Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow
Infiltrating Sweden one cinnamon bun at a time
My husband made a special frame where we can display images from our computer that looks like a framed photo on the wall. We’ve been doing a lot of 60s retro-future posters, but now he has a new idea. He wants to display record album art. I said I could find some great album “art” … Read more
I was “treated” to 30 minutes of my son singing this song OVER and OVER on the way home from school yesterday. This was after taking him to drum lessons, where he apparently forced his drum teacher, a well-respected and talented drummer, to play drums for 20 minutes to the beat of this song. The … Read more
My youngest son made a cape for his brother. When his brother tried it on, it was so tight around the neck that it choked him a bit. When he asked if they could cut or loosen it, the youngest son said: “Well, you have to take risks when it comes to fashion.”
In Stockholm, there are laws about how close apartments can be built to a highway because of noise pollution. Buildings with apartments from before the law that are already too close are protected by special walls to help diffuse the noise from the street. Some areas in the city close off streets in the summer … Read more
I do a few lessons each day on the Rosetta Stone program in Italian. Today, my problem is not necessarily with the language, but with this situation: A man comes in to buy a new TV. The salesman asks why he needs a new TV. This is the first indication that something is wrong. A … Read more
We may finally have hamburger and taco trucks in Stockholm, but we still haven’t reached Lisbon’s standards:
At a flea market in Lisbon last weekend. If only it could have fit in my suitcase. Spara
I was reading our national newspaper (Dagens Nyheter) online last week and clicked on an article called “How to Change Your Lifestyle to Prevent a Stroke.” But when I clicked on the article, I got a message saying I had to pay to view the rest of the content. I imagine hospitals around the country … Read more
Why does every news story I click have to have a video automatically start playing with the report? I just want to read what happened and move on! I don’t want or need to see the video and I always have to take the time to hit the pause button. Today was a great example … Read more
On our upcoming trip to Portugal, our hotel shows photos of peacocks that roam the walls and streets of the area. This was charming and exotic when we booked, but lately, I’ve been reminded of the sound a peacock makes. This may not be the relaxing trip we were hoping for.
My husband and I are soon leaving on a long weekend trip to Portugal. I was able to pack for the trip 3 months ago as the temperatures between Lisbon and Stockholm differ 25 degrees. That’s Celsius of course. After 17 years of turning my brain away from Fahrenheit, I’m too tired to switch back … Read more
I’ve made a family fun guide to Venice in case anyone’s looking to convince their family that this is the place to go!
So now this shows up on the neighborhood forum: “Idag på em var hela familjen och lekte i lekparken, sonen hade sin gula fotboll med sig och efter att ha lekt runt lite i parken ser vi plötsligt att bollen är borta, den försvann nästan mitt framför oss. Efter att ha letat en bra stund … Read more
Well, the big news around our neighborhood this week is that we allegedly have some foxes going around EATING PEOPLE’S CATS! Once again, these are animals that everyone in my neighborhood sees (last year it was badgers) but I never catch a glimpse. We live next to the forest and I walk through there all … Read more
Some friends of mine are going to Nice in April and asked if I had any tips. I decided to make them this handy 1-minute travel video. I think I may have a career in professional video making (in the 80s). What do you think?
This one sounds exhausting. A whole country?!
My youngest son was talking about how he wishes we could hurry and invent teleportation. “We’d already have it if it weren’t for the Marx Brothers.” I thought about this for a while, but could remember no scenes relating to teleportation in any Marx Brothers movies. I asked, “How did the Marx Brothers ruin our … Read more
