Sunday Happy

Welcome fall, I have been waiting for you. Now please stay.

We started last week  with a picnic lunch at the state house then driving to the middle of the woods and checking out a piece of land then made our way over to our campsite. Went for a nice long hike, the mr did a little fishing, and I saw more amazing mushrooms then I was able to take pictures of. Then back to the camp site we went. I always bring along a book that I am pretty into for camping (because that is what one does while camping) but this time I grabbed a new book from the library right before we left. And well shit, was I ever so surprised that is was more or a less a smutty graphic romance novel and so because I am not really into that crap, I was bookless and felt kind of lost. Goof. But it really wasn't so bad, the mr kept me company and I found an old newspaper to use as my morning reading so there was that.  And I went and returned that book when we got home and got some books that were not so smutty.

Then we had  dinner at Sha na na's with Paul, Barb, and my Mom. I made a salad with lots and lots of corn in it. Huge hit that Paul has requested that I make him that exact salad for his birthday that is in like 5 months, because I guess I can't make him a salad any time before that? Ha. My family.. weirdos. 

And then I went and done it.  I dropped the fucking blender on my big toe and it pretty much ruined my life. (but not really)  My toe swelled up turned a nice shade of bright red and the nail, slowly but surely, turned completely black, and I was barely able to walk for like 2 days. It was tough goings for a while  there and I almost performed my own medical treatment involving a lighter and a paperclip but the mr was not having it and in the end, my nail just started falling off anyways so you know, not so bad anymore. And that is enough about my gross toe.

Mid week was the same as usual. This is that, work, me hobbling around and listening to way way way too much  of the supreme court hearings on NPR, which just made me mad but I did it anyway. There was farm share, so many garden tomatoes, cooking all those garden tomatoes, freezing and eating all the garden tomatoes. My garden is getting to that point where I am starting to rip stuff out. I was going to do a fall planing but the little fuck of a rabbit that is living somewhere close keeps eating everything so I am just going to call it for the season. No more new plants, I'll just get all my kale at the farm. But that rabbit, he needs to get his shit together and find a new place to live next year cause I am getting sick of his attitude. I yell at him but he just keeps come back and taking what he wants. Not cool rabbit, not cool.  

 And after 2 years of research and saving money, I finally got a new camera!!! My old one finally is dead so I needed to do it. I have barely used the new one, only for a couple hours because I am scared I am going to break it (haha, but really) or cover it in bread dough (which will eventually happen). Annnnnd we finally got a new tent! I am very much excited about that. We even named her (yes, it is a she tent) Marigold because thats the color she is.  A new camera and a new tent, all in one week. That was very mentally draining.  I'll  still buy groceries and toilet paper, but thats as much I can handle for a good long while. 

Littles came over for dinner on Friday. Miley started field hockey so we had the just the boys for a while. The mr ands Judah played soccer (Judah won) while me and Coco sat in lawn chairs with a giant bowl of cantaloupe. Every time one of the boys scored a goal he would get up and walk the bowl over to them for a snack score. It was pretty freaking amazingly cute. Then when Miley got home, I made pizza (in the shape of a W for Judah be cause he was a WINNER) and was some how conned into letting the mr and Miley go to the store and come back with 3 apples and a giant bag of sour patch kids. I ate an apple, they all ate candy. 

Woke up early yesterday morning and I was cold. YES, COLD! And it was amazing and I was so excited because I wasn't hot. I threw on a sweater, socks, and a hat and the mr and I went on to paint the outside of one of our houses for a good part of the day. Then home I went to scrub the paint off my body, run to Costco to get the Judah his new glasses ans a hot dog, then back home to scrub clean the house. (if you haven't caught on by now, Saturday evenings are my "clean the shit out of the house" days)  L

Today we are off for more land exploring and camping adventure. I am so excited, first to see some more land  because maybe some of this land will be what we are looking for and might be our land! And secondly because camping in cooler weather is the best. We can actually sit near the fire, want to sit near the fire, without sweating our asses off.  I got my knitting, a book (a good book), and tea bags galore. An extra blanket, the long underwear and socks, and even a pair of mittens and a hat are packed. It is going to be fantastic. 

 Time I invested in internet looking

- Plastic is terrible and this is where it is all going.  THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH  which leads us to  Scientists get ready to begin Great Pacific Garbage Patch cleanup.

-SO lets all try to use a hell of a lot less plastic, yea?.  6 Doable Ways People Are Going Plastic-Free

-What are the smartest animals in the world and how do we know? We know cause we be smat too.  

-Have you ever seen a praying mantis? I have ans they are pretty crazy. It's Praying Mantis Mating Season: Here's What You Need To Know

-Pink and green swoon. A COLORFUL HOME WITH HEART.

-This Start-Up Will Get Rid of All Your Ex's Sh*t For You SO I guess no more trashcan fires full of clothing and pictures?

-Wouldn't to be nice to not be aware, but better yet, just not to be stressed at all.. Can You Be Blissfully Unaware of Your Own Stress?

-Can You Eat Something That Has Freezer Burn? Here's What the USDA Says.

-Why are Americans obsessed with front lawns? Good question.

And of course pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

It's officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows..... It's hella crazy.

Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.

As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do?  We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70's crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night.  After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went.  Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes.  2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again. And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.

Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I'll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot.  The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter.........

Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it's permanent home. I'll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!

Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.

-Not really a "gingerbread house" but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.

-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past

-Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night

-A hairy tail has be found.  First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber

-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate

-I want this.

-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape’s Butt

-Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. (nah, I think I am good)

-A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it

-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR’s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads

Picture fun time.

I made him throw this sock away..... It was time.

Have a fantasticday.

Sunday Happy

Ah summertime. I hope that you are finding yourself on a beach or river(or someplace you want to be) with nothing but time to relax and enjoy yourself. It's Sunday and we all need to relax today. We deserve it.

The past week has been pretty satisfying. The house is going gang busters. We had some insulators come and blow insulation into the walls on the first floor and later next week the upstairs is going to be spray foamed insulated.... And then we can move it (No not really) but this is huge. But now got to get ready for the guys to come and finish so we have to hall ass ans finish wiring, prepping and all the good stuff that they need us to do. We got a deadline to meet, but once that's done its on. We can start hanging sheet rock (who wants to help?) and finish the bathrooms and kitchen and everything!1 AAAAHHHHH!, but we are all good. It's getting done and starting to seem like we might actually get to move in before the winter.

But it wasn't all work. The days when the insulators where at the house we took off for the mountains and found some rivers. The mr went fishing, the pup went swimming (and now I don't need to give him a bath for a while) and I played with river rocks and read. We also visited with the bees up on the roof just to check how the ladies are doing and so far this season they are doing great, buzzing along like the bees do.

Today is one of those days that could go either way. We can work, maybe we really should work, but it's suppose to get hot and humid and I really don't want to. What I really want to do is go to the library and pick up (and drop off) books, go see the littles that just got back from Germany and share the watermelon that has been sitting on my counter all week with them. Maybe even go for a bike ride and take a nap.  Sounds nice right?  Hum. We shall see. At least I know there is a carrot popsicle in the freezer with my name on it.

Stuff of interest on the internet.

- A Golden Girls-themed café....And now I have the theme song"Thank you for being a friend" stuck in my head.

- A USED CARGO VAN BECOMES A MOBILE STUDIO.

-I have all sorts of ideas for making myself a little reading nook. NOTHING QUITE LIKE A PRETTY NOOK.

-Summer Produce Guide from Saveur

-Did you know there is a naked restaurant? I don't know about you, but IF I wanted to eat naked, I would just do it at home, for free.  The Fascinating (and Infuriating) Experience of Dining in the Nude

-I feel like I have lucid dreams, but that could be just in my dreams....What to Do During the Day to Increase Your Chances of Lucid Dreaming at Night

-I want a concrete bathroom floor. The mr does not. What do you think (that I am right, right!) Raw Beauty: 14 Gorgeous Spaces with Concrete Floors

-I am getting this app just as soon as I can figure out my apple ID. THE ‘SHAZAM’ FOR PLANTS WILL IDENTIFY ANY PLANT FROM A PICTURE

-All about the shoes. Gravity-Defying Shoes Installed on the Streets of London

-Inside the World of Large-Scale Food Heists. It's for real, even around these parts (stolen maple syrup happens more then you think)

Pictures of some of the awesome that happened this week.

Have a great summertime Sunday.

-C