It SNOWED!!!%u2744%ufe0f%u2744%ufe0f%u2744%ufe0f Finally. And after a good bout of freezing rain. But you know what, I liked that too. But snow. It%u2019s like all of a sudden the natural world makes sense again. No more balmy 50 degree days, just nice and cold. Freezing in fact but I love it. And seriously, my body does too. Those flip days where its damp and cool but not cold makes my hand swell and hurt. Give me teens and I am all good.
Besides the good weather we have had this past week, there hasn%u2019t been to heck of a lot. The mr and I did drive Megans face (and body) down to Boston for a quick hot minute (or literally an hour) to a doctors appointment and then jumped back into the car and drove home. That was a whirlwind of a day. Mostly I have been spending a lot of time down in the basement studio working on mugs and plates and a few other things, trying to stock up on stock for selling purposes and what not. Because after a lot of though and second guessing of myself, I have decided that I am going to try and start selling more of my pottery. Even have a little online store thing (which I am trying to build now and is harder then I care for it to be). I even started a new instagram account for it%u00a0(stemandnode) and am trying to figure out how to sell from that. So yeah, been busy trying to do business things.
Otherwise, same same. The mr has barely been home, working away on a few projects, shoveling snow, and showing apartments. We did get a to have an awesome hang out time and dinner with Judah. We did some drawing, ate some food, and just talked about how awesome we were. (That kid, he is one of my favorite humans.) I also spent time at the studio pugging clay and chatting up members. And finally, with a heavy heart, I moved the Christmas tree out of the house. It now resides on the front porch where it will probably stay for another few weeks. It just looks right out there.
We got even more snow last night (!!!) and snow means snowshoes and that is what we are doing today. I am very much excited. This will be the first time this winter that we are able to go! (due to lack of snow.) After snow shoeing, I think I am gonna hit the library, maybe go restock my spices from the bulk bins at the coop, maybe stop in an see the littles, and then hopefully, just come home and chill a bit. Get ready for a week of things and stuff. Make a big pot of split pea soup and go to bed early. Mellow and quiet. Sounds like an A+ day to me.
Some links from the internet to read.
–How Did Humans Boil Water Before the Invention of Pots? Whoa, what a process.
-Spending to much time looking at kilns. Maybe someday or maybe someone will just buy me one. HA
-Should we buy it?
–Our average body temperatures seem to be dropping. I know my average is like 97 something. I always thought I was special. I guess not.
–Apparently Cleaning Our Homes Gives us Just as Much Adrenaline as Race Car Driving. I guess I know how reach car drivers feel on a regular bases.
–Taking care of yourself has a few more benefits other then not feeling like shit all the time. Scientists Calculated How Much Longer You Can Live With a Healthy Lifestyle
–The New York Public Library Has Calculated Its Most Checked-Out Books Of All Time. I love LOVE that is was a children’s book, about snow!
-Oh this is so tempting. I miss working in coffee shops. This Irish Island Will Pay Room and Board for You and a Friend to Work in a Coffee Shop
–The Dark Side of %u2018Compostable%u2019 Take-Out Containers. Not as good as you thing.
–Awesome. Delicate Embroideries Feature Anatomically Accurate Lungs, Brain, and Facial Vessels
Pictures from the week
Hello, hello, hey hey hey!
So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
Are you aware that it is the last week of November? I know right. Every year this happens but seriously, it%u2019s just flying by so fast.
The mr and I did the norms for the week. Went for a amazing hike in nice snow. We worked on work, the mr made paper, I cut up the paper. I spent some time with clay, works the studio, organized some stuff and watched it snow and loved every bit of it. Then it rained and got kind of sad that all the snow melted.%u2639%ufe0f We picked up farm share, had dinner with my mom and Paul, hung out with the littles for a bit, and fed Barb some soup. Nothing terribly exciting, besides feeding Barb. She makes every exciting.
And then we get to Saturday. Family thanksgiving plus is was Erin%u2019s birthday. (Happy Birthday Beotch!) Always crazy, what with every one of my family members together in my house, eating food, and hopped up on booze and sugar. The day started early with me running away to the gym to get in some sane time, then one last stop at the grocery store before heading home to finish baking and getting all the food ready. Barb came over early to help cut up veggies but really, for her and the mr to make fun of me and gossip like little old ladies. So food got prepare, then I cooked it all. (Minus the main which mom made. She made a crazy chicken thing, cooked in her oven, and brought it over. No meat gets cooked in my house.) And then the family descended on the house, hungry and crazy. Food got served/ thrown all over and for a few short minutes, everyone was sitting down all at once together. But that lasted 2 seconds, and the kids went off and I ran back to the kitchen while everyone was eating to straighten up a bit and because I don%u2019t need to see people dropping chicken bits all over. I just let them eat in peace while I hid for a few minutes in the pantry and snacked on roast Brussel sprouts, carrots and mustard.
After everyone ate, we all ran around the house, picked secret Santa names, had a massive dance party in the kitchen and did dessert and birthday cake. Erins birthday yes, but Coco got to blow out the candles. So cute, that little loving the candles and all but I am going to be watching out for him. I think he might turn into a little pyromaniac. HAHAHA. But for real. Dinner ended with everyone leaving except Barb, Megan,and So. We picked up a little but basically just sat in the pantry eating raw Brussel sprouts from the stock, with mustard of course, and talking about boys. Then they left too and the mr and I were left alone to assess the damages.
The house. Oh my, oh my. It is a FUCKING DISATSER! I know I tell you all that I spend a good chunk of time every weekend cleaning%u2026Well this time, today, all Sunday, I%u2019m a be cleaning. Cleaning the cake and ice cream and cookies crumbles all over. Cleaning up the dinner rolls behind the couch, all the ripped paper, smashed potates, food and drinks particles. Chicken bits, which everyone was super awesome about and tried not to get anywhere, are everywhere. All. Over. The house. Then the kitchen. Every single piece of silverware and then some plus at least 40 plates and bowls are waiting for cleaning. Not to mention the the pots and pans. The compost is overflowing. The recycling is a mess, and I have at least 2 laundry loads of rags and napkins and dirty towels to do. The fridge looks like a freaking bomb blew up in it with tons of half lidded containers precariously stacked on top of each other, waiting for just the right movement of the neighboring jar or the movement of the hot sauce to have it all come crashing down. Aye ya ya. But all worth it because I love my family and we had a blast. I just need to remember next time I am at one of their houses to like pee on their toilet seat or mash some frosting into their couch cushions, you know, to be fair and all.
Anyway, so today I clean and maybe try to hang up some Christmas decorations? The mr is off to do very nice things for people that might not appreciate it, but do it he is going to do (he is too good a person). Hopefully by the time he comes home later tonight, I will be done cleaning, he will be done helping for a good long while, and we can eat soup and maybe watch a movie together. Or more realistically, he watches a movie while I read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Real life.
Reads I read from the internet this week.
-A long but good read. RuPaul: The Philosopher Queen. who doesn%u2019t love RuPsul?
-I just pulled out a nice tablecloth, covered in stains mind you, but maybe i%u2019ll be able to get some of them out now. A Cheat Sheet to Get Rid of Every Type of Holiday%u00a0Stain. Or not. I don%u2019t think I care enough. HA
-This is so appealing to me especially since the mr loves his heavy comforter and I just want a light blanket with the window thrown open in 20 degree weather. The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets. HE is always covering me up at night.
–The best health foods? Soup, garlic and cake. Food is healing, and if cake makes you feel better, well then cake it be.
-These cakes remind me of my 5ht grade volcano science project. I made it out of cake and whipped cream. It was awesome. Antarctic Research Takes The Cake In These Science-Inspired Confections
–Vegan man sues Burger King claiming meatless burger is cooked on same grill as meat. This is one reason I do not eat out. Oe of the last times I did eat out, there were egg shells in my scamp bled vegan tofu dish%u2026.. So yeah.
-Who doesn%u2019t love a good TV tray? A Brief History of the TV Tray
-HAve you ever raised a adolescent dog%u2026 It is crazy to say the least. Animal adolescence is filled with teen drama and peer pressure
-So there is this ti look forward to. Cockroaches Are Evolving And in the Future They can Become Impossible To Kill
–A Brief and Buttery History of Libby%u2019s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The pie of my childhood.
And pictures from the week.
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.
It%u2019s officially fall and officially fantastic. All of my sweaters are so happy to see me, and me them. So are the sweatpants and the socks. They are here for me to keep me all cozy and warm. Nothing like coming home on a cold dreary day and throwing on a big chunky sweater, a oversized pair of soft sweatpants, and thick wool socks. Add a cup of hot tea, a good book, and a lap blanket and heading out tp sit on the front porch and breathing in all that fresh fall air. So good. So freaking good.
Last Sunday camp was at Gifford State Park. Another Vermont gem. So pretty, so quite, the colors starting to show in the trees. We went for a nice hike into a forest of old growth trees, then launched out the kayaks on a nearby pond and paddles around for awhile. Back to the campsite for lentils and zucchini then the mr fired up some wood and we watched the sun set behind the golden trees. Laid under a sky full of the brightest stars and watching the trees whip around and listened to the wind blow hard and wild all night long. It was dang near perfect. And after the morning coffee making and tent taking down, off into the week we went.
Back in town we got back to it as per usual. The this and that of life. I made gallons of applesauce, fed Barb and went on a tea and pumpkin run (fall essentials). Went over to Moms for dinner and so the mr could fix her sink. I harvesting the last bits of summer from the garden then went to Costco to find a Christmas tree??? (They had them set up right next to the bathing suits and halloween candy. %ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f) We did some more stuff that needed doing. Looked at land in the wilds of Vermont (found a piece but there were offers on it already. So bummed) I worked the studio, picked up farm share, and I worried about the mr after he stabbed himself in the eye with a screwdriver and almost lost the eyeball. Then we had the boys sleep over Friday for Mileys birthday so she could have a sleep over with her friends at her house. We made pizza, went to the park, and all cuddled up in pile of blankets while they watched a weird cartoon something that I paid zero attention to and I read and kind of fell asleep. The next day after pancakes we dropped the off, the mr and I did the chores and then went back over for a little family party for the birthday lady. The mr made spaghetti, Miley and I decorated her cake, then they ate the pasta, then the cake, and then the mr and I peaced out to come home. Straight up, I was feeling way over stimulated from days of human interaction. So I pretty much passed the F out when we got home. I love my family but jeez can they make a lady tired.
Sunday for reals and I am feeling ready. Today is suppose to be another fantastic day, slightly on the chilly side maybe but not raining so that is good. We are heading out for one of the few camps we have left for the year. Zack Pond Woods. A little pond with a couple of undeveloped designated campsites. It is first come, first to use so we are super hoping that we get there and there will be a place available to set up for the night. If not, we might have to boogie over to a campground near by that we have already been too. But I am feeling like there might not be a ton of people trying to camp out on a Sunday night when it is suppose to get into the 30%u2019s overnight and maybe rain the morning. I am ok with all that, especially if that means other people aren%u2019t and leave us be. HA.
Anyway, hope you all are having a grand old weekend and taking in all the fall and focusing on eating all the apples and pumpkins. We know your priorities!
Links to things that I read and looked at n the internet this week.
-Today is National Coffee day!!!!! Everywhere You Can Get Free Coffee for National Coffee Day
–You%u2019ll Be Shocked by How Much Food Americans Waste Each%u00a0Year. Sadly, I was not shocked.
-Fall medicinal shopping list. These to make a syrup for cold and flu, and this for everything. Get it before you need it (and it%u2019s out of stock)
–Tree-Poaching Is On the Rise. What the fuckers. Also, so sad for trees and for the people.
-If telling people a little more gets them to recycle, well tell them what they want to hear! This simple tweak could drastically raise our pathetic recycling rates
–Vegans are more than what they do not eat. Hear Hear!!!!
-Did you know? Peanuts Aren’t Real Nuts (And More Essential Nut Info). Especially good to know when allergies are involved
–Is corn a fruit, a vegetable, or a grain? What were you thinking?
-IF you are going to smoke weed around people, you have to share it. No way around it unless you are an asshole. HA. How to politely smoke weed
–Why Millennials Are Suddenly So Obsessed With Houseplants. I grew up with a million house plants so thats one reason, but also I need real living things around me to feel good feels.
Pictures from the week
Basically we just got back from a long camping weekend and I am dead tired. In between all the hiking, meandering, and not sleeping due to my pointy bones and a mr that snores but is snoring especially loud these days (allergies), I am ready to bed myself. But it was a blast. Now all I need is a shower, a good night sleep, and to check on the garden, then I will be ready to get back out there. I love me the great outdoors!
Being shit ass tired, I am giving myself a pass on accounting caompetley for last week. Basically is was crazy, the mr was crazy, I was crazy. We didn%u2019t go camping. The bar top is in an looking oh so fine. We had food with people. I loaded kilns, the mr worked all over town, we watched my skyscraper sunflower grow even bigger, and baked cupcakes with the littles. That was the gist of it, I think. Basically, just look at the pictures because that is how I remember what I did. HA. (for real) As for this past weekend camping pictures, I get to those later.
And since it%u2019s already Monday, we are already back at it. I got bills bills bill and lots of paperwork to get through today. There is food to process, dentist appointments to go to, art work that needs to be hung for art hop, on top of an apartment floor we need to remove carpet from, sand, and urethane by the end of the week. So yeah, gonna get on that. But first I nap!
The pictures from the week.
So much to catch up on. Skipped last Sunday because the mr and I were in RI visiting my family. After a fantastic visit with the fam (more to come in a separate post, I need to go through the pictures) we came home all happy and full of love and amped for the week which was a good thing becausethe past week was packed.
The school system was still on strike so we spent a bunch of time with the littles, playing with chalk and trashing my house. Then there was the afternoon fun run out to the islands for ice cream with Barb. A strike day cone with all the sprinkles because why not.%u00a0 The teacher strike ended and they all went back to school.(finally)%u00a0 I spent a lot of time over at the loft going through all the shit in the basement and getting rid of things that are not and do not and should not. Which lead to me home cleaning out my closet and getting rid of a bunch of clothes as well. I am on a purge right now and if it (whatever it is) hasn’t seen any action recently it’s gone. And the garden. still so many tomatoes. I have never had or seen so many tomatoes come from one persons back yard before and beside a bed of beets and kale, are the only thing left standing in garden now because I pulled up the rest of the garden. The purge continued on the outside of the house too. I basically just want to get rid of everything. Fresh and clean and minimal and covered in tomatoes.
Up until just this past week, the mr and I have been doing our laundry over at the loft. It is annoying to shlep dirty clothes but we just figured that we are getting a new washer and dryer so no need to kill ourselves moving them from one basement to another. We shelp, we deal, it’s fine. But what is not fine is that we no longer have a washer!!! One of our tenants washers one of the other buildings broke. so what was the solutions? Give them our washer. AAHHH! And me being me will not buy a new washer/dryer until they are sale which will be black Friday sales that happen in November. 6 weeks, at the very least, but it’s cool. I will just go back to doing what we did before we got a washer and dryer, I’ll just got do it at Shannon’s house, which a win win because I get my laundry done and Shannon gets to hang out with me! HA
On top of the washer situation , the mr computer crashed. Of course right? He is dealing like a champ and functioning very well with just using his phone for all of his email and communication needs. I am impressed because when my computer crashed a few years ago I flipped my shit. And now I am really worried that my computer is going to die too because we have the same computers. Eek!
Jackson, my oldest nephew turn 16!!!. I can’t even believe how old he is. The mr and I were just reminiscing about when we first starting dating (15 years ago) that we would go on “dates” that actually were us babysitting Jack. Little Jack and his hockey stick that he used as a weapon. Those were some crazy days. And now he is old and tall(er) and one of my favorite 16 year old kids. And how cute, he actually wanted a family birthday party. So I made a giant oreo cookie cake, the entire family packed into Shannon’s house and no one fought or got injured! Best part, Shannon wrapped up a set of car keys and gave it to Jack. AFter he opened them he got so excited and ran outside to check out his new car. As he opened the door he stepped on something and looked down. He stepped on his new toy car.. HAHAHAHAHA. The look on that kids face. He was crushed and it was amazing. We are asshole people but it’s ok because it is with love.
Yesterday the mr and I went to the annual harvest market in Underhill and did a little road side apple picking. It was a sunny and hot day which kind of killed the fall vibe. I was sweating and we passed on hot apple cider because it 80ish and just to hot. But I did score a pretty cool jar with ducks on it so it was not a complete wash.
And topper. Got home from a day out, kind of tired and just want to clean and relax and the mr gets all excited and crazy. There is a shasta camper for sale and he wants it gone now. “Oh yeah, well go and get it” is what I said and so we did. Drove out to up there Vermont and paid a young man a very very tiny fee to tow a pretty beat up, but still tow-able 1970’s shasta camper home. Huh, that just happened didn’t it? Oh jeeze, we have a freaking (non functional because it needs to be renovated)%u00a0 camper in the driveway.
And that was just some of the past 6 day.
Today is going to be a lax day? I need to be able to have no set plan and just kind of do what comes to me (except I need to go to grocery store and return library books pick out tile because we are finally finishing off the downstairs bathroom this week) But other then that.
Internet fun from the past weeks
-This sucks. USDA Warns That Millions of Pounds of Fake %u2018Organic%u2019 Imports Are Pouring Into U.S And this is why it is important to know your farmer and buy local.
-How Has The Geology Of Vermont Affected Its Character?
-I love Melissa McCarthy (who doesn’t) Trailer for %u2018Cook-Off!%u2019
–Shasta campers. Our is a 14 ft? Maybe, It was dark and weird and I haven’t really even gotten a good look.
–Restoring VW Beetles, Buses … And Dreams. Is it crazy that we still want a bus? Maybe the camper will quench our dreams.
-Nugget ice is pretty fantastic and this ice machine makes it for you at home. No more stealing ice from the hospital (the mr got hooked on the nugget ice from all the hospital trips over the years)
–Vegan hard boiled eggs….. Don’t really understand it.
–Does Happiness Really Make You Healthier? It Depends on Where You Live.
-The view from the top is fantastic. The birds get it all.%u00a0 Aerial Images of Vibrant Landscapes
Ans some pictures from the week.
Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there. May your day be full of sunshine and laughter and all the good things about being a dad.
The mr and I have had a pretty summery week. House stuff is coming along. We picked a paint color for the porch. Painted a bit of the porch, then, I decided I don’t like it. Tried a new color and I am not to sure about that one either. So now the porch is covered in splotchy colors and not painted and I am just ugh. Paint choice can be such a bitch. But we found a kitchen island!!!! The mr has such a good eye for, well, most things, and found this old drafting table for free on craigslist. I was skeptical at first but the thing works perfect in the space and I am just really excited about it. That and the new light fixture that we found at the dump. Things are coming together here and out here of other peoples garbage. I love garbage finds, they are the best.
We also managed to get the kayaks out twice (even if for only a 1/2 hour). After comparing notes last night we realized we should stop going into the choppy lake after dinner. Full stomach and big waves equals a slight vomitty feeling. And the tandem bike, our summer time tradition. Barb, Miley and Judah came over for an end of school year sleep over pizza party and it basically turned into the mr riding around the neighborhood all night with one of them in tow. It was fantastic and quit fun to watch.
Today the mr and I are planning on keeping it low key. It is suppose to be hot and humid today and I am not really looking forward to that. We might try to take the kayaks out again or hit up a river, or just find a nice cool spot to hang out and read. I might even make some iced coffee (but probably not because I still want hot coffee even in a heat wave)
Internet stuff to take a look at.
–Why Can%u2019t America Have Nice Rest Stops? I would love to be able to buy fresh, not nasty produce when I stop to pee.
-Next pie I make I am going for snazzy. 9 Ways to Snazzy Up Your Pie Edges
–Why so many porch ceilings are blue. But I still want to paint my porch ceiling gold.
– Internet owns the grocery store….weird. After The Amazon Deal: What Will Shopping At Whole Foods Feel Like?
–Our Love Of ‘All Natural’ Is Causing A Vanilla Shortage. Hoard your vanilla.
-This is one badass canoe
-Here%u2019s Why You Should Let Go of Your Old, Half-Baked Ideas. This is good advice for me because I can get a billion ideas stuck in my head.
-Huh.. People Are Now Using Coke As a Self-tanner Instead of Drinking It. Wouldn’t you just be really sticky?
-Because Sharks. Step Aside, Humans %u2014 Michael Phelps Is Set to Race Against a Great White Shark During Shark Week
THE LOVELY CRAZY
January 28, 2020 by maximios • Blog
It SNOWED!!!%u2744%ufe0f%u2744%ufe0f%u2744%ufe0f Finally. And after a good bout of freezing rain. But you know what, I liked that too. But snow. It%u2019s like all of a sudden the natural world makes sense again. No more balmy 50 degree days, just nice and cold. Freezing in fact but I love it. And seriously, my body does too. Those flip days where its damp and cool but not cold makes my hand swell and hurt. Give me teens and I am all good.
Besides the good weather we have had this past week, there hasn%u2019t been to heck of a lot. The mr and I did drive Megans face (and body) down to Boston for a quick hot minute (or literally an hour) to a doctors appointment and then jumped back into the car and drove home. That was a whirlwind of a day. Mostly I have been spending a lot of time down in the basement studio working on mugs and plates and a few other things, trying to stock up on stock for selling purposes and what not. Because after a lot of though and second guessing of myself, I have decided that I am going to try and start selling more of my pottery. Even have a little online store thing (which I am trying to build now and is harder then I care for it to be). I even started a new instagram account for it%u00a0(stemandnode) and am trying to figure out how to sell from that. So yeah, been busy trying to do business things.
Otherwise, same same. The mr has barely been home, working away on a few projects, shoveling snow, and showing apartments. We did get a to have an awesome hang out time and dinner with Judah. We did some drawing, ate some food, and just talked about how awesome we were. (That kid, he is one of my favorite humans.) I also spent time at the studio pugging clay and chatting up members. And finally, with a heavy heart, I moved the Christmas tree out of the house. It now resides on the front porch where it will probably stay for another few weeks. It just looks right out there.
We got even more snow last night (!!!) and snow means snowshoes and that is what we are doing today. I am very much excited. This will be the first time this winter that we are able to go! (due to lack of snow.) After snow shoeing, I think I am gonna hit the library, maybe go restock my spices from the bulk bins at the coop, maybe stop in an see the littles, and then hopefully, just come home and chill a bit. Get ready for a week of things and stuff. Make a big pot of split pea soup and go to bed early. Mellow and quiet. Sounds like an A+ day to me.
Some links from the internet to read.
–How Did Humans Boil Water Before the Invention of Pots? Whoa, what a process.
-Spending to much time looking at kilns. Maybe someday or maybe someone will just buy me one. HA
-Should we buy it?
–Our average body temperatures seem to be dropping. I know my average is like 97 something. I always thought I was special. I guess not.
–Apparently Cleaning Our Homes Gives us Just as Much Adrenaline as Race Car Driving. I guess I know how reach car drivers feel on a regular bases.
–Taking care of yourself has a few more benefits other then not feeling like shit all the time. Scientists Calculated How Much Longer You Can Live With a Healthy Lifestyle
–The New York Public Library Has Calculated Its Most Checked-Out Books Of All Time. I love LOVE that is was a children’s book, about snow!
-Oh this is so tempting. I miss working in coffee shops. This Irish Island Will Pay Room and Board for You and a Friend to Work in a Coffee Shop
–The Dark Side of %u2018Compostable%u2019 Take-Out Containers. Not as good as you thing.
–Awesome. Delicate Embroideries Feature Anatomically Accurate Lungs, Brain, and Facial Vessels
Pictures from the week
Hello, hello, hey hey hey!
So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
Are you aware that it is the last week of November? I know right. Every year this happens but seriously, it%u2019s just flying by so fast.
The mr and I did the norms for the week. Went for a amazing hike in nice snow. We worked on work, the mr made paper, I cut up the paper. I spent some time with clay, works the studio, organized some stuff and watched it snow and loved every bit of it. Then it rained and got kind of sad that all the snow melted.%u2639%ufe0f We picked up farm share, had dinner with my mom and Paul, hung out with the littles for a bit, and fed Barb some soup. Nothing terribly exciting, besides feeding Barb. She makes every exciting.
And then we get to Saturday. Family thanksgiving plus is was Erin%u2019s birthday. (Happy Birthday Beotch!) Always crazy, what with every one of my family members together in my house, eating food, and hopped up on booze and sugar. The day started early with me running away to the gym to get in some sane time, then one last stop at the grocery store before heading home to finish baking and getting all the food ready. Barb came over early to help cut up veggies but really, for her and the mr to make fun of me and gossip like little old ladies. So food got prepare, then I cooked it all. (Minus the main which mom made. She made a crazy chicken thing, cooked in her oven, and brought it over. No meat gets cooked in my house.) And then the family descended on the house, hungry and crazy. Food got served/ thrown all over and for a few short minutes, everyone was sitting down all at once together. But that lasted 2 seconds, and the kids went off and I ran back to the kitchen while everyone was eating to straighten up a bit and because I don%u2019t need to see people dropping chicken bits all over. I just let them eat in peace while I hid for a few minutes in the pantry and snacked on roast Brussel sprouts, carrots and mustard.
After everyone ate, we all ran around the house, picked secret Santa names, had a massive dance party in the kitchen and did dessert and birthday cake. Erins birthday yes, but Coco got to blow out the candles. So cute, that little loving the candles and all but I am going to be watching out for him. I think he might turn into a little pyromaniac. HAHAHA. But for real. Dinner ended with everyone leaving except Barb, Megan,and So. We picked up a little but basically just sat in the pantry eating raw Brussel sprouts from the stock, with mustard of course, and talking about boys. Then they left too and the mr and I were left alone to assess the damages.
The house. Oh my, oh my. It is a FUCKING DISATSER! I know I tell you all that I spend a good chunk of time every weekend cleaning%u2026Well this time, today, all Sunday, I%u2019m a be cleaning. Cleaning the cake and ice cream and cookies crumbles all over. Cleaning up the dinner rolls behind the couch, all the ripped paper, smashed potates, food and drinks particles. Chicken bits, which everyone was super awesome about and tried not to get anywhere, are everywhere. All. Over. The house. Then the kitchen. Every single piece of silverware and then some plus at least 40 plates and bowls are waiting for cleaning. Not to mention the the pots and pans. The compost is overflowing. The recycling is a mess, and I have at least 2 laundry loads of rags and napkins and dirty towels to do. The fridge looks like a freaking bomb blew up in it with tons of half lidded containers precariously stacked on top of each other, waiting for just the right movement of the neighboring jar or the movement of the hot sauce to have it all come crashing down. Aye ya ya. But all worth it because I love my family and we had a blast. I just need to remember next time I am at one of their houses to like pee on their toilet seat or mash some frosting into their couch cushions, you know, to be fair and all.
Anyway, so today I clean and maybe try to hang up some Christmas decorations? The mr is off to do very nice things for people that might not appreciate it, but do it he is going to do (he is too good a person). Hopefully by the time he comes home later tonight, I will be done cleaning, he will be done helping for a good long while, and we can eat soup and maybe watch a movie together. Or more realistically, he watches a movie while I read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Real life.
Reads I read from the internet this week.
-A long but good read. RuPaul: The Philosopher Queen. who doesn%u2019t love RuPsul?
-I just pulled out a nice tablecloth, covered in stains mind you, but maybe i%u2019ll be able to get some of them out now. A Cheat Sheet to Get Rid of Every Type of Holiday%u00a0Stain. Or not. I don%u2019t think I care enough. HA
-This is so appealing to me especially since the mr loves his heavy comforter and I just want a light blanket with the window thrown open in 20 degree weather. The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets. HE is always covering me up at night.
–The best health foods? Soup, garlic and cake. Food is healing, and if cake makes you feel better, well then cake it be.
-These cakes remind me of my 5ht grade volcano science project. I made it out of cake and whipped cream. It was awesome. Antarctic Research Takes The Cake In These Science-Inspired Confections
–Vegan man sues Burger King claiming meatless burger is cooked on same grill as meat. This is one reason I do not eat out. Oe of the last times I did eat out, there were egg shells in my scamp bled vegan tofu dish%u2026.. So yeah.
-Who doesn%u2019t love a good TV tray? A Brief History of the TV Tray
-HAve you ever raised a adolescent dog%u2026 It is crazy to say the least. Animal adolescence is filled with teen drama and peer pressure
-So there is this ti look forward to. Cockroaches Are Evolving And in the Future They can Become Impossible To Kill
–A Brief and Buttery History of Libby%u2019s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The pie of my childhood.
And pictures from the week.
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.
It%u2019s officially fall and officially fantastic. All of my sweaters are so happy to see me, and me them. So are the sweatpants and the socks. They are here for me to keep me all cozy and warm. Nothing like coming home on a cold dreary day and throwing on a big chunky sweater, a oversized pair of soft sweatpants, and thick wool socks. Add a cup of hot tea, a good book, and a lap blanket and heading out tp sit on the front porch and breathing in all that fresh fall air. So good. So freaking good.
Last Sunday camp was at Gifford State Park. Another Vermont gem. So pretty, so quite, the colors starting to show in the trees. We went for a nice hike into a forest of old growth trees, then launched out the kayaks on a nearby pond and paddles around for awhile. Back to the campsite for lentils and zucchini then the mr fired up some wood and we watched the sun set behind the golden trees. Laid under a sky full of the brightest stars and watching the trees whip around and listened to the wind blow hard and wild all night long. It was dang near perfect. And after the morning coffee making and tent taking down, off into the week we went.
Back in town we got back to it as per usual. The this and that of life. I made gallons of applesauce, fed Barb and went on a tea and pumpkin run (fall essentials). Went over to Moms for dinner and so the mr could fix her sink. I harvesting the last bits of summer from the garden then went to Costco to find a Christmas tree??? (They had them set up right next to the bathing suits and halloween candy. %ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f) We did some more stuff that needed doing. Looked at land in the wilds of Vermont (found a piece but there were offers on it already. So bummed) I worked the studio, picked up farm share, and I worried about the mr after he stabbed himself in the eye with a screwdriver and almost lost the eyeball. Then we had the boys sleep over Friday for Mileys birthday so she could have a sleep over with her friends at her house. We made pizza, went to the park, and all cuddled up in pile of blankets while they watched a weird cartoon something that I paid zero attention to and I read and kind of fell asleep. The next day after pancakes we dropped the off, the mr and I did the chores and then went back over for a little family party for the birthday lady. The mr made spaghetti, Miley and I decorated her cake, then they ate the pasta, then the cake, and then the mr and I peaced out to come home. Straight up, I was feeling way over stimulated from days of human interaction. So I pretty much passed the F out when we got home. I love my family but jeez can they make a lady tired.
Sunday for reals and I am feeling ready. Today is suppose to be another fantastic day, slightly on the chilly side maybe but not raining so that is good. We are heading out for one of the few camps we have left for the year. Zack Pond Woods. A little pond with a couple of undeveloped designated campsites. It is first come, first to use so we are super hoping that we get there and there will be a place available to set up for the night. If not, we might have to boogie over to a campground near by that we have already been too. But I am feeling like there might not be a ton of people trying to camp out on a Sunday night when it is suppose to get into the 30%u2019s overnight and maybe rain the morning. I am ok with all that, especially if that means other people aren%u2019t and leave us be. HA.
Anyway, hope you all are having a grand old weekend and taking in all the fall and focusing on eating all the apples and pumpkins. We know your priorities!
Links to things that I read and looked at n the internet this week.
-Today is National Coffee day!!!!! Everywhere You Can Get Free Coffee for National Coffee Day
–You%u2019ll Be Shocked by How Much Food Americans Waste Each%u00a0Year. Sadly, I was not shocked.
-Fall medicinal shopping list. These to make a syrup for cold and flu, and this for everything. Get it before you need it (and it%u2019s out of stock)
–Tree-Poaching Is On the Rise. What the fuckers. Also, so sad for trees and for the people.
-If telling people a little more gets them to recycle, well tell them what they want to hear! This simple tweak could drastically raise our pathetic recycling rates
–Vegans are more than what they do not eat. Hear Hear!!!!
-Did you know? Peanuts Aren’t Real Nuts (And More Essential Nut Info). Especially good to know when allergies are involved
–Is corn a fruit, a vegetable, or a grain? What were you thinking?
-IF you are going to smoke weed around people, you have to share it. No way around it unless you are an asshole. HA. How to politely smoke weed
–Why Millennials Are Suddenly So Obsessed With Houseplants. I grew up with a million house plants so thats one reason, but also I need real living things around me to feel good feels.
Pictures from the week
Basically we just got back from a long camping weekend and I am dead tired. In between all the hiking, meandering, and not sleeping due to my pointy bones and a mr that snores but is snoring especially loud these days (allergies), I am ready to bed myself. But it was a blast. Now all I need is a shower, a good night sleep, and to check on the garden, then I will be ready to get back out there. I love me the great outdoors!
Being shit ass tired, I am giving myself a pass on accounting caompetley for last week. Basically is was crazy, the mr was crazy, I was crazy. We didn%u2019t go camping. The bar top is in an looking oh so fine. We had food with people. I loaded kilns, the mr worked all over town, we watched my skyscraper sunflower grow even bigger, and baked cupcakes with the littles. That was the gist of it, I think. Basically, just look at the pictures because that is how I remember what I did. HA. (for real) As for this past weekend camping pictures, I get to those later.
And since it%u2019s already Monday, we are already back at it. I got bills bills bill and lots of paperwork to get through today. There is food to process, dentist appointments to go to, art work that needs to be hung for art hop, on top of an apartment floor we need to remove carpet from, sand, and urethane by the end of the week. So yeah, gonna get on that. But first I nap!
The pictures from the week.
So much to catch up on. Skipped last Sunday because the mr and I were in RI visiting my family. After a fantastic visit with the fam (more to come in a separate post, I need to go through the pictures) we came home all happy and full of love and amped for the week which was a good thing becausethe past week was packed.
The school system was still on strike so we spent a bunch of time with the littles, playing with chalk and trashing my house. Then there was the afternoon fun run out to the islands for ice cream with Barb. A strike day cone with all the sprinkles because why not.%u00a0 The teacher strike ended and they all went back to school.(finally)%u00a0 I spent a lot of time over at the loft going through all the shit in the basement and getting rid of things that are not and do not and should not. Which lead to me home cleaning out my closet and getting rid of a bunch of clothes as well. I am on a purge right now and if it (whatever it is) hasn’t seen any action recently it’s gone. And the garden. still so many tomatoes. I have never had or seen so many tomatoes come from one persons back yard before and beside a bed of beets and kale, are the only thing left standing in garden now because I pulled up the rest of the garden. The purge continued on the outside of the house too. I basically just want to get rid of everything. Fresh and clean and minimal and covered in tomatoes.
Up until just this past week, the mr and I have been doing our laundry over at the loft. It is annoying to shlep dirty clothes but we just figured that we are getting a new washer and dryer so no need to kill ourselves moving them from one basement to another. We shelp, we deal, it’s fine. But what is not fine is that we no longer have a washer!!! One of our tenants washers one of the other buildings broke. so what was the solutions? Give them our washer. AAHHH! And me being me will not buy a new washer/dryer until they are sale which will be black Friday sales that happen in November. 6 weeks, at the very least, but it’s cool. I will just go back to doing what we did before we got a washer and dryer, I’ll just got do it at Shannon’s house, which a win win because I get my laundry done and Shannon gets to hang out with me! HA
On top of the washer situation , the mr computer crashed. Of course right? He is dealing like a champ and functioning very well with just using his phone for all of his email and communication needs. I am impressed because when my computer crashed a few years ago I flipped my shit. And now I am really worried that my computer is going to die too because we have the same computers. Eek!
Jackson, my oldest nephew turn 16!!!. I can’t even believe how old he is. The mr and I were just reminiscing about when we first starting dating (15 years ago) that we would go on “dates” that actually were us babysitting Jack. Little Jack and his hockey stick that he used as a weapon. Those were some crazy days. And now he is old and tall(er) and one of my favorite 16 year old kids. And how cute, he actually wanted a family birthday party. So I made a giant oreo cookie cake, the entire family packed into Shannon’s house and no one fought or got injured! Best part, Shannon wrapped up a set of car keys and gave it to Jack. AFter he opened them he got so excited and ran outside to check out his new car. As he opened the door he stepped on something and looked down. He stepped on his new toy car.. HAHAHAHAHA. The look on that kids face. He was crushed and it was amazing. We are asshole people but it’s ok because it is with love.
Yesterday the mr and I went to the annual harvest market in Underhill and did a little road side apple picking. It was a sunny and hot day which kind of killed the fall vibe. I was sweating and we passed on hot apple cider because it 80ish and just to hot. But I did score a pretty cool jar with ducks on it so it was not a complete wash.
And topper. Got home from a day out, kind of tired and just want to clean and relax and the mr gets all excited and crazy. There is a shasta camper for sale and he wants it gone now. “Oh yeah, well go and get it” is what I said and so we did. Drove out to up there Vermont and paid a young man a very very tiny fee to tow a pretty beat up, but still tow-able 1970’s shasta camper home. Huh, that just happened didn’t it? Oh jeeze, we have a freaking (non functional because it needs to be renovated)%u00a0 camper in the driveway.
And that was just some of the past 6 day.
Today is going to be a lax day? I need to be able to have no set plan and just kind of do what comes to me (except I need to go to grocery store and return library books pick out tile because we are finally finishing off the downstairs bathroom this week) But other then that.
Internet fun from the past weeks
-This sucks. USDA Warns That Millions of Pounds of Fake %u2018Organic%u2019 Imports Are Pouring Into U.S And this is why it is important to know your farmer and buy local.
-How Has The Geology Of Vermont Affected Its Character?
-I love Melissa McCarthy (who doesn’t) Trailer for %u2018Cook-Off!%u2019
–Shasta campers. Our is a 14 ft? Maybe, It was dark and weird and I haven’t really even gotten a good look.
–Restoring VW Beetles, Buses … And Dreams. Is it crazy that we still want a bus? Maybe the camper will quench our dreams.
-Nugget ice is pretty fantastic and this ice machine makes it for you at home. No more stealing ice from the hospital (the mr got hooked on the nugget ice from all the hospital trips over the years)
–Vegan hard boiled eggs….. Don’t really understand it.
–Does Happiness Really Make You Healthier? It Depends on Where You Live.
-The view from the top is fantastic. The birds get it all.%u00a0 Aerial Images of Vibrant Landscapes
Ans some pictures from the week.
Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there. May your day be full of sunshine and laughter and all the good things about being a dad.
The mr and I have had a pretty summery week. House stuff is coming along. We picked a paint color for the porch. Painted a bit of the porch, then, I decided I don’t like it. Tried a new color and I am not to sure about that one either. So now the porch is covered in splotchy colors and not painted and I am just ugh. Paint choice can be such a bitch. But we found a kitchen island!!!! The mr has such a good eye for, well, most things, and found this old drafting table for free on craigslist. I was skeptical at first but the thing works perfect in the space and I am just really excited about it. That and the new light fixture that we found at the dump. Things are coming together here and out here of other peoples garbage. I love garbage finds, they are the best.
We also managed to get the kayaks out twice (even if for only a 1/2 hour). After comparing notes last night we realized we should stop going into the choppy lake after dinner. Full stomach and big waves equals a slight vomitty feeling. And the tandem bike, our summer time tradition. Barb, Miley and Judah came over for an end of school year sleep over pizza party and it basically turned into the mr riding around the neighborhood all night with one of them in tow. It was fantastic and quit fun to watch.
Today the mr and I are planning on keeping it low key. It is suppose to be hot and humid today and I am not really looking forward to that. We might try to take the kayaks out again or hit up a river, or just find a nice cool spot to hang out and read. I might even make some iced coffee (but probably not because I still want hot coffee even in a heat wave)
Internet stuff to take a look at.
–Why Can%u2019t America Have Nice Rest Stops? I would love to be able to buy fresh, not nasty produce when I stop to pee.
-Next pie I make I am going for snazzy. 9 Ways to Snazzy Up Your Pie Edges
–Why so many porch ceilings are blue. But I still want to paint my porch ceiling gold.
– Internet owns the grocery store….weird. After The Amazon Deal: What Will Shopping At Whole Foods Feel Like?
–Our Love Of ‘All Natural’ Is Causing A Vanilla Shortage. Hoard your vanilla.
-This is one badass canoe
-Here%u2019s Why You Should Let Go of Your Old, Half-Baked Ideas. This is good advice for me because I can get a billion ideas stuck in my head.
-Huh.. People Are Now Using Coke As a Self-tanner Instead of Drinking It. Wouldn’t you just be really sticky?
-Because Sharks. Step Aside, Humans %u2014 Michael Phelps Is Set to Race Against a Great White Shark During Shark Week
Pictures from the week