Sunday Happy

This past week just flew on by. I don’t know if it was because I was hustling to get my shit all ready for the market (I had the mr make me all new displays which are AMAZING but took a bit of time), or because there was some hot hot days that just kicked my ass, or maybe it was all the chaos with the kilns at the studio (I’m not going to go there. Still really pissed about it all), but yeah, it came and went and poof. And in between all that good stuff I managed some strawberry and flower picking, gardening, and um some other stuff. Obviously nothing that fantastic since I can’t remember it.

Then Saturday was market day. A long full day of selling pots and talking, talking, talking. Markets are always so much fun and I get to meet so many cool people but man do they kick my ass. Honestly I could run a marathon and be less tired then spending 6 hours being social. As soon as the day is over and the car is packed I turn to trash and my brain shuts down. This is my life as a true introvert. Now I will hide from all the people for the next two weeks until my next market. I’ll need ever single day of those 2 weeks to recover. 😝

Sunday. Welp it’s another one of those “need to get a bunch of shit done” days which is fine because Mondays are usually a “get shit done day” but because it is the 4th, the mr and I are taking the morning off and going for a nice long bike ride. So yeah, today might not be all the fun relaxing doings, and if I am honest I don’t have the energy to be doing fun if that makes since, but tomorrow will be nice. And again if I am honest I am sure I’ll make it home later with enough time for at least a bit of coffee and reading time (my fun time) so it’s all good. And a nap. Or hell, I’ll probably just go to bed super early because yes, I am an old lady. Let’s just all hope that the stupid fireworks don’t wake me up again. Not good for any of use if they do.

Have a great rest of the long weekend! Don’t be an asshole with the fireworks!

Internet perusing from the week.

-Every year I forget just how much I hate fireworks until the night, usually the 1st of July, neighbors start their firework shit and wake my ass up. It’s not a good scene. How to Block Fireworks Noise for Adults, Kids, and Pets

-I love a good book list! NPR’s list of best books so far this year.

-The Rise of the Swiffer Empire. If you don’t or never have owned a swiffer then who are you? (I use a swiffer mop every day but don’t and have never used the disposable towels, I use washable rags and it works like a gem.)

-Well now I need to see these clouds before I die. Rare clouds that glow in the dark are the most vibrant in 15 years

-The Magical 10-Year Plan. I love this.

-Didn;t know this was a thing. HEre Comes Manhattanhenge! (July 11, 2022!)

-One very impressive ceiling.

-I feel like I might love these. A Review of 'Swoveralls,' the Overall Sweatpants I Can't Help But Love

-Mama Bears Use Humans To Keep Their Cubs Safe. Mama bears are so smart. Definitely my spirit animal.

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

You knw that feeling you get when someone steels your car? Oh don’t worry, my car wasn’t stolen, but the mr’s truck, yeah, that was stolen. While he was working. With a bunch or his really expensive tools in it on top of like a million other things that suck ass to get stolen.

And basically that sums up the week. 😬

Actually the week started off just fine, well maybe kind of blah. We both have been feeling a bit shitty (many tests confirm not covid) but spring allergies are kicking and I always get the foggy brain feels this time of year so whatever. I took feeling like crap in stride and decided that I was going to spend the week spring cleaning (or spring mess making) and throwing a daily 10+pound pot. And for the most part I did (well I made some messes and I missed few days of throwing) which was super duper satisfying. If you throw on a wheel you know that centering a hunk of clay that big is really a full body experience. My core is sore as heck and all my studio clothes are covered in clay. As for the cleaning, well it always starts off messy and I am still in that messy state so now I need to rectify all that which basically means I just need to fill up the recycling, donation box, and trash with everything. I want to get rid of it all.

So back to the truck. Mid day Wednesday I get a prank call form the mr telling me his truck was stolen. I say prank because who the hell gets their car stolen. And if you someone where to steal a car, olden;t it be a nicer one then the mr’s? Turns out someone wanted it. And so it became the thing that pretty much made the rest of the week a shit show. But not all bad. We did have Barb and the littles also came over for puzzles, food, and bear tossing. And of course ragging on the mr about his stolen truck because duh. I also convinced them to come over this coming up week during school break for a day or two of manual labor, paid of course, so I am counting in little hands to help me get my outside looking pristine!

But yah, the truck thing kind of overtook the days. The police said the longer it was gone the less likely we were to get it back and if we did it would probably be in not so great condition. That reality sucked. I spent more time then I ever wanted combing through craigslist and online market places for someone selling a truck like ours and tools. Even time I left the house I was distracted by looking at cars, parked and driving. We had our friends and friend of friends on the lookout. And you know what? A few days after the incident (we call it that now) one of those friends of a friend of a friend, well they spotted it. She texted the mr, called the police and after the mr chased the guy down on his scooter(HAHA no joke) the guy ditched it and now the truck is happily waiting at the police staton until they can process it.

PHEW!!! I was starting to get really mad!

And now it is Sunday, and Easter Sunday to boot. Also it would be Seans 33rd birthday today (fucker). A day to celebrate with the fam so we are going over to the moms house and having a thing with food snd easter egg hunt and all the jazz. And then if I have any time the afternoon, back to that cleaning. Want to get that shit done before it gets really nice out and I never want to come inside again.

Interent from the week.

-2 Seasoned Thrifters Weigh in on the Controversial Ethics of the Resale Economy. What do you think? Personally I think it is what it is and sometimes you get the deal, sometime you don’t and if someone can resell for more money, well good for them. As long as it is not stuff like food and essentials that people need, only stuff that is non essential like brand name clothes or artwork.

-I know very little about Easter. What You Didn't Know About What You Already Know About Easter. And also. The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny

-Overwintering Turns Bitter Vegetables Sweet. Could It Do the Same for Me?

-How is your bean cooking game these days? How to Cook Beans: The Epicurious Myth-Busting Guide

-Why do I not live here?The Narrow Kvitfjell Cabin on Top of the Mountains in Norway

-This garden shed kitchen situation is pretty much perfect

-Oh watch out, it could be coming for us! The biggest comet ever found is cruising through our solar system’s far reaches

-Read this and be smart. Everything Everywhere All at Once, explained by a quantum physicist

Pictures fro the week.

Sunday Happy

Have you noticed all the things popping out of the ground? This time every year I get hyper aware of what is stating to grow and then get all sorts of exited when I see a new flower or weed for that matter, emerge from the brownish still thawing ground. And then my brain and body knows it’s only just a few weeks away that there will be green everywhere and all of a sudden it will be summer. Excited as hell for the green. Not so much summer. I just really don’t want to be hot.

So have you filed your taxes yet? This past week was the week we had an appointment with the accountant but I ended up canceling it. It’s not that I haven’t thought a lot about them, even attempted to maybe get them finished but you know what, I decided that I am filing an extension and so yeah. They are not done and sure I feel a little relief that I am not rushing but also a little annoyed that I have extended the dread for longer. My new goal date is May 15. I’ll get my shit together by then.

Other then not finishing our taxes, the week was alright. I basically spent most of my time making and or glazing pots and taking pictures to update the shop. The mr has started back to working like a crazy guy again so he has been gone all day every day doing some big restaurant kitchen remodel so I haven’t seen much of him. I did get to see Megan and commiserate with her on her 40th birthday.HA! I also started repotting some of the plants around the house (I ran out of soil) and I went for my first real bike ride of the season! Oh does my bike need a tune up!

Sunday! The mr and I are hoping to do a little something outside today. Its been raining a lot so all the trails are pretty muddy (it’s actually bad for the trails to walk on them in mud season), but I think we will be able to find a nice outdoor something to do. I am feeling a little stir crazy, feeling the call of the woods hard. I need to be outside!

-Stuff from the internet this week.

-Oh yuk. If you buy it, wash that shit well! 2022's "Dirty Dozen" List Reveals the Most Pesticide-Laden Produce at the Store

-Here's why most of us love the smell of vanilla and peaches and not sweaty feet. I know a guy who likes the smell of sweaty feet….. Just saying.

-How Do We Get People to Compost? Seriously, who isn’t composting? You really must if you haven’t already started. Just do it.

-I am one of those people that have a hard time finding pleasure in too much pleasure. I need balance. I need to be a little uncomfortable sometimes or else pleasure is boring. So I guess I am not addicted so that is good. Too much pleasure can lead to addiction. How to break the cycle and find balance.

-This A-Frame is siimple and lovely. Reading net nook is awesome.

-Different Types of Paprika, Explained.

-I Get Paid to Go on Fake Dates With People to Prepare Them for Real Ones. You know, this sounds like hard work. I wouldn’t want to do it.

-I am still grieving Washer but slowly am thinking about another dog. Very very slowly. What I’ve Learned from Loving a New Dog While Grieving Another

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Welp it is April and that means the winter stuff is getting laundered and pushed to the back of the closet, that the heavy down comforter is getting replaced with a medium weight blanket, and the heat, its off! Yeah I am a winter person, but spring, spring is my near second and I am raring and ready for it. All I want to do is play in the dirt. I want to get dirty!

Phew. That is what I am saying after this week. I went kind of hard at it beause I needed to. I spent a lot of time on my feet, glazing all the pots, loading kilns, unloading kilns, sanding and packing all those pots. It was a mad dash to get the work done for the market but I did so it was good, even if I was dealing with emotions of the emotional kind cause like dead brother day and all. Oh Sean, I wish I could kick your ass.

It was also my moms birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM) and because I am me, the cook and baker, I was tasked with the birthday food for the birthday dinner. Long story short, I spent a better part of a day in the kitchen covered in flour making all the things. And I might have slightly burned a pie crust and stunk up the house while I was at it but it all turned out fantastic, moms loved her food and I spritzed lots of lavender and open all the windows in the house, to get rid of the smell so it ended well.

Yesterday was the Makers Market at the garden center, the one that I have been busting ass to make pots for for the past few weeks. I woke up real early, went for a sunrise run and almost fell into the pond (the trail is completely flooded and I wasn’t paying attention), drank all the coffee, and headed to the greenhouse and set up amongst all the plants. It was amazing. I got to walk around the greenhouse and take whatever plants I wanted for my display. (That was just the best). Plus a bunch of my people stopped in and said hi which was so sweet and made me happy. And it didn't hurt that I sold a lot of pots (made packing up soooo soooo much easier) . The whole day was a great success.. And a quick shout out to the mr for all his help. He really is a keeper.

And it’s Sunday and I am officially tapped out. The day of human interaction yesterday sucked all the extroverted energy I had stored from the past 2 years out of me. I feel caught up with seeing people now and can happily shut myself away again for another few years. Haha, but for real. Like seriously. So other then hiding from everyone today I think for the first time in a while I am not going to try and do a million things and work and be all crazy. Or I am but without any outside pressure because what I really want to do is spend the day cleaning out all the closets, deep clean my studio, clean out the garden beds, clean out the car, go for a hike, climb a mountain…. Obviously I can’t do ALL of that but damned if I won’t try. I. think it’s a spring adrenaline rush but who knows. I also might just crash and burn on the couch and read all day. Wouldn't be too terribly mad about that. I am a bit tired. 😁

Internet from the week.

-Hey mr. Please turn off you shit thank you very much. Sleeping with even a little bit of light isn't good for your health, study shows.

-Music Therapy Is More Powerful Than You Might Think. Music can make me smile, laugh, cry, and rage. It touches all the emotions.

-The light from this star that astronomers just spotted is 12.9 billion years old. Just wow.

-I cringed so hard reading these stories. As a landlord I can’t comprehend how someone could “fix” the way these landlords do but the thing is, I know it happened. We refer to these people as SLUMLORDS! 12 Horrible Stories of Grim Landlord DIY Fixes

-I don’t care how delightful you think a fruit sticker is, I cannot stand them. They drive me crazy and are straight up right there with candy wrappers …they make me want to gag. But that’s me. The delightful history of fruit stickers, the world’s tiniest canvases for graphic design

-We have come a far way. The new sober-ish. Tiny doses of magic mushrooms, LSD, and cannabis have hit wellness culture, while the stigma around the drugs recedes. Just don’t be stupid about it.

-For 35 years, Birkenstock lovers nationwide have sent worn-down shoes to this Kansas cobblery. Back in my teenage days I had couple pairs that went to the cobbler for new corks. God I wore the shit out of those sandals, in fact they were the only shoes I wore for many years, through the snow and all. (My toes are kinda fucked for it. Ha! )

-You don’t need to do anything but should you? Do You Really Need to Bake With a Scale?

-Then there is this. It’s Time to Talk About... Poop-Swoop Foods

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Happy first week of Spring! How has yours been? Here is Vt it has been pretty freakin fantastic if I do say so myself. A little dreary with morning rains, chilly enough for a heavy sweater but no need for winter coats, I have even been wearing my sandals. The trees are budding, the mud is thick, and there are signs of new life coming up out of the grown. This is the good stuff, the type of weather that I get excited about. I just hope it lasts this year and that it doesn’t all of a sudden get stupid hot and all summer like early. I am not and will never be ready for hot summer. Yuk!

The week. Another one spent mostly in one of the studios. All pots have now been trimmed and bisque fired so that is all good. Now I am working my way through glazing. It’s been a slow process because whenever I go to glaze, I end up doing something or helping someone with something else. The studio (where I work and fire) has had a change of management (the studio manager left) so now it is ask Colleen everything. Every time I go to work on my own stuff I get bombarded with wants and needs and it’s a bit much. I can’t wait for someone else to come in and deal with everyone for a while so I can just load kilns and do the things in peace!

Other then that, it was mostly uneventful but I did start seeds. Oh, and the dryer shit the bed. Lucky the mr is just so good that he was stroring an old dryer that needed fixing and brought it home and fixed it. Works even better then the piece of shit one that we bought brand new 4 years ago. ((Samsung washer and dryers SUCK!) But it all ended well so good riddance. We also managed dinner and haircuts with Miley, her friend boy, and Barb. I did the cutting, they did the eating, and we ended the night at the park. They are grown ass teenagers doing god knows what when left on their own but still want to be taken to the park to play. And you know what? I couldn't have been happier to do so. I mean they weren't asking us to buy them beer so that right there…

And now it’s Sunday, the last one of the month. My only really plan for today is to spend most of it glazing pots. I have to get everything glazed and into the kiln by tomorrow morning to fire it off before the market this weekend. Hopefully I can knock out a good portion of what needs to be done early enough to have some time to walk around outside somewhere and maybe think about things other then pots. Ha! And read. I haven’t finished a book this week and that is just plain wrong. I usually ready one, if not to books a week. What is even happening?

Internet from the week

-I used to want to make hand made ceramic tiles and do tile installs..Maybe I still will. Elements of Architecture: Colorful Hand-Painted Tiles by Italian Designer Elisa Passino

-I am always shocked when people allow shoes in the house, it just seems so wrong. Ask anyone that has come over to my house, the first thing I say to you is going be, “Shoes off!”. Scientists explain why wearing shoes inside is just plain gross

-It is officially mud season here in VT and it is BAD. Mud Season Madness: A dirt road expert answers your questions.

-Italian scientists hacked pizza physics to make dough without yeast. I’m good doing it the old fashion way using my sourdough starter.

-Wash it cold. Why It’s Better to Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water,

-Tübingen: Europe's fiercely vegan, fairy-tale city. I think this is now on my wish list of places to go.

-Whoa, that is crazy. Aerial Photos Document the Expansive Greenhouses Covering Spain’s Almería Peninsula

-Kind of obsessed with this wallpaper.

-Just Give Up On Your Sheet Pans. People with clean and perfect sheet pans are witches and wizards and I don’y trust them. HA!

Pictures from the week.