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

Are you aware that it is the last week of November? I know right. Every year this happens but seriously, it’s just flying by so fast.

The mr and I did the norms for the week. Went for a amazing hike in nice snow. We worked on work, the mr made paper, I cut up the paper. I spent some time with clay, works the studio, organized some stuff and watched it snow and loved every bit of it. Then it rained and got kind of sad that all the snow melted.☹️ We picked up farm share, had dinner with my mom and Paul, hung out with the littles for a bit, and fed Barb some soup. Nothing terribly exciting, besides feeding Barb. She makes every exciting.

And then we get to Saturday. Family thanksgiving plus is was Erin’s birthday. (Happy Birthday Beotch!) Always crazy, what with every one of my family members together in my house, eating food, and hopped up on booze and sugar. The day started early with me running away to the gym to get in some sane time, then one last stop at the grocery store before heading home to finish baking and getting all the food ready. Barb came over early to help cut up veggies but really, for her and the mr to make fun of me and gossip like little old ladies. So food got prepare, then I cooked it all. (Minus the main which mom made. She made a crazy chicken thing, cooked in her oven, and brought it over. No meat gets cooked in my house.) And then the family descended on the house, hungry and crazy. Food got served/ thrown all over and for a few short minutes, everyone was sitting down all at once together. But that lasted 2 seconds, and the kids went off and I ran back to the kitchen while everyone was eating to straighten up a bit and because I don’t need to see people dropping chicken bits all over. I just let them eat in peace while I hid for a few minutes in the pantry and snacked on roast Brussel sprouts, carrots and mustard.

After everyone ate, we all ran around the house, picked secret Santa names, had a massive dance party in the kitchen and did dessert and birthday cake. Erins birthday yes, but Coco got to blow out the candles. So cute, that little loving the candles and all but I am going to be watching out for him. I think he might turn into a little pyromaniac. HAHAHA. But for real. Dinner ended with everyone leaving except Barb, Megan,and So. We picked up a little but basically just sat in the pantry eating raw Brussel sprouts from the stock, with mustard of course, and talking about boys. Then they left too and the mr and I were left alone to assess the damages.

The house. Oh my, oh my. It is a FUCKING DISATSER! I know I tell you all that I spend a good chunk of time every weekend cleaning…Well this time, today, all Sunday, I’m a be cleaning. Cleaning the cake and ice cream and cookies crumbles all over. Cleaning up the dinner rolls behind the couch, all the ripped paper, smashed potates, food and drinks particles. Chicken bits, which everyone was super awesome about and tried not to get anywhere, are everywhere. All. Over. The house. Then the kitchen. Every single piece of silverware and then some plus at least 40 plates and bowls are waiting for cleaning. Not to mention the the pots and pans. The compost is overflowing. The recycling is a mess, and I have at least 2 laundry loads of rags and napkins and dirty towels to do. The fridge looks like a freaking bomb blew up in it with tons of half lidded containers precariously stacked on top of each other, waiting for just the right movement of the neighboring jar or the movement of the hot sauce to have it all come crashing down. Aye ya ya. But all worth it because I love my family and we had a blast. I just need to remember next time I am at one of their houses to like pee on their toilet seat or mash some frosting into their couch cushions, you know, to be fair and all.

Anyway, so today I clean and maybe try to hang up some Christmas decorations? The mr is off to do very nice things for people that might not appreciate it, but do it he is going to do (he is too good a person). Hopefully by the time he comes home later tonight, I will be done cleaning, he will be done helping for a good long while, and we can eat soup and maybe watch a movie together. Or more realistically, he watches a movie while I read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Real life.

Reads I read from the internet this week.

-A long but good read. RuPaul: The Philosopher Queen. who doesn’t love RuPsul?

-I just pulled out a nice tablecloth, covered in stains mind you, but maybe i’ll be able to get some of them out now. A Cheat Sheet to Get Rid of Every Type of Holiday Stain. Or not. I don’t think I care enough. HA

-This is so appealing to me especially since the mr loves his heavy comforter and I just want a light blanket with the window thrown open in 20 degree weather. The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets. HE is always covering me up at night.

-The best health foods? Soup, garlic and cake. Food is healing, and if cake makes you feel better, well then cake it be.

-These cakes remind me of my 5ht grade volcano science project. I made it out of cake and whipped cream. It was awesome. Antarctic Research Takes The Cake In These Science-Inspired Confections

-Vegan man sues Burger King claiming meatless burger is cooked on same grill as meat. This is one reason I do not eat out. Oe of the last times I did eat out, there were egg shells in my scamp bled vegan tofu dish….. So yeah.

-Who doesn’t love a good TV tray? A Brief History of the TV Tray

-HAve you ever raised a adolescent dog… It is crazy to say the least. Animal adolescence is filled with teen drama and peer pressure

-So there is this ti look forward to. Cockroaches Are Evolving And in the Future They can Become Impossible To Kill

-A Brief and Buttery History of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The pie of my childhood.

And pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

I didn't do this, it was Coco. I think he has a slight vendetta agains the Hulk. Must be jealous of his really big green body, or maybe his tiny head. Whatever it is, I am sure it is a valid problem that the 17 month old has. The head must come off. 

Another week come and gone with more snow then I think is acceptable. (The acceptable amount of snow now is none) This weather is really stalling a lot of outdoor work and projects that the mr and I have and need to do so I am very much going to appreciate the fine fine weather when it actually comes. Especially my feet because I don't know hoe much longer I can handle having to wear socks. I should be in sandals right now. 

Other then the weather holding us back, we did accomplish somet things. We brough the new couch home (yay) but it is still sitting on the front porch awaiting the cleaning of it's life.I didn't get out to the garden this week, because ice and snow, but the seedlings are growing so well that I have upgraded their indoor soil dwellings to newspaper pots. We are still on a massive, ever more pressing hunt for a new faucet for the bathroom sink, and I have decided to go into business  for myself making and selling sourdough bread and paintings of fish. (hit me uo if you need either) So yeah, we are doing things.

Early Friday morning  the mr and I hopped into the car and headed south for PA to visit with the Family. While down there we stayed at the old mans house somewhere in the Poconos. Megan, Justin, Alex, and the Bean (Sophia), came down too so it was a full house.  The visit wasn't super long but we were able to spend the afternoon yelling at  Grammy (because she can't hear for shit) at her swanky new digs of a home. There we met up with aunt Teena  for a quick visit because she too is all out crazy now with seedlings, plowing fields and keeping the voles from eating her livelihood. . We also got in a hike, walked with the dogs, saw so many deer that I don't really care that I see deer anymore and watched Major Pain because that movie is pretty much it. A good quick visit for the books. 

And it's Sunday, actually it is freaking way early Sunday morning. If you are reading this before noon, the mr and I are most likely in the car driving home.We decided to hit the road early so we have some afternoon time to get some shit done. As soon as we get home I am in for food, a walk, a nap, and then hopefully enjoy some of that spring time weather that I hear is "suppose" to happen starting today and get some yard work done.  It had better be nice out when I get home or else.

Internet fun times from the week

-All of the World's Yeast Probably Originated in China. Oh so thats where it came from. 

-This could be a great game changer, but lets not let it be an excuse to be assholes and use a bunch of plastic. Recycling hope for plastic-hungry enzyme

-I did not know, and now I do. How Birds-To-Be Get Oxygen Inside Eggs

-The Turn-of-the-Century Pigeons That Photographed Earth from Above. Pigeons are cool.

-A Decade After The Bubble Burst, House Flipping Is On The Rise. It's a crazy business.

-There’s a Giant Unicorn Island Floating Off the Shore of the Philippines This is for real and I don't think I like it.

-Why buy pots when you an make them (just make sure the new paper ink is food based) Easy Newspaper Pots

-Do I Have Seasonal Allergies or a Cold? This is always the question. And I would rather it be a cold but it's usually allergies.

-Your Cheat Sheet for All the Spring Alliums. Good to know if you don't already.

-To Curb Ocean Pollution, U.K. May Ban Plastic Straws, Stirrers And Cotton Swabs. Super proactive,smart people.

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

I feel like we are stuck in Narnia with the White Witch. Always winter, always snow. It will be worth it though if I get to meet some talking beavers, but until then, I'll start looking for the lion. This cold snow shit needs to end. 

The week has been pretty shity and very very stressful so we are going to leave that alone and I'll just tell you about good things, like watching all of my house plants that I repotted grow like gangbusters. Or seeing the veggie seedings start to emerge from the dirt. Half of them need to be repotted but the other half need to go directly into the ground. Glad I didn't get to it this week because the snow and the snow and the ice, oh, and the stupid snow. We were with the Miley, Judah, and Emerson every day this week. We helped them clean and organize their bedrooms,which was stressful, but also fun. I almost accidentally  broke Mileys toes off, Judah showed us magic tricks,  and Emerson taught  us all the alphabet. (And the mr got to play with so many dolls). There was time for So to stop over so I could fix her dress and eat carrots and make me laugh with all the funny faces. And we even had a few days of some what nice weather where I was able to open the windows in the house (that did not last long). Oh and the fridge, I was able to clean the shit out of the fridge. The week didn't completely suck.

 I think that highlight of the week is that we found and  awesome new couch (and skill saw). While we were looking for replacement faucets for the bathroom sink (because it is leaking bad) we stumbled upon a very nice, not to big, not to small, vintage, excellent condition, very comfortable, couch. And it was on sale, like super cheap and pretty much exactly what we have been looking for.(there is a picture bellow)  Our current couch, the little yellow one that we use  in our spare room, is way to small and very uncomfortable and after today, it's going bye bye. We pick up the new couch tomorrow. And when we do we will continue or search for a new faucet because we did not find what we were looking for. Until we do we  will be brushing and washing our hands in the bathtub. 

Today is going to be the first day in more then a week that the mr and I do not have some crazy crazy happening. So what are we going to do? Well I think we both need to turn off our phone, lock the doors, draw the curtains (we don't have curtain) and hide from the world. Will that really happen, no, but it's nice to think about. But I do think we will spend the afternoon relaxing a bit. I'll paint, or read, the mr will probably work on screens or his fly file (it's officially fishing season) and then we will go to bed early. Next week is a busy, but hopefully a good busy and not like shitty busy. Wish us luck.

What I looked at when I was looking at the internet

-I probably wouldn't use it as a headboard but as a sweet ass wall piece... maybe someday I will get to it. How to Make a Woven Headboard

-Now this is a sweet little cabin in the woods. 

-Fact or Fiction: Can You Really Sweat Out Toxins?

-I used to listen to music at the gym but after sweating all over and then ruining my 2 different iPods, I stopped. But I still hear music in my head.  How Your Body Reacts When You Exercise With Music, According to Science

-How to Keep Your Social Life When You Love Going to Bed Early Be friends with other people who go to bed early too. 

-I really want to go see this movie, and after reading this, I want to see it that much more. And I really hate scary movie ( I also might be kind of in love with John Krasinski). A Quiet Place’ Turns Eating Into a Suspenseful Act

-Watch out, those non organic strawberries are probably toxic. Strawberries again top 2018's 'Dirty Dozen' fruits and veggies

-Drug Use Is Detectable on Your Fingerprints.Say what?

-New 360-Degree Immersive Drawing Created With 120 Marker Pens by Oscar Oiwa Pretty freaking crazy

-Really, who eats these things? People Have Started Panic-Buying Necco Wafers

Pictures from the week

Enjoy the day.

-C

Sunday Happy

Did you get to enjoy any of that spring day where the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and all the snow melted? I busted out the sandals, broke a sweat on a walk, and picked up some garbage that was living doormat under the snow and ice. That was one excellent spring day, and was well needed, and now I am ready for another snow storm because we all know it's going to happen. And I want it too because spring winter, with clean fluffy snow and blue warm skys is the best. And then real spring will be even better. Ah the weather. Never a dull moment. 

As weeks go, nothing out of the norm this past one. There was some work, some play, lots of baking, and some feeling like a crazy person. It's that time of year when things are kind of slow but about to get crazy and we know it, but there is not a whole heck of a lot we can do to prepare so we just do what we can and wait. And plan. And plan an escape. We need to escape, at least for a little while. And the west coast seems to be calling our names. So we shall see of things to come.

 I did spend a good amount of time trying to finish up the star cave in the kids room before Friday because we had a planet pillow making sleep over party and I just wanted it to be done. (it pretty much is, I just need to do a little touch up)  The littles (Miley, Judah, an Sophia) slept over, Barb came too, and we spent all of our time cutting fabric, playing with filling, and eating and leaving popcorn all over the house.  They all used their newly made galactic pillows and got to experience the awesomeness of sleeping under the stars in a heated room(I think I really outdid myself with this paint job. And all for a kids room in our house when we don't even have our own kids. Can we say #1 aunt and uncle? I think so).  They got to wake up to pancakes, more pillow making, dropped clothing in the toilet and Sophia brushing her teeth 4 times because she said if she does that she would not have to brush her teeth again for a few days. He logic makes perfect sense but luckily Miley was there to straighten her out (I just told her that she was so smart and what a great idea. HAHA) And then they left and we spent the afternoon cleaning the filth off of every surface because kids are gross. 

Not sure exactly what the plan is for today but I would like it to involve some kind of seed and or plant shopping which is the only kind of shopping (besides food) that I like. Other then that, a coffee nap (maybe under the stars) , maybe clean the car out if its not raining and brush the cat out because he is looking a little mangy.

Some of the Internet I looked at  this week

-The World's Most Colorful Natural Phenomena. I must visit all these places.

- It happens to me all the time with the weirdest things.  Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

-I love a perfectly made bed. Expert Advice: Proper Bed-Making 101, How to Make Square Corners, Step by Step. It really does make me happy. 

-Like Lemons? Quinoa? Thank This Food Explorer For Bringing Them To Your Plate

-I have a Le Creuset and Martha Stewart and a Lodge. II want a Staub.  And I love them all in different ways.The biggest difference to me is that the cheaper I tend to chip the enamel on the cheaper ones.   Are Lodge Dutch Ovens Really as Good as Le Creuset and Staub?

-The loveliest chapel ever. .  A National Park-Inspired Chapel Composed of Branching Fractals by Yu Momeoda

-MAKE A DURABLE DIY HALF APRON FROM A $4 PLACEMAT Thinking of this next time I see a sweet ass placement

 -About to get my seed starting on. Vermont Garden Journal: Seed-Starting Problem-Solving

-Can Being Cold Really Make You Sick? And when you are sick Tea, Honey And Lemon: Does This Classic Trifecta Actually Help A Sore Throat?

And pictures from the week