Author: lizardek

06
Jul
2008

WATER BABIES

3-day weekend: hot summer days and cool summer evenings, blazing sunshine and electric blue skies with fat, white puffclouds. A green grasshopper clinging to the side of the house. Wilting roses, sun-struck geraniums, though no one here calls them geraniums any longer. Giant slices of watermelon, potato salad, rice krispie treats with red, white & blue sprinkles, steak on the grill. Hours in the pool, towel-wrapped kids with blue lips and red shoulders. Clover in the grass, butterflies on the wing. Photos by Anders Ek Super Summer Belated Birthday Wishes to idahoswede!

04
Jul
2008

SUMMER TURNS ME UPSIDE DOWN

How much more perfect can a summer evening be? Sun slowly sinking, tiny non-biting midges dancing in sparkling clouds. Children splashing and screeching in the pool. A hose in hand, spraying water over every pot and flower and sun-saturated growing thing. A rainbow-striped hot-air balloon slowly cruising right above our heads. A day spent finalizing preparations for the annual AWC Independence Day bash which we’re hosting tomorrow (because today was a regular work day, though I took it off regardless). Singing American patriotic songs in the car to the kids: Yankee Doodle, My Country Tis of Thee, God Bless America,...

01
Jul
2008

BONUS!

Haven’t paid* U.S. taxes in 11.5 years, but today I got FREE MONEY from the U.S. government anyway! Woo hoo! Thanks, George! Of course, since I’m depositing my Economic Stimulus Check in a Swedish bank (O! the irony!), it won’t be as much as it might have been, since the dollar is still in the toilet, and I’ll lose a big chunk thanks to international check-cashing fees but still, FREE MONEY! Can’t beat that with a stick! *But have kept up my end of the bargain as a U.S. citizen and faithfully filed my return every year

28
Jun
2008

WRITING, WHEN PROPERLY MANAGED, IS BUT A DIFFERENT NAME FOR CONVERSATION*

I envy people who have an instinctive ease with conversations…who can start them, keep them going, make them interesting. Even though I can hold my own, I don’t consider myself skilled at getting conversations rolling or keeping them afloat. My instincts are always to be the listener in any group, and not to be the one out there stating opinions or sharing anecdotes or telling secrets or even my side of things. Far too often, my conversation contributions are MENTAL: taking place in my head where only I can hear them. What I think is interesting about this, is that...

26
Jun
2008

HELLOOOO

Man, it’s quiet around here. The kids are gone for 3 days/2 nights at their grandparent’s. The house is clean, though my to-do list includes yet more cleaning, in anticipation of hosting the AWC Independence Day Party next weekend. Last week, I had thought that things were finally loosening up at work…ha ha HA. Every time I think that, I get slammed with more projects. And still a month to go before vacation…sigh. Tomorrow is book group deluxe: with potluck AND slumber party, at my friend brief_therapy‘s place! I can’t wait! She told us to bring something to throw on...

23
Jun
2008

CLUCK OR CLOCK

Visiting Anthropologie for the first time while in the States in April, this chicken timer was what I couldn’t leave the store without. It has “Instruction Manual” printed on the bottom with 2 illustrated steps which show those clueless about kitchen timers how to turn it past the time you want and back again to start it. The only thing that could make it any better would be if it clucked when it went off. Or if it laid an egg! That would be cool. My mom had been in the store during the day while I was working, and...

20
Jun
2008

CHIAROSCURO

It’s a bittersweet feeling for me, this day, the longest of the year. Before I moved to Sweden, I was never as aware of the presence or absence of sunlight as I am now. It’s in the back of my mind all the time these days; the light. Whether it is shining or obscured partially or wholly by clouds. How much of it there is, and the increase and waning of it yearly. Before I moved so far north, I didn’t realize how much I would be affected each year by the two halves of it: the first half which...

18
Jun
2008

HEJA SVERIGE!

Since this photo was taken an hour ago, Karin has also painted 3 Swedish flags on her face. For the last game (for those of you who are wondering what the heck I’m talking about, it’s the European Soccer Championships) she made Anders paint her face blue with a yellow stripe down her nose and across her cheeks and then added 2 “Go Sweden” tattoos on her arms. Sadly, they lost to Greece. Tonight, they’re playing Russia. Heja Sverige! Edited to add:: Doomed to disappointment, Russia won 2-0.

15
Jun
2008

THINGS I RARELY, IF EVER, DO ANY MORE

Read a printed paper newspaper Look up the definition of a word in a printed, bound dictionary Write letters on paper, put them in envelopes and mail them in a postbox Get up in the middle of the night because a child is crying Think about old boyfriends Look up phone numbers in a printed, bound telephone directory Sing in the shower Print out photos Write checks Have regrets Vacuum up cat hair Ask for directions Sunbathe Watch movies Wash my children or shampoo their hair Play board or card games that require other people or physical accessories Worry about...

14
Jun
2008

LIGHT BE THE EARTH UPON YOU, LIGHTLY REST

Even when it’s lovely outside, I can sometimes spend the entire day indoors, admiring the sunlight as it falls in stripes across the parquet or the flickering shine of the water in the pool on the underside of the porch roof. Especially when immersed in a good book or busy with housecleaning or projects, it’s not always my first inclination to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Especially nowadays when bright sunshine jabs at my eyes and makes them blurry for the rest of the day, I’m even more wary of taking the risk which might mean not...

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