I Am Host To A Wily Beast

Today is the last day of summer.  We ate the remainder of it at the fair last night- mostly cotton candy and popcorn with a few maple creamees on the side.  We might jump some cliffs today but the clouds of school are hanging pretty low.  And something called sock-her starts tonight.   The boys are buying cleats...again.  It happens way too often around here.

We've had a pretty eventful couple of weeks.  It all started when these guys turned 8.

The goggles, I'd like to report, have not been chewed by Bee (yet).

The reading lamps, I'd like to report as well, have not been used (yet).  Cripes all mighty making these boys read is like pulling out their toe nails one by one.

Well, they got some pretty sweet swag- boots and camelbacks and....

the worst looking chocolate cake I've ever made.   Well, for some reason EIGHT comes with the right to put your hands in your pants when you're sitting on the couch watching a movie with your mother.  It also gives you the right to look at your muscles more often and to start smelling your body odor.  I know, who knew, right?

Two days after that my husband turned 40.  FORTY.  Now, he already plays with his dingaling and looks at his muscles and smells his own body odor, but all that doesn't matter because in case you haven't noticed he's HOT. 

And so with the help of Dirty Steve, I was able to plan a weekend in Bristol, RI with the majority of the Mothership, one of whom (the dingaling on the far left) came all the way from L.A. to touch Paul Bunyan's muscles.  They sure do love to do that.  And Jarhead, although he drove from Lake George, is from Aspen, CO and Timmy James Hender Fender, although he drove from Newport, RI, is from Lake Forest, IL.  And Stinky Jon drove down the next day from N.H.

We ate a few of these, dipped in a little bit of that, with a bunch of that on the side and we slurped it down with a few of those.  

 Definitely just what Paul Bunyan wanted- a weekend with his favorite friends, in one of his favorite places, eating his favorite things and being....

young at heart.

 Four days after that we swam in a dinner of tomatoes at the Kitchen Table Bistro's annual tomato dinner.  FOURTEEN years of marriage.   That means we've earned the right to now publicly display our affection and touch each other wherever we want when we're watching a movie on the couch.  It also means that we've been married long enough to feel sad about losing Paul Bunyan's wedding band this summer at the beach but not overly concerned about replacing it right now.  He says he won't pretend NOT to be married when he's at the bars downtown dancing like a college boy but then again he has all those muscles now.

Two days after that- after being off my antibiotics for a week- the wily lyme beast reared its ugly head.  Right back where I started two plus years ago.  It was laying dormant for this whole year.  I'm trying to find hope in striped rocks on the road as I pull up Japanese Knotwood roots to pulverize into a remedy.  I'll eat octopus if I have to.  Anything to kill the beast inside me before it kills me.   I'm trying to stay hopeful and to remember that EIGHT plus FORTY plus FOURTEEN is a big number to fight for. 

Mineeeeesota- One Year Later

I know you've been waiting impatiently for the video I said I was making last year of our vacation in Minnesota.  Oh, you don't remember me saying I was going to make a video of our vacation in Minnesota last year?  Good. 

Well, it's taken me a year.  And I have to let you know that I did NOT include the sounds of me drinking like a fish, eating a lot of fish, or sucking face with Paul Bunyan- all for your sake.  I have clips of those if you're interested.

I'll have some photos up next summer of this summer's adventure.  And I know you'll wait impatiently because that's just who you are.  I get it.

Minnesota 2011 from The Homesteading Hussy on Vimeo.

Heartbreak

 I don't know- we surprised attacked her.

We weren't supposed to show up until the next day.

 But Paul Bunyan wanted to drive all night, like, through the night.  To get there.

 And so he got a hug.

And all I got was a cold shoulder.  But I think it's because a) I had a camera, b) we surprised attacked her, c) she didn't want camp to end, and d) I stank.  But I really think it's because we a) taught her how to fly properly (as if there's a proper way) and b)she's about to be her own "young" woman AND if I was there it also meant that I would make her 1) wash her hands, 2)brush her teeth, 3)pick up her wet bathing suit, and 4)eat fruit and not candy (for breakfast).    Boo- mom's here.