a full weekend fridge

Behold a fridge with a pretty fine blend of vegetarian delights. Since my fridge is rarely this full, I'm not sure what happened. The carrots take up a lot of room, but still, when did the rest of the edible stuff move in? 

A good thing it happened in time for the weekend though, as it'll be filled with work and reading - I'm guessing there'll be a bit of cooking too. 

So all set for finishing work assignments, books and plates of food. (Also plenty of food for the rest of September I suppose.)

Happy, good eating weekend to you too!

election sweden 2014

Having done my bid for democracy and pre-voted in the Swedish elections today. In the perfect colour combination of course, pink and green (like in the May EU-election). Gender equality and the environment are the two most important matters to deal with now (alongside animal rights of course) for this planet's wellbeing.

I have every confidence that we'll finally see a change of government on Sunday (official election day). These past eight years have been hell for the lesser fortunate, for schools, the care system, the unemployed and sick. Not to mention the environment and animals.

The current government is incredibly cynical, profit hungry, without compassion and interest in equality and environmental issues. They've basically done their best to dismantling a wellfare society (that needed updating) while lining their own and friends' pockets via dirty business deals and corruption.



Having done one's bid for democracy also calls for a celebratory fika aka a vote-pastry. Not the pastry I had planned for but the chocolate cake was a reasonably nice and rich treat just the same. And the weather was rather glorious and summerish.

Now I'm just looking forward to Sunday when the election campaigns will finally be over. And the litter will be removed (hopefully...). And a new, more compassionate, environmental friendly and clever government will be in place.

cinnamon crispbread

Crispbread (knäckebröd) must be one of the most Swedish food items there is. In my opinion best enjoyed with a spread of butter and a slice of cheese. And a pile of cucumber.

And I'm not much for fancy schmancy new flavours and textures when it comes to crispbread, I like them plain and I enjoy the ones with poppyseeds. So when my mum was all delighted about the cinnamon flavoured ones I was really sceptical, but she insisted that I tried them. So she got be a package and when opening the packaging the scent of cinnamon was really lovely, but it left me still sceptical. Really, smells more like gingersnaps than bread.

Looking at the ingredients list I gathered that the second largest ingredient was sugar. Not impressed, more than a tad bit appalled actually. If we're not talking buns, cakes and biscuits bread should not contain added sugar. Period.

So when I put a spread of butter on the first (and what would most likely be my last) piece of cinnamon crispbread I was not looking forward to having a bite of it really.

Turned out it was rather, ahem, addictive from the first bite. Too sweet of course, but oh the crispiness and all that cinnamon, with butter and cheese it's pretty delightful. It would have been even more so if the sugar was omitted though. And even if I enjoyed the package - yes, admittedly I did finish the whole roll - I will not buy it myself. Because of the unnecessary sugar content.

But if the maker Wasa one day sees sense and makes a cinnamon crispbread without sugar I'll be the first to buy it, I'm sure.

crafting a life map

Remember the 'Storytelling for change' class I signed up for last week? Time has come to finish the first assignment tomorrow and it's a life map. To be honest I've never made a life map before, have you? And this one is suppose to revolve around a social cause one is really passionate about. And we should spend about 45 minutes to craft it. How anyone can construct it in a creative, qualitative, plausible and convincing way in such a short amount of time beats me. I would not be able to do it.

For me that is obviously animal rights. So now I'm trying to trace my way to the beginning and to where I am today. I refuse to do it in an obvious born - school - university - work way and instead I begin where my convictions begun with stops along the way and the way my mind and thoughts work.

I think I'm done with the words now, tomorrow I'll think some more about appropriate pictures to illustrate my journey. And then upload. If I had had more time I would probably have done it differently, elaborated some more. Although, elaborated I have, perhaps a bit more than life maps usually do. Ah well, it's my life map and this is my cause.

And please remember -

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated” – Mahatma Gandhi

happy 9th blogoversary to me

One might think that on a day one celebrates such a mighty event as the 9th blogoversary it would have been all fireworks, cakes and party party party. Instead it has been a quiet, uneventful day. A day of thoughts and contemplation. And evening rain.

So what has happened since last year?

:: My life revolves very much around my work (in a good way, well, mostly) and work opportunities these days I may not find the time or energy to blog as much as I used to. But I still blog (obviously). My love for blogging has not been diminished.

The way I write and publish may have changed, I may not write as much as I used to, but I'm adamant to post something every day. If only a cat snap (as if there's anything "only" about a cat!). Consistency is good.

:: I think most of us long time bloggers don't read as much blogs as we used to anymore. But since I've recently gotten my reading mojo back (hooray!) I might get my blog reading mojo back too, who knows. I also knows that what goes around comes around, visits and comments have plummeted. I'm alright with that. It's simply a case of I blog therefore I am.

:: It's almost 10 years (!) now since I began blogging. So much has happened. And pretty much everything have some way or other ended up in this blog. But I never name names. Because personal is one thing, private is another matter. A no no matter.

And you should know that every single comment you leave is always much appreciated.

:: There've been quite a bit of blah regarding things that I feel very passionate about these past few months, people can really be truly disappointing and odd. But it's also been a test of my resilience. I'm happy to report that despite deep disappointment I know things will be alright. Because things just are. And I am too.

Happy 9th blogoversary to me and my world on the internetz,
I hope we'll have many more creative years still together!

the amazing bobbaloos and their magic castles

for this weekend i was very much in need of refilling my happy account. it has been a topsy turvy week, in unexpected ways, both good and bad and with far too little sleep. thus happy account as well as good sleeping needed refill.

i do believe the mission has been accomplished. yesterday was sunflowers and good. today we enjoyed the last day of toy car outing 2014. and the summer weather lingered on. plus we made the bobbaloos very happy. they got to rub shoulders (and pick nose) with royals - though of course, like me, they only enjoy castles for their fairytale charm, certainly not in any monarchy or hoity toity way.

and castle spotting. not only one, but two. it could have been three but i fear that would indeed have been too much excitement for small sized woollies to bear. (besides they did get to visit a castle yesterday too, the one with the sunflowers galore.)

svartsjö castle and drottningholm castle (a bit of versailles in stockholm).

and we had a pretty great apple-astic brunch too. at favourite place äppelfabriken (the apple factory). all and all a fine round-off to the toy car season. and the weekend. and the bewildering week. all set for a week of many splendid things to happen now.

september sunflowers

just a few sights that made me a very happy bunny today. september saturday sunshine!

happy friday ~

Again and again I've said that one of many good things with running your own business is that you can usually decide when to work and when to have a day off all by yourself. No need to be chained to the desk 9-5 Monday to Friday. Every day is like any day, I work Saturdays or Sundays, sometimes half the day and sometimes I even take a day off in the middle of the week etc etc and so forth. So I don't really look forward to weekends, because any day can be a day off for me. Or on days.

That said, this week has been quite a full one. Both good and bad. So I'm really rather looking forward to the weekend this time. Outings, gardens, flowers, castles and fika are planned for. And the mundane task of vacuuming.

I've also decided, for now, that I won't try to grasp people's strange behaviours. I prefer watching pandas playing on a slide. Which is, believe it or not, rather addictive to watch.

And if you've missed this brilliant IKEA commercial about the powerful bookBook - go watch right away.

You might also enjoy listening to George Ezra's Budapest or Leaving it up to you - what an amazing voice he has...

Don't forget you grow and learn by saying yes to new, unexpected and sometimes awkward things - I love the notion of being a surprisologist! You get lots of good advice how to become one in the article. Why not take the opportunity to try someof the things this weekend? I'm sure that would bring more awesome into your life.

Happiest of weekend one and all!

the garden guardians

When your engulfed in the world of working it's good to know that your garden guardians are always on duty. Keeping an eye out for intruders (well done) and making sure noone misbehaves (that part needs improving as far as I'm concerned).



When you're finally done for the day and you're looking forward to a bit of r&r in front of the telly you can be certain that [insert guardian of choice] will make sure you take notice of the laboursome and impawtant work that has been done all day. Be grateful, human, be very grateful.


'There is no TV there is only ME'

being a freelancer not a serf

Suddenly swamped with work related stuff. Not all of them pleasant, but dealing with it needs just the same. This too shall pass and all that. I really loath the taking advantage of freelancers way of running some businesses. We all need to get a decent income for a job well done, competence should be paid for not taking advantage of just because it's in the package of a freelancer.

Especially annoying when I've made myself perfectly clear beforehand, I am available for assignments once we've come to an agreement on a suitable rate, not before. And certainly not with a ridiculously short deadline for a measly rate. I'm actually *tad* shocked. Especially since it's work than needs to be done carefully and with high quality standards.

I want to make it perfectly clear that being a freelancer does not mean one is a serf. And if we can't come to an agreement on the rate I will unfortunately politely have to decline. My time and competence is worth a great deal to me, it really should be for you too.

I think this article puts it quite well - Freelancers are their own worst enemy We need to value ourselves better, if we don't noone else will. Do not work for cheap. Still, I do feel it's terribly sad and unfortunate that money and a reasonable pay should be an issue surprisingly often.

What's your experience with this,
as a freelancer or not?
How do you deal with it?
Do you have a minimum hourly rate or
do you make allowances depending on the job and circumstances?