Sunday Happy

It’s been a week of weeks if you know what I mean. The world. There is a lot to process, good and bad. And now I think I need to catch up with my mind. I feel like I have let it run to far ahead of the rest of me. Or maybe I am running away from it? Either way. I need to reign it it and focus. That is the goal anyway.

As our routine, we went camping on Sunday and it was just the best, an unexpected greatness. We started with a great hike through pastures and woods and to a gorge and then headed to the park to pitch the tent. D.A.R State park. Neither of us had ever been there before and hadn’t heard anything about it, so we were not sure what to expect. And it turned out to be just fantastic. Big and spacious, pretty, relaxing, and right on the lake. Very few campers, all of which were old people. So quite. Our site was perfect and there was a sink near the bathrooms to wash dishes in. What more can you ask for? We played on the rock beach, made dinner, hug out by the fire, walked around the camp, went back down to the beach and skipped rocks while watching the sun set, and then crawled in to the tent for the night. The stars were crazy bright, the fireflies were everywhere, the sounds of the waves were faint but there. I was just as happy as as clam. Even when I woke up chilly. And then we woke up, made coffee, the mr fished for a few while I read and watched the sun come up then off and back to life we went.

After we got home Monday things got really busy and completely out of the norm. First off, the mr has been working a time sensitive job that has had him leaving as soon as I walk in the door in the morning and not getting home until I am in bed. And that in itself is not usual, but if that does happen, we will see each other during the day, at least for meals. It might not seem like such a biggy to most people, but for the past 17+ years, we have eaten almost every single meal together, and this week, no meals. I have been eating alone all week. At first I loved it because I love reading while I am eating and only ever do it on the very rare occasion that the mr is not home for a meal. But all week for lunch and dinner, alone. I have read 2 books, but I was starting to get lonely. I missed my mr. So sad. HAHA.

Anyway, while he was gone all week, I did some work, had coffee with my mom, made cookies with the littles, met Barb’s boyfriend, and ate ten thousand tomatoes. I also spent a good chunk of time cleaning out the loft (again) for my dad, and oh, I don’t even know, a bunch of other stuff. Then Jeff Dad came to VT. We went for a hike with couple littles at a state park, sat in traffic on the interstate for far too long, and then went to Megans house where I made dinner for everyone. I got to meet Anthony’s girl friend ( a week of meeting the significant others), got a glimpse of the butterfly chrysalis, and made Sophia cry because we picked all her basil for pesto and she really really didn’t want to share it. So I owe the girl a new basil plant.

Yesterday was family reunion up in Belvidere. The whole crew. Great as always. Seeing family is always the best. I love them all, even if they exhaust me and maybe make me want to run away screaming. But isn’t that the way it suppose to be?

And then we came home, the mr left again to finish this job last night and came home while I was in bed. Again. But now he is done. And I am so excited to have him around, although this week is a new job that will be taking him away again. At least we have today. Camping. Ricker Pond State Park. I am excited. No work for the mr. Just him and me heading out into the wilderness with our tent and sleeping bags and a socks! Socks cause it had been getting chilly at night….YAY for cool late summer nights! I am so ready for some cool weather and to bust out all my sweaters!!!!

Internet from the Internet.

-It’s that time of year again. One day theres one, the next there are a million! How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Before They Take Over Your Kitchen

-Call Me Crazy, but I Think an Active Vacation Eases Stress More Effectively Than the Beach. No, not crazy at all. I need activity all the way, whether it is hiking, biking, or just walking 20 miles around a city. No beach reading for me.

-Avoid the toilet plume! Hey, Just Always Close Your Toilet Lid, OK?

-I don’t really get it, but it is awesome. Watch the New, Brilliant Trailer for Season 10 of “The Great British Bake Off”

-It’s the Season for Fruit, and Also for Writing About Cutting Fruit as an Act of Love. I always cut fruit up for the ones I love. HAHAHA, but for real.

-Oh fuck. A New Study Reveals Just How Toxic a Bee’s World Has Become

-Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Strange how people perceive certain things…

-I like. ON TREND: THE ART DECO BED.

-Fun People Order Pancakes: What Your Diner Order Says About You. Black coffee all the way.

-Can you imagine… 3 feet tall. Super bad ass and super scary! I wonder if they could talk too? This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds

-Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push. Would you? I think we all are going to need too. I am already thinking of induction. Definitely next kitchen I remodel.

And pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

Summer at it’s fullest and greatest. And not so great, at it’s hottest. At least this past week was freaking amazing, especially compared to last weekend. That humid heat damn near killed me!

The week started off with a soggy hike and a heat soaked day of camping and fun times. Groton State forest, at the Stillwater campground. The mr and I were both a little drained and tired from being so so hot but we managed alright, went and did some hiking, the mr did a little fishing, I sat around and read. The normal, just a little slower then usually. But it all changed that night. We woke up and walked down to the water to watch the sunrise and take in the fresh, glorious, air. It was not hot and humid and we was alive again. HA

Then after camp, home we went, back to the week. Stuff happened, like stuff that needed to happen, like those taxes that I have not wanted to talk about… They are pretty much done. HOORAY!!! All the ups and downs. The few tears, the rage, the anxiety. Over. And now I can stop worring about them for a least a few more months, until next year that is. Because every year. Blah. Stupid taxes.

Besides taxes, there was a dentist appointment that I sat around and waited for but never got to be seen. (SO PISSED) Paul came over for resume help and food. The mr, Barb, Coco, and I spent an afternoon at the park. I weeded for hours in the garden. And lets talk about the garden. Whoa it is going and going. Right now it’s all about the squash, chard, and greens and the tomatoes will be booming soon!!!!!!!!!! That on top of farm share, well I am just one happy, full to the brim, lady.

The rest of the week was and went.

Friday I worked the studio all day then the mr and the littles picked me up. We ran to the store to get supplies, then went home for our first backyard campout. The rule was, besides me, no one was allowed inside at all until just before bed time to use the bathroom and brush our teeth. (Or to go number two. They needed to use the toilet for that. Ha). And so I got dinner stuff ready (In the house but I needed to use the fridge and because I could), we ate dinner at the picnic table, set up the tents, made a fire, did so-mores, played with fire, and the kids ran around hopped up on sugar. We went to the park, walked around the neighborhood, and when it got dark, lit up some sparklers. It was the best! The kids were so happy, the mr and I were happy to be camping again, even if it was just the backyard, and really, it just was so great. Even when we were in our tent trying to fall asleep and all I could hear was Miley and Judah whispering and giggling and playing cards in their tent. Because that is what you do when you camp and it had me falling asleep smiling.

When we woke up (I woke up 3 hours earlier then everyone, made a pot of coffee and read on the porch) the breakfast stuff was ready outside. Eggs and toast on the camp stove. Hot chocolate, and freshly picked raspberries from the bushes in the yard. Then back to the park, and home they went. Probably some of the best camping yet. And now that we know they are awesome in a tent, we are taking them to a state park in the next few weeks. That’s gonna be fun.

Today we are heading south to camp. Lake St. Katherine or maybe Half Moon. Not sure yet. The plan is to get close and see which one feels right. We were going to bring the kayaks but It might rain and thunderstorm during the afternoon and tonight so I figured we can just go hiking instead. I would rather be in the woods and not in the middle of the lake during a lightning storm. That would kind of suck. But watch, it probably won’t rain, and even if it does, I am ok with that. We won’t melt.

Endeavors into the world wide web.

-IKEA Upcycles Furniture Into Homes For Birds, Bees, ​and Bats. Some sweet ass, fun-tastic looking homes for those birds, bees, and bats.

-I am not a beach person, partially because of this. Sun, Sand And Sewage: Report Shows Many U.S. Beaches Unsafe For Swimming. Happens here in Burlington too.

-What are algae blooms and why are they bad?. Another reason I avoid the beach.

-Questions We All Ask Ourselves: Why Does the Beanbag Chair Even Exist? Because who doesn’t love to sink into big ol’ bean bag?

-I can’t wait until the fennel starts flowing at the farm. It is the BEST! Fennel: The Best Ways to Pick It, Cook It, and Eat It

-Why Science Can Be So Indecisive About Nutrition. There is always something about something. Heck, even kale was bad for you at one point.

-This common plastic packaging is a recycling nightmare. When is the plastic craziness going to stop? And when are people going learn that just because it says it is recyclable, doesn’t mean that it is actually going to be recycled. We should just stop worring about recycling and focus more on reducing freaking plastic all together.

-Not sure what I think about this. Petition to change date of Halloween gets more than 80,000 signatures

-Soemthing about these photgraphs that I really like. Murky waters: Karine Laval’s dreamy photography takes you from the deep end to a surreal space

-A Needle Pulling Thread. Sashiko is the perfect simple, low-cost hobby to get you off your phone. Or just have another hobby. I have been meaning to Sashiko all the big holes in my couch cushions.. Maybe it will be my winter project?

Pictures from the week.

-C

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

It is June. Already. That was fast.

The week started off great. We spent Sunday in Belvedere with family. The weather was perfect. There were barely any life sucking mosquitoes. Not to sunny, no rain. We just hung out, ate food, walked to the water falls, and basked in the glories of the world. Not to mention Judah invented a watch cookie, Shannon read my telepathically read my mind and picked me up the heart shaped baking tins that I was thinking about at a garage sale, and Sophia. She ate all my broccoli. All the littles played without fighting. All the adults talked without fighting. It was really nice.

And then we came home and by Monday afternoon, the shit starting to hit the fan. First off, it was the week before the June first rental turnovers. Always a hectic week. Always a lot of running around. It has been especially crazy for the mr this year because he was dealing with not only our tenant turn over, but a bunch of other apartments for other landlords. Painting, getting rid of garbage, fixing broken things. That in itself was not the issue. The issue was Monday afternoon, after the mr had been working all day, pulled into one of our driveways with the car to grab some paint, got back into the car, and the key wouldn't turn. And the wheel wouldn't turn. The car was stuck. Our newish (3 1/2 year old) car. The mr spent more then an hour trying to turn the key. I sent more then an hour on the internet trying to figure out what the heck was wrong. In the end, the car was just left for the night, the mr hitched a ride, and we ended up getting the car towed to the garage. (Note that this is the second tow in within a week.) After getting off the phone with the mechanic the next day, we were told it was going to be a few days before they can even look at it because they were so busy. We were feeling pretty screwed. Luckily for us, my mom is awesome and lent us her truck which if she didn't , well we would be stuck with the rental car that I rented one afternoon, drove home, had a massive anxiety attack about crashing (we are having bad car juju right now), turned around and returned. I just had a bad feeling about it. So yeah, I rented a car, for about an hour. They laughed at me. I laughed at me too. Then cried a little. HAHA.

By Thursday the shop was able to look at the car. After the mechanic took a look at the car, he told us the master cylinder was stripped and needed to be replace. Or better yet needs to be. Almost a week later. The car is still there. They had to order the part and it won’t be in until Tuesday. Yup. Just a week ago we were sitting pretty with a car and a sweet ass van and now, no cars. Oh, and the lawn mowers stopped working mid mowing. We think its the gas line or something.

Anyway. The week, hectic but not all bad. I found a bike on craigslist that I am going to fix up and call my new bike for a while (I am done bike shopping for the time being). Barb came over for a lunch and a walk one day. I made rainbows and popsicles another afternoon. Working at the studio was calm. That was nice. And the weather. I can’t complain about that at the least bit.

Then yesterday. June first. Tenant moving day. It was cray cray. New tenants moving in and out usually isn’t a big deal because most of the time our tenants are great and leave without issue. But yesterday the mr stopped over to check on all the apartments and found one in pretty awful condition. Long story short, we spent the day scrubbing filth and paint and hair (so fucking gross) off every surface then repainting the apartment while the new tenants were moving in. We did manage to have a little lunch picnic in th park with Miley and I took her on her first ever bike ride across town. That was good, but then it was back to the crazy apartment. Then we came home, ate dinner, cleaned our house, then passed the f out.

Today is going to be good. Why? I don’t know yet, but we need it to be. I am not looking for anything spectacular, maybe just to find a few new good books at the library. Maybe go the day without getting 100 mosquito bites. Or maybe even just be able to take a nap. Just a mellow day. Wish us luck.

Stuff I looked at and read about on the internet this week.

-There Is Too Much Stuff. I couldn't agree more and I hate it. Too much stuff makes me so anxious. And maybe a little angry. The piles of shit just keep getting bigger. AAGGHHH!!!!

-As a person who makes a lot of mugs with handles, this is very important. I have kept myself up all night on many occasions just thinking about mug handles. Shape, feel, visual ascetics. So much goes into a well made mug handle. But it is worth it and when you have a good one, you know.. Let’s Talk About Mug Handles

-Why You Should Use a Wooden Spoon to Taste Your Food. What about a wooden fork, would that work too?

-Bad making bad worse. How pesticides can actually increase mosquito numbers

-Simple and clean… My kinda place. A HOLIDAY HOME IN PORTUGAL.

-Would you leave your life behind for a house you saw on Instagram? These people did. I love the instagram account CHEAP OLD HOUSE. And yes, I have definitely imagined buying half of them because some of them really are amazing. Maybe one of these day. Drafty windows and crumbling foundations don’t scare me.

-Your Walls Need This Whimsical Magnetic Wallpaper. I don’t need it, but oh boy would it be cool.

-If Ikea is doing it, then it’s for real. Everyone is going vegan. HAHAHAHA. Ikea’s Meatballs Will Officially Go Vegan This Fall

-As avid outdoors people, we really make evey effort to leave the outdoors exactly (if not better) as we found it. How to leave the great outdoors exactly how you found it. How pissed would you be if someone cam into your place and trashed it and moved things and picked at you?

-I eat beets eveyr single day and my pee has never turned pink but I know everyone I feed beets to pees pink. Hum? Why Do Beets Make Your Pee Turn Pink?

And pictures from the week

-C