Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
Summer at it%u2019s fullest and greatest. And not so great, at it%u2019s hottest. At least this past week was freaking amazing, especially compared to last weekend. That humid heat damn near killed me!
The week started off with a soggy hike and a heat soaked day of camping and fun times. Groton State forest, at the Stillwater campground. The mr and I were both a little drained and tired from being so so hot but we managed alright, went and did some hiking, the mr did a little fishing, I sat around and read. The normal, just a little slower then usually. But it all changed that night. We woke up and walked down to the water to watch the sunrise and take in the fresh, glorious, air. It was not hot and humid and we was alive again. HA
Then after camp, home we went, back to the week. Stuff happened, like stuff that needed to happen, like those taxes that I have not wanted to talk about%u2026 They are pretty much done. HOORAY!!! All the ups and downs. The few tears, the rage, the anxiety. Over. And now I can stop worring about them for a least a few more months, until next year that is. Because every year. Blah. Stupid taxes.
Besides taxes, there was a dentist appointment that I sat around and waited for but never got to be seen. (SO PISSED) Paul came over for resume help and food. The mr, Barb, Coco, and I spent an afternoon at the park. I weeded for hours in the garden. And lets talk about the garden. Whoa it is going and going. Right now it%u2019s all about the squash, chard, and greens and the tomatoes will be booming soon!!!!!!!!!! That on top of farm share, well I am just one happy, full to the brim, lady.
The rest of the week was and went.
Friday I worked the studio all day then the mr and the littles picked me up. We ran to the store to get supplies, then went home for our first backyard campout. The rule was, besides me, no one was allowed inside at all until just before bed time to use the bathroom and brush our teeth. (Or to go number two. They needed to use the toilet for that. Ha). And so I got dinner stuff ready (In the house but I needed to use the fridge and because I could), we ate dinner at the picnic table, set up the tents, made a fire, did so-mores, played with fire, and the kids ran around hopped up on sugar. We went to the park, walked around the neighborhood, and when it got dark, lit up some sparklers. It was the best! The kids were so happy, the mr and I were happy to be camping again, even if it was just the backyard, and really, it just was so great. Even when we were in our tent trying to fall asleep and all I could hear was Miley and Judah whispering and giggling and playing cards in their tent. Because that is what you do when you camp and it had me falling asleep smiling.
When we woke up (I woke up 3 hours earlier then everyone, made a pot of coffee and read on the porch) the breakfast stuff was ready outside. Eggs and toast on the camp stove. Hot chocolate, and freshly picked raspberries from the bushes in the yard. Then back to the park, and home they went. Probably some of the best camping yet. And now that we know they are awesome in a tent, we are taking them to a state park in the next few weeks. That%u2019s gonna be fun.
Today we are heading south to camp. Lake St. Katherine or maybe Half Moon. Not sure yet. The plan is to get close and see which one feels right. We were going to bring the kayaks but It might rain and thunderstorm during the afternoon and tonight so I figured we can just go hiking instead. I would rather be in the woods and not in the middle of the lake during a lightning storm. That would kind of suck. But watch, it probably won%u2019t rain, and even if it does, I am ok with that. We won%u2019t melt.
Endeavors into the world wide web.
–IKEA Upcycles Furniture Into Homes For Birds, Bees, and Bats. Some sweet ass, fun-tastic looking homes for those birds, bees, and bats.
-I am not a beach person, partially because of this. Sun, Sand And Sewage: Report Shows Many U.S. Beaches Unsafe For Swimming. Happens here in Burlington too.
–What are algae blooms and why are they bad?. Another reason I avoid the beach.
–Questions We All Ask Ourselves: Why Does the Beanbag Chair Even Exist? Because who doesn%u2019t love to sink into big ol%u2019 bean bag?
-I can%u2019t wait until the fennel starts flowing at the farm. It is the BEST! Fennel: The Best Ways to Pick It, Cook It, and Eat It
–Why Science Can Be So Indecisive About Nutrition. There is always something about something. Heck, even kale was bad for you at one point.
–This common plastic packaging is a recycling nightmare. When is the plastic craziness going to stop? And when are people going learn that just because it says it is recyclable, doesn%u2019t mean that it is actually going to be recycled. We should just stop worring about recycling and focus more on reducing freaking plastic all together.
-Not sure what I think about this. Petition to change date of Halloween gets more than 80,000 signatures
-Soemthing about these photgraphs that I really like. Murky waters: Karine Laval%u2019s dreamy photography takes you from the deep end to a surreal space
–A Needle Pulling Thread. Sashiko is the perfect simple, low-cost hobby to get you off your phone. Or just have another hobby. I have been meaning to Sashiko all the big holes in my couch cushions.. Maybe it will be my winter project?
Pictures from the week.
I am good. You good? Hopefully not super crazy and feeling stressed about holiday stuff? Don%u2019t let it get you. It is suppose to be fun and happy so take a few minutes and just do you. No stress.
Monday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday and we celebrated by taking a day trip out to the North East Kingdom to explore and see some nature. Got lunch, checked out a cool hardware store, blasted the heat in the car, and drank a lot of coffee. Came home and made lasagna and went to bed kind of early. I was a nice end to his birthday week. Until next time.
The rest of the week was up and down. We were suppose to go the PA to visit Dad this weekend with Meg but the plans got canceled when someone (Justin) got the flu. We ran around trying to get a bunch of stuff done, stressing out, but then once we knew we weren’t going, well we still have been running around trying to get a bunch of stuff done. Or better yet, running around yes, but also a couple of those day we spent siting around for hours (HOURS!!!!!) on hold trying to figure out our heath insurances. That was the worst. I don%u2019t know how many times I almost threw my phone against the wall (many). All part of being an adult right? Blah. The waiting time did give me a chance to tackle the Christmas cards I have been working on for a few weeks now so that was good.
What else.. I woke up the other night to pee, tried to get out of bed but got caught in the blankets and fell, almost smashing my head against the radiator. The mr freaked, turned on the light and found me just lying there. It was a rough fall and I am still feeling it all over. On a different note, I finally got a new broom which might just be the highlight of my week. It was actually a 2 pack with a dustpan and sweeps like a champ. The old broom was so bad that I stopped using it because I swear sweeping with it just left a streak of more dirt. Yeah for new broom!
Yesterday was a blast. The first annual cookie house contraction day (now a annual tradition). I would say gingerbread house, but I used sugar cookies instead because I know the littles and it was the right thing to do. I woke up early, baked off all the pieces, gathered a ton of candy and had people bring some too, and off we went. Miley, Judah, So, Alex, Coco, and Barb, plus me, the mr, and Megan. Enough to build a village. Got everyone well fed before construction (Mac and cheese and pb and J) and got to work. Construction might not have gone as smoothly as I hopped (canned frosting doesn%u2019t work as well as the sugar glue I made) but we figured it out. And once the houses were up, it was one big plume of sugar. Frosting and candy everywhere. There was so much sugar that I swear I was getting contact sugar high from all the littles. But the houses, they were coming out so awesome. I was truly impressed. Most of the houses stayed upright, but there were a couple the might have had a little too much candy (definitely Miley%u2019s) and had the roof collapse. All good though because she just starting to eat it and well, yeah. After the doses of sugar the littles ran circles around the house, and then left. I stayed and spent the rest of the day scraping sugar off of every surface in the house wishing that I had bought a steam mop with that broom. (I used to have one and it broke but it was amazing and that is all I want for Christmas now)
Today the mr and I are commuted to finishing all the Christmas cards, getting them addressed, and sending them out TOMORROW. I plan on going to the gym and grocery store this morning but then hunkering down for the rest of the day, listening to Christmas music and getting them done. They need to be done. We are way late on sending them out this year. Oops.
Internet from the week.
–Santa Is Nothing but Stress for Families Who Don%u2019t Believe in Him. I remember when I stopped believing in Santa.. sad day. And now with all the littles, some believe and some don%u2019t. it is hard to keep their little mouths shut.
–Not everything needs to come in pill form.See the diverse ingredients in traditional Chinese apothecaries
-How freaking badass. Horse-Riding Librarians Were the Great Depression%u2019s Bookmobiles
-Why People Wait 10 Days to Do Something That Takes 10 Minutes. I never ever procrastinate cleaning. It%u2019s just not worth it. And I am crazy.
–How best to harness the power of garlic in your everyday cooking. So many ways to use one simple ingredient and it can turn any dish from one thing to another.
-Never!!!! I Bought My Live Christmas Tree on Amazon %u2014 Here’s How It Went.
–Google’s 10 Most Searched Foods in%u00a02018. Keto is a big deal huh? Me, I for sure googled romaine a few times.
–Why is the night sky dark? It%u2019s all about the stars.
-If I have kids, wooden blocks are all I will have for toys, well those and a basket of river rocks and lots and lots of art supplies. But no plastic and NOTHING that needs to be plugged into anything or needs batteries. How Melissa & Doug captured the toy market, one wooden block at a time
–It%u2019s Time to Stop Calling Foods %u2018Crack. Agreed
Pictures from the week
It just hit me, it is December, the last month of the year. The year is almost over, again. I never get used to it, that feeling that it can%u2019t possible be the end of the year because it just started, right? But it%u2019s cool, I love December and I love me a fresh new year so we are good. Welcome December, I am going to enjoy the hell out of you.
The past week has basically been one big hack fest here at my house. The mr way worse then me, but we both have been coughing up our lungs unaccompanied by feeling like garbage. Being sick had put a slight damper on everything. Bed by 8 (or 7), humidifer on full blast, tons of liquids, and just trying to take it easy. We both would go through the day, doing what we need to do, but not really having much energy to do much else. I did work a little on decorating for Christmas and making our cards, but haven%u2019t really gotten as far as I would like to with those (I wanted them done). I worked at the studio (I cleaned the shit out of the glaze buckets.. cleanest buckets ever), baked a cake, dropped a cake, baked a new cake, and cleaned out the fridge. The mr did some stuff too even though he has been feeling worse. Besides work, he finally hung his collection of old trowels on the wall (not sure I like where they are). He also spent a few days in the basement plumbing and setting up a complicated series of buckets to act as a clay trap for the new sink. That took a lot of research and finding of random pipes and such, all for me (or all so I don%u2019t clog the drain with clay) but still. He is so nice. And having a sink in the basement has been so wonderful. Water without having to drag a heavy ass bucket up and down the stairs. It%u2019s the little things, you know.
Anyway, we have been lame for the most part. No big hikes, no hanging with the littles, a quick dinner with Barb, but that was just pastas and lasted just enough time for her to eat and run away and I did stop by Megans to say hi and get some human interaction, but nothing super exciting. But we on the upswing and getting better, in fact we are getting much better which leads us to today!
Today is the day I have been waiting all year for (or really, the past week). The mr and I are going to hike the mountains and bring us home our Christmas tree!!!!! Per our tradition, we hike into the Green Mountain National Forest, find the finest tree (our taste differ greatly from most) and drag it back to the car. Spend the entire of the hour or so drive home listening to Hanson Christmas album, get giant coffees, and worry the entire way that the tree is going to fly of the top of the car. I am so excited!!!!
Some of that the internet has from the week.
–NPR%u2019s Book Concierge. Our Guide To 2018%u2019s Great Reads. Look forward to this list every year. It is so noes to be able to click on a book and have it give a little blurb. I have and will read a many of these books
-Going to pull some taffy this week (hopefully) Fun Taffy Facts: Its Origins & Why You Pull Taffy
-Geminid meteors peak, and more can’t-miss sky shows in December. Always a fan of a good meteor shower.
-I get ladybugs in the winter and always thought it curious. 5 Things to Know About Dealing with Ladybugs in the Kitchen
-Hell yeah, a vegan bodega is a fine idea. This guy knows whats what. Beyond Bodega Bites: This Man Wants More People To Eat ‘Vegan In The Hood’
-4 Words to Say to Someone Who Has to Get a Root Canal. Hahahaha.
-The older I get the less color I want in my house%u2026 This is pretty much what I want my house (and my wardrobe) to look like color wise. A NATURAL HOME IN THE NETHERLANDS.
–The Controversy Over Parents Who Eat Lunch With Their Children at School. I remember be jealous of the kids that had a lunch visit from parents. But I probably would have thought a regular lunch date a bit strange.
–But what is lunch exactly? Lunch, Explained
–Magic Rhinos. Siberian unicorns lived alongside humans, and they were so much cooler than the mythical version
And pictures from the week
Are we all ready for it? Mid November and all. The holidays are creeping up fast and furious and I am starting to feel that bit of excitement and anxiety and over all buzz that one gets this time of year. I think seeing the neighbor putting their Christmas tree up in the window the other day (Which in my opinion is way to early. You need to wait until after Thanksgiving for the tree) really hit it home for me. So I located my boxes of decorations and pulled the box of glue and glitter for holiday arts and crafts. I restocked all my flours, sugars, and chocolate chips, and I already have a few of those cake orders in. It%u2019s go time. Now all we need is a snow storm. Or all I need anyways.
The week has been slow. Daylight savings has did a little number on me. I have been waking up at like 415 but my ass is in bed by 830. I could probably get myself to adopt a later bedtime and maybe wake up a little later, but you know what? It works for me. I am nothing, if not an old lady.
Other then a little bit of work, nothing to exciting happened. The mr and walked in the rain to vote. We went for a nice mid week hike , then stopped at the new Harbor Freight store to play with axes. I spent some time throwing, loaded kilns at the studio, grocery shopped, and scraped ice off my car for the first time this season. The littles were over for food and play. Judah and I stating making turkey hand prints that we are going to finish this week. Coco just got snot everywhere and Miley just wanted to get our nightly walk over so I would giver her candy. Then Barb came over for baked beans (amazing baked beans), and Megan stopped by one day to hang with me for a while. It%u2019s nice getting a little human interaction once in a while. HA.
The mr and I finally trapped Only in the house, gave him a bath and even tried to brush his ratty ass out. He is pretty much 100% an outdoor cat in the summer months, but I don%u2019t like him out during the winter so he gots to stay inside. And he hates it. Meows all night long, try to sneak in between legs out the door. But I think it%u2019s better for him and he will get used to sitting around all day on the heated floors again. The guy is to old to be hanging out there like a young cat.
And the leaves. So many leaves. The mr has been doing battle with the trees in the driveway. He spent a day raking and mowing, all pretty much in vain because the next day the driveway was just as bad, if not worse, covered in leaves. My suggestion was just to wait a few more days, let all the leaves fall, but he is a determined man. Plus he noted that the dents in leaves actually help the over all mission.
That was the week.
Today the mr and I are heading to the mountains. We (well I) want to see some snow and really, we just want to get out of town for a few hours. I am feeling a little crazy.
Hope today finds you happy and cozy. Doing you.
Interenting from the week.
-Antarctica scientist allegedly stabs colleague for spoiling the endings of books. I do not condone violence in any way but, I mean, I kind of get it.
–The best way to deal with fall leaves. The mr needs to read this.
-Take it from someone that burns herself on a daily bases. Be prepared in the kitchen. I keep burn cream (propolis calendula salve) right next to the knives. I use it all the time. How to Soothe a Kitchen Burn,%u00a0STAT
–10 Things to Clean Now Before the Holiday Season Gets Going. Add to list%u2026A good place to hide and a good alibi if needed.
-Interesting idea. A Meat Tax Sounds Nice to Me
-Knowing your flours is important. What%u2019s the Difference Between Cake Flour, Pastry Flour, All-Purpose Flour, and Bread Flour
-I play sudoko when I am feeling worried or anxious. Can’t Stop Worrying? Try Tetris To Ease Your Mind
–Meet the Plantfluencers. I could totally be one, I have like 70 plants and counting. And if people are liking and then getting house plants, well heck yeah. Plants are the best.
-I don%u2019t neeeeed , but I really, really want these sheets. They are amazing.
–Does stress eating actually make you less stressed? Whats your stress eating food? Mine is cabbage. I think there is something about peeling back cabbage leaves that I find soothing, and I a weirdo.
And pictures from the week.
When a 18 month old stacks dinosaurs and animals better then you, you know he is destined for greatness… or just really good at stacking. Haha
What a week.%u00a0Miley graduated 5th grade and holy shit I can’t believe she is gonna be a middle schooler. Then %u00a0the next day Barb went and %u00a0graduated %u00a0from high school and double holy shit I can’t believe she is going to be a college kid. Everyone is getting so old so fast, including me! Besides those two having graduations,%u00a0all the rest of the littles are done school for the summer so things are all summer vibes up in here. To top it off, it suppose to be like 90 degrees and super humid today and tomorrow so I guess that%u2019s one way to start summer.%u00a0(Blah, I hate humidity, but what we gonna do?%u00a0I think I shall find me a sprinkler)%u00a0Other then spending a lot of time trying to sit still in school gyms on uncomfortable plastic chairs or wooden bleachers, the mr and I have been busy as usual. Nothing new. Hung with the Little%u2019s, did this and that and ran all over town.%u00a0The mr started building the tree house. I picked the first bunch of radishes and lots of greens from the garden.%u00a0%u00a0And then yesterday, it happened.%u00a0%u00a0I found it…. A coffee table! It was pretty much %u00a0exactly what I have been looking for. %u00a0And why I found it %u00a0was more or less a fluke. The mr and I were out doing chores and one of the places we were going to wasn%u2019t open yet so we swing by the goodwill, just to kill time. %u00a0(good will was the mr’s idea.. he wants credit)%u00a0%u00a0And low and behold, my table was waiting right there for me. And it%u2019s a beaut, vintage mid century piece that is is perfect condition and it was %u00a0cheap as hell. %u00a0Meant to be!%u00a0So good, so good.%u00a0%u00a0Not even summer yet and I have knocked one thing off my bucket %u00a0list. It feels so good to finally have coffee table. I feel like more of an adult already, like I have accomplished the un-accomplishable and now I %u00a0can take %u00a0on the world and do and find anything!%u00a0 (These feelings are very much illogical but they are my %u00a0feelings non the less.)%u00a0
And now it’s Sunday. Not going to lie, it%u2019s been a trying morning. My computer has not been behaving and I actually thought it was broken for a while, but I got it to start to %u00a0kind of work. But I needed %u00a0an update which took like 2 hours, but now my computer seems to be fine. But I am still afraid %u00a0because I have dealt with computer sudden death and it%u2019s a terrible so I am weary at the moment, but what can I do?%u00a0%u00a0I am just going hope for all the best and back it all up today. (reminder to all… back up yo shit!)%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0Pat on the back for me though cause while I was waiting for the computer to update, I had time to check in with the dad because today is Father%u2019s Day and I didn’t forget! I am such a good daughter and deserve an plaque or some shit.%u00a0
As for the rest of the day, I got some projects that I am working on, some wood/clay things and such. And I’ll probably read a lot because again, the humidity and I am shit when it gets like this.%u00a0%u00a0I think if I don’t melt away into a puddle, I’ll be a success. But I might even go try and find that sprinkler that is out there waiting for me.
Internet stuff from the week.%u00a0
-I have talked about it before,%u00a0I am #1 example of hangry. How Hunger Pangs Can Make Nice People ‘Hangry’
–What turns bees into killer bees?%u00a0It can make killer fruit flies too. Don’t science them into anything other then gone.%u00a0
–To Rinse Or Not To Rinse: How Washing Some Foods Can Help You Avoid Illness%u00a0Good to know and share.
–Why Every American Should Care About the Farm Bill. We ALL really should care, even if you are a hundred percent self suitable..%u00a0its about the lives of the people around you too.%u00a0
-Who doesn’t love a good sunset/sunrise picture.%u00a021 Gorgeous Sunrise and Sunset Photos
-6 Multi-use Flowers that Do Double Duty%u00a0Never thought to set sunflower stalks n fire. Door idea
-Book recommendations are always welcomed.%u00a09 New Books About Nature & Hiking That You Should Add To Your Summer Reading List
–Cyclo Knitter: A Bicycle-Based Machine That Knits a Scarf in Five Minutes%u00a0I kind of want to make a bike like this for myself. It’s pretty freaking sweet.
-So Your Garlic (and Onion) Grew a Sprout. Can You Still Use It?%u00a0
–My Mom Won%u2019t Stop Giving Our Kid Sweets%u00a0It’s always my sisters with the nieces and nephews that are sweet pushers. Me, I push the carrots.
Pictures from the week%u00a0
The ladies are home in their hive, living the life that bees live. We have a great view of them from the window on the porch and when you are just sitting there quite, you can hear them buzzing. It’s a great spot if you want to just sit there and watch them. (without getting mosquito bites)%u00a0%u00a0Bees, in and out,%u00a0doing their little flight dance up into the sky. It’s mesmerizing.%u00a0
The week was good, if not a little hectic. The last week of May always is. It is time for apartment turn overs so we had few people moving out and in, plus the mr has been doing side work all week and has been crazy all out all day, everyday. So things have been busy. But we still managed to get in dinner at Shannons,%u00a0a evening on Mills river, and even a nice bike ride.%u00a0Then there are my new garden woes.%u00a0I have been spending more time then I really want to around the garden, keeping the slugs away because the cooper strip doesn’t do shit,%u00a0(I am now hand picking the fuckers and sticking them in a bowl of water. The birds love it) and getting an insane amounts of mosquito bites. I don’t think I have ever been bitten on the face as much as I have been in he past week. And I have noticed that bubmble bees have made a home under one of the raised beds which also sucks because it ‘s right where I walk and I have almost collapsed there spot. I wish I could get them to move so I don’t accidentally kill them so I am going to do a little research and see what I can do. Plus squirrels. I hate them right now and that is about as much as I can do or say on that subject.%u00a0Anyway, On top of the garden and all the running around for people and life, %u00a0I mowed the lawn, cleaned the car, adjusted the kitchen cabinets, and got rid of a bunch of shit. We are so, what can I say,%u00a0%u00a0productive? Or is it, In need of a vacation?%u00a0%u00a0So soon, so soon. The van life is calling our names…..
Today is got a lot going for it. It is suppose to be beautiful, I have a stack of books, some wood to carve, some canvas to paint. My bike tires are still inflated and haven’t popped yet (I really need new tires) so I am definitely going for a bike ride, and maybe the mr and I will adventure to do some picnicking while I read and he fishes. A well needed take it easy day.%u00a0
The world of the wide web.
-Um, yes. I have listened to this many many times.%u00a0Weezer Covers Toto’s ‘Africa,’
–Read This Story and Get Happier. Oh, well ok. Doesn’t hurt, right?%u00a0
-Going to do some wild foraging for stuff to make some stuff,%u00a0like medicinal stuff.%u00a0Guide to Making Tinctures
-YOU’VE NEVER SEEN WAVES LIKE THIS BEFORE. Erie and beautiful.
-I want it but have no need for it. Maybe get it and save for a later house? Fabulous vintage square bathtub
%u00a0-The Pits: An Endearing Short Film Follows a Lonely Avocado Searching NYC for its Other Half%u00a0The music makes it great.
-If only I didn’t already live here.%u00a0VERMONT WILL PAY YOU $10,000 TO MOVE THERE AND WORK FROM HOME
–Naked-Eye Asteroid and More Can’t-Miss Sky Events in June
-I follow a lot of plant people and I must say that those are my favorite pictures, but I am a crazy plant lady so….%u00a0Plant People Are Rarely Bullies%u201d: The Leafy, Zen Corner of the Internet That Is Plant Instagram
–You, Too, Can Make a Fancy-Schmancy Pie Crust. I think I am gonna give it a go this week, or maybe next week. I’ll wait for fresh peaches.
Pictures from the week
To be as cool as those two. Life goals right there. Ha.
How’s your week been? Mine has been decent. %u00a0I have been running around doing all sorts of shit all week and it has just flown by so fast.%u00a0 Paint colors, house scraping, kids, family, paperwork, bills,%u00a0the mr in and out, working until 8 at night all week. We really know how to alway have something to do. (even when were don’t want to be doing anything) The apartments need attention, everyone in school is either out or getting out soon, summer is basically here and plans are being thrown around. But what really sticks out in my mind from this week are all the damn mosquito bites that I have gotten, like 8 million because the mosquitoes are so so so so bad around my house right now, like 10 times worse then anywhere else in the world. They are swarming by the hundreds and are starving for blood. I cannot walk out of the house without getting bitten and if I want to spend more then 2 seconds out there, I throw on heavy carharts, a thick hooded jacket and spray the crap out of myself with lemon eucalyptus which does absolutely nothing. It has been kind of miserable and I am praying that they will die down soon. I don’t want to be wearing clothes all summer long to be outside. (correction. I don’t want to be wearing heavy clothes, I want to be waring summer clothes.)%u00a0
We have been having some good time though.%u00a0Barb swung by one afternoon and ended up on a tandem bike ride adventure with the mr and I (I don’t ride tandem, I like the freedom of being the only one on the bike) We biked around town looking at all the junk that people have been leaving curbside because schools out and that means everyone is moving out. We spent a rainy day with the littles where Miley took to reading all afternoon, into dinner, and beyond, Judah and the mr painted, and I ran around with Coco, throwing the Buzz and Woody ball at his head. %u00a0And I went and spent far to long at the fabric store, buying 15 yards of fabric to make curtains for the porch. Got to love Memorial Day fabric sales and of course all the displays of %u00a0the pretty threads. Fabric stores, they can get this lady here in trouble.%u00a0
Yesterday, we drove up to the northern parts of Vermont, had a dinner picnic, stopped at a roadside cajan seafood place (in the middle of VT ) and got the mr an ice-cream cone. %u00a0After the sweet treat, it was go time. We got to the apiary at 6:30, just as the bees were coming home from a short, wet day, and picked up our new ladies. Bees Bees Bees. And there were baby sheep there too. So sweet, they actually let me pet them, unlike the bees that were a little fussy and bumping against out heads. We loaded them up, got them home, %u00a0placed them next to the hive, popped the cap, and let them be.%u00a0
Today I am going to bike into town, hit up the gym and the library, maybe stop at the coop too. Then the mr and I are going to do a quick install of the nuc,%u00a0get the ladies tucked into their new home, and hopefully get an eye on the queen. After that, I don’t know. I would like to spend the rest of the day outside, and my garden could use a little weeding, so maybe I’ll just do that. If the mosquitos would just all leave me the fuck alone.%u00a0
Stuff from the internet
-An Argument Expert Explains the Best Way to Fight With Your Partner. My new response to any argument…”How can I help you stop being a fuck head.” haha
-Those stamp people, so smart.%u00a0The U.S. Postal Service Is Giving Us the Scratch-and-Sniff Stamps We Never Asked For
–Give Your Best Friend the Perfect Gift %u2013 Sheets With Your Face on Them. I don’t know if this is funny or just plan evil.
-What a headline, and now I think I want need see this movie . Sesame Street%u00a0Sues Over Melissa McCarthy%u2019s R-Rated Puppet Murder Movie
-I always wondered how he did those moves..Michael Jackson’s Gravity-Defying Lean Continues To Fascinate
–What’s a Convection Oven, and When Should You Use It?I have a convection on my oven and never use it. But I might just the next time I make cookies.%u00a0
–Hand-Dyed Crocheted Thread Carefully Covers Eggs, Seeds, and Tree Trunks%u00a0Pretty
-I am planting more medicinal herbs in my garden and around the house.%u00a0Directory of Culinary and Medicinal Herbs
-I guess I was really ignorant on the subject of shaved ice, until now.
–Live in a dome. I would take one of these for sure.%u00a0
THE LOVELY CRAZY
December 30, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
Summer at it%u2019s fullest and greatest. And not so great, at it%u2019s hottest. At least this past week was freaking amazing, especially compared to last weekend. That humid heat damn near killed me!
The week started off with a soggy hike and a heat soaked day of camping and fun times. Groton State forest, at the Stillwater campground. The mr and I were both a little drained and tired from being so so hot but we managed alright, went and did some hiking, the mr did a little fishing, I sat around and read. The normal, just a little slower then usually. But it all changed that night. We woke up and walked down to the water to watch the sunrise and take in the fresh, glorious, air. It was not hot and humid and we was alive again. HA
Then after camp, home we went, back to the week. Stuff happened, like stuff that needed to happen, like those taxes that I have not wanted to talk about%u2026 They are pretty much done. HOORAY!!! All the ups and downs. The few tears, the rage, the anxiety. Over. And now I can stop worring about them for a least a few more months, until next year that is. Because every year. Blah. Stupid taxes.
Besides taxes, there was a dentist appointment that I sat around and waited for but never got to be seen. (SO PISSED) Paul came over for resume help and food. The mr, Barb, Coco, and I spent an afternoon at the park. I weeded for hours in the garden. And lets talk about the garden. Whoa it is going and going. Right now it%u2019s all about the squash, chard, and greens and the tomatoes will be booming soon!!!!!!!!!! That on top of farm share, well I am just one happy, full to the brim, lady.
The rest of the week was and went.
Friday I worked the studio all day then the mr and the littles picked me up. We ran to the store to get supplies, then went home for our first backyard campout. The rule was, besides me, no one was allowed inside at all until just before bed time to use the bathroom and brush our teeth. (Or to go number two. They needed to use the toilet for that. Ha). And so I got dinner stuff ready (In the house but I needed to use the fridge and because I could), we ate dinner at the picnic table, set up the tents, made a fire, did so-mores, played with fire, and the kids ran around hopped up on sugar. We went to the park, walked around the neighborhood, and when it got dark, lit up some sparklers. It was the best! The kids were so happy, the mr and I were happy to be camping again, even if it was just the backyard, and really, it just was so great. Even when we were in our tent trying to fall asleep and all I could hear was Miley and Judah whispering and giggling and playing cards in their tent. Because that is what you do when you camp and it had me falling asleep smiling.
When we woke up (I woke up 3 hours earlier then everyone, made a pot of coffee and read on the porch) the breakfast stuff was ready outside. Eggs and toast on the camp stove. Hot chocolate, and freshly picked raspberries from the bushes in the yard. Then back to the park, and home they went. Probably some of the best camping yet. And now that we know they are awesome in a tent, we are taking them to a state park in the next few weeks. That%u2019s gonna be fun.
Today we are heading south to camp. Lake St. Katherine or maybe Half Moon. Not sure yet. The plan is to get close and see which one feels right. We were going to bring the kayaks but It might rain and thunderstorm during the afternoon and tonight so I figured we can just go hiking instead. I would rather be in the woods and not in the middle of the lake during a lightning storm. That would kind of suck. But watch, it probably won%u2019t rain, and even if it does, I am ok with that. We won%u2019t melt.
Endeavors into the world wide web.
–IKEA Upcycles Furniture Into Homes For Birds, Bees, and Bats. Some sweet ass, fun-tastic looking homes for those birds, bees, and bats.
-I am not a beach person, partially because of this. Sun, Sand And Sewage: Report Shows Many U.S. Beaches Unsafe For Swimming. Happens here in Burlington too.
–What are algae blooms and why are they bad?. Another reason I avoid the beach.
–Questions We All Ask Ourselves: Why Does the Beanbag Chair Even Exist? Because who doesn%u2019t love to sink into big ol%u2019 bean bag?
-I can%u2019t wait until the fennel starts flowing at the farm. It is the BEST! Fennel: The Best Ways to Pick It, Cook It, and Eat It
–Why Science Can Be So Indecisive About Nutrition. There is always something about something. Heck, even kale was bad for you at one point.
–This common plastic packaging is a recycling nightmare. When is the plastic craziness going to stop? And when are people going learn that just because it says it is recyclable, doesn%u2019t mean that it is actually going to be recycled. We should just stop worring about recycling and focus more on reducing freaking plastic all together.
-Not sure what I think about this. Petition to change date of Halloween gets more than 80,000 signatures
-Soemthing about these photgraphs that I really like. Murky waters: Karine Laval%u2019s dreamy photography takes you from the deep end to a surreal space
–A Needle Pulling Thread. Sashiko is the perfect simple, low-cost hobby to get you off your phone. Or just have another hobby. I have been meaning to Sashiko all the big holes in my couch cushions.. Maybe it will be my winter project?
Pictures from the week.
I am good. You good? Hopefully not super crazy and feeling stressed about holiday stuff? Don%u2019t let it get you. It is suppose to be fun and happy so take a few minutes and just do you. No stress.
Monday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday and we celebrated by taking a day trip out to the North East Kingdom to explore and see some nature. Got lunch, checked out a cool hardware store, blasted the heat in the car, and drank a lot of coffee. Came home and made lasagna and went to bed kind of early. I was a nice end to his birthday week. Until next time.
The rest of the week was up and down. We were suppose to go the PA to visit Dad this weekend with Meg but the plans got canceled when someone (Justin) got the flu. We ran around trying to get a bunch of stuff done, stressing out, but then once we knew we weren’t going, well we still have been running around trying to get a bunch of stuff done. Or better yet, running around yes, but also a couple of those day we spent siting around for hours (HOURS!!!!!) on hold trying to figure out our heath insurances. That was the worst. I don%u2019t know how many times I almost threw my phone against the wall (many). All part of being an adult right? Blah. The waiting time did give me a chance to tackle the Christmas cards I have been working on for a few weeks now so that was good.
What else.. I woke up the other night to pee, tried to get out of bed but got caught in the blankets and fell, almost smashing my head against the radiator. The mr freaked, turned on the light and found me just lying there. It was a rough fall and I am still feeling it all over. On a different note, I finally got a new broom which might just be the highlight of my week. It was actually a 2 pack with a dustpan and sweeps like a champ. The old broom was so bad that I stopped using it because I swear sweeping with it just left a streak of more dirt. Yeah for new broom!
Yesterday was a blast. The first annual cookie house contraction day (now a annual tradition). I would say gingerbread house, but I used sugar cookies instead because I know the littles and it was the right thing to do. I woke up early, baked off all the pieces, gathered a ton of candy and had people bring some too, and off we went. Miley, Judah, So, Alex, Coco, and Barb, plus me, the mr, and Megan. Enough to build a village. Got everyone well fed before construction (Mac and cheese and pb and J) and got to work. Construction might not have gone as smoothly as I hopped (canned frosting doesn%u2019t work as well as the sugar glue I made) but we figured it out. And once the houses were up, it was one big plume of sugar. Frosting and candy everywhere. There was so much sugar that I swear I was getting contact sugar high from all the littles. But the houses, they were coming out so awesome. I was truly impressed. Most of the houses stayed upright, but there were a couple the might have had a little too much candy (definitely Miley%u2019s) and had the roof collapse. All good though because she just starting to eat it and well, yeah. After the doses of sugar the littles ran circles around the house, and then left. I stayed and spent the rest of the day scraping sugar off of every surface in the house wishing that I had bought a steam mop with that broom. (I used to have one and it broke but it was amazing and that is all I want for Christmas now)
Today the mr and I are commuted to finishing all the Christmas cards, getting them addressed, and sending them out TOMORROW. I plan on going to the gym and grocery store this morning but then hunkering down for the rest of the day, listening to Christmas music and getting them done. They need to be done. We are way late on sending them out this year. Oops.
Internet from the week.
–Santa Is Nothing but Stress for Families Who Don%u2019t Believe in Him. I remember when I stopped believing in Santa.. sad day. And now with all the littles, some believe and some don%u2019t. it is hard to keep their little mouths shut.
–Not everything needs to come in pill form. See the diverse ingredients in traditional Chinese apothecaries
-How freaking badass. Horse-Riding Librarians Were the Great Depression%u2019s Bookmobiles
-Why People Wait 10 Days to Do Something That Takes 10 Minutes. I never ever procrastinate cleaning. It%u2019s just not worth it. And I am crazy.
–How best to harness the power of garlic in your everyday cooking. So many ways to use one simple ingredient and it can turn any dish from one thing to another.
-Never!!!! I Bought My Live Christmas Tree on Amazon %u2014 Here’s How It Went.
–Google’s 10 Most Searched Foods in%u00a02018. Keto is a big deal huh? Me, I for sure googled romaine a few times.
–Why is the night sky dark? It%u2019s all about the stars.
-If I have kids, wooden blocks are all I will have for toys, well those and a basket of river rocks and lots and lots of art supplies. But no plastic and NOTHING that needs to be plugged into anything or needs batteries. How Melissa & Doug captured the toy market, one wooden block at a time
–It%u2019s Time to Stop Calling Foods %u2018Crack. Agreed
Pictures from the week
It just hit me, it is December, the last month of the year. The year is almost over, again. I never get used to it, that feeling that it can%u2019t possible be the end of the year because it just started, right? But it%u2019s cool, I love December and I love me a fresh new year so we are good. Welcome December, I am going to enjoy the hell out of you.
The past week has basically been one big hack fest here at my house. The mr way worse then me, but we both have been coughing up our lungs unaccompanied by feeling like garbage. Being sick had put a slight damper on everything. Bed by 8 (or 7), humidifer on full blast, tons of liquids, and just trying to take it easy. We both would go through the day, doing what we need to do, but not really having much energy to do much else. I did work a little on decorating for Christmas and making our cards, but haven%u2019t really gotten as far as I would like to with those (I wanted them done). I worked at the studio (I cleaned the shit out of the glaze buckets.. cleanest buckets ever), baked a cake, dropped a cake, baked a new cake, and cleaned out the fridge. The mr did some stuff too even though he has been feeling worse. Besides work, he finally hung his collection of old trowels on the wall (not sure I like where they are). He also spent a few days in the basement plumbing and setting up a complicated series of buckets to act as a clay trap for the new sink. That took a lot of research and finding of random pipes and such, all for me (or all so I don%u2019t clog the drain with clay) but still. He is so nice. And having a sink in the basement has been so wonderful. Water without having to drag a heavy ass bucket up and down the stairs. It%u2019s the little things, you know.
Anyway, we have been lame for the most part. No big hikes, no hanging with the littles, a quick dinner with Barb, but that was just pastas and lasted just enough time for her to eat and run away and I did stop by Megans to say hi and get some human interaction, but nothing super exciting. But we on the upswing and getting better, in fact we are getting much better which leads us to today!
Today is the day I have been waiting all year for (or really, the past week). The mr and I are going to hike the mountains and bring us home our Christmas tree!!!!! Per our tradition, we hike into the Green Mountain National Forest, find the finest tree (our taste differ greatly from most) and drag it back to the car. Spend the entire of the hour or so drive home listening to Hanson Christmas album, get giant coffees, and worry the entire way that the tree is going to fly of the top of the car. I am so excited!!!!
Some of that the internet has from the week.
–NPR%u2019s Book Concierge. Our Guide To 2018%u2019s Great Reads. Look forward to this list every year. It is so noes to be able to click on a book and have it give a little blurb. I have and will read a many of these books
-Going to pull some taffy this week (hopefully) Fun Taffy Facts: Its Origins & Why You Pull Taffy
-Geminid meteors peak, and more can’t-miss sky shows in December. Always a fan of a good meteor shower.
-I get ladybugs in the winter and always thought it curious. 5 Things to Know About Dealing with Ladybugs in the Kitchen
-Hell yeah, a vegan bodega is a fine idea. This guy knows whats what. Beyond Bodega Bites: This Man Wants More People To Eat ‘Vegan In The Hood’
-4 Words to Say to Someone Who Has to Get a Root Canal. Hahahaha.
-The older I get the less color I want in my house%u2026 This is pretty much what I want my house (and my wardrobe) to look like color wise. A NATURAL HOME IN THE NETHERLANDS.
–The Controversy Over Parents Who Eat Lunch With Their Children at School. I remember be jealous of the kids that had a lunch visit from parents. But I probably would have thought a regular lunch date a bit strange.
–But what is lunch exactly? Lunch, Explained
–Magic Rhinos. Siberian unicorns lived alongside humans, and they were so much cooler than the mythical version
And pictures from the week
Are we all ready for it? Mid November and all. The holidays are creeping up fast and furious and I am starting to feel that bit of excitement and anxiety and over all buzz that one gets this time of year. I think seeing the neighbor putting their Christmas tree up in the window the other day (Which in my opinion is way to early. You need to wait until after Thanksgiving for the tree) really hit it home for me. So I located my boxes of decorations and pulled the box of glue and glitter for holiday arts and crafts. I restocked all my flours, sugars, and chocolate chips, and I already have a few of those cake orders in. It%u2019s go time. Now all we need is a snow storm. Or all I need anyways.
The week has been slow. Daylight savings has did a little number on me. I have been waking up at like 415 but my ass is in bed by 830. I could probably get myself to adopt a later bedtime and maybe wake up a little later, but you know what? It works for me. I am nothing, if not an old lady.
Other then a little bit of work, nothing to exciting happened. The mr and walked in the rain to vote. We went for a nice mid week hike , then stopped at the new Harbor Freight store to play with axes. I spent some time throwing, loaded kilns at the studio, grocery shopped, and scraped ice off my car for the first time this season. The littles were over for food and play. Judah and I stating making turkey hand prints that we are going to finish this week. Coco just got snot everywhere and Miley just wanted to get our nightly walk over so I would giver her candy. Then Barb came over for baked beans (amazing baked beans), and Megan stopped by one day to hang with me for a while. It%u2019s nice getting a little human interaction once in a while. HA.
The mr and I finally trapped Only in the house, gave him a bath and even tried to brush his ratty ass out. He is pretty much 100% an outdoor cat in the summer months, but I don%u2019t like him out during the winter so he gots to stay inside. And he hates it. Meows all night long, try to sneak in between legs out the door. But I think it%u2019s better for him and he will get used to sitting around all day on the heated floors again. The guy is to old to be hanging out there like a young cat.
And the leaves. So many leaves. The mr has been doing battle with the trees in the driveway. He spent a day raking and mowing, all pretty much in vain because the next day the driveway was just as bad, if not worse, covered in leaves. My suggestion was just to wait a few more days, let all the leaves fall, but he is a determined man. Plus he noted that the dents in leaves actually help the over all mission.
That was the week.
Today the mr and I are heading to the mountains. We (well I) want to see some snow and really, we just want to get out of town for a few hours. I am feeling a little crazy.
Hope today finds you happy and cozy. Doing you.
Interenting from the week.
-Antarctica scientist allegedly stabs colleague for spoiling the endings of books. I do not condone violence in any way but, I mean, I kind of get it.
–The best way to deal with fall leaves. The mr needs to read this.
-Take it from someone that burns herself on a daily bases. Be prepared in the kitchen. I keep burn cream (propolis calendula salve) right next to the knives. I use it all the time. How to Soothe a Kitchen Burn,%u00a0STAT
–10 Things to Clean Now Before the Holiday Season Gets Going. Add to list%u2026A good place to hide and a good alibi if needed.
-Interesting idea. A Meat Tax Sounds Nice to Me
-Knowing your flours is important. What%u2019s the Difference Between Cake Flour, Pastry Flour, All-Purpose Flour, and Bread Flour
-I play sudoko when I am feeling worried or anxious. Can’t Stop Worrying? Try Tetris To Ease Your Mind
–Meet the Plantfluencers. I could totally be one, I have like 70 plants and counting. And if people are liking and then getting house plants, well heck yeah. Plants are the best.
-I don%u2019t neeeeed , but I really, really want these sheets. They are amazing.
–Does stress eating actually make you less stressed? Whats your stress eating food? Mine is cabbage. I think there is something about peeling back cabbage leaves that I find soothing, and I a weirdo.
And pictures from the week.
When a 18 month old stacks dinosaurs and animals better then you, you know he is destined for greatness… or just really good at stacking. Haha
What a week.%u00a0Miley graduated 5th grade and holy shit I can’t believe she is gonna be a middle schooler. Then %u00a0the next day Barb went and %u00a0graduated %u00a0from high school and double holy shit I can’t believe she is going to be a college kid. Everyone is getting so old so fast, including me! Besides those two having graduations,%u00a0all the rest of the littles are done school for the summer so things are all summer vibes up in here. To top it off, it suppose to be like 90 degrees and super humid today and tomorrow so I guess that%u2019s one way to start summer.%u00a0(Blah, I hate humidity, but what we gonna do?%u00a0I think I shall find me a sprinkler)%u00a0Other then spending a lot of time trying to sit still in school gyms on uncomfortable plastic chairs or wooden bleachers, the mr and I have been busy as usual. Nothing new. Hung with the Little%u2019s, did this and that and ran all over town.%u00a0The mr started building the tree house. I picked the first bunch of radishes and lots of greens from the garden.%u00a0%u00a0And then yesterday, it happened.%u00a0%u00a0I found it…. A coffee table! It was pretty much %u00a0exactly what I have been looking for. %u00a0And why I found it %u00a0was more or less a fluke. The mr and I were out doing chores and one of the places we were going to wasn%u2019t open yet so we swing by the goodwill, just to kill time. %u00a0(good will was the mr’s idea.. he wants credit)%u00a0%u00a0And low and behold, my table was waiting right there for me. And it%u2019s a beaut, vintage mid century piece that is is perfect condition and it was %u00a0cheap as hell. %u00a0Meant to be!%u00a0So good, so good.%u00a0%u00a0Not even summer yet and I have knocked one thing off my bucket %u00a0list. It feels so good to finally have coffee table. I feel like more of an adult already, like I have accomplished the un-accomplishable and now I %u00a0can take %u00a0on the world and do and find anything!%u00a0 (These feelings are very much illogical but they are my %u00a0feelings non the less.)%u00a0
And now it’s Sunday. Not going to lie, it%u2019s been a trying morning. My computer has not been behaving and I actually thought it was broken for a while, but I got it to start to %u00a0kind of work. But I needed %u00a0an update which took like 2 hours, but now my computer seems to be fine. But I am still afraid %u00a0because I have dealt with computer sudden death and it%u2019s a terrible so I am weary at the moment, but what can I do?%u00a0%u00a0I am just going hope for all the best and back it all up today. (reminder to all… back up yo shit!)%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0Pat on the back for me though cause while I was waiting for the computer to update, I had time to check in with the dad because today is Father%u2019s Day and I didn’t forget! I am such a good daughter and deserve an plaque or some shit.%u00a0
As for the rest of the day, I got some projects that I am working on, some wood/clay things and such. And I’ll probably read a lot because again, the humidity and I am shit when it gets like this.%u00a0%u00a0I think if I don’t melt away into a puddle, I’ll be a success. But I might even go try and find that sprinkler that is out there waiting for me.
Internet stuff from the week.%u00a0
-I have talked about it before,%u00a0I am #1 example of hangry. How Hunger Pangs Can Make Nice People ‘Hangry’
–What turns bees into killer bees?%u00a0It can make killer fruit flies too. Don’t science them into anything other then gone.%u00a0
–To Rinse Or Not To Rinse: How Washing Some Foods Can Help You Avoid Illness%u00a0Good to know and share.
–Why Every American Should Care About the Farm Bill. We ALL really should care, even if you are a hundred percent self suitable..%u00a0its about the lives of the people around you too.%u00a0
-Who doesn’t love a good sunset/sunrise picture.%u00a021 Gorgeous Sunrise and Sunset Photos
-6 Multi-use Flowers that Do Double Duty%u00a0Never thought to set sunflower stalks n fire. Door idea
-Book recommendations are always welcomed.%u00a09 New Books About Nature & Hiking That You Should Add To Your Summer Reading List
–Cyclo Knitter: A Bicycle-Based Machine That Knits a Scarf in Five Minutes%u00a0I kind of want to make a bike like this for myself. It’s pretty freaking sweet.
-So Your Garlic (and Onion) Grew a Sprout. Can You Still Use It?%u00a0
–My Mom Won%u2019t Stop Giving Our Kid Sweets%u00a0It’s always my sisters with the nieces and nephews that are sweet pushers. Me, I push the carrots.
Pictures from the week%u00a0
The ladies are home in their hive, living the life that bees live. We have a great view of them from the window on the porch and when you are just sitting there quite, you can hear them buzzing. It’s a great spot if you want to just sit there and watch them. (without getting mosquito bites)%u00a0%u00a0Bees, in and out,%u00a0doing their little flight dance up into the sky. It’s mesmerizing.%u00a0
The week was good, if not a little hectic. The last week of May always is. It is time for apartment turn overs so we had few people moving out and in, plus the mr has been doing side work all week and has been crazy all out all day, everyday. So things have been busy. But we still managed to get in dinner at Shannons,%u00a0a evening on Mills river, and even a nice bike ride.%u00a0Then there are my new garden woes.%u00a0I have been spending more time then I really want to around the garden, keeping the slugs away because the cooper strip doesn’t do shit,%u00a0(I am now hand picking the fuckers and sticking them in a bowl of water. The birds love it) and getting an insane amounts of mosquito bites. I don’t think I have ever been bitten on the face as much as I have been in he past week. And I have noticed that bubmble bees have made a home under one of the raised beds which also sucks because it ‘s right where I walk and I have almost collapsed there spot. I wish I could get them to move so I don’t accidentally kill them so I am going to do a little research and see what I can do. Plus squirrels. I hate them right now and that is about as much as I can do or say on that subject.%u00a0Anyway, On top of the garden and all the running around for people and life, %u00a0I mowed the lawn, cleaned the car, adjusted the kitchen cabinets, and got rid of a bunch of shit. We are so, what can I say,%u00a0%u00a0productive? Or is it, In need of a vacation?%u00a0%u00a0So soon, so soon. The van life is calling our names…..
Today is got a lot going for it. It is suppose to be beautiful, I have a stack of books, some wood to carve, some canvas to paint. My bike tires are still inflated and haven’t popped yet (I really need new tires) so I am definitely going for a bike ride, and maybe the mr and I will adventure to do some picnicking while I read and he fishes. A well needed take it easy day.%u00a0
The world of the wide web.
-Um, yes. I have listened to this many many times.%u00a0Weezer Covers Toto’s ‘Africa,’
–Read This Story and Get Happier. Oh, well ok. Doesn’t hurt, right?%u00a0
-Going to do some wild foraging for stuff to make some stuff,%u00a0like medicinal stuff.%u00a0Guide to Making Tinctures
-YOU’VE NEVER SEEN WAVES LIKE THIS BEFORE. Erie and beautiful.
-I want it but have no need for it. Maybe get it and save for a later house? Fabulous vintage square bathtub
%u00a0-The Pits: An Endearing Short Film Follows a Lonely Avocado Searching NYC for its Other Half%u00a0The music makes it great.
-If only I didn’t already live here.%u00a0VERMONT WILL PAY YOU $10,000 TO MOVE THERE AND WORK FROM HOME
–Naked-Eye Asteroid and More Can’t-Miss Sky Events in June
-I follow a lot of plant people and I must say that those are my favorite pictures, but I am a crazy plant lady so….%u00a0Plant People Are Rarely Bullies%u201d: The Leafy, Zen Corner of the Internet That Is Plant Instagram
–You, Too, Can Make a Fancy-Schmancy Pie Crust. I think I am gonna give it a go this week, or maybe next week. I’ll wait for fresh peaches.
Pictures from the week
To be as cool as those two. Life goals right there. Ha.
How’s your week been? Mine has been decent. %u00a0I have been running around doing all sorts of shit all week and it has just flown by so fast.%u00a0 Paint colors, house scraping, kids, family, paperwork, bills,%u00a0the mr in and out, working until 8 at night all week. We really know how to alway have something to do. (even when were don’t want to be doing anything) The apartments need attention, everyone in school is either out or getting out soon, summer is basically here and plans are being thrown around. But what really sticks out in my mind from this week are all the damn mosquito bites that I have gotten, like 8 million because the mosquitoes are so so so so bad around my house right now, like 10 times worse then anywhere else in the world. They are swarming by the hundreds and are starving for blood. I cannot walk out of the house without getting bitten and if I want to spend more then 2 seconds out there, I throw on heavy carharts, a thick hooded jacket and spray the crap out of myself with lemon eucalyptus which does absolutely nothing. It has been kind of miserable and I am praying that they will die down soon. I don’t want to be wearing clothes all summer long to be outside. (correction. I don’t want to be wearing heavy clothes, I want to be waring summer clothes.)%u00a0
We have been having some good time though.%u00a0Barb swung by one afternoon and ended up on a tandem bike ride adventure with the mr and I (I don’t ride tandem, I like the freedom of being the only one on the bike) We biked around town looking at all the junk that people have been leaving curbside because schools out and that means everyone is moving out. We spent a rainy day with the littles where Miley took to reading all afternoon, into dinner, and beyond, Judah and the mr painted, and I ran around with Coco, throwing the Buzz and Woody ball at his head. %u00a0And I went and spent far to long at the fabric store, buying 15 yards of fabric to make curtains for the porch. Got to love Memorial Day fabric sales and of course all the displays of %u00a0the pretty threads. Fabric stores, they can get this lady here in trouble.%u00a0
Yesterday, we drove up to the northern parts of Vermont, had a dinner picnic, stopped at a roadside cajan seafood place (in the middle of VT ) and got the mr an ice-cream cone. %u00a0After the sweet treat, it was go time. We got to the apiary at 6:30, just as the bees were coming home from a short, wet day, and picked up our new ladies. Bees Bees Bees. And there were baby sheep there too. So sweet, they actually let me pet them, unlike the bees that were a little fussy and bumping against out heads. We loaded them up, got them home, %u00a0placed them next to the hive, popped the cap, and let them be.%u00a0
Today I am going to bike into town, hit up the gym and the library, maybe stop at the coop too. Then the mr and I are going to do a quick install of the nuc,%u00a0get the ladies tucked into their new home, and hopefully get an eye on the queen. After that, I don’t know. I would like to spend the rest of the day outside, and my garden could use a little weeding, so maybe I’ll just do that. If the mosquitos would just all leave me the fuck alone.%u00a0
Stuff from the internet
-An Argument Expert Explains the Best Way to Fight With Your Partner. My new response to any argument…”How can I help you stop being a fuck head.” haha
-Those stamp people, so smart.%u00a0The U.S. Postal Service Is Giving Us the Scratch-and-Sniff Stamps We Never Asked For
–Give Your Best Friend the Perfect Gift %u2013 Sheets With Your Face on Them. I don’t know if this is funny or just plan evil.
-What a headline, and now I think I want need see this movie . Sesame Street%u00a0Sues Over Melissa McCarthy%u2019s R-Rated Puppet Murder Movie
-I always wondered how he did those moves..Michael Jackson’s Gravity-Defying Lean Continues To Fascinate
–What’s a Convection Oven, and When Should You Use It?I have a convection on my oven and never use it. But I might just the next time I make cookies.%u00a0
–Hand-Dyed Crocheted Thread Carefully Covers Eggs, Seeds, and Tree Trunks%u00a0Pretty
-I am planting more medicinal herbs in my garden and around the house.%u00a0Directory of Culinary and Medicinal Herbs
-I guess I was really ignorant on the subject of shaved ice, until now.
–Live in a dome. I would take one of these for sure.%u00a0
Pictures from the week.
Have a good long weekend.
-C