Sunday Happy

Freshly showered, clean pj's, popcorn, and chocolate bars. I am good at movie night  Notice the mr and his lack of candy... He hadn't taken his shower yet. HA.

The week, oh the week. It has been a full one. The lists have begun. Materials have been bought. Projects are scheduled and ready to go just as long as it doesn't snow again. Aggh. (Waking up the other morning to white stuff was, if not very beautiful, somewhat like a kick I the gut. But it's gone. And sure still is brisk out, but this is it guys, for real this time. Spring) We had Megan's birthday party over here the other night. I made pizza and salad and cake (that I am still finding al over the floor. I swear the people in my family do not know how to eat cake without getting it all over the f-ing place) and everyone was happy. I think. And that is the last birthday happening here for a while. (there are not more birthdays until late summer. HOORAY!) 

The littles have been here a lot this week. Having dinner, playing outside, and just pretty much beating on the mr. As a matter or fact, those little are currently asleep in the other room right now. Coco is at the hospital again so the big ones are with us. Never a dull moment here. We spent the day constructing houses out of cardboard, painting them and also getting paint all over the dinning room table. There was some scootering around the neighborhood, chalk art, and just doing stuff outside that we should be doing. We (or they) watched a movie (I cleaned) and then the beginning of my hellish night began. A stomach ache and a head ache for the girl and the boy has been coughing up a lung. Miley just needed to go to sleep but Judah just couldn't. The mr hooked u the humidifier and I have been pushing honey water down his throat every hour all night. I think he finally got himself to sleep at like 2. As for me, I have had no sleep, not a freaking wink. All I could do was listen to his coughing and if he stopped for a few minutes, I would worry and wait for the coughing to start.  And when I wasn't focused on his coughing, I was thinking how tired I was but then I started to think about the  taxes which then gave me an anxiety attack. And the mr started to snore very very loudly.  Plus I was getting up to check on the boy every hour. But both are asleep now and I am not. And it's pushing 5am. I am feeling pretty crazy and think the time for sleep has passed me by.

Not exactly sure what is going on today. All I know is that there are pancakes to be made, popcorn to clean up, and modern cardboard boxes to be finished.  Judah is hoping to install a pool off the side of his house and I think Miley was talking about a bounce castle. (how does one make a bounce castle out of an old yogurt container?) I just hope that they wake up feeling better and that Coco gets to come home today. Then they can go home I can pass the fuck out. 

Fun from the internet 

-What’s the Best Medicine for a Cough?.  Honey and humidity, it helped a whole heck of a lt. 

-The Intimacy of Socializing in Silence This makes me feel understood. 

-Good peanut butter is of upmost importance in life. Have to agree with the Trader Joes... It's one of the best, The Best Natural Peanut Butter Is Also the Easiest to Find

-Isle of Dogs. I really want to see this one, even though it pulls at all my sad heart strings. .

-I know I have posted things about this before, but forest bathing...got to do it. Suffering From Nature Deficit Disorder? Try Forest Bathing

-Plant life. 5 TIPS FOR CARING FOR FIDDLE LEAF FIGS and 5 Overlooked Plants That Can Survive In The (Almost) Dark

-20 Creative Ideas for Decorating a Kid's Bedroom We don't have any kids of our own, but we do have a kids room because we always have kids. These rooms are good inspiration and not just for the kid room but for our room too.

-Utah's 'Free-Range' Parenting Law Protects Parents So Kids Can Roam . I know some 7-8 year olds I would trust with my life. I also know some 13 year olds that I would never ever leave alone for fear of many many things. It all depends on the kid. But I love this. As long as it is done right and for the right reasons . 

-Healing with Poultices. Mash them up and smear them on and they never let me down. 

-Where the Streets Have MLK's Name. A man worth of having his name on all the street. 

Pictures from the week. 

Sunday Happy

I woke up this morning with a very vvid recollection of the dream I was having. In it I was the inventor of a thing called The Fire Stick, which essentially was a fishing pole with fire on the end that you stick in water( know, it makes no sense ) and it somehow propels you around. In the dream, I was using my Fire Stick to cruise down a river on a makeshift raft because I was fleeing something and I needed to leave by water.  Thats it, but I know in my dream I was damn proud of my Fire Stick. Dream me is very strange and scares me a little. 

The mr and I have no big projects going on right now so he is doing a bunch of side work and I am doing little things around the house plus trying to get through the taxes (I am procarsinationg so hard) I am getting a touch of cabin/spring cleaning fever and am starting to think about running away or  repainting all the walls... which is crazy because  it hasn't been more then a year since I last painted. So I guess that leaves running away. Ha.  What I really need to do is build a shit ton of shelves and reorganize the closets, but that takes measuring and buying wood and power tools and the mr so it will have to wait. ( I have to sweet talk him into having a shelf making day with me.. I would do it alone, but it will be much easier and nicer if he helps) And the running away part, well we are working on that part too. 

Other then my crazy, the week has been pretty good. The mr got me another new power tool (I am returning the scroll saw in favor of band saw) The back porch has unofficially turned into a wood carving studio. And not just for me, the mr is really into wood carving right now too. We even braved negative temperatures to walk around on the beach to find cool pieces of drift wood to make spoons out of. (he gets pretty jazzed about stuff and there is not stopping him) Before that freezing  cold returned there was a day where we were able to walk the wold without jackets and that was the day we took Shannon out for a walk. That lady just got a new hip and already she is walking better then I can. Maybe I will get myself a new hip too. Or new knees. I could be unstoppable. 

 Qui came over for a vegan banana bread baking how to, which got me thinking that  I should start teaching vegan baking.  Then Barb came over for chili and a dance party party, and  then we had the little over for a sleep over and all around house trashing. I don't know how they do it, but those littles  make the biggest mess out of nothing. And they are sticky and gross and even surface needs to be wipes after they leave. 

We did treat ourselves to a little culture and went to the Shelburne Museum to check out the Sweet Tooth art exhibit. It was cool, but not exactly what I was expecting.  It was only a small room with a handful of pieces and I wanted more, and bigger and more, like the giant ring pops. Those were cool. I want a room full of giant candy, but no candy wrappers. The wrappers freak me out. But the next exhibit I am really interested in seeing too. It's a puppet exhibit and that's got be be some kind of fantastic. 

Are you super bowling today? Yesterday the mr and I ran into the grocery store and it was packed with people, with shopping carts all full of chips and beer and garbage food. It was kind of crazy. We figured it was all for the football game. Then we started to blame everything that was annoying on the football game. It's nice to have a reason for it all.  This football game day thing always makes me feel like it is a holiday that I am not celebrating and I am ok with that.

So no football here today, just keeping it easy, maybe getting out into some woods at some point then maybe some reading or Netflixing some Grace and Franky.  Keeping it low on this non holiday day. People be crazy and I want to stay away from them. Plus I have the Fire Stick to think about. Haha.

Stuff from the internet that I read this week. 

-The 'IKEA Effect' — And Getting Kids To Eat Their Veggies. Eat what you make and be proud of it, veggies and all. 

-Things we should all know. Why Dogs Have Floppy Ears: An Animated Tale

-It’s Reportedly Becoming ‘Normal’ to See Whole Foods Employees Cry at Work. I think I cried a little when I worked at Heathy Living. 

-I have had a conversation with the littles  about what shape carrot tastes better (when they are cut into chips) Does Chopping Change Your Vegetables? 

-Interesting planned, one that I think humans should leave alone. It's enough to destroy one plant, lets stay away from the others.  Pictures of Mars

-The Many Questions We Have About These Cookbook Covers. When I saw this, all I could think was douche bags. If anyone came up behind me while I was chopping anything, well there might be a unintentional stabbing. 

-I don't know if I ever will do this, but I really like the idea. HOW TO MAKE A LARGE SCALE (PATCHWORK) DIY RUG

-This is no Why Procrastination is Good for You

-What to Do When You Worry Yourself Awake.  Do your worrying during the day. 

-Axe-Throwing Bars: Why Mixing Weapons And Beer Is Surprisingly Good Business. But is it? Got to keep the hipsters happy. I guess it is kind of like really big darts, which I could totally get behind, but there is some real potential for some crazy shit to happen. 

Pictures from the week. 

Have a good weekend.

-C

Sunday Happy

Hey there friends . Happy Winter, Happy Hanukkah, Happy near Christmas, and just happy happy. No stress right? We are all having a festive and enjoyable time this season? I hope so because we all need and deserve some good vibes. Let take it all and run with it. And eat cookies because because. 

After such a fantastic little snow day, the week went as  usual, although I now have the winter boots and the shovel out (I shoveled the driveway 3 times. Yeh for snow!). Leaving in the car takes a few more minutes now that we have to scrape the windows and just leaving the house involves more effort in clothing putting on then before. It's been between -3 and like 5 degrees almost every morning when I leave so it's been a little cold. (It's all about the layers)

But the cold hasn't slowed us down, just spending a little more time doing more indoor things is all. Like our holiday card. Got that done and sent out!I also have been doing a little extra cleaning here and there (I cleaned the F out of and under the stove) and have been  trying to get the Christmas shopping stuff done and done (I am basically done shopping, it more about the crafting now) The real annoyance is that  Only has spent most of the week inside trying to escape. I usually don't care if he is outside in the winter but with the negative degrees and all I was trying to avoid finding a popsicle cat. He is  a very talkative cat and has basically has been following me around the house yelling to be let out.  I think today is that day I will let him make a break for it. He is driving me crazy.

Had a fantastic and slightly scary cookie party. I don't know what exactly I was thinking was going to happen, but all the littles were as high as I have ever seen them. Miley was hysterically laughing all night, Judah got lethargic and then asked to eat a bowl of carrots but Sophia was the best.  She was running around the house  in circles with a look of shock on her face screaming.  Around and around and around, mouth agape with a steady aaaaahhhhhhh coming out. The child was possessed. It was pretty much the best thing ever. And while the older boys and older ladies went home, Miley and Judah stayed over. While I was cleaning up some of the mess, the mr took them to the store with him and he came back with beer (for him) blackberries, and rented them the emoji movie. ( FYI, from the 3 seconds of that shit that I actually watched I gathered that it is probably the best movie to showcase all the worst parts our culture now) 

We woke up to space pancakes and snow fort building. Then the mr took the boy to have boy time  while the girl, Barb, and I went downtown for coffee. Once I was rid of littles I spent the rest of the  afternoon cleaning the stick off of every surface and hand delivering some holiday cards. After dinner we went to the mr's Aunt and Uncles house for a little holiday party party (I left at like 8 like an old lady but the mr rallied and rolled home well past midnight (I know cause he woke my ass up))  It was a vey full past few days.

The Sunday agenda is simple. Catch up. We have busy week ahead and it's the week before Christmas and all so I just want to get my shit together. I don't want to be  stressing come the end of the week. But If I happen to take a long nap today while watching a Christmas movie, I won't be made at myself. 

Some of the internet I have visited this week.

-Simple Book Helps Adult Men Answer Pressing Question: ‘Where Does Your Penis Belong?’ Hahahaha, but seriously.

-I am sure by now you have heard of these pit-less avocados. I guess I don't underdstand how so many people are managing to cut there hands open but it's happening and so theses. . Avocado Hand Injuries Are Real. Is A Seedless Fruit The Answer?

-A vegan bakery that makes it own nut cheeses. Sound pretty awesome. Vegan Knead Bakery to Open in Burlington

-These are some amazing pictures. See the winning images in National Geographic’s 2017 Nature Photographer of the Year contest

-THIS EDIBLE STRAW COULD HELP REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC IN OCEANS. And we should just stop with all the freaking plastic already. 

-This makes me sad. Animals That Could Disappear Because Of Us

-I took the quiz and got 100%. I am awesome and super anal about recycling. Holiday Recycling Quiz. A great resource for now and all year long. 

-What Really Happens When You Mix Baking Soda with Vinegar? 

-Sleep vs. Exercise? I will aways exercise over sleep but ya need BOTH

Pictures from the week. 

Have a great weekend.

-C

Sunday Happy

How has your week been? Besides being sad and stressed about all the crazy shit that it going on in the world, (what the fuck world, what the fuck?) my week has been pretty good. Got the snow tires on the car, picked up the first winter farm share which was all sorts of fantastic, and broke my favorite ceramic knife cutting into a frozen hunk of spinach.(it wasn't all great)  Miley and Judah reminded us that all you need is a hill and the know how on how to roll down it to have fun and we bought a washer and dryer!!! I almost forgot about that because  they haven't been deceived yet. I can't freaking wait because the laundry situation is getting pretty freaking ridiculous. Just a few more days (Thursday will be a magical laundry day).And best of all, the downstairs bathroom is finally done! (besides a little touch up paint and a light fixture and mirror, but that is all easy peasy) Now there really isn't any big house projects left which is kind of unbelievable and fantastic and I am just so glad that we don't have to live with the air compressor in the middle of the dinning room anymore. And now that there is not any more big projects, maybe I can actually start to arrange rooms and furniture and hang more art and do all the things people do when they first move into a house.

 We were lucky to get out for a hike earlier this week before the deep freeze set in. But really, I am kind of loving the cold weather, maybe not the inch of frost that took 15 minutes to scrap from my car, but just the way the world is feeling. Most people hate November, but me, I really like it. I don't even mind it getting dark earlier. Honestly, I like being outside in the cold, its  refreshing. Plus with it being so cold, I can catch up a little on the TV. I finally watched Stranger Things and whoa. I  know I am late to the game, but forgive me, I haven't been watching much tv lately. Anyway, So GOOD! So good in fact that I watched the entire series last week. And now I have all of season 2 to watch, but I think I might take my time with it, savor the goodness. OR watch it all today, we will see what happens. 

I made the cinnamon star bread that was on my list of things that I wanted to do, and it came out oh so lovely. I am really appreciating the kitchen right now since this time last year we still didn't have a kitchen here. All I want to do now is bake, I just need people to come over to eat the stuff. (I had Megan and So come over to help eat at  the bread this time). While they were here So found my hoard of butternut squash in the pantry and spent the afternoon playing house with all her squash babies. She did the same thing that next day while I was babysitting. That little, she has the best imagination. She was telling me all about how she is going to have babies when she grows up and how babies are made. I guess all I have to do is let my stomach get really really big and then one day a baby will POP right out of my stomach. Good to know right. 

That was the week and for todayI think that this afternoon I am going to try to clean the back porch, hang some pine cones and the new fern prints the mr and I found at the thrift store, and maybe brush my hair. I am also starting to think about Thanksgiving and birthdays and all the holiday stuff.I got to get on it before it all gets on me. 

The internet that I looked at this week

-We all know we feel like crap when we don't sleep. This just proves it further. All the more reason to get your shuteye. Sleepless Night Leaves Some Brain Cells As Sluggish As You Feel

- Polar Winter Winter Flavors!! The tart cherry lime and cranberry cider are the best. 

-Sometime that plans you make seem better when made then when it's come time to actually pursue those plans. Why Canceling Plans Is So Satisfying

-Take A Look at the World's Coolest Library So many books!

-What Would It Look Like If Vermont Seceded?

 -THE 2018 FARM BILL COULD ELIMINATE FUNDING FOR FARMER'S MARKETS. This would be really bad, really really bad. 

-Scientists Start To Tease Out The Subtler Ways Racism Hurts Health Yeah, no shit.

-The house might be done, but I need to start thinking about building a green house out back. 6 Proven Strategies for Year-Round Harvests

-Do Prepackaged Salad Greens Lose Their Nutrients?. As long as you are eating them and not letting them go to waste, it's better then nothing.

Pictures from the week.

Have a great week.

-C

Sunday Happy

We finally turned the heat on in the house a few days ago. Set to 63 and staying there for the rest of the winter. No more walking around with freezing toes. I got very sick of having to wear two pairs of socks to keep from freezing.  Got to love warm feet.

Besides Mondays wind storm which kept me up all night for fear of the world being blown away, we got some stuff done this week. The tile in that bathroom is down, grouted, sealed, and now we are all ready for paint which sounds easier then it is. Picking paint color drives me nuts, which then drives the mr nuts, and I am seriously just thinking all white again to just be done with it. Painting is the last things we need to do before we stick the toilet in and man, I want that bathroom functional. Then people can stop using the toilet upstairs and I can stop sitting in pee because little people don't  know how to aim. Oh the bathroom problems.  

We ended up taking  two littles out trick or treating on Halloween. The days plan started out that we were going to take Judah out, just for a little while, then hand out candy. I made a last minute run to the store, bought a bunch of candy, and then went to pick up the kid. Turned out that Miley was coming too. And ok, we might have underestimated their want for candy because instead of being out for a 1/2 hour like we thought, we ended up out for almost 2 hours. The loot those littles got.. oh man. I was even jealous and I don't even eat candy. After the long haul though the neighborhood, we got home, lit the pumpkins and nothing.  I think I ended  up giving out 5 pieces of candy All the trick or treaters had come and gone and I was left with a bowl full of candy.  I have since hidden all the candy and am dealing it out in intervals to the mr sense the next morning I came home from the gym to find him eating Twix and kit Kats for breakfast. I have the candy control. HAHA. 

And the camper.  You have seen the camper right, with one side ripped off and all gutted? We have been stressing about it for a while now about getting it out of the elements and being able to actually work on it. So we  moved it, side missing and gutted and  wrapped in a piece of plastic, from the back yard over to one of the barns in town to work on for the winter. The mr towing it with the truck, I drove behind him and watched as the wind damn near blew it away. It was especially scary when a pieces that he had in the camper fell out of the hole and I had to swerve to avoid hitting it. Then backing it up into a very narrow driveway and then getting it into the barn, those were no easy tasks. But the camper is out of the yard which is nice and it didn't fall apart, which is also nice, and we didn't get pulled over for driving around town with a dangerous, unregistered  half camper, half death trap on wheels. We are very successful .

What else. Oh, check out the new Christmas mug the mr picked out? (picture below) This years mug tops them all and probably will never be matched. And the t-shirt. (picture below).  Not only is a  freaking awesome shirt, it is made even better by the fact that our 80 year old neighbor who works at the church thrift shop found it and brought it home for him. She was so excited to give it to him. It was just the greatest thing ever. And now everyone will know his name too. Awesome t-shirt, lots of candy, and a new coffee mug...He did good this week.

Sunday plan is there is no real plan. Just not freak out when it gets dark out at 430. 

Internet that I puroosed this week. 

-What are your feelings on daylight savings. I have always kind of liked it. I think it partially stems from an episode of Pete and Pete where they used the extra hour of light as time travel... Miss that show. Daylight Saving Time Ends, But The Debates It Inspires Appear Endless

-How Cold Does it Have to Be Before You Bring Your Plants Inside? I finally brought mine all in. 

-Climate Science Report Contradicts Trump Administration Positions. And guess what, its us humans doing the damage. 

-I have been eyeing these overalls for a while. They would make for excellent outdoor wear. 

-Is 'Natural Flavor' Healthier Than 'Artificial Flavor'? Um, not really.

-These are the coolest puzzles I have ever seen. I would totally spend an afternoon attempting one. Jigsaw Puzzles Based on Geological Forms

-The Big Stories Behind Small Seeds: This Man Wants To Save Them All. This guy is doing 

-I guess I should never be an astronaut, I freaking hate elevators. Why Riding An Elevator Is Like Changing Gravity

-Puff, the Magic Mushroom. Not "magic mushrooms"

-This just feels like a big Fuck You. Tiffany & Co.'s Take on 'Everyday Objects' Includes a $1,500 Coffee Can

-Why we pretend to know things, explained by a cognitive scientist. But I really do know everything.. Hahaha, no, not really. 

Pictures from the week

Have a great week.