Author: lizardek

12
Jun
2008

CONJURING WITH SCENT, SPORTING WITH SYNONYMS

Mellifluous scent of clipped grass rising sweetly to the nose Deep pans swollen with rising, golden bread, heat waves shimmering above, the buttery smell of baking bread Steam-scented burn-smelling air around a bonfire at night Unexpected whiffs of lilac passing on an early evening summer breeze Sharp citrus scent of clementines scouring the nose, setting the teeth and the inside of your mouth to tingling The clean honeyed odor of a child’s freshly shampooed and towel-dried hair Delightful perfume of almond rising from an open bottle of essence Lily of the valley’s pleasing and dulcet fragrance Yeasty delight of your...

09
Jun
2008

4 DOLLA NO HOLLA

You know those time warp price comparison charts where you see what bread and milk and gas cost in 1963 or 1955 or 1924 and they just make you gasp with amazement? Here in Sweden, the gas price at my little gas station in town today (not one of the big chains) was SEK 13.66 per liter. There are approximately 4 liters to the gallon. It cost me 750 kronor to fill up my tank. At today’s exchange rate that came to $126. Gas costs us approximately $9.16 per gallon. It’s been this high, give or take a few pennies,...

07
Jun
2008

CONFESSION

I’m a bit bored. Maybe it takes longer to unwind than I suspected. I’ve done (pretty much) nothing but lounge around and read like a fiend for 2 whole days but yet this feeling of weird detachment persists. The sun has been shining, with the exception of one downpour day, nonstop for 6 weeks. Have you any idea how unprecedented that is in this part of Sweden? Everyone seems to be gobsmacked with summer delirium, gulping great swallows of the perfect air, knowing it won’t last, feeling like it’s a dream, determined to get every ounce of joy out of...

06
Jun
2008

DOWNTIME

There might have been an invitation to something that was sidestepped. There might have been the idea of getting things done somewhere in the back of your mind. There is, for certain, a list, more likely plural, lying somewhere with patience or, perhaps, resignation. But there is something more, something which overwhelms and smothers all other considerations: 3 free days. No obligations No plans No one else’s needs No commitments …and no desire to do anything but revel in the peace and quiet and the unassailable joy of doing nothing but what you feel like doing, in each moment as...

01
Jun
2008

QUEEN O’ THE MAY

It’s hard to decide which I like better: the myriad mosaic of green that is spring or the upholstered uniformity of full-on summer verdancy. Everything is padded and plump with summer now, in leaf. The fluff-headed grasses sway in the wind of the cars’ passing along each country road. Small birds tumble about each other above the rooftops, romance on the wing. We’ve had the loveliest anniversary weekend. Just think! 12 years married. Of course, in the frenzy of making sure to remember the date, I got it firmly fixed in my head that YESTERDAY was June 1st, and because...

29
May
2008

IS THERE AN EXCHANGE RATE FOR NATURE’S COIN?

Do you think yourself beautiful? Are you pleased or, at least, at peace with your appearance? If not, what would you do to remedy it? Apply make-up? Straighten or curl or color your hair? Whiten your teeth? Lay yourself bare before a knife to correct what nature deemed your lot? Remove, add, lengthen, shorten, dye, reduce, enlarge, change. Catching part of a documentary on the increase of cosmetic surgery in China, I was appalled and mesmerized by the young girls who were undergoing operations to lengthen their legs. 6 months of pain and re-learning completely how to walk (no mention...

28
May
2008

THE STARFISH STORY

adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977) Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure...

27
May
2008

BULLETS FROM THE BUSY

The pool has sprung 2 consecutive links in the 3 weeks we’ve had it. *sigh* Karin had a fever yesterday, I got the call at 10 a.m. and worked from home the rest of day, battling a crashy connection. She was better this morning, but since the school requires kids stay home for a fever-free day, she was with me at work this morning (infecting the office instead, muahahaha!) and missing the school brännboll tournament. My to-do list will not stop growing. Squishing it does not, just as with my children, work at all. We have new across-the-street neighbors. Young...

23
May
2008

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

My plan, when I first moved to Sweden with my new husband, was to study Swedish for six months and then start looking for a job. Best-laid plans, and all that, and my discovery, 2 months after our arrival, that I was pregnant threw them right out the window. I studied Swedish anyway, but only for 4 months, taking an expensive class first at the Folkuniversitet and then, when I moved up to the front of the line, a second class at the free, government-sponsored Swedish for Immigrants. This second class sucked in comparison, but we couldn’t afford to turn...

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