the price of strawberries & other musings

 

I’ve never had a particular fancy for Swedish strawberries. It’s nice if they are organic AND local. 

But organic is ALWAYS better than local from a sustainability point of view (unless they’re transported by plane of course). 

These beauties are from a Spanish, organic strawberry farm. There seasons are obviously very different from our Nordic, so I think I bought then in Feb/March a few years back. And not transported by air.

The texture was very different from our Swedish summer ones (June-August), but lovely in their very own way. Great to add to sallads with tofu for example.

Anyway, my aim was to write a few words on the fact that this regular box of 1 L strawberries have had a price of ca 35-55 SEK (depending on early/late in season) for as long as I can remember during my adult life.

It has practically been a basic human right for Swedes, to be able to have strawberries for Midsummer.

And although I’ve always much prefer raspberries and cherries over strawberries I do enjoy eating them in a bowl with oat milk and whipped oat cream at least a few times every summer. And not least enjoy fresh for cream cake toppings.

This year something has drastically changed. It may be the climate change weather and droughts. Or perhaps the overall chaotic world situation, with import/export not being as straight forward as it once was.

Because now the price is *drum-roll*…

175 SEK per box. 🥵😱

Hopefully this was a really horrid anomaly, but this super-market chain (which happens to be my favourite) made a big deal they had strawberries and cherries at a great price (cherries were 117 SEK, with average price usually 29-49 SEK).

As clearly visible only a couple of boxes were sold. 

These ridiculous prices (which is well-know to be seriously jacked up by the Swedish supermarket giants, and have been ever since post-pandemic) will certainly see a serious rise in food waste. 

The cost of living in Sweden (in combination with a difficult labour market) has seriously created a tough situation for many.

And with a right wing Minister of Finance who thinks it’s a great idea to suggest that people start to bargain at the grocery store chechout if they think the price is doesn’t fit 🤦🏻‍♀️ … 

The epitome of RICHSPLAINING.

- Yes she is grossly overpaid herself and as obviously incompetent and in lack of a spine as the rest of our government members, can’t wait to finally get rid of them in the September 2026 election! -

Also, can we just agree on one fact; that letting men rule the world has been humanity’s worst decision ever?

midsummer 2025

 

When you’re having daily miniature breakdowns of sorrow, anger, frustration over the current state if the world (basically caused by entitled old men) it’s hart impossible to say cheers and happy Midsummer!

The pretty flowers was delivered to little mum from an old co-worker of hers. Just because.

I love sweet just because actions. 

Couldn’t get any kitties to pose. Remember those days when there was a whole bunch of eager snoopervisors around to do that? The epitome of truly ’good ol’ days’.

The amount of the global warming caused prevalence of ticks in garden/nature doesn’t make the garden the happy place it once naturally was. I let Ztina out to eat her much enjoyed grass on very rare occasions. 

And myself to cut some branches, take photos, bring a bunch of lilacs indoors. It pains me how the once easiness of nature outside my doorstep have developed into something to fear and shy away from. 

We may be fully vaccinated against TBE, but the risk of borrelia is still there. And I’m not the least bit comfortable to give Ztina tick pills with all itsside effects. She has also always reacted against ticks when she has had them, and it took a while before I understood the connection.

Anyway, I hope you can have a reasonably happy-ish, peaceful and fine Midsummer.

Cheers of sorts from Scandinavia 💚

🌱🌸🌱🌼🌱🌺🌱🌸🌱🌼🌱🌺🌱🌸🌱🌼🌱🌺🌱

bye bye may, hello june 2025

 

It may be the prettiest time of the Swedish year when it comes to nature and all things growing. And the season this year has not disappointed.

However with the ongoing genocide by a zionist terror state is so so disturbing, that it is hard to not constantly feel desperately sad and infuriated. 

I know there are marches and protest against this deeply unjust occupation all over the world, including here of course. But the politicians and the states still turning a blind eye to the autrocities (including the ridiculously incompetent right wing government in Sweden) makes it… I’m lost for words.

And on top of that, the orange president joke and his minions on the other side of the pond, and how he still hasn’t been fully ostraziced (doesn’t any politician, government have a backbone?) is mindboggling.

Not to mention the little nasty dictator to the east, still doing his evil deeds.

All while the climate emergency doesn’t get the full focus it deserves from us all. Instead money are poured into the global war machinery.

So you see, and I suspect many (if not most) of you out there, feel a very similar angst and pain to what I’m feeling currently, it is hart impossible to focus on your very personal worries, trials and tribulations.

No, I didn’t take one little step every day in April, towards my goal/s, as I boldly declared at the beginning of the month. There were just too too much going on in the world for that.

I focus on solving my most pressing issues day by day, week by week, instead of falling down a rabbit hole of worries for things that need to be done in September, October.

Currently I can’t see further than that. Keeping it together and surviving another day, another week will have to be enough.

More than a sneaky suspicion I am being shadow banned by LinkedIn - most likely for having liked, shared and commented on insightful posts that mention the forbidden g-word. My reach has plumeted since April and is now so low it’s a joke.

So yeah, LinkedIn has grown into quite a useless, censoring platform, from being one of my favourite, informative social platforms. Dispiriting times on countless of levels indeed.

But tomorrow we will have a nice pick of lots of rhubarb in a neighbourhood dog lady’s garden! And I’m so excited there will be rhubarbs available this year too. I see the making of vegan pies cakes, buns, jams, cream… in a not too distant future.

Life is slow, and the worries are plenty, but nature is wonderful this time of the year.

Thank you May, for helping be solve some problems and for being so soul soothing pretty.

Hello June, can we please be kind and compassionate, inspiring and inviting new joyous adventures? That would be so very much appreciated!

💚☮️🩷