Sunday Happy

What a week, what a week. I think we can all say that.

I think we all know the big news by now. Biden and Kamala WON!!!! A new President and the very first female Vice President! Thank the fucking universe! And can I just say, female and president, those words sound so right together, right!

After hearing the news the feeling of relief was so extreme… like a big stupid red face beast was beaten off my back. OR like when you are sick and barf but then feel better after. Yeah, like that. And now I am going to hide in a hole for a little while because I got so completely overstimulated what with my own shit and all the emotions and opinions of others that I can barely think straight. I am ready for a good long break from it all and will come back to in a few weeks when the garbage get cleared away. We know there is going to e a hissy fit shit show to be had and I just don’t want to give it any more of my attention to it. 4 years was 4 years too much.

So that was some fantastic news. But on the downside, which is really a down, is that my bike got stolen Yup. Wednesday morning I biked to my normal spot by the woods for my morning run, went on run, and came out of woods to no bike. Someone (or someones.. an older man saw 2 mother fuckers.) grabbed my bike. I was shocked. And crushed, And so fucking mad. Walked around and drove around to see if I could find the fucks but no luck. Cops were nice but I know that is not happening and now I am rolling around on my old, very broken, frame that doesn't really fit me , brakes that barely work, and kind of actually hurts to rid, bike. MAHH! I am just still so pissed but oh well, nothing more I can do.

But there was some highlights from the week as well. It SNOWED and we had a really cold snap. For about 3 days we had a nice little covering of the white stuff. I was wearing hats and mittens and winter gear, and I felt more calm and centered then I have all year. But then it melted and got hot and it basically summer again, which was nice for a minutes when the mr and I cleaned the shit out the yard and garden, but I am fully and completely over it and really just want it to be cold and snowy again. I also picked up the first of my winter farm share and got a huge stock of Brussel sprouts, did a bunch of glaze work at the studio, spent some good time with Barb, got my winter tires on (I have the best bro in law. Thanks Justin!) and harvested all my dead flowers to keep for seeds.

But my bike.

So today. The mr and are heading out of town for a nice long out of town adventure. Hike and woods and peace and quiet. Keeping it simple like.

Internet stuff that came from the internet.

-Madam Vice President. Game-Changer': Kamala Harris Makes History As Next Vice President

-Winning Was the Easy Part. And now is when the hard wok begins. And there is sooo much that needs to be fixed but I believe we can do it.

-Is It Better to Plant Trees or Let Forests Regrow Naturally?. Stop cutting down trees AND plant more.

-I Missed My Coworkers, So I Made Masks of Their Faces. Scary but I get it. HA!

-I have had my travel mug for 16ish years now (the mr bought it for me as a present) and use it at least once a day. But the rim is bent and the lid barely stays on and I have been thinking it might be time for a new one, maybe. But I like this one.

-The Pillow Styling Trend That Has Got to Go. I have never one understood the karate chop in the pillow. It drives me nuts.

-All the windows and a pink couch. I am in.

-These photos are gorgeous. Need A Reminder Of How Gorgeous Earth Is? Peep These Photo Award Winners

-Food and farming could stymie climate efforts, researchers say. We need to get our shit together and make the changes we need to to save the freaking planet!

-Probably too late this year, but for next year. Grow Your Own Seeds

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

The mr and I just got back home from the night in the woods. Random woods camping. Never a disappointment, always a good time, and free. Free and no people. What more can you ask for?

And so my brain, as per usual after a good night of camping, is a little on the “why did we come back to civilization?” side. I am unfocused and a little tired and smell like dirt and sweat. On that note, I give you what I have from the week, which is not a lot at the moment. It know it was decent but not very eventful. We did some stuff, worked on things, moved around this and that, and ate food. I could give you more details but I don’t really have the energy to remember them so 🤷‍♀️. Then yesterday we went into the woods to hike and sleep and had us a 100% perfect time far and away from people and things.

Now we are back home because we had to come back (the mr has some work things needing to be done today). I think after I am done writing this I should jump into the shower to wash the smell the pee off my feet. Then I need to water the plants, drink lots of water, and get ready for the 100 plus degree day that is laying ahead. I don’t exactly know what I am going to be doing today but I am already pissed off just thinking about how hot I am going to be. Maybe I will just lay in the shade with the sprinkler cascading on my body or just hide away in the basement and read. You know what I do know? I know that 100 degrees is just stupid.

Internet stuff from the week.

-How to Keep Your Apartment Cool (With or Without AC) because being hot sucks.

-We should all be wearing masks already but if anyone can convince people that are still not to actually wear one, it’s this guy. Will you wear a mask if Morgan Freeman asks you to? We’re about to find out

-Bill Nye says trust in science is key to beating COVID-19 and climate change. Because science is real and opinions and uneducated bull shit is not in fact, facts. Listen to Bill.

-Are you one to just toss anything and everything that has a hint of mold? Truth be told, I have never been offset by a little mold here or there. Just be smart about it. And if it taste like mold, well then, don't eat it. Mold on Food, Explained

-How to Watch Comet Neowise’s Spectacular Show. I think I saw it last night camping. There are so many shoot stars too so I could be wrong. Either way, the sky was fucking awesome!

-When we re sheetrock the bedroom I am going to for sure going to do a built in bookshelf next my side of the bed just like the one in the picture. DESIRABLE DOZEN: COFFEE TABLE BOOKS & CHIC MAGAZINES.

-The End of Minimalism. Keeping a cluttered house has long been considered a little tacky, a little weak. But now it’s looking very wise. Interesting take on having lots of stuff, but I still hate having stuff!

-The mr and I were doing school stuff with the littles and it was a pain I the ass. And they might not be going back, or at least full time, for a while. Mayne this might be a good time to try this. The case for unschooling, because honestly I feel like the last semester was kind of bullshit and they really didn’t learn anything.

-Michelle Obama to launch podcast about relationships and health. In my mind Michelle is one of my best friend so I am really excited. Goodness I miss the Obamas. So so much.

And a few pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Not just sweater weather, which it had been all week and I am LOVING IT, but it’s lamp light weather too. I forgot that I had all these fantastic lights around my house and yesterday when it was dark out at 6 (it was raining so the sky was cloudy) I got to turn on a couple lamps that haven’t had any action in months. It was soooo nice and cozy. This my friends, this is the best time of year!

Camping last week was great and not so great. The campground was pretty, but our fellows campers were very rawdy and loud and there was a party at the picnic pavilion that had a shitty classic rock cover band playing. The noisy people and shitty music echoed through the park for longer then anyone should have had to deal with it. But I guess that happens, especially on a long holiday weekend. And really, besides the buttheads, we had fun. We went for a nice hike through the woods and into giant fields of wildflowers and goldenrod then spent some great time in the kayaks on a nearby lake (away from all the people). Plus after eating dinner and then packing it in for the night, we didn’t get soaking wet, which we could tell by the many car doors slamming and people screaming at 1am , a good few people did. Our tent stayed nice and dry inside and we even managed to stay dry when we got out of the tent and and realized it was sitting in a giant puddle. We even managed to stayed pretty dry packing up and getting on our way home, in the rain! It’s because we are good at coming I guess.

Then the rest of the week came and went in a fast blur. Mostly some same. Had lunch with Barb, cleaned apartments for new tenants,, made cards for artwork, picked up farm share, and you know, other life stuff. I have been busy in the kitchen harvesting garden food and canning or freezing it as well. Trying to stock up on as much food as I can for the winter. Then the littles slept over Friday. We watched Dumb and Dumber and I fell asleep on the couch. Woke up made waffles (I was so excited to use my waffle iron. It’s been too long) and sent them on their way home to be moody tweens because that is now happening.

Oh, and I can’t forget about how some little shithead smashed in the back of our car. Yup, that happened too. But that is pretty much it. I think….

Now for today. Mt Auscunty State park if all goes to plan. Should be a fun one with lots of hiking and a big high tower and stuff. I know it is gonna get mighty cold tonight so I am packing my winter long underwear and a jacket, hat, and mittens. So excited!

Links to explore on the internet.

-Doctors are now prescribing houseplants to help treat anxiety and depression. Makes a whole heck of a lot of sense to me. And why not try this simple remedy before trying a bunch of drugs?

-I wasn't;t surprised much when I read this. Junky processed food is so bad, especially if it is all you eat. .19-Year-Old Goes Blind Due to Diet of Pringles, Bread, Fries, and Processed Meats

-Lush Botanical Forms Translated Into Abstract Embroideries . So very pretty.

-Another good reason to ditch that pessimistic attitude and to look at he bright side of things. It doesn’t hurt to try. Optimists For The Win: Finding The Bright Side Might Help You Live Longer

-Why do clowns creep us out? Because they are creepy, that is why.

-I want, no, I need this cabin. Totally Off-the-Grid Cabin in the New Hampshire Woods

-This Apple Might Be the Most Anticipated Piece of Produce in History. I heard about this apple few years ago. I wonder if it’s gonna live up tp all the hype. We shall see.

-Why don’t we have one of these? The Otter: The 1950s Amphibious Caravan That Time Forgot!

-Can Bullet Journaling Save You? I am a list maker in all the ways. I a ma doodler to no end. I love pretty things and I love hand writing and have a ton of sketch books but besides the occasional list of note in a sketch book, I have never really gotten into Buju. It’s to time sensitive I think, for me anyway.

-Squeeze in a Quick Nap at Work with This Under-Desk Hammock. A new way to sleep on the job. HA.

Pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

It’s been a week of weeks if you know what I mean. The world. There is a lot to process, good and bad. And now I think I need to catch up with my mind. I feel like I have let it run to far ahead of the rest of me. Or maybe I am running away from it? Either way. I need to reign it it and focus. That is the goal anyway.

As our routine, we went camping on Sunday and it was just the best, an unexpected greatness. We started with a great hike through pastures and woods and to a gorge and then headed to the park to pitch the tent. D.A.R State park. Neither of us had ever been there before and hadn’t heard anything about it, so we were not sure what to expect. And it turned out to be just fantastic. Big and spacious, pretty, relaxing, and right on the lake. Very few campers, all of which were old people. So quite. Our site was perfect and there was a sink near the bathrooms to wash dishes in. What more can you ask for? We played on the rock beach, made dinner, hug out by the fire, walked around the camp, went back down to the beach and skipped rocks while watching the sun set, and then crawled in to the tent for the night. The stars were crazy bright, the fireflies were everywhere, the sounds of the waves were faint but there. I was just as happy as as clam. Even when I woke up chilly. And then we woke up, made coffee, the mr fished for a few while I read and watched the sun come up then off and back to life we went.

After we got home Monday things got really busy and completely out of the norm. First off, the mr has been working a time sensitive job that has had him leaving as soon as I walk in the door in the morning and not getting home until I am in bed. And that in itself is not usual, but if that does happen, we will see each other during the day, at least for meals. It might not seem like such a biggy to most people, but for the past 17+ years, we have eaten almost every single meal together, and this week, no meals. I have been eating alone all week. At first I loved it because I love reading while I am eating and only ever do it on the very rare occasion that the mr is not home for a meal. But all week for lunch and dinner, alone. I have read 2 books, but I was starting to get lonely. I missed my mr. So sad. HAHA.

Anyway, while he was gone all week, I did some work, had coffee with my mom, made cookies with the littles, met Barb’s boyfriend, and ate ten thousand tomatoes. I also spent a good chunk of time cleaning out the loft (again) for my dad, and oh, I don’t even know, a bunch of other stuff. Then Jeff Dad came to VT. We went for a hike with couple littles at a state park, sat in traffic on the interstate for far too long, and then went to Megans house where I made dinner for everyone. I got to meet Anthony’s girl friend ( a week of meeting the significant others), got a glimpse of the butterfly chrysalis, and made Sophia cry because we picked all her basil for pesto and she really really didn’t want to share it. So I owe the girl a new basil plant.

Yesterday was family reunion up in Belvidere. The whole crew. Great as always. Seeing family is always the best. I love them all, even if they exhaust me and maybe make me want to run away screaming. But isn’t that the way it suppose to be?

And then we came home, the mr left again to finish this job last night and came home while I was in bed. Again. But now he is done. And I am so excited to have him around, although this week is a new job that will be taking him away again. At least we have today. Camping. Ricker Pond State Park. I am excited. No work for the mr. Just him and me heading out into the wilderness with our tent and sleeping bags and a socks! Socks cause it had been getting chilly at night….YAY for cool late summer nights! I am so ready for some cool weather and to bust out all my sweaters!!!!

Internet from the Internet.

-It’s that time of year again. One day theres one, the next there are a million! How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Before They Take Over Your Kitchen

-Call Me Crazy, but I Think an Active Vacation Eases Stress More Effectively Than the Beach. No, not crazy at all. I need activity all the way, whether it is hiking, biking, or just walking 20 miles around a city. No beach reading for me.

-Avoid the toilet plume! Hey, Just Always Close Your Toilet Lid, OK?

-I don’t really get it, but it is awesome. Watch the New, Brilliant Trailer for Season 10 of “The Great British Bake Off”

-It’s the Season for Fruit, and Also for Writing About Cutting Fruit as an Act of Love. I always cut fruit up for the ones I love. HAHAHA, but for real.

-Oh fuck. A New Study Reveals Just How Toxic a Bee’s World Has Become

-Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Strange how people perceive certain things…

-I like. ON TREND: THE ART DECO BED.

-Fun People Order Pancakes: What Your Diner Order Says About You. Black coffee all the way.

-Can you imagine… 3 feet tall. Super bad ass and super scary! I wonder if they could talk too? This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds

-Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push. Would you? I think we all are going to need too. I am already thinking of induction. Definitely next kitchen I remodel.

And pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

I’ll try to be good and not bitch too much about how hot I am. And really, it hasn’t actually been that bad. At least I am not in France. If I were in France, I would be losing my shit. I think they reached 113 degrees a day ago. So I am puting things in perspective here. I am not that hot.

Yup. Another week come and gone and now were are more then half way through the year. It’s hard to believe but time stops for no one. So what did you do with you week? For us, it was the basic. Work stuff, family stuff, trying to get out into the world as much as possible. The mr and I snuck (well the fence had yet to go up) into the new pool construction zone around the corner from us to take pictures and see what all the construction commotion has been about all week. As of now, it a giant ass hole in the ground. We found the mr a new desk for free on craigslist and It weighted a thousand pounds and almost killed me moving it up the stairs. I picked up farm share and picked me some fresh flowers. We went to a river for fishing/reading time. And there were a few bike rides, lots of walks, amazing sunsets, rainy days, hot nights. Trying our darnest to live up the summer as much as possible. Now we just need to get our shit together and get our camping and kayaking game going. It might be a slow start to the season but we will get there. Maybe next week and every weekend after that.

Dad Jeff came to town for a couple days and so Friday, right after I came home from work, I had the family over for family dinner. I made 8 pizzas (all the dough the night before) and ice cream cones with sprinkles. A hit for sure. We got lucky because it wasn't raining so we all got to play around outside. The littles in the sprinkler or playing soccer with the mr. Dad sitting on the stairs talking about rare coins and trying to give away the most creepy porcelain dolls that were my grandmothers and should really be buried as to not come alive and murder people. And there was no arguing or fighting, just shinny happy people holding hands. HA. But really, it was good. It’s always so nice to get everyone together. We are all a bunch of lunatics so we really understand each other.

And then yesterday I spend half the day cleaning up all those happy feeling. The sprinkles from the ice cream made there way into every crack and crevice in the house which makes no sense because everyone ate ice cream outside. Those littles. They are good at tracking the shit into the house.

Today is up I the air. I am going to bike into town to the gym and library and the maybe stop at the coop for some spices, but after that I am probably going to be hanging around the house. The mr has a big delivery coming sometime today and needs to be available at a moments notice so we can’t really take off. Just as well. I have a bunch of projects that I should be wrapping up. Today might just be that day. Or I might just sit around a read all day. I am good with either.

Interent from the internet that might be of some interest to you.

-Why We Remember Stonewall. Because it was important and significant in helping launch a civil rights movement.

-I prefer to carry a spork, but you get the picture. Why carrying your own fork and spoon helps solve the plastic crisis

-8 Types of Indoor Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Your Living Room. I have a lemon tree. I want the rest of them.

-Well done San Francisco, well done. San Francisco Bans Sales Of E-Cigarettes

-Now if I just had 2k just kicking around…..Garden Dome Igloo.

-These Prefab Treehouses Were Inspired By Cartoons. And they are so cool.

-Because you have been wondering all along too. How to solve the water puzzle from Die Hard 3

-The Infrastructure of Joy. Will building delight into cities make them more cloying or more fun? Definitely for sure. I know I am more joyful being anywhere that is more bright and happy. Isn’t everyone?

-Imagine living without time, or without the confines of knowing the time. Whoa. Meet The Residents Of A Norwegian Island Who Want To Kill Time — Literally

-The Best Potatoes Are Boiled in Exxxtremely Salty Water. Not going to disagree.

And pictures from the week.

-C