Random Friday Stuff & Link Up On the Edge #306
Y’all, it has been a super crazy week and I am completely wiped out. Ralph wanted to participate in Clayton’s Theater Week which is a week long summer theater program for children ages 5-16 held at the beautiful Clayton Opera House in Clayton, New York, situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The opera house is just one block from the Harbor Hotel where I just attended a wedding wearing this same kimono.
I was really excited when Ralph expressed an interest in something other than video games and quickly signed him up for stage crew before he changed his mind. The Young People’s Theater of Clayton is performing The Lion King Jr. tonight only and they have been hard at work all week long. The 6:30 p.m. show will be performed by kids ages 5-12 and the 8:00 p.m. show will be performed by kids ages 13-16. I was helping make some stage props yesterday while they were rehearsing and I was amazed at how incredible these kids sound after just 4 days of rehearsals!
I can’t wait to see the show tonight but I also can’t wait to not have to drive the 35 minutes to Clayton and back twice a day. All that driving has really wiped me out but it is worth it to see my child blossom in a new environment. I do hope he decides to go back next summer. It is such a wonderful program supporting theater arts, the people who run it are awesome, and it brings some purpose to our lazy summer days as well.
After all the excitement tonight, we then have to rise and shine early tomorrow morning and get on the road to Burlington, Vermont. We want some Ben & Jerry’s so we figured we would make a whole weekend out of an ice cream trip!
Actually, we were supposed to be attending a wedding in Long Island, New York, this weekend but that unfortunately was called off a few weeks ago. Since we already had planned for a weekend away, we just switched our destination to Vermont and are planning to visit the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, the Ben & Jerry’s Factory, as well as Lake Champlain itself. This trip will be the first time my kids will have traveled beyond the states of Pennsylvania and New York. It is high time we broaden their horizons!
After all the excitement and tons of miles of driving, I am already looking forward to relaxing and not leaving my house at all next week! Although I did promise Archie he could have a friend sleep over next weekend and I think I already regret that decision. These kids wear me out with all their eating. Seriously, I feel like I never leave my kitchen these days. By the time I clean up one meal, they are already hungry for the next one. The cycle has been repeating itself all day long every day, all summer long. And groceries are expensive right now! So I have been eating less to accommodate their feeding frenzy. Ha. I’m kidding. I am eating just the right amount and probably too much some days. But that’s what summer is about, isn’t it? Indulging our cravings…like weekly ice cream outings!
Anyway, that is what has been going on in my world. I have been crazy busy and I have been wearing lots of really cute outfits recently that I haven’t even had the opportunity to photograph. (The lady at the ice cream shop yesterday told me I looked like a princess! That really made my day.) I hope I can remember some of these outfits and try to wear them again for pictures.
This outfit I wore early last month to pick up some cannabis plants from one friend to deliver to another friend. Aren’t they so pretty? If I could ever figure out how to keep any plant life alive and thriving, I would grow my own marijuana as well. But I am really only good for smoking the pot, not growing it. So I will leave that to the people who know what they are doing and I will support their businesses by purchasing their products.
After picking up the plants, we visited the Zoar Cemetery to take some photos. I love this old cemetery. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Rodman Village, New York, with many of the town’s original settlers buried there. There are a few old cemeteries scattered throughout the area with some of the smaller ones lost in the overgrowth of weeds and brush. I wish I could find more information about these old forgotten cemeteries. I have long held a fascination and interest in old burial grounds.
—Willie Nelson
Before I go, I also want to share this exciting news about my good friends of Fireside Collective. They have been nominated for the New Artist of the Year Award by the International Bluegrass Music Association! I am so happy for these guys! They deserve all the great things coming their way!
Since I am writing this post at the very last minute, I am going to leave off here and try to get a quick yoga session in before the boys are awake and we need to start this crazy day! Have a wonderful weekend, y’all!
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Shorts, Bralette, and Belt-Torrid / Tank Top-American eagle (Thrifted) / Kimono-Target / Rope Sandals-Nomadic State of Mind / Hat-Tractor Supply / Choker-Michal Golan / Quartz Necklace-Gift from my kids / Long Necklace-Cato / Earrings-Good Life Gift Shop
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
38 Comments
Nancy
Isn’t it so good when you have a week ahead of you with no obligations and appointments. I hope you get to enjoy it! And I am glad Ralph had a great time over there!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Nancy! I am very accustomed to slow and leisurely weeks! I get so stressed when I have to leave my house very single day. Ugh.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
It’s so fun to watch through our kid’s eyes when they try something new! Enjoy the show tonight and your trip to Vermont!
p.s. Love this cute boho look!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! I was really concerned that he was going to fight me every morning getting out of the house super early, but he has been excited to go everyday!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
What a fun, flowy outfit!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I’m glad Ralph enjoyed himself! Have fun in Vermont!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer! I will try to post some photos next week if I can get my act together! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Such a cute outfit. Love the kimono. I remember the days of driving my kids around…mine was usually 45 minutes one way. Such is life when one lives in the country.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Amy! Oh my goodness, 45 minutes each way is too much for me to handle! I was so exhausted just from one week of this. I used to commute 2 1/2 hours to work everyday when I worked in NYC and I honestly don’t know how I pulled that off. It’s probably a huge reason I had so much anxiety back then! I am enjoying my relaxed and less stressed lifestyle so much these days! But I will definitely do this drive for theater camp any time my kid wants to because I had just as much fun helping as the kids had doing it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica - Away From The Blue
I love this kimono on you and a kimono and shorts is a staple summer outfit for me too! It’s great you could get your son into the summer camp too, it sounds like a lot of fun!
Thanks for the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Mica! Great minds share great style! Shorts and kimonos are the best summer combination! Although this year, I seem to be wearing more dresses with kimonos. But always the kimonos. You and I share a great love for these special garments! Theater camp was so fun and Ralph is ready to go for it next year again!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
Sounds like a whirlwind! So glad your son got the opportunity to try something new that he really loved. Hope you all have a great getaway in Vermont, followed by lots of restorative R & R! Also, super cute outfit, your kimono has proven very versatile!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Di! We had a fabulous night at the show! All the kids did such a great job and Ralph is ready to go for it again next year. Which makes me really happy because I had a blast being the designated stage crew mom! Actually, I think I was the only mom who really volunteered to help behind the scenes. Well, there was one other mom helping with makeup while I tried to keep the kids ordered and quiet. Ha. That was an impossible challenge! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Hope you have an enjoyable trip to Vermont. Thank you for hosting the link-up.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carol! Have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
Sounds like you’ve been busy, busy!! I would LOVE to visit the Ben and jerry’s Ice Cream factory! How fun would that be? It sounds like you’re going to have a lovely time in Vermont. I’m glad that you’re still taking the trip and making a fun time out of it. Enjoy!!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! I thought it would be super fun to suggest an ice cream outing and then drive 4 1/2 hours to get it! I am drinking my coffee now trying to wake up enough to shower and pack and get on the road! I hope you have lovely weekend, my friend. Stay cool!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Enjoy your ice cream trip! That sounds fun. My husband and I went for a long weekend to Lake Champlain but it ended up raining the entire weekend. We had fun anyway but I had been hoping for nicer weather to walk around and explore the town. I hear you on the groceries and the eating.. in fact I went grocery shopping this morning and probably spent 2 hours already in the kitchen prepping food and cooking up lunch and dinner foods.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! I am so excited to go this weekend. And it looks like we are going to have beautiful weather! That’s a bummer it rained the whole time you were there. Hopefully, you can go another time when it isn’t raining. I am cracking up that you have been stuck in the kitchen, too! The struggle is real. Archie had a friend over the other day and my goodness, feeding three of them instead of two for like 7 hours straight had me laughing right through my exhaustion! Then his friend’s mom was cracking up when I told her because she has twice as many kids as I do! You all understand me and I am a wimp with my 2 hungry caterpillars!
xoxo
Shelbee
April
Love the hat. Everything I know about cannabis has gradually changed so much the past 20 years. It went from being an illegal drug to now literally being a plant that you just can’t use while driving. It helps a LOT of people, so that is a win, and it doesn’t have all the negatives that opioids have, so that’s another win. I definitely view it differently than I used to. I still can’t smell it though. But then i also don’t think skunks smell bad. There’s a glitch in my nose somewhere. Ha!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, April! I also like the smell of skunks! Haha. But not too close, then it’s too strong. Actually, cannabis these days does no really smell like skunk. Unless it’s really bad pot but even that’s hard to come by. Not that anyone is out there looking for bad skunky pot! It is just much better quality now that we understand it more. I am currently watching a Netflix docuseries called How To Change Your Mind (I am also listening the book of the same title by Michael Pollan on Audible) about psychopharmacology. They interviewed an army sergeant who finally found relief from severe PTSD through this methodology. He made a brilliant statement about it. He said, “I was raised, you know, in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the D.A.R.E. era, where we had good drugs and bad drugs. Well, the good drugs led to an opiate epidemic and the bad drugs heal PTSD. So I think our definitions of those need to change.” I think it is finally changing and I am so grateful because marijuana literally saved my life in a similar way! I hope you have an amazing weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
Aww, thank you so much for the feature, Shelbee! Hope you have a great trip to Vermont!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Cheryl! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend. Stay cool!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
I feel drained just reading about your week! Hope it all well for Ralph. Enjoy a more relaxing few days.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Gail! Oh what a wonderful night we had last night! All of the kids did such an amazing job. But I didn’t even get to see the shoe because I became the stage crew mom keeping everybody in order and quiet when they weren’t on stage. It was kind of like herding cats and dogs while also keeping the dogs from barking! Haha. I am exhausted!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Whew! I got tired just reading this post! But yay for Ralph. Did he enjoy it? Have a great weekend in Vermont! And many congrats to the Fireside Collective.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahaha, I am so exhausted, too! Ralph did enjoy theater camp and I really did, too! I became the stage crew mom and while I had no idea what I was doing, I still loved it and will do it again! Speaking of Fireside Collective, they are having their album release party at Salvage Station in Asheville on August 5. Becca will be there. You and Dan should go check it out!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
What a great way to complete the shorts outfit with a Kimono! Love the pattern and colors on this one!
Glad to hear Ralph enjoyed the summer camp, it sounds like a fun one and definitely one to repeat next year! I totally get what you are saying about everyone being hungry all the time and spending all the time in the kitchen!! Seriously! Just my day yesterday, as I finished cleaning up from making breakfast (for lunch) I had to start cooking dinner as I planned Goulash and that takes a long time. I’m always happy when there are leftovers but now that the kids are in their teens there rarely are any leftovers anymore. Could also be that the meat packages shrunk!! I was surprised we didn’t have any Goulash leftover yesterday!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ellie! Theater camp was so much fun and I really enjoyed helping out. I had no idea what I was doing, but that’s how you learn, I guess! And I will do it again next year! We used to have plenty of leftovers when I would make dishes like goulash but we rarely do anymore either. And my kids aren’t even teens yet! I do love goulash. Now I might have to make it, too! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking so very nice and you have been busy. Very busy. Nice plants. Thanks for hosting this wonderful party.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! I am soooooo tired with all the busy that’s been going on! I want to sleep for a week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
Thanks for featuring my post! I hear ya on the driving. I am begining to wonder exactly how many years of my life I will spend shuffling my kids off to one activity or another. The things we do for them! Haha! The theater thing sounds like so much fun! I did community theater for a few years before kids and loved it (and miss it).
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Laura, I was so exhausted after last week and my kids don’t even do that many activities. I don’t know how parents with 3, 4, 5 kids do it when they are all involved in something. I know absolutely nothing about theater and theater productions, but I ended up really enjoying it myself! I became the stage crew mom and helped backstage on show night. I missed the show entirely but I really enjoyed helping out. It was tiring but really fun! Maybe one of your girls will get interested in community theater and then you get back into it yourself!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
Such a lovely kimono! I have a constantly hungry child too – I’m always buying groceries, especially crisps (potato chips) that I hardly ever eat! The last day of our holiday Isobel ate breakfast, pasta for lunch, a big afternoon tea of sandwiches and cake and then pizza at the airport! I wish I could burn off that many calories!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Emma! Oh my goodness, she is eating just like my boys are! It is starting to become comical! They eat way more than I do. I wish I could burn the calories that fast, too. And if I had just a fraction of their energy, I would accomplish so many more things!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Just dropping by again to say:
Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 27.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Carol!
xoxo
Shelbee