Sunday Happy

Besides the usual hubbub of life around here, a few things really stick out to me from last week. First off, at the beginning of the week we FINALLY BOUGHT A VAN!!! It was amazing. A big white astro van. Original big boat like seats. The three door trunk that was everything. Ashrtays in the back seat (yes they did) . Its was perfect. Perfect for work, for travel, perfect for life. But notice I say “it was”. Well guess what? We also RETURNED A VAN!!!! Yup. We bought it, brought it home, and as soon as we got home, the brakes went out. Oh, ok we thought. Let’s bring it to our mechanic and see what he says. Turns out the mechanic that we bought it from was a little shady and sold us a lemon. Not only were the bakes rotten, but there was a bunch of other hidden issues. So yeah. no more van. We were, and still are a bit crushed, but it could have been worse right? We could have been flying down the interstate when the brakes gave out and that would have been much much worse.

Enough about the van. A good thing this week is Erin and I went and got bikes for the littles. It was awesome. They were so excited and cute and it was just so good. We walked into the bike shop, picked out bikes, test rode bikes, and bought bikes, all within an hour. Yeah I might have told them they suck because they were able to just go get a bike and I have been bike shopping for over a month and have spent hours at the bike shop, but whatever. And so we brought the bike back to my house, I made dinner, and they biked around the neighborhood. At first Judah was having really hard time because he had never ridden a grip brake, shifting bike, but after a little lesson from the mr, the kid was off. Only stopped to tell us that his nuts hurt. (Good to know kid).

And last but but not least, maybe the worst part of life at the moment. The MOTHERFUCKING MOSQUITOS. Those fuckers be feasting on me like what. It’s nasty disgusting, and all sorts of terrible. All of a sudden there are millions and billions and you can barely even walk out of the house before they start to swarm. I have received no less then one thousand bites this week, and that is me trying not to get bitten. (Yes I am exaggerating, but seriously.) I don’t even know what to do anymore. It is so bad that when you walk from the house to the car you are probably going to get bitten in the face at least once if not a bunch of times. It is all sorts of wrong and I just can’t even. I lay awake at night trying not to itch off all my skin because of all the bites. And they are not normal mosquitos bites, these bits itch and almost hurt for days. Gardening.. please. I am out there in all my socks, pants, jackets, and hoods. Still they attack my face and hands. Hopefully this is the worst of it and any day now all the bats will come and eat them aaaaaalllllll!!!!!I(I might start importing bats to my house) That or I am going to turn myself into an electric bug zapper. How? Not sure yet. I’ll let you know if I figure it out.

Anyway. That is mostly the gist of the week. Some downs, some ups, but all and all not horrible. The weather alone folks. Let talk about that for a minute. How freaking fantastic has it been? I am loving it. Little sun here and there, Some rain showers, a few thunderstorms. Not cold, not hot. Pretty much perfect in my eyes. And the world. So much pretty! The trees. I mean, can you not say spring foliage might be even better then fall? The trees are just so vibrant in greens, whites and purples. It is good. We are good.

Now for today. I am leaving the house much too early to go read and drink coffee in the car, waiting for the gym to open. Why you may ask would I do that. Well if I want to go to the gym, I need to get inside the perimeter of the Vermont City Marathon. The course starts right around there so the roads will be blocked off with thousands of people running for a few hours this morning. Sure I could skip gym and run around here, but I would rather not have to run in full body armor. (DAMN the MOSQUITOES AAAGHHHH!!!!) And really, I don’t mind. I can even sit on the steps at the gym that overlook the lake. It actually will be kind of nice. After that, I’ll come home, grab the mr, and we will head up to Belvidere for some family time. Cousins are in the state so we, and the other sisters, are going up for lunch. Let’s just hope the mosquitoes are not as bad up there. I can’t take it.

Interent for the taking.

-I have always considered the use by date a suggestion. I think the simple wording change will make a big difference. To Reduce Food Waste, FDA Urges 'Best If Used By' Date Labels. And really, who says the best isn’t yet to come? HA

-Erin has the right idea, to buy THESE in bulk. I am seriously considering getting at least one set. I can’t take the MOTHERF$%#ERS anymore!

-This feels heavy. Finding purpose is a somewhat fluid concept, don’t you think? Either way, this makes a lot of sense. What's Your Purpose? Finding A Sense Of Meaning In Life Is Linked To Health

-My dad sent me this link. It’s a little video of his life goal, to be a extreme mountain bike nanny. (my dad is a weirdo.)

-GLAMOUR CAMPER SPF 50+ ALL NATURAL SUNSCREEN WITH ALL NATURAL BUG DETERRENT & GLITTER. And Glitter. Need I say more?

-I love old charts and pictures from textbooks. These are particularly fantastic. Cross-Sections of Geological Formations and Views of the Cosmos Bring the World to Life in 19th Century Educational Charts

-What Is A Moonbow?  And now on my life bucket list of things I need to see.

- Shipping containers just keep getting cooler. Modpools. Shipping Container Pools

-This Study Shows That Having Flowers and Plants Can Ease Pain and Anxiety. Truth. Flowers and plants are everything.

-Firefly magic. How these mysterious fireflies synchronize their dazzling light shows

Pictures from the week

-C

Sunday Happy

Sometime you look back at a week and think, blah, or whatever, or that sucked. This week I look back and smile. It was a good week. Nothing to special, just springy and warm. I got to hang out with my peoples, see the world turn green and lush, and I didn't stress too much about anything because what is the point? Plus I bought a single pink carnation at the grocery store at the beginning of the week for the mr. and every time I see it, I smile a little. Sometimes just a little something something is all we need.

So yeah, the week was good. There was the normal stuff of work and what not but also a fair amount of not work stuff. I saw my moms for Mothers day and brought her food. The mr and I went for some long walks that did not involve any outdoor clothing (just normal indoor clothing) We hung out with the littles for a good afternoon of tree house chilling, baby running, three wheeling, and all sorts of other fun. Miley was super pumped to show off her new shoes that are partially gold. She was obsessed and needed to wash them off at the end of the day. Those were the days,when you cared about your shoes? (I am assuming you don’t now , like me, but maybe you do.) Also Barb finally come back to me (school is over so she has time again) me and I feed her soup. Megan also came over for a soup lunch and a walk because that is what we do. (We are a family of eaters and walkers.) I worked on some clay rainbows, planted some more plants, and cleaned under my fingernails. The one big thing that I tried to accomplish and haven’t yet managed is the bike thing. I have been shopping for a new bike and it is so so so HARD! I am not good at buying anything in general, especially when it is for me, and not food, and costs more than 5 bucks. But not just that, it’s that there are so so so many bikes to choose form. I am all like , YIKES! And so I did myself a favor and just gave myself another week to ponder and look and decide. The right bike will present itself when it is suppose to, or when I finally break down and just buy this one.

Yesterday was a good solid day of getting shit done. I got the winter tires changed to summer (thanks Justin!) and hung with Alex while it was happening. We talked music and cassette tapes and how music is everything. Then I went home to the yard and all the massive piles of leaves, dead tree(so sad) and over all lawn degree and the mr and I got it all into the truck to send off to compost land. After hitting the transfer station to offload we made a really quickly stop over to see Anthony getting ready for his prom….Oh my shit. The kid is like not a kid anymore and was wearing a tux and looking all old and what not. The shinny ass shoes alone were too much for me. (more shoes that need cleaning). How is it possible that I have a sister that is old enough to have a kid that is old enough to be going prom? OH, because I am getting old. That is how. Ha.

And after that, it was back home to finish cleaning and eat dinner and water the garden and feel exhausted but accomplished. I don’t mind being super tired, just as long as I have something to show for it (The yard looks A+ so I am happy)

I think today mainly going to be a work day. The mr has a project that he is in the middle of so he is going to be doing that all day and I have a few things I need to get done and then a ton of other things that need doing as well. Don’t worry, I will be spending some of that time outside with the green things in the dirt, making sure I have sun screen on, listening to some good tunes and drinking coffee like it is going out of style.

The ways of the internet this week.

- The news of abortions and women reproductives rights has been front and center this week. The lengths women have to go to to do what is right for themselves is shameful at best, but basically pretty fucking grotesque. These are the people that are trying to help. The Secret Baby Catchers of Alabama.

-Report: U.S. Navy Cracks Case Of Majestic Sky Dick. Phew. Now we know who to hire for our own sky dick.

-Can’t wait for that new pool to be build around the corner…NOT. And really, didn't we all know this already? Your Neighborhood Pool Is Full of Unshowered Pee-ers

-A lot of breakfast food in America is basically junk food if you really think about it. Muffins (really cupcakes), pancakes (really cake covered in maple sugar), Pop tarts (pie) yogurt (almost ice cream)… Its all just desert with a different name. I Broke Breakfast. Americans eat a narrower variety of foods for breakfast than anyone else. 

-Imagine the magic.. I get feels just thinking about this place. A Fleeting Dandelion Wish Processing Facility Appears For Two Days Outside of Los Angeles

-ECLECTIC DINING STYLE.. I want all the tables and chairs. Just where to put them……????

-After reading the list, I feel pretty dang awesome cause I clean all that shit! Cleaning Supplies Might be Spreading Dirt Around Here’s How to Clean Them This Weekend

-How Did Chickpea Flour, A Staple Of Indian Cuisine, Become A Health Food Sensation? Because it is amazing. See recipe for Socca.

-Have you tried plogging, the Instagram trend that might be the sustainable sport of the future?. Even if it’s trendy and a way to be cool, well it is pretty cool and great and I am all for it.

-Can “Indie” Social Media Save Us? Something needs too.

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

And all of a sudden the world is green and it is mazing and magical. The best time of the year, when all the cool and wet weather pays off with sunshine and flowers and the greenest greens. No longer freezing and it is yet to be too freaking hot. Spring spring SPRING. It is not lost on me. I take it, I suck it up, I appreciate it all. Even the cray cray rain storms. What a time, what a time.

Last week we started off Sunday going to see some jumping fish. We packed our lunches, grabbed the camera, drove the 2 hours to the river and sat around watching and waiting. Sadly we saw no jumping fish. And that was that in case you were wondering. One of these years we will see it.

The rest of the week has been a little crazy. In between work and chores and life stuff, just about every day we have had anywhere between 2-4 littles. What for their parents needed a sitter or a ride here and there cause their car broke down. Or just some aunt and uncle hang time because who doesn’t want to hang with us? So beside the mr finish off the trophies for the Lund Family Fund Raiser, me working the pug mill at the studio, or us trying to trade off the car in hopes that we both can get where we need to go in time for getting there. (Oh man the car thing, that is a whole other beast.) Yeah, it’s been busy and hectic. On the bright side we have spent a lot of the time running around outside, drawing, and eating. A few little highlights. One of the nights So was feeling a little sick and Coco was feeling mean and wouldn't let her nap on the couch so she ended up dragging a bunch of pillows into the pantry and falling asleep. It just made sense. Then there was Judah with his mad drawing skills drawing me pictures of vegetables (amazing) then farting with his armpits. And Miley, with her tude and phone. Getting her to hang out and just be sweet was nice. And Coco. That freaking little. Always happy, always eating, always causing trouble. Loves to run into the garden and jump all over the couch covered in peanut butter. (that is the baby, not me. ha) We found him a three wheeler. His legs might be too short but we will figure it out. It is gonna be a fun summer!

After the week long little marathon that ended with sticky littles eating pancakes (and being dangerously low on maple syrup), thrift store shopping (I scored the best new photo piece), and stopping in on my maybe future new bike(???), I came home and cleaned the crap out of everything. It never fails to amaze me how gross kids can be. The toilet alone, well, lets not go there.

Today, as it is Mothers Day and all, I am going to be a dutiful daughter and go see my Mama. Right now (at the wee early hour of 5 am, I’m about to pop some bread and then a cake into the oven as offerings. We are going over around lunch so I’m going make focaccia grilled cheeses (with the fresh bread) and hand over the blueberry cake that she loves. Then hopefully just spend a couple hours drinking lots of coffee and chilling on the porch.

Look at me, I am such a good daughter.

Links of interest on the internet.

-Yes, I'm In School for Nutrition. No, I Don't Want to Hear About Your Diet. I feel this. Sometimes people feel like they need to tell me everything they eat, for approval or something. And I actually don’t mind talking about what people eat. I'll even make suggestions about foods that I like to eat or ways to prepare certain things but I stay away from telling people what not to eat… (people always assume I am going to tell them to not eat meat. I say, I do me. You do you.)

-I don’t know how may times I have seen Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure. This should be good. PlusI totally have a thing for Keanu Reeves. Bill & Ted are embarking on a third excellent adventure next year

-How Weeds Help Fight Climate Change. Weeds are not the problem friends. The chemicals that people use to get rid of them are!

-If you are interested in VT State Parks, here its the list of all the parks opening days. Can’t wait for CAMPING!!!

-Did you go through an Arizona iced tea phase? I had a very brief stint with the green tea… I can’t even imagine drinking one now. The Dream of the ’90s Is Alive in AriZona Iced Tea

-An Interview With A Man Who Eats Leftover Food From Strangers' Plates In Restaurants. I think this is awesome and have much respect.

-A question the I didn’t know I wanted answered until I read this article. Why do cats—and so many other animals—look like they’re wearing socks?

-I get all sorts of feels when I see pandas. MY favorite favorite animal growing up. I carried a pink polka dotted panda around with me for years. SO many panda things. So this is fantastic and I hope to visit one day and hug me a panda (with pink polka dots) China’s new panda park will be three times bigger than Yellowstone

-I have heard and seen some crazy fights in the past in places we have lived. A good few actually. It is never a comfortable thing but sadly, we got used to it. Listening to My Neighbors Fight

-Mothers Have Been Complaining About Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed for More than Half a Century. Why Does It Go On?. I am a strict, NO FOOD! in bed person. It just have zero desire to eat in bed so breakfast in bed sounds terrible to me. Plus I am awake at 430 every morning and I don’t eat for a few hours after I wake up. It just wouldn’t work.

And pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

Hey hey hey! Happy Sunday. Hope you are finding yourself happy and relaxed and enjoying all the good things the world is giving us. Like coffee and green things. All the coffee, all the green things for sure.

Another week that came and left and now it’s May. MAY! Can you even? The time, where does it all go? (an existential question for you) Our week (and time) started off with a chilly wet jaunt to a river. We were going to go out to the kingdom to watch the salmon jump out of the river but it was just to dang cold and rainy so we decided to hold off on it. But we did make our way to a river near by so the mr could officially toss in a fly line into some water. I guess fishing season started a week or two back but we have had so much rain that it has not been great for fishing, or being outside much for that matter. Anyway, he got a few casts in so he is happy.

Wet and raw weather wise was the way of the weather this week. We did have a few breaks of sun which lead to an impromptu afternoon hike just because the sun came out. It was fantastic, or started off that way. Up and down and around the woods to the very flooded lake. Half the way through the hike we ended up at a boardwalk that had a little water coverage, which was fine because someone placed nice big rocks to pass over. Or so I thought. A few steps in and the bridge gave away and into the lake I went. Just my feet and up my legs a bit, but yeah. I just stood there in shock for what seemed like minutes but eventually made my way to the other side of the bridge, drenched boots and all. The rest of the hike was soggy, but hey, I was outside and there was sun and I wasn’t freezing cold so yeah. Could have been worse. It could have been the mr who went in and I really really would not want to have had to deal with him hiking back with drenched feet. Now if my hiking boats would dry out. That would be great.

Other then our little outdoor adventures, the week went the way the weeks does with work and all. The mr running around frantic, having doors, making room for giant ass wood slabs in the barn, wheeling and dealing.

Friday was all day studio work. Lots and lots of pugging clay. While I was at work the mr picked up littles (Miley, So, and Judah) and they all came to the studio to pick me up. It is always a great way to get people to listen and leave the studio when they are suppose to when a bunch of kids rush in and start demanding food. People, at least the clay people, are scared of hungry little kids. Ha. Off we all went, me covered head to tow in clay. Found out in the car that Judah was sick (so sad) so he went home and it turned into a girls night sleep over. Pizza, soup, and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. We went walking/piggyback riding, the mr and Miley played with the new wood brander which included fire and hot metal. The mr took them to the store to pick out ice cream while I tried to clean myself up, they came back ,ate lots of ice cream, then showered and brushed hair without arguments. They picked out movies without fighting (movies about ballerinas and singing animals) and happily curled up together on the floor. Me being me with no attention span or energy left skipped the movies and went to bed. When I went to wake them up the next morning, I found out that they had woke up (or never went to sleep) in the middle of the night to draw and do yoga? Yeah, I don’t exactly know what went on. What I do know is my yoga mat was upstairs and I remember waking up in the middle of the night to sounds of the wall being kicked a bunch, and there were drawings of crazy things and colored pencils everywhere that were not there when I left them the night before. Hey, if that is what they want to do in the middle of the night, more power to them.

After pancakes and cartoons, the ladies and the mr spent the morning going through a million awesome shells. I guess someone had massive shell collection and gave it over to the mr. Neither of us are really shell people, I mean a few cool ones, but this collection was INSANE. SO we gave them all to the littles. And gave the littles a boxes to bring home to their siblings. They can have all the shells, we are good here.

We dropped girls off, ran around doing errands, then came home and I putz in the yard before going about cleaning the house. Lots of dirt and mud and sticky shit on everything. I just don’t know where it comes from. Well I do actually. And it’s mostly not me so yeah.

Today the mr and I actually are heading out to the kingdom. We need to see some fish jump. A few hours back and forth will give me time for some open window car rid air and reading if it doesn’t make me puke. Picnic lunch by the river and afternoon road coffee. Hopefully we get home in time for me to spend at least a good few hours in the garden to ooh and awe at the stuff that is starting to pop out of the ground and maybe figure out if it’s a perennial I planted or just a weed. Good thing I like weeds too or else I would be terribly disappointed a lot of the time.

Have a few extra minutes? Take a look at some interesting internet from the week.

-The Obamas Are Making a Kids’ Food Show on Netflix. Oh HELL YEAH! And I am not a kid but I am gonna watch it.

-What a great business/environmentally awesome/ logical/ just plain right idea. Toronto Restaurant Fights Waste By Chopping Menu Prices Till Food Is Gone

-Some serious boldness. Bold Line Drawings Layered on Top of Deconstructed Images of Fruit, Flowers, and Animals in Tattoos by Mattia Mambo.

-Rise of the Lady Backpack. Purse. Please. Back packs are the best, but to be honest, I mostly stick to nothing, just my wallet and keys in a pocket. Back pack for biking and hiking and a tote bag for the groceries, the library, or the occasional kitting project. Simple.

-I struggle hard with my OCD cleaning. I sometime wish I had the ability to let things be mess, but then again…. The Unbridled Joy of (Occasionally) Letting Your Room Get Really, Really Messy

-What Comes After a Rut? Take the good with the bad and all the craziness that is the ebb and flow of life.

- Why the Kentucky Derby is a 145-year-old celebration of hats. Now imagine if people went around wearing those hats all the time. The world would be a better place.

-Maine, you so smart. Maine just banned Styrofoam food containers

-How to be assertive without being called a bitch. Why are women always considered bitches? Well I am anyway….

-I love this and only wish I was ablate “Gramp” when my grandparents were alive. 'Gramping' Is the Latest Travel Trend Grandparents Need to Know About

And some pictures from the week.

-C

Sunday Happy

This week has definitely gone by really slow except that it has flown by super fast, you know what I mean? It’s probably because of all the up and down weather and my overall crazy brain that is pulling me all over the place New seasons do that to me, make me crazy.

The week started off with Easter. We went to my moms (half the family didn’t show up (butthole reasons), did some lunch, played outside, and that was that. Then I came home to continue yarding (yarding is a new word I invented that means to spend time in the yard doing yard stuff)

The rest of the week went. We worked, the mr finished putting the floor down in the porch (I forgot to take a picture) He moved the camper and created a new workshop, applied large stickers to doors, made me 6 more raised beds (4 are TRIANGLES!!!). He has been doing all sorts of stuff. Me, I have been spending as much time outside I as I can, in between the piles of papers that I am trying to deal with, working at the studio, throwing pots, thinking about fixing my bike, and all around trying not run through a wall. I am in that head space where everything needs to be done and I am trying to do everything. All at once. Thats my spring brain. All of a sudden and BAM, my brain is awake, the world is awake, and there is a ton of shit to do.

On one of the nicer days (it has been a little chilly and rainy all week) we spent a few hours with Megan her littles and I grabbed the other littles. We took them outside, into the world, away from screen for a little jaunt in the woods, some time on the playground, and a bagel sandwich lunch. Fresh air, stick collecting, and see sawing was the highlight of the afternoon and a highlight of the week. I mean, gown ass people and little littles on the see saw, well you will see. Haha.

Saturday morning, 8 am, grocery store. If you need to grocery shop, this is the time. Yesterday I got to the store and no one else was there except all the stockers who had nicely stocked everything that I was looking for. I got to it before all the other people did and was rewarded with the best cabbages and apples! After that I went home, the mr took off to work with his work guy and I ended up staying home for the morning, cleaning house, doing laundry, and trying to organize the unorganizable. After that the mr came home we went and hung out with the littles for a few and got texted $5 each of store credit to the hardware store which in turn turned into a bunch of new seeds. Yay free seeds!

Today the mr and I were planning on hitting up the Kingdom to watch some jumping trout, but with the weather being as it is (raining and cloudy) we are going to hold off on that and just find a nice little, not too flooded stream for the mr to fish in and for me to sit nearby and spend some time reading. With all the coffee my can cup and bring. It’s gonna be great.

Some stuff you might find of interest from the internet.

-Our Grocery Stores, Ourselves. Loyalties to the grocery store are deep. I know I have mine, kind of. (I shop around and I am more loyal to the farm then any grocery store.) But I do think there is a definite quality difference to stores, at least around here. You get to know which store sells local. Which stores have the crappy greens, or which store charge and extra $2 for the same exact thing you can get at a different store for that much cheaper. Straight to the farm . Always best.

-Always water, mostly because it is free and I hate having to have stock or broth on hand. WHEN WATER CAN BE THE KEY TO MORE FLAVORFUL SOUPS

I am pretty into these murals Maybe i’ll try not do something like on one of my walls. Interior Murals by Camille Javal

-I could, and should, and dang it I am going to make something like this A frame. Simple and sweet. Now were to put it?

-Just in case you don’t know. What’s the Difference Between Jam and Jelly?

-Wait, I Should Clean My Fridge *How* Often?. Yes folks. And I tell you, clean the stove every time! It’s one of the best habits I have ever created.

-I wish I could embroider like this. Pretty freaking awesome. Graceful Figures and Shimmering Peacocks Embroidered on Tulle

-Can Nothing Change Your Life? Essence of flower is a thing and it might just be what you need in your life.

-Trees are magical. Trees by starlight… Whoa. See the world’s oldest trees by starlight.

-I am very excited to find this pattern for this FRENCH MARKET BAG. Now I just need to learn how to crochet………Yeah.

And pictures from the week.

-C