Than Ever. Here are 17 Kinds We Love. Think of all the pizzas and nachos you can eat!

-These brooms remind me of my uncle. He used to collect brooms form other countries. Woven Poetry: Thoughtful and Practical Brooms from Sunhouse Craft in Kentucky

-Ikea makes LEGOS

-Why don’t we have English cottages in the US? We all want one… This 500-Square-Foot English Stone Cottage Is Honestly the Cutest Home Ever

And a few pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

How is it even really the last day of January? Wow, I mean, really, I have completely lost all concept of time. It is gone and I should just stop looking at calendars and making plans by the moon and the number of setting suns. It just makes more sense now, especially cause I have not plans to make. HA!

Another week and here we are. I was moderately busy doing things. Studio stuff, a few good hikes early in the week with Barb, the mr, and Megan and Alex. I trashed my clean studio to cut up benches and some other shit. We had the littles over for dinner and bebop battles (I know that those things are not called bebops but that is what I keep calling them), and I did all the other work stuff (bills and phone calls) that no one cares to hear about.

Then it was the end of the week and -15 degree outside. Now some might say that is too cold to be outside (the mr and maybe like doctors and shit) but not me. I still went out everyday for my morning runs and oh boy where those just invigorating and exhilarating. Nothing like having ice forming on your face the moment you walk out the door.

And right now I am having a hard time focusing on much other then the pulsing in my toe because yesterday I for sure did drop the vacuum on it and split it open and it sure did gush blood all over the floor all day (it just kept on bleeding!) and it was just a hot mess. Cleaning up blood from a gash that was caused from a cleaning device while I was cleaning… Full circle. HA!

Today I got a list of things to do. I need to go to the studio and glaze. I need to package up orders to ship out tomorrow. I need to clean off the back porch because the past few days it has turned into a dumping ground, and I need to put my studio back together. Other then that, well I know the mr and I are not going for much of a long hike today because, again, he is not into the super cold, but we are planning on having a car lunch picnic, maybe with a water view. That will be nice. (and short cause I am not running the car while we eat).

Internet from the World Wide Web.

-Schoolboy changes name to 'Reconnecting' during Zoom classes to dodge teacher's questions. Kid’s a freaking genius.

-So What Is Short Selling? An Explainer. Not going to lie, still a little confused but I think I get it?

-I love this farm house and I definitely want a raised dinning room off the kitchen. And fish wallpaper in the bathroom.

-What I did not know but now I know. Why Wombats Poop Cubes

-New crystal, new you? Are you into crystals? This is a good read if you are, or not too.

.- Some Forests Are Covered With Lichens That Love to Fuck, Scientists Discover. I need to get the mr to read this. He is obsessed with moss and lichens.

-Have you ever eaten black garlic? Holy crap is it amazing. The mr buys me a container of it every year and sticks it in my stocking at Christmas. Might try my hand at making some soon. This Is the Absolute Best Way to Make Black Garlic at Home 

-Kraft Is Introducing ‘Candy Mac & Cheese’ for Valentine’s Day. Sick joke? I fear it’s not. Gross.

-You don’t have to tell me twice! Keep your brain in shape by reading more books

-Varied Bricks and Ceramic Blocks Comprise the Asymmetric Facade of a Spacious Community Center in Bengal. SO beautiful!

Pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

We are into it, the deep winter of the north and I cannot be happier about it. Sure it is freaking cold but you know what? I love it. I love the cold, I love the light , I love the snow. This is my time of year. Are you into it too?

The week started off good. I went on a couple of really good super snowy hikes, one with just the mr and another one with Megan, Barb, Alex, and So. Both hikes were just all sorts of amazing with all the snow. One thing that can always make this lady smile is a good hike thorugh a snow covered forest. You can’t beat it.

Besides being outside ad much as I could be, I did a far amount of glazing in the beginning of the week. I also started on some new designs for mugs which I am kind of obsessed with but I should really see how they come out of the kiln before I get too excited.

And then Wednesday things suddenly just felt lighter. You feel it too? After listening to the news all day we had the littles and Barb come over for a good sledding session. Bundles up to the nines we headed over to the park, ran up the hill, and flew out butts down. The snow was just right for some serious speed. Even little Coco was flying down the hill (which scared the shit out of me). Then back to the house for hot chocolate and food and heat cause we were all pretty frozen by then. It was a great first sled of the year!

After that it was my birthday. It came and went which was a day and that was it. I forgot to pick up farm share. I can’t even with myself so now I am back to eating all the frozen green beans and broccoli until next week. ( I still can’t believe I forgot to pick it up.) The week ended with more work at the studio and I don’t know. I feel like more happened that I am forgetting but I guess it wasn’t that exciting if I have already forgot, HA.

Today is up in the air. I am not entirely sure of the plan but I hope to get out of the house for a little while. I know it is suppose to be stupid cold but you know what? I don’t really care. I have all the layers and yesterday I even made myself a fleece face covering so my mouth and cheeks don’t freeze off when I am running. (Good call on me!) So yeah, gonna let the day do it’s thing.

Internet from the week.

-Bernie Sanders And His Mittens Win The Inauguration Day Meme Game. Ah Bernie. If this is not a shinning example of a Vermonter (practical clothing, heavy mittens, and a trip the post office while you are out), well then I don’t know what is.

-There’s a right and wrong way to be bored. Jeez. Now you need two be bored a certain way.

-Don’t ask me why I am looking, I just am. AGA cookers. Maybe someday?

-Don’t get mad at your postal workers, it is not their fault! 'There's No End In Sight': Mail Delivery Delays Continue Across The Country

-The Practical Magic of Vermont’s Witch Windows—and Why Every House Could Use One. Again, Vermont being practical.

-You know you want to know even if you don’t know you want to know. Wait — Kim Owns the Land and Kanye Owns the House? Rich people problems…

-I Get Enough Sleep, but Why Am I Yawning So Much? Experts Explain. Contagious yawns are crazy real. I yawned just thinking about it.

-I just bought a toaster for the mr but I really wish I could have bought THIS TOASTER. I am in love.

-Science Says Camp Sleep Is Good for You. Oh how I miss camp sleep and camping in general. A couple more months and we will be back out there (I would go camping now but the mr would have none of it.)

-I want a room that is all windows! INSTAGRAM WORTHY: @VALDIROSE.

Pictures fro the week.

-C