hello october

It seems like 2-ish weeks is my new every-day-blogging. Not for a lack of things to write about, but rather no real energy to do it. But after a busy few weeks of working and socializing (each exhausting in their own ways, for an introvert) I feel it's about time to make a little recap of my October so far.

:: As glorious and warm as September was, just as dreary and chilly has October been. In fact it pretty much happened over night. I've been so used to being able to take the short walk to our waste bins in the evenings in shorts and clogs that I was absolutely shocked at how freezing it suddenly was on October 1st.

The trees are slowly turning red and the leafs are falling, but not as drastically as that chilly air came.

Not having the heat pump turned on since April I realised it suddenly became a must, when October arrived. Unfortunately it seems like it's singing on its last tune (13 years old) so I can only hope with fingers and toes crossed that it'll last at least this winter season too. Of course I have radiators, but using those would mean I'd bump up my electric bills with 50%. No really a good option obviously.

:: Last week I got an obligatory visit from the municipal water gauge man, they change our water meters every 10th year. As my water meter is located inside my small walk-in closet situated in my pink office I needed to tidy that up. A lot. Because as much as I loved doing up my office back in 2011 I've still used that closet as an out of sight out of mind area of stuff. Mainly fabrics and clothes I'm about to give to charity but still haven't sorted through. 

And when I opened the closet door and fully realised just how. much. stuff. I had there I had a *minor* panic attack. Desperately needed to get rid of it NOW. Today I've packed 9 big, black, plastic bags with textile and two paper bags with clothes. Tomorrow the charity will come and pick them up. Such a relief. It might not be as liberating as the feeling after they picked up the stuff in May, but close enough. I have a couple of rooms that, yes really rooms plural, need a good cleansing too. (Not to mention the garden shed, but I'll save that for spring.) So I'm thinking it would certainly be a good project for a chilly, autumnal week to sort that out and then finally paint one of those rooms that I've been meaning to do for so long now. Liberating for the soul too, to get rid of old stuff that basically just weighs me down and organise the things I still love and need. 

I'm not a hoarder, but apparently you can still accumulate a lot of stuff over the years that you neither need nor want anymore. But you still don't get around to sorting that out. So I'm deeply grateful for the really brilliant option of just calling your charity of choice and arrange for them to pick things up. (Even more so for us with no car obviously.)

:: It is now two weeks since I sent that email to M's brother and sister-in-law. It was cathartic to finally do so. I didn't need or expect a reply, this was just my way of telling them how upsetting and hurtful their behaviour has been, in order for me being able to move on with my (new) life properly. But still, I believe it's nothing less than crazy that people don't want to reply and explain themselves when they recieve such an email. Unless of course I was spot on in the way I've felt and thought.

So the only thing for me now is to completely put aside that part of my life. Not forgetting M and what we had together obviously, but I will no longer in any way have any contact with his relatives. As far as I'm concerned they don't exist for me anymore. It's sad that they decided to behave in this inconcievable, spiteful way, but I can't allow myself to continue feeling so much hurt over it. It's not something I can forgive, but I can accept how it is in order to move on. For my own wellbeing's sake.

:: Next week I'll be heading to Freiburg. Finally. I'll also pop up to Heidelberg to be guided around the pretty city by a sweet blog reader (*waves*). I do have travel fever. As well as being really excited about a change of scenery and new experiences. And I obsess over the planning, packing and details, because I want it to be just. right. I'm sure it will be, but I also feel that if I get all this planning beforehand just how I want it I'll be able to relax and enjoy the experience more once I get there. 

Hopefully I'll get to visit some interesting sustainability projects, walk a lot, ride tram a lot, enjoy fika and vegan food galore. I remember the Schwarzwald area to be really beautiful and lush with pretty architecture. It'll be a lovely getaway and growth experience!

:: Just in time for the trip two new bobbaloos reached the Scandinavian settlement - meet Fleur (she's a coneflower bob) and Li'l Nutter (he's an acorn bob, inspired by one of my favourite childhood stories 'Ocke, Nutta och Pillerill' by Elsa Beskow and of course my love for acorns). He'll definitely be one of the bobs who accompany me to Freiburg, but Fleur is of a more delicate nature thus she'll stay at home.

Since they arrived on Cinnamon Bun Day (the brilliant Swedish celebration of this bun Kanelbullens dag) they if course were treated to a bun or two. 

:: As my iPhone - the replacement for the one that was stolen 3 years ago - has been acting up more and more I knew I would soon have to replace it. It only has/had 16GB memory too and with all my photos that's such an inconvenience. I'm not the least bit interested in getting the latest iPhone 7 nor the 6-model, because I think larger smartphones look daft and are less convenient size-wise. So I was happy when I noticed that there is indeed the SE-model which has the same optics and most features as the 6. I got my new one a couple of weeks ago, and while I'm not super-impressed with the camera - it's just too little difference from the 5-model, the real noticable difference was between 3 and 4 - it certainly runs a lot smoother so I'm very happy with it.

I don't use my DSLR nearly as much as I used to, but I'll still take it with me on the trip since I think a trip to a *new* (at least it was well before digital cameras was around when I last visited) destination is a perfect way to rekindle with it.

:: It's 5,5 years ago since I last got a pair of sunglasses for my very near-sighted eyes and while I can still wear them their glass isn't strong enough anymore and I do get headaches because of that. So I decided to get a new pair the other week. It would be nice if they're ready before my trip since it would be great to not have to deal with those headaches when the sun is shining. And since you always can get a second pair of glasses for half the price (all frames cost the same) I decided to get another regular pair too. Not that I really really needed them, but before the Non Violence-collection was discontinued I would have loved to get a pair of them, so I did. They're really cool and quite different from any other glasses I've ever had. Hopefully they'll look as good with the glasses inserted as near-sighted me thought when I tried the frames on...

:: And on the job-front? Well, I've been doing a reasonable amount of work for two old clients, sent the invoices last week and now I'll basically have a week of preparing for my trip. Enjoy the trip. Get back home, have a quiet birthday and then concentrate on future clients, jobs and collaborations. Now that I have my beautiful, flowery happy coat as a birthday gift to myself the only thing I can think of that I really would love to get for my birthday is great new clients, assignments and lovely (part time) job offers.

:: Oh, and I won a couple of tickets for the movie 'Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children' both me and my mum loved the books so I'm treating her to the movie this week. Yes, I've really been so very fortunate in winning great things this past year (generous gift card in my favourite clothing store, the Schwarzwald trip, glasses, the annual consumption of mymuesli and now this). 

When life is rough in other aspects, and sometimes you're just not able to think 'happy thoughts to beat the blues', then it's nice to get little cheerful reminders like this that life isn't all about sadness and melancholy.

So far October, you've been pretty good. Please continue to be kind, uplifting and generous. Thanks so much in advance.

the winning dress

Behold the dress I got for the nifty giftcard I won in the Instagram contest last autumn.

Ideally I wanted a linen or organic cotton dress and not viscose, since I find that fabric creases too easy. But the model was too cute, perfect granny style AND with pockets! The pattern (and fabric of course) is very similar to the green kimono one, but denim blue.

I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together, blue dress and I.

spring window displays stockholm

It is the time of the year when Stockholm's shop windows begin to show a springy look - remember 2009 or in 2014? After 4-5 months of dark days it's finally time to look forward to those lighter, brighter days within reasonable reach.

From bakery's with snowdrops on a row to the pearlhyacinth adorned window display at favourite Bric-a-Brac.

Sidenote: the pretty blue dress was of a weird design and sadly didn't fit. I'm looking forward to a beautiful linen skirt I've seen in their lookbook to arrive in shop, it'll hopefully be a perfect garment to use my Instagram-competition winner gift-card on. Welcome spring.

gulddraken 2016

The largest Swedish newspaper, based in Stockholm, Dagens Nyheter (The Daily News) have since 2001 selected the best restaurants (fine dining, medium priced, budget, bar, cafe) in Stockholm. The award is called Gulddraken (The Golden dragon) and there are 5 nominees in each category. Today the nominees were revealed and in the budget category is one of my favourite places for food in Stockholm: Falafelbaren. Where everything is vegetarian and most things vegan. And the falafel is amazing. And the cauliflower is heavenly.

I haven't visited any of the other nominees in this category, but I totally root for Falafelbaren! On Monday the winners will be revealed.

Here are all the nominees (only in Swedish) : Gulddraken 2016

small entrepreneurs favourite 2015 stockholm north nominee: prosit ord & bild ab

It has been a trio in extra excellent things happening this past autumn week, mindblowing really;

not only the fabulous win of a Schwarzwald trip and 

the honouring placement on the Sustainability Engagement Mapping-list, 

but I'm a third time proud that my business Prosit Ord & Bild AB has been nominated to the Small Entrepreneurs' Favourite 2015 Stockholm North (Småföretagarnas Favorit 2015 i Stockholm Nord) - I'm touched. Again.

If you want to vote for Prosit (aka me) you can do so by following this link: http://bit.ly/1iUXfNv

Thank you so much for the kindness!

i won a schwarzwald weekend trip

In a Gudrun Sjödén newsletter in October I saw a notice about a competition; describe in 10 inspiring words why you shop at Gudrun Sjödén and attach a photo of yourself  for an even higher chance of winning.

First prize was a four days trip to Freiburg in Schwarzwald, Germany - I was there in the very early 1990ies and it is indeed a gorgeous. lush part of the world - and I thought I'd have a go. 10 words and 1 picture, well I wouldn't work with what I do if I wouldn't be able to have at least a fighting chance of winning that, right?

And as much as I dislike having pictures taken of myself I did win that other competetition with me and the best accessory recently, right?

A mere 10 words is quite a limitation to write something engaging and inspiring with. So I wrote down some keywords (made up words are the best!) and dabbled with those, came up with ridiculous dry and unengaging motivations. Until suddenly, hey this is quite neat, in fact really neat. And exactly 10 words.

The picture I attached was of course the above one, thank you little Zigne for once again putting up with my silly ideas and human nonsense. 

I emailed my contribution. And then I kept my fingers crossed, the winners would be announced in middle of November.

When I was at the hairdresser yesterday I noticed I had a missed call, when I tried to google the phone number I noticed that it was indeed from Gudrun Sjödén headquarters. Yay, there was *a bit* of excitement there, could it be that...? Today they called again when I sat on the train home - "Congratulations, you won first prize!".

Current Pia-status: so very excited and happy!!! Wow. Wow. Wow.

I don't win competitions often - which of course might have something to do with the fact that I rarely enter them - and I never ever enter any on social media that calls for the passive "like, share, tag" stupidity. I'm a firm believer that competitions should be about active things, creativity and competence. They don't have to be complicated, but you should at least actively in some way contribute with your own ideas.

I will now contact the travel agency to sort out the details. Hopefully I can save the trip for spring and lighter, greener weather. Freiburg is not only very pretty but also a city with a green profile and exciting sustainability projects - and yes, I've already looked up the vegan and vegetarian restaurants on offer. I will certainly not go hungry.

Green happiness indeed.

meet the winner of a snazzy instagram competition

One of my favourite shops in Stockholm held a competition on Instagram recently, the mission was to take a photo (or more) of their clothes with or without yourself in them. I really enjoy competitions were you actually have to produce something yourself, and I hate the uninventive, brainless "share this and tag your friends"-kind of social media competitions. But as much as I enjoy the first one I rarely enter them. For me it really has to be something special and easy to relate to. Like this one.

I have to admit I instantly thought of at least two scenarios, but as we all now three is a number that is magic. As are colours and cats. Which, surprisingly enough, isn't necessarily a recipe for a win.

Still, I was true to myself as well as the brief and stuck to that. Entered three pictures I was pleased about - and obviously had pawsome help from the felines who got all excited in various degrees.

Today the winners would be revealed at 5 pm. In the shop, on Instagram and on Facebook.

(not one of the photos I entered, but taken at the same time as that one)

5.01 pm I scrolled my Instagram feed and saw my picture and yes, huzzah I won first prize! Apart from a nice gift card, discount on a garment of choice the pictures will be on display in the shop.

What a lovely lovely icing on the cake - of a day that was overall quite a sweet one in itself - and a pre-birthday gift.

Now I think I have to go and treat the quadruples to some special food and kisses, because really, I couldn't have done it without them. Below the winning photo (and no, miraculously no stockings were harmed in the taking of this photo).

miss march, miss april and miss december

I'm most pleased to announce that for the fourth year in a row my photos have been chosen to play a part in the municipality's environmental calendar. This year with three photos. Say hallo to March (below, surprisingly fun when in larger size in a calender),

April (top above) and last but not least, the December pig

I picked up this year's prize the other day. As blown away by the awesome one last year and pretty happy with the one the year before that, as disappointed I was about this year's - a set of intricate and ridiculous cheese knives (or possibly equally intricate murder weapons, but given the situation and the instructions that followed I doubt that's what they're meant for).

I really don't eat cheese that much and certainly not that way. And if I did I would definitely not use silly, special knives for it, they play in the same silly league as grape scissors and alike.

The cheese knives was from the same company that was behind the first year's cheese book prize. All and all, it's pretty silly to think everyone enjoys cheese, I believe more people would enjoy a photography book or a local craft as a prize. At least in a local photography contest.

I think I will simply return the box with silly cheese knives, do a wee bit in saving taxpayer's money and hopefully they'll find their way to someone who appreciate them more. And settle with the fact that I still enjoy last year's candlestick very very much and am indeed very pleased about me (or rather my pictures) will adorn the walls of many homes this year again. In March, April and December.

Calendar 2009
Calendar 2010
Calendar 2011

on december 1st 2011

This December 1st is very different from last year's, in weather as well as mind. But as grateful as one might be for every day that passes without snow - since the last two winters have been incredibly cold, harsh, long  and difficult - as saddening it is to find wild strawberries growing this time of the year outdoors in Sweden. Sheer madness. Spotted in bloom have also been narcissus and pansies. This scares me, temperatures allowing this on these latitudes this time of the year really aren't what should be.

I've also thought about the fact that today it's 22 years since my father passed away. I very rarely think about this on December 1st, I miss him on other days and especially at certain occasions which I would have liked to share and discussed, but rarely mull on this day. There are so many happenings, so many episodes, so many people and situations I would have loved to have his input on. There are also many events and human madness I'm grateful for him to never having had to experience. But that 22 years have now passed, that is also madness of another kind.

Today is also the month of Miss December. I now wonder about the outcome of this year's competition.

Now time to go forth and bake cookies - see I'm working my way through the weekly list.

December loaf and I wish you a lovely month to come ~

miss december

In 2009 I was Miss August, in 2010 I was spoilt with being both Miss January, Miss July and Cover Girl. This year the photos I had entered with to the municipal environmental calendar competition were of a better quality (if I may say so). They showed the varying landscape, architecture and nature of the municipality and I did feel they were really spot on for some of the months. Even if one can never anticipate the competition or take anything for granted (which I never do), but one can have hopes.

So when I got the calendar the other week I was struck by four things;

:: the quality of the chosen photos this year was higher (I adore the October picture with frozen apples on the ground)
:: 7 photos of 13 show water
:: 9 photos of 13 show motifs that could be taken anywhere and can not be specifically identified as taken within this municipality
:: the picture I won a month with this year is really not one of my proudest. It was simply the best one I could find for the month of December (you're allowed to send in 12 photos max and I try to find a decent one for each month so not to compete with myself.). And it's of my neighbourhood. Actually my street. Even a part of my house. Only reason for taking the picture was that it would be nice to see how it looked here amidst all snow in December 2009. Little did one know that December of 2010 would be even snowier...

But at least I won a month. Which is nice. Even if I would have thought it would have been February or May who made it to the calendar. But yes, nice.

What made it even nicer though was the discovery of what this year's prize was. One I'm really, really, really happy about. Spot on. When I opened the box and discovered four candles and the label "Design House Stockholm" I so hoped it would be that candlestick I'd been coveting but which definitely wasn't on any top-to-get-list in a house full of candlesticks and candle holders...

And it was! Hooray!! It's a wooden candle holder which is really versatile and can be folded together or open up in 4 (or 7) arms. Available in black, grey, red or white. Designed by Jonas Grundell and befittingly called Nordic Light. I would have loved to have one in red of course, but when I thought about it I felt black (of which I'm no fan, ya' know) would go better anytime of the year whilst a red candle holder is pretty Christmassy. So pleased am I indeed.

Though minus for the fact that label on bottom says "made in Thailand", since a piece in wood and steel, designed in Sweden, local production would of course be the obvious and decent thing from an eco point of view...

sun travels

There's a contest going on at the Swedish travel agency Solresor 's website. Anyone with a laptop, digital camera and a blog can be a travel reporter and document the ongoing travel. Such a nifty idea for a contest! Admittedly I'm rarely lucky in such contests but as my birthday is coming up thus it should be my extra lucky time of the year I ought to try that luck anyway, don't you think?

Of the different destinations Solresor have I would love an opportunity to Fly&Drive explore Mallorca by car for a week. I think car holidays is just about the perfect way to get past the regular tourist tracks and get to see just a little bit more of another culture and way of life in your own pace. And Mallorca as destination would of course be a good excuse to brush up on that lost but not forgotten Spanish too.

So may the sun and the fortune be with me, here's my blog post entry ~

miss july

It is now time for calendar girl Miss July to hang on the walls of this municipality's inhabitants.

The July winning photo showing one of the fine local waterholes we can enjoy here in the summertime.

Three cheers for a Happy July ~

cover girl, miss january and miss july

Last year I was so proud of having one photo chosen for the municipality's environmental calendar, I Miss August.

This year a person of less self composure and humble nature *hrm* would probably get all giddy overflowing of self importance and illusions of grandeur. In such a case I fear there might even be some very big heads exploding, a messy affair indeed that would be.

But as I am not such a silly person I will just peacefully, full of composure and with dignified manners hereby announce that this year, for the calender of 2010, I can not only boas... proudly present myself as the Miss behind the cover photo - and one very perky loaf doggie extraordinaire being the very cover boy 2010, with a photo from September previous year. He on the other hand is rather full of himself, being such a celebrity amongst the dogs in this particular suburb now - as well as

Miss January (from last year) and

Miss July (at Öråker)

The prize this year was really rather lovely (oh no, alas no monetary reward);

tea towels, shopping bag and a wee carved in juniper wood butter knife (the thing Swedish children all had to make in woodwork class in school and delight all parents and relatives with at birthdays and christmases) with the sweet King's Meadow lily (fritillaria).

Which happens to be the Swedish province flower of the Uppland province as well as the name of the suburb where the photos are taken. A fine little gesture that was, says Cover Girl, Miss January and Miss July. And woof you kindly from one Cover Boy ~

The Best Park in Europe 2008, Runner-Up...

... is the Chocolate Factory Park (Marabouparken) in Stockholm, suburb Sundbyberg. It came second after a popular sculpture park in Münster, Germany.

Still, the most beautiful park in Sweden, that's not half bad either. The second best Swedish park was lovely Rosendal's garden at Djurgården, one previous post. Read more about the Swedish national part competition here. Also Bergianska, previous post, Ulriksdal's castle garden, old post, and Hagaparken were national finalists in the 2008 competition. Read more about all the previous Swedish finalists here.

This annual competition has been held in Europe since 2003, read more about the it and the national competitions here.

And when the Chocolate Factory Park opens for the season May 1st, if in the vicinity may I suggest you swing by (free entrance) and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this hidden gem and its flowers, sculptures, ponds and vast green lawn.

The Exception to the Rule Friday Treat

For years now I have had a sneaky suspicion that the mailman working my neighbourhood has a four days working "week", since with very very few exceptions my mailbox is never blessed with content on Fridays. It doesn't matter if I do expect mail, it hardly ever is delivered on Fridays.

So when I haphazardly take a peek in mailbox on Fridays - because hope is the last thing that goes - and actually find something I tend to get all giddy excited. Today was such a day. I had a look and inside was a padded envelope without a return address. Since I'm easy to please when it comes to content in my mailbox I found it very intriguing.

Inside the envelope was something grey and woolly... And as it turned out it was a very-Pia looking cute wool/cashmere cap from Aussie - the hair care range I wrote about was finally coming to Sweden - perfect for hiding those bad hair days (which I of course never have, unless I have a close encounter of the toy car kind). Oh I must have been a good girl, at my best behaviour, getting a cute cap and mail on a Friday.

In general I'm so not a fan of very obvious placed and attached labels, but I think this one is rather fun, not to mention the message being easy to relate too. Well at least for all those, excluding undersigned of course, who know what a bad hair day means.

The cap is in a limited edition of 150, and if you're Swedish and doesn't belong to the in-cap-crowd you can apparently enter a competition at the Bad Hairday site if you're willing and brave enough to upload a photo of yourself having a bad hair day. You can win a cap and products from Aussie.

Miss August

So, this is how my winning - one of 12 that is - photo in the calendar competition looks, from the lovely organic castle garden of Lennartsnäs. Sadly the garden seems to have closed for good, which is a real pity. I hope they'll find a way to have open at least open now and then in the year to come. It is such a lovely and peaceful haven of a place...

As for the winning photo I'm pleased that they actually chose one of my favourites - which is very me in many ways - and it will perk the walls of (I hope) many municipality inhabitants come August. Yes, from now on I'll be known as I'm Miss August. From behind the camera.

The photo has been cropped for the calender so the wee, sweet Muscovy duck has a slightly more prominent role in the picture. I like that.

Of course it would have been quite nice if the prize had been of the monetary amount kind, alas it wasn't. Apart from the sheer glory - yeah right - it was a book about... cheese. Which made me feel a bit like Wallace - you know Gromit's friend - but it was rather nice, even if I'm not a huge cheese lover (it is quite difficult, at least in Sweden, to find proper vegetarian cheeses). And I suppose a somewhat befitting prize in a photo competition - say cheese to Miss August!

One of Twelve

Like I've mention before I'm rarely a winner when it comes to random competitions and lotteries. And to compete for things with neither mind nor talent involved never have, never will interest me. Besides there can be some pretty scary prizes involved if you actually win... I think I can safely say that I'm as far from being a gameaholic as one can be.

As much as I do enjoy things, games and competitions where mind and talent are involved in theory, I rarely consider entering. Now and then I have over the years and now and then I have won. The most memorable win must have been a rather flashy camera - flashy at the time, far from these days - which served me well during quite a few years. It still works, I never use it.

If I did I probably wouldn't have been one of 12 who won "picture of the month" in the 2009 edition of my municipality's so called environmental calender. A calender with photos from the specific municipality which I think every municipality in Sweden give away to its inhabitants once a year.

To be honest I haven't paid all that much attention to those calenders over the years, they contain municipality information, questions and answers regarding environmental issues, recycling etc, some nice photos, some splendid ones and some very less than good ones. Since I prefer to get my own calenders with motifs I choose by heart these environmental calenders get recycled immediately in residence of mine.

Until this year I haven't even realised that the pictures in the calenders are actually the result of an annual photo competition. So I thought, kind of neat to at least enter, and to be blunt, last year's pictures were with few exceptions... well, not a lot to write home about, if the municipality hadn't welcomed lots of new professional or talented amateur photographers since last year I should have at least a pretty fair chance. And if I didn't get picked at least I tried and I was overall pleased with the photos I submitted anyway. Etc, etc.

The winners - one for each month - would be notified in October. October came and went. Not a word, not any scrap of information at the municipality's website. Ah well, that's life. Yesterday evening my mother called me and said that the winners were announced in the local paper, I really did think she was joking when she casually read my name. So I had to rummage through my recycle paper bags for that paper - which I rarely find an interesting read either... - and yes, there it was, tiny, tiny short notice announcing me as one of twelve. Huzzah.

I think that announcement - or rather lack of - leaves a lot to be desired. I still have no idea what the prize is, if I'm supposed to just feel all warm and fuzzy inside happy about the fact that one of my photos with my name on it gets one whole month of hanging on the walls of thousands of local inhabitants - if they're not like me when it comes to calenders... - or if there's some more tangible prize involved.

I have no clue as to which one of the submitted photos they chose. And the calenders won't be distributed until December 30th so I can't make a plethora of nifty, superbly refined Christmas give aways, signed by yours truly. And what if they have chosen one of my lesser good entries, should I change my name, bow my head in shame for a whole month. Mind boggling issues for one of twelve.

Prize Winning Photo Upon Request

Okey, remember that first prize hullabaloo? It took forever, or at least nearly forever, until the much awaited painting arrived. Yesterday. And well, what can I say, IMHO... it's definitely not something I'm going to hang on my walls. If I'm kind I'd say it looks like daub and blotch on canvas that's in desperate need of work to be presentable. A very pale imitation of that beautiful courtyard of the Tessin Palace, if you ask me.

Tastes differ, so maybe some of you out there find it to be a rather accomplished work of art. I know I'm most certainly not going to fight my mother about this shared price though. Go figure, for once in a blue moon I actually win something and end up with this..., well very less than pleasant wall-hanging. I guess I have to just relish the concept of the glory of winning.

* * First Prize * *

First of all, I'm the kind of person who practically never ever win anything in random games and lotteries. Until now the most memorable win I had was a free badminton-contract in the early 1990ies, and it wasn't even my licenseplate number on the lottery ticket just my name on the contract.

So imagine my complete surprise when we actually won first prize in a silly - like in I-never-win-why-bother - quiz at the Secret Rooms event the other weekend!! To be honest I was the one who knew the - obviously correct - answers to most of the questions, but I would never have bothered with it if it wasn't for my mother who thinks these things are fun.

The silliest thing of it all was the fact than the very last question was about some ancient Swedish king's sisters, and me being so completely uninterested in royalties of this kind - as far as I'm concerned they cost a whole lot of money and you get very less than the money's worth for it. Basically - I just went for the most logical answer. It's kind of neat to be right without really having any knowledge or interest whatsoever of the issue in question.

The prize then? Well it's neither a whole lot of money nor a round-the-world-trip (in my dreams). Not even a gecko green VW Beetle with a bright pink gerbera in the built-in-vase. But a painting. Freshly made that day, in the secret garden I mentioned before. Will be framed and sent when the paint has dried.

The thing is, how should we divide this prize? Cut it in half, or one month each, visitation rights, mm, I see headaches coming.

Since the visitors of this Secret Rooms-event was roughly 41.000 in the Stockholm area (62.000 counting the whole country) and there were a whole lot of people doing the quiz when we walked around it feels kind of... special. Yeah, we won!! First prize! Go figure.