Hey there friends! You doing alright? You good? Just checking in because I care.
My week was good, even if it did blow on by super fast. That%u2019s the way it always goes for me. The closer to the end of the year, the faster time seems to fly. You too? Anyway. I am talking it all in, trying to stay sane and not get pulled into the crazy that can happened this time of year. Mostly just talking all the long walks I need and staying out of the way but still enjoying the ones around me. There is a balance you know. And I am not afraid to run away when I need to.
So besides the norm of life, Tuesday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday so we celebrated. Just the two of us. After breakfast and heart shaped balloons, we went for an awesome drive to an awesome hike in the national forest. Yes it was a little rainy and the ground was so icy and I fell and jammed by arm, but it was still so so so nice. The waterfalls we saw we raging and there was not another human soul around. It was superb. Then we got lunch (he got lunch, I packed my own) and we ate our food near a much smaller waterfall. After that, coffee and then home where we watched a movie and finished making Christmas cards. Lasagna for dinner (for him, I ate chili) and a little heart shaped ice cream cake I made him (I am the best), gave him his pencil painting, and then we just hung out, I fell asleep, and that was that. Delightful, calm, and just really nice to spend the day together.
Rest of the week went on. Me, I was trying to get a few projects done. Worked at the studio, watched all the lovely snow completely melt. The mr has been working away at this and that and is keeping itself more then.
Yesterday was the 2nd annual sugar cookie house decorating extravaganza. And what a blast we had. A bunch of littles, a bunch of cookies and a bunch of candy. Amazingly enough, everyone ate all there lunches and refrained from eating all the candy. The restraint and force I saw in these littles eyes%u2026Gave me hope for the future. HA. But seriously, they were so into it and everyones turned out so great. Even the mr got into it and made a house topped with marshmallows and cauliflower. And after the houses were built, everyone left and I turned up the Christmas jams, grabbed the vacuum and all the cleaning rags, and set to work. Turns out tootsie rolls smashed into the floor is not easily removed.
Today is a day of catch up and errands. The mr is trying to finish up a project he needs to send off to the world, I need to get on finishing off some more rainbows. And maybe we should do some grocery shopping. And maybe I%u2019ll take a trip to the library. Stuff to do yes, but hopefully still a semi relaxing day. Maybe it will even get cold enough and start to snow. I need a walk in the snow.
Interesting internet from the week.
-I am kind of shocked the the number is so low. Come on people, cooking is awesome and makes you awesome. The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking
–Winter camping is a great way to see more nature and fewer people. I am going to start working the mr to get him to agree to go soon.
– Is it crazy that I miss landlines? OR more so, I think I miss that says of no cell phones. And now with cell phones, you can%u2019t eavesdrop on other people conversations , or like legally and easily anymore. How the Loss of the Landline Is Changing Family Life
–These 3 supertrees can protect us from climate collapse. But can we protect them? Trees are everything so of course trees are part of the answer to helping the planet. Hopefully humans don%u2019t fuck them up too.
-Did you get into the %u201cfinding joy%u201d of all your shit? How did that go? Did Marie Kondo fans keep their houses tidy all year?
–Shopping Sucks Now. I have always though shopping sucks, but I agree, it sucks even more. There is just to much!
–Drink Up, Calm Down. Fancy expensive drinks for wellness%u2026. I don%u2019t know, I totally believe that food is medicine but some of the shit out there%u2026. I guess just beware and don%u2019t fall for fancy pants weird language saying miracle and shit.
-imoprtant. How To Reduce Food Waste
–Do I Really Have to Clean My Sheets Every Week? And 9 Other Things We Were Told Are Mandatory. Yes YES YES to the sheets!
-Lovely. %u2018The Bird & the Whale%u2019 Tells a Short and Sweet Tale Using Paint-on-Glass Animation
And 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
Anyone else have a kind of strange week? Maybe not strange per say, it just seemed a little off. But maybe it%u2019s the weather changing and it being pretty much October already and the state of the world being all crazy. Or maybe I am just losing my mind a bit. It%u2019s probably that, and a little bit of everything too.
Last Sunday was camping at Underhill State Park. The place was packed during the day with all of the hikers, but that night, dead silent. It was probably one of the quietest places we have stayed yet. The only sound I heard all night was that of the stream nearby. And the hiking around there, well that is why you go. Unfortunately we got there kind of late so we were not able to hike to the top of Mansfield, before it got dark, but we did hike up a bit, and just turned around and watched the sunset through the trees. Good things happen while hiking in the woods. It is always hard to leave and come back to not camping life, but we do it.
When we got back to the world, it was all hustle and busting. Trying to get in things that needed to be done done. There was a lot of raining so not much painting happening which was kind of ok because there are a ton of things we needed and still need to get done so we did what we can do. I also had a giant unicorn cake and letter shaped cookies to make for Miley and Coco%u2019s birthday party. Miley tuned 11 on Thursday and Coco is turning 2 next week so we did a 2 for 1 family party. It was lots of baking, making fondant and frosting, powdered sugar just getting everywhere and making everything sticky. There was a lot going on in the kitchen this week.
The mr spent one of those rainy afternoons making a unicorn pi%u00f1ata for Miley. That was it%u2019s own mess in itself. But besides the mess, I think he should quit working and just make pi%u00f1ata for a living. The unicorn came out so awesome that I was a little hesitant to let him give it to her to beat apart. He was very excited for it to get smashed and it was all his deal so yeah. And honestly I think I was a little jealous. I hope he makes me a pi%u00f1ata for my birthday, but fill it with like carrots or something. A carrot pi%u00f1ata filled with carrots. That would be amazing.
Friday was work at the studio and then the party. Before work I spent another hour or so with the cake good thing the cookies were already done,, and then had to drop the cake off at Erins before I went to to work. Got to work and loaded and unloaded kilns and felt like I was running around with my head cut off, then straight back to the Erins for the party. Finished assembling cake then that was it. The people showed up, we played and danced around, coco was stealing cookies when no one was watching, Miley and Judah were eating the extra unicorn horn of sugar because why not, and all the kids were high as can be on sugar. Especially Miley. After the mr gave her the pi%u00f1ata, she hung it in her room because she did not want to smash it. But then after cake and all that sugar she took it down, brought it out the the front porch and just body slammed it and starting ripping it apart. It was shocking, and a little scary and made the mr oh so happy. He said it was meant to be destroyed. Lucky the head survived. Miley is going to mount it, like a trophy on the wall. And eat the 5 lbs of candy that were stuffed inside of it.
Yesterday the mr and I did our yearly jaunt to the Harvest Festival in Underhill. Everyone in the town is out having yard sales, there is music and marching bands, freshly pressed hot apple cider (we didn%u2019t get any this year.. I don%u2019t know why) and a view of the prettiest color changing mountains. I scored big too with a sweet 50 cent sweater and a free scale to weigh out my clay. Nothing better then finding something you are looking for, and for free to boot. And did I mention the colors? The trees are really starting to pop now. The reds and oranges, it%u2019s gonna be a fire on the mountain soon.
After we got home the mr ran to fix some toilets and I started cleaning. Boy did we need to clean. To some, my house seemed perfectly fine, but to me, I could feel the days and days of sugar powder and paper m%u00e2ch%u00e9 mud on everything. Every surface just felt sticky. And while I was doing my cleaning thing, I started a load of laundry in the basement and stubbed my toe (the toe next to my big toe that is still healing from the bender dropping on it). Not only did I stub it, I think I spilt it in half. It hurts, it really really hurts. Then I had to wipe up all the blood too. A great way to end the week.
Today is a new day. My toe is throbbing, I slept like shit last night because of the throbbing toe, so I am feeling kind of exhausted already, but that is ok because we are going camping tonight so I don%u2019t have to think too much. I am going to go do a few morning chores, go to the gym ,and off we shall go. Maybe I will let myself have a mid day tent nap, or not. I am just happy to get away again. And this might be the last weekend we get to camp for a while so we really got to make it count.
Internet that interested me from the week.
–These Are All the Foods Being Affected by Trump%u2019s Trade War. The list is long.
-I think there should be a ban everywhere! I don%u2019t know how many time I have almost gotten into an accident on my bike or in the car with someone because they are using their phone while biking. It is stupid and dangerous. Netherlands Proposes Legislation To Ban Use Of Phones On Bicycles
–These Moths Drink the Tears of Sleeping Birds. Doesn%u2019t that just sound like tragic and magical and crazy?
-If you are ever in a bulk section of spices and there are different types of cinnamon, try them, they taste very different. Did You Know That There Are Different Types of Cinnamon?
-No shit. Study: Roundup Weed Killer Could Be Linked To Widespread Bee Deaths.
–This little wood fire stove or this wood fired stove are my kitchen goals in life.
–Every Adult Should Have a Bedtime. Mine is 9, but I will crawl into bed earlier and read. That may seem early to a lot of people, but I wake up at like 430 everyday so yeah.
–Will a Baked Potato Really Explode If You Don’t Prick%u00a0It? I have had a many things (eggplants for sure and spaghetti squash) explode due to not pricking, and also tons of stuff not.. Take the risk?
–Apple Cider Doughnuts Are a Lie. I often wondered%u2026
-This place would totally fuck with my head. A Cafe in Seoul Uses Clever Contour Lines to Appear Like a 2-Dimensional Cartoon
Pictures from the week%u2019
Because sometime you leave the gym and get stuck in traffic because hundreds of Santas are running down the street.%u00a0
The week started off with Sophia’s unicorn themed birthday party. I made the cake which was devoted because chocolate chococate chocolate covered in chocolate is a very desirable cake. Sure it was great to celebrate So and all, but the greatest part about her party was the inspiration. Shannon and I have decided that we are gong to make a magical life guide / nose to tale cookbook of unicorns. Life advice of how to live with and eat a mythical creature. And of course sell it at Urban Outfitters because were else to you sell shit like that . HA ha.%u00a0
After that party things were pretty basic. Some work here and there, more paperwork, talking to accountants, health insurance bullshit. (BULLSHIT!!!!) The end of the year is creeping up fast and I am trying not to think to hard about it and get overwhelmed. There are more important things like cookies and present making that I need to focus on first. The littles came over for dinner as usual, which is now becoming more of a challenge because every time they come over they no longer like a food that they actually really like. I think they are just trying to drive me crazy but we still all like black beans and green beans so if that is what we eat foe every dinner, then so be it.%u00a0%u00a0Then there was the windy night where the mr’s soccer ball was swept away. He has been walking around the neighborhood(we both have) %u00a0searching for it, looking under cars, in bushes, asking neighbors, posting on front porch forum. There is suspicion that a kid down the street stole it, ( the mr thinks the kid is jealous of his skills)%u00a0but we have no proof. I decided that I will wait for a few more day and then it’s time, we just need to get a new soccer ball. Little Judah was nice enough to bring over his %u00a0ball for them to kick around for the day but the mr needs one right outside the front door at all times. See he had pretty much perfected the rainbow trick and was on his way to being a soccer star,%u00a0but now the ball is gone. And he is sad and losing his new soccer trick skills by the day so we need to get the guy a new ball fast. It has been a high drama week without it.%u00a0
Friday night we had a little birthday party for the mr. It was a grilled cheese and soup %u00a0with chocolate chip cookie and strawberry ice cream sandwich party which turned out to be fantastic.%u00a0I am really starting appreciate simple, easy food to serve people that require little prep time and no oven. People came, people ate, people were mostly happy, and the mr had fun and got new sock. And that was just the kick off of his birthday weekend. Yesterday we went for a drive to where we used to live long ago,%u00a0went for a little hike. Had some lunch,got some coffee, and just took it easy for the day.
Now today is his actual birthday. No plans yet other then an a really good americano and the traditional lasagna birthday dinner. It’s his birthday so we will do as he wishes. %u00a0
Happy Birthday my love!!!%ud83c%udf82%ud83c%udf88%ud83c%udf89
Stuff that I read on the internet this week .
-So many good books! I use this list all year to find goo reads.%u00a0NPR%u2019s Book Concierge.%u00a0Guide To 2017%u2019s Great Reads
–Can Science Teach Us Something About How To Live?%u00a0of course it can.%u00a0
Scientists Discover Grass Species With Intriguing ‘Salt And Vinegar’ Chip Flavor
–Yes, It%u2019s Your Parents%u2019 Fault. Validation.
-So yeah, lead is not good so watch out.%u00a0.%u00a0Can Your Ceramic Cookware Give You Lead Poisoning?
-What! This is a freaking amazing houseboat.%u00a0A Dreamy Modern Amsterdam Houseboat
-All the pretty trees.%u00a0%u00a0REAL CHRISTMAS TREES
–Massive Black Hole Reveals When The First Stars Blinked On
-%u00a0Origami Paper Crane Daily for 1,000 Days%u00a0These reminded me of the toy fly’s the mr ties.%u00a0
– I really want this Honeycomb Pan
Pictures from the week
Its December again, and again I find my self being shocked at the fact. But Christmas yeh! I am into it this year, with lots of decorations and xmas music, and baking, and all the fun things that the holiday brings. The one thing that is really getting my goat though is the absence of snow. Where the heck is all the snow! It’s been way to warm out and that in itself is diving me crazy so I am just gonna wait, hope for the best, and again fantasize about living in Alaska.%u00a0(the mr would never have it)%u00a0
Not a lot happened this week. Looked at some land, cleaned up the yard some more, but It feels like we have spent more time dealing with people over phone calls and tons of paper work then anything. Shit that needed to be done and did, but now I am starting to think about and dread tax season….It’s going to mother f-ing suck. So I am trying %u00a0not to think too much about it yet, especially with this new tax plan shit. I mean, what the hell does this mean? I am so confused already.. Blah, stupid taxes.. Other then that,%u00a0Barb came over for an afternoon of picture taking for her senior picture, which was really funny. I have never experienced senior pictures before (I didn’t get mine done) and before our photo shoot, I googled senior photos and what the? Why does everyone want to hug a tree or sit on a railroad track? I wasn’t really into that look, but if that was what she wanted (it wasn’t what she wanted)%u00a0We did do a little tree hugging, tall grass squatting, (no rail road tracks though),%u00a0but in the end I got a good Barb one, one without tree hugging or anything to cheesy, just a big ass smile. A real picture and I love it and hope she loves it too.%u00a0%u00a0Then after that we had tacos with Miley and Judah and went for a small Christmas light drive. We sure d know how to have some good times.%u00a0
We got out Christmas tree!!! A drive to the ranger station to get our tag then a drive into the mountains for the hunt. We parked, got out of a car and within 5 minutes found a really good looking tree. Way to easy, we hiked around for an hour, checked out a sweet beaver damn, and got all sorts of scratched up before we went back to the tree we first saw.It really was a nice looking tree.%u00a0The mr cut it down, threw it on the car, and off we went. Now the tree is in it’s stand, covered in lights, and last night we did our traditional popcorn stringing while watching Elf. %u00a0I dehydrated some orange and apple slice to hang and dug out the box of ornaments. I told the littles that they could help decorate so I am eating until they come over to finish which is fine with me because honestly I don’t mind a very minimally decorated tree. And it’s less shit for the cat to kick off.%u00a0
Today is little So’s birthday! 5 years old already. Her party is tonight and I made the cake but I need to finish frosting and decorating it this afternoon.%u00a0Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered in chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles with one pink sprinkle on top. The girl knows what %u00a0she wants. Other then that, I think I need to spend a little time %u00a0getting %u00a0myself organized , get my secret Santa present ordered, figure out what to do for the mr, and start planning for the mr’s birthday next weekend. And take a nap. What is a Sunday without a nap?
Internet from the week.
-Tonights the night.%u00a0Dance By The Light Of The 2017 Supermoon: The How And When%u00a0It was super bright last night too
–The Hardest Bakery Possible’: Reinventing The Meaning Of ‘Whole Grain%u00a0100% whole grain everything.%u00a0
-Its that time of year when we need melted chocolate fast.%u00a0How To Perfectly Melt Chocolate in the Microwave
-This Modern Home has a Climbable, Ladder-less Bookshelf. I would love a book shelf I could climb all over. That just sounds all sorts of fantastic.
-This had better be excellent, but I am sure it will be. Making it.%u00a0
–Being a Vegan With Ham-Loving In-laws Is Harder Than It Sounds. Just worry about yourself, not what I am eating.
-These are so amazing. I can’t believe they are not photos.%u00a0Towering Hyperrealistic Cactus Paintings by Lee Kwang-ho
-This is what Miley was looking up when she was suppose to be picking out Christmas music. Shittens Disposable Mitten-shaped Moist Wipes%u00a0That is my niece.%u00a0
–How To Make A Basic Geometric Himmeli Ornament. %u00a0These will look good on he tree (spray painted gold of course)%u00a0.%u00a0
–Twitter really doesn’t like the White House Christmas decorations. Because they are scary.%u00a0
Pictures from the week
I woke up this morning from a dream that I was in process of making those gummy toy things, Creepy Crawlers,%u00a0but instead of them being made of rubber, I was making then out of cake. And in the dream the theme song for the commercial was playing while I was making these little insect cakes and now I have this weird dream feeling and have the stupid, but catchy theme song stuck in my head. What does this mean? Am I suppose to make a bunch of tiny little insect cakes? Or is it a cry from my child self craving bugs? I don’t know, but what I do know is that they should start selling those machines again. Bring back the creepy crawlers!
Feels like the past week was one long day. The mr and I spent a good amount of time outside doing all the outside work that needed to be done. More tree cutting, raking, picking up trash, getting rid of everything. Over the course of doing all this, I cut the shit out of my hands. All my fingers and my palms have cuts and scrapes and gashes and fuck do my hands hurt. Even worse is that after doing and getting all that, we started tiling that bathroom (!!!!) and tiling with cuts all over your hands sucks ass. The mortar just eats away at your skin. Plus I sliced my finger open on a razor while tiling so my hands are garbage and swollen and I will stop bitching now. But back to tile, the bathroom is so close to done. This time next week I will be able to pee downstairs again. It’s going to be fantastic.%u00a0
Other then work all week, we have had the littles a lot again. Speaking of having songs stuck in my head, I have been letting the kids listen to whatever they want when they are here which is all the newest coolest music(and it’s driving me crazy).%u00a0All week I have been haunted by the new Taylor Swift song. If I hear it for even a second, I get it stuck in my brain and there is will repeat over and over, especially while I am trying to sleep or relax. It has made me slightly crazy.%u00a0I have now banned the listening of that song in my presence because it is just to much for me to a handle. But other then driving me crazy with crappy music, we have had some pretty good times. We saw a rainbow, talked about what to hand out to trick or treaters (there was talk of ketchup packets, back hair,%u00a0and painted rocks) and the mr built %u00a0death swing in the tree. When we are not busy, they sure do keep us busy.%u00a0After having them over so much over the past few weeks, I found myself fantasizing about having a Rumba vacuum, which is crazy because I really do not want one. But maybe I do? I don’t know.(don’t tell the mr because he thinks he wants one)%u00a0%u00a0What I do know is that those kids are messy as shit and that every weekend my cleaning time has gotten a little longer because of the trail of Emerson drool and dirty feet has gotten worse. Maybe I should just wrap the baby in mop heads and have him crawl/clean. But wait, that won’t work either because just this past week we got that little gorilla to walk! 10 steps all on his very own, going after an Oreo cookie like a champ.
And then the farm.%u00a0%u00a0This past farm share was the last summer farm share pick up of the year. We got so much good goodies (sweet potatoes that are as big as my head and so much spinach) and I also realized that wearing my overalls down to the farm that people will mistake me as one of the framers (not the first time people mistake me as a farmer… these are life goals) But now the summer share is done and I am a little sad, but not really cause winter share starts in two weeks and I will be munching away on squash, roots, and greens for the months to come.%u00a0
Then on Friday we had our pumpkin carving party.. The mr, Megan, Barb, Miley, Sophia, and Judah all carving away. I pre gutted by pumpkin make a cinnamon sugar seed snack and had it all nice and ready to carve. I got a single cut into it when I had to %u00a0abandoned it to help all the littles carve theirs. Now the mr has his all nicely carved pumpkin on the porch and mine is just %u00a0siting there, waiting to be carved. But carve I did. Then we made pizza, did cartwheels around the block at night, and watched Hocus Pocus while eating/ getting popcorn ALL OVER the house. (Rumba would have been great here)%u00a0
I am excited for today. There is no way that I can bare tiling any more today (my hands hurt so much right now)%u00a0so we are going to wait and finish tomorrow. No, today I am going to plant the trees we bought this week in the front yard. Two little eastern redbuds and then I am going to sit back and watch them grow. %u00a0That and maybe repot some house plants. I think I just want to play in dirt all day. And finally carve my pumpkin.%u00a0Sounds like a good plan to me.%u00a0
Internet I looked at this week.
-Currently reading Nomadland%u00a0and in it one of the woman talks about building her own Earthship. I started looking them up after that because I feel like I should be building one too.%u00a0
–To Complain Is to Truly Be Alive. I know so very alive people!
-I don’t think it’s gonna happen in this house, but someday I want to have cool ass wall paper wall.%u00a0%u00a0DUTCH MASTERS WALLPAPERS
–Is This the Best Way to Wash an Apple?%u00a0
-We are shopping for toilets again (How many times in my life am I going to have to say that). What do you think of a black toilet? Definitely not happening in my house, but just thought it was interesting that there are so many choices.
– I bet they listen to more rock and roll too.Frequent Pot Smokers Also Have More Sex, Says Extremely Chill Study
–Wake Up, Sleepy Ikea Shoppers! But I thought that Ikea WANTED people to take naps on the beds. Huh.%u00a0
-I initially was ll, this is awesome and I want it, but after thinking about it fora little while, I don’t think I would feel comfortable sleeping on it. But it’s still cool.%u00a0This Floating Tent Turns Bodies of Water Into a Campground
–Rooffee,%u2019 the First Coffee for Dogs, Raises Plenty of Questions. My question %u00a0is WHY THE FUCK?
–Burn, Mummify, Compost%u2014Different Ways to Treat the Dead. The mr and I just head an interview with the author on NPR and found it very interesting. Now I am trying to figure out what I want to happen to my dead body…..%u00a0
Pictures from the week.
Did any of you get a chance to see any of the meteor shower yesterday morning? I did. I woke up at 430, shook the mr awake only for him to fall back asleep,%u00a0grabbed a blanket and went out to the back yard. (our yard is pitch black at night) %u00a0I spent a good forty five minutes with my head tilted up just watching. %u00a0I saw a least a dozen if not more meteorites %u00a0and wow, it was pretty amazing. I think that from now on I need to start my day with watching the stars, it centered me in a very real way and gave me all sorts of feelings.%u00a0Just me and the sky. I like the sound of that.
We had a few littles all week long. Miley, Judah, and the baby,%u00a0Coco. Everyday after school we picked them all up, came home and did the homework, ate all the peanut butter and cinnamon apples and carrots, kept trying to spell dick out of the nick refrigerator magnets,%u00a0then played in the trees. %u00a0One of the days while I was inside getting dinner together, the mr and the two bigger littles were out back in th e giant cedar tree cutting down branches to get ready for the tree house that they are going to build. (No one asked me to help OR whether I thought cutting any of my tree was ok, but you know) So littles all week, Sunday through Friday. But that was just that. We also had a planned birthday party lunch here for Barb and her friends. Chill, bread,%u00a0ice cream cake, and tandem bike riding. A bunch of 18 year old ladies and their very fancy high heeled shoes. The mr was a little scared and stayed out back playing with his tools while I got to feel like an old lady trying to decipher the language of the cool kids. (I think I did ok) Then that night we took the littles to Barbs field hockey game and watched them play a game that I have to grasp for. All I know was that even though they didn’t win, they still played pretty good. That was her actual birthday.The next day the littles didn’t have school so we woke them up,%u00a0%u00a0I made the best pancakes ever, grabbed Barb again, and headed to the pumpkin patch. This year the pumpkins at the farm got flooded early in the season so no pumpkin day for this year (so sad) We were left to find a replacement farm to tide us over.%u00a0We found a cute little farm stand with a good selection of pumpkins (no hay rides) where we each picked out our carving pumpkins for next weeks Hocus Pocus watching and pumpkin carving party . I forgot how difficult is is to pick a pumpkin. You have to consider the size, stem, color, and over all feel. But which one is best? Life decisions right there. We got the pumpkins,%u00a0feed the littles, and sent them back home to their mother. Wiped out and reeling, we spent the rest of the day running around feeding Megan’s cat, cleaning up the house, and restocking the fridge ( the kids ate all the food)%u00a0
On the work front, I didn’t get much done, It was hard starting any projects because we only could work mornings due to %u00a0the children infestation.%u00a0We did get all the tile for the bathroom which is nice and stacked in a pile on the front porch. No it’s not on the floor or the walls where it is suppose to be, but at least we got it so there is that.%u00a0The mr was out most days (until the littles came over) doing work for a few other people. I got to spend a day one the phone trying to figure out how I had a almost $1800 phone bill then only to figure out after a very frustrating day %u00a0that I accidentally paid one of the mortgages to the phone company and that they owed me money. That set me off and I spent another day trying to get my money back so I could actually pay the mortgage (once a place has your money, they do not want to give it back) I also had an eye appointment one morning were I had my eye dilated and was freaking blind for like four hours and was told I am suppose to wear glasses all the time, which I figured, but dang. And now I need to shop for glasses for the eyes on my face and I don’t like things on my face and I don’t like shopping so suck. But I am going to do it because being able to see better will be kinda nice I think, but I’ll let you know.%u00a0%u00a0
Then last night another party. Barb had her birthday party at my house on her birthday, but I guess my mom was feeling extra special toward her youngest of nine %u00a0now being an adult and threw her a surprise party. All her family and friends at the old man Eagles Club with a DJ, tons of food and a cash bar (for the adults) Barb though she was on her way to go out to dinner (which she was really excited about) and how she ended up going into the VFW without knowing something was up I have yet to ask, but she was surprised, and happy, and it was all really cute. I got to dance my dance moves (the mr took a video and now has material for blackmail) and got to play ballon chase with all the littles that were there, and snack on the broccoli that no one else was eating.%u00a0It was all a lot of fun and then I came home and assed %u00a0the f out.%u00a0
That was one heck of a week.%u00a0
Today, oh today is all about the river. The mr and I are packing up food and coffee, a blanket, me a book, him his fishing pole, and off we are going. A calm and quite day outside, away from people is exactly what we need. I love my family but I need a day away from them all.%u00a0
Interneting from the week
–Why We Should Be Cooking Like Our Grandmas%u00a0From scratch and all.%u00a0
-It’s not gonna happen this year, but a definite for next.%u00a0KNIT OR TREAT: HOW TO MAKE A (SUPER EASY) GIANT KNIT PUMPKIN FOR HALLOWEEN
-The 36 Questions That Lead to Love%u00a0Do you believe that answering theses equations brings love? I don’t know, but some of the %u00a0questions are a little whoa.%u00a0
–Sleep Scientist Warns Against Walking Through Life ‘In An Underslept State’%u00a0Heed the warning…get your shut eye!
-This is happening and it’s kind of crazy.%u00a0Should College Professors Give ‘Tech Breaks’ In Class?
I have used youtube to learn a few things, like knitting and I think that is actually it, but still. But at least young adults are trying to figure out how to do things for themselves, even if it means watching youtube.%u00a0Without YouTube Videos, Young Adults Now Lack Even Basic Life Skills
–Want to Escape to the Wilderness? This Job Comes With a Colorado CabinTwo years living in the woods, sign me up!
-These Are The 6 Types of Minimalists. Which One Are You?%u00a0 I am %u00a0a sustainable-%u00a0thrifty minimalist.
-His Dark Materials are without a doubt one of my top two favorite books (I know its a trilogy, but I count them as one) And now a new trilogy!!! The first book came out this week and I am picking up my copy this week.%u00a0With %u2018La Belle Sauvage,%u2019 Philip Pullman Begins a New Trilogy
–BEST OF: COLORFULLY PARISIAN.I love the floors.
Lots of kiddo pictures from the week
The other day I went into my closet and spent a few minutes refreshing my mind on all of my sweaters and socks, just so I know what I still have going on for warmth. I have even been wearing a few of those sweaters and socks in the mornings. I grab a sweater, a throw blanket, a book, and go sit on the front porch, with coffee of course, and watch the sun come up. I know it’s still summer and all and we always get a hot week or two come September but this cool weather has been just the shit and I am loving every minute of it.
This week has been pretty mellow. My gym closed for the week so my daily routines have been all kinds of fucked up. If you know me well enough you know that if I don’t go to the gym or get a really good bought of exercise in my day, I am kind of a crazy ball of crazy. So that has thrown me off a bit but bike rides, kayaking, internet yoga, and just running around has kept me from going completely nuts. Then there was eclipses day. The mr and I spent the afternoon playing by the river, him fishing, me picking up rocks and just soaking up all the crazy vibes coming down on us and casting weird shadows. Very cool and now I am very excited for 2024 (total eclipses right here in VT) We had the little’s for a day and we (more me) decided we needed to have a fire in the yard so we could roast marshmallows. I didn’t have graham crackers for s’mores but give a kid a bowl of chocolate chips and sprinkles for dipping gooey marshmallows and they are all good. The garden and farm, if you didn’t read my previous post, are giving out whatever they got, which is a hole heck of a lot. The goldenrod is in it’s prime, and the mosquitoes are only really out at night. Ah, all the good and it’s really really good.
And bees. We got a new hive this week from one of the mr’s friends. Not a large colony but looking healthy and happy here with us so now we have to get the new ladies ready for winter.%u00a0
Today the mr and I are looking to get a few more things done around the house. The mr is making furniture out back, I am attempting to fold an origami type lamp shade situation for the dinning room light fixture (it’s the last light fixture we need in the house!) and probably going to spend a good chunk of time with garden and yard work. There are two very lovely little pine trees planted right in the middle of the yard and I have been doing some research and think I might be able to move them more to the back of the yard. So I might start that process today, we shall see
What I spent time looking at on the internet.
-Didn’t get to see the eclipse or excited for more? Here is a list of eclipses and all the info you need to see them for the next twelve years.
–Harvesting Salt By Hand Is Making A Comeback In France. Pretty cool.
-A lot can be said in (or on) a cake. This Buttercream Kills Fascists
–To Get Calcium, Navajos Burn Juniper Branches To Eat The Ash. I take calcium supplements, maybe I should try this.
-There is still plenty of summer left. How to Make Ice Cream Without Dairy
-The mr wants a house boat. I could live in this house boat.%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0
-It’s all about balance and enjoying life. How to Have Your Health Food and Love It, Too.
–See the Most Colorful Places on Earth. It’s amazing to see so much color in nature.
–%u201cCrown Shyness%u201d Where Trees Avoid Touching
-This could be really good for a lot of people. A New Clinical Trial Shows Potential Long-Term Relief From Peanut Allergies
THE LOVELY CRAZY
December 30, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Hey there friends! You doing alright? You good? Just checking in because I care.
My week was good, even if it did blow on by super fast. That%u2019s the way it always goes for me. The closer to the end of the year, the faster time seems to fly. You too? Anyway. I am talking it all in, trying to stay sane and not get pulled into the crazy that can happened this time of year. Mostly just talking all the long walks I need and staying out of the way but still enjoying the ones around me. There is a balance you know. And I am not afraid to run away when I need to.
So besides the norm of life, Tuesday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday so we celebrated. Just the two of us. After breakfast and heart shaped balloons, we went for an awesome drive to an awesome hike in the national forest. Yes it was a little rainy and the ground was so icy and I fell and jammed by arm, but it was still so so so nice. The waterfalls we saw we raging and there was not another human soul around. It was superb. Then we got lunch (he got lunch, I packed my own) and we ate our food near a much smaller waterfall. After that, coffee and then home where we watched a movie and finished making Christmas cards. Lasagna for dinner (for him, I ate chili) and a little heart shaped ice cream cake I made him (I am the best), gave him his pencil painting, and then we just hung out, I fell asleep, and that was that. Delightful, calm, and just really nice to spend the day together.
Rest of the week went on. Me, I was trying to get a few projects done. Worked at the studio, watched all the lovely snow completely melt. The mr has been working away at this and that and is keeping itself more then.
Yesterday was the 2nd annual sugar cookie house decorating extravaganza. And what a blast we had. A bunch of littles, a bunch of cookies and a bunch of candy. Amazingly enough, everyone ate all there lunches and refrained from eating all the candy. The restraint and force I saw in these littles eyes%u2026Gave me hope for the future. HA. But seriously, they were so into it and everyones turned out so great. Even the mr got into it and made a house topped with marshmallows and cauliflower. And after the houses were built, everyone left and I turned up the Christmas jams, grabbed the vacuum and all the cleaning rags, and set to work. Turns out tootsie rolls smashed into the floor is not easily removed.
Today is a day of catch up and errands. The mr is trying to finish up a project he needs to send off to the world, I need to get on finishing off some more rainbows. And maybe we should do some grocery shopping. And maybe I%u2019ll take a trip to the library. Stuff to do yes, but hopefully still a semi relaxing day. Maybe it will even get cold enough and start to snow. I need a walk in the snow.
Interesting internet from the week.
-I am kind of shocked the the number is so low. Come on people, cooking is awesome and makes you awesome. The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking
–Winter camping is a great way to see more nature and fewer people. I am going to start working the mr to get him to agree to go soon.
– Is it crazy that I miss landlines? OR more so, I think I miss that says of no cell phones. And now with cell phones, you can%u2019t eavesdrop on other people conversations , or like legally and easily anymore. How the Loss of the Landline Is Changing Family Life
–These 3 supertrees can protect us from climate collapse. But can we protect them? Trees are everything so of course trees are part of the answer to helping the planet. Hopefully humans don%u2019t fuck them up too.
-Did you get into the %u201cfinding joy%u201d of all your shit? How did that go? Did Marie Kondo fans keep their houses tidy all year?
–Shopping Sucks Now. I have always though shopping sucks, but I agree, it sucks even more. There is just to much!
–Drink Up, Calm Down. Fancy expensive drinks for wellness%u2026. I don%u2019t know, I totally believe that food is medicine but some of the shit out there%u2026. I guess just beware and don%u2019t fall for fancy pants weird language saying miracle and shit.
-imoprtant. How To Reduce Food Waste
–Do I Really Have to Clean My Sheets Every Week? And 9 Other Things We Were Told Are Mandatory. Yes YES YES to the sheets!
-Lovely. %u2018The Bird & the Whale%u2019 Tells a Short and Sweet Tale Using Paint-on-Glass Animation
And 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
Anyone else have a kind of strange week? Maybe not strange per say, it just seemed a little off. But maybe it%u2019s the weather changing and it being pretty much October already and the state of the world being all crazy. Or maybe I am just losing my mind a bit. It%u2019s probably that, and a little bit of everything too.
Last Sunday was camping at Underhill State Park. The place was packed during the day with all of the hikers, but that night, dead silent. It was probably one of the quietest places we have stayed yet. The only sound I heard all night was that of the stream nearby. And the hiking around there, well that is why you go. Unfortunately we got there kind of late so we were not able to hike to the top of Mansfield, before it got dark, but we did hike up a bit, and just turned around and watched the sunset through the trees. Good things happen while hiking in the woods. It is always hard to leave and come back to not camping life, but we do it.
When we got back to the world, it was all hustle and busting. Trying to get in things that needed to be done done. There was a lot of raining so not much painting happening which was kind of ok because there are a ton of things we needed and still need to get done so we did what we can do. I also had a giant unicorn cake and letter shaped cookies to make for Miley and Coco%u2019s birthday party. Miley tuned 11 on Thursday and Coco is turning 2 next week so we did a 2 for 1 family party. It was lots of baking, making fondant and frosting, powdered sugar just getting everywhere and making everything sticky. There was a lot going on in the kitchen this week.
The mr spent one of those rainy afternoons making a unicorn pi%u00f1ata for Miley. That was it%u2019s own mess in itself. But besides the mess, I think he should quit working and just make pi%u00f1ata for a living. The unicorn came out so awesome that I was a little hesitant to let him give it to her to beat apart. He was very excited for it to get smashed and it was all his deal so yeah. And honestly I think I was a little jealous. I hope he makes me a pi%u00f1ata for my birthday, but fill it with like carrots or something. A carrot pi%u00f1ata filled with carrots. That would be amazing.
Friday was work at the studio and then the party. Before work I spent another hour or so with the cake good thing the cookies were already done,, and then had to drop the cake off at Erins before I went to to work. Got to work and loaded and unloaded kilns and felt like I was running around with my head cut off, then straight back to the Erins for the party. Finished assembling cake then that was it. The people showed up, we played and danced around, coco was stealing cookies when no one was watching, Miley and Judah were eating the extra unicorn horn of sugar because why not, and all the kids were high as can be on sugar. Especially Miley. After the mr gave her the pi%u00f1ata, she hung it in her room because she did not want to smash it. But then after cake and all that sugar she took it down, brought it out the the front porch and just body slammed it and starting ripping it apart. It was shocking, and a little scary and made the mr oh so happy. He said it was meant to be destroyed. Lucky the head survived. Miley is going to mount it, like a trophy on the wall. And eat the 5 lbs of candy that were stuffed inside of it.
Yesterday the mr and I did our yearly jaunt to the Harvest Festival in Underhill. Everyone in the town is out having yard sales, there is music and marching bands, freshly pressed hot apple cider (we didn%u2019t get any this year.. I don%u2019t know why) and a view of the prettiest color changing mountains. I scored big too with a sweet 50 cent sweater and a free scale to weigh out my clay. Nothing better then finding something you are looking for, and for free to boot. And did I mention the colors? The trees are really starting to pop now. The reds and oranges, it%u2019s gonna be a fire on the mountain soon.
After we got home the mr ran to fix some toilets and I started cleaning. Boy did we need to clean. To some, my house seemed perfectly fine, but to me, I could feel the days and days of sugar powder and paper m%u00e2ch%u00e9 mud on everything. Every surface just felt sticky. And while I was doing my cleaning thing, I started a load of laundry in the basement and stubbed my toe (the toe next to my big toe that is still healing from the bender dropping on it). Not only did I stub it, I think I spilt it in half. It hurts, it really really hurts. Then I had to wipe up all the blood too. A great way to end the week.
Today is a new day. My toe is throbbing, I slept like shit last night because of the throbbing toe, so I am feeling kind of exhausted already, but that is ok because we are going camping tonight so I don%u2019t have to think too much. I am going to go do a few morning chores, go to the gym ,and off we shall go. Maybe I will let myself have a mid day tent nap, or not. I am just happy to get away again. And this might be the last weekend we get to camp for a while so we really got to make it count.
Internet that interested me from the week.
–These Are All the Foods Being Affected by Trump%u2019s Trade War. The list is long.
-I think there should be a ban everywhere! I don%u2019t know how many time I have almost gotten into an accident on my bike or in the car with someone because they are using their phone while biking. It is stupid and dangerous. Netherlands Proposes Legislation To Ban Use Of Phones On Bicycles
–These Moths Drink the Tears of Sleeping Birds. Doesn%u2019t that just sound like tragic and magical and crazy?
-If you are ever in a bulk section of spices and there are different types of cinnamon, try them, they taste very different. Did You Know That There Are Different Types of Cinnamon?
-No shit. Study: Roundup Weed Killer Could Be Linked To Widespread Bee Deaths.
–This little wood fire stove or this wood fired stove are my kitchen goals in life.
–Every Adult Should Have a Bedtime. Mine is 9, but I will crawl into bed earlier and read. That may seem early to a lot of people, but I wake up at like 430 everyday so yeah.
–Will a Baked Potato Really Explode If You Don’t Prick%u00a0It? I have had a many things (eggplants for sure and spaghetti squash) explode due to not pricking, and also tons of stuff not.. Take the risk?
–Apple Cider Doughnuts Are a Lie. I often wondered%u2026
-This place would totally fuck with my head. A Cafe in Seoul Uses Clever Contour Lines to Appear Like a 2-Dimensional Cartoon
Pictures from the week%u2019
Because sometime you leave the gym and get stuck in traffic because hundreds of Santas are running down the street.%u00a0
The week started off with Sophia’s unicorn themed birthday party. I made the cake which was devoted because chocolate chococate chocolate covered in chocolate is a very desirable cake. Sure it was great to celebrate So and all, but the greatest part about her party was the inspiration. Shannon and I have decided that we are gong to make a magical life guide / nose to tale cookbook of unicorns. Life advice of how to live with and eat a mythical creature. And of course sell it at Urban Outfitters because were else to you sell shit like that . HA ha.%u00a0
After that party things were pretty basic. Some work here and there, more paperwork, talking to accountants, health insurance bullshit. (BULLSHIT!!!!) The end of the year is creeping up fast and I am trying not to think to hard about it and get overwhelmed. There are more important things like cookies and present making that I need to focus on first. The littles came over for dinner as usual, which is now becoming more of a challenge because every time they come over they no longer like a food that they actually really like. I think they are just trying to drive me crazy but we still all like black beans and green beans so if that is what we eat foe every dinner, then so be it.%u00a0%u00a0Then there was the windy night where the mr’s soccer ball was swept away. He has been walking around the neighborhood(we both have) %u00a0searching for it, looking under cars, in bushes, asking neighbors, posting on front porch forum. There is suspicion that a kid down the street stole it, ( the mr thinks the kid is jealous of his skills)%u00a0but we have no proof. I decided that I will wait for a few more day and then it’s time, we just need to get a new soccer ball. Little Judah was nice enough to bring over his %u00a0ball for them to kick around for the day but the mr needs one right outside the front door at all times. See he had pretty much perfected the rainbow trick and was on his way to being a soccer star,%u00a0but now the ball is gone. And he is sad and losing his new soccer trick skills by the day so we need to get the guy a new ball fast. It has been a high drama week without it.%u00a0
Friday night we had a little birthday party for the mr. It was a grilled cheese and soup %u00a0with chocolate chip cookie and strawberry ice cream sandwich party which turned out to be fantastic.%u00a0I am really starting appreciate simple, easy food to serve people that require little prep time and no oven. People came, people ate, people were mostly happy, and the mr had fun and got new sock. And that was just the kick off of his birthday weekend. Yesterday we went for a drive to where we used to live long ago,%u00a0went for a little hike. Had some lunch,got some coffee, and just took it easy for the day.
Now today is his actual birthday. No plans yet other then an a really good americano and the traditional lasagna birthday dinner. It’s his birthday so we will do as he wishes. %u00a0
Happy Birthday my love!!!%ud83c%udf82%ud83c%udf88%ud83c%udf89
Stuff that I read on the internet this week .
-So many good books! I use this list all year to find goo reads.%u00a0NPR%u2019s Book Concierge.%u00a0Guide To 2017%u2019s Great Reads
–Can Science Teach Us Something About How To Live?%u00a0of course it can.%u00a0
Scientists Discover Grass Species With Intriguing ‘Salt And Vinegar’ Chip Flavor
–Yes, It%u2019s Your Parents%u2019 Fault. Validation.
-So yeah, lead is not good so watch out.%u00a0.%u00a0Can Your Ceramic Cookware Give You Lead Poisoning?
-What! This is a freaking amazing houseboat.%u00a0A Dreamy Modern Amsterdam Houseboat
-All the pretty trees.%u00a0%u00a0REAL CHRISTMAS TREES
–Massive Black Hole Reveals When The First Stars Blinked On
-%u00a0Origami Paper Crane Daily for 1,000 Days%u00a0These reminded me of the toy fly’s the mr ties.%u00a0
– I really want this Honeycomb Pan
Pictures from the week
Its December again, and again I find my self being shocked at the fact. But Christmas yeh! I am into it this year, with lots of decorations and xmas music, and baking, and all the fun things that the holiday brings. The one thing that is really getting my goat though is the absence of snow. Where the heck is all the snow! It’s been way to warm out and that in itself is diving me crazy so I am just gonna wait, hope for the best, and again fantasize about living in Alaska.%u00a0(the mr would never have it)%u00a0
Not a lot happened this week. Looked at some land, cleaned up the yard some more, but It feels like we have spent more time dealing with people over phone calls and tons of paper work then anything. Shit that needed to be done and did, but now I am starting to think about and dread tax season….It’s going to mother f-ing suck. So I am trying %u00a0not to think too much about it yet, especially with this new tax plan shit. I mean, what the hell does this mean? I am so confused already.. Blah, stupid taxes.. Other then that,%u00a0Barb came over for an afternoon of picture taking for her senior picture, which was really funny. I have never experienced senior pictures before (I didn’t get mine done) and before our photo shoot, I googled senior photos and what the? Why does everyone want to hug a tree or sit on a railroad track? I wasn’t really into that look, but if that was what she wanted (it wasn’t what she wanted)%u00a0We did do a little tree hugging, tall grass squatting, (no rail road tracks though),%u00a0but in the end I got a good Barb one, one without tree hugging or anything to cheesy, just a big ass smile. A real picture and I love it and hope she loves it too.%u00a0%u00a0Then after that we had tacos with Miley and Judah and went for a small Christmas light drive. We sure d know how to have some good times.%u00a0
We got out Christmas tree!!! A drive to the ranger station to get our tag then a drive into the mountains for the hunt. We parked, got out of a car and within 5 minutes found a really good looking tree. Way to easy, we hiked around for an hour, checked out a sweet beaver damn, and got all sorts of scratched up before we went back to the tree we first saw.It really was a nice looking tree.%u00a0The mr cut it down, threw it on the car, and off we went. Now the tree is in it’s stand, covered in lights, and last night we did our traditional popcorn stringing while watching Elf. %u00a0I dehydrated some orange and apple slice to hang and dug out the box of ornaments. I told the littles that they could help decorate so I am eating until they come over to finish which is fine with me because honestly I don’t mind a very minimally decorated tree. And it’s less shit for the cat to kick off.%u00a0
Today is little So’s birthday! 5 years old already. Her party is tonight and I made the cake but I need to finish frosting and decorating it this afternoon.%u00a0Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered in chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles with one pink sprinkle on top. The girl knows what %u00a0she wants. Other then that, I think I need to spend a little time %u00a0getting %u00a0myself organized , get my secret Santa present ordered, figure out what to do for the mr, and start planning for the mr’s birthday next weekend. And take a nap. What is a Sunday without a nap?
Internet from the week.
-Tonights the night.%u00a0Dance By The Light Of The 2017 Supermoon: The How And When%u00a0It was super bright last night too
–The Hardest Bakery Possible’: Reinventing The Meaning Of ‘Whole Grain%u00a0100% whole grain everything.%u00a0
-Its that time of year when we need melted chocolate fast.%u00a0How To Perfectly Melt Chocolate in the Microwave
-This Modern Home has a Climbable, Ladder-less Bookshelf. I would love a book shelf I could climb all over. That just sounds all sorts of fantastic.
-This had better be excellent, but I am sure it will be. Making it.%u00a0
–Being a Vegan With Ham-Loving In-laws Is Harder Than It Sounds. Just worry about yourself, not what I am eating.
-These are so amazing. I can’t believe they are not photos.%u00a0Towering Hyperrealistic Cactus Paintings by Lee Kwang-ho
-This is what Miley was looking up when she was suppose to be picking out Christmas music. Shittens Disposable Mitten-shaped Moist Wipes%u00a0That is my niece.%u00a0
–How To Make A Basic Geometric Himmeli Ornament. %u00a0These will look good on he tree (spray painted gold of course)%u00a0.%u00a0
–Twitter really doesn’t like the White House Christmas decorations. Because they are scary.%u00a0
Pictures from the week
I woke up this morning from a dream that I was in process of making those gummy toy things, Creepy Crawlers,%u00a0but instead of them being made of rubber, I was making then out of cake. And in the dream the theme song for the commercial was playing while I was making these little insect cakes and now I have this weird dream feeling and have the stupid, but catchy theme song stuck in my head. What does this mean? Am I suppose to make a bunch of tiny little insect cakes? Or is it a cry from my child self craving bugs? I don’t know, but what I do know is that they should start selling those machines again. Bring back the creepy crawlers!
Feels like the past week was one long day. The mr and I spent a good amount of time outside doing all the outside work that needed to be done. More tree cutting, raking, picking up trash, getting rid of everything. Over the course of doing all this, I cut the shit out of my hands. All my fingers and my palms have cuts and scrapes and gashes and fuck do my hands hurt. Even worse is that after doing and getting all that, we started tiling that bathroom (!!!!) and tiling with cuts all over your hands sucks ass. The mortar just eats away at your skin. Plus I sliced my finger open on a razor while tiling so my hands are garbage and swollen and I will stop bitching now. But back to tile, the bathroom is so close to done. This time next week I will be able to pee downstairs again. It’s going to be fantastic.%u00a0
Other then work all week, we have had the littles a lot again. Speaking of having songs stuck in my head, I have been letting the kids listen to whatever they want when they are here which is all the newest coolest music(and it’s driving me crazy).%u00a0All week I have been haunted by the new Taylor Swift song. If I hear it for even a second, I get it stuck in my brain and there is will repeat over and over, especially while I am trying to sleep or relax. It has made me slightly crazy.%u00a0I have now banned the listening of that song in my presence because it is just to much for me to a handle. But other then driving me crazy with crappy music, we have had some pretty good times. We saw a rainbow, talked about what to hand out to trick or treaters (there was talk of ketchup packets, back hair,%u00a0and painted rocks) and the mr built %u00a0death swing in the tree. When we are not busy, they sure do keep us busy.%u00a0After having them over so much over the past few weeks, I found myself fantasizing about having a Rumba vacuum, which is crazy because I really do not want one. But maybe I do? I don’t know.(don’t tell the mr because he thinks he wants one)%u00a0%u00a0What I do know is that those kids are messy as shit and that every weekend my cleaning time has gotten a little longer because of the trail of Emerson drool and dirty feet has gotten worse. Maybe I should just wrap the baby in mop heads and have him crawl/clean. But wait, that won’t work either because just this past week we got that little gorilla to walk! 10 steps all on his very own, going after an Oreo cookie like a champ.
And then the farm.%u00a0%u00a0This past farm share was the last summer farm share pick up of the year. We got so much good goodies (sweet potatoes that are as big as my head and so much spinach) and I also realized that wearing my overalls down to the farm that people will mistake me as one of the framers (not the first time people mistake me as a farmer… these are life goals) But now the summer share is done and I am a little sad, but not really cause winter share starts in two weeks and I will be munching away on squash, roots, and greens for the months to come.%u00a0
Then on Friday we had our pumpkin carving party.. The mr, Megan, Barb, Miley, Sophia, and Judah all carving away. I pre gutted by pumpkin make a cinnamon sugar seed snack and had it all nice and ready to carve. I got a single cut into it when I had to %u00a0abandoned it to help all the littles carve theirs. Now the mr has his all nicely carved pumpkin on the porch and mine is just %u00a0siting there, waiting to be carved. But carve I did. Then we made pizza, did cartwheels around the block at night, and watched Hocus Pocus while eating/ getting popcorn ALL OVER the house. (Rumba would have been great here)%u00a0
I am excited for today. There is no way that I can bare tiling any more today (my hands hurt so much right now)%u00a0so we are going to wait and finish tomorrow. No, today I am going to plant the trees we bought this week in the front yard. Two little eastern redbuds and then I am going to sit back and watch them grow. %u00a0That and maybe repot some house plants. I think I just want to play in dirt all day. And finally carve my pumpkin.%u00a0Sounds like a good plan to me.%u00a0
Internet I looked at this week.
-Currently reading Nomadland%u00a0and in it one of the woman talks about building her own Earthship. I started looking them up after that because I feel like I should be building one too.%u00a0
–To Complain Is to Truly Be Alive. I know so very alive people!
-I don’t think it’s gonna happen in this house, but someday I want to have cool ass wall paper wall.%u00a0%u00a0DUTCH MASTERS WALLPAPERS
–Is This the Best Way to Wash an Apple?%u00a0
-We are shopping for toilets again (How many times in my life am I going to have to say that). What do you think of a black toilet? Definitely not happening in my house, but just thought it was interesting that there are so many choices.
– I bet they listen to more rock and roll too.Frequent Pot Smokers Also Have More Sex, Says Extremely Chill Study
–Wake Up, Sleepy Ikea Shoppers! But I thought that Ikea WANTED people to take naps on the beds. Huh.%u00a0
-I initially was ll, this is awesome and I want it, but after thinking about it fora little while, I don’t think I would feel comfortable sleeping on it. But it’s still cool.%u00a0This Floating Tent Turns Bodies of Water Into a Campground
–Rooffee,%u2019 the First Coffee for Dogs, Raises Plenty of Questions. My question %u00a0is WHY THE FUCK?
–Burn, Mummify, Compost%u2014Different Ways to Treat the Dead. The mr and I just head an interview with the author on NPR and found it very interesting. Now I am trying to figure out what I want to happen to my dead body…..%u00a0
Pictures from the week.
Did any of you get a chance to see any of the meteor shower yesterday morning? I did. I woke up at 430, shook the mr awake only for him to fall back asleep,%u00a0grabbed a blanket and went out to the back yard. (our yard is pitch black at night) %u00a0I spent a good forty five minutes with my head tilted up just watching. %u00a0I saw a least a dozen if not more meteorites %u00a0and wow, it was pretty amazing. I think that from now on I need to start my day with watching the stars, it centered me in a very real way and gave me all sorts of feelings.%u00a0Just me and the sky. I like the sound of that.
We had a few littles all week long. Miley, Judah, and the baby,%u00a0Coco. Everyday after school we picked them all up, came home and did the homework, ate all the peanut butter and cinnamon apples and carrots, kept trying to spell dick out of the nick refrigerator magnets,%u00a0then played in the trees. %u00a0One of the days while I was inside getting dinner together, the mr and the two bigger littles were out back in th e giant cedar tree cutting down branches to get ready for the tree house that they are going to build. (No one asked me to help OR whether I thought cutting any of my tree was ok, but you know) So littles all week, Sunday through Friday. But that was just that. We also had a planned birthday party lunch here for Barb and her friends. Chill, bread,%u00a0ice cream cake, and tandem bike riding. A bunch of 18 year old ladies and their very fancy high heeled shoes. The mr was a little scared and stayed out back playing with his tools while I got to feel like an old lady trying to decipher the language of the cool kids. (I think I did ok) Then that night we took the littles to Barbs field hockey game and watched them play a game that I have to grasp for. All I know was that even though they didn’t win, they still played pretty good. That was her actual birthday.The next day the littles didn’t have school so we woke them up,%u00a0%u00a0I made the best pancakes ever, grabbed Barb again, and headed to the pumpkin patch. This year the pumpkins at the farm got flooded early in the season so no pumpkin day for this year (so sad) We were left to find a replacement farm to tide us over.%u00a0We found a cute little farm stand with a good selection of pumpkins (no hay rides) where we each picked out our carving pumpkins for next weeks Hocus Pocus watching and pumpkin carving party . I forgot how difficult is is to pick a pumpkin. You have to consider the size, stem, color, and over all feel. But which one is best? Life decisions right there. We got the pumpkins,%u00a0feed the littles, and sent them back home to their mother. Wiped out and reeling, we spent the rest of the day running around feeding Megan’s cat, cleaning up the house, and restocking the fridge ( the kids ate all the food)%u00a0
On the work front, I didn’t get much done, It was hard starting any projects because we only could work mornings due to %u00a0the children infestation.%u00a0We did get all the tile for the bathroom which is nice and stacked in a pile on the front porch. No it’s not on the floor or the walls where it is suppose to be, but at least we got it so there is that.%u00a0The mr was out most days (until the littles came over) doing work for a few other people. I got to spend a day one the phone trying to figure out how I had a almost $1800 phone bill then only to figure out after a very frustrating day %u00a0that I accidentally paid one of the mortgages to the phone company and that they owed me money. That set me off and I spent another day trying to get my money back so I could actually pay the mortgage (once a place has your money, they do not want to give it back) I also had an eye appointment one morning were I had my eye dilated and was freaking blind for like four hours and was told I am suppose to wear glasses all the time, which I figured, but dang. And now I need to shop for glasses for the eyes on my face and I don’t like things on my face and I don’t like shopping so suck. But I am going to do it because being able to see better will be kinda nice I think, but I’ll let you know.%u00a0%u00a0
Then last night another party. Barb had her birthday party at my house on her birthday, but I guess my mom was feeling extra special toward her youngest of nine %u00a0now being an adult and threw her a surprise party. All her family and friends at the old man Eagles Club with a DJ, tons of food and a cash bar (for the adults) Barb though she was on her way to go out to dinner (which she was really excited about) and how she ended up going into the VFW without knowing something was up I have yet to ask, but she was surprised, and happy, and it was all really cute. I got to dance my dance moves (the mr took a video and now has material for blackmail) and got to play ballon chase with all the littles that were there, and snack on the broccoli that no one else was eating.%u00a0It was all a lot of fun and then I came home and assed %u00a0the f out.%u00a0
That was one heck of a week.%u00a0
Today, oh today is all about the river. The mr and I are packing up food and coffee, a blanket, me a book, him his fishing pole, and off we are going. A calm and quite day outside, away from people is exactly what we need. I love my family but I need a day away from them all.%u00a0
Interneting from the week
–Why We Should Be Cooking Like Our Grandmas%u00a0From scratch and all.%u00a0
-It’s not gonna happen this year, but a definite for next.%u00a0KNIT OR TREAT: HOW TO MAKE A (SUPER EASY) GIANT KNIT PUMPKIN FOR HALLOWEEN
-The 36 Questions That Lead to Love%u00a0Do you believe that answering theses equations brings love? I don’t know, but some of the %u00a0questions are a little whoa.%u00a0
–Sleep Scientist Warns Against Walking Through Life ‘In An Underslept State’%u00a0Heed the warning…get your shut eye!
-This is happening and it’s kind of crazy.%u00a0Should College Professors Give ‘Tech Breaks’ In Class?
I have used youtube to learn a few things, like knitting and I think that is actually it, but still. But at least young adults are trying to figure out how to do things for themselves, even if it means watching youtube.%u00a0Without YouTube Videos, Young Adults Now Lack Even Basic Life Skills
–Want to Escape to the Wilderness? This Job Comes With a Colorado CabinTwo years living in the woods, sign me up!
-These Are The 6 Types of Minimalists. Which One Are You?%u00a0 I am %u00a0a sustainable-%u00a0thrifty minimalist.
-His Dark Materials are without a doubt one of my top two favorite books (I know its a trilogy, but I count them as one) And now a new trilogy!!! The first book came out this week and I am picking up my copy this week.%u00a0With %u2018La Belle Sauvage,%u2019 Philip Pullman Begins a New Trilogy
–BEST OF: COLORFULLY PARISIAN.I love the floors.
Lots of kiddo pictures from the week
The other day I went into my closet and spent a few minutes refreshing my mind on all of my sweaters and socks, just so I know what I still have going on for warmth. I have even been wearing a few of those sweaters and socks in the mornings. I grab a sweater, a throw blanket, a book, and go sit on the front porch, with coffee of course, and watch the sun come up. I know it’s still summer and all and we always get a hot week or two come September but this cool weather has been just the shit and I am loving every minute of it.
This week has been pretty mellow. My gym closed for the week so my daily routines have been all kinds of fucked up. If you know me well enough you know that if I don’t go to the gym or get a really good bought of exercise in my day, I am kind of a crazy ball of crazy. So that has thrown me off a bit but bike rides, kayaking, internet yoga, and just running around has kept me from going completely nuts. Then there was eclipses day. The mr and I spent the afternoon playing by the river, him fishing, me picking up rocks and just soaking up all the crazy vibes coming down on us and casting weird shadows. Very cool and now I am very excited for 2024 (total eclipses right here in VT) We had the little’s for a day and we (more me) decided we needed to have a fire in the yard so we could roast marshmallows. I didn’t have graham crackers for s’mores but give a kid a bowl of chocolate chips and sprinkles for dipping gooey marshmallows and they are all good. The garden and farm, if you didn’t read my previous post, are giving out whatever they got, which is a hole heck of a lot. The goldenrod is in it’s prime, and the mosquitoes are only really out at night. Ah, all the good and it’s really really good.
And bees. We got a new hive this week from one of the mr’s friends. Not a large colony but looking healthy and happy here with us so now we have to get the new ladies ready for winter.%u00a0
Today the mr and I are looking to get a few more things done around the house. The mr is making furniture out back, I am attempting to fold an origami type lamp shade situation for the dinning room light fixture (it’s the last light fixture we need in the house!) and probably going to spend a good chunk of time with garden and yard work. There are two very lovely little pine trees planted right in the middle of the yard and I have been doing some research and think I might be able to move them more to the back of the yard. So I might start that process today, we shall see
What I spent time looking at on the internet.
-Didn’t get to see the eclipse or excited for more? Here is a list of eclipses and all the info you need to see them for the next twelve years.
–Harvesting Salt By Hand Is Making A Comeback In France. Pretty cool.
-A lot can be said in (or on) a cake. This Buttercream Kills Fascists
–To Get Calcium, Navajos Burn Juniper Branches To Eat The Ash. I take calcium supplements, maybe I should try this.
-There is still plenty of summer left. How to Make Ice Cream Without Dairy
-The mr wants a house boat. I could live in this house boat.%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0
-It’s all about balance and enjoying life. How to Have Your Health Food and Love It, Too.
–See the Most Colorful Places on Earth. It’s amazing to see so much color in nature.
–%u201cCrown Shyness%u201d Where Trees Avoid Touching
-This could be really good for a lot of people. A New Clinical Trial Shows Potential Long-Term Relief From Peanut Allergies
And pictures from the week.