Sunday Happy

I only wash my hair once (if that) a week so I go through a bottle like once every 18 months. This past week when I went to wash my hair I hadn’t really realized that I ran out of shampoo. I ended up having to use some of the mr’s. He uses Herbal Essences, the one in the see through pink bottle (If you know, you know.) So all week I have been getting wiffs of the smell and it keeps brining me back to 1995 which is crazy and weird and makes me feel old and that the world is now a sci fi movie but also is has been comforting in a way. I mean, at least the shampoo hasn't changed in like 25 years so there is that. And as for getting more shampoo I still haven’t refreshed it so it looks like I will be using the Herbal Essence again if I choose to wash my hair, just like when I was 12. HA

Oh the week. Well it came, it went and wow it is now almost Christmas. How? We got snow which thrilled me to no end. Both the mr and I were pretty busy doing the doings. I finished up some last minute special orders and was delivering mugs and the mr, well I am not exactly sure what he was doing, but he sure was out and about all week.

We also did dinners with Barb, finished up Christmas cards, went on a couple of light drives, and had a evening where the little came over for a couple (masked clad) hours and we finally put up some ornaments on the tree and put together cookie houses! Miley and Judah are now old enough where their houses actually look like houses. Coco o the other hand, well he wouldn’t decorate the cookies as a house, he just slathered on frosting and ate them.

Other then that, not much. I picked up last farm share for the year (I have to wait THREE weeks until next pick up. AGH!) Went through the closet and started to plan a way to get rid of EVERYTHING, and gave the mr a hair cut and an eyebrow trim. Gosh, we are just so exciting…..

Today the mr and I are on a mission to hand deliver all of our Christmas cards. We do this every year and it usually takes the day because we stop in a talk to everyone, but this year it probably won’t take too long since we won’t be hanging out with anyone. So we we will do that, then I will come home and make coffee and start a big pot of soup (thinking a good spices split pea). I have a stack of books to get to but I am in the middle of a knitting project so I am thinking I might park my butt on the couch and watch me a Christmas movie (Home Alone or Elf?) and drink all the coffee because I can tell it is going to be one of those day where more coffee is just not enough.

Some stuff from the internet to read if you wish.

-Dear Present Procrastinators: Ship That Holiday Gift, Now. OR another idea, shop local. I have even had people from other states buy pots from me to drop off to family that live locally here. So smart!

-Do you jerk when you are falling asleep? I do ALL THE TIME! Why Your Body Sometimes Jerks As You Fall Asleep. Defiantly because I am a monkey.

-I you live in Vermont, you have heard people talk about the flatlands for sure. Where Do The Terms 'Woodchuck' And 'Flatlander' Come From?

-Yeah I would live here. Yup yup yup.

-Sisters are the best, even when their the worst. The Secret To Success? Having A Big Sister

-Gingerbread House Goals! 14 Architectural Gingerbread Houses That Are Definitely Not Cookie-Cutter. But this one…. SO GOOD! The Prettiest Gingerbread House of 2020

-Take care to season your cast iron. We Seasoned Cast Iron Skillets with 5 Different Oils and Have a New Favorite

-A New way to travel across the US. On bike! Might just be a goal of mine!?!

-I need new running shoes, ones that are good and grippy for running is the woods and in snow. Do I dare These? Are they too bright?

A few pictures from the week, mostly taken with the mr’s or Barbs phone because my phone be broken!

Sunday Happy

Hey hey hello! How’s it going? Good good? I mean, how can it not be at least a little. You are here so that’s good right? Right.

This week seemed bus, or busier then the past few weeks. We spent time with littles on Easter then went for a walk with my mom. We did a grocery run for the mr’s parents and drove it the 2 hours to drop it off on their front porch. There was the driftwood excursion for fish tank drift wood with Barb and school work days with the littles. I picked up farm share, made banana bread and cookies, and did a little tax paperwork. The mr is back to fixing this and doing that. That and this being he build me more shelves in the stairway to the basement and started a hug fire pit project in the backyard. He has also somehow turned Barb into his partner in crime with all things that have to do with fish. Those two. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ever since the gym closed I have been running every morning, 3-4 miles around town or in the woods, which consists of nothing but hills. I love it so much that I didn’t take a day off. (Which I now know was really stupid.) The beginning of the week, running through the woods, I overdid it and I either sprained my ankle, broke something, or have plantar fasciitis. And now fuck me, I can barely walk. Plus because I am having such a hard time with my ankle, my hip on my other side is killing me as well. Its what we call composition pain and seriously, I have been miserable all week. I am also an asshole and haven’t been taking care as much as I should. I ice a bit and I wrap it, but I am still walking on it and going for walks because I just cannot not move. It would be worse for EVERYONE if I cannot move. That being said, I need to stop being said asshole and really rest it so I can get back to running and even just walking without pain. Plus the hiking trails should be in good shape again soon (we try to stay off them during mud season so they don’t get trashed) and I need NEED, to get some serious hiking/woods/tree time in soon.

So today I am going to enjoy the weather. A long bike ride (biking doesn’t hurt which is why I have been biking like 15 miles a day) , maybe a short walk, and a lot of porch sitting with my foot iced and elevated. I will drink lots and lots of hot drinks and read. Hopefully if I am really good today, my ankle will be good enough to start running/walking/hiking/not being miserable again soon!

Internet from the week.

-All the disinfecting sprays and chemicals and shit are truly some of the things that scare me the most about this virus. People are just dousing themselves in all these chemicals and not realizing the side effects. Eeeee. I hate chemicals. Fight viruses in your home without making bacteria stronger.

-How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Freezer. I will freeze just about ANYTHING! Even stuff that might not freeze well…. It all is great in soup! But usually, I stock the shit out of my chest freezer with all the veggies.

-On the lookout whenever I go to the store next… Something to look forward too. Polar Seltzer’s 2020 summer flavors are out. Kiwi Pink Grapefruit… Excited!

-Plague Comforts: I Bought a Pacifier. Haha. I thought about it to. It was the only thermometer for sale anywhere. But I didn’t cause it was just to weird. And I found a normal one.

-Barb has been on the lookout for fluff for the past few weeks. Said it is all sold out everywhere. I guess people are eating a lot of fluffernutters right now. The Forgotten Inventor of the Fluffernutter Sandwich

-I would get this puzzle if I wanted to drive myself crazy. .This Clear Acrylic Puzzle Is Here to Keep You Busy from Now Until Forever

You Can Order Cardboard Cutouts of Your Loved Ones to Help Get Through Social Distancing. OR just for shits and giggles. Maybe I should just wend everyone in my family a cut out of ME!

-We just brought home 3 huge bins of Mileys American Girl dolls and stored them in the basement. And then I Read this. My American Girl Doll Tried To Kill Me. I might have to sleep wit a knife under my pillow now.

-Thinking about wearing watch. I really like this one.

The Killer At Home: House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators. Only was a killer. His victim of choice was frogs.

Pictures from the week.

-C

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

Is it too early to be thinking and planning my garden? I woke up with the sudden urge to browse all the seed catalogs even though I told the mr I was not going to buy any seeds this year. I’m going to depend entirely on last years seeds and seed swaps. No need for more then what I need. So that is where my head is at right now. Seeds. Growing all the lettuce. Tomato varieties galore. I am starting to really crave dirt, like playing in it, not eating it. But I am craving coffee too so I should do that soon before I loss my mind.

Lets see, what did I do this week. Nothing really out of the norm, unless you call ice skating my way around the outside world not normal. (it was not normal) Everyitng has been covered in ice and I don’t know how many times I have nearly smashed out all my teeth or broken all my bones from almost slipping. Sure I could have chosen to not adventure out on icy iciness, but who would I be if I was not outside. Anyway, besides ice world, we had the littles come for dinner and fighting (with each other, not us) Barb came for dinner and all the college age gossip our brains could handle. The mr started a new hobby of weaving baskets (already he is fucking awesome at it) and also decided to make more creepy ass doll head cars. I did some painting, cleaned my studio all up and nice, make cupcakes, bought new running shoes, returned new running shoes (not the right size) We worked, we played, we spend as much time outside during the warm snap as we could, hoping all the ice would melt and being rewarded with more ice. It was basically a basic week without any extravagances. No real incidents (besides me cracking my head on a metal bed lift bar and leaving myself with a nice egg bruise on face), no crazy stories (besides some of the stuff Barb told us but that is not mine to tell). Quiet and semi clean. Keeping it average and that is good for now.

I have very little in the way of plans so far for today. I’ll hit the gym, library, and probably the grocery store this morning but after that, empty. The mr is going to be in and out of the house all day working so I will probably try to get some work done too. Or not. I am not opposed to keeping things mellow. Maybe a long walk down by the river or into the trees. I could use some trees right now. Options open with no expectations other the I expect to do something.

My internet browsing for your taking.

-Important coffee stuff. Know what you are drinking. What's the Difference Between Light and Dark Roast Coffee?

-What. The once a month that I actually clean my water bottle is not good enough….Wait, You Need to Clean Your Water Bottle *How* Often? Well then.

-So much truth. ON STRUGGLING TO BE AN ADULT. I am always shocked whenever I realize that I am not 18.

-Would you ship your luggage ahead of a flight? I have been thinking about the best way to get a butt load of camping shit to a destination without paying a million and half dollars. This might be it. Skip the stress.Ship your luggage.

-New 'unicorn' mantis species found in Brazilian rainforest. The new cool unicorn.

-Do you eat breakfast? I don’t, unless you count as much coffee as I can get in my mouth, but that is because I am not really hungry in the morning. Sometime I wonder if I would be a better person if I ate sornething earlier in the day. But then I think I don’t really care to be all that much better and after reading this, I don’t need to eat. Breakfast Isn’t Pointless, But It’s Having an Identity Crisis

-Cat Power. All the feels. Every. Single. Time.

-Tiny houses have a dark secret. I guess some people just want to live in a tiny house but store all of their shit in a regular house. Hum.

-I am not ready for an animal right now, but this I could handle. You Can Build Your Own Life-Size Cat Using These Blocks.

-Why Do Elephants Have Trunks? Why Do Giraffes Have Purple Tongues?. Also good to know that if I ever get a cut, just have giraffe lick me and all will be good.

And pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Did you wake up at 3:30 because your body is used to waking up at 4:30 but we add an extra hour and now you don’t even really know what time it is for real? Yeah, that would be me. I look at my phone, at my computer, but don’t trust all the self resetting clocks. I have to check the kitchen stove to see what time it was yesterday before I can figure out the time today and then check the technology clocks to see if they really know. But woo hoo, daylight savings. I am one of those people that really likes it. I like the light in the morning, I like the early as shit dark. It suits my life (early to bed, early to rise) and also gives off a feeling of coziness that I can’t quite describe. Plus I am a slight creeper and love walking around the neighborhood after dinner when it is dark and seeing inside peoples house. Not like too creepy where I go an actively peer in, just looking in if their windows are open, checking out their decor, seeing what they are watching on tv, or what they are eating for dinner. Don’t judge, you know you do the same thing too.

This week was a blur. On Sunday we spent way to much time walking around Ikea, checking out the Christmas stuff and choosing a new duvet cover. We had time to kill before Barbs plane landed from Italy (and it was late). So Ikea was the natural waiting place. It wasn’t bad, the mr got to try the new veggie dogs, said they were absolutely fantastic and we actually did buy a duvet cover. But as soon as the plane landed we jumped in the car a drove circles around the terminal until the ladies appeared with smiles and bottles of wine and olive oil, which I have still yet to receive. Then a drive back home to where we stopped for drinks, I opened the trunk of the car and smacked my head on the door so hard I think I broke my skull. Anyway, she made it back from Italy and I am pretty sure I gave myself a concussion. Good stuff.

The week started. I spent the first half doing paperwork and making all sorts of phone calls about things that I don’t know anything about trying to gather information to make said phone calls and blah blah blah.

And then it was Halloween and we didn’t do a damn thing. We were suppose to take, at the very least, Judah out, but Coco got super sick again and landed himself a bed up at the hospital. Things got confusing and crazy and he ended up going with a family friend and their kids. We were pretty bummed, and so was he. What a bust. And we had only enough candy tor give 3 little kids so we didn’t do that either. Another Halloween come and gone. Meh. But the next day we had the littles over for a school night sleep over. Not as fun as a weekend sleep over because there is bedtime, homework, the need to shower, and waking up early. But those guys championed, did all their homework, took their showers, and brushed their teeth without a single rebuke, and we had a grand old time. They even went to bed and woke up without giving me any shit. Then after a humorous breakfast of dried cereal, eggs, and toast, they got themselves ready and I dropped them off at school, again, with out any complaining. Those littles… So good. On the way to school I tried to explain why we do daylight savings. Things got off topic a bit and I might have blamed all the time changing on Voldemort and magic and yeah. Someone is going to need to sort that out with them someday. OR not.

After dropping them off I worked at the studio for the rest of the day. Megan came to visit me and bring me coffee. Which probably saved my life. Then I pugged clay for way to long and had to have the mr come to the studio and help me take the bolts out of the pug machine so I could take it apart to clean it, or more like I pugged, he took it apart and he cleaned it. My mr, he be so nice.

Yesterday was a burn out day. Might be getting a head cold (or it’s the concussion) and I could barely keep my head from falling off, SO much pressure, even my eyes looked bleak and blue. But I did some stuff. The mr and I took a research drive, I got the grocery shopping done, did laundry, cleaned he house. And then went to bed early.

And now I am awake and it’s early. My head is still pretty pressurized, but I think it might be starting to deflate a little which is good because today the mr and I have some outdoor plans. What exactly the plans are is still up in the air. It is suppose to be sunny and slightly warmer so we need to get to and get us some woods. I almost want to try and convince him that we should go camping and I totally would if I hadn’t packed away everything and we had fire wood and if I wasn’t afraid of the bears coming to eat me. One last meal before hibernation. Haha. No, its not the bears I worry about, our bears don’t eat people here, it is the hunters I am actually worried about. I don’t own any blaze orange and I move like a graceful doe in the woods. Yikes!

Some internet stuff I read this week.

-The mr sent me this link. He thinks I am crazy because I said that I want to live the next day without the extra hour yet and take my extra hour on Monday around 2, for like a nap time or something. I think I can do it, but only if I don’t look at my phone clock. If I lived in the city, this guy could make it happen for everyone. The Man Who Turns Back New York City’s Clocks, Hand by Hand. What a badass job.

-You Can Wrap All of Your Friends Christmas Gifts With Your Face This Year. Hahaha. I hate gift wrap, think it is a complete waste, but this is hilarious

-Another reason to get your shut eye. How Sleep Deprivation Messes With Creativity

-Do you love or loathe coffee? Your genes may be to blame. Both my parents drink pretty much nothing else but coffee so I think I am made up of like 25% coffee. Now I have a 99% tolerance to caffeine. The only thing that is does to me (that I notice) is that I get a major headache if I don’t have it. But I am one of those people that could drink a pot of coffee and sleep like a baby for 8 hours. Same as the parents. Got to be genetic.

-If I lived in a brownstone in a loft in Brooklyn, this would be the one I would want.

-How Do You Move A Bookstore? With A Human Chain, Book By Book. This is just so fantastic.

-Just because it is not summer anymore and we are no longer gardening does not mean that there is any less produce out there to eat. Your Ultimate Guide to Fall Produce

-About That Monstrous Black Hole We’re All Orbiting. Just in case you want to know. Life and black holes. What are you gonna do?

-Do any of yo have a septic system and grow ferns on top?. Something I have been thinking about fo septic system landscaping purposes. Anatomy of Ferns

-Thick Strokes of Paint Create Featureless Portraits in Abstracted Paintings by Joseph Lee

Pictures from the week. I didn’t take very many, but I did get Barb eating so there is that.