Sunday Happy

We got the little spring teaser. 2 beautiful days, high 50’s, a bit of sunshine. Most of the snow and ice melted and little green shoots appeared underneath all that snow. I even opened all the windows and left the front door open to air out the house. It was amazing. And the sun. When it is out, it is out and feels so so nice. ( I am definitely vitamin D deficient). But again. It was a tease. Back to it being not so warm and a little more snow ( it snowed last night). Aye Yai Yai!! Just be spring already!

Week was and now its over minus that hour we lost which actually kind of kicked my ass. The beginning of the week, rolling out af bed at 4:30 to get to the gym, well my body didn’t like it much and gosh was I tired and dragging ass. But I am all adjusted now and everything is good. And we have more light at night which is nice I guess. I don’t mind reading in bed with natural light. HA.

There were a few good walks, one down by the lake, another with Megan down to the river. (We are all trying and needing to stay off of hiking trails for a little while because they are either covered in ice or mud and we don’t want to trash them) The mr spent a good amount of time ripping up a porch and doing porch things all the while being on rat duty for friends of ours. Barb was suppose to come over for lunch and a hike of some sort be she kept ditching me with oversleeping. I have been plugging away, ever so slowly and because they are taking over my life, at taxes. Barf. I did manage to start tomatoes and pepper seeds, have the littles over for dinner and popsicles, worked at the studio, contemplated renting and driving a bulldozer … Nothng big or grand. Not yet anyway.

Today, after the gym and doing a few little chores, we are going to pack a lunch and head out of town. I’ll grab the binoculars and maybe we can find a good place to do a little bird watching. That is how the day is feeling. Slow and lovely and full of birds. They are coming back, I can hear them more and more, bringing with them the spring.

Links from the week to browse at your leisure.

-Why Southeast Asia Is Flooded With Trash From America And Other Wealthy Nations. And now we are all going to feel the affects because they don’t want to buy our recycling anymore. How to actually recycle

-Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? The science of language and how it has evolved

-It’s not fancy but this is the Sweater of my dreams.

-The One Thing I Hate About Being a Wellness Influencer. You are allowed o eat, even things that are not considered healthy. Stop being haters.

-One at a time. Nobody Blows Out Birthday Candles Like Mitt Romney. I actually kind of love it. Next time I need to blow out candles……

-The Pineapple Hack That’s Taking Over the Internet Right Now

-Shall I get myself a cottage like this one in Scotland too? I think so.

-A Popular Benefit of Houseplants Is a Myth. But I don’t care, they improve life.

-Welcome to Vermont. Goat starts term as town's pet mayor. And did you hear. Bill would place Vermont on year-round daylight saving time

-All the lovely chairs. THE TIMELESS BEAUTY OF BENTWOOD.

And some pictures from the week

Sunday

What a week. What a year. So much has happened and is happening and is about happen. I guess that is the nature of life and time and all that good stuff.

The week started off fantastic. On Sunday the mr and I grabbed Judah, Emerson, and Barb, piled into the car, and went for a light drive. We walked around a light filled park, drove some more, then ended up at, of all places in this world, Burger King. And they loved it (I packed my own dinner because I do not, will not, eat at almost any place that the littles prefer) Funny, I don’t know if I have ever been inside of a Burger King before, and if I have, it was long before I had a choice in what I ate. Again, they loved it, even though it was trash food, they got their crowns. Coco cheered just about every French Fry that went into his mouth, and the mr got to use Burger King coupons that he had hiding in his pocket (that is basically why we ended up there) It was a fantastic evening and is now going to be a Christmas Eve eve tradition. Light drive with dinner (never Burger King again thank you very much)

After we dropped them off at home, we went home and that is when the mr succumbed to it. IT being the stomach flu. That was fun.

Christmas Eve the mr was an ill man so I forged it alone. With the help of all the Christmas music I could handle, I baked a bunch, prepared the house for the next day when the family came over. I cut up all the fruits and veggies, wrapped the few little presents I had, did bills and a bunch laundry, ran to the grocery store. My mom stopped by and brought me a lemon tree because just because. I just was so freaking productive. And best part, it SNOWED, like a good amount. What I thought was going to be a completely snow free Christmas turned into the most magical snow ever. Christmas Eve afternoon, Big fat fluffy flakes covering the world. I bundled myself up and walked around the neighborhood just taking it all in. It truly was the best Christmas Eve snow ever. And after a full on day of resting , the mr was feeling a bit better so that was good. And then both to bed by 7 because thats our life these days.

Christmas morning had all the right stuff. Woke up and watched the sun rise while drinking a butload of coffee. The house was all clean and glittery and the ltree lights were on and the ground glittered with the fresh snow. After the mr woke up and was feeling a little worse for ware but ok, we bundled up and went for a little stroll on the beach. We usually go for a hike but I was not trying to push the mr too hard. The beach, oh man, was that amazing. The water was still, the snow was like diamonds, and the air was crisp and clean. Not a sound to be heard other then the lapping of water. It was so good. We left before I decided to stay forever and because the mr thought he could walk on ice and ended up with a his foot in a foot of water so we headed on home to meet the hoard of family. Just about everyone came (minus Ryan and the girls and Anthony.. we missed them all) ate food, did a little gift exchange thing (I got some sweet new house plants), plastered Jackson with a very nice shade of lipstick that might have been called whore red, and had a Happy Birthday celebration for Cameron because it’s was Christmas, but it really was his birthday.

Then for the saddest part. We got the news that our uncle had passed away.

Oh Uncle Seth. He had been sick for a while now with Parkinson’s disease, but the past month or so it got so bad. His death was not unexpected but never the less it was not any less painful. My only uncle, the guy who gave me my first car, the man who built a cabin from nothing in the woods and turned it into a place that you could only imagine (or see in a design magazine) A man who taught (he was as professor at RISD), loved the world, loved to travel, loved his work, was so fierce in emotion. SO many little qualities that I saw in him, I see in me. ( I feel like I get a lot of who I am from my dad and my uncle and aunt) The world lost a great man, I lost a great uncle. He is and will always be loved and I know I was just lucky to have been able to have him as an uncle. It is still hard, I don’t think I have fully processed it still, It is kind of a not quite real feeling. Just an overall heaviness that has settled in on my mind and heart. It is so hard to loose any family, but especially hard when they were so full of life and had so much to give to the world. Agh. The words are not even close to adequate here, the full measure of him as a person not explained. To put it simply, he was an amazing, loving and generous person. I am so going to miss him, his creativity, his lust for life. And what I am going to miss most is his hugs and smiles and overall presences in my life. RIP Seth. You really were a fucking awesome uncle.

We got word of the funeral on Wednesday (which was also Anthonys 17th birthday….So old! I stopped by to see him and give him a big hug. Didn’t want a party or cake this year so I owe him granola bars.) and were in the car driving down to RI by Thursday morning. Shannon, Megan, the mr, and me, all packed into the car and off we went. A small family funeral which was very beautiful and full of love, then food with the family. Not a long stay, but we are all going back down next weekend for Seths memorial celebration bash.

We got home and it hit hard. I started to feel kind of crappy (sick wise) and have been feeling blue ever since. Driving to RI really kicked the mr down again. He was so good, no complaining about anything, not the cranked up car heat or driving straight while us ladies spent the entire time talking of childhood memories. He didn’t even put on the music. And by the time we came back home, the guy was sick again, or maybe never was not sick, but he has been down for the count ever since.

So yesterday we did a few morning chores together like got rid of the recycling and retuned amazon stuff to UPS, but by afternoon the mr was out. So I cleaned house, made another ice cream cake for Judah, and did more and more laundry. Another one of those feeling super productive days. Weird, but I am starting to see a pattern here. When the mr is really sick, I get a lot done. I think it’s mainly because. a) I want to stay away from him as to not get sick too. b) I am afraid that if I do get sick none of what needs to be done will get done so I need to do it fast. And c) I don’t have to worry about what he needs to do, it’s all me. Ha.

Today is Judah’s birthday. Nine years old! What an age to be. So basically I am going to the gym then coming home to do a few things and finish making his cake, then heading over to his house for a birthday dinner celebration. I told him and his sister I would go over early and give them haircuts (the boys hair is so long it covers his eyes, He looks cool, but if you can’t see, well looking cool isn’t gonna get you anywhere). It’s gonna be fun.

Goodness, is that it. The end of another year. Hard to wrap my head around so I am just going to ease on in to 2019. Low key and cool. Just like me. Ha.

Happy New Years Friends! Be safe. Be happy. Be good. Be kind.

Interent links from the week

-Just Admit It, You’re in a Bad Mood. All the lead up to Christmas then BAM, its over. Gets me every time.

-I am defintially one of those people who likes to bake when I am feeling anxious. The Rise of Anxiety Baking. Cookies are my favorite to bake too.

-Speakig of cookies. When 'Cookiers' Take Holiday Cookie Decorating To A Whole New Level. I had no idea there was a cookie cutter factory in Vt. I must see this place!

-Who doesn’t love a good tree picture? Black and White Photographs Capture the Striking Appearance of Bare Trees Against Snow-Filled Landscapes

-Explorer completes historic Antarctic trek. Some people do crazy things that make me jealous. Not that I want to ski Antarctica, but something crazy would be cool.

-How did I not know until now that there was a monthly round up of trucks spilling shit. We all need this information. This month in overturned trucks: Cash, Christmas trees, cooking oil

-How A Little Science And A Lot Of Shady Advertising Boosted Yeast's Popularity. I have never eaten a yeast cake, but I eat a shit load of nutritional yeast. MY favorite is a spoonful in the mouth where it gets stuck in my teeth and the roof of my mouth. For real.

-I am going to get a scale sometime soon. I just need to find the right one for the right price (free or very cheap at the thrift store) Until then, this is handy. Weight Conversions for Flour, Sugar, and Other Common Baking Ingredients

-This is something that I have wondered about. I am really happy that it doesn’t get wasted. We Finally Know What Happens to the Leftover Cake on the Great British Bake Off

-The year vegan junk food went mainstream. Yup. Just cause it’s vegan doesn’t mean it is good for you.

And pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Are we all ready for it? Mid November and all. The holidays are creeping up fast and furious and I am starting to feel that bit of excitement and anxiety and over all buzz that one gets this time of year. I think seeing the neighbor putting their Christmas tree up in the window the other day (Which in my opinion is way to early. You need to wait until after Thanksgiving for the tree) really hit it home for me. So I located my boxes of decorations and pulled the box of glue and glitter for holiday arts and crafts. I restocked all my flours, sugars, and chocolate chips, and I already have a few of those cake orders in. It’s go time. Now all we need is a snow storm. Or all I need anyways.

The week has been slow. Daylight savings has did a little number on me. I have been waking up at like 415 but my ass is in bed by 830. I could probably get myself to adopt a later bedtime and maybe wake up a little later, but you know what? It works for me. I am nothing, if not an old lady.

Other then a little bit of work, nothing to exciting happened. The mr and walked in the rain to vote. We went for a nice mid week hike , then stopped at the new Harbor Freight store to play with axes. I spent some time throwing, loaded kilns at the studio, grocery shopped, and scraped ice off my car for the first time this season. The littles were over for food and play. Judah and I stating making turkey hand prints that we are going to finish this week. Coco just got snot everywhere and Miley just wanted to get our nightly walk over so I would giver her candy. Then Barb came over for baked beans (amazing baked beans), and Megan stopped by one day to hang with me for a while. It’s nice getting a little human interaction once in a while. HA.

The mr and I finally trapped Only in the house, gave him a bath and even tried to brush his ratty ass out. He is pretty much 100% an outdoor cat in the summer months, but I don’t like him out during the winter so he gots to stay inside. And he hates it. Meows all night long, try to sneak in between legs out the door. But I think it’s better for him and he will get used to sitting around all day on the heated floors again. The guy is to old to be hanging out there like a young cat.

And the leaves. So many leaves. The mr has been doing battle with the trees in the driveway. He spent a day raking and mowing, all pretty much in vain because the next day the driveway was just as bad, if not worse, covered in leaves. My suggestion was just to wait a few more days, let all the leaves fall, but he is a determined man. Plus he noted that the dents in leaves actually help the over all mission.

That was the week.

Today the mr and I are heading to the mountains. We (well I) want to see some snow and really, we just want to get out of town for a few hours. I am feeling a little crazy.

Hope today finds you happy and cozy. Doing you.

Interenting from the week.

-Antarctica scientist allegedly stabs colleague for spoiling the endings of books. I do not condone violence in any way but, I mean, I kind of get it.

-The best way to deal with fall leaves. The mr needs to read this.

-Take it from someone that burns herself on a daily bases. Be prepared in the kitchen. I keep burn cream (propolis calendula salve) right next to the knives. I use it all the time. How to Soothe a Kitchen Burn, STAT

-10 Things to Clean Now Before the Holiday Season Gets Going. Add to list…A good place to hide and a good alibi if needed.

-Interesting idea. A Meat Tax Sounds Nice to Me

-Knowing your flours is important. What’s the Difference Between Cake Flour, Pastry Flour, All-Purpose Flour, and Bread Flour

-I play sudoko when I am feeling worried or anxious. Can't Stop Worrying? Try Tetris To Ease Your Mind

-Meet the Plantfluencers. I could totally be one, I have like 70 plants and counting. And if people are liking and then getting house plants, well heck yeah. Plants are the best.

-I don’t neeeeed , but I really, really want these sheets. They are amazing.

-Does stress eating actually make you less stressed? Whats your stress eating food? Mine is cabbage. I think there is something about peeling back cabbage leaves that I find soothing, and I a weirdo.

And pictures from the week.

Bye

-C

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.

Sunday Happy

Did you get out last week, see some trees, see some nature, take in the world? I hope so but if you didn’t, take some time today and do it, it will make you happy Promise.

Last Sunday was camping at the Queeche Gorge State Park. Stopped at a cool flea market on the way, saw some cool old stuff, almost bought a painting (I kind of wish I did. Oh well) Then off to the camp ground which was pretty empty, but man, there were a shit ton of people bumping around the gorge trails. Not bad, I just was a little surprised, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. I mean, foliage and nice weather and beauty. It brings the people out. Anyway, the hiking was good. Found a off shoot trail that no one else was on and found a tiny little brook with spawning trout. Got back to camp, made pumpkin lentils for dinner and then the sun started to set and the night got very cold. The fire was needed oh so much. I might have even melted my shoe a bit because I was a little to close to it. And when it hit that magical time (8) we jumped into the tent. I slept with a hat and hood and mittens on in my sleeping bag with a wool blanket and was just as happy as could be. Then we woke up, made coffee, packed up, and headed for the streams so the mr could fish in 35 degree weather. It was freezing but it makes him happy so it makes me happy.

After we got home the week went per usual. Work here and there, dinner with the littles, Barb up my butt about how excited and nervous she was about Italy, and could I please just hem this skirt for her? You know, the normal stuff.

I think it was Wednesday, the mr and I were out for the day so I had packed out lunches. I was eating a carrot and all of a sudden, CRACK! Spit out my carrot and there was the little stone (it happens some times) and also a big ass chunk of my tooth. Yup, the stone broke a piece of one of my molars off. Oh my was I freaking out. Called the dentist right away but my dentist doctor is out of town and can’t get me in until next week! As of right now it is fine and doesn’t hurt or anything, but I am terrified that it’s going get worse or break more or I don’t know. This and I just was there for a cleaning like 2 weeks ago. Said I had great teeth health and blah blah blah. After that happened, I have been a little on edge since. The underlying feeling of something wrong in my face, and it’s driving me crazy. Stupid tooth.

Friday morning was running around, a few chores, and a quick frosting and dinosaur making to finish off the ice cream cake and off to the studio for the day. Loaded kilns, played in the slop bucket, pugged some clay. Then ran home to get the cake and make quick to Barb for her 19th birthday hurray! There was a family crowded dinner. I brought the cake and she’s jumping up and down being crazy and awesome and was trying to keep her shit together because the next day she was getting on her first plane ever and flying to Italy! Whoop whoop.

So yesterday was basically set aside for Barb. I cleaned the house early, packed our lunches, then the mr and I picked her and her friend up and drove them over the border into Cananda and dropped their lucky tushies off at the airport. SO CUTE. I might have been a little jealous, but more then that, I was, and am, just so excited for them. Italy, haven’t been yet, but I will get there. Barb said she would bring me back a picture of an Italian toilet so that will be good enough. I probalaby won’t need to go after getting that. Ha. And so we dropped them off, headed back home and watched all the most amazing clouds in the sky. Got home, took a shower, and passed the f out.

Today is up in the air. Not exactly sure wha't’s going to happen. We have a very important thing this afternoon that is exciting to us, but other then that, not sure. Camping was talked about but none of the campground are open anymore. We were thinking of maybe sleeping in the car under a tree, but not 100% sold on that idea. It also might snow so you know, the mr is scared of the white stuff. Me, I am very excited and would love to wake up with some snow, but I get it. It is getting cold out. But if we sleep in the car, it would totally be fine, and fun. Just got to convince the mr.

Internet from the week.

-Isn’t see always right? Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors

-You Can Buy 'Golden Girls'-Themed Cereal at Target Now. What the.. Funko’s. That is just kind of amazing.

-Who didn’t read this book? I hope if it does become a movie they don’t screw it up and that the young ones still read the book. 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.' By Judy Blume Could Finally Become A Movie

-Good, Evil. Sugar There is a lot to the history., Sugartime. How a taste for sweetness, developed for survival, became a stand-in for everything good — and evil — about our culture

-Are Siblings More Important Than Parents? I don’t know, but there is something. Growing up as one of 9 is who I am. I con’t even imagine not having them. And my sisters are my best friends so maybe, yeah, like not more important but kinda?

-5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking with Yeast. But it’s really not hard to use yeast. If you are intimidated, start by making focaccia.

-I would live in an old church, but only if the vibe was good and there was no history if weird shit.. Holy Homes: Inside Houses That Used to Be Churches

-Last week at the gym there was a special on the news about people called flat landers. They believe the earth is flat ans think all of evidence , things like gravity and even the moon is all a hoax. It was very strange.. 10 easy ways you can tell for yourself that the Earth is not flat

-I need a glass greenhouse. Majestic Conservatories and Cozy Private Potting Sheds Showcase the Universal Appeal of Glass Greenhouses

Pictures from the week

-C