Tagged: karinbean

04
Sep
2018

THIS IS THE LIFE

Tonight, Karin drove to the bus stop in Gårdstånga, and I was glad I was just along for the ride, because it meant that I could concentrate on staring at the GIGANTIC FIERY RED sun that was just about to descend below the horizon. We could only see the top of it above the trees, but it was seriously HUGE. Then as I turned the car around, after we switched places, we saw two hot-air balloons out over Odarslöv and one of them was as big as the sun. Weird what atmospherics can do. She had a nice week in...

26
Jun
2018

SCHOOL’S OUT!

Two down! At least, two high school graduations down. Karin had a fantastic day, starting with a champagne breakfast at the school and day full of activities until their “run-out” at nearly 4. I had thought Martin’s school yard was big and crowded, but I wasn’t at ALL prepared for how many people were crowded into the open areas of Karin’s school. Nearly 1000 students graduated and ALL their families and friends seemed to be there, with signs and balloons and plush necklaces and champagne bottles and big smiles. We parked at Karin’s girlfriend’s house and walked over to the...

28
Apr
2018

WHAT’S THE BUZZ, TELL ME WHAT’S HAPPENING

Last week at work was awful. Too many things that were frustrating, rage-inducing or just plain annoying happened. I am VERY glad of this long weekend, though I am going to have to check into work emails and possibly do some work regardless because there is just so much of it. We were all freaking out over the amount of short weeks in the next two months (the first of which is this one). You’d think that we’d be THRILLED about having all this time off after the long holiday drought since the beginning of January, but 1) there are...

06
Apr
2018

GO BLUE!*

It’s been absolute AGES since I went to a live sporting event. In fact, I think the last one was a Red Wings game during a Christmas visit to the US probably close to 10 years ago. We’ve been to one Malmö Redhawks game here, and that was years ago, too. Even when I lived in the US, I only occasionally went to games in Chicago. A baseball game here and there, the Blackhawks, the Bulls, at least once to see the Bears when they were still at Soldier Field. The last time I seriously watched any football on TV...

29
Mar
2018

THINKING ABOUT THINGS

All afternoon I’ve been watching the snowflakes whirling madly in a spiral wind dance around the house. We had a half-day today, the start of the Easter holidays here in Sweden, and I’m quite pleased with the result of my day as I got a ton of things done in the 4.5 hours I worked, plus 2 loads of laundry and some other small chores once I got home. Despite the fact that it’s a week past the vernal equinox, we’re still experiencing snow squalls every other day as the temperatures dip below zero and back up again in a...

25
Dec
2017

HAPPY HAPPY MERRY MERRY

It’s been a very relaxing long holiday weekend here in Flyinge. Unlike most of North America, we’ve had no snow, which is a pity…it’s been the usual southern Swedish mix of rain and grey, but inside candles, advent lights and the Christmas tree area all lit. Martin arrived home on December 19 and time is already flying by. I took two days off so we could get some things done and enjoy his being home before finishing up work before the holidays. It was SO NICE to see him and give him a hug and it’s SO NICE to have...

22
Sep
2017

WE’RE ALL NUTS HERE

Remember this? At least that one washed off eventually… She’s been talking about it for a long time. I am not sure why she has been so set on getting a tattoo, but she was determined that it be something that had meaning for her and when she finally came up with the idea for 4 acorns and oak leaves (Oak = Ek, get it?) she was convinced it would be perfect. She even asked me if I would design it for her, but I demurred. Not because I didn’t want to design a cool tattoo but because I kinda...

28
Aug
2017

PARTY HEARTY PARTY POOPER

We knew what we were getting into, honestly, we did. Allowing our 18-year-old social butterfly daughter to invite 94 people to party at our house in celebration of her birthday. By the RSVP date, the tally stood at 71 people and was up to 74 a couple of days before. Anders and I have, of course, met many of the kids at some point, though not all of them, by any means. There were teammates from the 3 different soccer teams that Karin has played on. Classmates and school friends from junior high and high school. Theater kids from the...

16
Aug
2017

BOGGLING ABOUT EVERYTHING

I continue to be flabbergasted at the apparently unending depths to which the US president is sinking. When will the nightmare end? I am also boggled at how anyone who voted for him expected anything different. Honestly, this trainwreck of a presidency was obvious from the start. GAH. People keep asking me how it’s going, how it was to leave Martin in the US, how it is to be almost empty-nesting. To be honest, it’s fine. I’m fine. I mean, I miss Martin, but at this point, I’m just really glad that he’s starting school and that we aren’t driving...

09
Apr
2017

TWO BIG THINGS

I’m so out of the habit of writing I don’t seem to know how to get started again. And I still can’t sit down at the computer at home without my arm starting up. I’ve been super sick with a nasty head cold for over a week now. Had to reschedule my MRI from last week to next week, and if I’m still coughing by Tuesday will probably have to postpone it again. Highlights of the past week, despite the unbelievable amount of mucus, include Anders coming home from South Africa to be surprised by A NEW BED! and Karin...