Sunday Happy

So much to catch up on. Skipped last Sunday because the mr and I were in RI visiting my family. After a fantastic visit with the fam (more to come in a separate post, I need to go through the pictures) we came home all happy and full of love and amped for the week which was a good thing becausethe past week was packed.

The school system was still on strike so we spent a bunch of time with the littles, playing with chalk and trashing my house. Then there was the afternoon fun run out to the islands for ice cream with Barb. A strike day cone with all the sprinkles because why not.  The teacher strike ended and they all went back to school.(finally)  I spent a lot of time over at the loft going through all the shit in the basement and getting rid of things that are not and do not and should not. Which lead to me home cleaning out my closet and getting rid of a bunch of clothes as well. I am on a purge right now and if it (whatever it is) hasn't seen any action recently it's gone. And the garden. still so many tomatoes. I have never had or seen so many tomatoes come from one persons back yard before and beside a bed of beets and kale, are the only thing left standing in garden now because I pulled up the rest of the garden. The purge continued on the outside of the house too. I basically just want to get rid of everything. Fresh and clean and minimal and covered in tomatoes.

Up until just this past week, the mr and I have been doing our laundry over at the loft. It is annoying to shlep dirty clothes but we just figured that we are getting a new washer and dryer so no need to kill ourselves moving them from one basement to another. We shelp, we deal, it's fine. But what is not fine is that we no longer have a washer!!! One of our tenants washers one of the other buildings broke. so what was the solutions? Give them our washer. AAHHH! And me being me will not buy a new washer/dryer until they are sale which will be black Friday sales that happen in November. 6 weeks, at the very least, but it's cool. I will just go back to doing what we did before we got a washer and dryer, I'll just got do it at Shannon's house, which a win win because I get my laundry done and Shannon gets to hang out with me! HA

On top of the washer situation , the mr computer crashed. Of course right? He is dealing like a champ and functioning very well with just using his phone for all of his email and communication needs. I am impressed because when my computer crashed a few years ago I flipped my shit. And now I am really worried that my computer is going to die too because we have the same computers. Eek!

Jackson, my oldest nephew turn 16!!!. I can't even believe how old he is. The mr and I were just reminiscing about when we first starting dating (15 years ago) that we would go on "dates" that actually were us babysitting Jack. Little Jack and his hockey stick that he used as a weapon. Those were some crazy days. And now he is old and tall(er) and one of my favorite 16 year old kids. And how cute, he actually wanted a family birthday party. So I made a giant oreo cookie cake, the entire family packed into Shannon's house and no one fought or got injured! Best part, Shannon wrapped up a set of car keys and gave it to Jack. AFter he opened them he got so excited and ran outside to check out his new car. As he opened the door he stepped on something and looked down. He stepped on his new toy car.. HAHAHAHAHA. The look on that kids face. He was crushed and it was amazing. We are asshole people but it's ok because it is with love.

Yesterday the mr and I went to the annual harvest market in Underhill and did a little road side apple picking. It was a sunny and hot day which kind of killed the fall vibe. I was sweating and we passed on hot apple cider because it 80ish and just to hot. But I did score a pretty cool jar with ducks on it so it was not a complete wash.

And topper. Got home from a day out, kind of tired and just want to clean and relax and the mr gets all excited and crazy. There is a shasta camper for sale and he wants it gone now. "Oh yeah, well go and get it" is what I said and so we did. Drove out to up there Vermont and paid a young man a very very tiny fee to tow a pretty beat up, but still tow-able 1970's shasta camper home. Huh, that just happened didn't it? Oh jeeze, we have a freaking (non functional because it needs to be renovated)  camper in the driveway.

And that was just some of the past 6 day.

Today is going to be a lax day? I need to be able to have no set plan and just kind of do what comes to me (except I need to go to grocery store and return library books pick out tile because we are finally finishing off the downstairs bathroom this week) But other then that.

Internet fun from the past weeks

-This sucks. USDA Warns That Millions of Pounds of Fake ‘Organic’ Imports Are Pouring Into U.S And this is why it is important to know your farmer and buy local.

-How Has The Geology Of Vermont Affected Its Character?

-I love Melissa McCarthy (who doesn't) Trailer for ‘Cook-Off!’

-Shasta campers. Our is a 14 ft? Maybe, It was dark and weird and I haven't really even gotten a good look.

-Restoring VW Beetles, Buses ... And Dreams. Is it crazy that we still want a bus? Maybe the camper will quench our dreams.

-Nugget ice is pretty fantastic and this ice machine makes it for you at home. No more stealing ice from the hospital (the mr got hooked on the nugget ice from all the hospital trips over the years)

-Vegan hard boiled eggs..... Don't really understand it.

-Does Happiness Really Make You Healthier? It Depends on Where You Live.

-The view from the top is fantastic. The birds get it all.  Aerial Images of Vibrant Landscapes

Ans some pictures from the week.

Have a great day!

-C

Sunday Happy

I feel waterlogged and just downright soggy.  Everything is wet and I am freaking sick of it. I think we are on a record 12 day rain binge. Too much if you ask me. I think we could all use some dry time, right?

This week had been meh. There were a few days with a few hours that the mr and I were able to get to outdoor work, but mostly we spent too much time waiting for the rain to stop. Another week has gone by that the porch still needs work, the painting isn't done, and the siding isn't up (although the mr did get all the flashing up). I mean some things got done (a little painting, some tree cutting, indoor stuff) but not as much as we would have liked. But I did read 2 books so that was nice. And we had the littles over for a summer night sleep over. There was ice cream, cartwheels, dance parties, and car ramps. Good times were had. Then there is the garden. Because of all the rain and it being so damp all the time I have a freaking slug fest going on in the greens. It is so gross and non stop. I have tried beer bottles (slugs like beer and get stuck in the bottles, copper piping to shock them, hand picking then out, but they just keep on coming. I think my next step is to harvest all the greens, dig up a layer of soil and try to dry it out before replanting again. Ick, i really hate slugs.

So yeah, Sunday. And the weather man said no rain ( HOORAY!!) I think the mr and I are going to strawberry pick again (we did last Sunday) and maybe do some yard work and slug removal. But first I think I am going to paint the porch ceiling because at the moment it is only primed with the brightest pick that is shining into the windows and scaring the neighbors.

The things that I looked at this week on the internet.

-Coloring at restaurants is always recommended.   How Coloring Books (for Kids and Adults) Ended Up in Restaurants

-Maybe America can follow this example.THE EU IS STARTING A MASSIVE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE SCHOOL LUNCH ACROSS EUROPE

-There May Be a Little Poop in Your Starbucks Iced Coffee. Just so you know.

-Happy Birthday Harry Potter. Your world changed my life.  On Harry Potter's 20th Anniversary, Listen To His NPR Debut

-AAahh Scary and cute. Fun Paper Kirigami and Karakuri Puppets

-What Happens When a Baby Hippo Plays With a Croc

-Power-Packed Purslane. My garden is pretty much weed and purslane free at the moment but I'll give it a few more weeks.

-For Exercise, Nothing Like the Great Outdoors. Duh.

-There is a lot of Bullshit to deal with these days. A Beginner’s Guide to Calling BS

-Oreo Actually Made Some Of Its Most Insane Fan-Requested Flavors. Avocado and unicorn are among the flavors.

Pictures from the week

Happy day!

-C

Sunday Happy

Happy Sunday to you there people. It's suppose to be a gem of a day today. I hope you all are planning some good times to take advantage of it. It is officially summer so we should all be summering.

The past week had been decent but a little wonky. It seemed like it rained all the time which it didn't but kind of did. We had my mom and bros come over for a little family time dinner. (one twin loved the food, the other hated it) Got to take the kayaks out for a good paddle and have managed to get a lot of stupid little things that have needed to be done done.  Farm share pick upwhich is starting to get a whole lot bigger (bring on all the greens) and the backyard garden is bursting with stuff (radishes up to my ears) With all the food we have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen at the new island making food, eating food, or reading. It is the most amazing kitchen island and I am obsessed with it.

The painting of the house is taking much more time then I thought it would. First off, rain, and you can't paint in the rain. Then there is way more prep then I realized; scraping, holes to fill, scraping dead ivy from the sides (the mr has been doing most of the crap work) Then painting, then repainting because colors and me. Now we are at a point where we have the main porch painted with a great color but any windows or house siding colors is still undecided. All the windows are painted all different shades of black and grey. It is keeping me up at night. (picking out colors is very hard for a brick house that seems to change colors all the time) But I have goals. This coming up week I will have all the house painting completely done.  YEAH!

We are not suppose to do much work today, just try to take it easy. With that being said I am pretty sure the mr is planning on climbing into the trees in the driveway and trimming the tree branches that are growing onto our roof. Relaxing? Not so much.(He is very much afraid of heights) So if he does that, I will probably be out there the whole time holding the latter and being ready to catch him if he falls. But after that I might go strawberry picking. Farm share pyo has begun and I have strawberries and snap peas waiting for me. Got to get Summering.

Stuff from the internet.

-Solar field with bee hives... This is one of our life goals. Beekeepers Sweeten Solar Sites With the 'Tesla of Honey'

-A Street Fight Among Grocers to Deliver Your Milk, Eggs, Bananas. I wonder if people that deliver food go home and have their food delivered.

-It's not all in the name, but some of it it. Would Carrots by Any Other Name Taste as Sweet?

-This studio where the little tree houses are made.

-Man Bun Ken. What the ..... Mattel Introduces New Diverse Ken Dolls; Hopes To Reverse Sales Slump

-Stumptown’s Founder Is Starting a New Coffee Company. More good coffee.

-I don't have a kid but this bed is super cool. Maybe a daybed?

-Your Brain Treats a Blink Like a Tiny Nap which totally make sense

-At least there is an upside to the struggle. Some Good News for People Who Have a Hard Time Making Decisions

-Watch Broad City’s Abbi and Ilana Talk Shit About Each Other While Making Smoothies. I miss them so much and can't wait for the new season!

Pictures from the week.

have a great day.

-C

Sunday Happy

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there. May your day be full of sunshine and laughter and all the good things about being a dad.

The mr and I have had a pretty summery week. House stuff is coming along. We picked a paint color for the porch. Painted a bit of the porch, then, I decided I don't like it. Tried a new color and I am not to sure about that one either. So now the porch is covered in splotchy colors and not painted and I am just ugh. Paint choice can be such a bitch. But we found a kitchen island!!!! The mr has such a good eye for, well, most things, and found this old drafting table for free on craigslist. I was skeptical at first but the thing works perfect in the space and I am just really excited about it. That and the new light fixture that we found at the dump. Things are coming together here and out here of other peoples garbage. I love garbage finds, they are the best.

We also managed to get the kayaks out twice (even if for only a 1/2 hour). After comparing notes last night we realized we should stop going into the choppy lake after dinner. Full stomach and big waves equals a slight vomitty feeling. And the tandem bike, our summer time tradition. Barb, Miley and Judah came over for an end of school year sleep over pizza party and it basically turned into the mr riding around the neighborhood all night with one of them in tow. It was fantastic and quit fun to watch.

Today the mr and I are planning on keeping it low key. It is suppose to be hot and humid today and I am not really looking forward to that. We might try to take the kayaks out again or hit up a river, or just find a nice cool spot to hang out and read. I might even make some iced coffee (but probably not because I still want hot coffee even in a heat wave)

Internet stuff to take a look at.

-Why Can’t America Have Nice Rest Stops? I would love to be able to buy fresh, not nasty produce when I stop to pee.

-Next pie I make I am going for snazzy. 9 Ways to Snazzy Up Your Pie Edges

-Why so many porch ceilings are blue. But I still want to paint my porch ceiling gold.

- Internet owns the grocery store....weird. After The Amazon Deal: What Will Shopping At Whole Foods Feel Like?

-Our Love Of 'All Natural' Is Causing A Vanilla Shortage. Hoard your vanilla.

-This is one badass canoe

-Here’s Why You Should Let Go of Your Old, Half-Baked Ideas. This is good advice for me because I can get a billion ideas stuck in my head.

-Huh.. People Are Now Using Coke As a Self-tanner Instead of Drinking It. Wouldn't you just be really sticky?

-Because Sharks. Step Aside, Humans — Michael Phelps Is Set to Race Against a Great White Shark During Shark Week

Pictures from the week

Have a great day.

-C

Sunday Happy

Summertime is here and we should all be making our new summertime jams playlist and bucket list. I am lacking in all things summer and lists and need to get on that like now cause summer may have just started but I have a feeling it'd going to go by fast.

A week of listening to too much NPR and all the news which leaves me feeling all sorts of sad and angry.  I think that I need to take a mental break from it all and just listen to music(new summer playlist). The craziness is getting to me. BLAH!  Painting and cleaning were the big work things. So much painting and now I can't seem to get it all out of my hair (you know, from hitting my head against the wall) But that's coming to an end, kinda. We now have some time to work on the house again so we can finish the porch, which entails painting it. I am really excited to get it done but dreading having to commit and pick a color.  My stack of paint samples is a little ridiculous.

 We did get to spend a little time with the Miley and Judah when they came over for a afternoon of watermelon and park time, The new thing that we do when they come over is to walk around he neighborhood looking for free stuff. (it's all about the thrill of the find)   We also went to Sophia's dance recital which was hilarious. Littles in elaborate costumes trying not to fall of the stage and maybe dancing a bit? Too freaking cute. And summer farm share started!!!! 3 heads of lettuce and 1 lb of mixed greens and it took me about 2 days to eat it all. Not much makes me happier then a big bag of freshly picked greens. It's the simple things.

I might not be thrilled that today is suppose to be hot and humid, but I am really excited to get the heck out of town for a few hours. The river is calling us. The mr and his fishing pole and me with a wide brimmed hat, ample sunscreen, and my watercolors and books to keep me happy. I might even pack a picnic because food is good too. Oh, and I need to put up a little fence situation around one of the garden beds....The butt head squirrels keep jumping out of the tree and onto my cabbage. I told them to stop but they won't listen. Jerks!

Interesting internet from the week.

-Mayors, Companies Vow To Act On Climate, Even As U.S. Leaves Paris Accord. And this is what makes America great.

- INSIDE NEW YORK CITY’S BRILLIANT IDEA TO TRANSFORM FOOD WASTE INTO CLEAN ENERGY

-Going to the ocean this summer? Here’s What to Do After a Jellyfish Sting if you need to know.

-Scientists discover a sixth sense on the tongue—for water. I think I have it.

-Next pinataI make (I have made a few) BALLOON DOG PINATA

-I take activated charcoal if I feel like I am getting a stomach bug, so not often, but I haven't had it in food.  I guess it's a thing now. Everything You Need to Know About Eating Activated Charcoal

-Hand-Cut Paper Anatomy

-Another reason to drink all the coffee. Drink Coffee If You Want to Work Out Better

-The Millennial Obsession With Self-Care. And the internet.

-I hate straws. AMERICANS THROW AWAY 500 MILLION PLASTIC STRAWS A DAY

Pictures and they all came from my new phone.

Bye

-C