snow pretty

choices we make

we all make choices in life, small everyday ones 'what's for lunch' type ones to big life-changing-things-will-never-be-the-same-type chioces. And evern if we try not to, that is a choice in itself and, ultimately, changes who we are.

I make a choice about 6 years ago to move to London, not knowing what would follow, not wanting to know. Although I feel like I (now we) go where the wind takes us, and chance has played a big part in certain changes of directions, along the way decisions have been made, paths have been chosen. Having dinner with and old friend of Harlands'' last night I felt highlighted this. Having a conversation we've had so may times, in avroius parts of the world, with many different people: 'wow you've been around!' and 'you've really landed on your feet havent you?' commonly followed by 'where do you think you'll settle down?'. Ultimately, whatever choices we make down the line, we will be away from family. A terrible inconnvenience.

Today is a day I wish I would have stayed put. For all the amazing things I have experienced and learnt. However big a part it has played in me being the person I am today. I would just like to be close to my loved ones. A phone call away, just around the corner. If needed.

Me n my Bro do South London

Saturday afternoon my new friend and I went down to Greenwich park. It was stunning and I had a lovely time pedalling around. When I got home I listened to some jazz and pottered around the house, cooked a nice meal for myself and H (who was working, boo). Was left feeling very chi after that. Best time of year?

what I really wanted to do was to lie down in the leaves on the ground and take a photo to show of my new, hot autumn hair colour. But the ground was wet from the rain and, frankly, I was too embarrassed. Must be getting old.
Spent some time in my corner later that afternoon, reading up on the enzyme kinetics for Monday's lecture and the renin- angiotensin mechanism. Good times...

And Brompty went back in his corner

Loving right now:

Autumn. Need I say more?

James Brown (not the musician, the printmaker). see http://www.generalpattern.net/ for more goodies from this man. (erhxmas, erhm)

Greige (oh yes, it is a real colour!) fingernails as seen on Lily Allen below.

And ...



I know it's a song from a TV advertisement but I love it. Her name is Allie Moss. The song is "corner".

639 days

On the tube this morning I was listening to a recording of a biochemistry lecture on the MP3. When it was finished a crowded house song came on that reminds me so much of NZ. And walking down the street in autumn grey London I could almost feel the heat from the sun and if I closed my eyes I was carried away to a beautiful beach. A bit dangerous though, walking around with your eyes closed at rush hour. I love being here, I'm happy that I am doing this, I am loving it, and I don't regret a thing. But I would quite like to be in more than one place at once.

I looked up at the BT tower and the countdown to the Olympics 2012 said 639 days. And that's roughly when I graduate and get my freedom back. I think I just want time to go faster so we can go have a party on a beach.

Growing, growing, (almost) gone...

As of three years I have a passion for growing vegetables. It started in Devon where our farmer John had a poly tunnel full of veg which we helped him look after. Harland dug out his old knowledge and I was schooled. After that it was Scotland, where we had unlimited space but certain limitations with the weather. So going back to being city kids again poses a slight dilemma. We have a gravel back garden, not a lot of space and not to mention financial limitations... But one has to make the most of what is available! There were a few pots in the garden with herbs in them so with some slight rearranging there I could squeeze in a few lettuces and carrots. The cinder blocks previously filled with dirt and cigarette butts were cleared out and filled with compost and then plants donated from a generous friend. I bought a grow bag for a tomato plant and used an old (empty) sweet tin for radishes. The cucumber found his home in a wastepaper basket. Ultimately we found ourselves with one cucumber plant, four tomato plants, a few lettuces here and there, a couple of chili plants and a nice selection of herbs. The cucumber (above) has been the success story of the year, producing big, fat fruits full of flavour. It had a bit of a rough time and gave up on producing for a while but has been brought back to life by some liquid fertiliser and is now giving fruit again. And with plenty of water they will soon be ready for harvest.Lettuce and carrots in cinder blocks

Left to right:

chili, tomato, cucumber and more tomatoes (in background), herbs and lettuces in pots.

Feeling hot, hot, hot.

A purple chili fruit at the beginning of the season. At that point they tasted nutty and warm. They have now started turning orange and red and will make your tongue catch on fire just by looking at one...

old school

Check out these dudes, guess who? Hint: it was taken just over 25 years ago

I'm not sure who looks more terrified... ;)

oval heart

as far as work goes Saturday relly wasn't too bad. Although it was a twelve hour work day it didn't feel that long and I really enjoyed it... Maybe it was the fact that I was working at Twickenham in a corporate box, maybe it was the company of my equally enthusiastic co-workers or maybe it was the big tips... Or maybe it was a combination of all those things that made it one of the most enjouable days at work ever:)

Postcard from surf Devon

I know, it's been a week since we got back from our surf weekend but Ihave been working all week in Battersea park. I've been doing 12 hour days in the hospitality village organising the bar.

Last weekend, however, we popped down to north Devon for a spot of surfing. I got to use my gorgeous new surfboard for the first time. Harland also had a new (second hand) board to play on.

Below: me and the yet to be named board at Putsborough beach near Croyde.
When we got there on Friday morning we got in the cold sea as soon as we could.

On Saturday we went for a long drive followed by some surfing in the afternoon. On the Devon/Cornwall border we found Hokey Pokey:)

Sunset on our last day of surf antics.

Going back to London we took a trip down memory lane. A visit to that beautiful valley where we lived when we first left London. Thee is nothing like seeing old friends, an being welcomed with open arms (and paws).

midsummer madness

Although Swedes can be seen as a quite serious breed, they do know how to partay. Midsummer is one, and maybe the main, time of year when they let their hair all the way down and enjoy themselves. Letting your hair down Swedish style more often than not involves singing, dancing and drinking. For me the midsummer tradition of dancing around a flower clad pole pretending to be either frogs or musicians never struck me as being odd. But yesterday at the celebrations in Hyde park I almost felt like an outsider looking in, and I liked what I saw! At the same time there was a sense of familiarity and childhood memories.

You can take the girl out of Sweden but you can't take the swede out of the girl sma grodorna:) ko-ack-ack-ack. ko-ack-ack-ack-ackaaaaathe miniature midsummer pole

got my plopp!:)

you almost have to see it to believe it:


Love Danelles happy face in the video above. She looks like she belongs, perhaps she was Swedish in a previous life...

Dinner with a view

The great thing about summer is that you can take your dinner outside and make it taste one hundred times nicer than it would at the dinner table.

The great thing about London is that amongst all the hustle and bustle you can find a place of peace and quiet to sit and admire the view. Our dinner spot was on the river front in a small local park on our side of the river overlooking greenwich.

Oceans apart....

We received a letter from Harland's sister Rochelle and her family yesterday. Two drawings from Flynn(5) and Gracie (3). And although we haven't seen them for over a year it would appear we are still a part of their life. And it becomes apparent that where ever we go in the world we will always be without loved ones. And somehow that makes me feel very blessed, always knowing that wherever I am, I could be somewhere else, and still be loved. Sounds odd, I know....

As far as I understand, Flynnie drew this picture when he found out that we are engaged and getting married. I love the attention to detail; the aeroplane with us in it waving, all the lovehearts, the two little happy people holding hands; I wonder who's who?:)

Gracie had a go as well:)

Miss you.

Branches of a tree

When saying farewell to mormor on thursday, there were a lot of tears and there were times, even during the ceremony, that I was in denial over the fact that I will never see her again. I also felt that it was unfair that we will have to go without.

But there, by the grave after the ceremony and memorial, a certain little girl whispered something to her lillamormor whilst playing with the gravel and admiring the flowers. This girl is wiser than most adults, it has to be said. "Good-bye, thanks for everything". And there it was; everything that needed to be said.

Hejda, tack for allt

Because we have so much to thank mormor for. Little things, like all the warm memories that we will always have in our hearts. All the skills that she has taught us and knowledge she has passed on. Little things like providing us with support and words of wisdom, sometimes without us realising we were being helped. Big things like putting us on this planet. Because I stem, partly, from her. Had she done one thing different we might not be here. The choices she made in her life has affected all of us. All of a sudden it doesn't seem so unfair, we have been given so much!

And it makes you think; how relatively small decisions we make in life, such as taking up a certain hobby, moving to another town or even just going out dancing on night and then talking to a stranger in the street on the way home, can influence the rest of one persons life. And generations to follow. Ultimately, we are just branches on a giant tree ....

Not so black

Black was for many years the only coloured clothes I had... No real reason why, I don't think. Now days I enjoy injecting a bit more colour in to my life, nothing crazy, just a bit of blue and green etc. and I like it. So imagine my surprise when I found out that for work this weekend (catering, my gig over summer) I have to wear black and there were limited outfits to pick from in my wardrobe...
Speaking of the colour black, how's about a change in colour for the blog?????

stuck in between- time

Having just arrived back from a couple of weeks in Sweden I'm a bit unsure what to do with myself. Although I had planned for this week to be a slow, relaxing, catch up with life kind of week, I can't help but getting restless and bored. I've been loitering around the house for a couple of days now and feel that I need to get out. But at the same time the thought of going outside to face the real world and get on with a daily routine seems so alien and unthinkable. The thought of seeing people makes me feel tired and want to crawl under the duvet until the urge to socialise goes away. So maybe I need to make a choice. Either make my peace with sitting at home watching DVDs or make myself get out there. Maybe there will be a visit to a museum tomorrow. But there is still that empty feeling to deal with...

mileage in may

I'm currently waiting for take off from london to copenhagen and to put harlands mind at ease I have been waiting at the airport for some time now... Enough time to calculate my air milage this month. Twice to copenhagen and back (by the time I return) and once to morocco and back to london..

8700 km roughly.

Could somebody tell me how far I would have made it if I had done that mileage in one flight?


Thanks.

proud and impressed

Today was the end of my first year at uni and the end of a very hard week or in fact hard few weeks. It was alway going to be just that as I took my last exam for this year today but it was so much more. Three weeks ago we found out that mormor had cancer. On saturday she passed away. On monday I doubted if I was going to be able to take the exam today. Just didn't think I could do it. But I started revising and with the support of my crew I did it. And i think it went well. And I am proud of myself. I would also like to think that mormor would be / is proud too.

I think people's reaction to a friend in mourning differs between individuals. And I think a persons' need for response from close ones during grief varies between individuals. The people around me have responded just in the right way. Not by leaving me alone or by trying to stifle me. Just by saying: "I am here if you need me, anytime, just call". And no, there isn't really anything anybody could do. Nobody can bring my grandmother back. Nobody was going to do my revision for me. But just knowing that they were there. If I need them. When I need them. heroes. Very impressive.

And then after the exam (followed by obligatory post exam drinks) i scooted over to Bloomsbury for a date in the park with my future husband, who has been a rock... no a mountain... in the last few weeks. Later on the way to the tube, in the evening sun in beautiful London, I realised that I had been happy again today for the first time this week.

Impossible doesn't exist.

as requested:)

picturesque morocco

.....but not as beautiful in real life

View from our balcony

The Village beach in Taghazout

The Zouk in Agadir

Taghazout by night

not really sure what's going on here...

Surfers view of Taghazout

Animal Kingdom, only thing missing is a picture of sugarmuffin , my stray puppy dog on the beach oh, and the kittens in the boat, brand spanking new, six of them. adorable flea infested little nippers.

We had a really nice time in morocco, lots of eating, sleeping, enjoying the sun and, yes, you guessed it: surfing. Although the waves were pretty minuscule we tried out best but it was long boards mainly... I enjoyed it and surfed for as long as I could, even on saturday. I would love to tell you all about it.... maybe another time....