Sunday Happy

What a busy week.

Sunday we spent that day getting our tree which was an experience to say the least. Up in the Green Mountain National Forest, there was 2 feet of snow in places, and it ws freezing pouring rain. It was freaking miserable and I was so so so cold. It was the fastest we have ever picked a tree. We didn't even hike in to the woods very far. We were drenched and cold (did I say that already) so it was a “ find a tree and get the F out of there before we die” type of deal. But we did it, found a snow laden tree, cut it down, dragged it out, wrapped it up in a sheet of plastic (not recommended) and got it on the car before we froze. In the end, we came home with a pretty nice, normal sized tree which we in turn cut to the cutest little tree. Short and fat and a little on the lithe side. Absolute perfection.

And the week was off. Started with a b-day party for So who turned 6 . Baked her a cake but her being so awesome helped me frost and decorate it like a professional. It was also the unofficial start of the mr’s birthday week which means all week I have had to be extra special nice, not nag too much about all the extra coffee cups lying around and to not say anything about the amount of cheese he is eating. I am doing my best but not bitching about the dirty cups has proven to be very much difficult. Ha

Beside it being the mr’s birthday week, we have been busy. I have been running into the studio a lot. Unloading a few kilns, loading them up and trying to get some of my own work done before the holidays. There has been some annoying work and apartment stuff that has had to be dealt with, tire troubles, the mr’s lingering illness. But all is good. And we have had the littles over a few extra times this week for food (always food) and snow flake making. Barb came over to eat. I baked special breakfast scones to smell the good smells and basically tried to stay sane and warm. Oh, and I have been listening to all the Christmas music because yes!

Friday night we had a birthday party for the mr, the kick off of his birthday weekend. I spent the day working then came home really fast to finish making whoopie pies (perfect party dessert). Dinner was grilled cheese and chunky veggie soup because it’s tradition and because the mr really likes to make grilled cheeses. Everyone in the house, kids running around, Christmas tree lit, music playing. We sure do know how to have a good time. And with that my house was trashed, All the dishes dirty, Coco drew all over the floor with crayons, and there was little bits of whoopie pie all over the house. It was very successful and everyone and the mr most importantly, were happy.

Yesterday instead of spending the day cleaning (because it is the mr’s birthday weekend remember. But I did get a 1/2 hour while he had to run out to vacuum up the cake ) we went for a little drive to see the giant middle finger sculpture and get out of the house. Then the littles came back over for a sleep over. Pizza, left over whoopie pies, and stringing popcorn while we watched home alone. (there is popcorn EVERYWHERE!) A perfect birthday slumber party for a 36 year old if I do say so myself. Ha ha But oy, the mess is getting dangerous. There is a serious day of cleaning going on in the near future for sure.

Today is the mr’s birthday eve. Not sure what we are doing today or tomorrow for that matter, but I do know we will have some fun. The littles are still a sleep so I am going to skip on over to the gym until someone wakes up and tells me to come back. Last night Miley and I rolled out a cinnamon bun sitiation so I am baking them off as we speak for them to eat when they do decide to wake up. Hopefully by the time I get back they will be fed and ready to do something. Or not. It all depends on how late they really stayed up (I told them they could stay up and watch Nailed It when I went to bed. I am pretty sure they were up til at least midnight, if not later) So who knows, maybe they will all still be asleep when I get back. And then, well, I’ll just start vacuuming.

Morning Update.. Just got back from gym. Littles are still asleep. Time to vacuum.

Some internet surfing from the week.

-Trying to save some money? Pretty simple place to start is to cook your own food. Simply Abundant Living – Frugal Food edition

-If you're an average American, you'll live to be 78.6 years old. Vermonters have a year or two more… Good to know where I stand in life I guess.

-Fucking idiot.. Trump, Noted Garbage Enthusiast, Wants Kids to Be Free to Eat More Garbage

-How to Eat Dinner in Bed Like an Absolute Champion. And with this I say HELL NO. I am 100% against food in bed. But that be me.

-Dear Internet: Goats In Sweaters Are Cuter Than Kittens In Mittens There are some pretty rad goats pictured here.

- I am in love with this SUNDERLAND QUILTED CAR COAT.

-Now if this cup was a bottomless magic cup I would be all about it. Ember Temperature Controlled Mug

-MEET GEORGES STORE.. All the pretty light fixtures and colors. So nice.

-What does grade B ketchup look and taste like? 12 weird science facts to share with your family this holiday

-Geometric Animals Come to Life in DIY Lamp Kits by OWL. I’ll take the rhino please and thanks.

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

It just hit me, it is December, the last month of the year. The year is almost over, again. I never get used to it, that feeling that it can’t possible be the end of the year because it just started, right? But it’s cool, I love December and I love me a fresh new year so we are good. Welcome December, I am going to enjoy the hell out of you.

The past week has basically been one big hack fest here at my house. The mr way worse then me, but we both have been coughing up our lungs unaccompanied by feeling like garbage. Being sick had put a slight damper on everything. Bed by 8 (or 7), humidifer on full blast, tons of liquids, and just trying to take it easy. We both would go through the day, doing what we need to do, but not really having much energy to do much else. I did work a little on decorating for Christmas and making our cards, but haven’t really gotten as far as I would like to with those (I wanted them done). I worked at the studio (I cleaned the shit out of the glaze buckets.. cleanest buckets ever), baked a cake, dropped a cake, baked a new cake, and cleaned out the fridge. The mr did some stuff too even though he has been feeling worse. Besides work, he finally hung his collection of old trowels on the wall (not sure I like where they are). He also spent a few days in the basement plumbing and setting up a complicated series of buckets to act as a clay trap for the new sink. That took a lot of research and finding of random pipes and such, all for me (or all so I don’t clog the drain with clay) but still. He is so nice. And having a sink in the basement has been so wonderful. Water without having to drag a heavy ass bucket up and down the stairs. It’s the little things, you know.

Anyway, we have been lame for the most part. No big hikes, no hanging with the littles, a quick dinner with Barb, but that was just pastas and lasted just enough time for her to eat and run away and I did stop by Megans to say hi and get some human interaction, but nothing super exciting. But we on the upswing and getting better, in fact we are getting much better which leads us to today!

Today is the day I have been waiting all year for (or really, the past week). The mr and I are going to hike the mountains and bring us home our Christmas tree!!!!! Per our tradition, we hike into the Green Mountain National Forest, find the finest tree (our taste differ greatly from most) and drag it back to the car. Spend the entire of the hour or so drive home listening to Hanson Christmas album, get giant coffees, and worry the entire way that the tree is going to fly of the top of the car. I am so excited!!!!

Some of that the internet has from the week.

-NPR’s Book Concierge. Our Guide To 2018’s Great Reads. Look forward to this list every year. It is so noes to be able to click on a book and have it give a little blurb. I have and will read a many of these books

-Going to pull some taffy this week (hopefully) Fun Taffy Facts: Its Origins & Why You Pull Taffy

-Geminid meteors peak, and more can't-miss sky shows in December. Always a fan of a good meteor shower.

-I get ladybugs in the winter and always thought it curious. 5 Things to Know About Dealing with Ladybugs in the Kitchen

-Hell yeah, a vegan bodega is a fine idea. This guy knows whats what. Beyond Bodega Bites: This Man Wants More People To Eat 'Vegan In The Hood'

-4 Words to Say to Someone Who Has to Get a Root Canal. Hahahaha.

-The older I get the less color I want in my house… This is pretty much what I want my house (and my wardrobe) to look like color wise. A NATURAL HOME IN THE NETHERLANDS.

-The Controversy Over Parents Who Eat Lunch With Their Children at School. I remember be jealous of the kids that had a lunch visit from parents. But I probably would have thought a regular lunch date a bit strange.

-But what is lunch exactly? Lunch, Explained

-Magic Rhinos. Siberian unicorns lived alongside humans, and they were so much cooler than the mythical version

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

Another Sunday, another week gone by.

So last Sunday I took some of the family (cousins, Dad, a few siblings and a couple littles) on a hike, a hike that I did not think would be a problem for anymore. Just a 5 or 6 mile, in and out, up a mountain hike. You know, easy. Turns out that some people are not as mountain climbing able as I thought and I might have almost killed a person or two. Oops. It was good though, actually is was freaking fantastic, and most of us made it to the top, to see the spender of the world, and we all made it back down alive so all ended well. And once were were down, everyone took off, and the mr and I headed for the campground. It was raining a little, cold as shit, but still glorious. We got there, set up, then tromped through the woods some more until we were just too cold. Headed back to camp where I chopped up a pumpkin for dinner and a little asshole chipmunk stole and ate half an apple. We then spent the rest of the evening trying to stay warm sitting by the fire. When it was finally an acceptable time to sleep, (8ish) I wore all my clothes, hat and mittens, and socks to bed. I fell asleep, woke up a few hours later to some load bros being dicks and shouting, but tyou know, that shit happens, but managed to be lulled back into sleep by the mr’s snoring. Woke up in the pitch dark, made coffee, packed the site, and off to the river for the mr to do his morning fishing thing. And then back to the world of others and not just the trees. How do I not live in the trees? Some day, some day soon.

The rest of the week was whatever. Work stuff here and there. I ripped out most of the garden which was a little sad but freeing feeling. Barb came over for dinner and I plugged in my new lamp that I found on the side of the road and found a shade for it. I made a cake, cleaned the fridge, put away summer clothes. Boring stuff. There were two days back there when it got really warm again, and super humid and I almost lost my shit. And I got caught in the rain during farm share and got soaked, but other then that, nothing to eventful.

Friday I worked at the studio all day, cleaned a shit load, loaded kilns, did the happy human interaction thing. While I Was working the mr picked Judah up from school and after a trip for hot choclate, they came back home to meet me for dinner and a hair cut. That little finally let me take a few inches of hair off his head so he can now see again. I made pizza for them, we walked, Judah punched and karate chopped everything ( mostly the mr), Shannon randomly stopped by which was nice because I don’t see here enough, and then everyone left. I assed out like a champ.

Yesterday was one of those day. I am not sick, but very tired and needed a kind of down day to just not, although it was very productive anyway. Trimmed some pots, ran chores, cleaned the shit out of the house. The mr did some fly tying and we went for a long walk. Slow and nice.

And it’s Sunday which means CAMPING! We said it last week, and the week before, but I think this might actually be the last weekend camping for a little while (I am determined to get the mr to do a little winter camping) I don’t know what I am going to do now because all week long I look forward to the taking of, going hiking, having a big fire, no house to clean up, and sleeping in the tent. I guess it’s not like we still can’t do all that, and still, it’s just maybe we don’t sleep in a tent outside anymore. Huh, maybe I might be preemptively saying we are not camping anymore.. Maybe we can just sleep in the car , do car camping from now on. Good idea me, keep it keeping on. Anyway, to the Queeche Gorge State Park today. The mr hopefully has his fishing waders, I have 2 books (one to finish, one to start), a pumpkin and lentils for dinner, and my winter mittens, extra socks, and lots and lots of fire wood.

We are ready.

Stuff you might find worth looking at on the internet this week.

-Why we need small farms. Giant farms scare me. I feel like I can trust a smaller, local farm over any big as mega farm any day.

-The Best Ways to Make a Carved Halloween Pumpkin Last Longer. I might try the soaking in water, I hear it really dose work well.

-I see it happening all the time was it scares that shit out of me. The babies know how to use a freaking computer, sometime even better then me. Craziness. Raised by YouTube

-I have got mine down. How and Why to Cultivate an Evil Laugh

-The Outrageous Master Sommelier Scandal, Explained. Oh man, would I be so so pissed if I was one of the honest test takers. That shit is HARD!

-This made me smile. Same-Sex Penguin Couple Fosters An Egg In Sydney

-Did you know Ikea had veggie dogs? In two months, Ikea sold 1 million of its new veggie hot dogs

-Definitely one of my life goals. The whole trail, one fell swoop. I might even have to drag the mr along too. What's It Like To Hike The Long Trail?

-Yes, There's a Right Way to Measure Brown Sugar. I always back as much as I can…

-Ginger Lime mule is the BEST! Polar Seltzer Limited Edition / Winter 2018 Released.

And Pictures from the wee

Enjoy the day!

-C