Sunday Happy

My eyes itch like a mofo. Gunky and funky, I can barely see my computer screen. Allergies right now… I forget every year until they hit me. But I am ok and I deal with it (by bitching and itching). So I’m good. As long as I don’t think about anything else. Haha, but for real.

The week. Another one to cross off the old calendar. Not a whole heck of a lot different then the usual. Made dinner for my mom, Barb, and boys. Caught up with Ryan and his girls for a while. The mr and I looked at a piece of land that was so close but not right, and picked up my first summer farm share! But the overall theme of the week was to finish up assignments, collect and drop off all the littles stuff back to the school because, Hooray for us all!! School ended and now there is no more trying to make sure all the work is done and no more “I do not understand your 4th grade math homework so..” to deal with. Yes, very exiting for not just the littles this year, I think the parents and all the people dealing with home schooling are probably just as excited too. And not only is school out but there were two big endings this year. Alex graduated form 8th grade and is off to high school this fall. (We had a little dinner and ice cream cake party at my house for him.) But the one that really gets me is Anthony. Graduated high school and is off (if people can go off )to college in the fall. That kills me. The first of my nephews and nieces to graduate from high school. I am really proud of him but honestly it makes me want to barf because it makes me feel so old. And probably not as cool as I think I am. (meh, I still am the coolest! HA!)

Today there are a few things. The mr and I have to drop the car off so tomorrow it can get inspected and the oil changed. I need to go grocery shopping and to curb side pick up my library books. And then there is a family BBQ for Anthony, to celebrate his public school achievements. That will be fun and a little jarring. Just the family, but I think it is going to be the biggest gathering of people that I have attended in a long time. Gonna be interesting for us all to be together again….Just glad it’s not at my house. HAHA!

Links from the internet from my browser to yours.

-Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away. Lets all (especially us prevailed folks) make sure that when people are speaking they are not being assholes and to educate on human decency.

- When we were told we needed to wear masks, I made a few, just kind of whatever ones because I didn’t think I would need them for too long. Now I have a bag full of masks, all well made, because I know it’s gonna be reality for a longer time then I think we all first thought. Our masked future.

-I didn't even know that this ever happened. The Last Person Hand Painting Movie Posters in Greece

-This Farmer’s Home Consists of a Tiny House, Small Trailer, and Gorgeous Garden. In my wheelhouse of dreams.

-You don’t need to toss away shower liners every time they get gross. How to Clean a Plastic Shower Curtain the Right Way

-Another thing in the bathroom. 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Metal Toilet Paper Holders. I really appreciate a nice toilet paper holder. No joke.

-Sometimes the back of the box just knows how to cook the contents of said box exactly how it should be cooked. (think pasta, rice, biquick, and toll house cookies) Just Cook From the Back of the Box 

-When I am stressed or bored, I spend a lot of time thinking of food and all the crazy things I could make, so I 100% get this. The Wild, Wondrous Cooking I Do in My Head

-So I need to get a new sleeping bag really bad. Thinking a double. Any suggestions?

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Heavy week. I don’t know about you but I am feeling all sorts of feels. Like I can’t even rangle my self into myself. A lot is happening. Good things, bad things, scary things. People are stepping up, coming forward, doing the right thing that should have always been the right thing. Then there are infuriating assholes and I can’t even. I am sad, optimistic, angry, and all sorts of everything in between. I just really hope for goodness and rightness and change. It has to happen. We need to make sure that it happens and happens now.

The week. Besides feeling crazy and overwhelmed, it was also mild and normal. Started off with a massive closet clean out at my moms. A few of us sibling went over and ransacked bins and bins of my moms old clothes. Sure we all found a few pieces that were worth taking home, but what we really found were the gems of old crazy lady stuff and had the best time dressing up and running around in old bras and house coats.

The rest if the week was basically the same as usual. The mr and I over at the littles everyday doing the normal food and school thing. We went for a few bike ride, a bike ride/ picnic, cleaned, trashed, then tried to re clean parts of the house, and made plans for the summer. We are instating internet schedules and restrictions, getting a reading list together, and making plans for water fights and camping. Next week is the last week of school so we got to get on it!

And fridge update. I don’t want to jinx anything but, HOORAY! The mr fixed it! And right after we found ourselves an old free fridge to be our just in case. HA. But yeah, the harvest gold is here to stay and now we need to find a place for this really cool, old mid sized fridge. We are probably just going to keep it for when we build that cabin in the woods. But where to store it?

Sunday again. Today my goals are simple. I am going to try and get a few chores done, plant another round of greens in the garden ,and get stuff ready for the week. Then I am going to spend at least an hour on the porch sitting and reading, maybe I’ll even take a little nap, and drink at least 2 cups of coffee. I deserve the coffee.

Internet links from the week.

-The People’s Kitchen Collective Is Feeding a Movement by Putting People First. Food and conversation.

-Someone one a podcast I was listening to talked about swiss miss houses. I looked them up and am now obsessed . Swiss and a Bit Cheesy. Swiss Miss Houses.

-Coronavirus FAQs: How To Stay Safe While Protesting, When To Go Out After Recovery. Be safe for yourself AND for others.

-5 Ways to Set Healthy Boundaries Around News and Social Media. I have been disengaging more and more from basically everything that needs to be plugged in. It is actually my natural state and other then checking news, emails, and maybe browsing the internet for a few minutes, I have been pretty much off everything.

- Several Antiracist Books Are Selling Out. Here's What Else Black Booksellers and Publishers Say You Should Read

-Is Vermont Really 'So Expensive'? Um, well, I mean, um….yeah.

-If I lived above a store, I would want it to be this house, above a violin store. ‘A Secret Retreat’ Above a Violin Store.

-Do you know much about Shakers as as religion and not just a cabinet style? I did a little research after I read somewhere that shakers hang their furniture when not in use to make it easier to clean. I understand this practice, I keep my chairs flipped when no in use. The mr hates it. About the Shakers.

-These animals build palaces out of their own snot. I respect this.

-Bored? I have heard that s few times this week Well guess what, it’s nota bad thing. . Benefits of Being Bored

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

Well spring didn't last all that long. Sure technically it is not summer yet but you wouldn’t know it by the weather. A bunch of 90 freaking stupid degree days. So gross. How do people like that? Seriously, how?

The week. Started off with a picnic and a little fishing for the mr and Judah. After that I took the littles for a bike ride to my moms for bbq. Sure I fell off my bike and ripped all the skin of my elbow, but other then that, it was a good ride. We hung out in the backyard, ate food, I gave Mark and Paul haircuts (I am now the family barber. Not sure how that happened. And no one pays me.), and let my mom clean out my bloody wounds and bandage me up. All and all, good good.

The rest of the week consisted of the usual, or what is now my usual life. Hanging with the little doing homework, cleaning rooms, feeding their faces. Lots of outdoor stuff. I worked in the garden and I busted my ass pretty hard falling down a steep hill on a hike ( huge ass bruise on my ass). Top it off with a my first few mosqutio bites and I am just sore all over. We had rain for the first time in like a month so that was terrific. And maybe the best part of the weeks was when my mailman found out I was vegan and asked if I wanted him to stop placing Burger King and Mcdonalds flyers in the mail box. And all junk mail for that matter. Isn’t that freaking fantastic? My mailman, he really is the best.

And the fridge. Still not functioning right. We replaced a part. It wasn’t the problem so we have to try and replace one more part. If that doesn’t fix it , well then…………

Back to Sunday. The mr and I are going to pick up a really old, but functional. little fridge today. Something to store food in until we get the part that hopefully gets the real fridge back up and running. After we get the fridge, we will probably go for a little hike, the mr might fish, I will read, which reminds me. I was able to pick up 4 new books from my library, curbside, this week. I haven’t been able to get new books for like 2 months. Out of all the things I missed before quarantine, going to the library is the thing I miss the most so I am really happy to be able to get books again!

From the internet, in list form

-The world we live in is so fucked up right now and has been for so long. So many emotions and thoughts. I just don’t understand how and why shit like this is still happening and it is hard for me to process. I just know that I feel so much anger and sadness. The Death of George Floyd, in Context

-I Have a “Quarantine Bubble” With People Outside My House. You Should Too. Are you part of a bubble? We are in a family bubble but whats knew?

-How community fridges are fixing a broken food system. The mr has been working with a local charity and making these amazing little making food pantries and installing them all over the city. What a guy, right!

-Ok so I hate ceiling fans because they are ugly, but I do understand they are very functional. The mr wants to put one in the bedroom. I am slightly coming around to the idea, but only if I find one that I like. So far I have seen this one and this one. Still not sold though

-What Are Capers, Anyways? Adult knowledge

-So my gym (the YMCA) is opening up next week and if you were to ask ANYONE that knows me or works there, they would say I would be the first person at the door when it opens. Well guess what? Not going back for the summer. Gonna keep on running ans doing my own thing for a while. And I won’t have to worry about getting sick! How Fitness Will Change Forever

-Oh hell no. I would never, but good for these guys. Love At First Quarantine: After A Single Date, Couple Hunkers Down Together

This Artist Creates Food-Shaped Soaps That Look So Real, You Might Just Start Salivating. Would you use these soaps? I kinda hate shaped soap. It just seems wrong to me.

-Are you gardening food this year? Are you doing it because you love to or because you are freaked out about food? Gardens Have Pulled America Out of Some of Its Darkest Times. We Need Another Revival.

-If I was a person who bought things…..Ginormous Rainbow Tunnel Sprinkler

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

What a week! The weather, well what can I say. It is pretty much summer and wow. Just yeah, that happened. And now I am hot which means I packed away all the winter stuff and busted out the shorts! And the sports bras. Blah. I was on a great run of a little over 2 months with no bra but finally was forced to wear one if I wanted to run with my iPod. I needed to stuff it into said bra while going for a run. I used it as a pocket. A bra-ket of sorts.. And when I came home, I ripped it off so it wasn’t so bad. Haha!

Another busy week. Littles everyday. We made meals, went for bike rides, hikes, and walks. Had them sleep over, watched Ferris Bueller, and made them weed the garden so they know that food is not free. HA! The mr and I have had little time to ourselves. We did get to spend part of a day picking up lumber from the cedar mill for a few projects the mr is working on and then we went for a nice long hike. just the two of us. That was nice, but again, we basically have had 2-3 of the littles all week which has been great but means I now have no food and every surface of my house is (was, I spent last night with the vacuum and cleaning rags) dirty.

I have also been low level stressed all week. First the fridge. It is still having issues. We think we figured it out and parts are ordered so we (more me) are crossing our fingers that this will solve the problem. I will be really really sad if I need to get a new fridge. But just in case I have been keeping my eyes open for a new, old, yellow or green or just bad ass one. Again, just in case because I trust that the new parts will fix it. On top of that, the mr ripped some of the walls down in the bedroom. It has been almost 4 years since we bought this house and remodeled it. We did all the work ourselves except the framing of the addition that was added on. Not a big thing, just basically raised the roof. And for the past maybe year or so, the mr seemed to have it in his mind that the roof was shifting and was going to fall in on us and has been telling me he wants to cut a hole in the ceiling to check out the framing. I was fine with that, at some point, when we planned a time to do it. Long story short, the other morning at 430 (I wake up at 4, he usually wakes up at 730) he came into the living room, dressed, and informed me he was ripping that top of the walls down in the bed room. And he did. They were down by 9am. He added more supports to the frame to make us all happy and then had to call it quits. My sweet sweet bedroom now has the walls ripped off with no immediate plans to re-sheetrock. Meh. Actually am fine with it. I have lived in worse. Just as long as it gets done before the winter.

We are there again, Sunday. After the few chores and a trip to the grocery store this mooring, (again, the littles ate all my food) the mr and I are picking up the littles for a picnic lunch and the mr is going to take them fishing. Me, I hope to be able to sit back and read, not have to worry about cleaning up a mess, and just be.

Internet links for your internet pleasure

-From Camping To Dining Out: Here's How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities. Camping is low risk. Phew!

-Should you refrigerate tomatoes? Researchers and an ‘electronic tongue’ offer a surprising answer. Good to know cause we are getting close to tomato season!

-Did you have Jump Rope for Heart when you were a kid? I freaking loved that shit. I think I gotta bust out the old rope, get my jump on. Jumping rope is an unbeatable cardio workout—if you do it correctly

What day is it today? I don’t even care anymore.

-We walk. A lot. (like a lot lot) And maybe not correctly al the time. Walking correctly takes work—here’s how to improve every step

-Is it sick that I would love to receive (maybe even give) a list like this? A Friend Sent Me a Long List of All the Ways I Suck—What Do I Do?'

-On the Moon, Astronaut Pee Will Be a Hot Commodity. I mean, I would just assume.

-Yes to peanut butter and pickles. The Elusive Story of the Bread-and-Butter Pickle Sandwich

-I see it. I hear it. Life is crazy and people are feeling it. Is Everyone Depressed?

-Nature is fascinating Herd Of Fuzzy Green 'Glacier Mice' Baffles Scientists

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Did you get any of that polar vortex snow yesterday? When I woke up there was a dusting of snow and ok, I wasn't thrilled, but I wasn’t devastated. I do live in Vermont so it’s almost expected. But now I am officially done. It is getting further into May and I just want to be able to not wear a freaking jacket anymore or have to worry about all of my plants. Be 55 degrees for a while. That is not to much to ask.

Another week has come and gone. The time is just flying away here. Besides the day trip to Shannons early in the week and the 5 bean bag chairs we bought for Judah (The guy has been wanting one for so long so I figured he deserved a little something something that isn’t stupid for being such a great kid. We ended up getting 5, and giving him 2 and each of the other kids one so they don’t just steal his), the week wasn’t that much different then all the weeks past. The mr and I went for a hike/fish adventure one day, had lunch with the littles everyday, and have started some outdoor projects around the apartment building. We had a sleep over with Judah which was awesome just because that kid is awesome. Bean bags and burritos. We know how to live! And then we went on a good hike with Meg and her littles down threw the woods and found us a river. Oh, and we emptied out Mileys room and the mr built her a new lofted bed. That took up some time for sure. And carpet bowling with Barb, Judah, and Coco. Life is great when you can spend an hour laughing at knocking little wooden bowling pins over.

It is Sunday again and it’s Mothers day! Happy day to all the Mamas! We have a few things on the agenda. A lunch with the littles and there mom then a good walk with my mom. Then maybe if we have time I might try to take a bike ride at some point. Also we didn’t have time to do our weekly deep clean of the house yesterday so we will be spending a few hours doing that today. And I need to brush my hair. It’s been a hot minutes and if I don’t do it soon, I’ll be rocking the dreads again. Doesn’t my life just sound so exciting. Haha! OH boy.

Internet links from the week.

-Welcome to the Culinary Barter Economy. I have always been a hug believer in trading food for just about anything. It just makes so much sense.

-Barb and I are making the plans now for next year! Cycling the tulip fields.

-These cabins. Soon, soon we will be able to build out own.

-It’s not your imagination. Allergy season gets worse every year. Every freaking year. And more and more people are getting them. I used to not have any allergies and a few years ago, BAM, face felt like a wet punching bag. So yeah, allergies. Suck.

-I did this in middle school science class and thought it was there greatest. I Think I am going to do it with the littles. Stay-at-home science project: Grow your own rock candy

-Did I tell you the mr got a bunch of pet shrimp? Yea, not my thing but whatever. This reminded me of him, because he also likes to makes things out of paper. Make Your Own Paper Prawn Using This Pattern Designed by Artist Lisa Lloyd

The Super-Easy Way to Figure Out When Your Grocery Store Is the Least Busy. I never knew, and it’s a little creepy, but I used it.

-Don’t kill you trees. I see it all the time, especially the mulch “volcano”. Drives me nuts. 4 Common Mistakes People Make when Caring for Their Trees

-Speaking of trees, these tress are freaking amazing! Rainbow Eucalyptus Are Real-Life Neon Trees

-The 'Spaceship Earth' Documentary Stars Share Tips For Surviving Isolation. Or you can watch the movies Biodome. Pauly Shore will tell you how to be.

Pictures from the week.

-C