Monthly Archive: May 2026

29
May
2026

WHIRLWIND WEEK

Well, that went fast! John and family arrived just in time for dinner on Saturday and we were going full throttle ever since. We had absolutely perfect weather the entire week as well; Sweden showing off its best side. The lilacs are in full bloom and our yard is looking beautiful thanks to Anders. We played lots of games including Yardtzee (coined by Karin), 0-100, Uno, City-Country-Idiot, and lots of Trivial Pursuit questions. The kids were great, and Lola was the most well-behaved dog ever. We went to Lund’s Pinball Academy, and the Moose tour, and played mini-golf. We had...

23
May
2026

PREPPING FOR HOUSE GUESTS

My brother and his family get here in about 2 hours, for a week-long stay, and I am ready! Well, the house is ready. The yard is ready (apart from planting cucumbers and tomatoes and a little bit of weeding needed under the trellis, which I can’t do because of my stupid knees. Anders took a garage-load of stuff to the dump this morning, and I’ve been cleaning and organizing since I got up. It’s a very warm and humid day, and I just had to wet my hair down because it was being crazy. It’s too short to do...

20
May
2026

A CONSTANT TO-DO LIST

I survived an earthquake today. To be completely honest, even though at the time I DID actually think “was that an earthquake?!” I wasn’t actually sure I hadn’t just hallucinated the slight shiver the world gave, and didn’t think anything of it until Karin sent a message to our family chat asking if we knew there had been an earthquake. I was walking through the hallway to the kitchen when I felt it, and almost immediately dismissed it, since it lasted literally about 2 seconds. I looked out the kitchen windows as I entered the room and saw the neighbor...

10
May
2026

ZOOMING FORWARD

I may have to do some rethinking about my new year’s challenge of writing a letter a month. I’ve been struggling to decide who to write to for May. I wrote a short list of people (that haven’t already received a letter), and it made me realize how little contact I have with old friends and relatives these days. Social media just doesn’t cut it. Friendships that I once would have said were solid have become tattered and unraveled over the many years. In some cases, I haven’t seen a friend except once or twice since we moved to Sweden,...

04
May
2026

I WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF BOOKS TO READ

I’m a bit bummed out about the books that won the vote for the next batch of AIC bookgroup books. Not because they’re not good choices, and sure to be good reads, but because not only have I read 2 of them already, but NONE of my 5 recommendations made the list, and 2 books made the list that were recommended by someone who has never even participated in bookgroup, but showed interest and sent her book recs in right before the deadline. Grump. She’d better show up now. One of her books that made the cut is one I...

01
May
2026

DOUBLE RABBIT RABBIT RABBITS!

Two days in a row where I’ve had occasion to say “Rabbit rabbit rabbit” …that only happens once a year, if at all. Today is May 1st, a holiday here in Europe (it’s Labor Day) and yesterday was Valborgsmässoafton, or Walpurgis Eve in English, which isn’t a day off, but is cause for a traditional celebration here in Sweden regardless. That makes today a double holiday as it is also the feast day for Saint Walpurgia, who would probably be astonished and gratified to learn that her name is still a part of the calendar and that many parts of...