the soft help of cat cuddles

The best remedy for everything sad and troublesome in life - cat cuddles.

Or time spent in the company with any kind of animals of course. But in my case the access to felines is of course easy and uncomplicated.

So how has the first week of May been? 

For me it has been a rather pleasing blend of busy and relaxing. The project gig has gone well, good workplace, good people and the work falls in the practical category of get things ticked off a list. Which is satisfying in its own way, if not something that get my creative juices flowing obviously.

But having to adjust to 9 to 5 days in an office, rush hours commuting, interacting with a lot of different people in various ways every day - it's exhausting. 

The good thing is that it certainly takes my mind of difficult thoughts, forcing me to concentrate on getting the job done well.

Also, as grateful as I am for this opportunity to help, meeting new people, learning new things, it also confirms that I'm not a person that thrives and delights at the 9-5 office life, every day. I may not love how unpredictable the income flow may be for freelancing, but I do love the freedom and opportunities with no limits it brings in other ways.

The weather has been absolutely glorious all week. With May came sun and hot weather. I do wish it would rain during the nights because this much relentless sun alone is certainly not good for nature alas. But for now, I've been enjoying the natural vitamin D. Good for the soul and body alike.

It had also been wonderful to have a long 4 days weekend, not doing much at all, pottering around, relaxing, simple cooking, trying to look forward, not dwelling on things I possibly could have/should have done differently in the past. I think I'm getting a bit better at it day by day. Even if still some days are better than others.

But the sun helps. So does plenty of soft cat cuddles. And life goes on, one step, one day, one weekend, one week at a time.

and life continues

It has been a good week. Surprisingly so. For which I'm deeply grateful. (Which includes the heartfelt comments and emails, treasured as always, I hope you know that even if I haven't replied to them all yet.)

** Together with M's parents, brother and sister-in-law - I'm okay, we've spent some time together this week, talked (if not about the really hurtful matters) a lot and it has been friendly like it once was - I've been to his apartment twice during the week to sort out memories and things of importance. It has been both mentally and physically exhausting. But also an important step on the way to a new normal. Have cried, laughed, been practical, melancholic, sad and also very appreciative of things I picked up to now come and live with me. And grateful for all the memories.

They gave me a lift home this evening and the car was full - next week I've booked an appointment with a charity shop to come and pick up stuff I need to get rid off and with the long weekend to come before that I have plenty of time to sort through all this too. To see which things and memories to actually keep, the most important. The useful and the happy memories. Not stuff for stuff's sake. (Which is THE one thing I've been really good at doing on my list of personal goals for 2016...)

** I was on an interview for a very short Wordpress web gig on Monday. I'll begin working for a couple of days on Tuesday and continue next week, possibly a few days more depending on how much work that's needed. It may not be super creative or super well-paid, but it's a fun and useful way to use my language-police and stickler for details and proofreading skills on. For a good cause. And it's another important, little step towards my new normal.

** I visited my new accountant with a lot of papers and it was a really nice meeting. Partly because she was well aware of the current sad situation (she knows friends of ours and have met M), partly because she's very helpful, keeps it simple so I can understand - the fact that accounting and tax law were two of my best subjects when I studied law is now a mystery... - and isn't at all patronising (unlike my previous accountant). 

The drawback is that her company is situated in Norrtälje, which isn't an issue if you have a car, but from door to door one way it takes me around 2,5 hours. Not ideal, but luckily most things can be sorted via email, mail and telephone so we probably don't have to have meetings more than 1-2 times per year. And the bus ride was really nice.

After the meeting I had lunch with my mum and was so happy that a cafe I used to love in Norrtälje, which sadly had declined now has new owners who are really keen on serving more vegan options! Two lovely dishes on the menu already and we had a good chat about the importance of flavours and textures.

Also I was really pleased that my favourite coffee chain Espresso House had opened in Norrtälje - thus a more than decent soy-latte in a keepcup was my friendly company on the bus home.

** There have been plenty of sunshine all week. Pretty cold April weather overall, but oh the sunshine, good for body and mind.

** Have had two really great and inspiring conversations with fine friends over coffee. Inspiring, soothing and thought-provoking. Grateful.

Same day I also visited the Stockholm Foodtruck Lounge - too bad it was absolutely freezing that evening which cut the visit very short - and tried a new (to me) vegan foodtruck. Turned out I was so hungry I completely forgot to  snap a photo of the Seitan Schwarma Wrap (*insert shocked emoji*), but it was really good.

I've shyed away from social events and crowds ever since life drastically changed. But it was good to get out in an unpretentious way, to distract the mind a bit. To see that life somehow goes on, in parts actually not that different from how it once was.

And now it's May already. May May be a lovely lovely month, in every way. Much needed, thank you in advance, life.

thursday thoughts

Just a few random thoughts today.

~ I didn't thought my memory was this short, but apparently I wrote about the red graters in two posts, granted in the first one I hadn't used them yet, but still, silly silliness. That's one reason why one should always add the blogpost-link to the Flickr-photo's description I guess... It's not as if I have only very few photos to chose from, or few things to write about. I don't *have to* kind of write a post twice.

~ I will do my very best to get out of bed early tomorrow morning and go have a walk-and-talk. Promise. I have already visualised my presence there. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Or well, at least there and reasonably talkative. The weather is suppose to be great, sunshine and around +10C, wow! It's just that it is really nice and creatively great to stay up late, to get out of bed early is on the other hand very, very creatively and bodily challenging.

~ Finding lots of nuisance and mis-information in the tax- and accountancy-related part of having-your-own-business - this is so not something I will be doing myself next year, but only a way to learn and know how it basically works initially - it is laughable to think that tax law and business administration was actually one of my fortes once upon a law-student-time. Now I just find it basically annoying and time-consuming.

~ And while we're on the subject of timeconsuming nuisance, if there's anyone who happens to be reading this and is a pedagogical wizard on WordPress, please oh please raise your helping hand. I'm struggling with a Premium theme that simply refuses to upload properly as a plug-in should. I've googled, I've searched for answers with solutions that actually works for real and not just in theory, so far all in vain. So if you happen to be interested in helping, I would be very very happy and grateful. And if you so wish, will offer payment in chocolate.

~ The fabulous blue boots might be the one single reason for me not wanting the spring/summer-shoe season to arrive. Because if there was such a thing as being in love with a colour, that blue hue is very high on my love-list. But of course, even blue shoes need a good rest and hibernation. And there are quite a few warm-season-shoes that I very much look forward to wearing again. Still, the blue boots rock...

~ It's been an unjustifiable long time since the two tiny - though not so tiny anymore - Z:s got a post of their own. That will be adjusted next week. There are loads of photos that needs tweaking and now when the weather is so much better they can go and have a sniff and explore in the garden (where the photo light is endlessly much better). But I can say as much for now, that they are a true delight and just fantastically fun to watch with all their individual quirks and traits (many of them so obviously inherited from either mum or dad). And sweet, oh so sweet - I love how I've been so blessed with being able to spend so much time with them right from the start, every day. I'm not sure they're equally impressed with all the carrying around, the cuddling and the kisses they've been *forced* to endure since basically day one - but who cares. Cuddles and kisses galore it is, that's what makes a most purring world go round.

~ I'm so looking forward to a little trip late April. For my mum's birthday we're heading east, she and I, to Helsinki. We gave her a trip as a birthday gift five years ago, a promise, I'm ashamed to admit for different reasons, had not been honoured, until now. So this is that trip. She got to chose destination, but we've had talked about returning to Helsinki for many years now. It's such a lovely, beautiful city within such an easy reach - and the fact that it's an Swedish-speaking city too, well that doesn't hurt with a travel-companion that doesn't speak English - with loads of great cafés, design - also being the design capital of 2012 -, fabulous architecture and an appealing ambiance. And these days it can also boast of having an El Naturalista store - that is certainly something very few cities can say. Walking the streets, travel with the cute tram, having cakes at Fazer Café, oh it's going to be great fun I'm sure!

~The yellow Lovikka mittens are finished. It's just the embroidering left, I can't decide on exactly which colours I want. I'm, as usual, partial to the bright pink one, but it feels tad silly to have the same colour as with my pink pair - not that I'd wear them simultaneously. Will finish them this weekend and then they'll go spend summer hibernation with pink cowl and friends. I have to say I'm quite proud of the fact that the time frame of buying the yarn - finish the project has been this short. Rather unlike me. In a good way.

a brand new luddkolt's website

Yes it still needs a bit of tweaking, there are annoying wee details I have yet to sort out, but all and all, I think the new Luddkolt's (my breeding of British Shorthair cats) website has the information and style I was looking for. Most everything can be improved, but for now, this will do (in Swedish only at the moment).

Kittens welcome.

Very Meowy me thinks!

advent sunday week-list

Time for the weekly list. I'm proud to say, that even if it didn't feel like I accomplished much during the week - the wet, grey, dull blanket above is really doing its very best to dampen the spirit! But now we've had some rays of sun on two (!) different days and things feel a bit better - it seems I did.

By no means do I make these public lists to boast about how *much* I do in a week, most of us do the best we can I think, but I've found that if I make very public lists I really feel I have to start ticking things off them. If I only write them down in a notepad, as full of intention-to-do I might be while doing it, it's so much easier to slide in other directions...

So ticked off last week's list are;

~ three bags of stuff to charity Erikshjälpen, four bags of cat related things to one of the cat shelters in Stockholm (they're having a flee market next weekend) and two more for another cat shelter that will be dropped off next Friday

~ another week without snow. Yes it may be darker than usual this time of the year because of that, but really, the problems with the trains running very VERY less than smoothly during winters have been reasonable scarce (touch wood) plus no slippery, icy, nasty streets to worry about. And of course, the electrical bill is moderate.

~ the issues with the web host have been sorted. I'm working on the website. Finally. Though I'm still not all that friendly with WordPress. There are several (possibly minor, but just the same) annoying things that still needs to be sorted before I can officially launch it. But just being able to actually work on it for real - big sigh of relief.

~ and yes, it looks like (touch wood firmly) the problems we had with the registration of business name may be solved very soon. Affirmative phone calls have been made, letters have been written and posted. I am so hoping all these administrative matters will be sorted properly in the next fortnight. (And in this case  due to the special circumstances, of which I'm not going to tell at the moment but it has to do with bureaucracy that leaves a lot to be desired as far as efficiency goes, superfluous matters. Well, bureacracy often lacks in efficiency I suppose.)

~ the cowl is finished. But I need to tweak it, elevate its cuteness if you will.

~ obviously the saffron rusks got baked

~ went to a lovely Thanksgiving party - bringing a special little gift of appreciation to the hostess that I'm pretty pleased with myself - where the highlight of the food was a scrumptious butternut squash gratin. I'm now anxiously awaiting the recipe.

A *wee* fly in the ointment - pre-party, only something I was aware of and disappointed about - was the fact that the lotsa pockets dress had shrunk in the laundry (yes really, cotton apparently does that sometimes...), it didn't fit over my chest area buttoned up. Pure sadness in a dress situation. So yes, mum, the dress is all yours from now on... sigh.

~ I also managed to run a few miscallenous errands, cook a few dinners, vaccinate cats, install the Advent candlesticks and an Advent star in the window - but other than that, I don't do Christmas decorations anymore - and attend a little local Christmas fair.


For the week to come I plan to;

~ go to two different job related meetings, one definitely more pleasing than the other. But both have to be dealt with. Though with the various administrative and practical issues like the ones mentioned above, where I'm unable to really speed things up, I'm not sure what I'll bring to the meetings. Ah well.

~ have two nice lunches and one afternoon tea

~ f i n a l l y  announce the winner of the bobbaloo book - I'm so sorry it has taken this long...

~ prepare for another little blog giveaway, if the things I'm looking for is available

~ bake cookies (and possibly lussekatter)

~ work on the business website

~ start making a new cat breeder website, the old one has been up since the early 00ies and as much as it really needs a serious updating in so so many ways it hasn't been a priority since I haven't had kittens since 2007. But now that will hopefully change.

~ possibly finish that pair of Lovikka mittens

~ making the Christmas cards-list

Feels like it's a rather full week. Mostly in a good way though.

And yes, I recommend making public to-do-lists (of things okey to share), of course they're only ambitions and not set in stone, but I find that they do help my (at times wandering) mind staying focused.

for the week to come

I plan to:

~ have a few brainstorming sessions which will include fika, lunch etc (because they're so much nicer that way) with people that inspires me

~ deal with not so good news I got last week, regarding something rather essential about my new life. Ah, the silly little pope behaviour of administrative authorities never fails. But this really has to be fixed. Asap. And there are no options other than it being fixed. Gahness galore.

~ continuing with the office revamping, not much got done last week admittedly, not much at all. Including filling some more bags for charity.

~ finish a fourth sock, that'll make it two pairs. Plus doing some embroidery on a couple of those. Not my forte, so how that'll turn out remains to be seen.

~ wear some more new socks - I actually did wear not two, but three new pairs last week. Yayness!

~ bake more

~ make raw (vegan) icecream

~ have a lovely hairdresser appointment with much needed sprucing of hair

~ being less annoyed with WordPress *I know I can do it, I know I can do it, I know I can do it...*

~ add to that some of the things I never did get around to last week

~ look forward to more days without snow

~ and of course, it would be lovely to hear more about your views on friendship

That sounds reasonably doable, right?