Lizardek

16
Jan
2010

15 MINUTES OF FAME

American Liz – “You never want to say that you are the best, even when you are!” ————————- Then & why I came here: My dad was in the military and our family lived quite awhile in Europe when I was a teenager. I longed to go back. Luckily, I fell in love with a European, a Swedish man. We met in Chicago, USA and in 1997 decided to move to Sweden. ————————- One of the first things I learned when I came to Sweden was the word “fika”. I’ve never met a people with such a love of cookies...

10
Jan
2010

NO ONE NEEDS A VACATION MORE THAN THE PERSON WHO JUST HAD ONE

The wind has been scouring Skåne for days now. It’s blown all the frozen snow away from every surface and left the fields bare. Driving at night, you could see the wind pouring like water across the surface of the asphalt, only better because it was blowing snow along with it: white wind, white water. Today, mom and I went to the grocery store and as we got in the car, I looked down at the blown-up drifts around the driveway and thought, hmmm…that’s weird, the snow looks kind of…beige. And as we drove out of the neighborhood, it got...

07
Jan
2010

MINDS ALIVE ON THE SHELVES*

If you have the chance, I urge you not to miss out on the magical goodness that is the Squam Art Workshops. Elizabeth (Bluepoppy) has outdone herself with the wonderful weekends on offer for those able to take advantage of any of the five…count ’em, FIVE! different workshops that are spaced throughout 2010: go! GO! I’ve totally agreed to work the Swedish version when Elizabeth gets around to planning SAW, European style! If there is anyway in the world I can get to the Reader’s Retreat, I would be over the moon. Since I’ve already started the New Year out...

05
Jan
2010

ANXIETY IS THE SPACE BETWEEN NOW & THEN

You know those dreams or movie scenes where you have to get somewhere and you turn into a hallway and suddenly the hallway s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s out in front of you like a tunnel, with appropriately alarming music accompaniment and you know you will never reach the end? Never, never never? That’s how I feel right now. I know it’s my own fault for even bothering to CHECK my work email, but honest to god, it’s insane. I can’t stop thinking about work and how it will just pile up and up and up if I don’t keep on top of it,...

02
Jan
2010

YOU KNOW JUST WHAT I WAS THERE FOR

It’s the New Year, time of resolutions and retrospectives and goal-setting. Everyone’s so motivated. Me, I’m just howling at the moon. Literally, and loudly, to my children’s embarrassment. But it’s so FULL! And bright! A blue moon. What a way to end a year! And what a way to start one. It’s fun to be starting off the year with something that happens so seldom. We’ve had unbelievably cold temperatures all this past week and it is COLD. I just looked at the thermometer and it’s minus 9 Celsius. That’s 15.8 Fahrenheit. Brrrr! We left an hour early for the...

01
Jan
2010

RETROSPECTIVE

A houseful of visitors, a couple of months worth of parties, and a massive head cold left me with little time to update the past few days. I didn’t get my usual year retrospective up before the year actually turned, but that seems to be par for the course for how 2009 went for me. Last night, around the table with our good friends, we each recounted the low point and the high point that the passing year had held for us. One friend recounted the fear and helplessness of watching her best friend’s pregnancy head into complications. One talked...

29
Dec
2009

REPLETE

I’ve been filling up. Filling up with lovely days and family goodness and the stupified silence of children stunned by the awesomeness of their Christmas presents. Filling up with cookies and turkey sandwiches and clementines and love. Too busy to sit down and write, too busy to take a moment because all the moments are taken: real life, days present and future and full. Friday is a full moon, but it’s nearly there now. Last night it was shining clear and crystal down on the sugar frosting sifted across the grass, the hedge, the yard. I’ve not slept well the...

24
Dec
2009

WHAT A BRIGHT TIME, IT’S THE RIGHT TIME!

Sleeping in, Finished a great book, house spotless, and refrigerator stuffed with all the trimmings for a complete Swedish julbord and ready to go! Anders’ parents got here just after 3 p.m. and the kids watched Kalle Anka until Karin and I left to pick up John & Simone at the airport (on time! smooth sailing!). There is still a ton of snow and there are lovely advent lights in stars in the windows of every house. We had a wonderful evening stuffing ourselves silly on all the good food that Anders and his mom had prepared and then (finally!...

23
Dec
2009

LAME DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE UPDATE

Almost ready. The snow is melting, though we still have a ton here in our village due to the fact that we live in a precipitation pocket where it’s always colder or rainier or snowier than anywhere else in Skåne. Seeing black wet roads and grey/black sludge edges makes me sad because everything was absolutely COVERED with white just 2 days ago. *sigh* …I’ve been told more snow is on the way; hope that is true. I have fallen down on the cookie job this year, but I don’t care. It’s just as well. I’ve already gained a ton of...

20
Dec
2009

IN THE LANE SNOW IS GLISTENING

Look what happens when someone leaves the snow on overnight! 24 hours plus of snowfall and we have over a foot. I threw the kids outside with a camera and told them to take photos. “Of what?” they asked. DUH! Of things covered in snow! When I got the camera back, they had taken pictures of both the cars and the mailbox and some blobs of snow on the side of the house. Anders is out shoveling, the kids are out sledding and I, in a hilarious twist of irony, am about to DEFROST THE FREEZER. Hahahahahaha!! ABOMINABLE! Clifford the...

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