birthday á la 2023

 

Had such hope for a great October month. 

Instead I’ve spent almost three weeks (and counting) really sick in a horrid flu. Apart from the awful, painful coughing I had an eye infection and lost my hearing for a while. Still not 100% back, but little by little…

Little mum caught the virus when she went to the city with a friend (who didn’t get sick) on October 1st, got sick a couple of days later and then transmitted it to me in a slightly different version.

She visited the doctor twice and was diagnosed with almost pneumonia, and got antibiotics. Not quite back to herself yet though.

I’m grateful I skipped that part of the flu from hell, but it was really bad enough what I got. As losing the will to live bad.

Apparently the flu this year is particularly nasty as it’s post-pandemic and being as fairly isolated s most of us have been we haven’t been in touch with viruses as regularly as we used to. I do hope this ordeal have at least been generous with new and perky antibodies.

And today was my birthday. Which I had planned a little unpretentious train trip for. But the little outing I did yesterday - it was like a new season and distinctively chilly, which in itself felt quite bizarre - turned out to be just enough for my current energy levels. Stayed home today. Had a decent breakfast, a bowl of vegan candy, and a new (library) book. I cooked a proper meal - these past few weeks have consisted of low apetite, dito energy and mostly porridge and soups. Cooking again feels like a victory worth celebrating on its own.

For my birthday I’ve gifted myself the plissee skirt I think I mentioned in my previous post, this vegan slow fashion sneakers from Swedish Icebugs and a colourful second hand Marimekko bedset. 

Even though I generally detest the colour black, I chose these because of that colour as they will look great for the season and go well with all my bright tights. They felt awesome during yesterday’s walking and I do hope there will still be plenty if time to wear them before the weather turns snow and ice.

I also watched the last episodes of the great British fantasy-scifi-mystery-drama ’Bodies’ on Netflix. If you haven’t watched it yet, you really should. Time loops at its best.

I missed a plantbased cream pastry. And I missed taking that planned (and paid without refund) little trip. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do it before Scorpio season is over.

But as far as I’m concerned, with only a few days left, October 2023 was just a miserable and lost month. That makes me sad. And disappointed. Let’s make these last days really count! And November so much more!

💚🩷💚

hello october 2023, let’s make this a fabulastic month

 

Welcome my birthday month! I would be ever so grateful if we could make it an awsome one, Universe! 

The month has already kicked off with three important days -

October 1 - World Vegetarian Day (and obviously followed by October being World Vegetarian Month, leading up to World Vegan Day and World Vegan Month 🌱 November)

International Coffee Day shared the day - which made me do a very rare thing: making a cup of coffee at home, obviously organic and fairtrade. The oat milk was organic too.

As was the flour and bananas I used in this lovely plantbased banana cake with crumble topping (will share recipe later). Fika de luxe.

Followed by October 2 - World Farm Animals Day, which obviously is THE first reason to go vegan. And the baseline to create a non violent world. As long as we continue to treat sentient beings to the daily horror and suffering it means to be a farm animal in this merciless world humans have created, we will not see the end of violence between humans. Violence does breed violence (which can’t be repeated enough). Period.

In this crazier than ever world we are living in now, the best thing to do to ease the always present Weltschmerz is to spend a very generous amount of time with animals. I could say cats, but I know any animal companion of preference will help.

The cute Koziol key fobs in feline shape I got second hand recently, when I realised their colours were a perfect match to Ztina and Ågot, my purrfect anti-depressives.

Since it’s my birthday month I’ve also kicked it off in style as far as birthday gifts for myself go - I think I wrote about the wonderful two hues of blue plissee (recycled material) skirt I got from Marimekko in my previous post?

Well, when it turned out they’d made it in other autumnal colours too, I decided to treat myself to one fit for the darker Scandinavian months to come (but must not use it before my birthday though…). I loved the two grey tones one with the same Unikko pattern as my blue skirt, but it felt silly to go down that path again (as much as I love that pattern) so I chose the two brown-hues skirt with the Kivet (stone) pattern instead. I think it’ll be fab with the seasonal red, orange, yellow, green colours.

For now I find it hilarious (easy to please) that the skirt matches these vegan candies (liquorice/caramel flavour) from Swedish candy company Bubs. Had to capture that. 

I also always try and get my favourite bra in its two seasonal colours. This year the colours are called Atlantis and Chocolate Mousse. They are lovely. I really don’t get this obsession with black and white underwear, that’s so boring, there’s a wonderful world of flattering, uplifting colours out there!

I also started the month with my favourite Pink Pop vegan hair colour refresher from Maria Nila. It doesn’t really show much this time. But there’s a hint of pink and not only grey hair don’t care. 

One day I want to go a more vibrant colour at the hairdresser. On my wish list, but definitely not a priority.

Have just booked a little train trip for little mum and I for my birthday late October too. 

Unpretentious fun, and some not so common streets to walk that day. I hope the weather will be great, the vibes pleasant and the lurid autumn colours of nature plenty. 

Not sure I mentioned I’m taking a part time course in UX-writing/design, in my previous post? It’s quite interesting and fun, certainly makes me look at website designs in a different new and enlighting way. There really are a lot of very poorly designed websites out there. Non-user friendly messes.

Still waiting for the stars to align, my value driven company full of vegan-ish people with shared values of sustainability to appear where there’s room for someone like me. I think now, this month, would be a fantastic time for that alignment to finally show it’s starlit face, wouldn’t you agree, Universe?!

My previous post was very long, too long, so I’ll spare you all that reading this time. And hopefully get back sooner that later instead.

Tomorrow is another particularly lovely day too, Cinnamon Bun Day. 

And of course World Animal Day too.

The bun thing is a Swedish tradition since October 4, 1999. It’s apparently also a day for care and consideration. The best way to show that - and at the same time celebrate animals! - is of course to bake and/or eat vegan cinnamon buns to celebrate this fine day - and the best recipe for that you’ll find in this old blog post of mine -

https://piaks.blogspot.com/2017/10/vegan-cinnamon-buns.html 

Have a happy, plantbased Kanelbullens dag, each and everyone! Fika in the kindest most sustainable way, do it the vegan way, yes you can do it!