Came across this image and just loved it. Pretty much sums up my Saturday because sometimes I just love to veg out. Today it was reading, playing and eating with a bit of TV thrown in for good measure. Oh, and preparing for the math convention on Tuesday (my idea of relaxation)..JPG)
Sweden is many things, among them a good coffee country and the second highest per capita consumer of ice cream in the world. So you would think coffee ice cream would be a given. Nix. That's why I am always on the lookout for it, in grocery stores and ice cream parlors. Every once in a while I get lucky and today was one of those days! Yummo!
One of the great things about being full-time funemployed is being able to take advantage of last minute daytime opportunities such as attending a dress rehearsal at Sweden's Royal National Theater, Dramaten. Just stepping inside this building is a joy in and of itself, although one I did not get to experience today as the production was in the theater's so called Little Stage. 
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Sometime in the next few months, ALLA KAN Institutet, where I led singing circles for a number of years, will be moving. Today, I made my way over there for one last end of term celebration. I could only stay for the first hour, and what an hour it was! Singing filled the room. Familiar songs, songs new to me, solos, sing-alongs. It was so much fun.
Canasta after a long, long hiatus. And the sun is shining (perhaps we will play out in the garden?). Plus, I have to clean the place before guests arrive (dishwasher already running), which means I get to enjoy a clean home even afterwards..JPG)
Almost forgot to file my Swedish income tax return this year. Fortunately, one of my friends posted (boasted?) on FB that he'd just completed his and so I was reminded. Perhaps I forgot because I owe money this year...who knows? In any event, had this been the U.S. I'd be sitting for hours filling in forms. As it is, I filed online which took approximately 2.3 minutes, including transferring the funds I owe. Then off I went to the Math Labs.
What a luxury...I get to do high school all over again helping my tutee (a word I just made up?) catch up on her work. Today's subjects were math and religion. Was able to find the school book on religion that they are using at the library and spent some time reading this evening. As it so happens, the exam she is having this week is on what they refer to as the "Abrahamistic" religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There is an entire chapter devoted to each, plus an intro chapter that focuses on the common ground that these religions are built on. The world might be a more peaceful place if more schools took this approach. (The book, btw, covers the Asian religions as well as new age and non-religion.)
So, today I learned that a friend in NY tripped, fell, jammed her arms and broke both her shoulders. She is was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery. And a cousin in Holland broke her ankle.
For days the lamp outside the door to my apartment has been dark. It's a ceiling lamp and requires a ladder to get to and I have simply been too lazy to go down into the basement and bring one up. Then a neighbor rang my bell rang and wondered where we keep the light bulbs!
Spent a part of the afternoon "taking" the national math test for 9th graders in preparation for the Math Center convention which takes place in mid-May. Figure I might as well get a head start. Plus, this is actually my idea of fun :-)
Spent an interesting couple of hours helping a Swedish high school student with some history homework. The topic happened to be the American Revolutionary War to which this history book devotes four pages (contra the French revolution which gets twice as much print space). It's been a long time since I visited this chapter in American history and it was fun (not to mention challenging) to find myself explaining it in Swedish..JPG)
How do I know? I switched from winter gloves to thinner ones and to a lightweight blanket on my newly made springtime bed. Did not have to wear a hat outside today. Medborgarplatsen was teeming with people sitting in outdoor cafés. The neighbors are grilling outside. I could have normal shoes on my feet rather than construction boots. |
| Giselle (Royal Swedish Ballet) |
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| Attention Swedish readers: What on earth does Lura inte i vassen mean??? |
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| A bit hard to tell what this is from this photograph as it was taken from too far a distance. It is a double-decker bicycle rack. We've discussed installing one in our garden for quite some time. I finally got to see what one looks like. |
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| Seen on the bulletin board at the library. Rudebeck is one of my Swedish brothers. I was tickled to see this poster advertising his fabulous cabaret act. |
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| Coming to our civic theater in December. Needs no further explanation. Aforementioned brother got online and got us tickets for January. |
Earth, wind, fire and water...spent a good part of this afternoon exploring the four elements in song, drawing and dance under the guidance of a play therapist and in the company of seven other women. Drawing is so very definitely not my thing but today I simply let go of any expectations and just let my hands fend for themselves. The results are far from what I would consider works of art. Still they represent strides forward from the days I simply refused even to try..JPG)
...it's easier to write this blog than others. Today was not one of those days. I woke up with a headache bordering on migraine, spent the day in bed despite the glorious spring weather that finally made an appearance in Stockholm and canceled plans to go out for Culture Night. So how do you write a "finding happy" entry on a day like today?