La dolce vita

I've been celebrating my brother's 50th birthday. He is the successful one in our family so the party was held at a fancy spa on the west coast. With photo restrictions which I find very appropriate. I would not like to think I'mk in somebody's blog or family album - wearing a swim suit and a funny face.

This is part of the view from the place:

I can't believe people actually go sailing in conditons like these, 4 degrees C in the water and 3 degrees C in the air - and a brisk west wind.

And this is part of the interior.

This is another kind of celebration;

The snow is gone (nearly) and the creek is overflowing. And today as I went lunching with Jeanette I wore these boots. So spring is actually here - cheers!

Going where the action is?

Look of determination, isn't it? I'm going to Stockholm. With some collegues to do really important stuff, like meeting with the National board of Social welfare and health. I said important, not vibrantly intruiging stuff. Hopefully there will be time to do exciting things, too. I would like to go here, here and here. And here.

Small things make me happy. I put on a green eyeshadow at the desk at H&M, during lunch break. Made all the difference.

This row of puppets also makes me happy.

I like to move it. Sometimes.

Friday night in the jungle. Sound of beating drums fill the air. Everybody gotta move their butts. Not much of a dancer really but I like to move and will hopefully one day be able to make my ass vibrate like that of an African woman - traditionally built, as Alexander McCall Smith puts it.

Junior has a more Asian style, judging by the hand moves.

This is our local drummer. Extremely local, he shares my bed. Do you dance? My height always made the gym teacher have me lead in gym class, when we practiced dancing and also made me painfully aware of myself.

For some reason all (honestly, every single one) of my gym teachers were Polish, educated at the ballet academy in Warsaw (not a 100% sure there) or possibly Moscow, and they had us dance a lot. I really wanted to play volley ball or at least do long jump, and instead found myself being told "ven ve come to corner ve turn and turn and count to fife and bend". All the way to the floor.
The irony is, now I really enjoy to see dance, classic or modern. And a little late I appreciate the effort made of those dancers in exile who had the hopeless task of teaching dance to very blasé teenage girls in a sleepy little town covered by grey woollen skies.

Jag har blivit utmanad av Maria - jag blommar. Jag har lite svårt för de där bildutmaningarna - den sjätte bilden i den sjätte mappen, eftersom mina mappar bara sträcker sig bak till augusti - och de bilderna har ni ju sett nästan allihop. Men den här utmaningen ska jag väl klara!

I've been challenged by Maria - jag blommar. I've had difficulties with some challenges lately, like showing the 6th photo in the 6th file, because my files only go back till mid August, and you've seen almost all of those. But this challenge I think I can manage!

Nämn 5 kul/annorlunda fakta om dig själv: List 5 fun/unexpected facts about yourself:

¤ Jag flyttade hemifrån när jag var 16. I left home when I was 16.

¤ Jag trummar med fingrarna när jag håller på att somna. I drum my fingers when falling asleep.

¤ Jag gillar inte öl eller kaffe. I don't like beer or coffee.

¤ Jag ser väldigt lite på TV, följer inga serier och ser aldrig nyheter på TV. I watch very little TV, I don't follow any shows and never watch the news on TV. Rättelse: Jag ser faktiskt Top Model (av alla serier!) just nu med mina döttrar. Correction: I actually watch Top Model (of all shows!) with my daughters this season.

¤ Sista året har jag gillat tanken på att det finns en Gud. This last year I've been enjoying the idea that there is a God.

Nämn 5 av de roligaste eller ovanligaste jobben/praktiken du haft: List the 5 funniest or most unusual jobs you've had:

¤ Bygga flygplansdelar på Saab-Scanias fabrik i Linköping, ett år när jag var 20. Ovanligt, inte kul. Building airplane parts at the plant in Linköping, one year when I was 20. Unusual, not fun.

¤ Cirkelledare i franska för pensionärer, som 22-åring. Jag var inget vidare i franska - då heller. Men mod hade jag tydligen. Teaching French to a bunch of elderly citizens, at the age of 22. I wasn't that good in French - at that time either. But I did have guts, apparently.

¤ Nakenmodell på konstskolor i Linköping och Göteborg - nånstans finns det oljemålningar föreställande undertecknad... Nude model at art schools in Linköping and Göteborg - somewhere there are oil paintings of yours truly...

¤ Undervisa - roligaste av alla jobb! Teaching - best job of all!

Vilka är dina 5 favoritblommor? What are your 5 favourite flowers?

¤ Tulpaner. Tulips.

¤ Rosor. Roses.

¤ Syrener. Lilacs.

¤ Liktärter. Sweet peas.

¤ Solrosor. Sunflowers.

5 senast sedda filmerna? Last 5 films seen?

Jag är en usel filmtittare numera, jag vet att jag såg Varg med Peter stormare på bio nån gång förra året men jag minns inte vad jag såg senast... Nästa fråga!

I'm a lousy movie watcher these days, I know I saw Wolf with Peter Stormare, some time last year, but I don't remember the last film I saw...Next question!

5 saker på din önskelista (materiella saker): 5 things (material) on your wishing list:

¤ Ett strykjärn. An iron.

¤ En snygg regnkappa. A pretty rain coat.

¤ Ett hus på en grekisk ö (just det ja, jag såg ju Mamma Mia...) A house on a Greek island (yeah, that's right, I did see Mamma Mia...)

¤ En snygg matta under soffbordet+ under matbordet+ i sovrummet. En svag punkt det där med mattor. A nice carpet under the sofa table + under the dining table + in the bedroom. A weak spot, carpets.

¤ En lödkolv. A soldering iron.

Detta var kul! Och inte märkte jag att jag skrev på svenska heller förrän efter ett tag. Jag utmanar Knitsonya, Paige, Soffy and Jeanette! Helt frivilligt, så klart.

This was fun! And I didn't notice until after a while that I was writing in Swedish. I cahallenge Knitsonya, Paige, Soffy and Jeanette. All quite voluntarily, of course.

CHANGE...

My word for this year is CHANGE.
I'm going to change a few things for the better, hopefully. I saw another blog (sorry, forgot who you are, none of my "regulars" I think) who did this and chose the word flow, and got inspired. As you see I've also been making changes with my banner, though not really there yet.

This is my list of a few things I would like to change:

¤ Eating more low carbonate food because of stomach problems - so excited to see if this works!

¤ My immediate impulse to facilitate the life for my family members. For instance: People will have to find their own mittens in the morning while I find mine. This doesn't go for family members younger than 10.

¤ Tell my family not to call my name when they need me, or rather not expect me to come running. They'll have to find me and speak to me in a normal voice. Is this possible or am I asking to much?? This doesn't go for any member in acute need of help, like sitting on the toilet if you're younger than 6.

¤ Starting things and projects without feeling guilty if I don't finish.

¤ Stop avoiding to start projects because thinking I will never finish.

¤ Gracefully accepting that time leaves marks, inside and out.

¤ Accepting who I am - and who I'm not.

¤ Stop reading books like they're fast food. Read, read, read and forget. I'm a fast reader and this is a problem, I don't remember them a week later. Feels lika a terrible waste of time.


I'll stop here, but you probably recognize the feeling that this list can go on for ever, " stop eating sandwiches in the evening" or " always recycle every bit of glass", "always be truthful", "wear matching bra and panties on ordinary days and not just for special occasions"... I think I'll stick to it easier if it's short and simple. Not simple to achieve - simple to remember.

photo:meducation

This is how serious I am.

An endless row of days of leisure? No, tomorrow is back to work and school.

This is what the golden-linen tunic looks like! What I'm reading? A book about Swedish ethymology - extremely exciting and interesting. Really.

Christmas break is the time of the year for potttering about at home. Who am I fooling? it's always a good time to make use of odd bits and pieces or to make "trolldeg" - troll dough. Maybe salt dough is a more correct word. We had fun making turtles, snakes...

whales...

and a pig!

An ordinary day in January 2009.

I like to cut hair, my own or other's. Luckily I have a very generous family of which I cut 50%. This Ylva who grew tired of her dreads.
Above our kitchen table. Jars and boxes with tea and coffee. The big one with a handle is for crisp bread, just similar to the one my grandparents had in their kitchen (supposed to hang on a wall but we'll never come around to that).

A zoological, antropologistic and sex liberal approach to home decorations and Christmas

We had visitors this weekend, my brother and his family, from the west coast. They came bearing gifts, among which a little piggie. Immediately made friends with the goat-candle-stand from last Christmas (courtesy of Ylva).

Seems animals were the theme, we also got these!

And a bottle of homemade glögg. Thanks for your nice remarks on my wall paper. It was a hasty decision made when we moved into this house a year and a half ago. This time of year I think it works very well, maybe because the rest of the year I think it looks like a Christmas gift wrapping paper..?

My brother, and his wife and their two teen-agers all left for home pretty early so we had time to fix a few things in the bathroom. A little cupboard from way back got a western pin-up girl fabric instead of the chicken wire I put there when I thought shabby chic was new and exciting - 10 years ago. It was white then, naturally.

Closer......and a real close -up of the pin-up. If you klick on the link: I know this because it was in our local paper this morning. Can you believe that?? This is the floor. Now with the right angle of inclination so the next person in line doesn't have to wear wellies to go in and come out dry, as soon someone has taken a shower. A great improvement (but not on our expense, ha ha)!
Why is this kind of foot-photo so attractive? I like them a lot and I see them in so many blogs. Sometimes I think it's a reminiscent from the days we put our hand- and foot prints on the walls of the caves we (who, me?) lived in, like you know, "I was here" kind-of-thing.

Mad as a (fur)hatter!

This is your mad blogger, Anna of Helylle! I don't normally look like this, but a fur hat does things to you. Especially when made of orange rabbit fur. I have actually worn this, on extremely windy and harsh winter days it's a gift from God. And I kinda like the colour...
No arctic weather today, though. The first sample of snow is now vanishing all too quickly, alas. Please, let us have a white Christmas!!

This time of year it kills me to think about the rest of the country, covered in white. I wasn't born in the south of Sweden so winters to me are supposed to be colder, whiter and winter-ier. But come to think of it, most of you known readers are drenched in sunny summer weather, aren't you? Makes me feel a lot better!

Uppåt väggarna.

Idag visar jag lite av vad vi har på väggarna. Först ut är den sedelärande planschen från folkhemmet. Att inte ha ett badkar är ingen ursäkt för att inte hålla sig ren står det. En påminnelse från tiden då jag köpte den och vi inte hade badkar. Today I show some of what we have hanging on the walls. The phrase "Uppåt väggarna" means something is really weird and strange, by the way. Number one is the educational poster from goneby days of lesser domestic comfort. Not having a bath tub is no excuse for not keeping clean. A reminder of the time when I bought it and we didn't have a tub. Ett rykande färskt alster, direkt från Olles verkstad. En brevbärare. A steaming fresh item from Olle's workshop. A mailman.
Ett ryskt rejält fruntimmer. En bricka med te och bröd. Och förmodligen en hyllning till fosterlandet och revolutionen. Jag har ingen aning. Hör av er om ni kan läsa ryska! A steady russian female. A tray with tea and bread. And probably a celebration to the fatherland and the revolution. I have no idea. Let me know if you read russian!
Tre små oljemålningar som vi har olika uppfattningar om. Jag gillar dem men Helyllemannen har en småskuren, inskränkt syn på konst... De väntar på en bra och neutral placering. Three little oil paintings that we have different opinions about. I like them but Mr Helylle has a narrow, restricted view of art... They await a good and neutral position in the house.
Ovärderlig konst. Priceless art.
Lite för varmt klädd idag. Njuter inte alls av sommarvädret. Jag längtar efter tweed, stickat och frost. Snart nog är det här! Min mormor sa alltid att "man ska svettas in våren och frysa in hösten". Varför egentligen? Mormor sa också att man fick gå utan strumpor i alla månader utan R i. Maj, juni, juli och augusti således. Vilket ju alltid innebar att man tjuvstartade med att gå barbent (lydig som jag var) på Valborgsmässoafton. Och jäklar vad man frös! Var det över 5 grader hade man tur...

I'm dressed a little too warm today. Not enjoying the summer weather at all. I long for tweed and knits and frost. It'll be here soon enough! My granny always said " Meet the spring in sweat and greet the fall freezing". I wonder why? Granny also said that one can go without socks in the months without R, ie May, June, July and August. Which meant that I as a pretty obedient child went out on Walpurgis night and froze my ass off - you were lucky if the temperature rose over 5 degrees C.

Ditten och datten. This and that.

Så här har jag försökt se ut denna vecka - pigg och glad. This is how I've tried to look this week, peppy and happy.
Så här har jag känt mig. Som i en centrifug.
This is how I've felt. Like in a spin-dryer.

Fotbollsträningen har börjat, allra första gången... Football practice has begun, very first time...
Lite familjeliv på fredagskvällen. För en gångs skull fick Helyllemannen blommor av mig. Såna som jag ville ha, så klart. Jag har gjort ett dåligt kameraköp. Blixtfunktionen glappar. Jag ville inte köpa en dyr kamera eftersom de inte tycks leva särskilt länge här. Jag lurade mig själv. A little family life on Friday night. For once Mr Helylle got flowers from me. The kind I wanted, naturally. I've made a bad camera purchase. The flash is not working. I didn't want to spend very much money because cameras around here tend to have a short life. I deceived myself.

Jag har saknat er i veckan! Tiden räcker inte till, eller snarare orken. Om jag hinner ska jag ta en liten bloggrúnda senare i kväll och se vad ni har haft för er. Arrividerci!

I've missed you this week! There's not enough time, or rather stamina. If I make it I'll take a round along blogland later to night and see what you all have been up to. Arrividerci!

Hommage a Nelson Mandela (och Felicity Hoffman!)

Nu har vi värme, kan jag lova! Vi har fått någon sorts insektsinvasion på altanen utanför TV-rummet så vi satt och tittade på Transamerica (så bra den var!) med stängda fönster och dörrar, töserna och jag. Äckliga små flygande kryp, eller de blir äckliga för att de är så förtvivlat många. Tur att filmen var så bra annars hade det ju aldrig gått.
Helyllemannen har fått en traditionell dräkt av en kompis från Senegal, den har jag annekterat för i kväll. Gjord för afrikansk hetta, sval och skön. (OK, jag vet att Mandela är från Sydafrika..)
Now we're having really warm weather, I'm telling you. We've had saome kind of bug invasion on the verandah outside the TV-room, so we watched Transamerica (what a good film!) with windows and doors closed, the girls and me. Disgusting little flying creeps, or rather, disgusting for being so many. Lucky the film was so good, or we never would've made it.
Mr Helylle was given a traditional outfit by a friend from Senegal, I've annexed it for tonight. Made for African heat, cool and comfy. (OK, I know Mandela is from South Africa...)

Tusen tack för alla grattishälsningar och mejl! Ni gjorde min dag ännu bättre.
Thanks a million for all the birthday greetings and e-mails! You made my day even better.

Happy birthday to me - or living the too good life!

Jag hade en underbar födelsedag med familj, vänner, champagne, havsbad och tapasrestaurang på kvällen. Nu är jag 44 och börjar idag ett nytt hälsosamt liv i avsikt att bli av med en del av de extrakilon jag lagt på mig under våren.
Varför skriver jag inte "alla de extra kilon"??

I had a wonderful birthday with family, friends, champagne, dip in the sea and in the evening a visit to a tapas restaurant. Now I'm 44 and starting a new healthy life with the intention of loosing some of the extra weight I put on during spring.
Why don't I write "all of the extra weight"??

Jag har en favvoklänning som jag inte kommer i. Så enkelt är det. I have a favourite dress I can't squeeze into any more. It's as simple as that.

Domedagen - eller vad tycker ni om färgen?? Judgement day - or what do you think of the colour??

I går skulle det ha varit en liten pic-knit utanför stadsbiblioteket. Jag träffade ingen annan så antingen satt vi på olika ställen eller så bedömde vi vädret olika. Jag satt ett god stund och fick ordning till sist på mitt Norogarn. Pic-knit = en liten ansprålslös picknick där man stickar mer än man fikar.
Yesterday there was supposed to have been a little pic-knit outside the city library. I didn't meet anyone else so either we sat in different places or we judged the weather differently. I sat for some time and finally got my Noro yarn sorted out. Pic-knit = a small humble pick-nick where you knit more than you eat. Japp, vänner, detta är det nya matrummet! Vårt kök är så litet att vi äter här när vi är fler än tre hemma, men dessutom spelar vi spel, gör läxor och umgås i största allmänhet här. I förgrunden skymtar datorbordet där jag sitter just nu.

Yes, friends, this is the new diningroom! Our kitchen is so small we eat here if there's more than three of us at home, besides that we play games, do homework and hang around here in general. In the front you see the computer table where i'm sitting right now.
Gula väggar, nya lampor (jag känner mig modern med dessa lampor!!). Samma barn och samma bilder. Yellow walls, new lamps (I fell modern with these lamps!!). Same kids and same pictures. Detta ska under eftermiddagen bli gardiner. Förhoppningsvis. This will be curtains during the afternoon. Hopefully.

Färg - eller min kamera är inte hemma. Colours - or my camera is not at home.

Nu har vi bestämt oss för färg i stället för tapet, kulören "påsklilja" för att vara exakt. Det är en av de gula (!) här ovanför. Plötsligt kom jag att tänka på mitt första drömjobb.
Jag var kanske 10-11 år och gick längs sminkdiskarna på EPA och fastnade framför nagellacken.
Vilka namn! "Lavender longing", "baby shrimp" (hem och slå upp shrimp), "dangerous dusk" (hem och slå upp alltihop) och "shattered satin" (till lexikonet igen).
Jag skulle bli den som hittade på namnen till alla läppstift, nagellack och puder i alla EPA:s hyllor och diskar! Det fanns ett märke, Rimmel tror jag, som hade svenska namn, vilket fick mig att förstå att det fanns en framtid som innebar att jag slapp sitta med uppslagsboken.

Jag minns också besvikelsen när vi skulle måla om hemma i hallen och min mamma tyckte att vi skulle ta "jägargrönt". Sånt outsägligt trist namn på en färg. Mitt 11-åriga jag skulle kallat den "sommarsmaragd". Nuförtiden har jag en hall som är målad i jägargrönt och jag lovar, den står näst på tur när vi ska måla nästa gång. Oavsett namn.

Now we've decided to paint instead of putting up wall paper, the colour "daffodil" to be precise. It's one of the yellows (!) in the picture. And I suddenly remembered my first dream career!
I was maybe 10-11 years old and was mooching about in the cosmetic department in our local supermarket and stopped in front of the nail polish.
What names! "Lavender longing", "baby shrimp" (home to look up "shrimp"), "dangerous dusk" (home to look everything up), "shattered satin" (back to the dictionary). I was going to be the one who named all the polish, lip-sticks and powders in all the shelves and counters! There was a brand, Rimmel, I think, who had Swedish names, which made me envision a future where I didn't have to sit with the dictionary in my lap.
I also remember the disappointment when we were going to redecorate the hallway at home and my mum wanted a green called "hunter's green". What an unspeakably boring name. The 11-year old me would've called it "summer emerald". These days I have a hallway in hunter's green, and I promise; it's next! Regardless of name.

Blivande Art director - Art director in the making

Igår regnade det och några av oss sattes raskt i arbete av 5-åringen som länge velat göra en bilbild. Han klippte och dirigerade. Storasyster och mamma fick göra det tråkiga, dvs färglägga. Han ratade alla förslag på vattenfärg så jag fick rysa invärtes och använda tuschpennor som jag blivit tillsagd.. Yesterday was rainy and some of us were put to work by the 5-year old who for a long time has wanted to make a car picture. He cut the cars and directed the work.Big sister and mummy had to do the boring work, i e the colouring. He turned down all suggestions of using water colours so I shivered on the inside and used the colouring pens as I was told. Så här fint blev det när det var klart! This is how great it turned out!
Biltavlan hänger på en vägg i matrummet som snart ska tapetseras/målas/hottas upp. I dag kom vi så långt som till att låna hem tapetprover. Fast egentligen känner jag just nu mer för att måla, tycker att man blir låst vid en stil och ett färgtema av tapeter. Jag vill ofta ändra med dukar och gardiner... Fortsättning följer. The car picture hangs on a wall in the dining room that is about to be wall-papered/painted/made hotter. Today we borrowed some wall paper samples. Actually, right now I feel more like painting the walls, I feel you're tied up to a style and a colour theme by wall paper. I like to change the rooms with cloths and curtains... To be continued.
Intervjun? Har ingen aning om hur det gick. Vill jag ha jobbet? Vet faktiskt inte. Nästa vecka får jag besked om jag går vidare så jag behöver ju inte fatta något beslut ännu. Tack för era tummhållningar! The interview? I have no idea how it went. Do I want it? Don't know really. Next week I'll know if I'm still in the running so I won't have to make any decisions yet. Thanks for the fingercrossing!