Sunday Happy

The other day I went into my closet and spent a few minutes refreshing my mind on all of my sweaters and socks, just so I know what I still have going on for warmth. I have even been wearing a few of those sweaters and socks in the mornings. I grab a sweater, a throw blanket, a book, and go sit on the front porch, with coffee of course, and watch the sun come up. I know it's still summer and all and we always get a hot week or two come September but this cool weather has been just the shit and I am loving every minute of it.

This week has been pretty mellow. My gym closed for the week so my daily routines have been all kinds of fucked up. If you know me well enough you know that if I don't go to the gym or get a really good bought of exercise in my day, I am kind of a crazy ball of crazy. So that has thrown me off a bit but bike rides, kayaking, internet yoga, and just running around has kept me from going completely nuts. Then there was eclipses day. The mr and I spent the afternoon playing by the river, him fishing, me picking up rocks and just soaking up all the crazy vibes coming down on us and casting weird shadows. Very cool and now I am very excited for 2024 (total eclipses right here in VT) We had the little's for a day and we (more me) decided we needed to have a fire in the yard so we could roast marshmallows. I didn't have graham crackers for s'mores but give a kid a bowl of chocolate chips and sprinkles for dipping gooey marshmallows and they are all good. The garden and farm, if you didn't read my previous post, are giving out whatever they got, which is a hole heck of a lot. The goldenrod is in it's prime, and the mosquitoes are only really out at night. Ah, all the good and it's really really good.

And bees. We got a new hive this week from one of the mr's friends. Not a large colony but looking healthy and happy here with us so now we have to get the new ladies ready for winter. 

Today the mr and I are looking to get a few more things done around the house. The mr is making furniture out back, I am attempting to fold an origami type lamp shade situation for the dinning room light fixture (it's the last light fixture we need in the house!) and probably going to spend a good chunk of time with garden and yard work. There are two very lovely little pine trees planted right in the middle of the yard and I have been doing some research and think I might be able to move them more to the back of the yard. So I might start that process today, we shall see

What I spent time looking at on the internet.

-Didn't get to see the eclipse or excited for more? Here is a list of eclipses and all the info you need to see them for the next twelve years.

-Harvesting Salt By Hand Is Making A Comeback In France. Pretty cool.

-A lot can be said in (or on) a cake. This Buttercream Kills Fascists

-To Get Calcium, Navajos Burn Juniper Branches To Eat The Ash. I take calcium supplements, maybe I should try this.

-There is still plenty of summer left. How to Make Ice Cream Without Dairy

-The mr wants a house boat. I could live in this house boat.    

-It's all about balance and enjoying life. How to Have Your Health Food and Love It, Too.

-See the Most Colorful Places on Earth. It's amazing to see so much color in nature.

-“Crown Shyness” Where Trees Avoid Touching

-This could be really good for a lot of people. A New Clinical Trial Shows Potential Long-Term Relief From Peanut Allergies

And pictures from the week.

Bye

-C

Sunday Happy

You have weeks that are great, some that are kind of crappy, and some that just seem like a waste of a week of life. Last week felt like one of those wasted weeks.Yeah I might be being a little dramatic but man, it just sucked. It started out with an unpleasantness (we will leave it at that) that consumed our every day. Nothing that I wanted or needed to get done was done, my house was turned upside down, I was tired, cranky, and feeling gross and it was cold and snowy. Just no good.

Ok, I am done complaining now.

And it's Sunday, the start of a new week. Spring is kinda in the air, the days are longer, birds out chirping away.  I have a new book that I have been waiting to read, a respectable, but doable list of things to do and a positive attitude towards life.  Bad week over.

See what I saw on the internet.

-Scientists Lobbying To Restore Pluto As A Planet. As it should be.

-I bet people will want to watch it now. So weird. The Reality Show No One Was Watching

-This DIY Swing is pretty cool. Could see one or two on the porch.

-11 New Cloud Types Named—First in 30 Years. And here I am trying to learn the old ones.

-Like these photos. Abstract Aerial Photographs of Southern Africa

-Cheetos Made an Easter Clothing Line That Helps You Avoid Cheetos Fingers

I don't need any toys, but these are pretty cool. Animaze: Multifunctional Furniture that Encourages Kids to Play

-9 INCREDIBLE COUNTRIES WHERE YOU CAN LIVE FOR UNDER $1,000 A MONTH. Food for thought.

-  I gave up TV, then qualified for Olympic marathon trials and got my PhD The things can do instead of sitting on your ass. And the last tine. Hahaha, that is what everyone says.

- Why Millennial Pink Refuses to Go Away. And these Pink Homes

A few picture taken from the week

Have a great day.

-C

Sunday Happy

It's officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows..... It's hella crazy.

Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.

As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do?  We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70's crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night.  After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went.  Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes.  2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again. And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.

Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I'll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot.  The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter.........

Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it's permanent home. I'll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!

Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.

-Not really a "gingerbread house" but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.

-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past

-Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night

-A hairy tail has be found.  First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber

-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate

-I want this.

-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape’s Butt

-Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. (nah, I think I am good)

-A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it

-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR’s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads

Picture fun time.

I made him throw this sock away..... It was time.

Have a fantasticday.

Sunday Happy

Number one take away from the past weeks events... I can be anything I want to be, including the queen of the leprechauns or a unicorn that farts rainbows....Anything is possible. Hahaha.

But wow, that was some kind of week for all of us. Now we deal and do our part and hope for the best. Eyes open, minds, open, hearts open.

Besides the constant flow of NPR and up and down temperatures., the week has been somewhat a blur. Painting, cleaning, sanding, repeat. The trim and walls will never have so much love and care for the rest of their lives. And the painting. Remember when I painted the upstairs and decided that I hates the color and had to repaint the it? Well it happened again, only this time is was the downstairs. And funny, after realizing the white was to white and we needed to tone it down just a pinch, we ended up using he paint that we hated upstairs on the downstairs and it looks like a-mazing! Speaking of amazing, you should see the floors! The mr and I busted ass and finally got the floors, upstairs and down, sanded! .And ok, I did sand, but nothing like the mr. He used all the big crazy machines while I used my little hand sander and muscle force. (this guy I tell you, he can is a pro at everything.) So now we have the house almost perfect and we are going crazy and just need to finish it!

On of the last things to do on the list is the kitchen and the pressure is on. I am kinda freaking out over design, function, and stoves. Appliances are all like 50% off for the next 2 weeks and that means it is time to buy. The mr doesn't really give two hoots so I have this crazy pressureto pick and choose and then spend money (credit card money) I am straight up freaking. But these are happy lady problems. I can deal with them

 I cannot go into the house today. I will go there, I will look inside, but the floors are in the sealing process and the mr is the processor so I will not step inside (plus the smell of the urethane makes me sick) So today, it's almost like a fee day! Think we might take a trip to a book store, get some coffee, look at all the cook books, and discuss the pros and cons of stoves. Oh, and stop by Shannon's house cause she is my sister and it's her birthday.... Happy Birthday lady! 

And I just realized that it's Thanksgiving next week.. I think I need to get on that.

Non political internet from my week.

-Lets not be assholes. 6 Ways Being Nice To Others Is Actually Good For You

-Absolutely Gorgeous Photos Reveal The Beauty In A Hard Life

-Been looking at these ovens.  The slide in is great but why is it so much more expensive?

-I think I would be happy as a narwhal. Narwhals Are Craftier Than We Gave Them Credit For.

-This is your brain on nature

-A thing that is for real. Cat Yoga

-I missed it (don't have the channel) but hopping to internet watch it soon: "Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party"

-Make sure all your plastic get in the recycling. Why Seabirds Love To Gobble Plastic Floating In The Ocean

-Why we get Earworm Songs Happens to me all day long

-Artist Charles Young’s Growing Metropolis of 635 Paper Structures. Just really cool.

A few pictures from the week.

Have a great day!

-C

Sunday Happy

One extra hour today! Did you or are you currently sleeping it? I woke up at 4 am which was 5am yesterday so I am hoping that I am going to get in a little nap at some point. That's what is there for right? I love the end of daylight savings, I mean, who doesn't love an extra hour. And also I actually really enjoy that it gets dark out early. Being the old lady that I am, I don't leave the house after 7 but I love the night sky.. Now that it's darker out earlier, I can drink it all up and still be in bed at a reasonable old lady hour. Whoa hoo!

So I am starting to think about holiday stuff, specifically the holiday stuff that could potentially happen in the new house. Then I start to think about all the stuff that needs to be done in the house before any holiday stuff can happen and then my eyes start to bug out and my brain does a wiggle and I forget the holiday stuff and start to freak out a bit.  Then the mr is all "one thing at at time" and "we got this" and I am all like "ok, if you say so" and I calm down. Then I start to think about how soon the holidays are and the whole thing starts over again. So basically I am driving myself crazy.
 

It's been a long week, but some of highlights are

• Got our first winter farm share and have been eating so much celeriac and squash and parsnips
• The upstairs bathroom is all hooked up, like sink, toilet, and tub, and is looking like magic.
• The window trim is going up and all the old trims we saved has been sanded and stained and scrubbed all week long.
• The back porch is all painted and done
• A very large, rounded couch was brought home by the mr. (I can't decide if I hate it or love it)
• I spent a good part of a day in the yard hacking away at the humongous thristle trees (they looked like trees) with a hand saw.

There has been other stuff, but right now I can't think of it. We kinda missed Halloween. We worked all day then decided that the front porch looked to sketchy and dangerous for little kids so didn't give out candy which really bummed out the mr cause he didn't get any Halloween candy this year. Last night I was vacuuming the floor and found a grape.  picked it up, gave it a little dust off and ate it. Is that weird? And I cut my hair. Just a few inches over the bathroom sink while the mr was brushing his teeth. Oh man, I think I might be losing it a bit. What I really need to do is spend some time in the kitchen . I realized that I have been so wrapped up in craziness that I haven't gotten any l really kitchen time in a while. This week I am back to making more time for the kitchen and my camera and trying not to be so crazy. I'll make you a salad, maybe some cookies. And soup. We have been eating a shit ton of soup.

Sunday YEA!!! Little sister Barb is coming over today and doing some helping. I was thinking we would paint, maybe even clean, but I have a feeling her help might just be to hang out, listen to the radio and dance party to every crappy song that comes on.  harass the mr, and just make me happy. Maybe we will get to some actual work, but I won't be caring if we don't. But I need to clean at some point for sure cause he house is a mess right now and it's driving me freaking nuts. Maybe that's what I can do with my extra hour.

Stuff from the world online.

-Need to stay awake for this one. YES! Dave Chappelle is *finally* hosting ‘SNL' in case you were wondering if dreams come true

-A fantastic house.

-This is good because I don't like to clean my coffee cups. It’s Okay to Never Wash Your Coffee Mug

-Girl Scout cookie cereal. Really? Yup, really.

-So many different kinds. The Ultimate Ice Cream Glossary, A to Z

-I never had a cool lunch box (be sad for me) Beyond The Pail: NPR Unpacks The History Of The Lunch Box

-What the FU*K. Hitting the Elevator Door-Close Button Won’t Make the Elevator Doors Close

-How Is A 1,600-Year-Old Tree Weathering California's Drought?

-I needed to know, and now I do. How to Tell a Raven From a Crow

And speaking of birds.Shattered birds in windows

-Swearing Is Much Less Common Than It Seems...not in my family (or maybe it's just me)

-All the pretty plants

and a few pics

Have a great day!

-C