Lizardek

10
Jul
2025

SOMNUM OCULIS MEIS NON VIDI*

I used to be able to sleep so long in the mornings. Of course I’d stay up late, most often, as well, but I was a champion sleeper-in-er. I could easily sleep until 11, or even later. I was still a teenager, basically, well into my adulthood. Even when I had young children who got up early, sleeping in was my best reward and best treat. So, I don’t know if it’s years of getting up for work by 7 am or just aging, but I can’t sleep in anymore. I guess if you count not setting an alarm and...

09
Jul
2025

HUMDRUM DATES AND PLACES

My entire sick leave/vacation has filled up with appointments, lunches, dinners, and other events. There is something scheduled for every day of the calendar next week! And I still have to wash all the curtains! haha! It’s nice to fill my days with fun things to do. I’m even going to Copenhagen next week TWICE. On Monday, Anders and I are meeting one of my second cousins and his wife for lunch, and on Wednesday, Camilla and I are going to the Gauguin/Degas exhibits at the Glyptoteket. We’re having dinner with Barbara and Paul on Thursday, and Saturday is a...

07
Jul
2025

GARDEN APPRECIATION POST

I’ve spent a lot of time this spring and summer admiring our garden. Anders does all the heavy lifting when it comes to the yard and vegetable garden. He mows the huge lawn, trims the hedges, weeds, edges, and plants most of the vegetables as well as netting and staking, and tying up when necessary. I buy flowers and put them in pots or plant them and water everything every day, and deadhead as needed. We’ve done more with fertilizer this year and it’s really helped, especially with the tomatoes and with a couple of the rose bushes, as well...

06
Jul
2025

TO-DO BEE DO BE DO

Waking up super early has one advantage, though I could wish it was not the case since I’m HOME AND DON’T HAVE TO GET UP. Because I can’t get back to sleep, I figure I might as well get up and moving and shower and eat breakfast so I can start doing whatever it is I have on my to-do list for the day. You might think that I shouldn’t HAVE a to-do list while I’m on sick leave/vacation, but have you met me? I live for to-do lists. And oh my god, I’m getting so many things done right...

05
Jul
2025

THINGS COULD BE DIFFERENT AROUND HERE

Yesterday was the 4th of July, but I have never felt less patriotic in my life. Not even when Trump was President the first time. Not even when George W. Bush or Reagan was President. The only thing stopping me from renouncing my citizenship right now is knowing that more than half the country didn’t vote for him and is as angry, frustrated, and overwhelming boggled as me. How have we gone down so far so fast? WHY is there such a need in so many men in power to put hatred, cruelty, and power above everything else decent? I...

03
Jul
2025

DOING NOTHING AND EVERYTHING

I’ve felt a little stupid about some of the medical terms that have been flying around me for the last 2 months, and part of that has had to do with the differences in Swedish and English, and part of it was not having really thought about the differences in terms. I’ve felt that the words ‘inflammation’ and ‘infection’ seemed to be used rather interchangeably, but when I mentioned that to my doctor, he said, “Not by the medical establishment. They mean completely different things.” So I finally looked up their definitions, and like, duh, of course they are different,...

28
Jun
2025

DOING ALL THE THINGS, EXCEPT SLEEPING

Since I was in the hospital, I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Or rather, getting back to sleep after I wake up in the middle of the wee hours or middle of the night. I’ve woken at 3, 4, 5, and one particularly bad night at 2:30 am. I have to get up to go to the bathroom, and when I get back to bed, I cannot fall asleep again, no matter what I try. A few nights I manage to doze off after a couple of hours only to be awakened again to go to the bathroom. UGH. I read...

24
Jun
2025

FINDING BEAUTY EVERYWHERE

I don’t go to nearly enough art exhibitions or photography exhibitions or dance recitals or concerts these days. Maybe part of it is living all the way out here in a tiny, quiet village. It is mostly Camilla that finds art exhibitions in and around Malmö and Lund and suggests them to Debbie and I as possible excursions for the 3 of us. Concerts are too expensive most of the time, and require way too much work and honestly, I’ve seen most of the musical artists I like or am content to listen to their music via Spotify. Most of...

23
Jun
2025

SHOPPING, SUSHI, AND SCHEDULES

Do you like shopping? Or just window shopping? Do you have to have a list or a plan or do you like to just wander and look and see what you find? I’ve never been all that much of a shopper, and since I’ve gained weight, clothes shopping is no fun at all. I have a couple of stores, one here and two in the US and that’s basically where I do all my shopping, though I order bras online, and there is one catalog from the States that I’ve ordered jeans/leggings from many times. I wear my clothes until...

21
Jun
2025

SOLSTICE RUMINATIONS

Happy summer solstice! Glad midsommar! What a difference a couple of weeks, good medical care, a definite diagnosis, and wonder drugs makes. I’m still easily tired, which isn’t surprising considering I’ve been so housebound and sedentary. I hope to start walking again soon. We’ve had a full week of the most beautiful weather: sunny, blue skies, a little breeze, perfect temperatures, cool evenings. If the whole summer was like this, I’d be perfectly happy. Yesterday was midsummer in Sweden, a day off, and one of the biggest holidays of the year. I was up early as has been the case...