Sometime you look back at a week and think, blah, or whatever, or that sucked. This week I look back and smile. It was a good week. Nothing to special, just springy and warm. I got to hang out with my peoples, see the world turn green and lush, and I didn’t stress too much about anything because what is the point? Plus I bought a single pink carnation at the grocery store at the beginning of the week for the mr. and every time I see it, I smile a little. Sometimes just a little something something is all we need.
So yeah, the week was good. There was the normal stuff of work and what not but also a fair amount of not work stuff. I saw my moms for Mothers day and brought her food. The mr and I went for some long walks that did not involve any outdoor clothing (just normal indoor clothing) We hung out with the littles for a good afternoon of tree house chilling, baby running, three wheeling, and all sorts of other fun. Miley was super pumped to show off her new shoes that are partially gold. She was obsessed and needed to wash them off at the end of the day. Those were the days,when you cared about your shoes? (I am assuming you don%u2019t now , like me, but maybe you do.) Also Barb finally come back to me (school is over so she has time again) me and I feed her soup. Megan also came over for a soup lunch and a walk because that is what we do. (We are a family of eaters and walkers.) I worked on some clay rainbows, planted some more plants, and cleaned under my fingernails. The one big thing that I tried to accomplish and haven%u2019t yet managed is the bike thing. I have been shopping for a new bike and it is so so so HARD! I am not good at buying anything in general, especially when it is for me, and not food, and costs more than 5 bucks. But not just that, it%u2019s that there are so so so many bikes to choose form. I am all like , YIKES! And so I did myself a favor and just gave myself another week to ponder and look and decide. The right bike will present itself when it is suppose to, or when I finally break down and just buy this one.
Yesterday was a good solid day of getting shit done. I got the winter tires changed to summer (thanks Justin!) and hung with Alex while it was happening. We talked music and cassette tapes and how music is everything. Then I went home to the yard and all the massive piles of leaves, dead tree(so sad) and over all lawn degree and the mr and I got it all into the truck to send off to compost land. After hitting the transfer station to offload we made a really quickly stop over to see Anthony getting ready for his prom%u2026.Oh my shit. The kid is like not a kid anymore and was wearing a tux and looking all old and what not. The shinny ass shoes alone were too much for me. (more shoes that need cleaning). How is it possible that I have a sister that is old enough to have a kid that is old enough to be going prom? OH, because I am getting old. That is how. Ha.
And after that, it was back home to finish cleaning and eat dinner and water the garden and feel exhausted but accomplished. I don%u2019t mind being super tired, just as long as I have something to show for it (The yard looks A+ so I am happy)
I think today mainly going to be a work day. The mr has a project that he is in the middle of so he is going to be doing that all day and I have a few things I need to get done and then a ton of other things that need doing as well. Don%u2019t worry, I will be spending some of that time outside with the green things in the dirt, making sure I have sun screen on, listening to some good tunes and drinking coffee like it is going out of style.
The ways of the internet this week.
– The news of abortions and women reproductives rights has been front and center this week. The lengths women have to go to to do what is right for themselves is shameful at best, but basically pretty fucking grotesque. These are the people that are trying to help. The Secret Baby Catchers of Alabama.
–Report: U.S. Navy Cracks Case Of Majestic Sky Dick. Phew. Now we know who to hire for our own sky dick.
-Can%u2019t wait for that new pool to be build around the corner%u2026NOT. And really, didn’t we all know this already? Your Neighborhood Pool Is Full of Unshowered Pee-ers
-A lot of breakfast food in America is basically junk food if you really think about it. Muffins (really cupcakes), pancakes (really cake covered in maple sugar), Pop tarts (pie) yogurt (almost ice cream)%u2026 Its all just desert with a different name. I Broke Breakfast. Americans eat a narrower variety of foods for breakfast than anyone else.%u00a0
-Imagine the magic.. I get feels just thinking about this place. A Fleeting Dandelion Wish Processing Facility Appears For Two Days Outside of Los Angeles
–ECLECTIC DINING STYLE.. I want all the tables and chairs. Just where to put them%u2026%u2026????
-After reading the list, I feel pretty dang awesome cause I clean all that shit! Cleaning Supplies Might be Spreading Dirt Around Here%u2019s How to Clean Them This Weekend
–How Did Chickpea Flour, A Staple Of Indian Cuisine, Become A Health Food Sensation? Because it is amazing. See recipe for Socca.
–Have you tried plogging, the Instagram trend that might be the sustainable sport of the future?. Even if it%u2019s trendy and a way to be cool, well it is pretty cool and great and I am all for it.
–Can %u201cIndie%u201d Social Media Save Us? Something needs too.
Pictures from the week.
Hey hey hey! Happy Sunday. Hope you are finding yourself happy and relaxed and enjoying all the good things the world is giving us. Like coffee and green things. All the coffee, all the green things for sure.
Another week that came and left and now it%u2019s May. MAY! Can you even? The time, where does it all go? (an existential question for you) Our week (and time) started off with a chilly wet jaunt to a river. We were going to go out to the kingdom to watch the salmon jump out of the river but it was just to dang cold and rainy so we decided to hold off on it. But we did make our way to a river near by so the mr could officially toss in a fly line into some water. I guess fishing season started a week or two back but we have had so much rain that it has not been great for fishing, or being outside much for that matter. Anyway, he got a few casts in so he is happy.
Wet and raw weather wise was the way of the weather this week. We did have a few breaks of sun which lead to an impromptu afternoon hike just because the sun came out. It was fantastic, or started off that way. Up and down and around the woods to the very flooded lake. Half the way through the hike we ended up at a boardwalk that had a little water coverage, which was fine because someone placed nice big rocks to pass over. Or so I thought. A few steps in and the bridge gave away and into the lake I went. Just my feet and up my legs a bit, but yeah. I just stood there in shock for what seemed like minutes but eventually made my way to the other side of the bridge, drenched boots and all. The rest of the hike was soggy, but hey, I was outside and there was sun and I wasn%u2019t freezing cold so yeah. Could have been worse. It could have been the mr who went in and I really really would not want to have had to deal with him hiking back with drenched feet. Now if my hiking boats would dry out. That would be great.
Other then our little outdoor adventures, the week went the way the weeks does with work and all. The mr running around frantic, having doors, making room for giant ass wood slabs in the barn, wheeling and dealing.
Friday was all day studio work. Lots and lots of pugging clay. While I was at work the mr picked up littles (Miley, So, and Judah) and they all came to the studio to pick me up. It is always a great way to get people to listen and leave the studio when they are suppose to when a bunch of kids rush in and start demanding food. People, at least the clay people, are scared of hungry little kids. Ha. Off we all went, me covered head to tow in clay. Found out in the car that Judah was sick (so sad) so he went home and it turned into a girls night sleep over. Pizza, soup, and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. We went walking/piggyback riding, the mr and Miley played with the new wood brander which included fire and hot metal. The mr took them to the store to pick out ice cream while I tried to clean myself up, they came back ,ate lots of ice cream, then showered and brushed hair without arguments. They picked out movies without fighting (movies about ballerinas and singing animals) and happily curled up together on the floor. Me being me with no attention span or energy left skipped the movies and went to bed. When I went to wake them up the next morning, I found out that they had woke up (or never went to sleep) in the middle of the night to draw and do yoga? Yeah, I don%u2019t exactly know what went on. What I do know is my yoga mat was upstairs and I remember waking up in the middle of the night to sounds of the wall being kicked a bunch, and there were drawings of crazy things and colored pencils everywhere that were not there when I left them the night before. Hey, if that is what they want to do in the middle of the night, more power to them.
After pancakes and cartoons, the ladies and the mr spent the morning going through a million awesome shells. I guess someone had massive shell collection and gave it over to the mr. Neither of us are really shell people, I mean a few cool ones, but this collection was INSANE. SO we gave them all to the littles. And gave the littles a boxes to bring home to their siblings. They can have all the shells, we are good here.
We dropped girls off, ran around doing errands, then came home and I putz in the yard before going about cleaning the house. Lots of dirt and mud and sticky shit on everything. I just don%u2019t know where it comes from. Well I do actually. And it%u2019s mostly not me so yeah.
Today the mr and I actually are heading out to the kingdom. We need to see some fish jump. A few hours back and forth will give me time for some open window car rid air and reading if it doesn%u2019t make me puke. Picnic lunch by the river and afternoon road coffee. Hopefully we get home in time for me to spend at least a good few hours in the garden to ooh and awe at the stuff that is starting to pop out of the ground and maybe figure out if it%u2019s a perennial I planted or just a weed. Good thing I like weeds too or else I would be terribly disappointed a lot of the time.
Have a few extra minutes? Take a look at some interesting internet from the week.
–The Obamas Are Making a Kids%u2019 Food Show on Netflix. Oh HELL YEAH! And I am not a kid but I am gonna watch it.
-What a great business/environmentally awesome/ logical/ just plain right idea. Toronto Restaurant Fights Waste By Chopping Menu Prices Till Food Is Gone
-Some serious boldness. Bold Line Drawings Layered on Top of Deconstructed Images of Fruit, Flowers, and Animals in Tattoos by Mattia Mambo.
–Rise of the Lady Backpack. Purse. Please. Back packs are the best, but to be honest, I mostly stick to nothing, just my wallet and keys in a pocket. Back pack for biking and hiking and a tote bag for the groceries, the library, or the occasional kitting project. Simple.
-I struggle hard with my OCD cleaning. I sometime wish I had the ability to let things be mess, but then again%u2026. The Unbridled Joy of (Occasionally) Letting Your Room Get Really, Really Messy
–What Comes After a Rut? Take the good with the bad and all the craziness that is the ebb and flow of life.
– Why the Kentucky Derby is a 145-year-old celebration of hats. Now imagine if people went around wearing those hats all the time. The world would be a better place.
-Maine, you so smart. Maine just banned Styrofoam food containers
–How to be assertive without being called a bitch. Why are women always considered bitches? Well I am anyway%u2026.
-I love this and only wish I was ablate %u201cGramp%u201d when my grandparents were alive. ‘Gramping’ Is the Latest Travel Trend Grandparents Need to Know About
And some pictures from the week.
I am so happy for spring. It is my favorite season for sure. All the new, green things popping form the ground.. Warmer but not hot days, rain and sun then rain and more sun. No more winter jackets but sweaters are still good. People are in good moods. Flowers are coming out of the ground. The world is just a delight.
The week started off with a bang. I turned all of the garden beds over and did a great big yard rake and cleaning so things are looking pretty good back there right now. I repotted my tomatoes and peppers and started a bunch of greens and peas which makes me feel awesome. I think this might be the first year that I am actually on top of the planting season like I want to be. Yeh me. I also busted out the bike and went for the first ride of the year. Sure it was only a few blocks, but it was still fantastic. Now what I really need to do is give the old gal a tune up cause the chain was grinding and the tires need air and maybe new brakes? Not sure but I need to get to it, like asap because I plan on making the bike my means of transportation for the summer.
aside from all the that stuff, we also did some work, the mr did even more work (he is always working). I finished up a couple clay projects that have been lingering for a while. We went for lots of walks without jackets and I wore sandals all week. We managed a good stop by to see the littles and bring them carrot cookies. They ate all the cookies (2 dozen), beat the shit out of the mr, and managed to clean while they were doing it. We were impressed to say the least. The mr was sore from getting wacked a bunch.
Then Wednesday was Seans birthday. Would have been 30 years old%u2026Whoa. The family, friends, all of Seans friends went to the basketball court for a little pick up basketball game to celebrate and be together. It was fun, and sad, and good to see all the boys, but sad, but good. Never going get used to it. You know what I mean? Life.
Rest of the week came and went with the usual plus lots of rain and gray, but again, I was all about it because it is spring. worked at the studio on Friday where I moved all the clay in the world, got stabbed so hard by a stray pointy tool that was in slop bucket and got blood everywhere. I also managed to get so much clay in my hair and was overly praised for my height by all the studio ladies. They really appreciate my abilities at grabbing things on high shelves.
And the weekend. Yesterday we woke and basically ran out of the house to moms to borrow her truck (still haven%u2019t found a car to buy). We then drove the truck up to the greater north of Vermont and picked up all the cedar wood we need for the porch. Loaded up, drove back to the porch and unloaded all the wood. I came home for a few hours of power cleaning while the mr ran around all over some more and then back to moms for dinner. (Mom made ham, I brought my own dinner) We ate, Mom brushed my hair and then Barb breaded it which I love love and will never be able to do myself. I raided moms books (found nothing I haven%u2019t read already), searched for a missing bowl, made fun of the boys. Then I came home just in time to passed out.
Today, well today is Easter so after the gym and a few Sunday errands I need to do this morning, we are going to be doing a little easter lunch thing and an egg hunt for the littles at moms with the fam. After that I am coming home and continuing my quest for perfection in the yard, maybe tinker with the bike a bit, take a nap, read, drink all the coffee.. Looking at some sunshine and 70 degrees for the afternoon.. It%u2019s going to be a fine fine day.
And I still have not washed my hair so I need to do that. Most of the clay dried and fell out, but there still is some left%u2026.SO yeah, I need to do that today. I really hate washing my hair.
Internet links to check out.
–Fireflies Will Soon Light Up the Skies In Mesmerizing Harmony%u2014 Here’s How to See Them. I love me some fireflies, how cool would it be to see this.
– The Single Most Useful Snacking Rule I Give My Kid. I don%u2019t have my own kids, but when I have other peoples, I go by a rule like this too except my rule is you can eat veggies any time all the time.
-Want to grow your own avocado tree, here is how. Good luck.
–THE VINTAGE ROMANTIC BATH.. All the clawfoot tubs. Can%u2019t go wrong
-I am so ready. The first official %u201cStranger Things%u201d Season 3 trailer
–4 Natural Ways To Fertilize Houseplants. Now is a good time to fertilize!
-Hate the dentist? Read this and you will only hate it that much more. The Truth About Dentistry
-If ever I was to live on a house boat, this boat would be the one. And the floors in this place%u2026 swoon!
–How One Woman’s ‘Magically Delicious’ Pot Brownies Changed%u00a0History. Brownie Mary, what a lady.
-What the freaking f@ck? I am pretty sure I don%u2019t like where this could go. Neuroscientists just brought pig brain cells back to life.
Some pictures from the week
Hey there people. Happy end of March. Yes, it is true, already a quarter at the way through the year. And no, I don%u2019t know how it happened either. But so that is the way of time now isn%u2019t it.
A week, oh what a week. Not going to lie and say it as all to fanatic to start with. We have been so busy with work and other stuff. Other stuff being bills and paperwork and me trying to get the taxes done. (New rule. We just not mention taxes again until they are done). We did manage a warmish walk to with the littles to spend an hour arguing over weather they can get a king sized candy bar at the store over a lollipop (ended up with gummy worms). There was also a little wood carving, yarn weaving, library pursuing , and neighbor visiting to be had, but other then that, not much else of interest. The week just came and settled into what it was.
And then it was Friday which was a shit day. First off, it was the anniversary of Seans death so you know, already a not great day. But better yet, I Woke up at 4, stub my toe hard on the way back from the bathroom, laid in bed in pain until the throbbing subsided, went to the kitchen to start coffee. As soon as a I turned the faucet on, a little mouse ran across the counter. It took me a good minute of just staring at counter before I registered what happened and started to scream FUCK, FUCK FUCK! I woke the mr up with my profanity. Yup, a mouse in the house, munching on the a bowl of squash seeds I left on the counter. So what can you really do at 4 in the morning? Not much so I went to the gym. I then came home and started cleaning before I had to work at the studio but as I started in on cleaning, the vacuum decided to stop working. Agh. And so the cleaning ceased, I went to work, came home, ate dinner, emptied all the food from the pantry into bags and boxes, then felt all to defeated and sad to do much of anything so just crawled into bed. I figured I would just deal with it all Saturday and I just really needed the day to be over.
Yesterday was the lady, my moms, 60th birthday. Whoop whoop!!( HAPPY HAPPY TO MY MOM). I woke up, baked two cakes, two batches of focaccia, and home made mac and cheese, salad, prepared other foods, and then something for my dinner (my breath still have not recovered from the funk that is of a red onion eaten raw).There was a quick detour during the bake-a-thon to the library for the annual seed swap plus I definitely took out everything from the pantry and vacuumed and sprayed every surface and inspected every piece of food for mice disturbance. (I pretty much have the cleanest pantry ever now.) As for the rest of the house, it is still a mess. Not anything to do with mouse mess, just my Saturday, tear the house apart before I clean and put it back together, mess. While baking I starred in on my weekly clean but things happen and all of a sudden it was time for the mr and I to pack up all the food and head over to my moms house. There we finished food preparing, helped Erin decorate and clean up the house, and then lost my mind a bit. After a near breakdown due to lack of sleep, I mellowed out in time for everyone to show up while Mark and Paul were out with my mom for coffee. When they came home, Mom walked into a house full to the brim with all her kids and most of the grandkids. She was so very happy, I think%u2026.. Ha, no, she was. We then ate the dinner I spent the day slaving over, played outside, went for a walk that looked like a parade, came back for cake and ice cream and presents (everyone got her plants.), and whoa, before I knew it it was 7:30 pm and I was still awake and not in bed. Craziness. But that was it, I lost all steam. We came home to a half trashed house and I basically just assed the f out. The mr set the mouse traps. Have- a-heart, but also some not. I don%u2019t want to know. I just can%u2019t.
Today I am going to clean clean clean. Then maybe clip my toes nails, brush my hair, and get my head ready for the hectic week to come. It%u2019s going to be a full one. There is concrete pouring, the dreaded %u201cnot the be mentioned until they are done%u201d papers, I have a shit ton of stuff that needs to be glazed, seeds to start, yards to clean. It%u2019s spring. Everything needs to be done. Good thing the world has coffee. I am going to need it all.
P.S. It is official. The sandals are out. No more shoes for the next 6 months!
Here are some interesting reads from the interent this week. Read what you want.
-The most significant event in the history of earth. Thats some shit. The Day the Dinosaurs Died
–Why Do I Put Off Doing Things I Love? I know I have been guilty of doing before but I really try to use what I have, especially it is my favorite. Having shit just stashed away is pointless. Use it (whatever it is)
-I want to experience the greatness of the cherry blossom. 25 gorgeous photos of cherry blossoms
-Life we would be something with giant cats. Japanese Illustrator Imagines A World Where Humans Live Among Giant Animals
-I love airbnb but this is definitely something that has crossed my mind and kind of freaks me out. Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem. But there are cameras and hidden cameras everywhere so%u2026.
–Why Rewatching the Same Shows Is Actually Good For You. I get this. I barely watch tv, but when I do, I like to watch old shows that I have watched before. Gives me good feels and plus I don%u2019t have to pay attention. Plus. Too Much Video Streaming To Choose From? It’s Only Going To Get Worse
-Whoa dude. Yep, You Can Juice a Lemon Without Cutting It%u2014Here’s%u00a0How
–14 ways to break your plastic habit. Even doing a few of these things will make a difference.
-Awesome.KAWS Floats a Massive Inflatable Sculpture in Hong Kong%u2019s Victoria Harbour
–GREEN IN THE KITCHEN. Yes to all of them.
Pictures from the week.
We got the little spring teaser. 2 beautiful days, high 50%u2019s, a bit of sunshine. Most of the snow and ice melted and little green shoots appeared underneath all that snow. I even opened all the windows and left the front door open to air out the house. It was amazing. And the sun. When it is out, it is out and feels so so nice. ( I am definitely vitamin D deficient). But again. It was a tease. Back to it being not so warm and a little more snow ( it snowed last night). Aye Yai Yai!! Just be spring already!
Week was and now its over minus that hour we lost which actually kind of kicked my ass. The beginning of the week, rolling out af bed at 4:30 to get to the gym, well my body didn%u2019t like it much and gosh was I tired and dragging ass. But I am all adjusted now and everything is good. And we have more light at night which is nice I guess. I don%u2019t mind reading in bed with natural light. HA.
There were a few good walks, one down by the lake, another with Megan down to the river. (We are all trying and needing to stay off of hiking trails for a little while because they are either covered in ice or mud and we don%u2019t want to trash them) The mr spent a good amount of time ripping up a porch and doing porch things all the while being on rat duty for friends of ours. Barb was suppose to come over for lunch and a hike of some sort be she kept ditching me with oversleeping. I have been plugging away, ever so slowly and because they are taking over my life, at taxes. Barf. I did manage to start tomatoes and pepper seeds, have the littles over for dinner and popsicles, worked at the studio, contemplated renting and driving a bulldozer %u2026 Nothng big or grand. Not yet anyway.
Today, after the gym and doing a few little chores, we are going to pack a lunch and head out of town. I%u2019ll grab the binoculars and maybe we can find a good place to do a little bird watching. That is how the day is feeling. Slow and lovely and full of birds. They are coming back, I can hear them more and more, bringing with them the spring.
Links from the week to browse at your leisure.
–Why Southeast Asia Is Flooded With Trash From America And Other Wealthy Nations. And now we are all going to feel the affects because they don%u2019t want to buy our recycling anymore. How to actually recycle
–Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? The science of language and how it has evolved
-It%u2019s not fancy but this is the Sweater of my dreams.
–The One Thing I Hate About Being a Wellness Influencer. You are allowed o eat, even things that are not considered healthy. Stop being haters.
-One at a time. Nobody Blows Out Birthday Candles Like Mitt Romney. I actually kind of love it. Next time I need to blow out candles%u2026%u2026
–The Pineapple Hack That%u2019s Taking Over the Internet Right%u00a0Now
-Shall I get myself a cottage like this one in Scotland too? I think so.
–A Popular Benefit of Houseplants Is a Myth. But I don%u2019t care, they improve life.
-Welcome to Vermont. Goat starts term as town’s pet mayor. And did you hear. Bill would place Vermont on year-round daylight saving time
-All the lovely chairs. THE TIMELESS BEAUTY OF BENTWOOD.
And some pictures from the week
Ok, I think I hit that wall. The wall that all of a sudden I am over it. I am ready for spring, like hella ready. I think what broke was the day I didn’t need my coat outside or to wear socks in the house. I just realized how sick of wearing a coat every time I leave the house. And the day I was walking around the house barefoot without socks. Let me tell you, my feet couldn%u2019t have been any happier. And then it got cold again and I am now, well, now I am done. Bring on Spring! (summer can wait, still not ready for that)
As for the week, it was up and down. It started off all good and well. Had a sister dinner at my moms house, we%u2019re getting ready to leave for the week to go see my Dad and Grandmother, but before we got a chance to go, Grammy passed away. Sucky sucky suck. We knew it was going to happen, the old broad was 98 for pets sake, but still. We just thought we were going to be able to get down there and see her before it did. So yeah it%u2019s been kind of a sad week. And because she passed we are waiting til next week to leave now because of funeral and all the jazz.
The rest of the went kind of unscripted and strange. We were all feeling sad and bummed. Also we didn%u2019t have a lot planned because we thought we were leaving, but we also had (have) a lot to do so we tried to get some stuff done. We did take some time to go see green stuff at the garden center, walk in some woods, and hang with the littles. But towards the weekend, we both started to feel like garbage. The mr especially. He was ok and then he was not. The littles slept over Friday night and after we got rid of them Saturday, he crashed and spent the rest of the day pretty much immobile and I still felt like trash. So basically I cleaned house, he slept on the couch, we ate some dinner, we walked around the block before the sun went down, came home and crawled into bed. We watched Waynes World because sheyeah, right, and fell right to sleep. Nothing but boring old us to make your life seem exciting right? Haha.
Today so far I am feeling ok. As for the mr, he hasn%u2019t woken as of yet (I am sure that he has since awaken while some of you are reading this) so I am not sure about him. I am hoping for a full recovery on his part and we can spend some of today doing that shit that we needed to do yesterday, like the chores, but maybe even a little hike or a little walk down by the lake. I need outdoors to wash the yesterday off me.
Links to stuff from the internet that don%u2019t suck.
–Recipe Introductions Matter. Here’s%u00a0Why. If you don%u2019t want to read what I write, well then don%u2019t.
-History and study about the neighborhood where I grew up. ONE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT
-You know what pisses me off? Going to the store and seeing that they are out of celery because it is now what everyone wants to drink. I just wanted to eat it. Is that allowed abymore> Actually, You Can Just Drink Some Water
-This is a thing and it is awesome. A New Book Explores the Wide Range of Charming Homemade Cat Ladders in Switzerland
-I love this TREE HOUSE
-30, no 60 (one for me, one for the mr) outfits that I need to make. AMAZING! HAHA 30 Laughable His-And-Hers Fashions From The 1970s You Wouldn%u2019t Wear In Public Today
-The mr and I were just talking about making artificial coffee for when the world goes to hell and we can not longer grow the bean. Someone also had the somewhat same idea. Atomo: We hacked the coffee bean – invented molecular coffee
–You Can Now Book a%u00a0Golden Girls Cruise, Complete with Cheesecake, Bingo and More!. A cruise I would take, just as long as I could still go to bed at 7pm. HA
-Poptarts? I guess so. In London, The American Food Aisle Is Filled With Nostalgia And Preservatives
-The dream. Sometimes. I bought a house%u2014and then moved into a van
And some pictures of the week.
Is it too early to be thinking and planning my garden? I woke up with the sudden urge to browse all the seed catalogs even though I told the mr I was not going to buy any seeds this year. I%u2019m going to depend entirely on last years seeds and seed swaps. No need for more then what I need. So that is where my head is at right now. Seeds. Growing all the lettuce. Tomato varieties galore. I am starting to really crave dirt, like playing in it, not eating it. But I am craving coffee too so I should do that soon before I loss my mind.
Lets see, what did I do this week. Nothing really out of the norm, unless you call ice skating my way around the outside world not normal. (it was not normal) Everyitng has been covered in ice and I don%u2019t know how many times I have nearly smashed out all my teeth or broken all my bones from almost slipping. Sure I could have chosen to not adventure out on icy iciness, but who would I be if I was not outside. Anyway, besides ice world, we had the littles come for dinner and fighting (with each other, not us) Barb came for dinner and all the college age gossip our brains could handle. The mr started a new hobby of weaving baskets (already he is fucking awesome at it) and also decided to make more creepy ass doll head cars. I did some painting, cleaned my studio all up and nice, make cupcakes, bought new running shoes, returned new running shoes (not the right size) We worked, we played, we spend as much time outside during the warm snap as we could, hoping all the ice would melt and being rewarded with more ice. It was basically a basic week without any extravagances. No real incidents (besides me cracking my head on a metal bed lift bar and leaving myself with a nice egg bruise on face), no crazy stories (besides some of the stuff Barb told us but that is not mine to tell). Quiet and semi clean. Keeping it average and that is good for now.
I have very little in the way of plans so far for today. I%u2019ll hit the gym, library, and probably the grocery store this morning but after that, empty. The mr is going to be in and out of the house all day working so I will probably try to get some work done too. Or not. I am not opposed to keeping things mellow. Maybe a long walk down by the river or into the trees. I could use some trees right now. Options open with no expectations other the I expect to do something.
My internet browsing for your taking.
-Important coffee stuff. Know what you are drinking. What’s the Difference Between Light and Dark Roast Coffee?
-What. The once a month that I actually clean my water bottle is not good enough%u2026.Wait, You Need to Clean Your Water Bottle *How*%u00a0Often? Well then.
-So much truth. ON STRUGGLING TO BE AN ADULT. I am always shocked whenever I realize that I am not 18.
-Would you ship your luggage ahead of a flight? I have been thinking about the best way to get a butt load of camping shit to a destination without paying a million and half dollars. This might be it. Skip the stress.Ship your luggage.
–New ‘unicorn’ mantis species found in Brazilian rainforest. The new cool unicorn.
-Do you eat breakfast? I don%u2019t, unless you count as much coffee as I can get in my mouth, but that is because I am not really hungry in the morning. Sometime I wonder if I would be a better person if I ate sornething earlier in the day. But then I think I don%u2019t really care to be all that much better and after reading this, I don%u2019t need to eat. Breakfast Isn%u2019t Pointless, But It%u2019s Having an Identity Crisis
–Cat Power. All the feels. Every. Single. Time.
–Tiny houses have a dark secret. I guess some people just want to live in a tiny house but store all of their shit in a regular house. Hum.
-I am not ready for an animal right now, but this I could handle. You Can Build Your Own Life-Size Cat Using These Blocks.
–Why Do Elephants Have Trunks? Why Do Giraffes Have Purple Tongues?. Also good to know that if I ever get a cut, just have giraffe lick me and all will be good.
And pictures from the week.
Are you a frozen popsicle? Did you make any popsicles or a pair of those frozen pants that I am seeing all over the news? I should have made frozen pants.. maybe next time. Done and done, the polar vortex had come and gone and I am hoping that is stay up up and away for thirst of the winter. My nose and butt have nearly frozen off this week. Give me temps in the teens and I will be all set thank you very much.
The week was a week as any week could be as weekly as can be. Does that make sense? Not really but kinda. Nothing new, cold as fuck, but still kind of nice. I didn%u2019t do much in the way of work besides a little paper work and worked at the studio. Honestly, I spent a good amount of time this week reading and trying not to freeze (for someone trying not to freeze, I sure did go outside a lot). The mr did his usual running around all day everyday. Things have been a little harder since the truck is kind of dead and now we are down to the one car, a car the is not meant for totting around toilets so we have some car stuff to deal with. Sunday we did make it outside for a few hours of some fantastic snow shoeing and tree hugging. Basically throughout the week we did lunches, one with my mom, So, and Megan, one with Barb. The mr made a new jacket rack by the front door, glued more doll heads on cars, and placed frozen hands all over the neighborhoods. We didn%u2019t see the littles very much as they were all busy, too busy for us, but whatever. (I miss them%u2026sad face) And yesterday we took Barb on a snack shopping trip, went to the mall (fist time in like 5 years) and watched Barb contemplate a soft pretzel or not (she just got a lemonade). A weekly week week. See what I mean?
Today the mr and I are suppose to go in such of an ice castle. That is the plan, well that and make the bed with clean sheets because it%u2019s Sunday. I%u2019ll let you know how it turns out. (The sheets always turn out A+.)
Interent from the week.
–Think this polar vortex was cold? It should have been colder. Yup, that little snap was nothing and that is not a good thing.
-Science things. The surprising science of why ice is so slippery
–So You%u2019re Saying My Seltzer Is Not Made of Crushed Up Bliss. What a bummer.
-This is the best tassel wall hanging I have ever seen. Maybe I will actually make it. DIY Tassel Wall Hanging
–Beyonc%u00e9’s Offering a Lifetime Supply of Concert Tickets to 1 Winner Who Goes Vegan But what about the already vegan folks?
-I think anyone living in Vermont could tell you cell service sucks. One Man’s Quest To Prove Vermont Has Terrible Cell Service
–Life goals for next project.Guy Documents 14 Years Of Excavating His Basement With RC Toys
-Thank you Macauley Culkin. Color Of The Month: Coral? Peach? Salmon? Fuck. Get Me The Swatches.
–Irresistible Baby Houseplants. They are so cute. I want them all.
-This is really awesome, just not sure how it%u2019s gonna work out because babies are well, they be babies, but If I worked for the state with a baby, this would make me very happy. Vermont to Allow State Workers to Bring Their Infants to Work.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
May 20, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Sometime you look back at a week and think, blah, or whatever, or that sucked. This week I look back and smile. It was a good week. Nothing to special, just springy and warm. I got to hang out with my peoples, see the world turn green and lush, and I didn’t stress too much about anything because what is the point? Plus I bought a single pink carnation at the grocery store at the beginning of the week for the mr. and every time I see it, I smile a little. Sometimes just a little something something is all we need.
So yeah, the week was good. There was the normal stuff of work and what not but also a fair amount of not work stuff. I saw my moms for Mothers day and brought her food. The mr and I went for some long walks that did not involve any outdoor clothing (just normal indoor clothing) We hung out with the littles for a good afternoon of tree house chilling, baby running, three wheeling, and all sorts of other fun. Miley was super pumped to show off her new shoes that are partially gold. She was obsessed and needed to wash them off at the end of the day. Those were the days,when you cared about your shoes? (I am assuming you don%u2019t now , like me, but maybe you do.) Also Barb finally come back to me (school is over so she has time again) me and I feed her soup. Megan also came over for a soup lunch and a walk because that is what we do. (We are a family of eaters and walkers.) I worked on some clay rainbows, planted some more plants, and cleaned under my fingernails. The one big thing that I tried to accomplish and haven%u2019t yet managed is the bike thing. I have been shopping for a new bike and it is so so so HARD! I am not good at buying anything in general, especially when it is for me, and not food, and costs more than 5 bucks. But not just that, it%u2019s that there are so so so many bikes to choose form. I am all like , YIKES! And so I did myself a favor and just gave myself another week to ponder and look and decide. The right bike will present itself when it is suppose to, or when I finally break down and just buy this one.
Yesterday was a good solid day of getting shit done. I got the winter tires changed to summer (thanks Justin!) and hung with Alex while it was happening. We talked music and cassette tapes and how music is everything. Then I went home to the yard and all the massive piles of leaves, dead tree(so sad) and over all lawn degree and the mr and I got it all into the truck to send off to compost land. After hitting the transfer station to offload we made a really quickly stop over to see Anthony getting ready for his prom%u2026.Oh my shit. The kid is like not a kid anymore and was wearing a tux and looking all old and what not. The shinny ass shoes alone were too much for me. (more shoes that need cleaning). How is it possible that I have a sister that is old enough to have a kid that is old enough to be going prom? OH, because I am getting old. That is how. Ha.
And after that, it was back home to finish cleaning and eat dinner and water the garden and feel exhausted but accomplished. I don%u2019t mind being super tired, just as long as I have something to show for it (The yard looks A+ so I am happy)
I think today mainly going to be a work day. The mr has a project that he is in the middle of so he is going to be doing that all day and I have a few things I need to get done and then a ton of other things that need doing as well. Don%u2019t worry, I will be spending some of that time outside with the green things in the dirt, making sure I have sun screen on, listening to some good tunes and drinking coffee like it is going out of style.
The ways of the internet this week.
– The news of abortions and women reproductives rights has been front and center this week. The lengths women have to go to to do what is right for themselves is shameful at best, but basically pretty fucking grotesque. These are the people that are trying to help. The Secret Baby Catchers of Alabama.
–Report: U.S. Navy Cracks Case Of Majestic Sky Dick. Phew. Now we know who to hire for our own sky dick.
-Can%u2019t wait for that new pool to be build around the corner%u2026NOT. And really, didn’t we all know this already? Your Neighborhood Pool Is Full of Unshowered Pee-ers
-A lot of breakfast food in America is basically junk food if you really think about it. Muffins (really cupcakes), pancakes (really cake covered in maple sugar), Pop tarts (pie) yogurt (almost ice cream)%u2026 Its all just desert with a different name. I Broke Breakfast. Americans eat a narrower variety of foods for breakfast than anyone else.%u00a0
-Imagine the magic.. I get feels just thinking about this place. A Fleeting Dandelion Wish Processing Facility Appears For Two Days Outside of Los Angeles
–ECLECTIC DINING STYLE.. I want all the tables and chairs. Just where to put them%u2026%u2026????
-After reading the list, I feel pretty dang awesome cause I clean all that shit! Cleaning Supplies Might be Spreading Dirt Around Here%u2019s How to Clean Them This Weekend
–How Did Chickpea Flour, A Staple Of Indian Cuisine, Become A Health Food Sensation? Because it is amazing. See recipe for Socca.
–Have you tried plogging, the Instagram trend that might be the sustainable sport of the future?. Even if it%u2019s trendy and a way to be cool, well it is pretty cool and great and I am all for it.
–Can %u201cIndie%u201d Social Media Save Us? Something needs too.
Pictures from the week.
Hey hey hey! Happy Sunday. Hope you are finding yourself happy and relaxed and enjoying all the good things the world is giving us. Like coffee and green things. All the coffee, all the green things for sure.
Another week that came and left and now it%u2019s May. MAY! Can you even? The time, where does it all go? (an existential question for you) Our week (and time) started off with a chilly wet jaunt to a river. We were going to go out to the kingdom to watch the salmon jump out of the river but it was just to dang cold and rainy so we decided to hold off on it. But we did make our way to a river near by so the mr could officially toss in a fly line into some water. I guess fishing season started a week or two back but we have had so much rain that it has not been great for fishing, or being outside much for that matter. Anyway, he got a few casts in so he is happy.
Wet and raw weather wise was the way of the weather this week. We did have a few breaks of sun which lead to an impromptu afternoon hike just because the sun came out. It was fantastic, or started off that way. Up and down and around the woods to the very flooded lake. Half the way through the hike we ended up at a boardwalk that had a little water coverage, which was fine because someone placed nice big rocks to pass over. Or so I thought. A few steps in and the bridge gave away and into the lake I went. Just my feet and up my legs a bit, but yeah. I just stood there in shock for what seemed like minutes but eventually made my way to the other side of the bridge, drenched boots and all. The rest of the hike was soggy, but hey, I was outside and there was sun and I wasn%u2019t freezing cold so yeah. Could have been worse. It could have been the mr who went in and I really really would not want to have had to deal with him hiking back with drenched feet. Now if my hiking boats would dry out. That would be great.
Other then our little outdoor adventures, the week went the way the weeks does with work and all. The mr running around frantic, having doors, making room for giant ass wood slabs in the barn, wheeling and dealing.
Friday was all day studio work. Lots and lots of pugging clay. While I was at work the mr picked up littles (Miley, So, and Judah) and they all came to the studio to pick me up. It is always a great way to get people to listen and leave the studio when they are suppose to when a bunch of kids rush in and start demanding food. People, at least the clay people, are scared of hungry little kids. Ha. Off we all went, me covered head to tow in clay. Found out in the car that Judah was sick (so sad) so he went home and it turned into a girls night sleep over. Pizza, soup, and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. We went walking/piggyback riding, the mr and Miley played with the new wood brander which included fire and hot metal. The mr took them to the store to pick out ice cream while I tried to clean myself up, they came back ,ate lots of ice cream, then showered and brushed hair without arguments. They picked out movies without fighting (movies about ballerinas and singing animals) and happily curled up together on the floor. Me being me with no attention span or energy left skipped the movies and went to bed. When I went to wake them up the next morning, I found out that they had woke up (or never went to sleep) in the middle of the night to draw and do yoga? Yeah, I don%u2019t exactly know what went on. What I do know is my yoga mat was upstairs and I remember waking up in the middle of the night to sounds of the wall being kicked a bunch, and there were drawings of crazy things and colored pencils everywhere that were not there when I left them the night before. Hey, if that is what they want to do in the middle of the night, more power to them.
After pancakes and cartoons, the ladies and the mr spent the morning going through a million awesome shells. I guess someone had massive shell collection and gave it over to the mr. Neither of us are really shell people, I mean a few cool ones, but this collection was INSANE. SO we gave them all to the littles. And gave the littles a boxes to bring home to their siblings. They can have all the shells, we are good here.
We dropped girls off, ran around doing errands, then came home and I putz in the yard before going about cleaning the house. Lots of dirt and mud and sticky shit on everything. I just don%u2019t know where it comes from. Well I do actually. And it%u2019s mostly not me so yeah.
Today the mr and I actually are heading out to the kingdom. We need to see some fish jump. A few hours back and forth will give me time for some open window car rid air and reading if it doesn%u2019t make me puke. Picnic lunch by the river and afternoon road coffee. Hopefully we get home in time for me to spend at least a good few hours in the garden to ooh and awe at the stuff that is starting to pop out of the ground and maybe figure out if it%u2019s a perennial I planted or just a weed. Good thing I like weeds too or else I would be terribly disappointed a lot of the time.
Have a few extra minutes? Take a look at some interesting internet from the week.
–The Obamas Are Making a Kids%u2019 Food Show on Netflix. Oh HELL YEAH! And I am not a kid but I am gonna watch it.
-What a great business/environmentally awesome/ logical/ just plain right idea. Toronto Restaurant Fights Waste By Chopping Menu Prices Till Food Is Gone
-Some serious boldness. Bold Line Drawings Layered on Top of Deconstructed Images of Fruit, Flowers, and Animals in Tattoos by Mattia Mambo.
–Rise of the Lady Backpack. Purse. Please. Back packs are the best, but to be honest, I mostly stick to nothing, just my wallet and keys in a pocket. Back pack for biking and hiking and a tote bag for the groceries, the library, or the occasional kitting project. Simple.
-I struggle hard with my OCD cleaning. I sometime wish I had the ability to let things be mess, but then again%u2026. The Unbridled Joy of (Occasionally) Letting Your Room Get Really, Really Messy
–What Comes After a Rut? Take the good with the bad and all the craziness that is the ebb and flow of life.
– Why the Kentucky Derby is a 145-year-old celebration of hats. Now imagine if people went around wearing those hats all the time. The world would be a better place.
-Maine, you so smart. Maine just banned Styrofoam food containers
–How to be assertive without being called a bitch. Why are women always considered bitches? Well I am anyway%u2026.
-I love this and only wish I was ablate %u201cGramp%u201d when my grandparents were alive. ‘Gramping’ Is the Latest Travel Trend Grandparents Need to Know About
And some pictures from the week.
I am so happy for spring. It is my favorite season for sure. All the new, green things popping form the ground.. Warmer but not hot days, rain and sun then rain and more sun. No more winter jackets but sweaters are still good. People are in good moods. Flowers are coming out of the ground. The world is just a delight.
The week started off with a bang. I turned all of the garden beds over and did a great big yard rake and cleaning so things are looking pretty good back there right now. I repotted my tomatoes and peppers and started a bunch of greens and peas which makes me feel awesome. I think this might be the first year that I am actually on top of the planting season like I want to be. Yeh me. I also busted out the bike and went for the first ride of the year. Sure it was only a few blocks, but it was still fantastic. Now what I really need to do is give the old gal a tune up cause the chain was grinding and the tires need air and maybe new brakes? Not sure but I need to get to it, like asap because I plan on making the bike my means of transportation for the summer.
aside from all the that stuff, we also did some work, the mr did even more work (he is always working). I finished up a couple clay projects that have been lingering for a while. We went for lots of walks without jackets and I wore sandals all week. We managed a good stop by to see the littles and bring them carrot cookies. They ate all the cookies (2 dozen), beat the shit out of the mr, and managed to clean while they were doing it. We were impressed to say the least. The mr was sore from getting wacked a bunch.
Then Wednesday was Seans birthday. Would have been 30 years old%u2026Whoa. The family, friends, all of Seans friends went to the basketball court for a little pick up basketball game to celebrate and be together. It was fun, and sad, and good to see all the boys, but sad, but good. Never going get used to it. You know what I mean? Life.
Rest of the week came and went with the usual plus lots of rain and gray, but again, I was all about it because it is spring. worked at the studio on Friday where I moved all the clay in the world, got stabbed so hard by a stray pointy tool that was in slop bucket and got blood everywhere. I also managed to get so much clay in my hair and was overly praised for my height by all the studio ladies. They really appreciate my abilities at grabbing things on high shelves.
And the weekend. Yesterday we woke and basically ran out of the house to moms to borrow her truck (still haven%u2019t found a car to buy). We then drove the truck up to the greater north of Vermont and picked up all the cedar wood we need for the porch. Loaded up, drove back to the porch and unloaded all the wood. I came home for a few hours of power cleaning while the mr ran around all over some more and then back to moms for dinner. (Mom made ham, I brought my own dinner) We ate, Mom brushed my hair and then Barb breaded it which I love love and will never be able to do myself. I raided moms books (found nothing I haven%u2019t read already), searched for a missing bowl, made fun of the boys. Then I came home just in time to passed out.
Today, well today is Easter so after the gym and a few Sunday errands I need to do this morning, we are going to be doing a little easter lunch thing and an egg hunt for the littles at moms with the fam. After that I am coming home and continuing my quest for perfection in the yard, maybe tinker with the bike a bit, take a nap, read, drink all the coffee.. Looking at some sunshine and 70 degrees for the afternoon.. It%u2019s going to be a fine fine day.
And I still have not washed my hair so I need to do that. Most of the clay dried and fell out, but there still is some left%u2026.SO yeah, I need to do that today. I really hate washing my hair.
Internet links to check out.
–Fireflies Will Soon Light Up the Skies In Mesmerizing Harmony %u2014 Here’s How to See Them. I love me some fireflies, how cool would it be to see this.
– The Single Most Useful Snacking Rule I Give My Kid. I don%u2019t have my own kids, but when I have other peoples, I go by a rule like this too except my rule is you can eat veggies any time all the time.
-Want to grow your own avocado tree, here is how. Good luck.
–THE VINTAGE ROMANTIC BATH.. All the clawfoot tubs. Can%u2019t go wrong
-I am so ready. The first official %u201cStranger Things%u201d Season 3 trailer
–4 Natural Ways To Fertilize Houseplants. Now is a good time to fertilize!
-Hate the dentist? Read this and you will only hate it that much more. The Truth About Dentistry
-If ever I was to live on a house boat, this boat would be the one. And the floors in this place%u2026 swoon!
–How One Woman’s ‘Magically Delicious’ Pot Brownies Changed%u00a0History. Brownie Mary, what a lady.
-What the freaking f@ck? I am pretty sure I don%u2019t like where this could go. Neuroscientists just brought pig brain cells back to life.
Some pictures from the week
Hey there people. Happy end of March. Yes, it is true, already a quarter at the way through the year. And no, I don%u2019t know how it happened either. But so that is the way of time now isn%u2019t it.
A week, oh what a week. Not going to lie and say it as all to fanatic to start with. We have been so busy with work and other stuff. Other stuff being bills and paperwork and me trying to get the taxes done. (New rule. We just not mention taxes again until they are done). We did manage a warmish walk to with the littles to spend an hour arguing over weather they can get a king sized candy bar at the store over a lollipop (ended up with gummy worms). There was also a little wood carving, yarn weaving, library pursuing , and neighbor visiting to be had, but other then that, not much else of interest. The week just came and settled into what it was.
And then it was Friday which was a shit day. First off, it was the anniversary of Seans death so you know, already a not great day. But better yet, I Woke up at 4, stub my toe hard on the way back from the bathroom, laid in bed in pain until the throbbing subsided, went to the kitchen to start coffee. As soon as a I turned the faucet on, a little mouse ran across the counter. It took me a good minute of just staring at counter before I registered what happened and started to scream FUCK, FUCK FUCK! I woke the mr up with my profanity. Yup, a mouse in the house, munching on the a bowl of squash seeds I left on the counter. So what can you really do at 4 in the morning? Not much so I went to the gym. I then came home and started cleaning before I had to work at the studio but as I started in on cleaning, the vacuum decided to stop working. Agh. And so the cleaning ceased, I went to work, came home, ate dinner, emptied all the food from the pantry into bags and boxes, then felt all to defeated and sad to do much of anything so just crawled into bed. I figured I would just deal with it all Saturday and I just really needed the day to be over.
Yesterday was the lady, my moms, 60th birthday. Whoop whoop!!( HAPPY HAPPY TO MY MOM). I woke up, baked two cakes, two batches of focaccia, and home made mac and cheese, salad, prepared other foods, and then something for my dinner (my breath still have not recovered from the funk that is of a red onion eaten raw).There was a quick detour during the bake-a-thon to the library for the annual seed swap plus I definitely took out everything from the pantry and vacuumed and sprayed every surface and inspected every piece of food for mice disturbance. (I pretty much have the cleanest pantry ever now.) As for the rest of the house, it is still a mess. Not anything to do with mouse mess, just my Saturday, tear the house apart before I clean and put it back together, mess. While baking I starred in on my weekly clean but things happen and all of a sudden it was time for the mr and I to pack up all the food and head over to my moms house. There we finished food preparing, helped Erin decorate and clean up the house, and then lost my mind a bit. After a near breakdown due to lack of sleep, I mellowed out in time for everyone to show up while Mark and Paul were out with my mom for coffee. When they came home, Mom walked into a house full to the brim with all her kids and most of the grandkids. She was so very happy, I think%u2026.. Ha, no, she was. We then ate the dinner I spent the day slaving over, played outside, went for a walk that looked like a parade, came back for cake and ice cream and presents (everyone got her plants.), and whoa, before I knew it it was 7:30 pm and I was still awake and not in bed. Craziness. But that was it, I lost all steam. We came home to a half trashed house and I basically just assed the f out. The mr set the mouse traps. Have- a-heart, but also some not. I don%u2019t want to know. I just can%u2019t.
Today I am going to clean clean clean. Then maybe clip my toes nails, brush my hair, and get my head ready for the hectic week to come. It%u2019s going to be a full one. There is concrete pouring, the dreaded %u201cnot the be mentioned until they are done%u201d papers, I have a shit ton of stuff that needs to be glazed, seeds to start, yards to clean. It%u2019s spring. Everything needs to be done. Good thing the world has coffee. I am going to need it all.
P.S. It is official. The sandals are out. No more shoes for the next 6 months!
Here are some interesting reads from the interent this week. Read what you want.
-The most significant event in the history of earth. Thats some shit. The Day the Dinosaurs Died
–Why Do I Put Off Doing Things I Love? I know I have been guilty of doing before but I really try to use what I have, especially it is my favorite. Having shit just stashed away is pointless. Use it (whatever it is)
-I want to experience the greatness of the cherry blossom. 25 gorgeous photos of cherry blossoms
-Life we would be something with giant cats. Japanese Illustrator Imagines A World Where Humans Live Among Giant Animals
-I love airbnb but this is definitely something that has crossed my mind and kind of freaks me out. Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem. But there are cameras and hidden cameras everywhere so%u2026.
–Why Rewatching the Same Shows Is Actually Good For You. I get this. I barely watch tv, but when I do, I like to watch old shows that I have watched before. Gives me good feels and plus I don%u2019t have to pay attention. Plus. Too Much Video Streaming To Choose From? It’s Only Going To Get Worse
-Whoa dude. Yep, You Can Juice a Lemon Without Cutting It%u2014Here’s%u00a0How
–14 ways to break your plastic habit. Even doing a few of these things will make a difference.
-Awesome. KAWS Floats a Massive Inflatable Sculpture in Hong Kong%u2019s Victoria Harbour
–GREEN IN THE KITCHEN. Yes to all of them.
Pictures from the week.
We got the little spring teaser. 2 beautiful days, high 50%u2019s, a bit of sunshine. Most of the snow and ice melted and little green shoots appeared underneath all that snow. I even opened all the windows and left the front door open to air out the house. It was amazing. And the sun. When it is out, it is out and feels so so nice. ( I am definitely vitamin D deficient). But again. It was a tease. Back to it being not so warm and a little more snow ( it snowed last night). Aye Yai Yai!! Just be spring already!
Week was and now its over minus that hour we lost which actually kind of kicked my ass. The beginning of the week, rolling out af bed at 4:30 to get to the gym, well my body didn%u2019t like it much and gosh was I tired and dragging ass. But I am all adjusted now and everything is good. And we have more light at night which is nice I guess. I don%u2019t mind reading in bed with natural light. HA.
There were a few good walks, one down by the lake, another with Megan down to the river. (We are all trying and needing to stay off of hiking trails for a little while because they are either covered in ice or mud and we don%u2019t want to trash them) The mr spent a good amount of time ripping up a porch and doing porch things all the while being on rat duty for friends of ours. Barb was suppose to come over for lunch and a hike of some sort be she kept ditching me with oversleeping. I have been plugging away, ever so slowly and because they are taking over my life, at taxes. Barf. I did manage to start tomatoes and pepper seeds, have the littles over for dinner and popsicles, worked at the studio, contemplated renting and driving a bulldozer %u2026 Nothng big or grand. Not yet anyway.
Today, after the gym and doing a few little chores, we are going to pack a lunch and head out of town. I%u2019ll grab the binoculars and maybe we can find a good place to do a little bird watching. That is how the day is feeling. Slow and lovely and full of birds. They are coming back, I can hear them more and more, bringing with them the spring.
Links from the week to browse at your leisure.
–Why Southeast Asia Is Flooded With Trash From America And Other Wealthy Nations. And now we are all going to feel the affects because they don%u2019t want to buy our recycling anymore. How to actually recycle
–Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? The science of language and how it has evolved
-It%u2019s not fancy but this is the Sweater of my dreams.
–The One Thing I Hate About Being a Wellness Influencer. You are allowed o eat, even things that are not considered healthy. Stop being haters.
-One at a time. Nobody Blows Out Birthday Candles Like Mitt Romney. I actually kind of love it. Next time I need to blow out candles%u2026%u2026
–The Pineapple Hack That%u2019s Taking Over the Internet Right%u00a0Now
-Shall I get myself a cottage like this one in Scotland too? I think so.
–A Popular Benefit of Houseplants Is a Myth. But I don%u2019t care, they improve life.
-Welcome to Vermont. Goat starts term as town’s pet mayor. And did you hear. Bill would place Vermont on year-round daylight saving time
-All the lovely chairs. THE TIMELESS BEAUTY OF BENTWOOD.
And some pictures from the week
Ok, I think I hit that wall. The wall that all of a sudden I am over it. I am ready for spring, like hella ready. I think what broke was the day I didn’t need my coat outside or to wear socks in the house. I just realized how sick of wearing a coat every time I leave the house. And the day I was walking around the house barefoot without socks. Let me tell you, my feet couldn%u2019t have been any happier. And then it got cold again and I am now, well, now I am done. Bring on Spring! (summer can wait, still not ready for that)
As for the week, it was up and down. It started off all good and well. Had a sister dinner at my moms house, we%u2019re getting ready to leave for the week to go see my Dad and Grandmother, but before we got a chance to go, Grammy passed away. Sucky sucky suck. We knew it was going to happen, the old broad was 98 for pets sake, but still. We just thought we were going to be able to get down there and see her before it did. So yeah it%u2019s been kind of a sad week. And because she passed we are waiting til next week to leave now because of funeral and all the jazz.
The rest of the went kind of unscripted and strange. We were all feeling sad and bummed. Also we didn%u2019t have a lot planned because we thought we were leaving, but we also had (have) a lot to do so we tried to get some stuff done. We did take some time to go see green stuff at the garden center, walk in some woods, and hang with the littles. But towards the weekend, we both started to feel like garbage. The mr especially. He was ok and then he was not. The littles slept over Friday night and after we got rid of them Saturday, he crashed and spent the rest of the day pretty much immobile and I still felt like trash. So basically I cleaned house, he slept on the couch, we ate some dinner, we walked around the block before the sun went down, came home and crawled into bed. We watched Waynes World because sheyeah, right, and fell right to sleep. Nothing but boring old us to make your life seem exciting right? Haha.
Today so far I am feeling ok. As for the mr, he hasn%u2019t woken as of yet (I am sure that he has since awaken while some of you are reading this) so I am not sure about him. I am hoping for a full recovery on his part and we can spend some of today doing that shit that we needed to do yesterday, like the chores, but maybe even a little hike or a little walk down by the lake. I need outdoors to wash the yesterday off me.
Links to stuff from the internet that don%u2019t suck.
–Recipe Introductions Matter. Here’s%u00a0Why. If you don%u2019t want to read what I write, well then don%u2019t.
-History and study about the neighborhood where I grew up. ONE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT
-You know what pisses me off? Going to the store and seeing that they are out of celery because it is now what everyone wants to drink. I just wanted to eat it. Is that allowed abymore> Actually, You Can Just Drink Some Water
-This is a thing and it is awesome. A New Book Explores the Wide Range of Charming Homemade Cat Ladders in Switzerland
-I love this TREE HOUSE
-30, no 60 (one for me, one for the mr) outfits that I need to make. AMAZING! HAHA 30 Laughable His-And-Hers Fashions From The 1970s You Wouldn%u2019t Wear In Public Today
-The mr and I were just talking about making artificial coffee for when the world goes to hell and we can not longer grow the bean. Someone also had the somewhat same idea. Atomo: We hacked the coffee bean – invented molecular coffee
–You Can Now Book a%u00a0Golden Girls Cruise, Complete with Cheesecake, Bingo and More!. A cruise I would take, just as long as I could still go to bed at 7pm. HA
-Poptarts? I guess so. In London, The American Food Aisle Is Filled With Nostalgia And Preservatives
-The dream. Sometimes. I bought a house%u2014and then moved into a van
And some pictures of the week.
Is it too early to be thinking and planning my garden? I woke up with the sudden urge to browse all the seed catalogs even though I told the mr I was not going to buy any seeds this year. I%u2019m going to depend entirely on last years seeds and seed swaps. No need for more then what I need. So that is where my head is at right now. Seeds. Growing all the lettuce. Tomato varieties galore. I am starting to really crave dirt, like playing in it, not eating it. But I am craving coffee too so I should do that soon before I loss my mind.
Lets see, what did I do this week. Nothing really out of the norm, unless you call ice skating my way around the outside world not normal. (it was not normal) Everyitng has been covered in ice and I don%u2019t know how many times I have nearly smashed out all my teeth or broken all my bones from almost slipping. Sure I could have chosen to not adventure out on icy iciness, but who would I be if I was not outside. Anyway, besides ice world, we had the littles come for dinner and fighting (with each other, not us) Barb came for dinner and all the college age gossip our brains could handle. The mr started a new hobby of weaving baskets (already he is fucking awesome at it) and also decided to make more creepy ass doll head cars. I did some painting, cleaned my studio all up and nice, make cupcakes, bought new running shoes, returned new running shoes (not the right size) We worked, we played, we spend as much time outside during the warm snap as we could, hoping all the ice would melt and being rewarded with more ice. It was basically a basic week without any extravagances. No real incidents (besides me cracking my head on a metal bed lift bar and leaving myself with a nice egg bruise on face), no crazy stories (besides some of the stuff Barb told us but that is not mine to tell). Quiet and semi clean. Keeping it average and that is good for now.
I have very little in the way of plans so far for today. I%u2019ll hit the gym, library, and probably the grocery store this morning but after that, empty. The mr is going to be in and out of the house all day working so I will probably try to get some work done too. Or not. I am not opposed to keeping things mellow. Maybe a long walk down by the river or into the trees. I could use some trees right now. Options open with no expectations other the I expect to do something.
My internet browsing for your taking.
-Important coffee stuff. Know what you are drinking. What’s the Difference Between Light and Dark Roast Coffee?
-What. The once a month that I actually clean my water bottle is not good enough%u2026.Wait, You Need to Clean Your Water Bottle *How*%u00a0Often? Well then.
-So much truth. ON STRUGGLING TO BE AN ADULT. I am always shocked whenever I realize that I am not 18.
-Would you ship your luggage ahead of a flight? I have been thinking about the best way to get a butt load of camping shit to a destination without paying a million and half dollars. This might be it. Skip the stress.Ship your luggage.
–New ‘unicorn’ mantis species found in Brazilian rainforest. The new cool unicorn.
-Do you eat breakfast? I don%u2019t, unless you count as much coffee as I can get in my mouth, but that is because I am not really hungry in the morning. Sometime I wonder if I would be a better person if I ate sornething earlier in the day. But then I think I don%u2019t really care to be all that much better and after reading this, I don%u2019t need to eat. Breakfast Isn%u2019t Pointless, But It%u2019s Having an Identity Crisis
–Cat Power. All the feels. Every. Single. Time.
–Tiny houses have a dark secret. I guess some people just want to live in a tiny house but store all of their shit in a regular house. Hum.
-I am not ready for an animal right now, but this I could handle. You Can Build Your Own Life-Size Cat Using These Blocks.
–Why Do Elephants Have Trunks? Why Do Giraffes Have Purple Tongues?. Also good to know that if I ever get a cut, just have giraffe lick me and all will be good.
And pictures from the week.
Are you a frozen popsicle? Did you make any popsicles or a pair of those frozen pants that I am seeing all over the news? I should have made frozen pants.. maybe next time. Done and done, the polar vortex had come and gone and I am hoping that is stay up up and away for thirst of the winter. My nose and butt have nearly frozen off this week. Give me temps in the teens and I will be all set thank you very much.
The week was a week as any week could be as weekly as can be. Does that make sense? Not really but kinda. Nothing new, cold as fuck, but still kind of nice. I didn%u2019t do much in the way of work besides a little paper work and worked at the studio. Honestly, I spent a good amount of time this week reading and trying not to freeze (for someone trying not to freeze, I sure did go outside a lot). The mr did his usual running around all day everyday. Things have been a little harder since the truck is kind of dead and now we are down to the one car, a car the is not meant for totting around toilets so we have some car stuff to deal with. Sunday we did make it outside for a few hours of some fantastic snow shoeing and tree hugging. Basically throughout the week we did lunches, one with my mom, So, and Megan, one with Barb. The mr made a new jacket rack by the front door, glued more doll heads on cars, and placed frozen hands all over the neighborhoods. We didn%u2019t see the littles very much as they were all busy, too busy for us, but whatever. (I miss them%u2026sad face) And yesterday we took Barb on a snack shopping trip, went to the mall (fist time in like 5 years) and watched Barb contemplate a soft pretzel or not (she just got a lemonade). A weekly week week. See what I mean?
Today the mr and I are suppose to go in such of an ice castle. That is the plan, well that and make the bed with clean sheets because it%u2019s Sunday. I%u2019ll let you know how it turns out. (The sheets always turn out A+.)
Interent from the week.
–Think this polar vortex was cold? It should have been colder. Yup, that little snap was nothing and that is not a good thing.
-Science things. The surprising science of why ice is so slippery
–So You%u2019re Saying My Seltzer Is Not Made of Crushed Up Bliss. What a bummer.
-This is the best tassel wall hanging I have ever seen. Maybe I will actually make it. DIY Tassel Wall Hanging
–Beyonc%u00e9’s Offering a Lifetime Supply of Concert Tickets to 1 Winner Who Goes Vegan But what about the already vegan folks?
-I think anyone living in Vermont could tell you cell service sucks. One Man’s Quest To Prove Vermont Has Terrible Cell Service
–Life goals for next project. Guy Documents 14 Years Of Excavating His Basement With RC Toys
-Thank you Macauley Culkin. Color Of The Month: Coral? Peach? Salmon? Fuck. Get Me The Swatches.
–Irresistible Baby Houseplants. They are so cute. I want them all.
-This is really awesome, just not sure how it%u2019s gonna work out because babies are well, they be babies, but If I worked for the state with a baby, this would make me very happy. Vermont to Allow State Workers to Bring Their Infants to Work.
And some pictures from the week.