tuesday views

The basic mood du jour is still as blue as yesterday - thanks for all inputs, thoughts, suggestions, perspectives, treasured all, please keep them coming, those grains of gold! - but a few things that made me feel a tad better today were:

~ bobbaloos, but then they always do

~ the thought of going to the hairdresser tomorrow for some colour and snips. The appointment got cancelled some weeks ago and I simply haven't had the energy to book a new one. Who cares about grey hairs and scruffy looks anyway... But now when the opportunity rose again, I decided to grab it, because I know I always feel much better afterwards

~ many cups of tea

~ a crocheting project that slowly slowly grows into something

~ a tropical storm named Katia has apparently reached Sweden, and it has been very much alive here on the east coast still all day and evening. It's not that I enjoy a storm per se, but somehow, all this wind, the windchimes hard at work, keeps the worries at bay

PS Don't forget to leave a comment in the 6th blogoversary post for a chance to win the giveaway DS

the blue present

For a brief moment, with a big yellow rabbit in sight, I felt relaxed and reasonably happy in the moment. Back into another working week (which obviously isn't a working week for me) I'm just jaded and blue. I wish I was green and perky like the shoes I wore on big-yellow-rabbit-day - a pair which gave me a matching pair of bad blisters on each heel, I might have been stupid inaugurating them with no socks, but really the no-blisters-force have been with me before... - but again, like every week this past month or so, the jadedness remains.

If it had been the crazy woman and her behaviour only, then it might have been slightly more doable, but the complete and utter taking-advantage-and-lie-about-the-situation from the potential employer nastiness... That has taken its toll. I've always, and still I guess, considered myself a good judge of character, in this case I was taken for gullible fool. And felt like one in the end. Still I'm proud for saying no to being used as highly skilled cheap labour, again. But as overrated as jobs are, a reasonable and healthy income is not. And doing something you love is essential.

I'm so pleased to hear that my co-writer is in the zone, feeling focused and energized enough to write, to keep the firm anthropological point of view on stupid matters. Myself, I'm just too tired, too exhausted for it. I may be sitting, standing, walking, talking but I'm not really present. And as the spark has seen fit to be non-present too, I'm clueless as to where to go from here.

Wishing great shoes where enough, they may (are) definitely be (are) a part of a satisfying life puzzle, but some days you need so much more. Strange how that seems.

I was briefly awe-inspired/inspired by a discussion I saw about the documentary "I Am", it really does make lots of beautiful sense in so so many ways (I always feel such joy, if sadly brief, when I see, hear people talk about things I already feel in my heart). But where do you take it from 'simple' inspiration and a sense of connection to something greater?

Where do you find inspiration when jadedness has left you stuck in a blah rut? How do you keep your head above muddy waters? Where do you begin when you want the story you MUST tell to take the shape of a book? Any input, suggestions, ideas on a (green shoes) way forward from here is much appreciated.

big yellow rabbit

The city of Örebro - about 1,5 hours drive west of Stockholm - has during three years held a summer art exhibition called Örebro Open Art. Over a few months the art project, with some 50 artists from around the  world participating, has changed the face of the cityscape.

Apparently it has not been enjoyed by everyone and some citizens have seen it fit to vandalize and remove some of the open air art pieces. Yes, some pieces are definitely more enjoyable than others, but tastes differ and to destroy people's work like that, not being able to see the deeper meaning of some of the pieces that may not be obvious to the eye, such behaviour is simply despicable, narrowminded and nasty. It makes me sick. Instead of perhaps learn something from the art, displayed during three months only, grasp other realities, see a deeper truth, let's destroy. Ain't that just typical human behaviour.

The pieces will be dismantled on September 11, so this weekend was the last chance to see the exhibition. The piece de resistance being a huge yello bunny seemingly dropped by a giant child smack in the middle of the grand town square - oh I've been wanting to see its fabulasticness irl all summer, since I first caught a glimpse of it on Instagram.

Unfortunately it was a market day on Saturday, market stalls and lots of people around, it was sadly impossible to get those smooth performance photos I had dreamed of. But at least you get an idea of the bunny's size and location. I think it's absolutely precious, awesome, funny -

the strategic placement with the church and the statue of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, the Swedish rebel and statesman from the 15th century said to been part of the first Swedish parliament in 1435, inspecting the bunny's behind, it makes us question how we perceive a city -

and overall completely and utterly wonderful. The artist behind the bunny is a Dutch fellow named Florentijn Hofman, he certainly get all my thumbs up for creating this piece! (Needless to say the bunny project get a BIG bobbaloo stamp of approval too.)

At the end of the exhibition the bunny was for sale (for 500 000 sek), had I lived differently, had I been rich in money, I wouldn't have minded having it in my yard, I wouldn't have minded at all... I hope it gets a good and loving home, perhaps being reunited with the giant child who dropped it in the town square, and enjoyed over many years to come.

I think we all need more oversized bunnies (yellow or not) dropped into our lives to be happier and kinder beings.

6th blogoversary ~

Another year in blog, with blog, has passed. It has hold a plethora of high- as well as low-points - I'm still waiting for 2011 to show its true face of light, heart and butterflies... - one high being the Blog of Note acknowledgement. Which was definitely truly lovely, even if things have since calmed down to pretty much the same as before BoN-day, via that came new fine friends, so for that I feel only happy gratitude.

To celebrate this 6th blogoversary I'm having a little giveaway again. Three readers who leave a comment in this post, and it would of course be nice to hear why you like to come here and spend some reading time, will take part in the draw to win a set of 3 postcards and 1 bookmark -

similar to the ones for sale in the Prosit shop on Etsy, yes you can always hop over there to find something to fit your mood, I'm about to list new motifs and you're always welcome to ask if you have something special in mind, I will do my best to see if I can find it in my photo-stash

Please leave your comment no later than September 22, 2011 and you'll participate in the draw (the little drawers will be, depending on their mood du jour, bobbaloos, little loafie or plush kitties aka snoopervisors).

Happy 6th blogoversary
in "The World According to Pia" ~

old photos that made me smile

Browsed through some older photos in my Flickr stream today, some of them made me smile and remember fun times. Here are a few. Cats and kittens galore. And possibly a loaf dog or two. (And no, Vilgot above, blue tabby british shorthair, wasn't harmed in any way.)

The latest (and hopefully not the last) kitten litter in 2007, born 2-3 weeks apart. The older kittens scuttered over to the younger ones living quarters to play, the younger ones had barely opened their eyes at that time and it all seemed very precarious. The two mothers (sisters) however didn't care and soon they decided it was a good thing to simply share kittens and (cramped) living quarters.

William Wallace, red tabby british shorthair five weeks old

How many sleeping kittens can you fit on 

one tiny blanket under a kitchen chair?

When watching TV under a blanket you must be 

prepared to act cat and kitten bed. The furrier the merrier.

I heart you

Sometimes you find the strangest of things in the dustpan

Someone named loaf dog in desperate need of a fur cut...

I think we need to have another carrot cap chap photo session, 

after all it has been over three years since...

Squeaker toys are the best

Yeah, I've got style, baby
(Waldemar Warwick)



Priceless mother and daughter capture



The things one has to put up with in this residence...



To capture a hippo

What made you smile today?

perky pot holders

My little tentative step back into the soothing, wonderful world of yarn began with one pot holder. That one pot holder soon became three. Granny squareish, very perky and easy to make, satisfaction guaranteed.

I still feel a slight soreness in, especially, the right hand, but if I keep the crocheting and knitting in small portions - easier said than done once you get into it and watching TV without having your hands occupied with yarny business... it just seems such a waste of time somehow - I think it'll be alright.

The pot holders obviously have a very large bobbaloo stamp of approval - since they're just supersized magical sleeping pouches really - and their colour awesomeness makes me smile.

I have quite a lot of yarn left for more pot holders and I'm thinking I should get a few more hanks in other colours to spice things up - I mean a variety of ten colours or so can accomplish so much more delight for the eyes than six, right? Right.

I'm also thinking that perhaps I should get some use out of that Big Cartel shop I registered a while back - Etsy really isn't my cup of craft tea when it comes to selling this kind of stuff, perhaps BC is more my venue... - and list a few of these. (Note, no bobbaloos included in possible purchase.)

Apart from yarn I had left from last season I wasn't able to resist a few more hanks recently, so a few more perky pot holders aside, I'm planning to turn this yarn into

a green-blue-brown-yellow wool scarf - same yarn as in the heather hues shawl, but I will knit instead of crochet, to save the amount of yarn needed for a fairly large scarf. Since crocheting has a tendency to gobble down a lot of yarn. -

I will try and make something small and simple with three cottons hanks in that pretty ripple pattern - which I've admired for so long but still haven't tried myself. I have no idea what kept me, the comfort zone of granny squares perhaps? Or newfound (before sore hand struck) love of amigurumi?

Last but certainly not least, this pretty handdyed blue-green wool yarn I got on Åland. Yes it will be a scarf too - since you can't have too many of those... - I'm thinking something simple and possibly in a lace pattern, maybe similar to the autumn rainbow scarf I made for my mum a couple of years ago.

See, not only working with yarn, but thinking about, looking at and writing about it does give some moments of hope, peace and calm from the misery and blah. Ah, the magic of yarn.

Do you have any special yarn projects in mind for this autumn/winter?

monday bits

First of all, thank you so much for all the kind, well-composed, personal comments to yesterday's post. They all warmed my heart very much (and made me cry some more...). If possible I would send an email and say a personal thank you - and that doesn't just go for this particular post, but for every lovely comment - to everyone. Instead I say a big and heartfelt group-thank-you for sending good thoughts, good vibes my way!


:: If I was in another financial situation I would of course give a huge finger to everything, everyone employment office-like, the only reason for all these soul-crushing activities while continously searching for a decent income source (where I can be happy, shine and do good for others) is because in the Swedish "welfare"system (awry) I have to in order to get the measly money one gets as benefits (for which I've paid and keep paying taxes). Bills have to be paid. While souls get crushed. And my middle fingers itch something terribly.


:: The current hollowness when writing about bright things comes from me not feeling what I write. It's not that I can't write about it, it's just that I don't feel completely comfortable with it, two separate lives, two mes. One that is pulped by the utter stupidity of today's Swedish society, one that wants to enjoy the small things she usually does but really can't muster that joy.


:: Watched the second to last Harry Potter on DVD today - I know, we are terribly late watching it... and we wanted to see it before we hopefully will make it to the cinema to watch the last one on screen. Better late than never - it was quite enjoyable. And dark. Which fitted my mood. And made me think about the mini-Voldemorts I'm fighting at least don't have magic powers and wands.


:: Now, if I could rest my weariness and instead dream a little here in blog - and no, it's not about climbing victory monuments, even if, granted, that would be a nice analogy - I have two companies I would love to work with/in.

One of them has only a very small organisation in Sweden ~ Innocent ~ and well, after my last post about their wonderful fruit drinks (which I've adored for many years) I did have a brief and interesting contact with their Swedish office. From that contact nothing happened. So hey Swedish Innocent-office, if you happen to read this post too, feel more than free to contact me again!


The other one is, naturally, El Naturalista. Why they haven't set up a flagship store of their own in Stockholm - since Sweden is quite the eco-conscious as well as design-interested country - is beyond me. Probably simply because they're looking for the perfect store manager. Namely me of course.

~ Not only would I be able to work with something I love; colourful, quirky, comfortable shoes in eco-conscious design.

~ I would get paid for talking about shoes all day and getting others to see the uttermost sense in buying the bestest of shoes too.

~ It would also be the perfect excuse to finally start brushing up on my Spanish again.

~ And hey, how about looking into making shoes of recycled leather too?

Oh this scenario would really get my creative juices flowing!


:: My inner spark is still dislocated. However with thinking and writing about fruit drinks and shoes, I felt a momentary minuscule sparkle.


:: Another minuscule sparkle - or rather two - arrived today. Yes, there's no end to the bobbaloomania in this house. (And I haven't even properly introduced the ones who have moved in during the summer, shame on me...).

Meet Miffwinkle and Wifflesteinborgen - of course bobs with such names were born with my address label around their non-existing necks! Could. not. resist. would. have. been. sad. if. I've. missed. - tiny new arrivals. Their pretty cardboard box was squashed upon arrival, but they were all good, alive and smiling when they crawled out of it.



They jumped right into a pretty perky photo session.
More of that tomorrow, if sparkle allowed.

first september weekend

My weekend has not been a good one. It has been all about the thought process. Thoughts about life and my situation. I have also cried. A lot. The conclusion (if one can call it that) has just left me sad and in a desolate state. This past one and a half year has really, really put me to the test and my hope and belief that everything will be alright, that people are basically alright and that Sweden is a basically pretty decent country. From the "this is not me" in a blogpost in January last year, things have simply spiralled downwards.

I have since regularly written posts of misery and blue, of disbelief and "this can't be meant to be". With a  few dots of hope, of what will finally be thoughts, here and there.

The gap between never doubting one's own capability and competence and the fact that this society of ours isn't very interested in someone like me (and many others) contributing - that is a tremendeously heartbreaking gap.

These past weeks have certainly been the icing of this awful tasting cake and I simply do not know what to do now. Some years ago I left the workplace-from-hell, its goodbye present being finding myself in a black hole working my way back to be myself again. Even a better version of myself. I can safely say that that extended time I spent soulsearching and working with myself and my outlook on life, that was a time well-spent (so, seriously, thank you workplace-from-hell for that opportunity!). And even when things were as black as they could be I knew things could only get better after all that pain. But things still haven't become that "better", it's a constant struggle against stupidity and the Swedish "welfare" system. Now I simply wonder, will they ever really be?

A good friend wrote this in an email last year (it really stroke a special cord in me); "I've never believed in convention if it only brings a person misery, and you're far too bright a light to be dimmed within such confines."

At the worst of times I have been able to hold on to "this too shall pass", "things will get better", "this misery is what makes me a better, more compassionate person" and so forth. I have after all a roof over my head, food on the table, charming furries, decent people to talk too, great shoes. But I have now reached a point where I'm complete at a lost. I have tried so many roads, so many leads, talked, talked, written, written. Positive feedback, you're such a great person, but no thank you.

There seem to be so so much creativity around, great persons working with inspiring stuff, doing good deeds (for which they actually get paid, go figure!), people that actually have a healthy outlook on life, outside the 9-5 confinement of the hamster-wheel. So why on heaven and earth do our paths never cross for work-real? Now why do not the stars align for my benefit?

Oh yes, I certainly love the exchanging of good and inspiring ideas, but I do need a decent income, I need those ideas and sparks to be so much more than just another fleeting idea. Because they do not pay the bills (nor the great shoes).

During these trying times I've always had the comfort and security of being me, solid self esteem, knowing who I am, never feeling that I am nothing but a pawn in a dirty, despicable political game and a colder social climate. I have been able to work my way through all this resistance. Because I had my spark. My hope. This weekend I realised I do not feel that bright light, that spark inside me anymore. And that, that scares me. 

Maybe it's a phase, but I'm oh so tired, exhausted. The notion alone of "having to explain my story" to another petty, stupid job officer king/queen makes me sick. I. do. not. need. this. I'm running on empty.

The looking at small good matters, having a positive outlook, holding on to the bright stuff in life and the writing about it, even during rough times, it just feels futile and hollow right now. Writing has always been such a a comfortable, wonderful way of letting out steam of frustration. Looking at all things bright and beautiful (including good nights' sleep and a nice piece of cake), writing about it, sharing have been a way to refuel energy.

I'm not looking for a pity party, I simply felt I had to get this down in blog. It just isn't a day, nor a weekend, of fun and bright things. My new facial expression seriously threatens to be permanent. It is frightening.

a bouquet of bobbaloos

Today I saw the most curious of things, in fact it was magical. One of my lovely chrysanthemums had suddenly turned into a bobbalooanthemum of sorts. I'm not really sure what you would call bobbaloos congregating like this - I might have to look into the animal lover scarf for an appropriate concept - but that aside, my heart melted at the sight. (The more the merrier, even if the spring bouquet was sweet too.)

They had a blast amongst the flowers and I had a good laugh. I needed that.

Then we had plumcake and tea - in cups I've inherited from my childhood, 'Be British Drink Tea' - and for a moment all was well in the world, my world.

Wishing every fine soul a wonderful weekend,
autumnal for some, spring for others,
treat yourselves to something special ~

september tea thoughts

With September, and sadly autumn already, upon us here in the northern hemisphere, I will at least drink my tea in style during these dark months to come. It has been a summer of tea purchasing and many new, lovely flavours experienced (and I haven't even tasted them all yet).

I am also a sucker for a pretty tin - old or new - so when it says special tea so-so I always think it's a neat little souvenir. Always.

The two tins above M brought home from his last business trip to China in April. He had a fine time attending a tea-ceremony sampling teas at a tea-house (oh my green envy) and bought these two tins. Both are supposedly fruit teas, I've only had one of them. As is visible it's very pretty too look at and yes it tasted lovely too, however I can deal with the fact that not every tea goes well with milk (it curdled) but I'm rather put-off by tea (or any beverage) that is overly or pre-sweetened. In this case it might be the raisins in the tea. But still, perhaps not the best of ideas.

:: The tea from legendary Berlin department store KaDeWe came in a pretty tin - I have an old one in green ceramics from ten years ago, the earl grey tea in the tin back then wasn't praise-worthy though - I am however very much not a fan or rooibos tea. So I got it for the tin, but the raspberry-vanilla rooibos inside doesn't smell half bad so maybe it will actually be drinkable.

:: Löv organic is strangely enough a French brand (as far as I can figure out from their website) though the word "löv" means "leaf" in Scandinavia (even if we spell it differently in respective country, it is the same word) and they claim to have been inspired by Scandinavian life with this tea and its packaging. Be as that may, the packaging - bright, colourful tins with different flavorus of organic teas - are extremely pleasing to the eye (and heart) and the red fruit tea with raspberry and strawberry I bought tastes fantastic.

Not available in the Stockholm parts of Sweden as yet, if the website information is correct, but their webshop is about to open soon.

:: Not a fan of Starbucks coffee - but I love their free wi-fi, when it works... - but I quite enjoy their fresh, un-sweetened, natural ice-teas on a warm summer day. That said, I got this Earl Grey tea for the tin's sake... Haven't tried it yet, Earl Grey rarely excites me, but I think it might be good for making ice-teas and such.

:: When on Åland - exactly a month ago now, on my last day of holiday, before my month of August crumbled - I found this liquorice tea from Finnish Forsman Tea. I've had a few others of their teas years ago, but they never really appealed to me. I'm not a fan of liquorice either. But, I just couldn't resist the almost tangible scent wafting from this bag. And I have to say, it has been one of the loveliest teas I've ever had. Deep and rich in liquorice flavour, pretty amazing. And soon the bag is empty already, alas.

:: Another Finnish tea brand, that I've had as a big favourite for years now and always get M to buy when he's in Finland on business, is tea bags from Nordqvist. My favourite flavour is Faithful Friend - and not only because it's cat paws on the bag - and Cheery Rainy Day, but most of their flavours are great. Plus, needless to say, I adore their colourful, perky packaging.

Again, not a fan of rooibos, but as I enjoy most of Nordqvist's flavours I thought they might possibly created something drinkable with this. My verdict is - drinkable, but certainly not something I will be buying again. Black and green teas are my cup of teas. But heart to the pretty bags.

:: I will also be enjoying some more cups of the polka tea, there's still some left in the bag.

:: And I did get myself another bag of the chocolate tea from Malmö Chokladfabrik - not only will it arrive in the mailbox of a lucky winner soon, I will get to have a few comfort cups of it myself during the months to come, hooray!

:: Kobbs is an old Swedish tea brand, they sell some lovely teas, but admittedly I don't buy them very often. When I stumbled over an organic elderflower tea of theirs in Denmark (their factory is situated there) I got it though. Elderflower is, for some reason, so very Danish to me. It will be nice to have a cup of warming "Elderflower harmony" and think of Copenhagen this winter.

:: The organic forrest fruits tea bags from Danish Fredsted have been a very nice breakfast tea, though perhaps the flavour is tad too black-currant-tasting for my personal preference.

:: Olof Viktors bakery and café in Glemminge, southern Sweden, seems to be a place people rave about. We visited there this summer and I can safely say we won't be returning. Crowded, screaming children running around, an appaling lack of vegetarian options and very much lacking the cosy, welcoming feel one would have expected with that house and surroundings. I had a nice chocolate cake, but neither the food nor the bread were worth a praise. So imho, or rather in our opinion, very much overrated and not really worth a visit.

Bought three food things there though, one of them a white tea with coconut, pomegranate, cornflower and sunflower etc. Sounds exotic and intriguing, but I have yet to open the bag. I think I will save the opening date until I've finished some of the above teas. I hope it will be much nicer than the other things offered at the café...

:: That I didn't get to take more of TeaGschwendner's lovely ice-teas with me home from Berlin - so not checked off the Berlin-to-do-list - is still something I feel a bit sad about... Thus I will save this 'bottle' for a special occasion.

:: Last, but certainly not flavour least, when in Dalarna for the Bryan Ferry concert at Dalhalla, I found this special blend called Dalhalla tea. The bobbaloos, who are also very proud of their shopping skills, insisted I'd get a bag of it. As I'm very fond of rhubarb and cream tea I concurred. It's a rhubarb, strawberry and cream green tea and oh my, it tastes like a dream. It makes for a heavenly cup of tea, with or without milk. I am glad I heard the bobbaloos' voices that told me to get it.

Sidenote: Overall, one should probably listen more to the bobbaloos. They seem to have the perfect attitude towards life and harbouring a surprising amount of wisdom in their little woolly miniscule beings.

~

So what tea will you be drinking this autumn?