Category: general

22
Apr
2023

GONE TOO LONG

I put together a list of things that struck me as weird while I was in the States. I dictated it to my sister during our road trip, because it had been taking up space in my brain for the first 3 weeks I was “home” but I hadn’t yet written it down or, really, formulated, what was so weird about these things. Some of these things are maybe specific to the Carolinas, or the South, but both of those things are just smaller subsets of things that struck me about being back in the USA after such a long...

16
Apr
2023

BORTA BRA MEN HEMMA BÄST

Back in Sweden after an entire 4 weeks in the US, which wasn’t going fast at first, but sped up amazingly by the fourth week, and now I can’t believe it’s already over and I’m home. Karin arrived home from Italy as well, on Friday, and I flew in early Saturday morning, so we are all home together again…aside from the fact that Martin moved out a week ago, to an apartment in Malmö, and Karin has already disappeared off with friends somewhere in Malmö or Lund, who knows. 😀 I had a GREAT time, and it was so worth...

30
Mar
2023

HOME-ISH

I’ve been in the US for nearly 2 weeks, and it’s mostly weird to be here. I don’t know if that’s because I’m in the Carolinas instead of Michigan or because I’ve been away from the US for so long. I’ve read that it only takes about 5 years for someone who has moved abroad to find things have changed so much in their home country that when they return it’s like coming to a foreign country. One that SHOULD feel like home, SHOULD smell like home, SHOULD behave like home, but doesn’t. I’ve not been back for 4.5 years,...

14
Mar
2023

HOMEBODY

There seems to be a fundamental battle shaping up after the pandemic, between employers and employees, in regards to working from home. Before the pandemic, we all basically worked in the office (at least those of us with white-collar office jobs). Now, three-plus years later, we’ve learned, adapted, and adjusted to the hybrid reality of post-pandemic work. My company began sending people home part-time fairly quickly once the pandemic became a known issue, and we went home full-time before the end of 2020. We worked from home for nearly 2.5 years, with lots of benefits and help with materials and...

09
Mar
2023

IN PIE WE CRUST

We hosted Pie Night for the AIC Malmö last Saturday and it was a smash success. We had 25 people (including myself, Anders, and Martin), though originally 29 were supposed to show. We’ve had Pie Night at least 7 times now, if the oldest one on the AIC website in 2016 was actually the first. As usual, Anders made 2 taco pies at my request, and I made 2 fruit pizzas. We had 6 different savory pies for dinner including the taco paj: spanakopita (which was delish), chicken tamale pie, French leek quiche, shepherd’s pie, and steak & carrot pie....

06
Mar
2023

MOVE FORWARD, LEAN BACK

Once again, time has run away with me, and I’m guilty of posting all the time in my head, but not at all the past couple of weeks here. But I just thought of an interesting topic to write about, so here I am! I’m thinking about the difference in enjoying something new vs. enjoying something old. How often do you have to make the choice between trying something new or sticking with something familiar? I wonder what the percentage is of people who choose new over tried and true. When you pick a book to read, do you always...

26
Feb
2023

THE NON-FICTION LIST

I read a lot. And I have a LOT of books. Since I got my Kindle, the number of physical books in my house has dropped, since I don’t buy actual books anymore, preferring to buy ebooks instead, because 1) instant gratification, 2) no one will have to deal with them in the future when I’m gone, and 3) my bookshelves are full. Every year, the AIC hosts a “media” “sale”…quotes around those because it used to be more “media”, meaning that we allowed books, DVDs, CDs, games, puzzles, etc. But more and more it’s just books, and just English...

22
Feb
2023

SPRINGISH THINGS

It’s officially spring here in southern Sweden, despite being still February and a full week away from March. Sweden’s meteorological office, SMHI, defines spring as having arrived if the temperature has been above freezing for a week. I call borderline bullshit though, since I had to scrape my car windows this morning and it was ONE degree Celsius at 8 am, which means it was definitely freezing or below overnight (again). We’re still wearing winter coats, scarves, and gloves, though I’ve haven’t worn my heaviest winter coat for a few weeks now…which is nice because it weighs a ton. And...

18
Feb
2023

DOMESTICALLY INCLINED

Last night, Otto the storm stormed through, with galeforce winds that made the house shake and rattle and all the vents whoosh every once in a while. By 10 pm, it sounded as if we had a freight train going by the house nonstop. I read in bed until close to midnight and it never really let up once. But this morning I woke to sunshine. It clouded over pretty quickly, but the sun is peeking out again now, though there are still clouds and I can see the tops of the trees waving. I filled up the bird feeders...

15
Feb
2023

MY TWO CENTS*

I’m leaving for the US in, basically, a month. I have a small stack of stuff that is going with me and several reminder emails to myself about things I need to get (mostly gifts) before I leave. Yesterday afternoon, Martin emptied out some container in his room and came in to give me some American change, and ask where he should put the others he had found. We used to have a huge plastic Coke bottle that was about a quarter-filled with coins from all around the world. Every time we were going somewhere, we’d have to empty it...

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