new healthy beginnings, please

This post will be all about random photos and events from January. In other words pretty much like any post in this blog.

As usual I will write and publish parts of the post, and the add on stuff for a while, so it’s worth returning and check that out (if you enjoyed what you read, that is).

Let’s face it, I am rubbish at blogging regularly, often or daily. No matter what I say, those days are long gone. Do not trust me when I have those rare flashes of inspiration and semi-promise something like that. It won’t happen. 

Currently trying to upload a bunch of photos, but Blogger doesn’t cooperate. So maybe it’ll end up being only a couple or so of them.

First of all, the situation with the orange menace, with a five year old’s mental capacity and vocabulary, and his minions is truly sickening. It isn’t surprising I suppose, but never the less shocking and infuriating, as that amount of incompetence and pure self-serving evil will affect us all sooner or later.

How it’s even possible that a convicted felon and sxxual predator is even legally allowed to stand in an election over the pond is truly mindboggling.

The dismantling of every department and authority that make up the fragile web of democracy, letting a non-elected nasty right wing billionaire playing a major part in this. I can’t even begin to comprehend how it must be for a decent, sustainability dedicated US citizen at this time. It is scary enough to watch this unfolding from a distance.

Stay strong, be kind, resist the madness. ❤️

The literally orange in photo is quite the opposite to the menace and his minions. It’s a box of organic citrus fruit I won from Årstiderna’s Instagram competition prior to Christmas, which didn’t arrive until yesterday. Which in fact turned out to be much nicer than if I had gotten the delivery earlier. Right now anything uplifting is very much needed.

Have only enjoyed an orange yet, but looking forward to devour the content of that box! I hope my favourite citrus is hiding in it, blood grapefruit.

Took the top photo of little mum when we had done some grocery shopping and were returning home. It was one of those typical, bleak and depressing Scandinavian winter days. And it encapsulated the mood du jour so perfectly. Everything feels heavy, meaningless and worrying.

Compared to the LA wildfires that were raging at the time I took this photo, complaining about how depressing the weather was/is at this time of the year, felt rather spoilt. 

Yet it was/is, and there is so much to worry about. Globally as well as on a personal level. That day was just a perfect ’poster day’ for all the feels.

Second photo I captured in my hoods, my street even. I may not fully enjoy living this close to a fairly well-used pedestrian street with people walking to and from the bus station. 

My kitchen windows blinds overlooking that street are always down because I value my privacy and loath the fact that keeping them up would give full view to not only the kitchen but also part of the living room not to mention you always ”need” to remember to keep things and yourself presentable when on public display like that.

One would think I should have thought about that when moving here + 20 years ago, right? Well, both life and I were very different back then. 

Still it looks like a pretty, quaint and colourful neighbourhood in the winter snow. And all things concidered I think it’s a decent neighbourhood to live in. (That doesn’t mean I’m 100% pleased with things and the people that happen and live here. But all and all, it’s good.)

Too early for spring signs like snowdrops on these latitudes of course. Nevertheless found these in garden a couple of weeks ago already. Climate emergency isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact.

Can’t remember when I last fully looked forward to spring and summer. Was probably before hell summer of 2018. Ever since then I dread what is coming this year. The relentless heat and sleepless nights or the rain pouring down (and the consequenses for my poor roof in need of a new coat). 

And now also the tics, almost ever present with the rising temperatures, making spending time in the garden very much less pleasant. And the mosquitos have become so aggressive too. 

Energy prices going crazy. And spot prices I find deceiving. Trying to keep the costs down is definitely trickier than it should be.

Keeping washing, dishwashing, showering to weird hours in order to save energy. Stopped baking after I realised the lussekatter buns I made in December really showed on the electrical bills. Try and cook when the spot prices are lower. But I’m still evaluating if that will make any visible difference.

Hopefully the prices will change for the better again when the weather gets warmer. For now it’s a bit of a roller-coster with one day of -4 C and the next day up to +6 C. The snow that fell in the beginning of January rained away shortly after.

Prior to this looming climate emergency snow fell and mostly stayed November - March, now anything can happen.

I try not to give my ever present financial angst energy. I try to keep my focus on ”this will find a solution”, the Universe has my back, ’this too shall pass”.

Which is far from easy to focus and be convinced about. But I keep on trying.

Things like this serendipitous meeting depicted above are what keep keeps me moving on and remain hopeful. 

A few weeks back I asked my ”mentor” - who still doesn’t fully get the assignment… But I basically put that down to the age gap, and how drastically things have changed on the labour market since her days, I mean it has radically changed only these last few post-covid years, I too have a hard time keeping up with the changes. - 

if we could have a good chat about how I could move forward and create the change I so  d e s p e r a t e l y  need. I thought meeting in a neutral setting like the library would be a good idea. I opted for Wednesday, which would suit us both.

I was certain we could find a quiet corner to talk and brainstorm. But for some reason I felt inclined to ask about meeting rooms. Unfortunately every room was already booked that day so we ended up going upstairs to the children’s library to look for a nook. 

On that floor one of the librarians had just finished a meeting, so we were welcome to sit in that room for our chat. We started to discuss solutions, which mainly were making me quite annoyed, as they most certainly didn’t align with my neither my values nor how the labour market works. 

Ie very unrealistic and somewhat ridiculous to be honest. She then began telling life stories to lighten things up. At that time a young woman came into the room preparing for a book club meeting, to which she invited us.

She then overheard my mentor taking about a man, that turned out to be her step-dad - what are the odds?? - and came over to talk. It then turned out that the book club was about sustainability and nature. And when she then added she was vegan I reacted by crying. Yup. 

All the tensions I’m experiencing bring out the tears quite often. I usually manage to keep them back in the company of strangers. But the relief of meeting a kindred spirit like that, by fluke, was just kathartic of sorts.

The book club (first meeting) was opened to anyone interested in nature and sustainability. But it turned out that everyone who turned up were either local green politicians or active withing the Swedish Greens Party (Miljöpartiet) - which is the only party anyone sane and caring can vote for these days. 

You may not agree on every single issue, but it is the ONLY party seriously invested in nature and sustainability and actively work for viable solutions.

That made me even happier. And the fact that a third vegan entered to room. And two almost vegans. We had a really pleasant gathering. Unfortunately the first book chosen for the club (I was definitely not keen on it) turned out to be rather horrid, especially if you are vegan. 

So I will most likely opt out from our next meeting. I think the book was a mix of nasty and boring. I’m just angry and disgusted, and have zero interest in discussing it. I want to feel inspired and/or feel I have gained valuable insights in a sustainability related area I had little or no knowledge of. 

This was just a waste of time and left me sad and annoyed.

That said, it was really uplifting to unexpectedly find myself in the company of likeminded strangers on a random January evening at the local library. 

Something I have been looking for in vain for so long now. So even if that first book turned out rubbish, the company were delightful.

Had I chose another day for our ”mentor” chat or another place or another date, this heart warming meeting would not have happened. How wonderful is that?!

After this experience my ”mentor” stumbled over a local job ad on Facebook (of all places).

To be continued.

To be continued.