Tagged: calendargirl

24
Aug
2025

WHY TIME FLIES

Life got a bit crazy this past week, and I haven’t felt like writing. Monday last week was a terrible day with one thing after another going wrong and all kinds of stress all the way until 5 pm when I picked up Lisel after a horrific dentist visit (just a cleaning, but AUGH), and we drove to Costco where we zoomed in and out to buy party platters, and then went to an AIC mingle in Malmö, on the loveliest evening of the summer. I’ll back up a bit though. Monday morning, I had to be in at the...

13
Aug
2025

FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

I’ve been thinking about how best to use up some of the 3 vacation weeks that turned into sick leave this summer, so that they don’t roll over and cause me problems later (at some point, if you don’t use your vacation days and they keep rolling over for 5 years, you are forced to take them out before the fiscal year is up, which can cause all kinds of panic and problems at work). Years ago, I had this happen, and I had to use up 2 weeks worth of vacation days before the end of March (my company’s...

17
Jul
2025

IMPRESSIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND EXPEDITIONS

I spent most of the day yesterday in Copenhagen with my friend Camilla. We met up at 9 am at the train station in Malmö and took the train over and then walked 2 blocks to the Glyptoteket. I have been there before, but it was ages ago, and all I remembered was admiring Rodin’s The Thinker and after realizing that a great deal of the museum is devoted to permanent galleries of Egyptian and Middle East, and Greek and Roman artifacts, lost interest. Not really my thing when it comes to museums. But Camilla was excited about 2 visiting...

24
Feb
2025

SPECTACULAR!

Two compliments today, how nice! One was for the second presention I fixed up for an American colleague. She was equally ebullient about the first one, but this one (which was only 15 slides, an easy-peasy one for me) she called “spectacular”! 😀 And tonight I called to activate a new member of the AIC, an older (than me) man who moved here a year ago to be with his long-distance Swedish girlfriend. He told me I did a great job of giving him info and thought it was awesome that someone called him and talked to him so well...

10
Mar
2024

POTTERY, PINK, AND PIE

Last week was really busy, so I’m kind of looking forward to this coming week, which isn’t busy at all (at the moment). Anders leaves for a week in Italy tomorrow morning, which also means I’ll be alone every evening entertaining myself with my book, iPad, TV, crossword puzzles, and a new jigsaw puzzle. Last Thursday I organized another pottery painting evening for the AIC, but it turned out to be just Lisel, Kirstin, and I, with Lisel’s 2 daughters, Martin and Theo, and Martin’s friend Thea. I painted the outside of a bowl (cereal-bowl sized) with a bird and...

25
Nov
2023

ADVENTALICIOUS

When is it officially the holiday season? Is it Halloween that really kicks things off at the end of October, sliding through All Saints and All Soul’s Days, to Thanksgiving (if you’re American)? Here in Sweden, it’s often First Advent which starts the holiday season and all the Swedes are sure to have their advent lights up in the windows and white lights twined around trees and house edges. But First Advent this year is next weekend, which puts Fourth Advent right on Christmas Eve. Do you even know what Advent IS? For many people it’s the start of a...

15
Oct
2023

ORANGE YOU GLAD IT’S AUTUMN?

It’s heading on for Halloween. I have signed up for the annual adult Halloween social for the AIC which Kirstin hosts, but honestly I hate dressing up. Every time I have to, I try to find the easiest, most simple costume idea I can…one that doesn’t involve a lot of shopping or face paint or elaborate things to put on. I signed up for 2 people but Anders doesn’t usually want to go if he can avoid it, so I might end up going by myself. Last year, I went with both kids and Karin came up with a super...

07
Oct
2023

A BREATH, A BREAK

Why is so easy to keep writing once you’ve started, and so hard to get going again once you’ve stopped? It’s always real life getting in the way, for me. Karin always asks me to share photos when I’m out doing things, and I always have to answer that I didn’t take any. I’m usually so busy living in the moment that don’t even think about taking photos. It’s the same with writing here…I’m often so busy living in the moment that I don’t take the time to sit down and write about it. I’ve had a crazy busy three...

17
Sep
2023

THE BUSY, IT’S HERE

It’s already crazy at work and busy with AIC obligations before the annual meeting in just over a week, but now my social calendar has exploded too. During the next 3 weeks, starting tomorrow, I have 7 days with no plans. 9 with no EVENING plans. 7 AIC activities. 1 massage. 1 hair appointment. 4 dinners (2 that we are hosting and 2 that are elsewhere). It’s busy time, that’s for sure. And because it’s already mid-September, my thoughts are turning to end of year events. I have Friendsgiving on my mind: need to nail down a date that both...

23
Jun
2023

READY, SET, GO

Today’s my first day of vacation, though it’s actually a day off because it’s a holiday here in Sweden: Midsummer Eve. Tomorrow is Midsummer Day, which is a bit weird because the actual summer solstice was 2 days ago on Wednesday, June 21. Sweden celebrates midsummer eve on the Friday closest to the solstice, though, so it FEELS like today is the longest day of the year, even though we’re actually already on the downward slide to darkness. It’s Anders’ first day of vacation, too, though he said he has a couple of work things he has to deal with....