may your christmas 2021 be green, kind and joyous

 

December has been a whirlwind of ups and downs for me. The good, the bad and pretty much everything in between. But more of that in my end of the month and welcoming the shiny new year next week, m’kay?

So this will be simly be a post of the small happy things around Christmas this year. We’ve definitely skipped the unsustainable consumerism gift giving this year (again). 

And honestly, all I want for Christmas is my new dream job. To finally find my purpose and feed my soul again. Simple (duh) as that really. It’s about high time now, Universe! WITH BOLD UPPERCASE LETTERS.

But that aside, here are a few things that have brought me sprinkles of joy recently -

1. Buying myself 5 pairs of gorgeous, longlasting, perky tights from The wonderful Snagtights (remember the awesome chubrubs from last summer?). I love how durable and comfy they are 

(compared to the classic nylons with built in obsolence, that basically rips just by touching, that noone really seem to question or challenge… Even after all these decades) 

with legs that are actually properly long without being stretched to the limit and the waist that is very high. 

To tell the truth, my very first pair (got one only to try the size and quality) got a hole in the left toe after a few uses only. Which needless to say was very disappointing. I got in touch with their customer service and I find them really kind, understanding and accomodating. And I’ll get a replacement pair. I think it may have been a case of the thread on toe seam that hadn’t been properly tied to, not a hole due to bad quality of the material.

Have saved the opening of these package bonbons until Christmas Eve (which, unlike Christmas Day, is proper Christmas…) , so there’ll be some sense of delightful parcel opening anyway. Even if I am my own Santa.

2. These vegan,  palmoilfree tea lights with cups of recycled plastic and the Nordic Swan label Svanenmärkt, is a rare treat to find. I burn a lot of candles this time of the year and these are one of the best around. 

As a vegan I stay away from animal fat (stearin) candles of course, but the fossil fuel (parrafin) based ones are obviously not a great solution either. Nor obviously palmoil derived ones. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. So candles like these, that tick all the good boxes, makes me happy.

4. Got this preloved Marimekko shirt (navy blue-white) at Tradera for an absolute steal of a price last weekend. The measures would fit well so I was looking forward to its arrival, and after some postal service (PostNord, I’m looking at you again…), it arrived this afternoon in my mail box. 

Alas it turned out not to fit ideally over my hips. But as disappointing as that was, it now will make for a perfect gift for little mum instead. 

Alongside a full sized Gudrun Sjödén bottle of perfume I got in a goodie bag some years ago, which I’ve never used since it’s not a solid scent that says ’here comes Pia!’ (Once upon a time I worked with people who identified perfumes at department stores as ’this smells like Pia’. Horrific workplace culture, bullying and bosses from hell. But also some really kind and fun colleagues.) It’s a nice, light scent though, just not very me.

With age, and a decent portion of wisdom, I find that more often than not gift-giving is much more joyous than gift-recieving. Unless it’s the new dream job of course. But for that I have worked hard to prove myself for many years…

I also find that it’s easier and more satisfying to simply buy your own gifts, as I now what I need/want, than to get them from others. Unless it’s something really personal, handmade or insightful of course.

This year Christmas the house will also be the strangely empty and quiet with two lovebugs only left. I haven’t shared my home with merely two cats since 1990, and it feels somewhat surreal. After the unexpected loss of beloved Zigne in October, the two oldest ones, Prunella almost 17, and Qlara 16,5 years old, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and family, within a few days of eachother.

They travelled into this house a few months apart, and they travelled out together. There’s a comforting symmetry in that I feel. And they also had a good long, healthy, happy life, so it hasn’t been as painful to deal with as the crazy ordeal with Pelle in April and that last month with Zigne.

Left are this little blue-eyed light of mine, Ztina, who turned 10 last week, and her baby sister Ågot, who will be 10 in April. A grumpy and much loved pair.

Especially Ågot is very playful and I believe she’d love to have a kitten to play with, or/and a little cat friendly dog. They both adored Malte, so I think it would be amazing if 2022 would bring that new energy and zest into this home. Maybe there are a couple of adoptees looking for a warm, welcoming home out there? I would love to get a British Shorthair kitten, there is nothing quite like them, but I no longer believe in the breeding of animals, as long as there are more than plenty of, in this case, homeless cats and kittens out there in need of a forever home. 

Now go ahead and have yourselves the bestest, kindest, warmest and loveliest Christmas time as you can, with great cruelty-free food and drink, merry company and plenty of laughters!

❤️❤️❤️