The week started off a okay because camping and camping is camping and is always good. We went to Branbury State Park which is right in between Lake Dunmore and the Green Mountain National Forest. We didn%u2019t bring kayaks because we wanted to spend most of the time hiking plus I can%u2019t get wet and be outside in these temperatures%u2026. I will freeze to death. After a nice drive of foliage peeping, we got to the park, picked our site, made tea, and as we were setting up, the mr somehow knocked over his cup and covered his socked foot in boiling hot water. Blisters, big nasty ones, formed right away, but he championed on. Even managed to hike around all afternoon which in hindsight was not the smartest because his sandals were digging into the burns. But he survived and we camped on. He fished, I read, we ate dinner, watched the fire, crawled into the tent, and listened as the rain began. Woke up at the usual time in a slight puddle (it rained hard) tossed the wet stuff into the car, and headed on home to tend to wounds and the business of life.
The rest of the week, well, not going to lie, has kind of sucked for reasons that I am not going to get into. But let%u2019s just say that sometime people can really fucking suck. The shit show has been mostly affecting the mr but the stress is palpable. On top of dealing with our usual life stuff, he has been making so many phone calls, dealing with unhelpful people, driving back and forth long distances on a moments notice. I have been trying to make things easier on him by not being a pain in the ass, making him pumpkin bread and wearing strips on prints and all the bright colors. I think the outfit might have been lost on him, but it made me happy. And he liked the pumpkin bread so that was a win.
Anyway, even as things are kind of shitty, there was still some good things, like having dinner with my mom and Paul, farm share a plenty, and harvesting the scarlet runner beans (the prettiest bean ever!). I got into the studio to glaze my ceramic pumpkins and ghosts with Barb (I dropped a pumpkin and smashed it. That was after I cut my hand open an hour before. Good times) and I saved a kiln from being misfired which I patted myself on the back for. We also stopped over and hung with littles for a hot minute just because we missed them and then made the realization that we just need to get the hell out of here for a while. Fresh places, fresh faces, you know?
Back to Sunday. As of right now we are camping tonight. Suppose to go to Coolidge State Park in the heart of the peak of the foliage with lots and lots of hiking to be had. Hopefully there isn%u2019t more shitty shit that will prevent us from taking off. I will probably lose it if we don%u2019t go and end up running away into the woods anyways. Then maybe someone will find me in a week of two. Yeah, at least a week of staying away from the crazy cray cray. But it would be nice to take the mr with me. He needs the break more then I do.
Internet from the week
-Dressing up for Halloween? Here is some inspiration. 8 Sexy Outdoor-Themed Halloween Costumes. Sexy Matterhorn%u2026.Done.
–California’s massive power outage is a wake-up call for the whole country. Is this going to be a new normal? Shit is getting real, for real.
-Noodle art is cool. Meet the Illustrator Who Turns Noodle Soup Into Art
-There is a whole lot of snow meatless meats these days and it can be confusing. Everything You’ve Ever Wondered About Meatless Meat, Explained
–It’s so much more than cooking. I felt like I cold have wrote this article%u2026.. Soooo much more then cooking.
–Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore. Real life.
-Beans or soup. Soup or beans. Why not both? When You’re Cooking Dried Beans, You’re Already Halfway to Soup
–Water Bottles Have Long Been the Unexpected Status Symbols of High School. For real. I was part of the colored Nalgene wave%u2026. Blue with a yellow top and covered in Phish stickers because that was how I rolled.
-Eat them all, except the ones that are not edible. The Ultimate Guide to Winter Squash (for Your Front Stoop & Your%u00a0Stew!)
–The 4 Ingredients That Make Up the Perfect Reading Space. I agree but would add one more%u2026.quite!
Pictures from the week.
For the past few days the mr has been telling everyone that yesterday was the official last day of Summer. For some reason he truly thinks September first is the first day of fall. It%u2019s not true as you probably know (the last day of summer is September 22nd) but around here is sure is starting to feel a lot like fall so I%u2019ll take it.
Last weekend camping was a blast. First we headed to Maidstone, the most remote state park in Vt. Left early in the morning, stopped at a yard sale or two then drove down a very long and bumpy dirt road until we got there.. Maidstone was amazing, a big lake in the middle of nowhere off the edge of nowhere in the nowheres of the NEK. The weather was amazing, our campsite was cool with wooden stairs, the hiking was fantastic, and the loons were all loud and vociferous. And the weather, it was just perfect. Cool and partly cloudy. I got to wear a sweater while hiking and pull on my wool socks in the evening. There are few things that can top a cool night under the stars with the sound of water lapping the shore and loons making sweet loon noises all night and right now I can%u2019t think of them.
After waking up maybe a weee bit to early (I can%u2019t help it), we packed up and headed to the next park, Brighton. A pond in little town still in the middle of nowhere, although it felt more somewhere then Maidstone due to the fact that there was a store and a gas station in town. And there was an actual town. We stopped and walked around the little neighborhood and along the train tracks then we found a few little hiking trails in random places, and hiked them. The mr did some fishing, I did a lot of reading, all before we even got the the park at lunch time. Once we got there, the usual occurred with a good hike, chillin by the fire, eating food, and after being out and about all over for the past few days, we were dead beat. So we crawled into the tent as soon as the sun set and passed the F out. Woke up freezing and happy but then kind of sad. Had to get on getting on home.
Then we were home. The mr went straight away to work, I might have passed out a little bit, but then stuff needed doing so I got on that.
As far as the rest of the week, there was the last day of summer vacation surprise dinner and park play we had with the littles which was followed by first day of school. I spent a good chunk of time finishing up a bunch of rainbows (and clouds) and installed them for Art Hop next week. The floors at the apartment were sanded (the mr all the way) and are now in the process of being urethaned. I picked up farm share (I missed it last week so I was running scarily low on veggies), maintained a casual relationship with my own garden, and watched the 15 foot tall sunflower in the front yard bloom. Did this and that and ran all over. Typical stuff.
Now we are back to Sunday again and we are raring and ready. Gonna grab the camping stuff, toss the kayaks on the car, and head out. Going south this weekend to lake Bomoseem. I am very much excited. The weather looks terrific for the day, (it is suppose to rain in the middle of the night but that is totally fine) and we are just ready to be out of town for the day again. And hopefully tomorrow being labor day and all we can not do to much and just chill. Rainy and cool. Perfect weather for a blanket, a book, and hot coffee all day long. I might even get some knitting out%u2026..
Internet for you.
–The Life of a Person Who Wakes Up Really, Really Early. That%u2019s me, an extreme lark!
-If I ever need to plant grass. A Miracle No Mow Grass. Actually looks so nice and soft.
–The Difference Between Pepitas & Pumpkin%u00a0Seeds. Nope, they are not the same but kinda are?
-Could you imagine nit having a summer vacation from school? Honestly, I think I would rather have a winter vacation, or 4 smaller vacations if I had a choice I the matter. The Case For Summer Vacation
-It%u2019s back. A short cultural history of tie-dye
–On Being a Great Aunt. I am a great aunt%u2026 right? I think so anyway.
-Among other things I want to protect myself from Gwyenth. Dr. Jen Gunter Wants to Protect Your Vagina From Gwyneth Paltrow
–FOR THE CHAIR COLLECTORS OUT THERE. Love a good chair.
-We are drowning in plastic. U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China
–Battle of the Bubbles. I should have started a seltzer water business when I had the idea 10 years ago. Oh well.
Pictures from the week.
It%u2019s been a week of weeks if you know what I mean. The world. There is a lot to process, good and bad. And now I think I need to catch up with my mind. I feel like I have let it run to far ahead of the rest of me. Or maybe I am running away from it? Either way. I need to reign it it and focus. That is the goal anyway.
As our routine, we went camping on Sunday and it was just the best, an unexpected greatness. We started with a great hike through pastures and woods and to a gorge and then headed to the park to pitch the tent. D.A.R State park. Neither of us had ever been there before and hadn%u2019t heard anything about it, so we were not sure what to expect. And it turned out to be just fantastic. Big and spacious, pretty, relaxing, and right on the lake. Very few campers, all of which were old people. So quite. Our site was perfect and there was a sink near the bathrooms to wash dishes in. What more can you ask for? We played on the rock beach, made dinner, hug out by the fire, walked around the camp, went back down to the beach and skipped rocks while watching the sun set, and then crawled in to the tent for the night. The stars were crazy bright, the fireflies were everywhere, the sounds of the waves were faint but there. I was just as happy as as clam. Even when I woke up chilly. And then we woke up, made coffee, the mr fished for a few while I read and watched the sun come up then off and back to life we went.
After we got home Monday things got really busy and completely out of the norm. First off, the mr has been working a time sensitive job that has had him leaving as soon as I walk in the door in the morning and not getting home until I am in bed. And that in itself is not usual, but if that does happen, we will see each other during the day, at least for meals. It might not seem like such a biggy to most people, but for the past 17+ years, we have eaten almost every single meal together, and this week, no meals. I have been eating alone all week. At first I loved it because I love reading while I am eating and only ever do it on the very rare occasion that the mr is not home for a meal. But all week for lunch and dinner, alone. I have read 2 books, but I was starting to get lonely. I missed my mr. So sad. HAHA.
Anyway, while he was gone all week, I did some work, had coffee with my mom, made cookies with the littles, met Barb%u2019s boyfriend, and ate ten thousand tomatoes. I also spent a good chunk of time cleaning out the loft (again) for my dad, and oh, I don%u2019t even know, a bunch of other stuff. Then Jeff Dad came to VT. We went for a hike with couple littles at a state park, sat in traffic on the interstate for far too long, and then went to Megans house where I made dinner for everyone. I got to meet Anthony%u2019s girl friend ( a week of meeting the significant others), got a glimpse of the butterfly chrysalis, and made Sophia cry because we picked all her basil for pesto and she really really didn%u2019t want to share it. So I owe the girl a new basil plant.
Yesterday was family reunion up in Belvidere. The whole crew. Great as always. Seeing family is always the best. I love them all, even if they exhaust me and maybe make me want to run away screaming. But isn%u2019t that the way it suppose to be?
And then we came home, the mr left again to finish this job last night and came home while I was in bed. Again. But now he is done. And I am so excited to have him around, although this week is a new job that will be taking him away again. At least we have today. Camping. Ricker Pond State Park. I am excited. No work for the mr. Just him and me heading out into the wilderness with our tent and sleeping bags and a socks! Socks cause it had been getting chilly at night%u2026.YAY for cool late summer nights! I am so ready for some cool weather and to bust out all my sweaters!!!!
Internet from the Internet.
-It%u2019s that time of year again. One day theres one, the next there are a million! How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Before They Take Over Your%u00a0Kitchen
–Call Me Crazy, but I Think an Active Vacation Eases Stress More Effectively Than the Beach. No, not crazy at all. I need activity all the way, whether it is hiking, biking, or just walking 20 miles around a city. No beach reading for me.
-Avoid the toilet plume! Hey, Just Always Close Your Toilet Lid, OK?
-I don%u2019t really get it, but it is awesome. Watch the New, Brilliant Trailer for Season 10 of %u201cThe Great British Bake Off%u201d
–It%u2019s the Season for Fruit, and Also for Writing About Cutting Fruit as an Act of Love. I always cut fruit up for the ones I love. HAHAHA, but for real.
-Oh fuck. A New Study Reveals Just How Toxic a Bee%u2019s World Has Become
–Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Strange how people perceive certain things%u2026
-I like. ON TREND: THE ART DECO BED.
–Fun People Order Pancakes: What Your Diner Order Says About You. Black coffee all the way.
-Can you imagine%u2026 3 feet tall. Super bad ass and super scary! I wonder if they could talk too? This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds
–Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push. Would you? I think we all are going to need too. I am already thinking of induction. Definitely next kitchen I remodel.
And pictures from the week.
Did you get out last week, see some trees, see some nature, take in the world? I hope so but if you didn%u2019t, take some time today and do it, it will make you happy Promise.
Last Sunday was camping at the Queeche Gorge State Park. Stopped at a cool flea market on the way, saw some cool old stuff, almost bought a painting (I kind of wish I did. Oh well) Then off to the camp ground which was pretty empty, but man, there were a shit ton of people bumping around the gorge trails. Not bad, I just was a little surprised, but I guess I shouldn%u2019t have been. I mean, foliage and nice weather and beauty. It brings the people out. Anyway, the hiking was good. Found a off shoot trail that no one else was on and found a tiny little brook with spawning trout. Got back to camp, made pumpkin lentils for dinner and then the sun started to set and the night got very cold. The fire was needed oh so much. I might have even melted my shoe a bit because I was a little to close to it. And when it hit that magical time (8) we jumped into the tent. I slept with a hat and hood and mittens on in my sleeping bag with a wool blanket and was just as happy as could be. Then we woke up, made coffee, packed up, and headed for the streams so the mr could fish in 35 degree weather. It was freezing but it makes him happy so it makes me happy.
After we got home the week went per usual. Work here and there, dinner with the littles, Barb up my butt about how excited and nervous she was about Italy, and could I please just hem this skirt for her? You know, the normal stuff.
I think it was Wednesday, the mr and I were out for the day so I had packed out lunches. I was eating a carrot and all of a sudden, CRACK! Spit out my carrot and there was the little stone (it happens some times) and also a big ass chunk of my tooth. Yup, the stone broke a piece of one of my molars off. Oh my was I freaking out. Called the dentist right away but my dentist doctor is out of town and can%u2019t get me in until next week! As of right now it is fine and doesn%u2019t hurt or anything, but I am terrified that it%u2019s going get worse or break more or I don%u2019t know. This and I just was there for a cleaning like 2 weeks ago. Said I had great teeth health and blah blah blah. After that happened, I have been a little on edge since. The underlying feeling of something wrong in my face, and it%u2019s driving me crazy. Stupid tooth.
Friday morning was running around, a few chores, and a quick frosting and dinosaur making to finish off the ice cream cake and off to the studio for the day. Loaded kilns, played in the slop bucket, pugged some clay. Then ran home to get the cake and make quick to Barb for her 19th birthday hurray! There was a family crowded dinner. I brought the cake and she%u2019s jumping up and down being crazy and awesome and was trying to keep her shit together because the next day she was getting on her first plane ever and flying to Italy! Whoop whoop.
So yesterday was basically set aside for Barb. I cleaned the house early, packed our lunches, then the mr and I picked her and her friend up and drove them over the border into Cananda and dropped their lucky tushies off at the airport. SO CUTE. I might have been a little jealous, but more then that, I was, and am, just so excited for them. Italy, haven%u2019t been yet, but I will get there. Barb said she would bring me back a picture of an Italian toilet so that will be good enough. I probalaby won%u2019t need to go after getting that. Ha. And so we dropped them off, headed back home and watched all the most amazing clouds in the sky. Got home, took a shower, and passed the f out.
Today is up in the air. Not exactly sure wha’t%u2019s going to happen. We have a very important thing this afternoon that is exciting to us, but other then that, not sure. Camping was talked about but none of the campground are open anymore. We were thinking of maybe sleeping in the car under a tree, but not 100% sold on that idea. It also might snow so you know, the mr is scared of the white stuff. Me, I am very excited and would love to wake up with some snow, but I get it. It is getting cold out. But if we sleep in the car, it would totally be fine, and fun. Just got to convince the mr.
Internet from the week.
-Isn%u2019t see always right? Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors
–You Can Buy ‘Golden Girls’-Themed Cereal at Target Now. What the.. Funko%u2019s. That is just kind of amazing.
-Who didn%u2019t read this book? I hope if it does become a movie they don%u2019t screw it up and that the young ones still read the book. ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ By Judy Blume Could Finally Become A Movie
-Good, Evil. Sugar There is a lot to the history., Sugartime. How a taste for sweetness, developed for survival, became a stand-in for everything good %u2014 and evil %u2014 about our culture
–Are Siblings More Important Than Parents? I don%u2019t know, but there is something. Growing up as one of 9 is who I am. I con%u2019t even imagine not having them. And my sisters are my best friends so maybe, yeah, like not more important but kinda?
–5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking with Yeast. But it%u2019s really not hard to use yeast. If you are intimidated, start by making focaccia.
-I would live in an old church, but only if the vibe was good and there was no history if weird shit.. Holy Homes: Inside Houses That Used to Be Churches
–Last week at the gym there was a special on the news about people called flat landers. They believe the earth is flat ans think all of evidence , things like gravity and even the moon is all a hoax. It was very strange.. 10 easy ways you can tell for yourself that the Earth is not flat
-I need a glass greenhouse. Majestic Conservatories and Cozy Private Potting Sheds Showcase the Universal Appeal of Glass Greenhouses
Pictures from the week
I was walking around Costco this week and they have set up all the Christmas trees and decorations. It struck me hard, like what? Did I miss something. What about like fall and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Leave it to Costco to make you feel like you are behind on your holiday preparations. Lucky Home Depot had it right and had only Halloween decorations out. Those little skeletons made me feel a little better, and even excited. Fall be coming for real soon!!!
The last week started with our usual camping Sunday. Stopped at a few pieces of property for sale (fell in love with one except it is really close to high voltage power lines and yeah, I don%u2019t know if I can live that close to that). Found a plastic Santa on the side of a dirt road in the middle of now where and was so pumped. I have been on the look out for an old vintage Santa for the house (this one was a knock off, but still cool) so we grabbed him and stuffed him in-between the tent and sleeping bags.
We got to our campsite, set up the new tent(yeah!) sat out Santa, then tooled to the woods. Did some hiking, some exploring, and just really savored all that the world is in. A good lentil and potato dinner, a fire made by the best fire starter in the world, then assed out as soon as it got dark. Camping is the best. Woke while it was still pitch dark out, made the coffee, packed up, and watched the greatest sunrise before heading to the river for the mr to go and do some fishing. Unfortunately Santa did not make it through the camping trip. When we were packing up I accidentally shattered his head while trying to stuff him back into the car. I was so pissed, but what can you do? He was a fragile old man. But the hunt continues. I will get my plastic Santa. I will.
Then back to life in town, which this week consisted mostly of me miserable because I bit a whole in my tongue (yes I did, and it was gross) and the mr on high ladders and me on the porch, painting away. We need to get this house done before it gets too cold.
Barb and the littles came over for dinner and sour patch kids, I gave the mr a hair cut, and went to Mileys first ever field hockey game (She is so dang good). Barb came over again for dinner because she really likes it when I feed her good food, and basically besides running around doing chores and errands, it was painting. Oh, and I did work at the studio, cleaning and such, and I did get a little time to start the tearing the garden apart process, but yeah, that%u2019s about it. That and I bought my first sugar pie pumpkin of the season%u2026 Gonna eat the shit out of that! So excited!
For today, it%u2019s off to the great outdoors. I think the mr was saying something about good fishing soon or whatever, so we are camping out near some rivers that he like to fish. Me, I am just excited to get my hike, and knit, and read on. We only have a few more weeks before all the campgrounds are closed and it gets to cold to camp so I am going to savor every bit of it.
Internet from the internet from the week.
-I didn%u2019t even know, or even thought to think about it. Watch How Steel Ribbons Are Shaped into Cookie Cutters
-This new blood test can figure out what time it is inside your cells Whoa. I wonder what my cell time is?
-Don%u2019t care about the hot tub, but the rest. SO COOL! Next time I am in Wales I guess. Luxury Dome Getaway with Private Hot Tub near Round Swamp in New South Wales
–Cross Back Apron. On my list of things to make within the next week (or month)
-I still use plastic containers because I have them and don%u2019t want to just toss them away, but maybe I really should.(But I probably won%u2019t, at least fora while) There%u2019s So Much to Worry About I Forgot to Worry About Plastic Poisoning
–When Your Child Believes Meat Is Murder It happens, be prepared. I remember when I became a vegetarian when I was 11, the shit I got from my family (And still sometime do, 21 year later) and I didn%u2019t know what to eat. I ended up eating lot of garbage food until I figured my shit out later in my mid teens. Not good.
-I don%u2019t really eat any food that comes in a package, but I would totally be the one to eat the package if I did. Eat Your Food, and the Package Too
-The Truth About How Much Happiness Money Can Buy. All relative though. I make far far less then 85k and I am pretty happy, I think?
–Modular A-frame homes.. Just not in America, yet.
I hate the fidget spinners, they make me anxious. Fidget spinners, weighted blankets, and the rise of anxiety consumerism
THE LOVELY CRAZY
November 9, 2019 by maximios • Blog
The week started off a okay because camping and camping is camping and is always good. We went to Branbury State Park which is right in between Lake Dunmore and the Green Mountain National Forest. We didn%u2019t bring kayaks because we wanted to spend most of the time hiking plus I can%u2019t get wet and be outside in these temperatures%u2026. I will freeze to death. After a nice drive of foliage peeping, we got to the park, picked our site, made tea, and as we were setting up, the mr somehow knocked over his cup and covered his socked foot in boiling hot water. Blisters, big nasty ones, formed right away, but he championed on. Even managed to hike around all afternoon which in hindsight was not the smartest because his sandals were digging into the burns. But he survived and we camped on. He fished, I read, we ate dinner, watched the fire, crawled into the tent, and listened as the rain began. Woke up at the usual time in a slight puddle (it rained hard) tossed the wet stuff into the car, and headed on home to tend to wounds and the business of life.
The rest of the week, well, not going to lie, has kind of sucked for reasons that I am not going to get into. But let%u2019s just say that sometime people can really fucking suck. The shit show has been mostly affecting the mr but the stress is palpable. On top of dealing with our usual life stuff, he has been making so many phone calls, dealing with unhelpful people, driving back and forth long distances on a moments notice. I have been trying to make things easier on him by not being a pain in the ass, making him pumpkin bread and wearing strips on prints and all the bright colors. I think the outfit might have been lost on him, but it made me happy. And he liked the pumpkin bread so that was a win.
Anyway, even as things are kind of shitty, there was still some good things, like having dinner with my mom and Paul, farm share a plenty, and harvesting the scarlet runner beans (the prettiest bean ever!). I got into the studio to glaze my ceramic pumpkins and ghosts with Barb (I dropped a pumpkin and smashed it. That was after I cut my hand open an hour before. Good times) and I saved a kiln from being misfired which I patted myself on the back for. We also stopped over and hung with littles for a hot minute just because we missed them and then made the realization that we just need to get the hell out of here for a while. Fresh places, fresh faces, you know?
Back to Sunday. As of right now we are camping tonight. Suppose to go to Coolidge State Park in the heart of the peak of the foliage with lots and lots of hiking to be had. Hopefully there isn%u2019t more shitty shit that will prevent us from taking off. I will probably lose it if we don%u2019t go and end up running away into the woods anyways. Then maybe someone will find me in a week of two. Yeah, at least a week of staying away from the crazy cray cray. But it would be nice to take the mr with me. He needs the break more then I do.
Internet from the week
-Dressing up for Halloween? Here is some inspiration. 8 Sexy Outdoor-Themed Halloween Costumes. Sexy Matterhorn%u2026.Done.
–California’s massive power outage is a wake-up call for the whole country. Is this going to be a new normal? Shit is getting real, for real.
-Noodle art is cool. Meet the Illustrator Who Turns Noodle Soup Into Art
-There is a whole lot of snow meatless meats these days and it can be confusing. Everything You’ve Ever Wondered About Meatless Meat, Explained
–It’s so much more than cooking. I felt like I cold have wrote this article%u2026.. Soooo much more then cooking.
–Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore. Real life.
-Beans or soup. Soup or beans. Why not both? When You’re Cooking Dried Beans, You’re Already Halfway to Soup
–Water Bottles Have Long Been the Unexpected Status Symbols of High School. For real. I was part of the colored Nalgene wave%u2026. Blue with a yellow top and covered in Phish stickers because that was how I rolled.
-Eat them all, except the ones that are not edible. The Ultimate Guide to Winter Squash (for Your Front Stoop & Your%u00a0Stew!)
–The 4 Ingredients That Make Up the Perfect Reading Space. I agree but would add one more%u2026.quite!
Pictures from the week.
For the past few days the mr has been telling everyone that yesterday was the official last day of Summer. For some reason he truly thinks September first is the first day of fall. It%u2019s not true as you probably know (the last day of summer is September 22nd) but around here is sure is starting to feel a lot like fall so I%u2019ll take it.
Last weekend camping was a blast. First we headed to Maidstone, the most remote state park in Vt. Left early in the morning, stopped at a yard sale or two then drove down a very long and bumpy dirt road until we got there.. Maidstone was amazing, a big lake in the middle of nowhere off the edge of nowhere in the nowheres of the NEK. The weather was amazing, our campsite was cool with wooden stairs, the hiking was fantastic, and the loons were all loud and vociferous. And the weather, it was just perfect. Cool and partly cloudy. I got to wear a sweater while hiking and pull on my wool socks in the evening. There are few things that can top a cool night under the stars with the sound of water lapping the shore and loons making sweet loon noises all night and right now I can%u2019t think of them.
After waking up maybe a weee bit to early (I can%u2019t help it), we packed up and headed to the next park, Brighton. A pond in little town still in the middle of nowhere, although it felt more somewhere then Maidstone due to the fact that there was a store and a gas station in town. And there was an actual town. We stopped and walked around the little neighborhood and along the train tracks then we found a few little hiking trails in random places, and hiked them. The mr did some fishing, I did a lot of reading, all before we even got the the park at lunch time. Once we got there, the usual occurred with a good hike, chillin by the fire, eating food, and after being out and about all over for the past few days, we were dead beat. So we crawled into the tent as soon as the sun set and passed the F out. Woke up freezing and happy but then kind of sad. Had to get on getting on home.
Then we were home. The mr went straight away to work, I might have passed out a little bit, but then stuff needed doing so I got on that.
As far as the rest of the week, there was the last day of summer vacation surprise dinner and park play we had with the littles which was followed by first day of school. I spent a good chunk of time finishing up a bunch of rainbows (and clouds) and installed them for Art Hop next week. The floors at the apartment were sanded (the mr all the way) and are now in the process of being urethaned. I picked up farm share (I missed it last week so I was running scarily low on veggies), maintained a casual relationship with my own garden, and watched the 15 foot tall sunflower in the front yard bloom. Did this and that and ran all over. Typical stuff.
Now we are back to Sunday again and we are raring and ready. Gonna grab the camping stuff, toss the kayaks on the car, and head out. Going south this weekend to lake Bomoseem. I am very much excited. The weather looks terrific for the day, (it is suppose to rain in the middle of the night but that is totally fine) and we are just ready to be out of town for the day again. And hopefully tomorrow being labor day and all we can not do to much and just chill. Rainy and cool. Perfect weather for a blanket, a book, and hot coffee all day long. I might even get some knitting out%u2026..
Internet for you.
–The Life of a Person Who Wakes Up Really, Really Early. That%u2019s me, an extreme lark!
-If I ever need to plant grass. A Miracle No Mow Grass. Actually looks so nice and soft.
–The Difference Between Pepitas & Pumpkin%u00a0Seeds. Nope, they are not the same but kinda are?
-Could you imagine nit having a summer vacation from school? Honestly, I think I would rather have a winter vacation, or 4 smaller vacations if I had a choice I the matter. The Case For Summer Vacation
-It%u2019s back. A short cultural history of tie-dye
–On Being a Great Aunt. I am a great aunt%u2026 right? I think so anyway.
-Among other things I want to protect myself from Gwyenth. Dr. Jen Gunter Wants to Protect Your Vagina From Gwyneth Paltrow
–FOR THE CHAIR COLLECTORS OUT THERE. Love a good chair.
-We are drowning in plastic. U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China
–Battle of the Bubbles. I should have started a seltzer water business when I had the idea 10 years ago. Oh well.
Pictures from the week.
It%u2019s been a week of weeks if you know what I mean. The world. There is a lot to process, good and bad. And now I think I need to catch up with my mind. I feel like I have let it run to far ahead of the rest of me. Or maybe I am running away from it? Either way. I need to reign it it and focus. That is the goal anyway.
As our routine, we went camping on Sunday and it was just the best, an unexpected greatness. We started with a great hike through pastures and woods and to a gorge and then headed to the park to pitch the tent. D.A.R State park. Neither of us had ever been there before and hadn%u2019t heard anything about it, so we were not sure what to expect. And it turned out to be just fantastic. Big and spacious, pretty, relaxing, and right on the lake. Very few campers, all of which were old people. So quite. Our site was perfect and there was a sink near the bathrooms to wash dishes in. What more can you ask for? We played on the rock beach, made dinner, hug out by the fire, walked around the camp, went back down to the beach and skipped rocks while watching the sun set, and then crawled in to the tent for the night. The stars were crazy bright, the fireflies were everywhere, the sounds of the waves were faint but there. I was just as happy as as clam. Even when I woke up chilly. And then we woke up, made coffee, the mr fished for a few while I read and watched the sun come up then off and back to life we went.
After we got home Monday things got really busy and completely out of the norm. First off, the mr has been working a time sensitive job that has had him leaving as soon as I walk in the door in the morning and not getting home until I am in bed. And that in itself is not usual, but if that does happen, we will see each other during the day, at least for meals. It might not seem like such a biggy to most people, but for the past 17+ years, we have eaten almost every single meal together, and this week, no meals. I have been eating alone all week. At first I loved it because I love reading while I am eating and only ever do it on the very rare occasion that the mr is not home for a meal. But all week for lunch and dinner, alone. I have read 2 books, but I was starting to get lonely. I missed my mr. So sad. HAHA.
Anyway, while he was gone all week, I did some work, had coffee with my mom, made cookies with the littles, met Barb%u2019s boyfriend, and ate ten thousand tomatoes. I also spent a good chunk of time cleaning out the loft (again) for my dad, and oh, I don%u2019t even know, a bunch of other stuff. Then Jeff Dad came to VT. We went for a hike with couple littles at a state park, sat in traffic on the interstate for far too long, and then went to Megans house where I made dinner for everyone. I got to meet Anthony%u2019s girl friend ( a week of meeting the significant others), got a glimpse of the butterfly chrysalis, and made Sophia cry because we picked all her basil for pesto and she really really didn%u2019t want to share it. So I owe the girl a new basil plant.
Yesterday was family reunion up in Belvidere. The whole crew. Great as always. Seeing family is always the best. I love them all, even if they exhaust me and maybe make me want to run away screaming. But isn%u2019t that the way it suppose to be?
And then we came home, the mr left again to finish this job last night and came home while I was in bed. Again. But now he is done. And I am so excited to have him around, although this week is a new job that will be taking him away again. At least we have today. Camping. Ricker Pond State Park. I am excited. No work for the mr. Just him and me heading out into the wilderness with our tent and sleeping bags and a socks! Socks cause it had been getting chilly at night%u2026.YAY for cool late summer nights! I am so ready for some cool weather and to bust out all my sweaters!!!!
Internet from the Internet.
-It%u2019s that time of year again. One day theres one, the next there are a million! How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Before They Take Over Your%u00a0Kitchen
–Call Me Crazy, but I Think an Active Vacation Eases Stress More Effectively Than the Beach. No, not crazy at all. I need activity all the way, whether it is hiking, biking, or just walking 20 miles around a city. No beach reading for me.
-Avoid the toilet plume! Hey, Just Always Close Your Toilet Lid, OK?
-I don%u2019t really get it, but it is awesome. Watch the New, Brilliant Trailer for Season 10 of %u201cThe Great British Bake Off%u201d
–It%u2019s the Season for Fruit, and Also for Writing About Cutting Fruit as an Act of Love. I always cut fruit up for the ones I love. HAHAHA, but for real.
-Oh fuck. A New Study Reveals Just How Toxic a Bee%u2019s World Has Become
–Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Strange how people perceive certain things%u2026
-I like. ON TREND: THE ART DECO BED.
–Fun People Order Pancakes: What Your Diner Order Says About You. Black coffee all the way.
-Can you imagine%u2026 3 feet tall. Super bad ass and super scary! I wonder if they could talk too? This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds
–Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push. Would you? I think we all are going to need too. I am already thinking of induction. Definitely next kitchen I remodel.
And pictures from the week.
Did you get out last week, see some trees, see some nature, take in the world? I hope so but if you didn%u2019t, take some time today and do it, it will make you happy Promise.
Last Sunday was camping at the Queeche Gorge State Park. Stopped at a cool flea market on the way, saw some cool old stuff, almost bought a painting (I kind of wish I did. Oh well) Then off to the camp ground which was pretty empty, but man, there were a shit ton of people bumping around the gorge trails. Not bad, I just was a little surprised, but I guess I shouldn%u2019t have been. I mean, foliage and nice weather and beauty. It brings the people out. Anyway, the hiking was good. Found a off shoot trail that no one else was on and found a tiny little brook with spawning trout. Got back to camp, made pumpkin lentils for dinner and then the sun started to set and the night got very cold. The fire was needed oh so much. I might have even melted my shoe a bit because I was a little to close to it. And when it hit that magical time (8) we jumped into the tent. I slept with a hat and hood and mittens on in my sleeping bag with a wool blanket and was just as happy as could be. Then we woke up, made coffee, packed up, and headed for the streams so the mr could fish in 35 degree weather. It was freezing but it makes him happy so it makes me happy.
After we got home the week went per usual. Work here and there, dinner with the littles, Barb up my butt about how excited and nervous she was about Italy, and could I please just hem this skirt for her? You know, the normal stuff.
I think it was Wednesday, the mr and I were out for the day so I had packed out lunches. I was eating a carrot and all of a sudden, CRACK! Spit out my carrot and there was the little stone (it happens some times) and also a big ass chunk of my tooth. Yup, the stone broke a piece of one of my molars off. Oh my was I freaking out. Called the dentist right away but my dentist doctor is out of town and can%u2019t get me in until next week! As of right now it is fine and doesn%u2019t hurt or anything, but I am terrified that it%u2019s going get worse or break more or I don%u2019t know. This and I just was there for a cleaning like 2 weeks ago. Said I had great teeth health and blah blah blah. After that happened, I have been a little on edge since. The underlying feeling of something wrong in my face, and it%u2019s driving me crazy. Stupid tooth.
Friday morning was running around, a few chores, and a quick frosting and dinosaur making to finish off the ice cream cake and off to the studio for the day. Loaded kilns, played in the slop bucket, pugged some clay. Then ran home to get the cake and make quick to Barb for her 19th birthday hurray! There was a family crowded dinner. I brought the cake and she%u2019s jumping up and down being crazy and awesome and was trying to keep her shit together because the next day she was getting on her first plane ever and flying to Italy! Whoop whoop.
So yesterday was basically set aside for Barb. I cleaned the house early, packed our lunches, then the mr and I picked her and her friend up and drove them over the border into Cananda and dropped their lucky tushies off at the airport. SO CUTE. I might have been a little jealous, but more then that, I was, and am, just so excited for them. Italy, haven%u2019t been yet, but I will get there. Barb said she would bring me back a picture of an Italian toilet so that will be good enough. I probalaby won%u2019t need to go after getting that. Ha. And so we dropped them off, headed back home and watched all the most amazing clouds in the sky. Got home, took a shower, and passed the f out.
Today is up in the air. Not exactly sure wha’t%u2019s going to happen. We have a very important thing this afternoon that is exciting to us, but other then that, not sure. Camping was talked about but none of the campground are open anymore. We were thinking of maybe sleeping in the car under a tree, but not 100% sold on that idea. It also might snow so you know, the mr is scared of the white stuff. Me, I am very excited and would love to wake up with some snow, but I get it. It is getting cold out. But if we sleep in the car, it would totally be fine, and fun. Just got to convince the mr.
Internet from the week.
-Isn%u2019t see always right? Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors
–You Can Buy ‘Golden Girls’-Themed Cereal at Target Now. What the.. Funko%u2019s. That is just kind of amazing.
-Who didn%u2019t read this book? I hope if it does become a movie they don%u2019t screw it up and that the young ones still read the book. ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ By Judy Blume Could Finally Become A Movie
-Good, Evil. Sugar There is a lot to the history., Sugartime. How a taste for sweetness, developed for survival, became a stand-in for everything good %u2014 and evil %u2014 about our culture
–Are Siblings More Important Than Parents? I don%u2019t know, but there is something. Growing up as one of 9 is who I am. I con%u2019t even imagine not having them. And my sisters are my best friends so maybe, yeah, like not more important but kinda?
–5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking with Yeast. But it%u2019s really not hard to use yeast. If you are intimidated, start by making focaccia.
-I would live in an old church, but only if the vibe was good and there was no history if weird shit.. Holy Homes: Inside Houses That Used to Be Churches
–Last week at the gym there was a special on the news about people called flat landers. They believe the earth is flat ans think all of evidence , things like gravity and even the moon is all a hoax. It was very strange.. 10 easy ways you can tell for yourself that the Earth is not flat
-I need a glass greenhouse. Majestic Conservatories and Cozy Private Potting Sheds Showcase the Universal Appeal of Glass Greenhouses
Pictures from the week
I was walking around Costco this week and they have set up all the Christmas trees and decorations. It struck me hard, like what? Did I miss something. What about like fall and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Leave it to Costco to make you feel like you are behind on your holiday preparations. Lucky Home Depot had it right and had only Halloween decorations out. Those little skeletons made me feel a little better, and even excited. Fall be coming for real soon!!!
The last week started with our usual camping Sunday. Stopped at a few pieces of property for sale (fell in love with one except it is really close to high voltage power lines and yeah, I don%u2019t know if I can live that close to that). Found a plastic Santa on the side of a dirt road in the middle of now where and was so pumped. I have been on the look out for an old vintage Santa for the house (this one was a knock off, but still cool) so we grabbed him and stuffed him in-between the tent and sleeping bags.
We got to our campsite, set up the new tent(yeah!) sat out Santa, then tooled to the woods. Did some hiking, some exploring, and just really savored all that the world is in. A good lentil and potato dinner, a fire made by the best fire starter in the world, then assed out as soon as it got dark. Camping is the best. Woke while it was still pitch dark out, made the coffee, packed up, and watched the greatest sunrise before heading to the river for the mr to go and do some fishing. Unfortunately Santa did not make it through the camping trip. When we were packing up I accidentally shattered his head while trying to stuff him back into the car. I was so pissed, but what can you do? He was a fragile old man. But the hunt continues. I will get my plastic Santa. I will.
Then back to life in town, which this week consisted mostly of me miserable because I bit a whole in my tongue (yes I did, and it was gross) and the mr on high ladders and me on the porch, painting away. We need to get this house done before it gets too cold.
Barb and the littles came over for dinner and sour patch kids, I gave the mr a hair cut, and went to Mileys first ever field hockey game (She is so dang good). Barb came over again for dinner because she really likes it when I feed her good food, and basically besides running around doing chores and errands, it was painting. Oh, and I did work at the studio, cleaning and such, and I did get a little time to start the tearing the garden apart process, but yeah, that%u2019s about it. That and I bought my first sugar pie pumpkin of the season%u2026 Gonna eat the shit out of that! So excited!
For today, it%u2019s off to the great outdoors. I think the mr was saying something about good fishing soon or whatever, so we are camping out near some rivers that he like to fish. Me, I am just excited to get my hike, and knit, and read on. We only have a few more weeks before all the campgrounds are closed and it gets to cold to camp so I am going to savor every bit of it.
Internet from the internet from the week.
-I didn%u2019t even know, or even thought to think about it. Watch How Steel Ribbons Are Shaped into Cookie Cutters
-This new blood test can figure out what time it is inside your cells Whoa. I wonder what my cell time is?
-Don%u2019t care about the hot tub, but the rest. SO COOL! Next time I am in Wales I guess. Luxury Dome Getaway with Private Hot Tub near Round Swamp in New South Wales
–Cross Back Apron. On my list of things to make within the next week (or month)
-I still use plastic containers because I have them and don%u2019t want to just toss them away, but maybe I really should.(But I probably won%u2019t, at least fora while) There%u2019s So Much to Worry About I Forgot to Worry About Plastic Poisoning
–When Your Child Believes Meat Is Murder It happens, be prepared. I remember when I became a vegetarian when I was 11, the shit I got from my family (And still sometime do, 21 year later) and I didn%u2019t know what to eat. I ended up eating lot of garbage food until I figured my shit out later in my mid teens. Not good.
-I don%u2019t really eat any food that comes in a package, but I would totally be the one to eat the package if I did. Eat Your Food, and the Package Too
-The Truth About How Much Happiness Money Can Buy. All relative though. I make far far less then 85k and I am pretty happy, I think?
–Modular A-frame homes.. Just not in America, yet.
I hate the fidget spinners, they make me anxious. Fidget spinners, weighted blankets, and the rise of anxiety consumerism
Pictures and Barb eating from the week.