God jul, Merry Christmas...

I prefer this year's tree to last year's, which was blue, but in daylight it looks rather strange. I have no idea why, but it has been decorated, appart from the red and white lights, with houses, large flat ones.

This was taken at the Christmas market a few weeks ago, but the ski slope, lit up in the background, reminds me that I have promised to take the girls skiing just as soon as we have moved all our stuff over into the new appartment, hopefully in a couple of days.

I am going to have to move the computer next, so I thought I'd leave you with a few more shots of winter here in the dark north. This is Strawbs with her sledge. In Swedish it's called a "spark" which means "kick", because you stand on the runners at the back and kick it along...

...like this.
Back soon, provided I can reconnect everything correctly.

The third shepherd...

...acted her part perfectly at the school nativity play, appart from leaving her sheep(dog) on the stage and having to run back and fetch him. Big sister sang a medley of Christmas songs in English together with her class to finish off the end of term show on a high note.

Nobel Dinner

Miss T dressed herself up on Wednesday for the Nobel Dinner at school, while I struggled to get my grading done on time. I think she made a great job of it, and I managed to finish the grading before the deadline.
I was sent these beautiful bloomers on Tuesday as a thank you for finding and returning a purse. They really brighten up the new kitchen window.

More from the yuletide market

Lapland?

The snow's real and so is the reindeer, but it's not Lapland. We took some time off from packing, carrying and unpacking, to visit the Christmas market today in town and that's where these shots were taken. We're moving to the appartment next door, so we don't have to carry stuff so far, and the new place is nearly twice as big, so we can spread stuff out. For us it's a big change, the MOTH and I have lived in this two room appartment (= 1 bedroom, 1 sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and hall) for 17 years, the girls have lived here their whole lives, appart from weekends and holidays. The new appartment has four rooms, so we get a whole room each... well almost. Now I have to get on with some grading and then some more packing. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Clearing cupboards

We're moving in a week's time, not far, and I've got the whole of December to do it, but there's still a lot of clearing out to do. I didn't get far with my wardrobe, the silly hats were immediately adopted and the clothes that I have grown out of Miss T has grown into and wants to keep.

Hats and woolies

We've had to buy new thermal underwear for the girls; they're growing so fast. Miss T looks me straight in the eye at the moment. Any day soon, she'll be looking down on me.

Many Happy Returns

Happy 100th Birthday Gran!
My darling daughters made me this cake for my birthday last week and you're all welcome to a piece, especially Pat's TL who had a birthday yesterday. My daughters gave me a beautiful day, waking me up with a cup of tea in bed and a pile of presents: a pillow case in pale blue with little white ghosts on it, sewn by Miss. T, pictures of spiders and ghouls and even a lady vampire who moved her eyes from side to side, a skeleton that waggles arms and legs and a poem to treasure from Strawberry.

The cold sets in

The temperature has dropped to minus 15 C. and the stream is starting to freeze over, but still no snow.

Lax i laxask

It's good to have friends.

Rainbow behind Barn

Sunset snap

Rainbow behind the wires

Old bird?

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Now wasn't that a wise old bird?

Bear in mind?

Bear kisses?

Too many bear kisses and you'll get bear teeth.
Lots of bear hugs to the birthday boy.
Many Happy Returns Pa.
XXXX

Still in Stockholm

We know what happens when you kiss a frog, but what happens when you try to kiss a bear?

Messing about in Stockholm

...way back in August, when bears weren't so scarce. Now they're in season.

Fungus!

Sorry I haven't been very productive for a few weeks. Other stuff has taken priority, but I shall now try and get back on top, and post more. Summer is over, we've had our last swim in the lake and taken our last fishing trip with the boat. The fungus are out in full and our first snow will soon be here.

Pride Parade

Leaving the two teens to take the bus to the airport, Miss T., Strawbs and myself made our way across Stockholm. It took several hours as 45 000 people had decided to parade through the centre demonstrating for sexual equality at exactly the same time. As it was pouring, the girls and I took shelter in the biggest toy store and watched the show from a rain-spattered window.



The firebrigade, the police, the army, doctors, nurses, angels and devils, political parties, they were all there showing their support and some baring all, well almost, for the cause.
More from Stockholm soon.

Snap!

This one is for my nice nieces, who left us on Saturday, after surviving 3 weeks spent partly in a tiny appartment or in a small house in the middle of nowhere together with a sick uncle, 2 terrorizing younger cousins and a nagging aunt. The amazing thing is, it was actually good fun, but I think they were glad to return home. The girls and I followed them down to Stockholm on the train and spent a few days there. More pictures from that trip soon.

Blondie...

I want to look like this at 63. They started playing at quarter to one in the morning and didn't finish until well after two with The Tide is High. We didn't get Debbie Harry's shoes, which she threw into the crowd, but we got one of Clem's drum sticks...


...beautifully caught by Clayton, it will be on its way to England tomorrow.

It was our second drumstick of the evening, we got one from local gothic rock band Myrah earlier in the evening.

We all rolled safely into bed at 5 am. I've been instructed to wake the two teens at 2 pm as they have to pack before the train leaves just before nine.

Right now we are in the middle of a partial eclipse of the sun, maybe I should wake them up early so they don't miss it;)