Sunday Happy

And so another week has gone by. Can you actually believe that it is the end of August? I was just talking to someone about how this summer doesn’t even seem like it happened, like the past few months have just slipped on by without notice. That is exactly how I feel, like it just slipped on by...

The week, it was a good one. Camping at our first state park of the year, which I was a little nervous about due to the fact that there are like other people around, but it was good. We barely saw another person and that was when we walked through the campground and they were in their sites. And the camping was great. We kayaked, hiked, I read a lot and I even got a little chilly and had to sleep kinda in my sleeping bag. Love me some chilly camping, it is the best!

Then we came home and did the week like usual. The mr went back to working like a mad man, I unload some stuff form a glaze firing, made dinner at Barbs, tried to get organized for things to come, and got excited and made a bunch of dog/cat food bowls. And again, I realized that it was almost the end of the month so I better get my ass in high gear and get things ready to update the store page to sell some shit. Keep your eyes open for that fun!  I also had lunch with Megan and the kids, starting harvesting all the tomatoes from the garden, and have eaten an entire watermelon to myself in like 2 days. Oh, and Judah and I made dinner for everyone while the mr took Miley and Barbara fishing. He asked me to teach him how to cook so I let him pick what he wanted to make for our first cooking lessons. He choose scrambled eggs and wow, he made them like a boss. Next week he wants to make cookies. (of course).

Today the mr and I are doing the same as every Sunday; grabbing the camping stuff, tossing the kayaks into the truck, and picking all the cucumber and zucchinis in the garden to eat by the fire tonight. Sure it is suppose to rain a little bit today but I could give a fuck less. We look forward to these days all week. Rain ain’t no thing!

Links from the internet

-What it will take to fight the sexist, racist attacks against Kamala Harris. And we will do what it takes. Love Kalama!

-Got to appreciate a pretty pee pot. Japan’s quest to create beautiful places to pee

-Goofing off is good for kids—here’s the evidence And for adults too!?!

-A good read about a mother daughterroad trip (during pandemic) and the need to pee. Letting It Go. I have gotten so good at squatting!

-Can a 12-Year-Old Convince You to Go Vegan? Who better then a 12 year old?

-I think this is kind of amazing. Walkies could become the law for German dog owners.

-This would and is my actual HELL.130 Degrees: Death Valley Sees What Could Be Record Heat

-'Love In The Time Of Corona' Stars On The Truth And Light Of Making Art Amid Pandemic. I will probably watch this.

-This broke my heart. Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's Oldest State Park, 'Extensively Damaged' by Raging Wildfires

-What’s the Difference Between Canola and Rapeseed Oil? If you want to know.

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

How are you doing these days? Me, I am fine. Fine. Fine, fine fine. I am fine right?

This week was a doozy. It started off good with a family BBQ party for Anthony’s high school gradation. It was great. The weather was perfect, Megan was happy, Anthony was happy, and it was just nice to see family together at once again.

But then the week started to suck. A list of bullshit. It started with a cute little stupid asshole wood chuck. In the matter of 24 hour, the hairy little fucker ate my ENTIRE GARDEN!!!! Pretty much everything. All the greens, the beans, the zucchini plants, all the flowers, the radishes, I mean, EVERYHITNG. The only thing that it kind of spared were the tomatoes, although he did munch on them too. So I cried. and I yelled and cried some more. Then I replanted and fenced off my garden. Hopefully he won’t come back after the mr plugged the hole in the fence and had a stern talking-to with him…..

And then there was a lot of drama drama drama with a family member that I don’t want to get into but oh my fuck. Some people, I just can’t. I am gonna leave it at that.

And then the fridge decided to stop working again.

And I got stung by a yellow jacket and my arm blew up and itched for days.

And we are in a heat wave.

And I am getting ready to finally file taxes….

AAAAAAHHHHH!

So yeah. Not the finest week. But there was good stuff too, I am just to cranky right now (so freaking HOT!) to remember. HA! I really hate hot weather. I think I get a little summer seasonal affective disorder. For real.

Today the mr is working and I am spending the day doing chores. I have a desk that needs painting, a basement that is is dire need or cleaning, laundry up the wazoo, and a broken fridge that need fixing, again. I am also going to smack on my respirator and go to town on the clay dust in my studio. Then maybe I will allow myself some time to lay on the kitchen floor with my hot sticky body pressed against the cool wood floors, with a hot coffee in hand of course. Fuck I hate hot weather!

Sorry for the ranting. Have a fantastic day!

Internet links from the week.

-Bakers, and eaters for that matter, doing thing to make the world a better place. I think I will do a bake sale soon too! Bakers Against Racism Is Just the Beginning

-This is a question that I have asked a lot.When Is the Artist Assistant Just the Artist?

-Vermont ranked largest producer of maple syrup, brings in over 2.2 million gallons. Yeaya Vermont!

-Have you baked lately? Have you slowed down or stopped? I don’t know about you, but I always bake a little less in the hot ass summer months because I don’t want to turn stove off but I do know a lot of people are sick of the kitchen from all the quarantine time and have abandoned the kitchen. IT’s ok, you an always go back! The Great Pandemic Bake-Off May Be Over

-Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ice. Good information to know, especially now that it is summer.

-My dream WINDOWS!!!!

-BUILT-INS FOR THE WIN. I didn't think I was built in sitting kind of person but I love all of these.

-Live in Vermont? Know your shit. SINGLE-USE PRODUCTS LAW 

-Libraries Are Dealing With New Demand For Books And Services During The Pandemic. I know that my libraries (yes, I have 2) have had a huge demand. We are still doing online reservations and curbside pick up, but man, trying to reserve a book lately has been rough… always already out!

-When I was a little, I always wondered if everyone saw color differently and no one could prove that my blue was a different color then your blue because of how our brains work.. I still think that is possible. Hummingbirds can see colors we can’t even imagine. The humming birds know what I Am talking about.

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