farewell lost month of july 2021, welcome august of purposeful new beginnings

 

It’s with a big sigh of relief I’m saying goodbye and rip to July 2021. Apart from the second jab and being relieved I’m fully vaccinated at last (and trying to not think too much about the covid variants and other new viruses coming…), July has been pretty much all about surviving another day without proper sleep due to the global warming heatwave - yet, most people seem to still ignore, what planet are they living on?? 

And on that topic, what about ignorant, selfish idiots with too much money and not nearly enough compassion and common sense, billionaires that think the best thing to do with their money (that other people’s underpaid hard work has gained them) is to do space travels? 

The Seriously Stupid League of Men With Too Much Ego. Aka rich white men.

And every day now there are news, big and small, on nature’s revenge, atrocities caused by humans, not nearly enough kindness, compassion and common decency. It’s absolutely infuriating and heartbreaking. As if it wasn’t enough pre-pandemic - oh 2019, how little did we know! - the craziness is quite overwhelming and unbearable these days.

And yes, my first black garment in over 20 years has moved in. I think 2021 deserves it.

My original thought was that my wardrobe might need ONE black top to mix with my usual colourful skirts and cardis - when autumn and new work opportunities come, I sincerely hope and believe, can we all keep our fingers firmly crossed for that? - but somehow I think it’s a befitting dark memory in a bleak world of the month we’re just saying goodbye to.

It’s a Marimekko blouse I got second hand at Tradera. And I think it’s pretty much me in style at least, if not in colour. 

The very last thing I ordered in the month of July though, was a pair of extraordinary vegan, sustainable chunky sneakers made by Trash Planet.

Apart from planting 15 trees in Madagascar for every pair of sneakers sold they are also made of at least 50% recycled materials and waste products from the corn industry etc etc. The good stuff we need more of. Read more about the start-up’s story here: https://www.arts.ac.uk/alumni-and-friends/stories/trash-planet

I do love a good start-up story with visionary, compassionate and clever, creative people making things happen, with attention to details. The flexible trial-and-error mentality is fantastic and inspiring, something which big companies originally built around an unsustainable business idea can’t accomplish (unless they drastically change their business models and are willing to loose money for the greater good for us all…) - fast fashion and huge volumes can never be sustainable, no matter how much they try to greenwash things.

Now, let’s hope the shoes fit my discerning feet when they arrive. Otherwise I’ll have to return them in store after August 16 when  the trains start to work as usual again. I deeply do hope that will not be the case though. 

On the happy notes of July (even bleak times have those little glimmers of joy) are the fact that I now finally have two tiny tomatoes growing on the tomato plant I got from the thai food truck in May. The plant has grown a lot, but it obviously took a lot of time before it bore fruit. I hope this tiny pair will survive and be edible and gorgeous soon.

Next summer I will make more of an effort to grow different edible things in my garden again.

I have also finished quite a few books this hot month. The latest being another Maria Lang. As well as a biography about her, which I didn’t really like since it was rather poorly written. She wrote 43 + six books during her career between 1949 and 1990, and I have just finished the 1958 one.

Prior I re-read the ones up until 1966, but 1964 she also published a book of four short stories, 115 pages only. That one has proven to be ridiculously expensive to buy second hand (and it isn’t even signed or in top condition copies), so I ended up buying it in new print instead. For 1/4 of the second hand book price. 

Granted it is *somewhat* annoying I had to finish my full collection of her books like this. But there are better ways to spend that money than on one old book. The 42 other plus the biography consists of second hand books only of which 13 were found in my own bookshelf of course.

I’m also happy about all the good plantbased food I’ve eaten and cooked in July. One of them being the falafel burger with sweetpotato fries and salad from the above Årstiderna vegan, organic food box. When Blogger made things conciderably more technically complicated to publish photos in decent quality in blog, last year if my memory serves me right, it felt so uninspiring and timeconsuming to continue posting those organic, vegan, food inspiration blog posts. But I guess I should take the time, again…

Because, so much fantastic, green food, tips and tricks out there. Sustainably, cruelty free and fabulously tasty.

During this 1,5 years of isolation and supporting local food establishments, that has mainly consisted of the thai food truck with fab vegan options and the long walk cafe, there has also been one visit to the brand new local McDonald’s for vegan burgers (in this time of corona, anything new is concidered exciting…) and a vegan pizza last month that wasn’t very good as it was drenched in dairyfree sheese… 

Last week however, we decided to try out the pizzas at another local long walk establishment. Turned out they too had vegan sheese (I’m still amazed about this, signs that there must be other local vegans around, I just haven’t met any…). This time I asked for just a small amount of that though. Which was a hit, even the owner agreed, and all the veggies on top were fresh not tinned, the dough crisp and nice. It was such a great and tasty surprise, yay! Return visit is obvious.

In July I also got a second hand Marimekko strawberry peaked cap - even if I loath peaked caps because I think they’re generally incredibly ugly and unflattering on anyone over the age of 10, little mum disagrees and use them happily during summers. 

And as it was Marimekko I thought I might enjoy it and we could share it. But alas, so not my style. Much more little mum’s. So she got it as a gift for her recent name day and was very happy about that. 

Oh, I’m doing more than alright with my previous happy strawberry things so I’m happy with making someone else happy. Long term blog readers may recall that lovely Marimekko strawberry (or Mansikka in Finnish, jordgubbe in Swedish) shirt I got many years ago, that alas shrunk in the washing machine. I had to sell it on, and I still miss it… 

After my initial delight over the fantastic second hand finds you could make at Tradera, I’ve mostly concentrated on trying to sell stuff as I wrote about on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-i-went-from-tradera-newbie-pro-month-lessons-pia-k-t%C3%B6re-wallin - from the intitial hooray this is fun, things have slowed down conciderably alas. But sometimes it does take time to find THE right buyer, so that’s alright, even if a tad bit disappointing.

Now I’m looking forward to list autumn and winter pieces I no longer have neither use nor love for.

Amidst all the nice or neutral buyers I have now also had the less than pleasant opportunity to deal with a couple of seriously disturbed buyers with zero reason for their mad behaviours. They got their money back and were inmediately blocked. One of the facts of live; you can never truly escape the crazy, nasty, energy draining people.

I did win the bid on this pair of Marimekko apple green cow pillow covers though. Another one of my all time favourite of their prints. I got a fabric bag and a couple of kitchen towels in that design when we were in Helsinki in 2012, and I wished I had other items too. Now I can sleep in the comfort of cows in green fields!

Just when I had written that Tradera-circulary economy post on LinkedIn, my computer needed an update. Then it shut down. And I’m afraid it has finally given up. Managed to get the hard-drive saved in 2019, and the computer still working since then. This time I do believe I need to get a new one. But I still do very much hope an pray to the Universe (like atheists do) that the hard-drive and its documents can be moved. And no, I don’t have everything saved in the cloud. Or on an external hard drive. Not even all the photos anymore.

Otherwise it will be a very new, clean slate to start on. Good, scary, sad? I don’t now. I do know it’s a cost I’d very much could do without though. But it is what it is.

The summer and its awful heatwave has also been heaven for mosquitos and flies, and hell to deal with. As there is no escaping, unless you keep the garden door close at all times. Which is simple not doable. Ugh ugh and ugh again, and a very unpleasant amount of mosquito bites, because apparently I’m very tasty.

When we did the weekly long walk to the suburb centre this Tuesday, we were totally surprised with the heavy rainfall on our way home. Much much needed after this month of draught and heat of course. And given the catastrophic floodings in Europe, the smaller floodings in walking tunnels and ditches that forced us to walk in the streets were wet peanuts by comparison of course.

Nevertheless, this is my wtf just happened face when I was completely drenched from shoes to under the rain poncho after walking home. It kind of rained from all sides, not only from above. 

Since then the temperatures have drastically changed to around +17C instead of around +30C, it’s easier to breath again. But I suspect it’ll take a long time until the body and mind will adjust and work more normally again. First the 1,5 years of stress and isolation of the pandemic, then the continued isolation caused by replacement buses and its lack of social distancing, and then the heat and continued climate angst. And all that worry and Weltschmerz. It’s certainly been a rough rough 2020-2021…

Hey July, you were overall pretty awful and dispiriting to be honest, but I am deeply grateful for my fully vaxxed and vegan cinnamon buns day. And the good food, the good books, the walks, the kitty cuddles and a few decent TV-series. 

Maybe your sole purpose were merely to slow things and the brain down in preparation for a full, exciting and purposeful after August 16th of new beginnings (and public transport that works as it should) and an autumn that truly feeds my soul?

In that case, thank you from the bottom of my grateful green heart.

Much welcome, August, can we now please please PLEASE get this wonderful, sustainable party started of changing the world into a better place in a way that makes my heart sing?!

fully vaxxed with vegan cinnamon buns ✅

 

Finally got my second Covid-shot yesterday. 

And now I will just continue to live my life in a way that doesn’t cause new pandemics. 

It’s not as if I’ll get back to the life that used to be normal, with the vaccination. But I might be able to breath a bit easier, and go on the odd outing without having minor stress attacks. 

As people continue to be careless, selfish and ignore social distance on public transports and such, it is not something I relish at the idea of being able to do again. And at the most 5% are wearing face masks. 

The two times I’ve travelled with public transport to the city (for my shots) I wore the disposible, medical graded masks. Yesterday it was pretty horrible since my glasses steamed up , I couldn’t see, and it was actually somewhat difficult to breath. 

Next time I’ll use the pretty and well-made non-disposible fabric ones someone kind and talented gifted me a while back. With people rubbing up against you like they still do for reasons unknown these days, I’m really not comfortable at all NOT wearing a mask during those circumstances.

The vaccination does not give you 100% safety and who knows about all the variants coming or the next pandemic (because humans obviously still haven’t learned how devastating their addiction to animal meat and dairy is for us all. Why is it so difficult to connect the obvious dots and act compassionately?), so better safe than sorry after 1,5 years of struggling to adjust to totally new circumstances.

This is how the commuter train (pendeltåg) looks like when you have to use the replacement buses until August 16. For the umpteenth year. Before 9am on a Sunday morning it was calm (we were only 3 people on the bus then). It wasn’t as people free on my way home around 12.30 though. But at least I didn’t have to rub close shoulders with anyone.

First thing I did when I got into the city was buying a soy latte. Then I walked to pick up the 10 vegan cinnamon buns I had pre-ordered. And had a much needed visit to their toilet. Phew. Then a little rest before I walked a few hundred yards to the church used as vaccination center. The queue outside was longer this time, but highly effective and friendly. 

Afterwards I walked to the Asian store that sells excellent Sweden made (just outside Stockholm city) tofu and bought some packages. Then continued to the subway, got me another coffee to go (oat latte this time) and headed down to the platform. 7 stations to get to the bus station for the replacement bus. With only 1 stop before the end/train station that is mine. There I had to wait 15 minutes for my connecting bus home. Got off one stop prior to my home stop, to get a celebratory vegan thai lunch take away with little mum.

After this year of seclusion and a small, restricted world, every little thing out of the ordinary gets to be a big deal, and somewhat overwhelming. Both the good and the bad. 

It was lovely as usual. But I am so looking forward to having lunch in the city in a not too distant future now. Variety is the spice of life.

The plantbased cinnamon buns were just as amazing as I remembered them. 2 eaten, 8 in the freezer. First seasonal episode of ’Midsomer Murders’ tomorrow (which is, as you know by now, how summer in Sweden always get a kick start. Bit late this year though…), so I’ll have one with a nice rooibos cuppa then too. 

*Everyone* seem to be celebrating their completed vaccination in champagne and meeting lots of people. No champagne for me, and as much as I’d love to meetup for fika with people I miss, I do prefer my cinnamon buns, coffee to go and the prospect of a delicious homemade tofu dinner asap. I’m easy to please that way. 

Despite two large cups of coffee and copious amount of water drunk yesterday, I had the longest uninterrupted sleep I’ve had since the pandemic started, last night. Slept like a log (or Ztina) for 9,5 hours. No dreams I can remember. And no side effects but for a sore, stiff upper left arm (better than a stiff upper lip).

All that stress and worry taking its much needed toll, despite all that coffee. Impressive and surprising me thinks.

I meditated for 45ish minutes when I woke up this morning, and then I actually fell asleep for another 3 hours. 

It has been a slow, restful, and another hot summer day today. And amidst this persistent heatwave it’s not really enjoyable to lay on the sun (shade) bed until after 5pmish. But then it’s really very lovely. To lay there reading, thinking, listening to music is truly one, if not THE best, relaxing time to spend a summer day in the world according to Pia. As things are in this new pandemic world.

But oh how much I look forward to new beginnings with this important box ✅ now, a fresh, exciting start that feeds my soul and offers sustainability adventures and growth. So many new moons, fullmoons, dreams and hard work, hey Universe, isn’t it about high time the stars align for me too now? 

r

goodbye june, hello july 2021

 

The delicious scent of mock orange has been June for me this year. I think nature has continue to be just as pretty in June as it was in May. But far warmer and exhausting. Too many days of temperatures around +30C. Even if it’s nothing like those global records close to almost +50C in Canada (which is depressingly scary beyond words), it’s still exhausting and dispiriting. 

I miss sleeping properly, thinking, breathing, existing. Today was a day of cooler weather, but it looks like the temperatures will go up again this weekend. Gaaah. 

I booked my second covid-shot earlier this week. And felt pretty excited about it. The next day I realised the trains are for the umpteenth year replaced with buses this summer too. Which  means a one hour single trip will take 2 hours until August 9. Train-bus-subway and a lot of people who don’t know the meaning of social distancing…

A few weeks ago there was a big hullabaloo in my municipality that they now offer vaccinations from buses too. Which in theory sounds great (even if it’s way late to acknowledge not all of us have cars…). However you’re suppose to book the vaccination bus-slot via the Region Stockholm app too. And it did not appear as an option when I booked. 

Two days a week it’s available, and unless I have any other business that need doing down at the center 5 km x 2 km walk I’m not overly keen on getting myself there just to ask if there’s any other way to book a slot (it’s not as if there were people queueing up there the last time I was there…).

So currently I’m thinking that because I booked a morning slot on a Sunday, hopefully there will be less people taking the train/bus/subway. Once I get into the city I can walk those 5k from the station to the church that serves as a vaccination center. I had hoped I could book a slot at the same place as the first one, but no slots available then and I really wanted to get it done on the first day I could. Plus with this replacement bus chaos it wouldn’t have mattered.

Everything is figureoutable, but I’m so sick of all this incompetence when they set (the non existing) strategy of rolling things out and then it ends up being hart near impossible to do because it’s not accessible for us without cars. Ugh. They should have offered vaccination buses from the very start. As the TBE and other vaccinations are offered via buses for years now, this should have been easy peasy, given the vaccine availability. I bet they have been forced to dump a lot of vaccine doses just because people can’t get themselves to those few and far apart vaccination centers. 

I do hope someone will collect all these stories (which is not something exclusive to Sweden, I know) of ridiculousness and incompetence when it comes to the Covid19-vaccination roll out. It needs so much improvement. And someone taking responsability for all the flaws, not the current someone-elses-fault-behaviour from everyone involved.

There. That said, June has also been another pretty decent month for second hand selling on Tradera. In fact, I think it has been such an interesting time learning and grasping the various strategies of selling and buying on this platform that I wrote a piece about it on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-i-went-from-tradera-newbie-pro-month-lessons-pia-k-t%C3%B6re-wallin

Unfortunately I’ve also had my first encounter with a bat crazy buyer, but that was bound to happen sooner or later.

I have finished four books in these past two weeks, which is, as you know, a big deal in my world of reading these days. My favourite of those recent for was Mhairi McFarlane’s ’If I never met you’. A very unexpectedly relatable and bittersweet feelgood. I have only one library book to finish in July and then I will fully concentrate on reading through my own heaps of acquired books.

With the ongoing replacement buses debacle I don’t see there will be many regular trips into the city, even fully vaccinated, this summer either. Not until August. So summer of reading it is, and that’s actually fine with me. As long as the weather cools down, please. Then me and the books on the sun (shade) bed will be best buds all summer long.

As I think I wrote in a previous post, there were quite the chaos with a leaky roof incident again last month (and in an ideal world I would have been able to get a new roof by now, but an ideal world it is not). I booked a guy to come and take a look at it a few days later. He didn’t turned up. When I called he had made a double booking, which he was sorry about. Though for some reason he hadn’t called to tell me that, but left me waiting for 1,5 hours… Anyway, when he did turn up next week he was able to do a quick emergency fix straight away and I only had to pay a measly price for it. I’m ever so grateful for that sort of  kindness!

In this little limited world of corona June also held a nice little art walk in my suburb. Apart from the La culture c’est moi pig by Carl-Fredrik Reuterswärd of course, and the new Ping Pong piece there were apparently two other public ones easily missed. 

These past couple of months I’ve noticed a weird high influx of blog visitors from Sweden. As Swedish readers are very few, US readers are without a doubt the most common ones, the mad  numbers really stand out, about once per week. I don’t think I have some crazy blog stalker, but the reason for it still remains unknown. Hopefully time will positively tell.

Summers are not only hard on feet proned to blisters - and 2021 has been hell for mine - but also on things proned to chafing. And it has nothing to do with weight, it’s just the way your built. I didn’t experience it until in my 30ies. And it took a ridiculous long time before I realised shorts, and then bicycle tights, were fantastic under dresses and skirts.

I know there are various creams and roll-ons these days, but I find the idea of those less fresh and convenient.

Then I found these less snazzy looking and more granny underwear ones via Instagram. Chub rubs from Snagtights. The size ordered turned out to be 1-2 sizes too big for me, despite following the size chart. So I’m waiting for another two pairs which I hope will be a better fit. I can still wear these though, they stay up anyway. I think they are pretty neat. The only readon I chose that awful Builder’s tea colour to the left was because they were all out of the other perky colours. Putting these on does make me feel like my old aunties when I was a kid though. Or perhaps a bit like Bridget Jones. 

I ended June with treating myself to a fabulous pink linen dress from Marimekko. One dress for all the pieces sold on Tradera. That’s alright me thinks. And the first clothing I’ve bought this year (not counting that second hand green rain anorak find). I’m making progress! And it haz pockets. A few years ago I said I need to get more block colours, not more prints and patterns, in my wardrobe. So it ticks that personal box too. And goes very well with yellow chub rubs, in case you wondered.

And yes, I got tired of the hair growing so fast and looking more tired and grey than ever, I cut it myself again. Planning to try a new dusty pink, vegan colour on it soon. Maybe it’ll work better when the grays are sun-bleached too. 

June, you have been beautiful and lush, colourful, interesting and dashes of nuiscance to make things a bit more interesting. Cheers and thank you so very much!

Welcome July, I wish you will be kind and benevolent, generous and inspiring, the bearer of great news and good food. And please, keep the hot weather at a minimum, okay?

midsummer 2021

 

Hope you have had or having a lovely, kind and loving Midsummer Eve and weekend.

It has mostly been raining all day here, but I’ve loved its unpretentiousness, sweet moments and pretty great vegan food, if I may say so myself. 

The heartshaped cruelty-free cream cake says it all. Imagine there are still people consuming dairy, when there’s this gloriousness available! Ugh. 

Cherries, berries, flowers, lush nature and grumpy cats of mine.

Swedish summer really is amazing. Even more so in the time of corona. 

And on that topic, I’m hopefully having my second covid-19 vaccination in 2-3 weeks. I’m well aware that the vaccine will not miraculously 100% fix the mess humanity has put itself in, and there will be variants, and new viruses, and climate change continuing to speed up its pace. And EVERYONE needs to change their life and eating habits. Period. But, as things are here and now, a little bit of normalcy as we once (1,5 years ago) knew it, goes a long way…

When June turns into July, it’s time for a proper update from the world of mine. Now, a slice of that plantbased cake, please.

thank you, darling buds of may, and welcome pretty june

 

May and early June is certainly the prettiest time of the year in Sweden. And May 2021 and nature did not disappoint in that aspect. It has been a beautiful lush time.

And an emotional rollercoaster. I’m exhausted. Despite all this green beauty I’m exhausted from stress, worry and disappointment. That can be true alongside the appreciation of beauty and pretty little moments.

I’m not sure where to begin, and as usual I struggle to keep things short, but let’s try that.

I was involved in a quite exciting job process, early this month, for a position that (on paper) looked pretty perfect. First interview went great, second interview not so much. It was just awkward and the quality of the digital interview (connection) was poor. I found the questions weird and irrelevant. Or maybe I wasn’t hip enough. Who knows, didn’t get it and my motto is onwards and upwards, I can’t spend time dwelling on setbacks like that. But disappointing outcome nevertheless.

The way I lost Pelle has also haunted me all month. It was so unnecessary and heartbreaking. As sweet as the six ladies left are, he was a very important piece of my kitty family puzzle. And I’m devastated we didn’t get to say a proper goodbye. Still a dark cloud above my head.

The Covid19 vaccination roll out in Sweden suddenly went quicker than expected. And I was in the age group that could book an appointment a couple of weeks ago in Stockholm. Yay! However, as it turned out, the places where you could get the shots are few and far apart, many of us without a car need to travel by public transport. Something which we’ve been deterred from doing all year. And masks aren’t mandatory.

When I asked the health center, where I’m listed, when they expect to start vaccinate us in Phase 4 who are not in a risk group I was very rudely met and told they will never do that. Everyone needs to get vaccinated at one of the designated vaccination centers. 

Which technically isn’t true. Some health centers do offer their listed patient the vaccination. But this is the center that never got back to me on those blood tests result I took in early April... so I guess they’re overall not very professional.

First I was devastated by the prospect of not being able to get vaccinated because there were no options within walking distance, and no, not everyone have access to a car. Then I decided to brave it and try to book a spot at a center in Stockholm, just at a commuter train station. 

Easier said than done, since the slots went very quickly. But suddenly one appeared, in the middle of the night, a noon appointment on a Sunday. Which should be a time with less people around.

I’ve been incredibly stressed all week about the train ride. 1 year and 3 months ago it was just a normal *everyday* thing. Now it feels like a hotbed of bugs and virus. Have dlrpt poorly all week.

But it went fine. Mask on, trying to keep away from people, even if social distancing is not a thing for Stockholmers apparently. 

I had looked forward to seeing a glimpse of Stockholm and normalcy again. But interesting enough I felt very little once there. Bought proper sourdough bread, got the shot, had a decent soy latte. And lunch at a cafe (very few people), bought peonies, returned home.

A proper adventure in the time of Corona.

Three weeks from now, when the nurse said the vaccine will offer protection from serious Covid, I’ll take a short train ride to a favourite cafe/bakery, get som vegan pastry, fika and bread to take home. Then go inte suburban hiding for the following three weeks before the second shot.

I was also impressed by the vaccination process, calm environment, no queues, quick and professional, tea, coffee and water available when you sit down for a 15 minutes rest afterwards. We are so incredibly priveleged. And I teared up thinking of the countries still being ravaged by the virus, where neither medical care nor vaccine is easy accessible. It’s truly heartbreaking. I feel spoilt. And Western world guilt.

My left arm turned sore last night and I’ve been tired and listless all day. No ticking of the list I had planned but having a very slow day.

Last week we had a couple of days with very intensive rain. On that first day I got a delivery with one of the Tradera finds I was very excited about, a preloved green raincoat from Marimekko. It turned out to be just as amazing as I had hoped. I’m glad I didn’t let those lousy product images deter me from buying it. 

That I did my research and found how the anorak looked like new. As I was the only one bidding for it, I guess I was the only one who could be bother doing the research. I’m so happy that I finally, after years of searching for a perfect raincoat, found one that met my standards and liking. It may not be red or pink, my first choices, but it’s green (in every sense) and from my favourite brand, Marimekko. And it has four (4!) pockets.

A few hours on that heavy rain day of green anorak arrival my roof began to leak again. Now dripping from the ceiling in the living room this time. I have just lived in hope (and fear) that it wouldn’t happen again like in 2018, before I got the money to being able to pay for a full new roofing.

But apparently now is the time for another patch and repair. I got the number for a local carpenter I really hope will have the time and will to be able to help. And that he won’t cost an arm and a leg. Please keep all your internetz fingers crossed for that.

I’m having a few online meetings for small and limited (but interesting) gigs, lined up. But I’m still simultaneously searching for that dream job that makes my heart sing. Haven’t finished the Career Stories Method book yet, have been too stressed to concentrate on making the most of its resources. But I will, once I hopefully have been able to cut the anxiety levels a bit.

Little mum stumbled and feel pretty badly, over a speed bump outside my house. For no real reason at all, but suddenly she laid there with a bleeding face. People stopped to help, I wasn’t able to get her up myself, and we got her home those few metres to my front door. She looked awful, but luckily she managed to hurt nothing more seriously than her nose and getting extensive bruises in her face.

And as luck would have it she had an annual check-up at the doctor the following morning, and they sent her along to the hospital’s emergency room for a proper check-up with x-rays. She had a small broken bone in her nose, but otherwise everything looked alright. That too has been adding to the stress of lately of course.

In the little bright side, I’ve been selling quite a few pieces of clothing on Tradera in May too. Slow start but it has definitely been picking up. A rather slow way of cleansing the wardrobes, but nevertheless, a cleansing. And it’s nice to know the pieces will fill a purpose in someone else’s wardrobe and bring joy to a new wearer. 

I’m also happy to say that I am now the owner of every Maria Lang book published, but for the one and only short stories collection. Some have been real bargains, some more expensive. And then there’s always the shipping fees, when you can’t find several books at the same seller those fees add to the cost in a seriously annoying way, but there you are in the time of corona, with no access to thrift stores or second hand bookshops.

My stressed, anxious, sad and bewildered May brain have probably missed something tell-worthy from the month that was, but I think this will suffice for now. 

Perhaps June will be a month of more short posts and more photos?

Thank you, beautiful May, your emotional rollercoaster monthhas been a tear inducing eye opener and lesson learner. 

Welcome, June, can you please please just be kind, soothing and joyous, I desperately need that. Pretty please with mouth watering delicious vegan cream pastry on top? 

Love,

Pia

welcome may, farewell april 2021

The last week’s unexpected and devastating loss of Pelle aside (not that that itself will ever be a thing to look aside or past of course), I think April was a rather good month overall.

One year and one month living with a pandemic later. In a terribly restricted small world, without new impressions and real life interaction with old and new people. And with that the feeling of a constantly shrinking, shrivelling brain due to that lack of growth and possibilities. That too aside. April was good.

Little Mum got her second Covid shot. 

Phase 4, of which I and most of us not in risk groups belong to, were suppose to get the opportunity in mid May. Definitely too good to be true I thought, and right I was, it won’t be happening until September as things look now. 

So anticipating another lost summer alas, confined to the limits of these suburbs just like last year. Walking, reading, weekly vegan thai take away, vegan fika once a week, library visits and grocery shopping, waiting ad finitum and repeat. 

The weather has been your typical capricious April weather - rather cold and windy, but quite a lot of sun. Snow occasionally, and hail, a bit of rain but yes mostly sun but crispy air. 

May/June is when nature in Sweden truly wakes up and usually show its green, lush and benevolent face. I’m looking forward to visiting the cherry blossom trees soon, that were planted here last year. Crocuses, scillas, Easter lilies have been and left, now is the time of pussyfoot, wood anemones, hepatica and cowslips.

April 2021 was also the month I discovered the satisfaction of doing great second hand bargains via Tradera (the Swedish ebay of sorts). I’m not sure I wrote about an amazing Marimekko vintage blouse I missed out on there in March? Because I was an amateur bidder and underestimated the competition. But no more. I’m a pretty fab pro bidder now, and I’ve won 90% of the bidding done. Strategy is everything.

Most things have been in great, or brand new even, condition. The only thing I wasn’t impressed by was a buy from the second hand resale site Sellpy (I have no idea why they sell via Tradera since they have their own site, but they’re doing a swell job blocking small, private sellers. The quality, of well-known brands, isn’t very good, often dirty and overpriced. So once bought from them, never again).

I’m only looking at Marimekko stuff and Maria Lang books (building my collection after re-discovering her books in my bookshelf last summer, remember?) basically. Oh, and I got a heap of old/new miniature cake tins the other day, been meaning to have a go of those recipes from Veganska bakboken. But no such tins in this house, until soon now, hooray. 

My selling on Tradera hasn’t gone so well, so far though. I firmly believe you can make a bargain without paying offensively low prices. Thus I’m not setting my starting prices super-low, for high quality clothes and shoes in outstanding condition. My username is piaktw on Tradera, go have a look if you find something. Sizes M-XL and shoes size 39-41.

I have sold several Marimekko pieces in a Facebook-group instead. Because we are all aware of the high second hand standard of the brand and its value, so it’s fairly easy to sell there and there are often queues of eager buyers. Unlike many Facebook-groups it has a good and positive ambiance overall.

I’m absolutely chuffed about my finds, they totally deserve a happy bonanza post of their own, to come.

Amongst all the fiction read I’ve also begun working with this book - The Career Stories Method by Kerri Twigg. I follow her on LinkedIn and I think she’s inspiring and have some great insights on finding your dream job. 

As things haven’t exactly gone smoothly on my quest so far - and I really don’t understand why - I’m thinking I need to look for and package myself and the value I bring in a new and improved way. I think this book is a good start. Chapter 1 was full of hallelujah moments. Loved it. Got stuck in chapter 4. It didn’t flow as easily for me, so I’m taking my time there.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve been working with an old client in April. And the current needs will be ongoing until June, as things look now. 

I’m also involved in other processes, which I keep my fingers firmly crossed for. 

And I’m thinking of taking some new courses, not sure in exactly what yet. But it’s good to find ways to stretch and expand the brain in these limiting times.

Not only Ågot, Prunella and Pelle had their birthdays in April, but little mum too. We went for coffee and cake at the cafe in the morning, then I cooked and baked a vegan raspberry pear cake, and gifted her some nice things. I do believe she enjoyed the extensive Pelle cuddle the most though. 

This is apparently what a cat in very poor condition and badly cared for look (she wrote sarcastically).

I attended the annual sustainability forum at my alma mater, Stockholm university. This year digital of course. It was pretty good, but for the sound disappearing during the afternoon sessions. Though of course nothing like the real deal amidst real life people in Aula Magna at the university. Hopefully next year.

The day after I lost Pelle, I went grocery shopping and picked up a parcel I was pretty excited about, at least prior to the Pelle-ordeal. When I got home I put the delicious leftover chili on the stove and sat down in the sun in the garden with the furries.

Lost in thoughts I forgot about the pot on the stove, so when I decided to go back in I felt a smell that made me think the neighbours had heated up the barbecue... The kitchen was full of sticky smoke. Luckily no fire, and the smoke/fire alarms didn’t go off until I had begun airing out the smoke and smell (it’s still quite distinctly around though, especially in the kitchen).

The cats didn’t care a bit, they basically just yawned and went back to sleep. Myself I had a sore throat from the coughing and sticky smoke the rest of the day. Obviously I totally ruined my only big pot and that big stirring spoon (whatever was I thinking letting a plastic spoon remain in the pot...). But I’m so grateful nothing much much worse happened. 

I have never done anything this stupid. It’s quite embarassing. I blame a rough year, mind shrivelling and not least the unexpected loss of darling Pelle, the day before.

Oh, and I just remembered I wrote about this smoky incident already, in the previous post about the loss. Well, there’s a proof of the mind shrivelling life in the time of corona, for ya’.

Thank you April, you’ve been full of lessons and growth, small miracles and tiny sparkling moments of happiness and hope. Your pink moon, the supermoon, was just amazing. I am so sorry and sad you saw fit to end your time with a devastating loss of a precious furry family member. 

Hello, beautiful May, please bring positive change, true momentum and new sparkling beginnings to treasure. You are very much welcome.