Wrath and wreath

Tea, popcorn, knitting and the Swedish Idol. My weekend went quietly. Apart from a few hours on Saturday when I did some rioting at the local hospital when they meant to send my father-in-law home without medication (after spending 4 weeks there trying to fix his angina pectoris). They suggested that this 80-year old man should take a walk down town to collect his medicins. I suggested they give him enough drugs till Monday morning till we had a chance to fix it for him - or keep him there. Which he of course didn't wish. Anyway, he's home now and got his medicin with him.

I made a wreath, of local stuff. That means I rummaged the neighbour's hedges late at night, when walking the dog, accidently with scissors in hand.

Halloween is coming up. That's a new custom in Sweden, we didn't celebrate it at all when I was growing up. That's an effect of globalization, I guess. It's nice to have a reason to light some extra candles in the darkness. The bad thing about it is that nobody really knows when you're supposed to go trick-or-treating so you've got to keep candy at home for a week. Firstt time my kids went out they came home crying because the old people in the neighbourhood had eaten all their candy. Not from evil, but from mistaking halloween for Lucia when kids go round offering candy instead og collecting it!

P.S. I thought I was extremely witty with the wreath and wrath-thing... And, by the way, if I don't post the next couple of days it's because I'm preparing for a way to celebrate the 100th post!!

What's up?

A beautiful autumn day. Clear and crisp and the beginning of autumn break - if you're still inte schooling business, which I'm not anymore. At least for the time being.

I dread the coming week. All girls home from school all day, having tea with friends, making cupcakes and leaving thousands of crumbs for me to tread in when I get home from work. Grumpy? Not me. I've been here before. So I know that will also be a cupcake left for me when I get back to my senses!

This is what our humble garden looks like today.

Catching a little glimpse of the weak and soft sunlight.A little collection of our findings. We are a family of gatherers, hardly can walk the dog without bringing home sticks, leaves, chestnuts, feathers, rocks and, weel, anything that appeals to the eye no matter why. Which also explains why the porch is decorated in this manner.And this is what I try to do. Read and knit. For you non-Swedish people; see if you can find anything of Majgull Axelsson in translation, she is a talented writer with experiences from different parts of the world, but more than anything describes a typical Swedish melancholia, a bittersweet longing for something that we lost and didn't know we had. Makes sense?

Knitting is Noro blossom and will transform into a very simple shawl with time.

By the way, I've joined a choir, a church choir, and my return to choir stage will be performing Fauré's Requiem in the cathedral in Lund on nov 16th... That's no pick-nick, let me tell you.

I wasn't prepared for that kind of repertoire - was actually hoping we would start rehearsing all the Christmas hymns and songs I love - but they were all so happy I came so I can't back out now. And quite honestly, I can't resist the music!

A kind of comeback

Dear friends and visitors,
it has been a while.
Nothing dramatic has kept me from blogging but just Ordinary Family/Professional Life. OFPL. I've made a decision to mostly blog in one language, English, in order to blog at all. Reason being of course that I don't want to be rude to my foreign visitors and exclude them by blogging in Swedish. I know most of you Swedes read English as well as I do, so that hopefully won't drive you away. I hope to blog more regularly this way.

Update:
Camera - still no good.

New computer - has driven us all mad last couple of weeks, nothing's been working from the start. Now more of an exciting new friendship.

Family- Moa turns 13 tomorrow! We celebrated today, lots of low-quality pics and low battery. Hang on. Colds and dark mornings try to take the best of us but remedy is lit candles and acacia honey in the morning tea.
And setting the alarm so early I can fetch Olle sleeping and put him in my bed and slowly meet the day with him close, close to me. It's amazing what the attitude of a 5-and-a-half year old can do to you in the morning. He chatters on about everything he will invent and make and do and play during the approaching day, and I find myself adopting the anticipation of a new day. Though it's just an ordinary Tuesday.

New job - turning busy as I grow more accustomed to it. But exciting and fun!

House - water leak in bath room (we kind of sensed it but tried to ignore it. It didn't go away). Now looking for tiles and craftsmen every weekend. We don't want to take any risks by fixing the underlying floor by ourselves. Tiles will probably be turquoise. You are not surprised...

We were talking about style. And hair, some posts ago. This lady is for ever in style, to me. I don't want to look like that (yeah, I would, but it isn't my style) but I feel mature admiring a look without necessarily having to copy it. She didn't seem to cut her hair to often, either...

So good to be writing and thinking about you. Thanks for letting me know you're out there.

Mussels and tomatoes - and a little hair.

Jag har läst de råd som ni lämnat - precis samma invändningar och resonemang som jag själv har... Tack för er välvilja. Jag har i alla fall inte klippt mig idag som ni ser. Oftast handlar det nog om att man vet att en förändring skänker energi och ett slags nyhetens behag. Efter ett par veckor är det ju gammalt igen och då brukar i alla fall jag ångra mig. Detta vet jag och ändå funderar jag över om inte allt skulle bli väldigt annorlunda om jag klippte mig.
I've read the advice you've given - exactly the same objections and reasoning I keep myself... Thanks for your good will. At least I haven't cut it today as you can see. Mostly I think it's about the energy and charm of novelty that a change brings. After a few weeks it's old again and then I know I will have second thoughts. This I know and still I wonder if everything wouldn't be terribly different if I cut my hair. Resterna av vår fredagstradition, Helyllemannen och jag äter färsk pasta och vinkokta musslor. Ett minimum av ansträngning och maximum av njutning och smak. Ingen av barnen äter skaldjur, tyvärr. The remains of our Friday tradition, Mr Helylle and me have fresh pasta and wine boiled mussels. A minimum of effort and a maximum of pleasure and taste. None of the children eat sea food, unfortunately.
Skörden pågår. Tomaterna är helt magiska. De gröna mognar i fönstret. Harvest still. The tomatoes are totally magic. The green ones ripen on a window sill.
Förberedelser för hösten. Preparations for autumn.