Tagged: goodthings

04
Oct
2015

OPPOSITE OF SLUG

If I was away from LJ for several days some years ago, it could take me hours to scroll through and read everything on my friends list and RSS feed. These days, it’s a matter of minutes. Nice on the one hand, but sad on the other. It’s been a busy weekend in the middle of 2 busy weeks at the beginning of a busy month. On Friday I went to see Top Hat at the Malmö Opera House with my friend Debbie. She and the Wonders had given me a gift certificate when I had that big birthday a...

27
Sep
2015

FANGIRL

It’s been a busy weekend. Yesterday, my friend Camilla and I drove up to Gothenburg for the big Book Fair (Bökmässan). It claims to be the biggest cultural event in Scandinavia and has been going on since 1985. I’ve been a handful of times but it’s been several years since the last time. The only reason I went this year was because Laini Taylor was going to be one of the seminar guests. I’ve been following Laini’s blog practically since I started blogging myself. She’s an artist and author and has written several fantasy novels that are top notch as...

24
Aug
2015

OH SAY CAN I SEE!

I can see! OMG I CAN SEE EVERYTHING. I knew I was living in a blur, a fuzz, a near clear facsimile of vision, but I had no idea how bad it really was until today when I got my new glasses. I feel like I should look different, because now I look differently. Everything is so crisp and clear and readable. Even the tiniest, smallest print. Why did I wait so long?? For the first 20 minutes or so, I was a bit bothered by the subtle blur at the very corners of my peripheral vision; the edges of...

17
Aug
2015

THE BEST KIND OF DISTRACTION

Just like our vacation, which had both good (traveling, sightseeing, relaxing) and bad (John in the hospital) elements, this weekend was the same. My mom called Thursday with the news that my Aunt Kathie had passed away. She was diagnosed at the end of March with an aggressive brain tumor. Even knowing the outcome, I still wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast. I guess if you have to go, fast is the way to do it, but UGH. Cancer sucks. The visitation was yesterday and the funeral today. I was very sad that there was no way I could...

09
Aug
2015

GOOD DAYS

There is only one week left of summer vacation for the kids and oh my god I can’t wait until they’re back into regular routines again. No more sleeping until noon, no more playing games all damn day, back to real life! Is it evil of me to be glad that school is starting? I really wish both kids had gotten summer jobs this summer, I feel like it would have made a big difference. Pretty soon we have to start getting serious about Martin’s future: college applications, scholarship searches, financial aid research…aagh! I can’t believe he’s going to be...

26
Jul
2015

CHERRIES, CHILLS, AND NOTHING MUCH

The kids and I climbed up the little ladder and the big ladder and effectively emptied the cherry tree tonight before dinner. It was our fourth foray up into the branches and we filled two big bowls, bringing our total of big bowls filled for this harvest to 7! I have no idea how many liters or quarts or pounds of cherries we got, but it was a lot. I brought two big containers into work last week and the five of us who are working snarfed them down. I gave away 2 big bags to neighbors and 1 big...

22
Jul
2015

HAPPY TOGETHER: CROATIA (PART 3)

Vacations, for me, aren’t just about the places we go and the things we see. They are, in a big way, about the people I am with. Family vacations are the best kind of vacations, where we get to see loved ones that live too far away for frequent contact…and that is pretty much all of my family, except my husband and kids. So, it was a REAL bummer that John wasn’t able to be with us and participate in the week. We had a good time and it was fun, but it would have been so much MORE so...

23
Jun
2015

A GOOD WEEK

This is SUCH a relaxing week! I mean, apart from the stuff on my (numerous) to-do lists, I’m doing NEARLY NOTHING. Like today, for example! NEARLY NOTHING. Only one load of laundry. And wrapping presents. And ironing 2 shirts (I hate ironing, so this was a pat on the back for me). And researching places to go and things to do and see in Prague and Vienna. But that’s like it! Apart from reading. I read a lot. And watching 3 episodes of Orphan Black with Martin. And driving to Malmö with Anders to get his car (we’re getting another...

06
Jun
2015

WHEW!

Crazy week from hell is finally over and I can enjoy the sudden summer that has been visited upon us. Monday was our 19th wedding anniversary…next year is 20! TWENTY YEARS. That’s crazy. We didn’t do much, and didn’t even exchange gifts, but Anders cooked a delicious dinner 🙂 Tuesday and Wednesday were high school graduation parties for the sons of friends. We all went to the first one on Tuesday but it was just me on Wednesday at my friend Debbie’s, whose son Jacob is only one year older than Martin. Next year it’s our turn: EEK. Nearly everyone...

11
Apr
2015

PRETTY PURPLES

I was smart; I stopped by Sularpsfarmen yesterday on the way home from work to buy pansies because I knew the weather forecast for the weekend was for nice weather and I knew Flyinge Nursery and Sularpsfarmen would be PACKED today and tomorrow. We’ve had several days of unbelievably gorgeous weather: 72 and sunny. California weather! One of the brothers helped me by carrying two bags of dirt to my car and I filled and purchased 2 flats full of pansies to boot. 24 pansies to a flat. I figured that ought to be plenty for my pots, right? Wrong....