Tagged: holidaze

13
Dec
2008

YOU’D BETTER NOT CRY, I’M TELLING YOU WHY

I’m pouting right now. Sulking, nearly. It’s not attractive, I can tell you, yet my sad little pouty heart doesn’t care because it is feeling VERY put out. This morning was a leisurely one, what with the waking up early but going back to sleep. Dreams shivered past, helping to erase the disappointing memories of a work Christmas party gone terribly wrong and boring. Got up at a decent hour, had breakfast and then we set out for Dalby and the tree nursery where we met up with friends and traipsed about in the woods, hunting for the perfect Christmas...

11
Dec
2008

STRESSMAS!

Even though I don’t have that much left to do in regards to Christmas preparations, things seem to be zooming ahead and pulling me after them willy-nilly. This is always a crazy time of year. Exhibit A – this week Monday – Actually, nothing Tuesday – Karin karate class Wednesday – Choir Christmas concert and dinner afterwards Thursday – Karin karate class, and kid’s hemsprÃ¥k end-of-term party (they watched a movie & had fika at our house) Friday – Work Christmas party Saturday – Get Christmas tree, decorate it, bake cookies Exhibit B – next week Sunday – Sing in...

08
Dec
2008

ON TOP OF THINGS

Done Christmas letter written Christmas cards signed, sealed, delivered Christmas presents 3/4 done Christmas house decorations up To do Bake Christmas cookies Final Christmas present shopping Wrap gifts Get Christmas tree and decorate it Martin had a good birthday and got lots of things he wanted, including Spore, which he has been playing non-stop ever since. I thought it was an online game and was surprised (and frankly, rather pleased) to find out it isn’t. I know you can do certain things with it online like share your creatures, but so far, he’s happily evolving and eating and ganging up...

01
Dec
2008

TO LOOK A LOT

ozswede says “get blogging” and her wish is my command. Of course, my motto is: Be careful what you wish for! I honestly don’t feel like I have anything important to write about right now…I’m in that holiday zone, finally. Plus I’m deep in the archives of NotAlwaysRight, laughing my head off on every page. All the houses in Sweden have their advent lights and Christmas stars in the windows. We took a couple of hours today at work, 3 of my colleagues and I, and drove to our print-house where our account manager had invited us for a holiday...

29
Nov
2008

IT’S BEGINNING

For the past 8 or 9 years, I’ve participated in an AWC event on Thanksgiving evening. It’s nothing to do with turkey or tryptophan or football or parades because none of that exists in its American holiday form here in Sweden. Instead, our Thanksgiving celebrations with friends and/or family has always been scheduled for the weekend after (or in the case of this year, the weekend before). Because the fourth Thursday in November is just a regular workday here, it’s been a pleasure to have a holiday event scheduled on that evening instead, something that has now become a tradition...

27
Nov
2008

REFLECTIONS BOUNCE BACK AND LIGHT YOU UP, TOO

I’m thankful for the obvious things that quietly light up my life every day. The things I don’t notice, the things I take for granted, the things I’ve become so familiar with that they fade into the humming background until, like a sudden ray of sunshine, my notice and regards falls upon them and illuminates them; makes them new. My funny, freaky, healthy, smart children. My husband who puts up with much more from me than he probably ever expected. The commitment that we hold for each other. My beautiful cozy home. My far-flung family: mom, sister, brother, in-laws, cousins,...

23
Nov
2008

COOOOOOOKIES!

Tomorrow is the Annual AWC Holiday Cookie Exchange, and I’m participating for the 8th year. My recipe criteria this time was simple: easy, fast and no having to go to the store to buy special ingredients. The kids and I spent the morning perusing cookie recipes, rejecting the ones that, despite how good they looked, required things we didn’t have in the house: no oatmeal, no peanut butter, no chocolate-candy centers. Finally, I found a basic cookie recipe and then I tweaked it completely to come up with our very own new holiday cookie! Pretty soon the house was filling...

22
Nov
2008

TURKEY DINNER NOTES

1. Two turkeys is probably enough, unless we actually have 12 adults. 2. Find something other than green bean casserole for a veggie dish…there’s always TONS of it leftover and no one really likes it that much. 3. Have Kelly do the pumpkin pies every year. MMMMMMMMMMM 4. Maybe move the TV into the playroom for the evening. Or else think up better responses to the frequently asked question about why we adults talk so loudly and laugh so much.

13
Nov
2008

GEARING UP FOR GOBBLING

Nice things about walking on a dark, chilly, wet night (when it’s not actually raining): Dragonbreath No sweatbands required Streetlights make everything sparkly! That Halloweeny-evening feeling Increased chance of frog sightings Things that have run out in front of my car in the past few days: Female pheasant with a death wish Village cat MAN. ON THE HIGHWAY. NO REFLECTORS. Idjit. Things that were big and round in the sky this morning: Gigantic shiny silver full moon hovering above the horizon ahead of me Great glowing globe of fire hovering above the horizon behind me Things I am thinking an...

02
Nov
2008

PARTY PEOPLE

My costume idea was so excellent, but I think it left something to be desired in the execution since no one even asked me what I was supposed to be. When I told people what I was, they laughed their heads off, though, so I give myself points for that. I was a piece of salt licorice, the Swedish candy that makes people around the world shake their heads and say, “EWWW!” I wore a sparkly black shirt and then I spray-painted my top half and my hair black (not my face) and then sprayed glitter all over that. Let...