In the courtyard outside the daycare, blossoms are peeking pinkly among the unfolding new leaves of the twisty apple and pear trees. Spirea bushes shoot lacy arms out and daffodils cluster, talking amongst themselves. A tiny tabby cat runs purposefully across the street and disappears under the red currant bushes. Forsythia bonfires are roaring soundlessly over garden gates. Spring is burning down the house. It’s also burning me down. I can’t remember the last time my allergies were so bad. All this beauty is pure torture because the longer I’m out in it, the more my eyes itch, and the...

The fields and trees are swelling with life, you can almost see them expanding as you watch. Trees flame with green candled tops and chestnut blossom stalks are wearing long green skirts. Dandelions polkadot the pastures and gather in the ditches, round trees and all along the roads like they’re watching a parade or cheering on the passing cars. 2 riders on glowing brown chestnut horses cause vehicles to slow, swooping out widely as they pass to avoid startling them. There are numberless, countless, infinite shades of green everywhere you look. One of the slopes behind our neighborhood is packed...

I’ve always sung to the kids, ever since they were babies, and I frequently replace names and pronouns in songs with theirs. (to the tune of Bicycle Built For Two): Martin, Martin, give me your answer do…I’m half crazy all for the love of you! (to the tune of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang): Karin-bean is a little beanie-ween girl, little beanie-weenie, I love you, and I know my little beanie-ween girl, little beanie Karin loves me too. Me: (singing, while putting clothes away in my bedroom) Martin, Martin Martin, Maaaartttt-iiiiin, Martin Martin: (from the playroom, thinking I’m calling him) What...

Yesterday, Karin’s little boyfriend Jonatan was over at our house playing for a bit and when he left he loaned his Bionicle to Karin (who slept with it clutched tightly in her hand all night) and forgot his bicycle helmet in our laundry room. So we took it with us this morning to daycare to return it to him. On the way across the playground, Karin held the helmet up to her face and sniffed in deeply. “It smells like Jonatan,” she said. “Ehggg,” I responded. “Jonatan smells GOOD,” she informed me and smiled. Beautiful Sign of Spring: Singing Robin...

If I was meeting you for the very first time and I wanted to give you an idea of what kind of person I am, but couldn’t actually tell you in so many words, this is the baker’s dozen things that I would put into a box* for you to look at, read, listen to, and taste so that you could get to know me. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary mix tape with a homemade cover containing (among others) The Carpenter’s On Top of the World, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Smash Mouth’s Walkin’ On The Sun, Peter Paul & Mary’s If...

All along the edge of Pildamms Park in Malmö, where the water is, the city has planted pearl hyacinth in zigzaggy waves in the stretch of grass between the bike path and the walking path. It goes for almost a mile, a wavy wiggle of purple and green, under the trees. By the edge of the water, we stopped and watched a swan gliding and posing, and 7 tumbly ducklings waddling after their mother. The kids behaved beautifully at choir practice last night. Karin came and sat with me and then put in a song request so we sang Vår...

A friend called me tonight and left a message saying that she just called to chat and see how things were because she noticed at the meeting yesterday and recently that I haven’t been myself. I called her back after I got home and we talked for nearly an hour. I’m really touched that someone noticed. Although, if my upside-down inside-out state-of-mind is that obvious, perhaps I need to do something more drastic. argh On the way to choir, Karin was awarding me 1 point for every vehicle I passed and taking away 1 for every vehicle that passed me....

This morning as we left the house, the sun was shining in an electric blue sky. It was already 7C and the day promises to improve. If I was outside or had windows at work, I’d be a happy camper. As it is…sigh So since I can’t enjoy it, go read this instead: Spring in Sweden, Complete with Pictures: Swedish Spring by idahoswede The meeting last night was good and bad. We had guests from the other international club in town at our board meeting because we thought it would be nice, since we have so many members in common...

Two little girls are skipping rope together, 1 turning the rope over them both, the other facing her, hopping in time and chanting. Both of them have pink pants and blond hair. 2 more blond and pink girls look on, waiting their turns. Just past them, a group of small boys crouch in a circle, shooting marbles. 2 of them have homemade marble bags at their sides and are earnestly comparing the merits of spaghetti vs. cats-eye. Someone’s big steelie bounces off a cobblestone, prompting a burst of shouting and agonized arm-flapping. Over by the bushes, a group of kids,...