goodbye july, hello august 2019

July 2019 - the month I finished not only my goal of 5 books, but 8. Hooray. Plus am a few chapters into even more books. And yes again, the more I read the less I write obviously.

That said. Apart from books what has the last few weeks of July been like than? For the most part very hot, debilitatingly, depressingly so. But at last the temperature dropped drastically yesterday - with unusually low temperatures for the season instead, which are also climate change caused of course. But at least you can breath. And sleep.



I got a general letter from my Dr Dentist thanking me for the years as is patient, but he is now going to retire and his practice is sold to another dentist. It was quite a shock, didn't realise he'd reach that age, he doesn't look like it. But I suppose, since I have been seeing him since I was a kid, it's no surprise... I will now have to look for a new dentist for my annual checkups, and as his skills was the only reason I did those 2 hours single trip commute to the other side of town I will have to try and find one much closer to home, from recommendations.

Finding good doctors and dentists (and not least veterinarians) you trust is no mean feat. I guess I've been spoilt really, with my dentist.



On the subject of doctors, I accompanied my mother to the hospital for a check-up last week and read this article in one of their magazines in the waiting room. About more and more Swedes going vegetarian and vegan. It was illustrated by one of the most powerful images I've ever seen. It is this simple, with one hand you choose life, health, the planet, the other one is just needless pain and suffering for innocent beings, and for the planet we all share.



Went on a day trip to university town Uppsala with little mum. Some years back they extended the commuter train lines to Arlanda airport and the Uppsala, making it much easier to get there, but also much less charming than taking a proper train. The commuter train ticket prices are ridiculously high for those extra miles though, so even if it's a nice little trip it's pretty costly I'd say.

Anyway, we arrived early and began to slowly saunter to the city centre. An hour after our arrival I tripped on those darn cobblestone streets and fell slap-bang on knees and hands. The first thing I cried was "oh no, hope the phone didn't break!" - when it would have been worse if I re-broke my hand obviously. It was pretty painful, if not much blood and I felt both dizzy and nauseous for about an hour afterwards and had to rest on a bench. Luckily it passed and we continued up to the cathedral, had a vegan nicecream and continued with walking around town.



This is me after the incident, with the nicecream in sight. I may have several super-powers, but the least pleasant one is my inclination to trip, slip and fall when least expected. Even if it, touch wood, doesn't happen often, it happens regularly. And the amount of scars on my knees tell a long story. And obviously the tale of two broken arms, one in my twenties (the cat bathing incident) and the other one last year (the cat vomit incident).

I was pretty sore for about a week, partly still is, my right hand and my left knee took most of the beating. And I had seriously huge bruises. Still am a bit tender, but it feels a bit better everyday, thankfully. It could have been so much worse.



We visited a really lovely tea shop - with cat tea, Uppsala is the hometown of the famous author of the children's books about Pelle Svanslös, Pelle No Tail - and had a great vegan buffet late lunch before it was time to head back home. I so enjoy these unpretentious day trips, with no particular musts and shoulds, just a bit of sightseeing and something great to eat in towns you've been to before. Hopefully there'll be time for a few more day trips in August.



In August I'm also attending a vegan cooking class. It's not that I don't cook a lot already, obviously, but I thought it would be fun to mingle a bit, get new contacts and pick up new tricks and ideas. The evening will take place at a small vegan restaurant that mainly focus on raw food and catering.



Remember the job interview that was re-schedule for August? Got an email last week saying the position was filled now. In the middle of the holiday season. When they said they couldn't do interviews until the second week of August. If it had been at another time of the year I could've understand that when they found a good match they stopped all interviews. But not at this time, high summer, that's just blatant unprofessional behaviour. And that's just what I told them.

So incredibly tired of all these unprofessional, incompetent recruitment companies and clueless HR departments. But I guess this learning experience, as jaded as it's getting me, is simply a part on my quest for the Dream Job with my kind of people. Onwards and upwards.



I got myself a stylish rain poncho. A garment which probably only Marimekko and the Unikko pattern would entice me to do. But then the heavy rains stopped and I haven't used it yet. But I was so tired about getting soaked despite umbrella, when it was windy and heavy rain fell. So hopefully this will be a very good thing come rain next.



Last week I welcomed Mr/s Hedgehog 2019. A fairly big one and so far just one. Love how the cats are still happy and curious to see them. If my memory serves me right this is the 12th year I'm honoured to host the Hedgehog DropInn in my garden.



Of the eight July books read, I think this one was the most powerful. In all its simplicity. "Scener från hjärtat" (Scenes from the heart) is written by the family Ernman - Thunberg (yes, Greta Thunberg, her mother world-famous opera singer Malena Ernman, her father and sister). It's absolutely heartwrenching about a family in crisis, a wrecked social system and not least a world that's burning on the brink of collaps, but very few react and act accordingly. For me it was highly relatable. And for those who still think Greta isn't capable of all the amazing, inspiring things she does herself, but a puppet on a string, that's clearly and simply not true. The book should be obligatory reading for everyone.



Thank you, July, for every lessons learnt, the good, the bad and everything between. Good people, good food, good books and cat cuddles galore.

Welcome, August. I'm so excited to see you, beautiful, wistful, last month of summer. Please bring good news, good health and fine things, and not least, it is about high time for that much awaited, hard worked for, Dream Job now, don't you agree?

the only colourful person in stockholm and other july bits

The more I read, the less inclined I am to write apparently. And I seem to have gotten my reading mojo back in a major way. Hooray. 4 books down in July so far, soon 5 and reading 3 simultaneously.

It should be the other way around, one might think, the more your read, the more you'd feel the urge to write. If you're a writing human being that is. But as things are now, obviously I don't work that way.

So some short glimpses from my world since June 27 then -

:: A lovely lovely writer's talk with the wonderful Stina Wollter, painter, artist, writer, body activist, feminist, wempowering every day on Instagram.

"Never say you're sorry for crying, it is the caring, feeling human that will save the world"


:: Ztina continues to have bad days, good days and pretty great days. Given how few answers that have come from the countless veterinarian visits, tests and money spent I can not see that anything more enlightening can be done that would improve her life. As long as the good and pretty great days are more than the bad ones we will adjust to this life as is.

I wish there was a veterinarian nearby that was truly interested in solving the enigma, and less interested in charging hefty prices for treating symptoms without solving the problem.


:: Continuing on the path of looking for my kind of job, my kind of people. I had another interview scheduled for last week, but it was re-scheduled to August.

I got a message from a job I applied for saying "You have a really interesting CV, but we feel you're going to be more expensive than we are willing to pay. But do give us a call.". I'm too old, too experienced, too jaded to even bother with such calls, if it's not a Dream Job.

I'm also thinking a lot about the fact that all these experiences, these years as my own boss, leading myself, is it even possible for me to fit in in an organisation not in a leading role, just as a "mere" communicating employee? Am I not too independent, too eager to drive change? Too quirky?

Food for thought. Especially with all the utterly weird situations I've experienced since I started this journey of finding...


:: The annual summer substitute buses debacle is ongoing. For the at least sixth year in a row, but probably it's seven or eight. The first years we always went on holiday during those periods so I rarely had to deal with all the stress and nuisance. You loose a lot of hours commuting during these weeks. It usually takes me 50 minutes - 1 hour + from door to door to get into the city. Which is a time one is used to after all these years.

Now add about 1 hour and 15 minutes to that, single trip. And no reduced ticket prices. And noone has yet to see what kind of work is exactly done during all these weeks, everything is very elusive. I'm so grateful I don't have to commute every day.

I'm also grateful for us having a clean, safe, environmental-friendly public transport system in Sweden. That is used by everyone, no matter which social class you belong too. Sure, there is room for improvements, but it's also so very basic for a well-functioning democracy to have a well-functioning infrastructure with decent and safe public transports available for its citizens. And for the environment.

To be dependent on a car to, hopefully, get you safely from A to B, is just unhealthy, unsustainable and not least retrogressive.


:: I've had some really great lunches, with fabulous conversations. Of which a couple with the lovely Lizzy, who so kindly showed me around Heidelberg in 2016 (and can we not talk about the fact that I still have not blogged about that Schwarzwald-trip...). Currently doing a "heritage tour" in Sweden but being able to spend some treasured hours with me.

And have you noticed that with people you don't see that often, you often get more meaningful conversations, you learn more? And with learning comes gratitude for so much in your own life. We all have dark moments, despair and demons to struggle, some much more than others. Then it's good to get other perspectives, learn about other walks of life, situations, to get that deep gratitude of being where you are, have been, grown up in those circumstances you have and so forth. It's so easy, too easy, to take things for granted, to feel entitled, for many of us.

Thank you again, Lizzy. Hope it won't be three years until next time.

And thank you for coining my new fabulous name "The Only Colourful Person in Stockholm"! Yes, the Swedes are sadly well-known for being afraid of colours prefering to blend in with black clothes and other drab colours, but you already knew that, right?



:: Went on a lovely day trip to Örebro Open Art 2019. Love train trips (when everything is smooth and working on schedule naturally) and seeing the world swoosh by outside the window. The exhibition itself was rather disappointing, nothing wow as in the amazing big yellow rabbit of 2011, but just the same, a day well spent (and very tired feet) followed by a good, long night's sleep. A perfect day that gave me a much needed relief from my brain and thought processes.

Funnily enough, the first thing the tourist information woman said to me, when we asked for directions, was "Oh, I love your fabulous, colourful style!". Perhaps I could also be coined the most colourful visitor in Örebro summer of 2019?


:: We've had really hot days. but also cooler days and happy rainy days. I think the summer weather this year on these latitudes in Sweden has been pretty great and varied. And I much prefer cooler temperatures (around +20C), which allows you to breath and function as a normal human being. perhaps this year has been slightly cooler than usual, but this is also the face of global warming and after last year's hellish hot summer I'm every so grateful for this weather.



Current music crush - Joy with Bastille makes me happy.

And until next time, hopefully it won't last weeks, think about this -