Sunday Happy

I don’t want to sound like a whine ass but can’t it just be fall already? I am so sick of summer! Might not be the most popular opinion but like I have said many of times… I can’t stand being hot and therefore I do not like summer.

The week. Up until just a couple days ago it has been too stupid freaking hot and humid. Another heat wave and I am not having it anymore, (or at least that is what I tell myself. Not like there is anything I can do about it),, but at least we were camping. We went to Little River, hung out I the kayaks on the breezy cool reservoir, did a little hike but had to cut it short due to ongoing back pain (still) and a million tiny no see-ums flying into my eyeballs. We then went back to the campsite, made dinner, ate, sat around a very small fire (too freaking hot to rage it) and crawled into the tent. Woke up, drank the coffee and walked to the water, then packed up and headed home.

The rest of the week went by in a flash. I moved almost 100 green pieces to the studio to be fired (glazing next week is going to be a bear). We took the littles for ice cream after their first day of school (and to check out Judah’s new hair cut!) then we went and hung out with So who showed us all her halloween stuff and her mad skills at drawing with her feet. I picked up farm share. I ate an entire watermelon, and we did all the things that needed to be done, talked about some stuff that needed talking about, and made plans for the plans we have.

Last night the mr and I went up to Belvidere for a little adverntue with some of the family. We took a ride around 170 acres on a giant 4 wheeler contraption, (7 people. 5 seats. But we made it work. Only once did someone (David) fall off the back while in motion.) looked at barns and apple trees, and hung out with the coolest old lady that I have ever meet. Vermont people are the best!

Anywho, it’s Sunday. I am tires as all hell but whatever. The mr and I have the camping plans in place and I am ready to veg out mentally today. Should probably take it easy physically too cause my back is still the shit…. Or not, we will see how stupid I behave.

Internet from the week.

-The complicated reality of doing what you love. True that.

-Do you like licorice? Red or black? I don’t know many who like black but I think the mr does. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Licorice

-I have learned the hard way that stretching is key. What actually happens when you pull a muscle?

-A heart of sheep.

-Keep your muffins high. A Bakery Hack for Sky-High Muffins

- The Opposite of Toxic Positivity. Sometimes leaning into the dark is just what we need to do.

- Your poop can tell you a lot! The Poop About Your Gut Health and Personalized Nutrition-

-Don’t be an asshole when you are flying or you might just get your ass kicked. Flight attendants train in self-defense amid spike in unruly passengers

-Odd Apples: A New Photo Book Celebrates the Strange and Enchanting Fruit

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

So yeah, the past week hasn’t been the greatest. I am feeling super overwhelmed with all that is going on with and inside the world and I have hit a mental wall. And I know that I am not the only one. All the things…It’s a lot. So that is where I am at right now. A stressed out mental trash can. But I am trying to be positive so yeah….😐

But the week was not all doom and gloom and anger and stress. It started with a kayak on a pond which is the best way to start a week. After the yak we set up camp, went for a hike, ate soup, then slept under the stars. Woke up and walked the darkness then drank all the coffee before heading back to town.

The rest of the week was and happened. Took Barb to the farm to pick tomatoes and flowers. Walked around a lot looking at all the summer flowers. Spent a good amount of time icing my back because I am old now and I guess sometimes the wrong movement will pinch a nerve. Also the heat and humidity that has been plaguing us has kept me cranky and not at all helped my body in any way. But even tough my back was killing me and I was hot to the point of melting I still went for a bike ride to Moms with Barb, picked up watermelon at farm share, and went for a walk with Shannon. I tried to sit at my wheel, and I did manage to trim a few pots, but other then that, the pain in the back won out so not much got done. And so it goes.

Sunday. Off to the woods. Looks like the hurricane that is hitting the east coast will not be effecting us too much until tomorrow so we are heading out for the next 24 hours which is good because I really need the quiet and peace of the trees.

Stuff from the internet from the week. Keeping it light.

-Are your houseplants actually good for the planet? Good question.

-Its just about that time of year. A Completely Delicious Guide to Popular Types of Pie

-Good way to recycle some paper. How to Make Paper Flowers in 12 Beautiful Ways.

-Someone mentioned a eating a chip butty and this is what it is. The Chip Butty Is the Deranged Nonsensical Sandwich of My Dream

-Overwhelmed with Cleaning? You Don’t Need Balance — You Need a “Tilt”. I agree, bu to actually stop, well I am going to beed therapy for that. HA!

-If you need some Beyoncé in your day. Beyoncé's Evolution

-Square pizzas…. Still with that shit? Why school lunches feel like they’re frozen in time.

-I Love Throwing My Kids’ Artwork in the Garbage While They’re Sleeping. Haha! I LOVE all the art work the little create and I have kept my favorites but sometimes a good purge is needed, and that is at my house. They don’t even live here!

-A Poetic Book Illustrated by Tiffany Bozic Explores the Vast Diversity of Trees with Childlike Curiosity ♥️♥️♥️

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

If you were not stupid hot this past week well then weren't you just the luckiest one. Me, I was on the verge of a god damn breakdown. SO hot and humid for so long, I seriously was losing my shit. But I am better now because the heat wave broke and I can move, breath, and think again. And what I am thinking is that summer should be over and I am 100% ready fall.

Beside the heat wave almost killing me and making me the most miserable and bitchy person in the world, the week was great. It started off with family hoopla up in Belvedere. My Dad was here, the cousins, and most of the siblings. We ran around, talked and yelled, complained about this and that, and laughed at the expense of each other. Then the mr and I, with the help of the littles, set up our tent in the field and when were were overly exhausted that night, we crawled into then tent for a little shut eye. ( I barely slept because the tent was set up by the littles and they placed in on a weird incline so I was like rolling around all night.) The next morning I woke up early and took a walk to the river with Megan, drank all of Dads coffee, packed up the tent wit the mr, and then half of us went for a long ass bike ride. By the time we were finished, I was finished and it was starting to get really hot. It was a great couple of days and it was time to go home.

And then it got even hotter and more humid. A freaking heatwave. So I did what I could to not melt or kill someone. I spent most of my time either working in the basement or laying on the kitchen floor. I dis go on a little hike by the lake with the Mr, Megan and So thinking it might be a little cooler (it was not) and then had all the littles over for an afternoon of popsicles, ice cream, and sprinkler action, but ther then that I can’t really think of to much else that was done because well my brain was fried.

But then it rained yesterday. Really hard really fast and the heat broke. Thank fucking god because I could take it anymore. So even though I spent most of the day doing chores, cutting hair, and freaking out about stupid things, I was much better then I had been all week.

I am excited for today. I am not sure if it is because we are tossing the camping shit into the car and getting out of here or if it because it is only suppose to get into the mid 70’s and with no humidity. Either one, I am here and happy for it! A day of kayaking and hiking and sleeping outside. The good stuff.

Internet from the week

-July Was The Hottest Month In Recorded Human History. Yes and now we are fucked.

-Has This Summer Felt Off to Anyone Else?, One hundred percent yes.

-Antivaxers Think Their ‘Pure’ Semen Will Skyrocket in Value. Wow. Wow, wow wow.

-One of the nephews ins moving into a dorm for the first time and let me tell you, his mama is losing her shit and buying it all. Also, his dorm is five minutes from his house and around the corner from a store if he needed to get anything. The college dorm shopping industrial complex is real

-A Great British Spraycation.

-Where there is a risk for fire well it is a no brainer. It’s Time to Cancel Campfires

-Cake season is coming upon us, especially me. At least 2 birthday cakes a month for the next 8 months! Cake Is Hard—Here Are 7 Pro Tips to Make Cake Baking Easier

-This is exactly where I should live. Completely in love. The Soot House: Conjuring the Ghosts of Old New England on Spruce Head in Maine

-Don’t Throw Out Your Olive Brine!. I always use olive brine to splash on veggies. It is delicious. Don’t Throw Out Your Olive Brine!

-Ducks, Otters, and Other Wildlife Plunge into Water in Intricate Split-View Embroideries. I want these, they are so fantastic.

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

I am ready, ready for summer to be over. It was so nice for a few days. Not hot, cool nights, but then it started to get hot again and I started to get real bitchy again so yeah, done with it. Plus I am really craving apples. 🍎🍏🍎

We had a good start to the week with a great camp adventure. Sure it rained a whole bunch but we knew that going in so we were prepared. Rain jackets, a canopy to put over the picnic tables, extra clothes. And really, most of the day it wasn’t pouring to badly and hiking around in the woods, the rain doesn’t get you ad bad. We did decide not to bring the kayaks because I wasn’t feeling lightning and water, but hey, that is just me. And we were able to have a nice big warm fire after dinner thanks to the mr been smart and good with flames and wood. It was great and perfect timing too because once we crawled into the tent for the night, well that was when the rain really started to come down. But again, no worries, we started dry.

And we woke up, still a little rain coming down, made coffee, tossed everything into the car and headed back to the rest of the week.

What did we do? Nothing much different then all the rest if the weeks. Hung with Barb, Had the littles over for food and play and then had a girls afternoon where Barb, Miley, and I made cookies and cakes for the upcoming weekend. I have been harvesting lots of goodies from the garden, pickling and freezing all the zucchini, and watching my pumpkin rapidly grow bigger and bigger. I thew some pots, but things have been drying really slow so that means studio stuff slows down too. And thats about sums it up I guess.

Today is the annual Stem family get together. (We didi’t do it last year cause, well you know.) After I spend the morning doing some chores we are heading up to Belvedere to the cabin and hanging with my people. Camping there too. I am really excited to see my family, see the Dad, and also see them in the comforts of the woods in the middle of nowhere so I can run away if need be. And its great that we have camping built in to the day. It is one of my favorite places to camp so it will be good, even if it is suppose to thunderstorm all afternoon. We are getting use to camping in the rain.

Internet from the week

-August 8 Is One Of The Luckiest Days Of The Year. And it’s today! So should I play the lottery?

-Summertime And Vacationing Isn't Easy. Blame It On Climate Change. And blame that on humans.

-Basically the only time I wear a bra is when I am running and that is only because I don’t have pockets in my shorts to shove my phone into it (in the winter I have pockets so no need for the bra). It acts more like a pocket than anything else. HA! Why So Many Women Are Turning Their Backs On The Bra

-Yes to all of these. Designers on Holiday: Modern, Minimalist Tents, Cabins, Guest Houses, and More

-We Tried 9 Ways to Shuck Corn (and Really Get the Silk Off!) and Found a Clear Winner. How do you shuck corn? And does the silk really bother you? I don’t care if there is a few strands but that is me.

-I take a lot of pictures but I also don’t take a lot of pictures. Sometime I just don’t want to it is going to interferes with me being present. To Remember The Moment, Try Taking Fewer Photos

-Homeownership can bring out the worst in you. There is a lot to think about when owning a home.

-Just like antibacterial shit, hand sanitizer kits the bad and the good. You might be overusing hand sanitizer

--A Serendipitous Photo Captures an Acrobatic Goose Contorting Its Body to Fly Upside Down

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

We are in the thick of it, the middle of summer. And for some reason I have yet to really feel any real summery vibe, if that makes any sense. I don’t know what it is. I am hot as hell, outside more then in, running around with little to no clothing on and have the dirtiest feet, eating all the summer veggies, and living all the summertime adventures. And yet something, some feeling that I usually feel is yet to be had. Huh. I guess there is still time but to be honest, I am already wishful for fall. (I am and will always be that person.)

The week was good. Started off with soggy camping in the Groton State Forest. Went kayaking then hiking, and then set up camp, all in a light rain. It wasn’t down pouring but everything was wet. We did out best drying out by the fire and by the time we both ate our camp lentil stew and climbed into the tent to sleep, we assed out. Then we woke up, made the coffee, busted down camp, then headed back home.

And the rest of the week flew by. Beside the the usual we took a couple of smaller hikes. I picked up farm share which is now starting to really amp up (giant tomatoes!). I picked flowers and lots of turnips from the garden and spent a lot of time hanging with Megan and So. I got pooped on by a bird and developed a gigantic blood blister on my ding-a-ling thing in my throat (uvula ?) which was gross and unnecessary. And then at the end of the week we took a long drive south to the Vermont Ceramic Store and got me 250 lbs of clay (should keep me busy for a little while). All in all, a busy, satisfying, got shit done, week.

And we are back to Sunday and back to our camping schedule. We have 2 state parks to choose from so not exactly sure where we will end up. All I know is that I have been looking forward to getting back out in the tent since we packed it up last Monday. I always wonder why we come home. I am meant to live in the woods.

Internet from the week.

-Just Say No to Peat: It’s Time to Rethink the Compost and Soil You Buy. Seriously.

-This is freaking awesome and I will be visiting it! A Skywalk Just Opened Up That Goes 100 Feet Above the Sequoia Redwoods

-Addison County Is Now Home To The Largest Anaerobic Digester In The Northeast. So How Does It Work? Fuel from poop! Vermont Proud!

-DIY Tiny Cabin on Wheels. This is one of those towable cabins that actually makes sense.

-Ask anyone that comes through my doors. Shoes off before entering or I will flip the F out! Please Don’t Wear Your Outdoor Shoes Inside My Home

-I might actually have the opposite problem….I can never find my phone. HA! But I know more people then not (just about everyone) that have this problem. Glued To Your Phone? Here's How To Rethink Your Relationship With Social Media

-If I am not into a book within the first chapter, I move on. Sometime I go back if I think it was just a wrong book, wrong time situation. But if it just seemed like shitty writing, well I’m a not gonna read it. There are far too many books that I need to read to waste my time. 6 Reasons It’s Totally OK to Give Up on a Book, According to Librarians and Podcasters

-That is a lot of words. From “5G” to “Zaddy”: Dictionary.com Adds Over 300 New Words And Definitions

-Hey You! Freeze Those Summer Green Beans. I usually get a bag or two but I have a hard time not eating them all before I get a chacne to freeze them.-

Pictures from the week.