Sunday Happy

How are you handling the winter so far? Are you freezing you ass off? Are you spending all of your time inside? Me, I freakin love it!!!! Sure -20 is a bit rough on the eyeballs and there is a need for an extra layer or two but I really truly feel that winter is season of my soul. I want to spend all of my time outside. The world is calm and quiet and no one else around. It just feels bigger and more full and I could live the season forever. But yeah, it has been damn cold this week. Multiple frozen face mornings for sure.

The week was nothing special. Well the snow we got was fantastic. I wasn’t feeling the greatest (not sick, just blah) but I also found out that someone I worked with last week had covid so I was a little edgy and basically went outside for runs and walks but stayed away from people until I went and got tested. Got the results back and no covid, yay!(Although when I got the email and it said negative the first thought was, Oh shit, negative means I have it! That thought lasted about a minute before I woke up. Ha!) So it was a low key week. I shoveled a lot, Barb come over for dinner, I picked up farm share, painted some mugs, threw a few big ass bowls, stuck my wheel on cinderblocks (FINALLY), and went outside I much as I could without getting frost bite. The mr has been home a lot so we are still doing our afternoon reading hour thing. He has gotten a little better at not talking. But he still does. And that’s about it.

Today, well it is going to feel down right balmy with temperatures in like the high teens so you bet I am dragging the mr out. I have a few hikes in mind but I haven’t decided on where we should go. I want to get out of town but don’t want to drive to far (car air dries me right out.) We might also go look at some ice sculptures, maybe pick up a cup of coffee, walk around like tourist. We will see how much outdoor activity I can pack in before the mr calls uncle.

Some internet from the week.

-Oscar Mayer comes out with bologna-inspired sheet masks. This just looks really freaking g.ross.

-I will never ever let someone else pick out my groceries and deliver them to me. I don’t care what anyone says. NEVER! I Haven’t Stepped Foot in a Grocery Store in 21 Months — Here’s What’s Changed and What I’ve Learned Since I Started Getting My Groceries Delivered

-The M&Ms are different now. Killing that sexy candy vibe.

-This pretty much sums it up. You’re Invited to the Wedding I Planned in Middle School.

-Is It Really That Important to Rotate My Pans While Baking?

-I love me a good meteor shower. Ten Dazzling Celestial Events to See in 2022.

-Grocery Store Shortages Are Back. Here’s Why.

-And here I thought a dingbat was a not very nice name for a somewhat looper person. Everything You Need to Know About Dingbats, the Retro Home Style That’s All Over LA

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Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

Does anyone else feel like time is going by like a sink drip (I don’t even know what that means.) But basically super fast and really slow and holy shit it is almost the end of the year and when did that happen? Yeah, I got hit with that realization and it’s kinda thrown me off and now I don’t even know. You know?

We started off the week with camping at Mt Ascutney State park and we brought along Barb for the fun. Drove down into the gorgeousness of the woods, hiked up a mountain in the cold, walked around the campground in the rain, made food, ate food, and sat by the fire. When the rain got bad enough we slipped into our tents and assed out, woke up, made coffee, and drove on home.

And then it was Barbs birthday so we did that. Food and cake at moms and everyones mouth turned blue except mine cause I don’t eat cake.

Then the rest of the week was a lot of pot painting, waxing, and glazing. I also managed to sneak in a wet ass hike with Meg and So. I also picked up one of the last summer farm shares, cleared out more of the garden, and made a batch of bagels because why not.

Yesterday we had all the littles over to carve/paint pumpkins. It was messy, it was loud, and it was fantastic. The mr was a champ and gutted them all, I made food and offered up my knife cutting skills, and Barb got white paint all over my floor. Miley, Jada and Judah are old enough now where we dont matter much so they did their own thing but little Coco, oh what a ham that kid is! Painted and grooved to tunes and just was such a happy dude. Gosh I love those little people!.

Needless to say the pumpkins came out great and after everyone left I spent the rest of the night cleaning up paint and pumpkin guts…Of course.

It’s Sunday and it is the last camping Sunday of the year. I always get sad when camping season ends but we got this last one and we are gong to make it count. A good hike, a big fire, and all the warmest clothes. It’s gonna be a cold one, it might even snow a little tonight and I am all the way here for it. (Yay!)

Internet from the week

-100% yes. Stop Shopping. America needs you to buy less junk.

-Apple-Picking Is Too Easy. Truth. I can’t bring myself to pay the crazy prices to pick pesticide covered perfect apples anymore. Road side apple picking all the way!

-Gardening 101: How to Use Fallen Leaves. We just mow them over and let them decompose or I lie the garden bed with them.

-Sad that they needed to but good that they did. Ivory poaching has triggered a surge in elephants born without tusks

-I have wondered this myself.What Makes Something “Antique” Versus “Vintage”?

-When Did This Time of Year Become “Spooky Season”?

-Carving a pumpkin? Don’t chuck the seeds. How to Store Pumpkin Seeds, Raw or Roasted

-4 Truths About Cleaning Away Spider Webs at Home, According to an Arachnologist. Try to be nice.

-I am here all the way for this. TIS THE SEASON FOR COZY CABINS.

-Anatomy of Fall Reading. Exactly.

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

The past few days have been almost summer like around here and I am not having it anymore. I look at my sweaters but do not put them on because it’s too hot. Seriously the fuck?

The week started at Half Moon Stare Park. We hiked around a nearby lake, took the kayaks out for one last time before winter, and enjoyed all the pretty colors that the trees we flashing. It was gorgeous and wonderful and we didn’t even mind that the park was full of out of state leaf peepers (Well, the mr didn’t mind. I was a little annoyed but you know..) Then after a feast of soup and a relaxing evening fire, we crawled into the tent and passed ourselves out. Woke up, broke down the tent, made the coffee and headed on home.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Started the fall list of things to do before winter. I ripped out most of the garden. Worked, made phone calls, did the stuff that needed doing. Yeah, not really much to say about that.

Back to Sunday. Camping as usual but this week we are brining along Barb. Heading out early, driving south to a mountain to climbing it, then gonna hang out, eat food, and enjoy the last bits of fall foliage with nice cool weather next to a camp fire. I got my hat, mittens, and long underwear packed. I am here for it!

Stuff I looked at on the world wide web.

-This truly scares the shit out of me. High schoolers are training to drive 18-wheelers amid a shortage of truck drivers

-30 Spooky, Odd & Adorable Pumpkin Carving Ideas. The littles are coming over this weekend to carve and if I remember correctly, they suck at it (at using a knife that is). Might bust out some paint for the weak ones.

-Keep in mind. Holiday Shipping Deadlines Are Out 

-Why Does Dust Accumulate So Quickly After You Clean? Dust is the freaking worst. I feel like I am always dusting.

-The Dinner Party Is Dead. Long Live the Dinner Party. Are you partying at your parties? You will not see any fancy china or place settings at a dinner “party” of mine, that is for damn sure.

-Watch out friends! B.C. woman nearly hit by meteorite that crashed through bedroom ceiling

-Everybody’s Eating Like It’s the ’90s Again and it is gross. Ha

-Awesomeness. Immerse yourself in nature with these 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year images

-Not to be a bummer but…The Problem with Halloween Spiderweb Decorations. I hate them anyway so you know, stop with them.

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

How you doing? The weather around here is fine fine fine these past few days. I’ll focus on that because the world has got me going and feeling all softs of ways right now and I can’t even. It is so much. But apples right? And sweaters. I pulled on a sweater for the first time in what felt like forever and it was just the best.

Another week. Started off with the usual camp, hike, kayak, and soup. (It never gets old). We found ourselves crawling into the tent little earlier then usual because it’s getting darker earlier, and fell fast asleep because it is not stupid hot at night anymore! Then we woke up, drank coffee, walked around in the dark, and came back to town.

Back to the world and I had the same thought I have every time… “Why did we come back?” I really should live in a hut in the middle of the forest. Haha, but for reals. Anyway I spent most of the week down in my studio, doing my thing, staying away from people. Everyone is getting sick and I am not having any of that, no thank you. I did have lunch with Barb though cause its Barb and I also picked up farm share, went on many walks, glazed some stuff at the studio, and ate another entire watermelon all to myself. I am getting pretty good at that, if I do say so myself.

So yeah, not very eventful in my little bubble and I am a ok with that.

It’s back to Sunday and we are going camping and feeling fine for it. Going to try and not think to much about much of anything and just take the day as it is, away from people, the news, the things and the stuff, and be happy amongst the trees. And drink all the coffee. I can already tell its gonna be a extra few cups kind of day today!

Internet from the week.

-Fuuuucck Texas and Fuuuuuuck the Supreme Court. The staggering implications of the Supreme Court’s Texas anti-abortion ruling

-I love this so much! Sprawling Paper-Pulp Mobiles by Yuko Nishikawa Suspend Whimsically Colored Pods in the Air

-This Road Trip Map Helps You Visit the 47 Iconic National Parks in the Shortest Time. Even if this country seems like a shit show right now, this is on the bucket list!

-I do it all the time. It Turns Out, You Can Store Tomatoes in the Fridge

-Just lovely. Dark, and Deep: An 1800s Victorian House in Nebraska, Restored Down to the Doorknobs

-If You Can’t Stand People Fidgeting, You May Have Misokinesia. Maaaaybe me?

-Dogs are so smart! Your Dog May Know If You've Done Something On Purpose, Or Just Screwed Up

-Oh to love or to hate the lady. I love her, I can’t help it. But believe everything, well not exactly. The Promises Martha Stewart Made—and Why We Wanted to Believe Them

-The Great British Pudding Mystery: What, Exactly, Is a Spotted Dick? And to think I thought it was just a spotted dick. HAHA!

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

What a week. Cool and dreary with a little sun sprinkled in here and there. I know a lot of folks hate this weather but I love it. It’s my favorite!

Last weeks camping was so good!. We went to our favorite state park, Half Moon, and it was just so nice. Super quiet, the trees were amazing, the temperature was fantastic. We hiked through the woods to a little pond, kayaked around 2 separate ponds, and the rm did some fishing while I did some reading. Everything was just A+. Even when it started to rain in the middle of the night. It didn’t bother me. I guess I told the mr that it wasn't suppose to rain so it didn’t matter and that he shouldn’t put the rainfly on. (My logic is spot on when I am sleeping.). And yeah we got a little wet, but whatever, still was the best. (the mr eventually put the fly on. Good call on his part to not listen to me.)

Then back to the world we came. To the doctors, to work stuff, to siding the porch on one of the houses. All the fun things that was on the list of the stuff to do.

And it was Alex’s 15th birthday (Happy Birthday!!WOO HOO!) so we went over to see him and have dinner and birthday cake. We also went for a nice rainy day foliage drive which again, my favorite weather, was really some of the best fall color we have seen in some years.

After working at the studio on Friday I rushed home fast to make a Pokemon cake for Saturday. Early Sartuday morning we grabbed the little, snagged Barb, and did our annual farm day pumpkin picking, masked and social distancing and all. We took the wagon to the field, they picked pumpkins (they all picked the first ones they saw) and did a little flower picking after. Then back to my house for a birthday party celebration for Coco. Technically his birthday is today (HAPPY BIRTHDYA COCO!) but we did a little party for him yesterday. Ate lunch, played around then surprised him with his pikachu cake. He was so happy! Then we gave him his presents (his own package of his favorite cookies, a hand knitted hat, and a vintage kids accordion) ate cake, and ran around the house playing with the accordion to the point where I wanted to smash it. He loved it all (even loved the hat!) and the accordion is home with him and can drive everyone who lives with him crazy. HAHA!

I must mention one thing. Judah was talking to Barb about her job as a house cleaner and all the things she has to do. He then said he would love to get paid to clean my house because it would be like getting free money cause my house is so clean. That really made my day. With that said, it has been a while since I have had so much cake all over the house. I really don’t understand how they do it. Everyone was sitting at the table and were not being messy or gross or anything but after they left and I started in on my cleaning routine…. cake was EVERYWHERE!. I might just make it mandatory for all food to be consumed outside from now on. Although that probably won’t work either. The littles (and sometime the mr) are slobs and no matter what or where they eat, it will get all over.

And now Sunday. So so ready to get out. Elmore State Park is the destination and we are going to take a good long hike up a mountain while we are there. Hopefully there are not a shit ton of other people around. (Vermont during foliage season is the best time and the worst time.. too many people!) I have a pumpkin packed for dinner, the rain fly (just in case) and the wool blankets. It’s gonna be a chilly one tonight!

Internet from the weeks internet.

-How to Cope When Everything Feels Bad and Somehow It Keeps Getting Worse. My go to is reading. Guess that is why I have been reading 2 books a week.

-Celebrate the House Meal, the Go-To Dish for When There’s No One to Satisfy but Yourself. Sometime I wonder how weird and screwed up my tastes are compared to others but then I think how screwy other peoples are.I think that we all eat some weird shit and the weird shit is almost always the best.

-I would live here. An Architect’s Scandi-Inspired Off-the-Grid Hut

-Sugar bread is not bread. For Subway, A Ruling Not So Sweet. Irish Court Says Its Bread Isn't Bread

-Yes, Halloween Trees Are Officially a Thing, and We Don’t Hate It. But I think I might hate it. At least use a different tree. Geesh.

-All of these floors.

-58,000 Pounds of Carrots Were Dumped at a London University. Could have just dumped them in my front lawn. I like a good art installation. And carrots.

-Vermont proud. Vermonter raises zucchini currently listed as world's largest in 2020

-May The Fattest Bear Win: Voting Opens For National Park's Pre-Hibernation Contest.. Love a fat bear.

-I just really like this. Portable Candlelight

Pictures from the week.

-C