Sunday Happy

Are you aware that it is the last week of November? I know right. Every year this happens but seriously, it’s just flying by so fast.

The mr and I did the norms for the week. Went for a amazing hike in nice snow. We worked on work, the mr made paper, I cut up the paper. I spent some time with clay, works the studio, organized some stuff and watched it snow and loved every bit of it. Then it rained and got kind of sad that all the snow melted.☹️ We picked up farm share, had dinner with my mom and Paul, hung out with the littles for a bit, and fed Barb some soup. Nothing terribly exciting, besides feeding Barb. She makes every exciting.

And then we get to Saturday. Family thanksgiving plus is was Erin’s birthday. (Happy Birthday Beotch!) Always crazy, what with every one of my family members together in my house, eating food, and hopped up on booze and sugar. The day started early with me running away to the gym to get in some sane time, then one last stop at the grocery store before heading home to finish baking and getting all the food ready. Barb came over early to help cut up veggies but really, for her and the mr to make fun of me and gossip like little old ladies. So food got prepare, then I cooked it all. (Minus the main which mom made. She made a crazy chicken thing, cooked in her oven, and brought it over. No meat gets cooked in my house.) And then the family descended on the house, hungry and crazy. Food got served/ thrown all over and for a few short minutes, everyone was sitting down all at once together. But that lasted 2 seconds, and the kids went off and I ran back to the kitchen while everyone was eating to straighten up a bit and because I don’t need to see people dropping chicken bits all over. I just let them eat in peace while I hid for a few minutes in the pantry and snacked on roast Brussel sprouts, carrots and mustard.

After everyone ate, we all ran around the house, picked secret Santa names, had a massive dance party in the kitchen and did dessert and birthday cake. Erins birthday yes, but Coco got to blow out the candles. So cute, that little loving the candles and all but I am going to be watching out for him. I think he might turn into a little pyromaniac. HAHAHA. But for real. Dinner ended with everyone leaving except Barb, Megan,and So. We picked up a little but basically just sat in the pantry eating raw Brussel sprouts from the stock, with mustard of course, and talking about boys. Then they left too and the mr and I were left alone to assess the damages.

The house. Oh my, oh my. It is a FUCKING DISATSER! I know I tell you all that I spend a good chunk of time every weekend cleaning…Well this time, today, all Sunday, I’m a be cleaning. Cleaning the cake and ice cream and cookies crumbles all over. Cleaning up the dinner rolls behind the couch, all the ripped paper, smashed potates, food and drinks particles. Chicken bits, which everyone was super awesome about and tried not to get anywhere, are everywhere. All. Over. The house. Then the kitchen. Every single piece of silverware and then some plus at least 40 plates and bowls are waiting for cleaning. Not to mention the the pots and pans. The compost is overflowing. The recycling is a mess, and I have at least 2 laundry loads of rags and napkins and dirty towels to do. The fridge looks like a freaking bomb blew up in it with tons of half lidded containers precariously stacked on top of each other, waiting for just the right movement of the neighboring jar or the movement of the hot sauce to have it all come crashing down. Aye ya ya. But all worth it because I love my family and we had a blast. I just need to remember next time I am at one of their houses to like pee on their toilet seat or mash some frosting into their couch cushions, you know, to be fair and all.

Anyway, so today I clean and maybe try to hang up some Christmas decorations? The mr is off to do very nice things for people that might not appreciate it, but do it he is going to do (he is too good a person). Hopefully by the time he comes home later tonight, I will be done cleaning, he will be done helping for a good long while, and we can eat soup and maybe watch a movie together. Or more realistically, he watches a movie while I read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Real life.

Reads I read from the internet this week.

-A long but good read. RuPaul: The Philosopher Queen. who doesn’t love RuPsul?

-I just pulled out a nice tablecloth, covered in stains mind you, but maybe i’ll be able to get some of them out now. A Cheat Sheet to Get Rid of Every Type of Holiday Stain. Or not. I don’t think I care enough. HA

-This is so appealing to me especially since the mr loves his heavy comforter and I just want a light blanket with the window thrown open in 20 degree weather. The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets. HE is always covering me up at night.

-The best health foods? Soup, garlic and cake. Food is healing, and if cake makes you feel better, well then cake it be.

-These cakes remind me of my 5ht grade volcano science project. I made it out of cake and whipped cream. It was awesome. Antarctic Research Takes The Cake In These Science-Inspired Confections

-Vegan man sues Burger King claiming meatless burger is cooked on same grill as meat. This is one reason I do not eat out. Oe of the last times I did eat out, there were egg shells in my scamp bled vegan tofu dish….. So yeah.

-Who doesn’t love a good TV tray? A Brief History of the TV Tray

-HAve you ever raised a adolescent dog… It is crazy to say the least. Animal adolescence is filled with teen drama and peer pressure

-So there is this ti look forward to. Cockroaches Are Evolving And in the Future They can Become Impossible To Kill

-A Brief and Buttery History of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The pie of my childhood.

And pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Already? That week just blew on by. Probably because of the midweek holiday and that always makes time move in weird ways.

This week felt like a lot went on. Some of the same old, same old, but there was a lot of activities thrown in. We went on a bike ride picnic one day, another day we had lunch at the co-oop with my mom. Then on the third of July a lot of places do fireworks and so, after the mr saying we had to do something this year, we decided to go to the fireworks in Montpelier. Whoa did that kick my butt. Staying out and awake past dark was no way an easy feat. But well worth it. Sure the fireworks were ,well, they were what they were (I don’t really care for fireworks) but the lead up was amazing. On our way to the town we stopped on the side of the road at a giant old graveyard. We were so early that we decided it would be something cool to do while it got dark out. Well this graveyard was on a massive hill and when we got to the top, we had the most amazing view of the valley and where the fireworks were going to go off so, duh, we stayed and walked around. And then it happened. Dusk came, it started to get dark, and all of a sudden. Fireflies. Everywhere. It was magical. And then the fireworks went off and we couldn’t get home fast enough. I was dead ass tired.

The next day, I was exhausted, but oh well. The littles came over for the afternoon and we played the day away in the sprinkler and ran around with water guns. Barb and Paul came over too, ate grilled veggies dogs, mac and cheese, chopped cabbage, and popsicles. We lit the sparklers, walked the block, and then off they all went to do more fire stuff and I went to bed super early. I was still trying to recover from being out so late the night before.

The rest of the week was doing little things around the house, going to the studio, running errands. Being hot.

Then yesterday. A very productive day even with the nasty humid. Grocery shopping, the dump, rainbows, cleaning. I even did a good hour of weeding in the garden even though I was sweating through my soul. Gosh it really was gross. And then I went for a little walk and got caught in a crazy downpour of rain. And I wasn’t made about it. Not one bit.

And it is Sunday again. Today is unplanned for the most part. I’ll bike to gym and thats all I got so far. After yesterday, doing anything outside will be fantastic so I am hoping that the mr wants to go for a hike or something. I know he said there was work he needed to do but come on, mid 70’s and no humidity…. I’ll be dragging his ass somewhere.

Internet links from me to you.

-Living in Vermont, we are so lucky to not have to deal with earth quakes. The science behind California’s two big earthquakes

-It’s just about tomato season so you should know this. How to Store Tomatoes So They Stay Plump & Fresh for a Very Long Time. And know this too. How to Pick the Right Type of Lettuce for Way Better Salads

-After 6-Year Battle, Florida Couple Wins The Right To Plant Veggies In Front Yard. How crazy is it that they were not allowed to plant veggies in THEIR YARD because they were unsightly… What the F!@K is wrong with people? !

-The Science Of Smiles, Real And Fake. Don’t tell me to smile. I will bite you.

-I think I need a pool. This COWBOY POOL DIY.

-This Skinny House That’s Just 10 Feet Wide Is for Sale in New York. I kinda really want it.

-I alway love the backs of embroidery. These rugs are awesome. Raw-Edges Flips Traditional Embroidery on Its Head with Backstitch Rugs

-The Joy of Not Wearing a Bra. First thing I do when I come home (sometimes even in the car on the way home) is to take my bra OFF! But really, I avoid bra wearing at all cost.

-I want these boots. Grundéns Deck-Boss Ankle Boots

-I really wanted to be a water witch when I was growing up. Still kind of do. The Magic of Dowsing Keeps Holding On

Pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

It’s official. Summertime is here. Take it all in and enjoy it because that’s what we need to do. Before it is gone again.

The week has been good. Besides the usual work and stuff, we have spent a lot of time with our people and trying to do things outside everyday. There was an afternoon of Barb and Coco where we went to the beach to find drift wood and throw rocks. Megan and So came over for lunch and teeth wiggling (her two from teeth a loose!! (Sophias, not Megans)) another afternoon. We stopped over to Erins to see the painting mess and Coco drawings all over the walls. The mr and I went for a little hike that took us out under bridges to a graffiti wonderland. That was unexpected and very cool.

Then there is thing that has been on my mind for the past few days. One night in the middle of the week, the mr and I both woke up to a terrifying screaming noice. Like something was dying, killing something, or some creature was about to suck out my soul. It definitely was not anything human. It freaked me out so much that I didn't want to get out of bed to look out the window because I thought whatever was making the noice would see me awake and come kill me or some shit. So I laid in bed until it stopped then was worried it stopped because I didn’t know where it went…. CREEPY AS FUCK! And it happened again Friday night. So I am officially scared that the hell moth in opening up in my back yard. Or it could be a fox. Not sure. I’ll let you know either way. But until I figure it out, I am going to freshen up my Buffy the Vampire Slayer knowledge. Just in case.

Other then that, the rest of the week was a success. The mr finished off the beautiful cedar outdoor table, I picked up farm share and cleaned out my home studio. At the BCA Studio, the kids summer camps started so working there was a bit different. Instead of loading kilns, I was doing clay things with kids. Just got to say, after working all Friday with others peoples kids, hanging out with just Judah that night was pretty much the best. Being around other peoples (not in my family) kids really makes me realize just how cool my littles are. I mean, how cool is it that while I was at work, Judah helped the mr fix a roof? All for a slushy and my home made pizza and just wanted to hang out and draw? That’s a cool kid.

Yesteraday was just a gem. I woke up, did a few things before the sun even came up then sat on the front porch, drank my coffee and read. I even was able to go to the grocery store and cleaned out the pantry before Judah even woke up. (He ended up sleeping over Friday.). I then made pancakes for the boys, harvested greens, and played with the sprinkler. We then picked up Coco to go walk by the waterfront, throw rocks, and of course go down the slide a million times. All this before lunch. After we dropped the little back off, we came home and just hung out. Went for a bike ride, the mr secured the tree from the blowing winds and worked on the treehouse. I cleaned and puttered. The only crappy part was while I was putting away dishes I stabbed a fork under my finger nail. The prong went in deep and it bled like crazy. AGH. I would have rather cut my finger off. And now I have a swollen, still bleeding sometimes, very painful finger that has my heartbeat throbbing in it. But the rest of the day, and evening, besides the pain, was relaxing and lovely.

Today is suppose to be another wonderful day and we are hoping to enjoy it as much as the day will let us. I am going bike to the gym then come home and hop into car with the mr and drive away for the day. Where we are going, not exactly sure. Just out of town, into some of the world. Windows down, wind in my hair, tunes on the radio, coffee in my cup, and a lovely love by my side. Things are good.

Interesting internet. Take a look.

-How to lucid dream, and why you'd want to. I think I really started to think about controlling my dreams I might freak out go crazy.

-How important is seasonal eating? It is important to me for so many reasons. Biggest reason, I try to grow as much as I eat and the seasons depict that. Not a lot of fresh tomatoes coming Vermont in the winter.

-The terrifying screaming might be this? Red Fox Sounds.

-Whatever Happened to #Vanlife? Well, Things Are Changing. Van life is not just for the surfer dudes anymore.

-No Matter the Hack, Some Kitchen Tasks Will Always Be a Pain in the Ass. HERE HERE!! But here is a hack for garlic….just eat the freaking skin. No peeling. HA

-These are some kickass vinyl floors.

-Why wouldn’t pants like good tunes. Good vibrations. It just makes sense. Music For Plants Is Real (Even If The Science Isn't)

-What's the Difference Between Sparkling Water and Seltzer? I needed to double check.

-Give me a good, healthy life, over a really long life. Human Lives Might Be Long Enough Already

Pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

Besides the usual hubbub of life around here, a few things really stick out to me from last week. First off, at the beginning of the week we FINALLY BOUGHT A VAN!!! It was amazing. A big white astro van. Original big boat like seats. The three door trunk that was everything. Ashrtays in the back seat (yes they did) . Its was perfect. Perfect for work, for travel, perfect for life. But notice I say “it was”. Well guess what? We also RETURNED A VAN!!!! Yup. We bought it, brought it home, and as soon as we got home, the brakes went out. Oh, ok we thought. Let’s bring it to our mechanic and see what he says. Turns out the mechanic that we bought it from was a little shady and sold us a lemon. Not only were the bakes rotten, but there was a bunch of other hidden issues. So yeah. no more van. We were, and still are a bit crushed, but it could have been worse right? We could have been flying down the interstate when the brakes gave out and that would have been much much worse.

Enough about the van. A good thing this week is Erin and I went and got bikes for the littles. It was awesome. They were so excited and cute and it was just so good. We walked into the bike shop, picked out bikes, test rode bikes, and bought bikes, all within an hour. Yeah I might have told them they suck because they were able to just go get a bike and I have been bike shopping for over a month and have spent hours at the bike shop, but whatever. And so we brought the bike back to my house, I made dinner, and they biked around the neighborhood. At first Judah was having really hard time because he had never ridden a grip brake, shifting bike, but after a little lesson from the mr, the kid was off. Only stopped to tell us that his nuts hurt. (Good to know kid).

And last but but not least, maybe the worst part of life at the moment. The MOTHERFUCKING MOSQUITOS. Those fuckers be feasting on me like what. It’s nasty disgusting, and all sorts of terrible. All of a sudden there are millions and billions and you can barely even walk out of the house before they start to swarm. I have received no less then one thousand bites this week, and that is me trying not to get bitten. (Yes I am exaggerating, but seriously.) I don’t even know what to do anymore. It is so bad that when you walk from the house to the car you are probably going to get bitten in the face at least once if not a bunch of times. It is all sorts of wrong and I just can’t even. I lay awake at night trying not to itch off all my skin because of all the bites. And they are not normal mosquitos bites, these bits itch and almost hurt for days. Gardening.. please. I am out there in all my socks, pants, jackets, and hoods. Still they attack my face and hands. Hopefully this is the worst of it and any day now all the bats will come and eat them aaaaaalllllll!!!!!I(I might start importing bats to my house) That or I am going to turn myself into an electric bug zapper. How? Not sure yet. I’ll let you know if I figure it out.

Anyway. That is mostly the gist of the week. Some downs, some ups, but all and all not horrible. The weather alone folks. Let talk about that for a minute. How freaking fantastic has it been? I am loving it. Little sun here and there, Some rain showers, a few thunderstorms. Not cold, not hot. Pretty much perfect in my eyes. And the world. So much pretty! The trees. I mean, can you not say spring foliage might be even better then fall? The trees are just so vibrant in greens, whites and purples. It is good. We are good.

Now for today. I am leaving the house much too early to go read and drink coffee in the car, waiting for the gym to open. Why you may ask would I do that. Well if I want to go to the gym, I need to get inside the perimeter of the Vermont City Marathon. The course starts right around there so the roads will be blocked off with thousands of people running for a few hours this morning. Sure I could skip gym and run around here, but I would rather not have to run in full body armor. (DAMN the MOSQUITOES AAAGHHHH!!!!) And really, I don’t mind. I can even sit on the steps at the gym that overlook the lake. It actually will be kind of nice. After that, I’ll come home, grab the mr, and we will head up to Belvidere for some family time. Cousins are in the state so we, and the other sisters, are going up for lunch. Let’s just hope the mosquitoes are not as bad up there. I can’t take it.

Interent for the taking.

-I have always considered the use by date a suggestion. I think the simple wording change will make a big difference. To Reduce Food Waste, FDA Urges 'Best If Used By' Date Labels. And really, who says the best isn’t yet to come? HA

-Erin has the right idea, to buy THESE in bulk. I am seriously considering getting at least one set. I can’t take the MOTHERF$%#ERS anymore!

-This feels heavy. Finding purpose is a somewhat fluid concept, don’t you think? Either way, this makes a lot of sense. What's Your Purpose? Finding A Sense Of Meaning In Life Is Linked To Health

-My dad sent me this link. It’s a little video of his life goal, to be a extreme mountain bike nanny. (my dad is a weirdo.)

-GLAMOUR CAMPER SPF 50+ ALL NATURAL SUNSCREEN WITH ALL NATURAL BUG DETERRENT & GLITTER. And Glitter. Need I say more?

-I love old charts and pictures from textbooks. These are particularly fantastic. Cross-Sections of Geological Formations and Views of the Cosmos Bring the World to Life in 19th Century Educational Charts

-What Is A Moonbow?  And now on my life bucket list of things I need to see.

- Shipping containers just keep getting cooler. Modpools. Shipping Container Pools

-This Study Shows That Having Flowers and Plants Can Ease Pain and Anxiety. Truth. Flowers and plants are everything.

-Firefly magic. How these mysterious fireflies synchronize their dazzling light shows

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

We are having the worst mud/pothole season ever. I don’t know how many times I think I have blown out the tire on the car or have gotten just about stuck on a dirt road. Picking up farm share this week my car almost sank into the mud. Like it was literally about to be swallowed up into the earth. All the good fun of living here in Vermont. Gosh I am such a Vermonter. First thing I have to say is about potholes and weather. But that is life here isn’t it.

The week has been more or less productive. We both have been busy this week and have been trying to plow through projects (taxes me and the mr with the porch). Blah. Doesn’t that just sound annoying. Doing the taxes. I gave myself until the end of the month a few weeks ago and then last week I gave myself the entire week, made no plans for anything or anyone, to get them done. That didn’t really happen because well I started a weaving project and maybe have a tendency to read a little too much when I am procrastinating (I started reading 4 different books…) and can’t forget about the garden planning that needed to be done. So now I am giving myself the rest of next week to finish because those things are not going do themselves and the deadline is looming. Yeah. Besides half assing tax stuff, reading and weaving, I worked at the studio, took some nice long walks, packed away most of the winter stuff and stock piled cabbage. 20 heads because it was on sale. 20 heads might seem like a lot but it will be gone within the next 2 weeks and I will be sad and wished I bought 20 more heads. Hey, don’t judge me. The mr, when not working on porch or other apartment related stuff, has spent a good chunk of his free time carving away at spoons which means I have also been spending a good amount of time vacuuming up wood chips all over the house. Who has time for taxes?

Yesterday was the perfect example of Vermont. I woke up and there was like 6 inches of fresh snow. Cold, windy, just not looking like much of anything I wanted to deal with. But then all of a sudden around late morning, after doing all of our chores (recycling center, stores, compost, tenant stuff) we came home, the sun came out, the temperatures rose, and the snow started melting fast and furious. It was a completely different, so very pleasant and lovely day. We got to enjoy a nice long walk, pull the kitchen island out onto the front porch so the mr could give the top a good sanding, and we even got to eat dinner out on the porch! It was oh so nice. And to top it all off, I didn’t even crawl into bed before 7pm. I was awake when it got dark out which is like whoa. Spring. It is a happening here. Finally.

Today the mr and I are hoping to take a nice stroll down the bike path, maybe get good cup of coffee, stop in and see the little and maybe even pop in on Barb. I miss my people. And then back to the stuff I really don’t want to think about. Taxes. This is it. I am going myself the rest of the week and that’s that. So I will probably open my computer, get out the calculator, and then start reading a book again….. Oh boy am I in trouble.

Reads from the internet to read. If you want.

-I have been having the weirdest dreams ever. Just last night I dreamed that I was eating soup made of tiny staplers. What the F? Bad Dreams Are Good. Your night life prepares you for what’s to come

-Watch what you eat friends. Kale Is One of the Dirtiest Vegetables, According to the EWG's 2019 "Dirty Dozen" List

-This little cabin should be mine.

-Misophonia: When Life's Noises Drive You Mad. Oh how can I relate to this. Sometime a certain sound makes me want to smash my head against a wall.

- I Love Pink Tiled Bathrooms. Maybe in the next house.

-The Stigma of Choosing Trade School Over College. I often times wish I went to trade school instead of college.

-Cool ass paper DINOSAURS and check out these Under-Cats.

-MUSIC JAR. Such a great idea. I think I am going to start one for the littles.

-I think I should have a seed vault and all the pretty x rays. The mr just said I should start digging in the backyard….These x-rays of seeds turn biology into art

-What Makes People Heed A Weather Warning — Or Not?. Living in Vermont we get weather warning (mostly for snow) all the time and it is defiantly interesting to hear and see the people who listen and don’t. Needless to say there are a lot of cars sliding off the road.

And some pictures from the week.

-C