gargoyles

They never seize to fascinate and entertain me, gargoyles.

friday the 13th of may

With Blogger being down and out for the last day - and me still waiting for my little lucky number 13-post to be restored - it has made me think (again) of this relying on free services.

And if there really is such a thing as something free of charge.

And if one really would get better, quicker service if one paid a fee (given how non-reliable non-free-of-charge services can be I kind of doubt it, kind of...).

And how addictive (kind of) one has become to blogging regularly. I've toyed with the idea of publishing two posts today. But I find it somehow befitting that in memory of the-day-Blogger-went-down (touch wood), leave an empty space for contemplation. (If anyone cares but me.)

It's also been ages ago since I went on a swing carousel. I remember it as being awesome, tad scary and very liberating. I'm thinking being involuntary out of touch with Blogger have been tad scary, liberating of sorts but not really awesome at all.

Have yourselves a lovely weekend ~

lucky number 13

I've always considered number 13 to be a lucky number, a most misunderstood number, but always a lucky one. Today when I got home from the doctor -

sample-taking of snot, yay, awaiting the test-results for antibiotics or not, but at least cough medicine and cortisone nasal spray. I hope a good rest and that will do the trick to make me feel more like the real me again... -

there was someone screaming in my mailbox. The unwrapping of yet another one of those bestest of bestest boxes revealed little grey and pink fella who said his name was Seth (or Seetharama if you like the whole fancy schmancy name) and that he would like raspberries and chocolate pie asap, please, after a long journey all by his tiny self.

I'm not really sure when I'll be able to bake a chocolate pie, but for now he seems most pleased with being reunited with others of his kind. He seems especially thrilled about meeting Jojo and Leonard, they are as especially tiny as Seth and they all did a most happy dance when they met.

I too made a happy (but tired and not very energetic given the current Pia-condition) li'l swirl, hoping that this will indeed be the proverbial lucky number 13. That it's about high time for those lights, hearts and butterflies this year 2011 would be filled of. If the arrival of Seth can forebode that, then he can have all the chocolate pies his little woolly, grey tummy and pink heart can eat. Promise.

the fleeting life of an ornamental tree

Now is obviously the (early) time for the ornamental tree to bloom. It has a sadly fleeting gauzy florescence, but the rest of the season it offers perfect backing for the pretty white flourishing clematis and when autumn falls it's garnished with a plethora of bright orange and red leaves. So it certainly earns its keep.

Other inhabitants of this residence that more than earn their keep are the bobbaloos. As if being the constant source of smile at every sight isn't enough, they are indeed diligent and daring little inspectors of everything great and small.

Today the inspectors on duty were Phalpha and Scarlet. They climbed the dotty bird feeder and it was certainly a perfect place to do some overall garden inspecting. Amongst many things needing a good clearing and/or pampering they spotted the bonus picture of the day,

the lilac in bloom. Too soon. But oh so lovely. Yet another reason for the olfactory senses to hurry up and return, I do set a lot of hope to tomorrow's Dr Feist appointment. I really do. It would be a welcome change to feel more like oneself and the bolster-brain self no more. And not having the urge to blog niggle about it again and again. Now wouldn't that be nice, nice, nice.

monday musings

:: I read an appalling article about the age fixation in the Swedish labour market. "Everyone wants a 35 year old, we have to convince them a 43 year old is at least as appropriate for the job" One reason mentioned in the article is that bosses don't want to hire people with possible more competence than themselves. Oh yes, that I have experienced. Unfortunately I was already working there when I found that out. Lesson learnt.

Once again I'm gobsmacked that employers and HR-people have such little knowledge in social structures and balance, that everyone at a workplace can't and shouldn't be moulded in the same shape, age, background, that it's all about a good blend. That colleagues should complement eachother's pros and cons, learn from eachother. Strive to become better people, strive to make the company a better workplace.

:: The cold refuses to give, I'm so darn tired now, feels like I could sleep 24-7. Appointment with Dr Feist on Wednesday, hopefully that will set things on the right track again.

:: I have laughed a lot at this funny dog video - I've read comments about it being a rip-off, I have no idea if that's true or not, be as that may, for most every dog owner the rate of cognition is high in this wee film clip. And very very smile inducing.

:: I was treated to an afternoon tea on Saturday (kind of because it was my middle-name-day). At a castle - which also made me think about this blog not containing enough castles as lately, that needs redeeming, it really does - some miles south of here. Nice castle, beautiful surroundings, but an afternoon tea that lack cucumber sandwiches (or other decent vegetarian savoury options), strawberry jam, scones and whipped cream (can't stand clotted cream) shouldn't be allowed to call itself afternoon tea. No matter how pretty the display is otherwise. There are times (not many but still) when the only thing to be is conservative. Yes, they did have scones (nice ones) and whipped cream, but the lack of red jam, cucumber sandwiches/vegetarian options and the emphasis on sweet stuff... well, it was unsatisfactory I have to say. But more on this later...

:: I think there are so so SO many things in life I'd like to do, know more about, rekindle with and so forth. But there never seem to be enough time for everything. Plus all the commitments one has (far from everything by free will), that does nothing to improve the amount of free (to explore the things that interest me) time. Sometimes I wish I could be more focused on one thing, one project at a time. But since there are so many interesting, thought (as well as anger) provoking things out there that doesn't seem to be possible for an active intellect.

And then I think about the aptness of "any kind of idiot can live in order, only a true genius master chaos" and try to rest in that thought. Until next time I feel I'm drowning in stuff, thoughts, anger and emotions.

And I think I'll blame Twitter tad for getting me even more information overload.

:: Last week it was snowing. This week summer came to town. Topsyturviness.

:: I have been trying to wear different perky socks every day since too many days recently have been filled with, no better word for it than, crap. I mentioned it in a shoe per diem post and a fellow-shoe-per-diemer replied this "I went through a rough patch at a job once. I found myself buying the most outrageous socks I could find and wearing them to work. It helped and remains one of my secret weapons in the “have-an-awesome-life” tool box." Sorry four outing this, J, but I think it was such a good reminder of the seemingly littlest colourful thing making a big difference in bleak times.

the prettiest time of the year

The autumn may be a rich and colourful time of the year, full of unpretentious promises of new beginnings. But this time of the year, the late spring, early summer, when everything in nature seem so fresh and delicate, gauzy green and almost luminescent. I think it's lovely, soft and dreamy (if you're able to now and then look past the nastiness in this world).

Albeit not so unpretentious as autumn, there are more musts, shoulds, ought-tos in spring. Still, the summer to come seems endless, the long, light evenings precious, everything delicately green and kindly energizing.

Tomorrow, tomorrow will be a random thoughts post, for now, just a few glimpses of this exquisite time of the Swedish year, early summer, late spring ~

marimekko lotsa pocket dress

I am slightly ashamed to admit that this Marimekko dress we bought as a birthday gift for my mother a couple of weeks ago. I tried it on for fun. Turned out it actually did fit me (~20 cm taller than her) in a rather pleasing way - if it doesn't look that way in the picture I completely blame the evil minuscule person who took the picture. Seriously, M has a deep and ungraspable problem with perspectives. Do. not. take. a. from. below. photo. if. you. want. the. subject. to. look. of. a. reasonable. height. and. width. Just sayin'. - and since she agreed she said it was alright if I borrowed (and inaugurated) it.

I have hogged it since. Been looking for a shirtdress for so so long in vain, this one seriously rock. (But for the cotton fabrics which sadly is kind of a fuzz magnet, admittedly.)

It's a classic dress called called Iloinen Takki and I think it was first produced in the 1960ies or thereabouts. I love its timelessness! And its both practical, quirky, roomy yet somehow flattering fit. I attended a function the other day and an elderly woman approached me quite lyrical about "my" dress telling me she had had one when she was young and how much she had loved it and kept mending it with new pockets. Sweet meet.

I will now be a kind daughter and let my mother have her dress back. But I will most probably borrow it from time to time again...

the little mushroom inspectors

Meet Calvin, meet Phalpha, the perky mushroom inspectors diligently doing their inspecting.
Myself I'm checking in at the bobbaloo rehab centre this weekend (and hopefully cure my cold at the same time), but you people without such addictions,

you go ahead and have a grand and joyous weekend!

But really, what's not to love here...? Ah, such a precious addiction if there was any...

too tired to think post

A very busy day has left me too tired to think. Thus too tired to write a recap of the week that has almost been. But a few snaps, a few words, that I can do. Tuesday: we woke up to huge snowflakes falling down. This is simply not acceptable in May. Really not.

 

I had a red pear. It was my first and it was very nice in texture. 

And pretty, but strange, to look at.

I was invited to the dress rehearsal of "Angels in America" (I really enjoyed, if that's the right word, the TV-series). It wasn't really my cup of tea. As theatre and plays rarely are. Simply too theatrical and unrealistical for my taste. There was also a goodie bag thrown in, clearly someone knew just what I needed. A ninja voodoo doll and a candy striped monster. Yay.

At the right place, from the right angle, at the right time, 

Stockholm looks lovely despite snowflakes in May.

There might or might not have arrived a couple of small woolly settlers - where do they come from, I do not know, on a regular basis they turn up in my mailbox and shout out a great hallo - they may or may not be called Calvin and Phalpha.

Today turned out to be a surprisingly good day (my guessing game tad put to shame). I'm sure it was all about the fabulous stripey socks again. I am however exhausted now. And my cold (if that's what it still is) is just as bad as ever. I have been waiting for it to be gone all week, every morning when I wake up, but it's still there, taunting me. If I'm not all well again after the weekend, there will be appointment with Dr Feist.

And to round it off on a political note, regarding recent events, which have been so appalingly celebrated by naive, narrow-minded, less informed people, not able to see further implications and the larger picture, there are a couple of apt quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. Giving food for thoughts ~

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy."

eating out - kaffestugan annorlunda

In connection to the post the other day, the jaded post on Sweden and Swedish life in general one might say, here's an example of those little dear places of wild strawberries (smultronställen), lovely spots that makes the heart ditty (and the tummy rejoice), where the only thing you should and can do is sit back, relax and enjoy.

Kaffestugan Annorlunda (Coffee cottage Different) is a little gem of a café, situated in the Scanian national park Stenhuvud (Stone head). (Not too far from lovely restaurant Friden Gårdskrog.) The pretty timber-frame house was built as a school in 1846. In 1953 it was torn down, rebuilt in 1957 and turned into a café. Its motto being - everyone should afford to enjoy a good fika in a nice, jovial environment.

The café is now run by the third generation and it offers a very nice, homebaked cake/cookies/buns all- you-can-eat-buffet for a more than affordable flat fee.

As it is situated in the southernmost parts of Sweden it is not within regular reach for us, sadly, but if your in the vicinity or on summer holiday in those parts I highly recommend a visit. Be hungry when you get there, you will surely not be when you leave.

Food - 3-4/5
Service - 3/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Value for money - 5/5



Kaffestugan Annorlunda
Stenshuvud
277 35 Kivik
tel +46 (0)414 - 704 75
info (at) kaffestuganannorlunda.se