Mother Knows Best

Mom: So, did you let the kids decorate the tree this year?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did you let them put everything where they wanted?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did you let them use all the decorations they wanted?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did they put everything on one side and lick on all the candy canes?
Me: Yes, they did. Even the ones wrapped in plastic.
Mom: And are you going to leave it that way?
Me: Yes, I am.
Mom: Good girl! I'm very proud of you.

Gluttony

You know it's the night before Christmas when you're making 87 meatballs and a giant Pavlova simultaneously.

Sunday Snow

There's a lot of snow here right now. As Swedes you might think we'd be used to such a thing. No. We're like Bambi. Bambi in longjohns and electric hair. But I like it. This will be my whitest Christmas since childhood (when all summers were sunny and all winters white). Blanka is chewing on sandwich donated by friendly neighbours. Once again Karin and Jeppe saves the day.


There goes the neighbourhood!


The blizzard started over and the young'uns cried for mercy and begged to go home. We left the big guys with aforementioned Jeppe and went home to the fire and teapot. A smell of wet wool permeating through the house.

Hello Friday

Today was better. So much snow. Wilhelm brought a helmet to school so he could go sledding. I never wore a helmet to go sledding, but the times they are a'changing.
It's my last day of work before Christmas. Good for me and work equally.
My parents are buying a tree with the kids.
I will bring out the decorations tonight.
Tomorrow is gingerbread day. Maybe a cousin or two will join us.
I will light a fire.
I will be better company than I have been this week.
"I'm sorry for not being so much fun today", I told Wilhelm.
"You really weren't", he answered.
"But you were pretty nice!", he added.
Thanks for your patience, prince with missing front tooth.
I will be better tomorrow.
And tonight is popcorn night. You can't beat that.
Happy weekend, everybody. Thanks for reading.

Under Siege

It's snowing like mad. Like crazy, like cats and dogs and elephants and little freaking bastards. I've never seen anything like it. Remember this? That was a fresh breath of spring compared to this. So please excuse my silence, I'm trying to find myself (and my gloves) in the midst of this blizzarrrrd.

Chère Cousine

Ma belle cousine Katrin is taller than I am. And has a very exciting job with the Ballet Maurice Béjart in Lausanne. Her mother is my father's baby sister. Her sister Hélène is the one who got married in April. Her father drives a car faster and better than anyone I know and has a lovely moustache. Her brother is my gorgeous baby cousin Thomas. His girlfriend is the tiny, but multitalented and equally gorgeous Ida from Denmark. Katrin is closest to me in age of all my cousins (though still very young, of course) and the only one who doesn't make me feel like a hundred years old. She's also very funny and fluent in like five languages. She talks really fast and smokes even faster. She's Greek-Swedish, born and raised in Switzerland, but still has a very French thing going on. When she was a baby I wouldn't let her play with any of my stuff. I'm better now. Je t'adore, cousine.

Happy Third Sunday Of Advent

Dear Ramona

Are you telling me that this is what you wear all winter? Very brave!

I Miss Green

If I could eat these pictures I would.

Hey Lady

So, December is turning into Serious Crush On Women Month. First it was Carey Mulligan, whom I haven't really seen in anything apart from that trailer from yesterday. But she seems, well, what can I say, she seems enchanting for crying out loud. Enchanting and like twelwe years old, I know I know...

And then there's Dr O'Hara. Doctor Eleonor O'Hara of "Nurse Jackie". Holy Mother Of God. She is like the incarnation of All Things Important. You want it, she's got it: brains, looks, wit and a very healthy appetite. And the accent. The British accent to die for. Oh la la, she makes me happy every time she makes her snotty appearance. And this is a woman who shares the stage with the Queen Of Domestic Bliss And Total Denial, Carmela Soprano. I thought nothing could outshine Edie Falco, and I'm not sure that Eve Best does, but boy. Dr O'Hara. You're good.

I wonder what January will bring.

Oh Yes

Dear Santa,

If I get to see this for Christmas I will be such a good girl you won't even recognize me. I'm developing a serious crush on Carey Mulligan.

/A.

Photos For Hanna

Dinner with Anna and Hanna tonight. We talked about New York. And about Islam in Africa, stupid students, True Blood, true passion, food, being 35, work, Scrubs and contraceptives. All the good stuff. And I managed to wake my godson up right before we left (you're very welcome). Apart from that, it was a very good night. Thank you, darling Ansjo.

I've Been Found

I'm not on Facebook. (I don't have enough character. I can hardly keep myself from checking my e-mail once every two minutes, let alone refrain from blogging during office hours. And I know, this makes me a little bit of a freak, and I'm seriously reconsidering the whole thing, but then there's the whole question of my shady past catching up with me and oh my. But I digress.) Yesterday HOORAY! someone very important and special and dear to me found me! Someone I haven't heard from in years. And now I'm all excitement and happy go lucky. This is exciting!

This Is Better

Woke up this morning to the first frost. Everything is crisp and glittery. I rolled my bike over the grass and it made a noise like glass shattering. My boots sound crunch crunch. The sun is low and whitey yellow. I hope this is the last we'll see of honeysuckle confusion.

F Star Star Star!

I still hurt from laughing. It was painfully funny. And don't judge it by the lame poster, this is pure genius. You HAVE to see this. Sorry for bossing you around, but you really do HAVE to see this. Well, ok, if you do find swearing really offensive and don't appreciate the government on any side of the pond to be ridiculed, then maybe you shouldn't see this. And if you don't like The Office (versions from any side of the pond), then you shouldn't see this either. But if you don't mind the occasional (muhahahaha) f*** and do like The Office, then GO GO GO! And then come back here and tell me all about it.

What Leo Would Do? He would laugh himself sick. I just know it.

Something Smells Good

Mom has arrived, homemade gingerbread dough in her bag (it's a different generation, the one that travels with dough). The house sounds and smells like Christmas. If I wasn't supposed to be working, I could very happily fall asleep right now. Flour everywhere, mom and Wilhelm singing, Blanka running around dressed in only an apron, debates over the much coveted giraffe shape, darkness outside, Jesper on his way home. But Blanka won't stop eating the dough, so thoughts about the coming sounds and smells of tonight are helping to keep me awake.