It’s tough coming home from work, especially after a night where I didn’t sleep well, because I either 1) couldn’t get to sleep 2) couldn’t get comfortable and kept waking up 3) kept waking up too hot 4) woke up super early and a) had to get up to go to the bathroom b) had a headache and had to get up to take medicine c) heard the furnace beeping and had to get up to go turn it off d) woke up when my husband’s alarm went off and then again when he went in and out of the...
I’m normally about as far from being a gardener as you can get. I don’t like being outside all that much. I loathe having dirt under my fingernails. Bending over is hard these days thanks to back issues and kneeling is out completely. That said, I like gardens. I like flowers. And I like eating things. This year has been a banner year in the Ek family backyard, where we’ve managed to grow several…crops. Thanks to getting net on the cherry tree, we enjoyed a month-long bonanza of delicious sweet cherries. It’s hard to believe I had practically never even...
I just realized what is wrong with me. I’m in a rut. You know the one, maybe…where life is moving smoothly along and nothing much is happening; certainly nothing worth writing about, and you don’t feel particularly sad or happy or really, anything. You just get up in the morning and do the things you have to do: shower, dress, brush your teeth, etc. You go to work, you eat the meals that keep you going, you do some of the things that you like doing: reading, watching a movie or a show, making phone calls, checking email, but there...
It was cloudy today, an even gray cover, misting us in rain but not enough to actually WATER the thirsty earth. I went out with the hose after dinner and gave the potatoes and the tomatoes a good soaking, stopping to pluck another little red cherry tomato. The plants are so heavy they are pulling away from the house and leaning the slatted sticks that were supposed to support them over so far that I’m pretty sure it’s just a matter of time before they hit the ground. There are tons of tiny green tomato balls growing and still the...
It’s official: I’m overheating. The house is hot, I’m hot. Every fan we own is on, and it’s NOT HELPING. GAH. It was 32C when I got home today. That’s 96F. In SWEDEN. Even in mid-July, that’s damn hot. Add hot flashes to that, and I am one unhappy camper. If it doesn’t cool down soon, I’m going to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West in a pool of my own sweat, swearing all the way. Yeah, yeah, there’s no humidity and it will cool down overnight, but OMG I’m hot today. I was so hot and tired...
Last week at work, while making the corrections to a case study layout, one of the markups was to change a section headline about fingerprint scanners which are used for security at a school, from “Making a whorl of difference” to “Making a world of difference”. Now, I had thought that headline was quite clever when I was first copying in the content, and it made me smile. But the request to change it set me off. What?! I fired off an email to the colleague in the US office who is responsible for the case studies to ask if...
There’s a special feeling to being alone after weeks of being social. I feel like I’ve been on a whirlwind the past two and a half months. A good whirlwind, but a whirlwind nonetheless, what with Karin’s graduation, family visiting, friends visiting, and a seemingly unending round of parties and get-togethers. Now, the house is quiet and empty, and clean, and I am rather enjoying it. It’s funny how you don’t want things to change, and yet they do, and when they do, you can either rail against it or just enjoy the moment. I’ve had so many moments to...
Two down! At least, two high school graduations down. Karin had a fantastic day, starting with a champagne breakfast at the school and day full of activities until their “run-out” at nearly 4. I had thought Martin’s school yard was big and crowded, but I wasn’t at ALL prepared for how many people were crowded into the open areas of Karin’s school. Nearly 1000 students graduated and ALL their families and friends seemed to be there, with signs and balloons and plush necklaces and champagne bottles and big smiles. We parked at Karin’s girlfriend’s house and walked over to the...
How do you live so far away from family? It’s not a question I get that often, because I’ve been here for so long and I’m part of an expat community who have ALL moved far away from home and family. Most of the time, you just don’t think about it. You live your life, you go to work, you clean your house, and make dinner, but you don’t think about the fact that you only see your mom once a year and your brother maybe that, and your sister less than that, and your uncles and cousins and grandmother...
*dusts off blog* Well, hello there! I’m not sure I remember how to drive this thing. I’m not even sure I can get it in gear… I haven’t posted since a couple of days before my mom arrived and the crazy month of crazy started. My brother and his family were here for a week then we had a week of party preparations and then we had a week of graduation insanity and parties, parties, parties. Then my mom left and now I’m suddenly left with one more day ahead of me before I have to return to my REAL...