First Day of Snow

I could say this was the first day of snow this year, in Stockholm, which is absolutely true. But I also think, if my memory serves me right - and it mostly do -, that it's the first day of proper snow remaining on the ground and not being washed away by rain the next minute this winter season. Flippin' amazing! And really darn cold.

And I suppose, it wasn't the brightest idea to head out with the new camera, since mittens and camera is an unsolvable equation... And the light was rather poor - since that's of course the one and only reason for pictures turning out not all that good. But I did get a whole lot of fresh air! And to experience Stockholm in snow is never ever, ever, a bad thing. Simply lovely.

We had a walk in one of Stockholm's little hidden picturesque quarters, mainly consisting of old wooden houses. The oldest ones laid down in the mid 17th century, and today of major cultural historical value, Djurgårdsstaden, a tiny part of Djurgården. That part of the city I wrote about last spring, and autumn, and more information you find here too

The pretty winter entrance of the open air museum Skansen

Stockholm at dusk, i e around 3 pm...

And, as usual, more pictures can be found in my Flickr album

Someone Grateful

When having a quick visit to IKEA - which really isn't a favourite hangout for me, unless on the occasional Friday evening, when people for some reason seem to have other things to do than IKEA-shopping... - before Christmas, I stumbled over the perfect gift for the kitties. A big orange fluff of a pillow. What's not to like?

So it promptly came home with me - along with yet another bookshelf. I really don't know what it is about the books, multiplying like rabbits they are, constantly demanding new shelves... - sneaked it inside, not wanting to spoil the sight of sparkling kitty eyes on Christmas Eve.

Came Christmas Eve, I sprung the fluffy delight on them - and really, it was kind of like last year, and that ungrateful loaf doggie and his Fat Boy, but this year some of them seemed even harish at the sight of the delightful, soft, lovely, lurid pillow fluff. Sniff.

Malte liked this pillow though, always pulling it down on the floor, tearing a bit too much at it, so I had to put it somewhere that little tyke couldn't get a hold of it. And then, at last, it happened, someone else discovered it's fluffy, orange loveliness, the grateful one, the one that from that point hardly ever leaves that spot since that would mean risking someone else occupying it. Is this a pleased kitty face, or what... -

A PS On Smaller Things

I can't very well let January 1st, and Daily Photo Theme Day, pass by without making a note of the fact that me, myself and I was graciously invited by the CDPB blog stockholm by pixels to contribute with my own picture and words on this the first theme day of the year. The theme this time being "The Best Photo of the Year".

I was, am, completely honoured of course, and was unblushingly easy to talk into saying yes. But it was a tricky one, figuring out *the best* photo of the year, so instead I mused about one of the best things, moments of the year past. And of course our beloved and fair city of Stockholm!

If you'd like to have a look at my interpretation of the theme - and a whole lot of other pictures and views on Stockholm - feel free to head over there

Myself I think I'll munch tangerines and finally get on with finishing those what-should-have-been-Christmas-cards-then-New-Year's-cards-instead-and-now-Twelfth-Night-ones. Better late than never...

The First Heap of Books

The perfect way to start a new year is of course with a good book! So here are the last three books I finished last year - gosh, only yesterday... - and my personal reflections. Two collections of short stories - one wonderful, the other far from - and a budding brick novel. I hope you find something interesting to read here;

Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations by Alexander McCall Smith - you might know by now that McCall Smith's Sunday Philosophy Club-series is one of my favourite books ever. I'm not a huge fan of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency-series, but it is a nice, harmless, relaxing series of books if you want to pass some time and get into a good mood, from all its celebration of kindness.

You might also recall that I really didn't like his other collection of short stories Folk Tales from Africa: The Girl Who Married a Lion. At all. But I gave this one a go anyway. He might have improved his short stories-writing skills... Alas he hadn't. I guess some writers forte lies in novels others in short stories, and some has a knack for both. These stories were just silly nonsense with no end twist. Only great disappointment teamed up with a big sigh. Don't bother reading.

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I hadn't even heard of this book before heidikins reviewed it *thanks for that tip!*, but I then found the plot so very interesting I immediately bought it online. And yes it was a book well-worth reading, with a time-travelling plot at least I hadn't read about before. I do like a bit of paradox in my reading, and in life I suppose, and this book very much had you thinking all the way through.

Sometimes a bit too much perhaps, and since I read it in Swedish I'm not sure the unevenness in certain passages, and the brilliance in others, might have something to do with the translation and not the writing itself. What I do think was more than slightly annoying, and I totally blame that on the translation, was the numerous weird choices of prepositions. And the plethora, even for a book this size, of spelling errors and sentence construction oddities. *Rather* annoying indeed.

But, other than that, I think it was a lovely and unusual love story, although I would have liked to know even more about Clare's (the Wife) background and choice of education and occupation.

It is a budding brick novel, but still quite an easy read, and I felt rather compelled to continue reading it all the way through at once. So of course I recommend it!

I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere by Anna Gavalda - seems like I never ever get disappointed by anything I read by Gavalda. Oh how I love her way with words! And just the title of this book is simply wistfully wonderful. A collection of short stories and she, unlike McCall Smith, really masters this genre too. Delightful, witty, funny, sad, 12 stories in one book. My favourites being the two last and the first ones.

If you want to know my views on her book "Hunting and Gathering" - one of my favourite reads ever! - you find it here. And "Someone I loved", here

* * * Happy New 2008 * * *

Looks like it won't be time for a wrap up book review *darn*, but at least I did manage to sweep up a bit of old dust and fluff in the dustpan, to share with you.

And with a sip of powerjuice, I'm now just going to wish you a Happy, Prosperous, Caring, Compassionate, Loving, Wonderful & Amazing New Year!!!

Btw, if you - and you know exactly who you are - finally want to delurk yourself and leave a comment here, now and then, please feel free, I'd be so very pleased!

And to all of you who actually already do write a lovely comment here and there, thanks ever so much! Cheers!

Wrap Up - Beauty Products

I have this irresistable urge of wrapping *everything* up and begin the new year - only a few shivering hours left! - with a (semi)clean plate. Which won't happen. Of course. But I can give it a go. And since I did it yesterday with the movies, time has now come to make the beauty products wrap up - and if I have the time, possible the three latest read books. I wish I could say it was a review of the whole Currently reading-list to the right here ---> but alas it isn't. I have to have something to write about next year too, right?

*************

Soap - Rose soap, Lisen Organics. Some might remember the rose scrub from the same brand I raved about over a year ago. I didn't found it again, or really looked for that matter, this last summer. But I did get this beautiful, handmade soap. It is kind of oily in texture, which I suppose might be a good thing since it's anything but drying. But it was also something that made me a bit hesitant to start with, since the feeling of squeaky clean from the shower is quite lovely. But it is a fine soap, although I'm not too keen on the scent - and as all Lisen's products it's organic of course, and very appealing to the eye too.

The woman behind the brand is a Swedish herbalist and homeopath, she has worked many years at lovely Rosendal's Gardens at Djurgården. Her products isn't to be found everywhere, and what's in stock depends on the season, like with the rose products, but her list of retailers you find under "Återförsäljare" at her website, only in Swedish.

Shower gel - Snow Fairy, Lush. This is a seasonal product, and I never got my hands on it last season, alas. This year I'm happy to announce I did - and I love it, the bubblegum pink, the sugary sweet toffee scent, it sure makes the showering a giggling experience. And since I bought ½ L I'll giggle well into the new year. Remember, only for external use though.

Facial cleanser - Milky soap, Kanebo. A product I used years ago, it's nice, lovely scent, easy to use, leaves skin feeling clean but not overly dry.

Conditioner - Intense Moisture, Dove. The only reason for me having this bottle, and even contemplating buying a supermarket brand for the hair..., is that I got a 2 for 1 thing when on holiday in desperate need for a conditioner. It actually worked pretty fine when on holiday (the water, weather, shampoo did their part I guess), now it just leaves hair all brittle, flat and unruly. Won't continue using.

Then it's a good thing that I finally invested in a regular bottle of the Kiehl's nourishing olive fruit oil conditioner the other week. Since it proves to work just as well in the South African sun as in the bleak, cold days of wintry Sweden. My hair was a mess after dealing with the strains of Christmas, but a little dollop of this conditioner worked simple wonders with the *natural* haybale that had appeared on top of my head. It even gave me back some of my curls. New conditioner favourite!

Deodorant - pro-age, Dove. I got this from my mother, I'd never even contemplating buying anything pro-ageing myself, so I consider this being an insult to the delicate, young me that's just bursting of youthfulness and energy, not looking a day over...

Having said that, I think it has a wonderful scent, the deodorant/anti-perspirant effect being average. And yes, perhaps it actually makes my armpits looking slightly younger.

Hand soap - Savon de Marseille extra pur Pamplemousse, La Compagnie de Provence Marseille. I love the smell of grapefruit in products, it's fresh, sweet, crisp and clean. I'm not overly impressed by this soap though, the scent using it isn't as great as it was promising when just sniffing the bottle, and it's uneconomical plus makes the hands dry. So no, I won't buy a refill of this rather overpriced range.

Hand cream - Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, Kiehl's. Have only used it a couple of times, but so far, so good. Leaves hands feeling soft and clean, absorbs quickly, slight minus for the medical scent of the cream.

Concealer - Flawless Fix Pencil, Laura Mercier. This is an ingenious little pencil that with a little touch here and there makes you look slightly more perky. Which is useful most any day. The detail with the self sharpening cap is brilliant. I'm hooked!

Mascara - Virtuôse, Lancôme. Yes, my search for the ultimate mascara continues... This one promises "Divine Lasting Curves & Length". I don't know about that, but I'll give it a go. I actually haven't open the bottle just yet. But it somehow seems appropriate to perhaps do tonight...? Anyway, it'll be on top of my to-review-list for next year's first beauty product's list!

Movies again

A selection of movies watched by undersigned since the last time -

* Michael Clayton - I very much like many of George Clooney's films, and oh yes, I admit he is a serious piece of eyecandy (and with a brain!), this one however basically left me with a yawn. And not only because the film would have seriously improved by being about 45 minutes shortened. I know many rave about this movie, at least critics here in Sweden, about it being absolutely brilliant, but I fail to see why. And I have a sneaking suspicion that saying you really like this movie is just a way to say you rise above the ignorant plebs, that is the common rest of us...

Yes, great cast, but the story of corruption, good vs bad a k a the little man against a nasty, unscrupulous multinational corporation has been seen soo many times before. And in a far better suit. So instead of seeing this sleeping pill, watch and get mesmerized and upset by for example The Insider, Syriana or the The Constant Gardener instead. -3/5

* The Man From Elysian Fields - beautifully filmed, lovely actors incl a really great performance by Mick Jagger, about what we do for love, life and yes, writing... It somehow reminds me of the French The Escort, but I'm fairly sure it isn't a remake. -4/5

* The Clearing - with actors such as Helen Mirren, Robert Redford and Willem Dafoe I somehow wanted a bit more than this. It is beautifully made, with a wistful feeling to it, but even if the suspense in this kidnapping drama is held together until nearly the very end the end is still more than an anticlimax one. Unfortunately. -3/5

* Elizabeth I - Helen Mirren again, in a brilliant interpretation of queen Elizabeth I, magnificently supported by especially Jeremy Irons. I was completely spellbound the whole film through. So very interesting, the way they actually managed to capture and keep the interest of this historic drama and making it both vivid and plausible, exquisitely made down into every detail. 5/5

* Rabbit-Proof Fence - a true story about Australia's dark past and the way the country has treated the original inhabitants, the aboriginals. Absolutely heartbreaking. 4/5

* Aberdeen - quite a gloomy, bare movie about a troubled father-daughter relationship which we get to follow on a road trip from Oslo, Norway to Aberdeen, Scotland. The social realism genre which can sometimes be a bit too much, but it works quite well here. +3/5

* Spanglish - this one I simply liked. A lot. The cast. The plot. It isn't a masterpiece of anykind, but just so very likable. And just seeing Adam Sandler actually act in a decent way is quite remarkable. 4/5

* Dogville - I'm no fan of overrated Danish director Lars von Trier in general - except for the TV-series Riget- and it has taken me ages to get down to actually watching Dogville. And admittedly at first I had my finger rather firmly placed on the ff-button on the remote-control. But the story soon grabbed me, it's just so intense, so completely tragic, so horrific, so intrusive. This is a superb drama, and very disturbing. 4/5

* Collateral - another movie I had a firm preconception about. And then it turned out to be one of the best action movies I've seen so far. It isn't very foreseeable, and it has an extra dimension of thinking to it. Wasn't very impressed by the very ending though. -4/5

* Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events - Stunningly made, gorgeous and amazing and funny, but the story itself I found to be rather thin. It never touched me. And I had expected so much more of it. +2/5

* Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy - I like Will Ferrell, he's a brilliant comedian. And yes this movie offered its fair share of good laughs, all wrapped up in the fashion of the 70ies, but all and all, not a comedy I'll remember for very long. 3/5

* Closer - nicely done, good actors, somewhat fascinating but since I can't relate to this kind of lifestyle it left me... well, just sad and somewhat slightly disgusted I guess. 3/5

* Kinsey - another movie that was just so much better than I had expected. About the "father of human se*uality" Alfred Kinsey and his groundbreaking research in 1940ies. Truly fascinating, so very well played, a movie that makes you think. A lot. 4/5

* Manchurian candidate - the remake of the movie from 1962. Since it was such a long time since I saw that one I have no idea how well this remake stands up to that one, but it is a very good political thriller. About a deranged, vicious powerhungry bitch of a mother and a high political conspiracy - what's not to like about such a plot teamed up with Denzel Washington? 4/5

* Narc - dark, intense, personal, tragic, brainy thriller 3/5

* La mala educación - I like Pedro Almodovar's movies in general, the blaring Spanish, the affectivity, the humour, the garishness. This one, said to be semi-autobiographical, is far from his best ones - Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, Hable con ella, Volver, Todo sobre mi madre - but still rather moving and worth seeing, 3/5

* Bad Santa - it is kind of liberating to see this kind of anything-but-cuddlesome-PC-Santa, played by Billy Bob Thornton, and the supporting actors are a neat bunch. But still, the multitude of laughs it brings also give a tangy aftertaste. Which, I suppose, might be a good thing... -4/5

Beside the road - Brahehus

Three kilometres north of the small town of Gränna you'll find the old castle ruins of Brahehus. It's situated just beside the highway, unfortunately, with a breathtaking view over the landscape and the lake Vättern below.

It was built in the mid 17th century by the Lord High Chancellor Per Brahe the Younger (who also founded the town of Gränna). Originally the place was intended to be a folly country retreat, but instead it was built as a dower house for his wife. Who passed away some years later so the castle was in the end used as a guest accommodation. The castle, along with the surrounding area, was ravaged by a fire in 1708. And it then fell into decay.

If you happen to drive by I think it's an atmospheric place well worth a visit, preferably when there aren't a lot of people wandering around. Early summer mornings in good weather are absolutely stunning for example and yes the place is sort of eery and offers ample opportunities for using the camera.

And if you like a decent, no-fuss but with a home-cooked twist meal, I very much recommend the Vida Vättern a few kilometres further north along the highway. Unpretentious and with a lovely view whether indoors wintertime or outdoors in the summer. Also with a motel that frankly reminds me a bit too much of Bates Hotel...

More in Swedish about Brahehus you find here

Going Down the Purple Path

I thought I'd keep it a bit light to begin with, tread carefully on the word path, slightly back on track, having at least a modest control of things - or rather the frugal content in my tummy - and muse about about the Last Endeavor a k a the Colour Purple (not the movie, which btw is a great one!) taking over my life, little by little, in a craftily way.

I suppose one might say it all began when I was contemplating the good sense or not of having bought a couple of possible-butter-box-like-shoes last summer (admittedly at a very good sale). The spiralling downwards had suddenly begun, the granny path, the unavoidable road to the old people's home of Sunset Bliss... -

Somehow it all happened so quickly, I hadn't seen it coming. The worst thing probably was, that the definite winner of the butter-box-lookalike-shoe contest above I actually felt quite happy wearing. A few times, at first. Then I realised I felt a dreaded waddle going on, I wasn't walking like the usual me, and then I discovered they weren't made and sewn together the exact same way. One of the shoes weren't at all supportive to the would be foot inside, just making it slipsliding back and forth while walking. Which isn't acceptable, probably harmful and I suppose I could have made a complaint about it, but it was on a great sale and I do believe one should choose one's battles... But if I ever consider buying a pair of Hush Puppies again - which I can't say I really do at the moment - I very much have to examine them even more carefully than I usually do before buying shoes... -

Then I got back on track with past summer's best shoe-buy (on sale. Of course) - the red ones

But it seems like there's just no escape from the Destiny Purple - and a pair of purple shoes screamed my name at the end of summer sales. And we mustn't forget the birthday threesome, including a pair of snazzy, ... purple ones.

And even if my latest shoe investment actually is a pair of lovely red ones again -

um, must make a note of the fact that I don't really need to but another pair of shoes for a while now. I probably should stay away from the post-Christmas sales. There are so much more useful and needy ways to spend ones hard earned money, both on a personal level as well as a more global one... See, Dr Sensible is really trying to fight Ms ShoeHyde in a bad way, all is not lost! -

I kind of make up for that when buying / getting other things... And now I'm finally back to what made me begin writing this, the latest steps down the Purple Path. The three ominous things on the purple colour scale I got before Christmas, all of which can be seen in the picture above. The wonderful, wonderful ring was actually a belated birthday present from my sweet mother, but just the fact that I was very much drawn to this particular one with a big, beautiful purple jade stone when there a few other lovely contenders there too, is just... sad.

This ring, well, the design, the company, deserves a whole blog post by itself so I'll get back to it sometime soon.

But I got a very pretty pink bag with it! And I think one might say that it's bag/box is more of pink/mauveish in colour than something purple...?

The little purse from Longchamp I bought as a Christmas gift for... my camera batteries. And no that's not silly. At all. Just sensible. Since they do a lot of hard work and deserve better than having to share room with a whole lot of weird things in the vanity case. Which possible can lead to them lacking stamina and doing a poor job now and then. And this purple shade is very soft and appealing - yes it is! - and goes really well with the little green key bag. But yes, admittedly it is - purple.

Then we have the ink. Which I bought for making personalized Christmas-cards, but never got around to. So now I'm making them into New Year ones. Hopefully. I got a green one, and then, well, the inner me screamed for this... purple one too. Milled lavender. It just sounds so soothing, so lovely, so very... Granny Mildred.

Alas I more than fear, yes, the Last Endeavour has most certainly got me in its grip, I can't seem to escape. There's no denying, I'm well down that Purple Path.

The Strains of Christmas

Oh I wish I could say that my absence in blogging over Christmas had something to do with me being overwhelmed with the christmassy feeling of warmth and happiness in the loving company of family. Alas I can't. The only thing I've been overwhelmed by is the dreaded wintervomitsickness. Which fell on me in the most awful way on Christmas Eve - and I who thought last year's Christmas season was to be a low-water mark, one should prudently bear in mind that things can always get worse... I'll spare you the nasty details and just say I initially made a very good impersonation of the vomiting lady in Little Britain...

Even if I never have and never will be one who glut in Christmas food - that's just plain stupid for a whole lot of reasons... - this eating of rice crackers and drinking of fluid replacement for days now feels kind of an excessive way of proving that point... I like rice crackers, but I wouldn't mind a bit of cheese and veggies on them. And some fruit. And a piece of chocolate. And a cup of tea, with milk. And... Well, tonight I think I'll indulge in some gruel, that feels like a festive treat indeed.