Sunday Happy

Well another week has blown on by. A week that started off in summer and has returned to it’s rightful season of winter. IT got really freaking warm there for a couple of days and it really confused the heck out of my body. I kept putting on sweaters and hats just to have to take them off. But at least I got to wear my sandals once more before they go away for the next 5 months. Oh Vermont. There is a saying here that if you don’t like the weather, well just wait 10 minutes. And that is a truth.

Other then being completely engrossed in weather related things, political craziness, and freaking out a little about how the COVID numbers are climbing hard and fast around here, the week was not crazy eventful although Shannon did turn 40. HAPPY BIRTHDAY B”OTCH! And now ! am a sister with a sister that is 40. 😳 The mr and I celebrated with her by bringing her presents and taking her old ass for a walk. No big party cause well, you know COVID, but I think seeing me was party enough for her. HA

What else? Oh, the mr got out the old chainsaw and cut down a giant (already dead) tree that was about fall on one of our houses so that was good. We went to the beach with Barb, I made some clay Christmas trees while procrastinating all the glazing work I need to do, and spent a good amount of time going through and getting rid of shit. I am at a point in my life where I just want to own nothing which is exactly the opposite of the mr who is becoming more and more of a hoarder as he gets older. I told him no more but we might need to leave in separate houses soon.I can’t stand stuff!

And back to Sunday. Today the mr and I have plans to pack a lunch and take off, find a quiet place to eat, and maybe go for a hike if it is not raining by then. After that I should come home and do all the stupid shit I need to do, but you know, we will see how I am feeling. I know I am gonna make a big pot of soup so maybe while I am making soup I will make a list of the stupid shit, plus all the things that I need to do in the coming week. That’s it. I will organize and make soup. Sounds a-okay to me.

What the internet showed me this week

-What America’s First Ad Hoc COVID Memorials Look Like. They are starting to pop up, and they are only getting bigger.

-Skip Thanksgiving. Yup. We are all doing it. And it sucks but you know what, is a few hours of, lets face it, mostly bickering, worth maybe getting someone sick?

-Why do Americans like it to be 72 degrees inside? I HATE this so much. keep it 60 friends and grab a freaking sweater if you are cold. Jeez

-Not only is she a badass, she is also so right about Buffys love life. This lady, she understands the world. Stacey Abrams Can Fight Voter Suppression and Talk Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the Same Time

-Why Britney Spears’s fans are convinced she’s being held captive. Not the first or even the fith time I have heard this. I am starting to think it might be true too!

-Please do not use that piece of glass to cut things. Thanks! Your Glass Cutting Board Is for DISPLAY ONLY

-These photographs are everything. I actually saw a piece years ago very similar to these and they it has stuck with me. Birds, they are magnificent. BLACK SUN: Amorphous Flocks of Starlings Swell Above the Danish Marshlands

-Time for a new knitting project.

-The Cider-Sipping, Mitten-Wearing Guide To 2020 Holiday Movies. I know you want to know.

-I didn’t know that this was a known thing. Why Germans love getting naked in public.

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

And the week came and went. Monday was a blur, Tuesday thru Saturday was jammed packed with all the stuff. Lots of studio time, finally a day of glazing (although I barely got anything glazed), my first time experiencing zoom (that was a shit show but I got through it) and all sorts of this and thats and work things and so on and so forth. The mr has been working hard over at one of the houses replacing a roof. We have contemplated A grade or C grade cedar singles for siding over and over again, and I think my garden is pretty much done giving for the season. I have chard and kale and a few roots to pull but that just about it. Not a great gardening year (due to the stupid woodchuck and stupid hot temperatures), but not bad either but I guess any growth was a success so you know what, it was a great year. HA!

Yesterday the mr and I had Miley come over for a little birthday celebration lunch. (Barb came too ) We asked her if she wanted any one else but she said no. Just wanted to eat and be left alone. (she might get that from me). I got her favorite food, made her a batch of her favorite cookies (we are making a cake together later this week) and we bought her the biggest bag of sour patch kids that we could find. I also knitted her a hat, but when I showed it to her she told me she didn't like it and that she would prefer if I would just knit her a pair of black mittens. So that is 13 and you know what, sure I was a little disappointed she didn’t like the hat but I am glad she said so and I didn't give it to her and have her just toss it into one of her junk piles. I’ll just give it to someone else, or keep it. I like it.

Today, first and foremost, is Miley’s actual 13th birthday so again HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She is with her grandparents so I won’t be seeing her stinky little face today which is all fine and good because the mr and I are doing our thing and heading out into the woods. I am so in need of trees and sky and quiet right now. Again, a long week. And this is probably the last time we will drag that kayaks with us so we are going to make it count and hit a couple of really cute and quiet ponds on our way to camp. And hopefully we won’t see all the people out looking at all the trees. Fall foliage season. It is on it’s way and the trees are looking so good this year. Unfortunately it brings out all the people and we all know how I feel about people….

Internet from the week.

-We all owe her so much. RIP lady. RBG’s Fingerprints Are All Over Your Everyday Life

Farmers' Almanac Extended Forecast for Winter 2020-2021. ALL THE SNOW!!! I really hope that we get lots and lots of snow.

-Wellenss is all well and good but don’t just jump on any old trend. Do the homework and make sure you are not putting yourself first before whole communities. From Palo Santo To Crystals, Millennial Wellness Damages The Communities It Borrows From

-How To Say No, For The People Pleaser Who Always Says Yes. I used to be way more of a people pleaser and then I realized I hate being around people which solved that problem (still a family people pleaser though…)

-Regular doses of awe can do wonders for emotional health. Of course. I think about this everyday, letting something, even the simplest thing, really struck me with awe because really, life and all the good stuff is pretty freaking awe inspiring.

-And then the birds sing! When COVID-19 silenced cities, birdsong recaptured its former glory

-Berkeley Is First in the U.S. to Ban Candy, Chips, and Soda From Grocery Store Checkout Lanes. This is so smart.I support this.

-It is so important to know where your food comes from and how it was made. Also if they are destroying environments as they go along.. Big Meat Is Selling Veggie Burgers—But It's Still Destroying the Environment

-We Quit Our Jobs to Build a Cabin—Everything Went Wrong. Worth it

-I Walked All 1,114 Blocks of My ZIP Code Just to Catalog How People Style Their House Numbers. This is something that I do too! I need to look at people house numbers when I walk by. It’s a reflex.

Pictures from the week.

-C

Monday Happy

Last day of summer and guess what, the mr and I woke up to ice all over our tent! Yup. 30 degrees the past few nights that we have been camping. Not exactly what we had in mind this early, but heck, I had the right mind to pack the wool blankets so we were all good.

The week. Well it’s now Monday but we camped Saturday night too so you know, no computer stuff. Anyway, the past week was great as far as I can remember. Camped at Emerald State Park and ddi our usually hiking and kayaking. We hung out with the littles, made cookies, and worked when work was needed doing. Dad Jeff came to Vt and we got to spend the weekend hanging with him. We camped outside, he stayed indoors because well, no one besides that mr and I are into freezing cold camping. We did a long ass rail trail family bike ride, chatting up the nieces and nephews, did a little road side apple picking, and I tried to eat as much hot food to keep my body warm. After Dad left, the mr and I did another solo day of adventure and camped again because that is what we do. We did all the good stuff. I would go into more detail but I am on the trashed side of a human right, my body is freezing and sore, and due to the mr’s ever increasing snoring regiment, I have barely slept in the past few nights so my brain can’t really comprehend much. But yeah, a dang good week.

And whoa it is Monday morning. Just got home from the long camping weekend and now I have gots to get on with the day. The goal is to post this, finish unpacking camping stuff, maybe shower, start laundry, go to grocery store, make phone calls…. The list of things to do keeps growing. But right now I am boiling water and am going to make a hot hot cup of tea and hold the cup , with both hand, until I can feel my finger again. I am still frozen to the bone. And I love it! Oh, and Happy Birthday Jackson!

Some internet that I looked at the past week.

-When I read the news screamed many profanities. I wish was was able to live long enough to see the crazy psychopath fucker out of office. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy, and the future of the Supreme Court, explained. Now lets all pray for sane politicians to do what is right and not appoint another fuckface to the courts…. AGH!

-I love the winter but I am not going to lie, I am a little nervous about this coming one. Fucking pandemic. Good thing I don’t spend time with very many humans.  How We Survive the Winter

-A Reusable Food Wrap You Can DIY in 5 Minutes. I have done this, it works.

-Judah asked mw why Earth is called Earth….I had no idea. Now I can tell him. How Did Earth Get Its Name?

-Have you had this tea? I know it is easy but I love holiday teas but I don’t want to order it unless I hear it tastes good. Christmas in Paris Herbal Tea Stash Tea

-Sure, I’ll live here forever

-I don’t know this existed and nowI want to watch it..eventually when I feel like watching tv. The Soothing 'Great Pottery Throw Down' Makes Great Isolation TV

-I Asked 14 Parents What School Lunch Looks Like for Them During This Weird Fall. Must be such a pain in the ass for some parents.

-Very cool. Bees Encase Raw-Material Embroideries with Honeycomb

-Oh heck yeah. Welcome to my high-fashion, trash shopping mall’

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

It is September friends. That is right. And I am not going to be like, wtf, what happened to summer or the past 6 months, or any of that.. No, I am going to be all like, heck yeah! I am excited for fall and looking forward to all the things that I love about this time of year. Apples, pumpkins, leaves, shorter days, hot drinks all the time, and sweaters. SWEATERS! Ooooh, just yes.

We started the past week with 2 car loads full of camping stuff. It was the mr and I, Barb, and the two older littles. We took them camping for their first state park experience. There was fishing, biking, rock skipping, s’mores, fire starting, people (Miley) trying to burn everything, and all the eating. We were all grubby and stinky and happy as could be. Sure the little guy might have had eaten one to many hot dogs and marshmallows and preceded to boot chunks all over the place, but he railed and was all good, maybe even better for it. After we all crawled into our tents (the boys shared and us ladies shared) we all passed out, all woke up at some point to the mr’s load as hell snoring, but had a pretty good night sleep. I woke up hours before everyone else and walked around in the dark for a while then the the mr, Barb, and I went and watched the sun rise while the two littles slept. After the monsters woke up we made a breakfast fit for champions, meandered, packed, and found another river spot to hang and fish at. After a long day, we dropped them off, went home, went to moms for dinner, and I then crashed. So much fun but sometime so much fun really just tuckers this here lady out.

The rest of the week went with no big biggies. Lots of studio work (Lots of mugs and I am making ghosts and they make me smile), harvesting all the goodies from the garden, doing a massive purge of shit that I don’t want, and reading as much as I can outside on the front porch. The weather had been of the upmost fantastic this week and I am sucking it all in. Other then that, not a whole heck of a lot.

The mr and I are out come 10am. We plan on a good long hike with a picnic lunch on a mountain, some kayaking, land looking, and camping. We are not staying at a state park due to that fact that there is not an empty site at any of them, but better off for us cause we are just going up to Belvedere and pitching the old tent with not a person around. And I get to wear a sweater all day long. That is probably one of the things I am most excited about. HA!

How I internet this week.

-Don’t be a dumb ass, for everyones sake. Coronavirus updates: Labor Day could fuel another rise in infections if people aren’t cautious, experts say

-ARe you a little nervous about apple picking this year? I know I am not going during peak times, thats for dang sure. Pick Your Poison.Fall activities like apple picking and leaf peeping are generally considered safe, but with record crowds and a COVID surge expected to collide this fall, locals are worried

-Kevin Costner’s New App for Road Trips Tells You About the Places You Travel Through. Although I am not an app person, I might just download this (someday). Kevin Costner is dreamy and I love me some history when traveling.

-But is is magic? David Blaine: Daredevil takes flight with helium-filled balloons

-My computer has been making some noises of late. It freaks me out What is it is about to explode, or worse yet, it just stops working? What various weird computer noises mean for your machine

-Walking Is Increasingly Deadly, and Not Because People Are on Their Phones. Seriously. I hear about people getting hit all the time. It is actually a fear of mine.

-London Artist Sophie Sellu’s Functional Wood Sculptures. I really really like.

-Would you live in a neighborhood like this? This sustainable neighborhood of the future is designed to manage both climate change and pandemics

-I mean, we all thought this would happen. If it works now, then way bother going back. Generation Work-From-Home May Never Recover

-I am dreaming of vacations and road trips. Landed on this. What is a Dude Ranch?

Pictures from the week