Tagged: holidaze

19
Nov
2023

25 YEARS OF TURKEYNESS

We had our annual Friendsgiving yesterday and per usual, I did not take one single photo of the event, and apart from the kids, no one had their phones out at all, so there is no virtual record of the evening. We invited 28 people and ended up with 24, which turns out to be pretty much the perfect number, actually. With two long tables filling up the living/dining room, and everyone talking, it made for a very crowded, loud space, but it was so fun! Lots of laughter, and non-stop talking, and even after the buffet was opened, everyone...

02
Nov
2023

THE WEIGHT OF AIR

Ugh, trying to lose weight is such a pain, especially when you like food. I keep bouncing up and down on the same half kilo, even though I’m pretty happy that I’ve managed to get down 6 kilos (5.5, no 6, no 5.5, no 6, no…SIGH) since the end of the summer, without trying super hard. I read somewhere that most people think that losing weight means you are evacuating it when you go to the bathroom, but the truth is that most of it is BREATHED OUT. Isn’t that weird? How can fat turn to CARBON DIOXIDE? If you...

28
Oct
2023

POSITIVELY RE-VOLTING

On Thursday, we had our Halloween fika in the afternoon. I had a crazy day as I had a birthday lunch to attend, then a dentist appointment, then had to get back for the fika. The team had decided on a fairly easy costume idea: we went as Marcom afternoon tea in honor of Helen who organized the fika and who has been our party planner, when she’s not been doing her regular assistant to the Vice President of Marketing job. She’s English, you see. One of my teammates brought fiberduk and we cut it into 2-meter lengths to be...

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...

21
Jul
2023

TIP-TO-TIP: HALF-DAY ON ÅLAND, ANOTHER FERRY RIDE, STOCKHOLM, AND HOME

Our ferry didn’t leave Mariehamn until 2:30 pm so we had all morning to enjoy the town, after eating breakfast, checking out and packing the car. We walked back up the shopping street (where everything was open!) and over to the Maritime Quarter again, where we toured the little museum, visited some shops and the Beacon. It was sunny and hot and beautiful along the water. We came back down and did some shopping in town as well. I found a Moomin charm for my country charm bracelet (had already bought a little silver reindeer horn to symbolize being in...

20
Jul
2023

TIP-TO-TIP: FERRY RIDE AND 2 NIGHTS ON ÅLAND

We got up quite early and left Loimaa to drive to Åbo (Turku) on the coast of Finland, where we caught the Viking Line ferry to Åland. The ferry ride is 5+ hours, so we had breakfast on the boat. We sat inside for a bit, then went out on the Vista Sundeck on the back of the boat, which was lovely. Sitting in the sun and the wind watching the islands slide by. The boat was HUGE and the archipelago was extensive, lots and lots of rocky islands covered in, you guessed it: pines and birch trees. We got...

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....

02
May
2023

FILLING UP

May and June and July calendars are rapidly filling up. I’m still boggling over the fact that it’s already May. So much going on right now that it makes my head spin, and since it’s full-blown allergy season right now, that’s not necessarily a good thing. We just had our first long weekend, kicking off the long weekend season. It’s the first holiday since Easter, which was the the beginning of April, and itself the first holiday of the year after January 6th. It’s a long way between January 6 and April 7 (Good Friday this year). You’d think they’d...

16
Apr
2023

BORTA BRA MEN HEMMA BÄST

Back in Sweden after an entire 4 weeks in the US, which wasn’t going fast at first, but sped up amazingly by the fourth week, and now I can’t believe it’s already over and I’m home. Karin arrived home from Italy as well, on Friday, and I flew in early Saturday morning, so we are all home together again…aside from the fact that Martin moved out a week ago, to an apartment in Malmö, and Karin has already disappeared off with friends somewhere in Malmö or Lund, who knows. 😀 I had a GREAT time, and it was so worth...

23
Dec
2022

EK FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER 2022

This was the first year that started to feel like the pandemic might, just might, be over. Until Anders tested positive for COVID…twice (!) in the space of 2 months. He had no symptoms at all the first time, and nearly none the second. Karin also managed to get it twice, and Liz is pretty sure she also had it the second go-round. Good thing we all got our boosters! In between bouts of COVID, Anders and Karin managed to fit in a week of skiing, up north in Sweden, and Karin went up again a couple of times to...

April 2024
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