Ladybugs Pack Wings and Engineering Secrets in Tidy Origami Packages

Sunday Happy

Besides the usual hubbub of life around here, a few things really stick out to me from last week. First off, at the beginning of the week we FINALLY BOUGHT A VAN!!! It was amazing. A big white astro van. Original big boat like seats. The three door trunk that was everything. Ashrtays in the back seat (yes they did) . Its was perfect. Perfect for work, for travel, perfect for life. But notice I say "it was". Well guess what? We also RETURNED A VAN!!!! Yup. We bought it, brought it home, and as soon as we got home, the brakes went out. Oh, ok we thought. Let's bring it to our mechanic and see what he says. Turns out the mechanic that we bought it from was a little shady and sold us a lemon. Not only were the bakes rotten, but there was a bunch of other hidden issues. So yeah. no more van. We were, and still are a bit crushed, but it could have been worse right? We could have been flying down the interstate when the brakes gave out and that would have been much much worse.

Enough about the van. A good thing this week is Erin and I went and got bikes for the littles. It was awesome. They were so excited and cute and it was just so good. We walked into the bike shop, picked out bikes, test rode bikes, and bought bikes, all within an hour. Yeah I might have told them they suck because they were able to just go get a bike and I have been bike shopping for over a month and have spent hours at the bike shop, but whatever. And so we brought the bike back to my house, I made dinner, and they biked around the neighborhood. At first Judah was having really hard time because he had never ridden a grip brake, shifting bike, but after a little lesson from the mr, the kid was off. Only stopped to tell us that his nuts hurt. (Good to know kid).

And last but but not least, maybe the worst part of life at the moment. The MOTHERFUCKING MOSQUITOS. Those fuckers be feasting on me like what. It's nasty disgusting, and all sorts of terrible. All of a sudden there are millions and billions and you can barely even walk out of the house before they start to swarm. I have received no less then one thousand bites this week, and that is me trying not to get bitten. (Yes I am exaggerating, but seriously.) I don't even know what to do anymore. It is so bad that when you walk from the house to the car you are probably going to get bitten in the face at least once if not a bunch of times. It is all sorts of wrong and I just can't even. I lay awake at night trying not to itch off all my skin because of all the bites. And they are not normal mosquitos bites, these bits itch and almost hurt for days. Gardening.. please. I am out there in all my socks, pants, jackets, and hoods. Still they attack my face and hands. Hopefully this is the worst of it and any day now all the bats will come and eat them aaaaaalllllll!!!!!I(I might start importing bats to my house) That or I am going to turn myself into an electric bug zapper. How? Not sure yet. I'll let you know if I figure it out.

Anyway. That is mostly the gist of the week. Some downs, some ups, but all and all not horrible. The weather alone folks. Let talk about that for a minute. How freaking fantastic has it been? I am loving it. Little sun here and there, Some rain showers, a few thunderstorms. Not cold, not hot. Pretty much perfect in my eyes. And the world. So much pretty! The trees. I mean, can you not say spring foliage might be even better then fall? The trees are just so vibrant in greens, whites and purples. It is good. We are good.

Now for today. I am leaving the house much too early to go read and drink coffee in the car, waiting for the gym to open. Why you may ask would I do that. Well if I want to go to the gym, I need to get inside the perimeter of the Vermont City Marathon. The course starts right around there so the roads will be blocked off with thousands of people running for a few hours this morning. Sure I could skip gym and run around here, but I would rather not have to run in full body armor. (DAMN the MOSQUITOES AAAGHHHH!!!!) And really, I don't mind. I can even sit on the steps at the gym that overlook the lake. It actually will be kind of nice. After that, I'll come home, grab the mr, and we will head up to Belvidere for some family time. Cousins are in the state so we, and the other sisters, are going up for lunch. Let's just hope the mosquitoes are not as bad up there. I can't take it.

Interent for the taking.

-I have always considered the use by date a suggestion. I think the simple wording change will make a big difference. To Reduce Food Waste, FDA Urges 'Best If Used By' Date Labels . And really, who says the best isn't yet to come? HA

-Erin has the right idea, to buy THESE in bulk. I am seriously considering getting at least one set. I can't take the MOTHERF$%#ERS anymore!

-This feels heavy. Finding purpose is a somewhat fluid concept, don't you think? Either way, this makes a lot of sense. What's Your Purpose? Finding A Sense Of Meaning In Life Is Linked To Health

-My dad sent me this link. It's a little video of his life goal, to be a extreme mountain bike nanny. (my dad is a weirdo.)

-GLAMOUR CAMPER SPF 50+ ALL NATURAL SUNSCREEN WITH ALL NATURAL BUG DETERRENT & GLITTER. And Glitter. Need I say more?

-I love old charts and pictures from textbooks. These are particularly fantastic. Cross-Sections of Geological Formations and Views of the Cosmos Bring the World to Life in 19th Century Educational Charts

-What Is A Moonbow? And now on my life bucket list of things I need to see.

- Shipping containers just keep getting cooler. Modpools. Shipping Container Pools

-This Study Shows That Having Flowers and Plants Can Ease Pain and Anxiety. Truth. Flowers and plants are everything.

-Firefly magic. How these mysterious fireflies synchronize their dazzling light shows

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

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's 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't 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't 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't know where it comes from. Well I do actually. And it's 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't 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's 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' 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…. 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 o f 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….

-I love this and only wish I was ablate "Gramp" when my grandparents were alive. 'Gramping' Is the Latest Travel Trend Grandparents Need to Know About

And some pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

We got the little spring teaser. 2 beautiful days, high 50's, 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't 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't 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't 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 … 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'll 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't 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's 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……

-The Pineapple Hack That's Taking Over the Internet Right Now

-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't care, they improve life.

-Welcome to Vermont. Goat starts term as town's pet may or. 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

Sunday Happy

These guys know how to pose for the camera, no? Haha. Goobers.

Definitely a hell of a week. Good fo us here in our little home bubble, but crazy as shit elsewhere. I want to run screaming and crying when I think about what has been happening around the country, to those kids to those families, and just that overall state of things. Not good, not good at all. . AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! I think we humans just need to be better, some more then others, some way way way more then others. I just need to say that.

We kicked our week off with super humid and hot weather which of course was right when I needed to turn the oven on to make cookies for the party, Barbs graduation party. I hesitated for a moment, thinking it wasn't with it. but I made them and they were the best cookie ever, and Barb ate them all and way happy. Good deed done. After all the sweat, we got the cookies to the party, right after the mr took Judah to get his hair cut and after they got caught in the rain, and managed to have ourselves a good time (there was AC) Yeah sure it was a BBQ and it was raining, but that didn't stop everyone from showing up, eating a shit ton of crap, and playing with fire, or more like sparklers, butand they were not used as directed.

After a hot Monday party day, the rest of the week just seems quick and easy. We did some work as usual, but also were able to get in some good stuff. In between cutting hole in attics ceilings and crawling on roofs, the mr has been working hard on the tree house. Spending his nights out in the tree, sawing and hammering away 20 feet high in the tree. (he says it is not 20 feet high, I beg to differ.) As for me, I am currently in the middle of like 10 different projects right now and it's getting to the point where I can't fall asleep because my mind is full of pulling handles, carving wood, and mixing paint colors. And on top of all the projects I am in the middle of, the garden is getting to that point where it is flourishing and growing and I am needed out there to weed, harvest, and replant. I am eating my weight in lettuces from the garden. Then as soon as I am stuffed as much as possible, I go to pick up farm share and get even more greens. Honestly, it just makes me happy. I think I might be a rabbit.

And then it was officially Summer!. The mr and I decided to take the first day of summer and do a few summer things. We tossed the kayaks into the truck and spend the morning on the clear, crisp water where we saw a bold eagle rip a fish from the water and I kept running into a blue heron. After that we came home and popped our heads into the bee hive and gave them more room to grow. Then Meg and So stopped by to eat their lunch and help me plant some lettuce, and we spent the rest of the day outside doing outside things. If summer days were always like that, I would never complain.

Friday night the littles came back over for dinner and scooter riding. I bouched a batch of pizza dough (I forgot to make dough until last minute so I tried to get it to rise in the microwave (I saw it on GBBO). I forgot to turn the level down and ended up with a thick brick of dough), but was lucky enough to have just enough sourdough left into fridge to feed the masses. Crisis adverted. The littles ate all my the rest of my food (all the cucumber, beans, andpeas at the very least, they stayed away from my lettuce) and all the popsicle and left me with demands of cupcake making and sleep overs. Those littles know what they want. And we are suckers because we usually do whatever they want.

Yesterday I spent half the day working at the studio, washing clay off of the walls and mixing glazes . After that I came home, cleaned the crap out of my house, and kind of passed out. I think all the everything from the week kind of caught up with me.

That leaves me with today. It is suppose to rain later so I guess it is an early bike ride to the gym then its all about the book I am reading, and the hunk of wood and hulk of clay that are calling my name. I wish I could read and do other things at the same time. Maybe it's time to get down with audio books? Or podcasts. I should have the mr show me how to do that.

Some of the lighter things that I checked out on the internet this week. I'll spare you any of the heartbreaking articles... I just can't.

-I gave Emersion the nickname Koko because he looks and acts like a little gorilla. Koko the Gorilla's Most Iconic MomentsRIP Koko the gorilla.

-Suck Less. This can apply to many things, but the article is about straws.. And yes, we should suck a lot less.

-Plants are amazing, ans can be dangerous. (I think they are getting sick of humans) Just What We Need — a Pretty New Plant Trying to Blind Us and especially is you live in Vt. Beware The Poison Parsnip: Health Officials Warn Of Common Roadside Plant. It might look pretty, but don't touch it, it will leave you with something nasty.

-Stop Putting Bananas in Your Fruit. Just stop doing it because seriously, it gets fucking gross.

-Super fucked. Some Rivers Are So Drug-Polluted, Their Eels Get High on Cocaine

-These are pretty badass. Vibrant Paper Fruits and Vegetables by Ann Wood Look Good Enough to Eat

-Here's the Truth — Once and for All — About Those Misting Systems at the Grocery Store. I hate the misters but understand them

-How Pots and Pans Turned Us Into Creative Cooks. Imagine not having a pot of pan to cook in. That would suck.

-This house in Maine. Swoon.

And pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

You Burnt out yet? I am.

Holy shit the past week has been crazy. Christmas, multiple birthday parties, (Happy Birthday Cameron, Anthony, and Judah!!) Cake baking, food making, present wrapping, house cleaning, farm walking, bad driving, freezing as fuck temperature. It has been a lot (A LOT!) but it has been good even though I am exhausted and desperately in need of a hole to crawl in.

It started with Christmas with Mom and the whole family.. All piled into the house, shoes and jackets left on the back porch, we did secret Santa, food, cookies and all the stuff. Then after Christmas we did a little Cameron birthday party with the best ever ice-cream cake that I have ever made and anyone has ever eaten (no joke). Then they left and I cleaned for hours. The next day the mr and I set off early for the NEK and spent a little time with some of his family and took a quick (not really, the roads were terrible) jaunt up to his sisters farm where we checked out plumbing and oohed and aahed at all the work the lady has done. Then back home for Anthony's Birthday party.

Jeff Dad was now in town so we did some visiting and food eating with him in-between the mr running around checking pipes for all the apartments and the tiny bits of work we could and were willing to do in this crazy cold weather. So far so good, neither of us have turned into a popsicle but another weeks of highs near or bellow 0 gives us plenty of more chances it to happen. Just as long as the none of our or our tenants pipes freeze, we should be all set.

Miley and Judah slept over on Friday night where we had a preemptive birthday for the boy. The mr and the littles filled up water ballons and blew bubbles in the -10 weather . Then we had pizzas in the shape of an 8 and watched Beethoven with popcorn that ended up all over the house. Woke the littles to purple and green birthday pancakes, frozen water balls, and Barbara with her new purple hair. Then we had the last Christmas celebration for a little while (until next week there is one more xmas thing and another bday party, but that's small potatoes) Jeff Dad and the family all come over for a Christmas celebration of breakfast tacos, hash browns, and more wrapping paper for me to get ride of. Honestly, my back porch has turned into a compost and recycling station. I need to deal with it but the cold and the transfer station isn't open and it's just madness. Anyway, after the Christmas celebration I kicked everyone out so I could clean up the mess and decorate the boys birthday cake. The x box controller that he has been telling me for the past year that he wanted, all in cake form and ready for his face. It came out pretty good if I do say so my self. (The boy was so very happy). And then everyone left and I crashed. My house is still a mess, and there are soccer balls everywhere (The mr and Judah can't help themselves) not to mention the balloons and pine needles and all my broken xmas ornaments ......But I survived.

New Years Eve, whoop whoop. I say it like there is something that I am excited about but for reals, I am just excited to have a little space, clean the fuck out of my house, relax with the mr, and just be. Good bye 2017, it was real.

Internet from the week

-When I heard what he tweeted I busted out laughing then started swearing at the tv. I mean, really. REALLY. Trump thinks climate change isn't real because it's cold out. This map proves him wrong.

-Say goodbye to this year. Say hello to next year. Some good questions for a little self reflections.

-I am really looking forward ro going to this exhibit. Might even take the a few littles with me, I know there is a humongous ring pop on display.Sweet Tooth: The Art of Dessert

- Call me intrigued. They are not trying to make a meat substitute that tastes like real meat but has a lot of the texture that people are missing and is nutritious and familiar. COULD FINLAND'S 'PULLED OATS' HOLD THE 100-PERCENT VEGETARIAN ANSWER TO YOUR MEAT CRAVINGS?

-When Harry Met Barack: Obama Tells Prince About Life After White House. To be in the room with these two... dreams.

-Maybe I will start a spice farm Yes, that is it. Thats what I need to do with my life..Americans Love Spices. So Why Don't We Grow Them?

-Hell to the no would I pay that $58 for a freaking watermelon.THIS ALASKAN SUPERMARKET MAY BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN AMERICA.

-I am in such of a good rug punch needle myself.Nature-Based Textiles by Vanessa Barragão Highlight Ecosystems Above and Below the Sea

-Should I Forking Force Myself to Swear More? Um, yes. But not really cause I have a pretty bad potty mouth as it is.

-I think I really need this. Or maybe even this one. We always have a lot of jackets to hang up.

Pictures from the week.

Happy New Year Everyone!

-C

Sunday Happy

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. The teacher strike ended and they all went back to school.(finally) 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) 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 'Organic' 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 'Cook-Off!'

-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. Aerial Images of Vibrant Landscapes

Ans some pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

I feel waterlogged and just downright soggy. Everything is wet and I am freaking sick of it. I think we are on a record 12 day rain binge. Too much if you ask me. I think we could all use some dry time, right?

This week had been meh. There were a few days with a few hours that the mr and I were able to get to outdoor work, but mostly we spent too much time waiting for the rain to stop. Another week has gone by that the porch still needs work, the painting isn't done, and the siding isn't up (although the mr did get all the flashing up). I mean some things got done (a little painting, some tree cutting, indoor stuff) but not as much as we would have liked. But I did read 2 books so that was nice. And we had the littles over for a summer night sleep over. There was ice cream, cartwheels, dance parties, and car ramps. Good times were had. Then there is the garden. Because of all the rain and it being so damp all the time I have a freaking slug fest going on in the greens. It is so gross and non stop. I have tried beer bottles (slugs like beer and get stuck in the bottles, copper piping to shock them, hand picking then out, but they just keep on coming. I think my next step is to harvest all the greens, dig up a layer of soil and try to dry it out before replanting again. Ick, i really hate slugs.

So yeah, Sunday. And the weather man said no rain ( HOORAY!!) I think the mr and I are going to strawberry pick again (we did last Sunday) and maybe do some yard work and slug removal. But first I think I am going to paint the porch ceiling because at the moment it is only primed with the brightest pick that is shining into the windows and scaring the neighbors.

The things that I looked at this week on the internet.

-Coloring at restaurants is always recommended. How Coloring Books (for Kids and Adults) Ended Up in Restaurants

-Maybe America can follow this example.THE EU IS STARTING A MASSIVE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE SCHOOL LUNCH ACROSS EUROPE

-There May Be a Little Poop in Your Starbucks Iced Coffee. Just so you know.

-Happy Birthday Harry Potter. Your world changed my life. On Harry Potter's 20th Anniversary, Listen To His NPR Debut

-AAahh Scary and cute. Fun Paper Kirigami and Karakuri Puppets

-What Happens When a Baby Hippo Plays With a Croc

-Power-Packed Purslane. My garden is pretty much weed and purslane free at the moment but I'll give it a few more weeks.

-For Exercise, Nothing Like the Great Outdoors. Duh.

-There is a lot of Bullshit to deal with these days. A Beginner's Guide to Calling BS

-Oreo Actually Made Some Of Its Most Insane Fan-Requested Flavors. Avocado and unicorn are among the flavors.

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Happy Sunday to you there people. It's suppose to be a gem of a day today. I hope you all are planning some good times to take advantage of it. It is officially summer so we should all be summering.

The past week had been decent but a little wonky. It seemed like it rained all the time which it didn't but kind of did. We had my mom and bros come over for a little family time dinner. (one twin loved the food, the other hated it) Got to take the kayaks out for a good paddle and have managed to get a lot of stupid little things that have needed to be done done. Farm share pick upwhich is starting to get a whole lot bigger (bring on all the greens) and the backyard garden is bursting with stuff (radishes up to my ears) With all the food we have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen at the new island making food, eating food, or reading. It is the most amazing kitchen island and I am obsessed with it.

The painting of the house is taking much more time then I thought it would. First off, rain, and you can't paint in the rain. Then there is way more prep then I realized; scraping, holes to fill, scraping dead ivy from the sides (the mr has been doing most of the crap work) Then painting, then repainting because colors and me. Now we are at a point where we have the main porch painted with a great color but any windows or house siding colors is still undecided. All the windows are painted all different shades of black and grey. It is keeping me up at night. (picking out colors is very hard for a brick house that seems to change colors all the time) But I have goals. This coming up week I will have all the house painting completely done. YEAH!

We are not suppose to do much work today, just try to take it easy. With that being said I am pretty sure the mr is planning on climbing into the trees in the driveway and trimming the tree branches that are growing onto our roof. Relaxing? Not so much.(He is very much afraid of heights) So if he does that, I will probably be out there the whole time holding the latter and being ready to catch him if he falls. But after that I might go strawberry picking. Farm share pyo has begun and I have strawberries and snap peas waiting for me. Got to get Summering.

Stuff from the internet.

-Solar field with bee hives... This is one of our life goals. Beekeepers Sweeten Solar Sites With the 'Tesla of Honey'

-A Street Fight Among Grocers to Deliver Your Milk, Eggs, Bananas. I wonder if people that deliver food go home and have their food delivered.

-It's not all in the name, but some of it it. Would Carrots by Any Other Name Taste as Sweet?

-This studio where the little tree houses are made.

-Man Bun Ken. What the ..... Mattel Introduces New Diverse Ken Dolls; Hopes To Reverse Sales Slump

-Stumptown's Founder Is Starting a New Coffee Company. More good coffee.

-I don't have a kid but this bed is super cool. Maybe a daybed?

-Your Brain Treats a Blink Like a Tiny Nap which totally make sense

-At least there is an upside to the struggle. Some Good News for People Who Have a Hard Time Making Decisions

-Watch Broad City's Abbi and Ilana Talk Shit About Each Other While Making Smoothies. I miss them so much and can't wait for the new season!

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

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't 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's 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 — Michael Phelps Is Set to Race Against a Great White Shark During Shark Week

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Summertime is here and we should all be making our new summertime jams playlist and bucket list. I am lacking in all things summer and lists and need to get on that like now cause summer may have just started but I have a feeling it'd going to go by fast.

A week of listening to too much NPR and all the news which leaves me feeling all sorts of sad and angry. I think that I need to take a mental break from it all and just listen to music(new summer playlist). The craziness is getting to me. BLAH! Painting and cleaning were the big work things. So much painting and now I can't seem to get it all out of my hair (you know, from hitting my head against the wall) But that's coming to an end, kinda. We now have some time to work on the house again so we can finish the porch, which entails painting it. I am really excited to get it done but dreading having to commit and pick a color. My stack of paint samples is a little ridiculous.

We did get to spend a little time with the Miley and Judah when they came over for a afternoon of watermelon and park time, The new thing that we do when they come over is to walk around he neighborhood looking for free stuff. (it's all about the thrill of the find) We also went to Sophia's dance recital which was hilarious. Littles in elaborate costumes trying not to fall of the stage and maybe dancing a bit? Too freaking cute. And summer farm share started!!!! 3 heads of lettuce and 1 lb of mixed greens and it took me about 2 days to eat it all. Not much makes me happier then a big bag of freshly picked greens. It's the simple things.

I might not be thrilled that today is suppose to be hot and humid, but I am really excited to get the heck out of town for a few hours. The river is calling us. The mr and his fishing pole and me with a wide brimmed hat, ample sunscreen, and my watercolors and books to keep me happy. I might even pack a picnic because food is good too. Oh, and I need to put up a little fence situation around one of the garden beds....The butt head squirrels keep jumping out of the tree and onto my cabbage. I told them to stop but they won't listen. Jerks!

Interesting internet from the week.

-Mayors, Companies Vow To Act On Climate, Even As U.S. Leaves Paris Accord. And this is what makes America great.

- INSIDE NEW YORK CITY'S BRILLIANT IDEA TO TRANSFORM FOOD WASTE INTO CLEAN ENERGY

-Going to the ocean this summer? Here's What to Do After a Jellyfish Sting if you need to know.

-Scientists discover a sixth sense on the tongue—for water. I think I have it.

-Next pinataI make (I have made a few) BALLOON DOG PINATA

-I take activated charcoal if I feel like I am getting a stomach bug, so not often, but I haven't had it in food. I guess it's a thing now. Everything You Need to Know About Eating Activated Charcoal

-Hand-Cut Paper Anatomy

-Another reason to drink all the coffee. Drink Coffee If You Want to Work Out Better

-The Millennial Obsession With Self-Care. And the internet.

-I hate straws. AMERICANS THROW AWAY 500 MILLION PLASTIC STRAWS A DAY

Pictures and they all came from my new phone.

Sunday Happy

Yesterday I unpacked my summer attire. Shorts, tank tops and all my summer things. The sunscreen is out, baseball hats are ready, window fans are going in. It's still spring, but give it a week. Summer is coming on fast and it's better to be prepared.

The week was interesting to say the least. The near heatwave during the middle of the week was a kick in the face. I forgot what hot was until I was sweating just from sitting. I really hope that that little spell wasn't a preview of what the summer is going to be like. I like warm, but hot is not gonna work. Damn it global warming. I also forgot about mosquitoes but that won't happen again. SO many bites it was crazy. I felt like I was being eaten alive. Stupid mosquitoes. But besides being hot and itchy, it was as good week. Lots of things got done as usual, more painting and yard work. We have a few apartment turnovers happening in a few weeks so we have been plugging away at things over at the houses. We need to make things all clean and pretty again. There was the day I helped the mr change the oil in the truck, (and realized I never want to do that again) and another day when the littles came over and made a 100 square hop scotch while eating an entire cantaloupe. Fun times.

Sunday doings are going to consist of some dirt moving, garbage removing,and painting. It's hard to relax when there is so much to do. But I am going to spend a little time this afternoon,when it starts raining, with the old sewing machine making pillows and watching Master or None. And chose paint colors. We need to figure out what color to paint the front porch. That's going to be fun (or not).

Things I read on the internet this week.

-I am really really excited to hear this, it's one of my all time favorite shows. Roseanne Reboot Coming to ABC with Original Cast

-Are Farmers Markets Really as Expensive as Everyone Says? It's complicated.

-My hair has changed a bit over my life and I always kind of wondered about this. Is It True That Your Hair Changes Every 7 Years?

-Why All of America's Circus Animals Could Soon be Free. Let them be free.

-How great is this? I bet it's even better then some of the "grown up" sections. There's a for-kids-only section in today's New York Times.

-Food To Cure What Ails You: When Cookbooks Treated Meals As Medicine

- Well this happened and it's fucked. . A"doomsday" seed vault meant to outlast catastrophe was flooded because of climate change.

- Cereal falls into the desert food category in my eyes, the amount of sugar in them are crazy. . Breakfast was the most important meal of the day — until America ruined it.

-Ladybugs are pretty awesome. Ladybugs Pack Wings and Engineering Secrets in Tidy Origami Packages

- I will try anything (well not anything)to stop the crazy mosquitoes. Low-Cost, Homemade Mosquito Trap

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

I am so very excited and have been waiting all week for today. It is suppose to be sunny and warm and all springlike. Exactly what I need, like really really need.

The week past by fast. Mostly because I just wanted to get through it, get over the chilly rainy days and also the slight ick that I have had. It stared strong with dinner with Shannon who has found a new hobby basting chicken in butter.(she loves a good basting) Then we threw Megan's birthday in for good measure. We did accomplish a good bit of work, did some toilet and tile shopping, scouted out the work to be done for a few of the apartments (we are going to be busy to say the least) and went to a cedar mill to check out the product. Getting ready to burn some cedar siding here really soon, Taxes are just about done and ready to be sent to man. Got rid of a bunch of shit from the basement and I finally spent some time cleaning out the loft. I think it's the spring cleaning bug, but I just want to take everything and throw it out.( When I say throw out, I mean donate, give away, and or recycle) I am so sick of stuff!

Today is outside all day long day. The backyard is in some serious need of attention (more then I can give it in one day), the car could use a cleaning, and my bike. I can't wait to get my bike out of the basement. I think I need a new tire if I am remembering correctly, but maybe I'll change that out today too. OR maybe I will put on my favorite comfy sweater, grab a nice big blanket, fill a jug with coffee and spend the afternoon laying out in the grass reading, drawing, and or napping. Yay Spring!!!!

Things from the world wide web.

-Life Is The Network, Not The Self. Just look at the trees.

-I keep hearing stories about this. Definitely not a bad idea. I have seen and heard some stupid shit caused by not only the news, but fights over which channels to watch. A New York Gym Chain Is Turning Off TV News Because It's Stressing People Out

-Did you know that Vermont was so into cartoonist? For A Small State, Vermont Sure Has A Lot Of Speech Bubbles

-HERE'S WHY YOU KEEP GETTING ALL THOSE GROSS BOOGERS. We all get boogers.

-Standing on Escalators Might Be More Efficient, But It Still Makes You a Monster. Yup.

-Paperwork can be scary. Very very scary. The Dread of Taxes That Even Beyoncé Can't Fix

- Amazing Terrarium and Flower Cakes. These are indeed amazing.

- These made me think of my grandmother. THESE GORGEOUS COOKIES TELL A NATION'S HISTORY WITH A PIPING BAG

-Cannibalism Study Finds People Are Not That Nutritious. So don't eat your friends.

-Adhesives & When to Use Them. I have a lot of glue.

A few pictures from the week.