Candy time - finally

At last I managed to finish the Christmas candy of this year. Mmmmm...

The shortes day of the year

Today it's the shortest day of the year. Here in Lund the sun will rise at 8.35 am and set at 3.36 pm. Not too bad, I have to say. In Knivsta, where we will live next year the sunrise is at 8.48 am and the sunset is at 2.50 pm. Then comes the "extremes": in Brugg (where we lived while in Switzerland) the sun is up between 8.12 am and 4.39 pm whereas in Boden, where I grew up, it only shows itself over the horizon between 10.03 am and 12.59 pm. This is however very much compared to places above the polar circle, like Kiruna, where the sun neither rises nor sets at the moment. They have to wait until a bit into January to see the sun again, after 25 days of darkness with only a bit of dawn immediately followed by dusk. But on the other hand, the sun never sets there between May 30 and July 15! Feel free to compare to this. Now, what do you say about that? One thing is sure: it'll only get brighter from now on.

Snowstorm

It's snowing today. A lot. And since Skåne is so flat, it's not only snowing, it's snowing horizontal. In this beautiful weather I took Inga to the gym for the last mother-baby-class this year. The walk there was ok, the walk home was another workout session. :-)

Lucia

So, yesterday it was the day of Saint Lucia here in Sweden. I didn't have the opportunity to watch any Lucia train this year, something I hope will change next year since it's such a beautiful thing to experience. Take a look here to see for yourself (it's mostly in Swedish of course, but since music is universal I am sure you can enjoy it nevertheless):

Luciamorgon

In this show, some of the most popular singers in Sweden contributes. The man, telling the story behind Lucia, is a well know actor (and luckily for you who don't know Swedish, the stories are quite short).

This link will work until January 13th 2011.

Saffron buns

Yesterday I finally got down to baking the traditional Saffron buns that we eat this time of the year in Sweden. Tomorrow, December 13th, it's the Lucia Day here and the tradition is to eat Saffron bread and gingerbread cookies on this day while listening to the Lucia and her maids singing seasonal songs. The dough to the buns gets a really nice yellow color from the saffron.

Yesterday night Matts and I had an evening fika consisting of the saffron buns, some Zimtsternen as well as Swedish mull wine with almonds and raisins. Yummy!

Winter wonder land

Life is not a bed of roses

Right now I am dead tired of many things. Like getting Inga to eat, something she just won't do. Or not being able to clean the place since I cannot do that and take care of Inga at the same time, at least not fast enough to make a difference.... And being too tired to make the fun things, like candy and baking (but I am not giving up on that just yet). On top of this my grandfather died early this morning. He was old and suffered from Alzheimer's and now he is home where he belong, with Jesus. But still, he was my grandfather and I loved him, and when loved ones die it's sad no matter what.

So I admit it, my life is far from perfect - it's just like everybody else's life. It's just that I in some ways thought that I was stronger than this. That I would be closer to the perfect housewife and mother, baking and cleaning with a smile on my face. But then again, what does it mean to be strong? And do I have to be strong on my own? What I know about being a Christian tells me no, I don't. It's just so hard to go from theoretics to practice...

In the jar

So here they are, ready to be eaten. I already tried one, and it was really delicious!

This is how you make them:
Beat 3 egg whites hard. Add 250 gram confectioner's sugar and blend well. Take 1-1½ deciliter apart for the frosting. Add 1½ tbsp cinnamon, ½ tbsp kirsch or lemon juice and 350 gram grinded almonds (leave the peel on) to the rest of the egg mixture and mix well. Roll out between plastic film (the dough should be about 7 mm thick) and punch out stars in different sizes. Place these on a baking sheet and cover them with the remaining egg mixture. Let them sit 5-6 hours or over night at room temperature before baking them at 250 degrees Celsius for 2-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Zimtsternen

First step of the Swiss Zimtsternen is done. Tomorrow I will let them sit in the oven for a few minutes and then they are ready to be eaten.

Christmas candy

Last year I was pregnant and very tired at this time of the year. I managed nothing but work, basically. Baking and making candy for Christmas was out of the question, apart from in Oskarshamn, where Matts and I made candy together. My mother came and helped me out with cleaning and baking while I was working.

This year I have a baby and I just cannot start any big projects during the day, even though I really want to. Sometimes I try, but the joy of baking fades away as Inga's scream pitches higher and higher notes. So far I haven't done any Christmas baking or candy. But I have grand plans! So maybe, but just maybe, I will make those Zimtsternen tonight and the Safron buns on Saturday. And I might even make one, two or even three kinds of pralines. Just to get that Christmas feeling.

I'll keep you posted if I succeed...

Hugs and kisses

I never was a hugging person. I don't recall hugging my friends very often when I grew up, but I was very annoyed when my sister tried to hug me - our needs in that respect were very different. When I moved to Uppsala to study, however, I "learned" that hugs can be a nice greeting ritual and slowly I got used to hugging at least some of my friends when we met and when we said goodbye, more and more comfortable with it in the years.

To go from hugs to kisses, as in the cheek kisses common in Switzerland seemed a bit too much though when we were moving to the small country in the middle of Europe. Three cheek kisses every time - oh man, how would I cope with that? But my worries turned out to be needless. After a short while the kissing bit came quite natural. So natural that I, without thinking about it, greeted one of my best friends in Sweden with three kisses instead of a hug when we were visiting around Christmas...

How was this possible? The answer is easy. Cheek kissing is not as intimate at hugging since you simply don't come as close to the other person while kissing as you do in a hug. It's easier to keep the distance, so to say.

During our years in Switzerland we met people from all around the world and we greeted our friends in different ways. Sometimes it was tricky to know if a kiss, a hug or handshake was appropriate, but with time we found our ways in the greeting jungle.

And now? Here I am, back in Sweden, re-adjusting to the hugging culture. I think I'm doing ok...

The new star

This year we sadly had to replace the Advent candlestick that we had in the kitchen last Christmas since it doesn't work anymore. Instead I bought a new standing star that brings the Advent feeling into the kitchen.

Books

I haven't been reading in a long time. Last fall I read a lot, but then, from November on, I worked too much to have the inspiration to read. And then Inga came and all I have read since has been magazines - occasionally. But now, the urge to read has come back, vivid and strong. I started reading th Twilight books a couple of weeks ago, and now I have visited the library homepage to see if any of the books on my "want-to-read" list are available. And I plan on going to our local library tomorrow...

Changed plans

I was all set to go to church this morning - and even on time for a change! Make up was on, dresses were on both Inga and myself and Inga was ready to go in the stroller. I was just putting my boots on when Inga puked all over herself. So we are staying at home today, hoping it's not the winter vomit disease, but just a slightly upset stomach...

Chai Latte

After actually vacuuming and wiping the floors I treat myself to a homemade Chai Latte made on tea I just bought in the tea store earlier today. It's the first one I ever made so it's not perfect, but still yummy!

Inga likes it too...

Summer memories

The winter is here. Outside it's white and snowflakes are flying around in the air. The sun hides behind clouds, but the clouds aren't thick enough to completely block the sunlight. It's simply beautiful.

This summer we went to Öland, the second bigges island in Sweden, situated right outside the east coast of Småland. It is a beautiful place. At the southernmost point, one of Sweden's most known lighthouses stands, Långe Jan. I have been there once before, but then it was closed. This time, however, we were able to climb the stairs all the way to the top. The view is beautiful.

Beneath the lighthouse, naturum is situated. There are several naturum in Sweden, and they all educate the visitors about the local plants and wildlife. Around Långe Jan there's an ornithological station, so it's mostly about birds in this naturum.

A new start

It's been a long time since I wrote something here now. The time just doesn't seem to be enough these days. But it's all about priorities. At least mostly. Recently Inga has been very "mumsy" and I haven't been able to be further than about 50 centimeters from her, but this is about to change now. And I have some ideas about what to write about here so I just need to get started.

Old shoes out, new shoes in

Yes, I know. I haven't been updating this blog in ages. The reason? I have been wearing out my shoes by all the walking I do nowadays! :-) Since the stores here mostly sell the black ones (despite the fact that these shoes come in like ten different colors) I tried my luck on-line instead. And yes, I found a pair living up to my color standards. On-line shopping vs. regular shops 1-0. The shipping was free and really fast - I ordered the shoes this Monday and today, two days later, I could pick them up at a nearby grocery store. On-line shopping vs. regular shops 2-0. But, unfortunately, I could not check the manufacture date on these shoes and they turned out to be only five months younger than my old pair (that I bought last spring). On-line shopping vs. regular shops 2-1.

Time to taste!

And finally, I could taste the elderflower cordial for the first time. Yummy! The weird thing in the glass is an ice cube with some elderflowers...

Bottling time

So yesterday, after three days, it was time to filter and bottle the elderflower cordial...

Elderflower cordial

During this morning's walk with Inga in the lovely weather, I collected more than 60 bunches of elderflower. Back home I rinsed them in water and then let them sit on a towel, waiting to become elderflower cordial. I never made elderflower cordial before, so it's kind of exciting, but it's not hard to do so I am quite sure it'll taste just fine.

After rinsing the flowers, I placed them in a big casserole and covered them with three lemons in thin slices. Then I added 2 liters boiling water, 1,5 kg sugar and 50 g citric acid. I stirred until the sugar was dissolved and now it's supposed to stand covered for three days before filtering. Then, hopefully, we will have about 3 liters of concentrated elderflower cordial...

The Royal Wedding Chocolate

This past Saturday our crown princess Viktoria got married to her prince Daniel (he wasn't a prince until they were married, but just a "regular guy" who happened to be the boyfriend of our princess). To celebrate this occasion, we split a big box of chocolate with our friends Samuel and Jenny. These are the remains on the day after the wedding. They didn't last long...

It's getting darker...

Now it's getting darker again. Today the sun rose as late as 4.22 am and it will set "already" at 9.55 pm here in Lund. In the north of Sweden (where I grew up) the sun rose at 1.00 am and will set at 00.06 am... How I love the summer nights in Sweden!

Summer is here

Today it has been a really nice summer day with high temperatures. So when Inga and I walked through the botanical gardens today I wasn't surprised to see lots and lots of white skin... Yes, we Swedes tend to undress as soon as we get the chance. I am however sure that many will regret this later on when their skin is bright red since not everyone uses SPF 20 like I do...

You know that you are old when...

... you are surprised there's a new Robin Hood movie coming up. Wasn't it last year Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner ran in the theaters?

More flowers

These beautiful flowers came to us this week. It was my colleges at the school where I worked who sent us them to congratulate us to our little girl.

The sun

Today the sun rose at 5.31am and it will set at 8.39pm here in Lund. The days sure are getting longer. But it's much darker here in Lund than in Boden where I grew up - there the sun rose at 4.04am today and will set at 8.59pm. In Brugg, where we lived in Switzerland, the times are 6.14am and 8.32pm...

Springtime

Now spring is really here. A couple of weeks ago, the ground in one of the parks on the way downtown was covered in blue, scilla. I just learned that another name for these flowers is blåstjärna which translates into blue star. Beautiful name for a flower that really shines like a star in the sun!

The scillas are slowly fading now and instead it's the wood anemones that take over. I really like them. These spring flowers are something that I didn't grow up with at all since they don't exist in the northern parts of Sweden. My mother, born somewhere in the middle of Sweden did miss them a lot when she lived up north... Her favorite is the Hepatica and when she was here we spotted them downtown, outside a restaurant. But I haven't seen them anywhere else here in Lund and according to my flora they don't thrive in here in the southernmost parts of Sweden.

Now all the trees really start to burgeon so very soon it will be very green here. In the north of Sweden they still have lots of snow and will have to wait another month or more for the green leaves...

Sofiero Palace

My mother has been visiting the past week. Since she came by car, we made a few excursions. One to Ikea in Malmö and one to Sofiero Palace outside Helsingborg. The garden of the palace has been designated the most beautiful garden in Europe 2010, but since the spring is so slow this year, hardly any flowers were blooming there now. But it sure was a beautiful place and we might go back there later this spring.

Heart of crocuses

Someone planted crocuses in the shape of a heart along the bikepath between downtown and our place.

Springtime

This year, spring officially came to Lund February 25. But then it got colder again (just like in the rest of Europe) and things slowed down a bit. Now it seems it's here to stay. Easter is coming up as well and some trees already decorated themselves in an appropriate yellow color...

About two weeks ago I bought a bunch of Barbeton daisys and they are all still really nice. These past days we also got some spring flowers from friends visiting. As I said before - I love flowers!

Postpartum

My big belly is gone. I'm of course not back in shape yet, but the difference is huge. I haven't tried on my regular pants yet (and they probably won't be that comfortable yet anyway), but that time will come too. :-) I don't, however, need the support stockings or the heartburn medication anymore and that's really sweet after months of struggling with the stockings and having to take the medicine every evening. It feels like I'm getting myself back in some way even if some parts now belong to our new family member (and hence have increased a lot in size lately...).

Our new family member

I'll probably not be very active here for a while, since Matts and I now are parents of a beautiful baby girl, Inga, that was born on Monday, March 15 at 6.44pm. :-)

The delivery went well and as of today around noon we are back home in Lund. All the deliver rooms here in Lund were full when it was time for us to hit the road and we actually got the very last spot in Malmö!

For more pictures of our little sweetheart, visit En kiwis dagbok. The text is in Swedish, but since pictures say more than words, that shouldn't be a problem. :-)

Due date +1

Yesterday was due date. So far no baby. But then, who knows exactly when we will actually become a family. This has, however, in many ways been a crappy weekend. It started out really nice on Friday with a Thai dinner and a movie at the theater (a nice Swedish one called Farsan) downtown, but from then on it's been terrible. My "old" back problem is back, worse than ever and yesterday I couldn't stand up or lie down, not to talk about sit up (eating was a struggle) without severe pain on my lower left side. Now, after two nights of hardly any sleep, we'll go go the hospital to see if there's anything they can do... Matts has been great though, taking care of me, so in that respect it's good this all happened during the weekend.

This post's beautiful picture of my belly I took myself on Thursday. It's quite big now and I am ready to "get rid" of it now. Even if it probably won't be today, I am sure it'll all be over by next weekend... Keep your fingers and toes crossed.

Sunday breakfast

Today I made a "special" breakfast. Normally we eat yogurt or filmjölk (a kind of sour milk only found in Sweden) with cereals, fruit, bread, tea and juice. This morning, however, was a pancake morning. :-) So I made a batch of American pancakes as well as a nice strawberry-blackberry-banana smoothie for us. Yummy. We also had sliced apple and pear as well as some home made bread and coffee and tea. A good start on what hopefully becomes a good day.

One week to go

Now we are only one week away from due date. It's crazy!!! I don't have the feeling that my belly is growing any more, but from time to time there's full activity in there.

Yesterday, Matts' work invited us to the annual party they apparently have. It was really nice and started out with a warm-up drink at Matts' workplace. Then we walked across the street to a restaurant where we had a really nice three course dinner. Shrimps and stuff as the starter, lamb, potatoes, wine sauce and vegetables as the main course and then a buffet with a chocolate fountain and other good things for dessert. Do I have to say I was quite full after dinner? After eating we hung out with Matts' coworkers for a while and even hit the dance floor for a bit before it was time to call it a night and bike home (yes, I'm still biking. It's so much more comfortable than walking, especially since I now walk at snail's pace...). All in all a very nice evening.

Online shopping

The past week I have been doing some baby shopping online, both on a regular "buy and sell site" as well as on a bidding site. And here is the result. I bought a 5.5 m long piece of fabric designed for carrying babies. It's kind of tricky to wrap it since it is so long, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly anyway. Here it is filled out with my belly as well as a toy rabbit... :-)

Then I found an ad for a baby car seat. We don't have a car, but will probably rent one now and then and since we might take a cab back home after the delivery we really need a safe seat for our new family member. So we made a quick move and now have a very nice car seat that only cost us a fraction of a new one.

Last, but not least (however, least expensive), I bought a bat tub seat for our baby. I have friends who have the same thing and it really works well for small children. Of course, we will never leave our baby unattended in it, but it's easier to clean a baby with two hands than one.

Seeing the color scheme you might think we expect a baby boy. But I actually decided this week that I'm carrying a girl. Purple and blue are not colors exclusively for boys anyway and when buying things second hand (the wrapper is brand new, the other things are used) you cannot be too fussy about colors.

Flower power

For my birthday I got flowers. Lovely! Tulips from Matts, an Orchid from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law with family and some spring flowers from a couple of friends. I love flowers!

Rinnebäcksravinen

Really close to our place there is a gorge called Rinnebäcksravinen. It is a small nature reserve where they keep animals in the summer. Last years there were a bunch of cows, and apparently, they kept sheep there earlier. It is open for everyone to stroll through and last year we saw lots of people hanging out there, having picnics and relaxing by the water. Today however, the gorge was empty even though the sun is shining from a clear blue sky. But it's not that weird - the temperature is below freezing...

Observe that the white things at the horizon are not the snow covered peaks of any mountains - this part of Sweden is very very flat - but some clouds over the sea inlet that separates Sweden from Denmark.

Birthday fika

Yesterday I celebrated my own birthday by inviting my friends on a birthday fika. On the menu was Rimbo buns, Pitepågar, choclolate amaretto muffins, lemon cheesecake and chocolate chip flarns... It was a great afternoon and there was something for everyone on the fika-table. :-)

In the evening, Matts took me out for dinner in a Greek restaurant here in Lund. Yummy yummy. Too bad we don't have doggy bags here in Sweden, since we got too much food to finish (might have something to do with the afternoon fika...) and it was so good...

All in all I am very happy with my birthday and almost already look forward to the next one (except for the part of growing older for each year).

Two weeks to go

Today it's only two weeks left to due date. In other words it's really time for us to get ready now. That includes finally using those movie gift cards we have (they expire in December and who knows when we can see a movie together next time). So in about 20 minutes we'll bike downtown to take the train to Malmö to see Avatar 3D this afternoon. That will be nice!

On the picture to the left my belly doesn't look that big, does it? But I really cannot see my feet anymore and I sure don't feel very gracious anymore. :-) But so far, it's not too bad being pregnant and even though I look forward to becoming a mum, I can still picture myself being pregnant for a little while longer.

A couple of days with a good friend

The past two days Andrea, one of my best friends, has been here visiting. Since I still have my cold we have taken it very easy, but nonetheless had a great time. We started out on Wednesday with waffles when she arrived from Gothenburg. The we just hang out in the afternoon. In the evening we took a walk to our local supermarket to buy some ingredients for baking... :-)

After breakfast yesterday we made chocolate muffins and a coffee-cardamom cake. Then sporty Andrea went out for a 10 km run, partly in snow, before we headed downtown for a nice, vegetarian dinner and a little bit of shopping. After a couple of lazy hours Andrea left for Malmö, where her cousin lives, and I went to my prayer group meeting.

This morning, I prepared a steady breakfast for my friend as well as for Matts (and myself) and shortly after breakfast they both left - one for the bus to Gothenburg and the other for work. It's been two very nice, relaxed, days. Hopefully I can return the visit sometime in the spring together with our new family member...