Monthly Archive: January 2004

Excellent article in Newsweek about the crossover of young adult and children’s literature into adult mainstream reading and why*: …Or maybe grown-ups like children’s entertainment simply because it’s better than their own. Since writers can’t fall back on sex, romance or profanity, the storytelling has to be dramatic and clear. Critic Francis Spufford, who reread all his childhood favorites while writing his memoir, “The Child That Books Built,” believes that kids’ books fill a need for compelling stories currently missing in adult fiction. He blames modernism for encouraging experimentation at the expense of a sound narrative. “What’s happening now is...

Yesterday felt crazy and out of control, and really LOUD, but that was mostly because I’ve been alone and quiet all week. The kids seemed to be everywhere, bouncing off the walls and ceilings. 🙂 Karin ran in and out of the house all day visiting her neighborhood buddies. Anders’ parents came over. Another friend came over to go through kid’s clothes. Okay, so maybe it WAS a little crazy, and not just me. I cleaned out another closet and all of our old files with bank statements pitched that were over 7 years old. What a huge pile of...

The two girls who came over today reduced my 9 bags of kids clothing to 2, which made me very happy. I got laundry, dishes, dusting, vacuuming done and the bathroom cleaned. I also scanned all the pictures, moved the old website pages to the archives and started editing photos before heading into town for the movie. Plans got switched around at the last second and it ended up being just Emily and I. Which was fine, we had fun. Under the Tuscan Moon was really good; I had absolutely no expectations and hadn’t read any reviews and enjoyed it...

This is the last day of my week sans family. I’m ready for them to come home, and find I’m thinking about them almost constantly, which is a good sign that I’m missing them. 🙂 They won’t be home until really late, however, and I suspect the kids will be asleep, and plus, I’m going to a movie tonight with friends, so really I won’t see them until tomorrow (except Anders, HE’LL get a welcome home tonight :). Slept in but not too late. Now I have to do some cleaning, get showered and dressed. Then I’m working on my...

Captain Kangaroo is dead. 🙁

I’ve been thinking a lot about skeletons in the closet. Having an online journal, or I assume, ANY journal, makes you want to spill your guts about every aspect of your life, current and prior. Sometimes, it may be cathartic, but much of the time, I wonder if it’s necessary. I think it IS necessary to the growth of friendship, to be allowed in, to learn the nooks and crannies and reasons for behavior a friend displays. Usually, it furthers understanding or at least promotes tolerance. The person I am now is firmly rooted in the people I’ve been at...

Figured I might as well spread the word that if any artists are reading this and are interested, our club is taking submissions for a new logo. We can’t pay anything, but will credit the winner on the website. Contest deadline is February 24th. It has to have AWC Malmö or American Women’s Club Malmö as part of the design, and should be scalable. If you have questions, let me know 🙂

I pulled out the big faux bear coat this morning. I love my newer coat, but even it isn’t enough in minus temperatures. Anders told me last night that they were stuck in the stuga all day yesterday because it is minus 30 celsius in Lofsdalen and the lifts were closed, ski school was cancelled and no one is venturing outside except for absolute necessities. I hope they don’t have to spend the rest of their ski vacation inside! I slept so hard this morning and the temptation to just stay in bed and not bother with work was nearly...

blackcustard makes me homesick TWICE: here and here. Work was busy but the end of it sucked with a meeting that drained all the fun out of life because stupid opinions and laziness seem to be the most important thing going on these days. 🙁 Sushi sushi sushi lifted my spirits afterwards, however, as did nearly two hours of cozy chatting with Camilla and Emily, before heading to choir practice where we sang two of my favorite songs *bounce* !! It is so cold outside that paint is peeling off surfaces. Walking into the wind feels like razorblades are attacking...

The sky is a perfect robin’s-egg blue. Sunshine so sharp you can get paper cuts on your eyes if you’re not careful. And cold, man is it COLD. Looking forward to: sushi, bookfiend chatting, choir I have to stop playing around on LJ when I’m supposed to be working. John and Simone made and gave me a bag of beans for Christmas. That sounds so funny! But it’s the kind of bag that you put in the microwave or freezer to help with various aches and pains. Yesterday, I nuked that sucker on high and then draped it over my...