Day 155: A good math day

Some people have good hair days. Today, I had a good math day. This means that I was able to help more students than not. And I got one of the other volunteers to explain the concept I could not help with to me, so I even learned something new.

There is something so incredibly satisfying when the light finally goes on and I just see the route to the solution. It makes me even happier when that light is in the eyes of one of the students. Math 2B classes are having an exam tomorrow so the Math Lab was packed tonight. I didn't count but I'd estimate approximately 32 students of which two(!) were guys. What percent is that? How do you figure out what percent that is? This was actually quite similar to a question one of the guys needed help with. Had to physically stop a student from reaching for her calculator to solve 36 minus 27. I just could not stand it. "Use your fingers," I told her. "Activates the brain." :-)

As an aside, let me tell you, they're not teaching math they way they used to back in the day. Either that or I've totally forgotten things like i squared = –1. Another of today's challenges was solving inequalities by graphing them. Sheesh. But what fun.

Day 154: Submerged in Stockholm

People, people...Hör upp. Någonting spännande händer.

Våga vara annorlunda. Stöd musikaler i Sverige. Var med om en spännande upplevelse...sant att det inte är West Side Story (som Sondheim förresten skrev texterna till)... Det är Sondheim på sin topp. Udda. Annorlunda. Och med den mest fantastiska musiken. 

OBS! Dock. Kan bli beroendeframkallande. Se upp. Du kommer vilja se den flera gånger, jag lovar. 

Sondheim to the people!

Day 153: Art isn't easy

Attended a fascinating lecture on international trends in contemporary arts this evening. So happy that I accepted this invitation despite having only a vague interest in the topic. The speaker, Karolina Bertorp, founded and runs Moderna Samlare (Modern Collectors) and is extremely knowledgeable about how the art world works.

By way of thanks, I told her all about Sunday in the Park with George and recommended she watch "Putting It Together." Here is a link for your viewing pleasure too! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJFz-ucuTvs

Day 152: Inväntar

Two buses and two train rides later, I am at home (after a detour to Gamla Stan for this evening's Swedish language exchange). I find it really interesting (and fun) to talk language and especially to try to explain the meaning of words in Swedish to foreigners who are trying to learn Swedish.

Today, though, I was tickled by my own use of the Swedish language. The train from Östersund to Sundsvall was slightly delayed and as there were only 10 minutes between its originally scheduled arrival and the departure of the train from Sundsvall to Stockholm, there was not much room for delays. The conductor stopped at each car to let passengers know at which platform we would be arriving and which platform the Stockholm train would be leaving from. My question to him was, "Inväntar de oss?" which translates into "Will they wait for us?"

"Väntar" in Swedish means "wait" so naturally my "students" wanted to know why "inväntar" and what the difference is between the two. We spent a good 15 minutes on the subject (in Swedish) during which I kind of explained it and they kind of got it. What tickled me is that I used the word altogether. It was one of those moments when I surprise myself with my grasp of this language which I began learning quite late in life.

And now for some much needed catch-up-sleep...sweet dreams everyone!

Day 151: Hugs make me happy

The hotel in Gäddede invited all the organizers and instructors who were still here tonight after the Lindy Hop  Festival was over to dinner. The meal was prepared by their kitchen staff, a group of four young women from the Middle East (Lebanon and Sudan I believe). The food was exquisitely delicious and a reminder of how truly small our world has become. You would hardly have expected to feast on homemade Middle Eastern food in a small village in northern Sweden just a few short years ago.

There were many toasts and many accolades at dinner, many people to thank and recognize for the amazing work and spirit of this dance weekend. And lots of laughs. And many, many hugs. Hugs of hello and hugs of farewell. Hugs of appreciation and thanks. Hugs simply for the pleasure of giving a hug. I felt transported in time to 1992 and my first visit to Herräng Dance Camp (during my second visit to Sweden). Then, as now, there was an intimate, close-knit spirit to the event. And many hugs.

I leave here tired...and happy...and looking forward to the next time in hopes that it stays this small and perfect.

Day 150: Starry starry night...and the Big Apple

Magical first night at the Gäddede International Lindy Hop Festival. It got off to a rocky start with a long delay in the opening show due to a blown main circuit breaker that had to be replaced. To appease the extremely patient audience who spent the time mingling in the lobby, the band and a few of the performers came out and did some impromptu entertaining. When the doors finally opened and the show went on, all was forgotten as a couple of dozen of some of the best Lindy hoppers dancing today took the stage and wowed us with their moves.


Particularly poignant for me was their rendition of the Big Apple, a circle dance that reached the height of popularity in the late 1930s. Our hero and mentor, Frankie Manning, often taught and choreographed the dance and his legacy lives on in performances such as these. Frankie was also a close personal friend and as I stood there watching, I was flooded with memories of our many chats, dances and meals together. I thought about how happy and proud he would be with the dancing, and this event in general; about how many lives he touched; about how much I miss him; about how lucky I am to have known him at all. Bittersweet...mostly sweet though.

On my way back to my room in the wee hours of the morning, enveloped in the amazing night sky, I was reminded of how rarely these days we city dwellers get to experience the magnificent display of dazzling star light that you can only see out in the country. Looking forward to more fun today!

Take a look at this video clip to get a sense of the Big Apple in action.

Day 149: Sounds of silence

These are the views I woke up to in Gäddede today. And to the sounds of silence...no cars, no background noise, no talking, no music...except the music of nature. So peaceful. So beautiful. Makes me happy just to be here...and the fun has yet to start!

Day 148: Stunned by nature

Spent the day traveling. Began at 07:28 in Stockholm Central Station. Ten hours, one train and two buses later, I arrived in Gäddede, a tiny town in northwestern Sweden quite close to the Norwegian border.

The landscape around here, and especially the final hour of the second bus trip, is just magnificent. One two occasions during the bus ride, my mouth literally dropped open as we rounded a curve and I was confronted by water, sky, trees and lovely red houses in configurations that were simply postcard perfect. The one disadvantage of traveling by bus is that you are moving all the time and cannot ask the driver to make a stop for photo opportunities. A shame really because I would love to have been able to share some of the sights with you. As it is, you'll have to make do with just one.

Day 147: At long last!

Our ticket site is up and running...YAY! You can now advance purchase tickets to Assassins before we open sales to the general public on Monday via this presale link: http://www.sodrateatern.com/aspresale

Think what a great holiday gift a couple of tickets to a great musical would make. And if you really want to splurge, why not treat yourself and a loved one to the VIP package? :-))

Am I sounding like a marketing person? Is it working?

Oh, and if you want to meet up with me at the theater, be sure to buy tickets for one of the performances before January 12 because I leave town shortly thereafter.

Spread the word!

Day 146: Long gone loves

"Everybody's got someone that they never forget
A turn in the road with no regrets
A long gone love that never lost its shine..."

After lunch, coffee and Helen's delicious cake at my place. 

So go the lyrics to Calaisa's You Are Mine. Well, one of mine invited me out to lunch today and we had a fine time catching up on what's been happening in our respective lives. It's odd to sit across the table from someone with whom you've had a relationship that went south, especially when the end was traumatic or painful, and feel no animosity or regret...simply curiosity and warmth.

I remember when a previous relationship ended (not the one with my lunch "date" today) how devastated I felt and how it seemed the pain would never diminish. Months later I could still work myself up into a frenzy or down into a black hole. And maintaining perspective was wholly impossible. Now, years later, I very rarely even think about him...he who occupied my thoughts ceaselessly then. It's like when you finally get rid of that awful cold and are so happy simply to feel normal again.

I'm happy in my singlehood these days. And happy to maintain contact with the men who were part of my life...and still are.

Day 145: Frozen chocolate

I have a new addiction, and I'm lovin' it. Milk chocolate with hazelnuts. I store several bars in the freezer and get a certain satisfaction in banging the frozen bar against the kitchen counter to crack the chocolate into bits and pieces. Then I rip open the package and bite into that amazing flavor and texture of frozen solid chocolate with the hazelnuts crunching away.

My saving grace is that the chocolate warms up quite quickly and I have to return it to the freezer to get it back to its ideal state. Otherwise, several bars would not last very long. YUM!

Day 144: Chilly day hang

Chilly day hang today. Lingering in bed. Playing Scrabble and Rummikub. A fresh hot cup of coffee (ooo, I can make decaf now...thank you L) and Rummikub...my morning ritual.

Eating some delicious cake left over from yesterday's fika and reflecting over the comings and goings in life. Having diplomat friends means facing that quite squarely. The thing you most fear really in relationships: that it will be over. And raises the age old question is really better to have loved and lost?

I don't pretend to have an answer for that one. Although I will say that I am working hard at accepting and moving forward. In any event, at least for this evening, I am filled with gratitude for the life I've been given, the friends that I've met. The path that I'm on is the one path for me. My job is to stray just enough to keep hitting adventure.

And now, that decaf! Namaste.

Day 143: Lovey and Honey

It's Farewell Fika for Helen and Nick today and I feel grounded. Coffee's bought, and milk. Plenty of teas in the house. Pastries of course. Lunch for honey, lovey and me: check.

I'm so looking forward to spending the day hanging out and talking, contemplating the good times we've had together, planning for the future. And laughing. Because when they're around, there's always lots of laughter.

Sure will miss these guys when they've moved. Sure am happy to have met them and be able to count them among my friends.

Day 142: Feeling lovey

Today a great peace descended on me. Our logo is done. What do you think?

I am stoked. There is something in the air about this musical. Our director asked the other day, "What is it about this musical that makes everyone so willing?" For me it's the music. So complex. So stunning. It's  about bringing to it to life, discovering its beauty. Being part of that process. An amazing journey that I feel so privileged to be a part of. And it's Sondheim of course, so what could be a better match?

And wait till you read the program! :-)

Day 141: The Wonders of Modern Technology

Every once in a while, I marvel at the wonders of modern technology and tonight was just such an occasion. When people ask me if I miss New York, I answer that there are things I miss about New York. At the top of the list is always theater. Theater also accounts for one of only two things I actually like about London (the other is afternoon tea :-)) It's not so much seeing theater in English, although that too is a joy. It's the variety of plays around and the quality of the acting.

Watching The Last of the Haussmans broadcast live from London's The National Theater at BioRio this evening, I reflected on how much technology had contributed to the fact that I attended this performance at all. I first heard about BioRio in a post a friend had uploaded to Facebook. We made arrangements via e-mail to go see this performance. I bought my ticket online and was able to select a seat right next to her. This afternoon, I downloaded the ticket from BioRio's Web site and printed it. And tonight, I got to see an excellent play, very well performed and directed, right in the comfort of my own city!

What exquisite use of technology...more technology to the people!

Day 140: The day after

It was a blustery fall day today in Stockholm. The winds blew, trees became barer and temperatures were lower than they've been in a while. I woke up this morning with that wiped-out-and-happy feeling permeating my body. You know the feeling...your joints ache and muscles feel heavy. You're sleepy and tired and your mind works just a bit slower than usual.

Found myself humming bits and pieces from yesterday's musical run through, puttering and working, but mostly anchored in that fantastic morning after feeling. Like when you've spent the night with the one you love and off he goes to work or wherever and you are left with the afterglow, that tingling sensation throughout your body and a perpetual smile on your face.

Yes my friends, life is good.

Day 139: Exceeding expectations

Had the privilege of watching a true craftsman at work all day today as one by one she transformed people  she worked with. With a great deal of encouragement, humor and expertise she managed to elicit the very best from each individual in the room. More than once, I was moved to tears both by the performances I witnessed and by the grace with which this fantastic voice coach worked.

My first encounter with Monica Einarsson was in 2002 in a Swedish reality series called Fame Factory. The premise was quite similar to SYTYCD but instead of dancers, it featured singers who had been selected by audition and whom we got to follow over the course of a season as they competed to stay in the show. Like SYTYCD, each week a singer was eliminated. Fame Factory played for four seasons and was aired daily which meant that you got to follow the budding singers and the Fame Factory personnel quite closely. Einarsson stood out among the staff for the extraordinary work she did and for her generous and sympathetic style. Although I do not have great aspirations to perform, deep down I always harbored the fantasy that someday, maybe, I would get to work with her.

That day was today. And the title of this blog says it all.

Day 138: Bathing in song

So filled with the sounds of the day, not really sure how I'll ever get to sleep. Eighteen people and two pianos. A script. A score. And voices, so many wonderful voices, that brought our musical to life. With us, one of Sweden's foremost voice coaches...exquisite and generous and compassionate, and so very very good.

Then a great meal followed by, you guessed it, singing. This time a competition to see which team can name the song, its composer and lyricist, the musical it came from and which year it had its premier, with bonus points for singing all or part of the song. Heaven.

And tomorrow...master class with said voice coach. I can't wait!

Day 137: Happy kind of tired

Today, I was up early to prepare the place for board games afternoon. A cup of coffee and some straightening up later, it was time for the co-op's semi-annual cleaning day. My task (self-selected) was scrubbing down the walls and floor of our garbage room. Rubber gloves and elbow grease. The room shined when I was done with it.

Next, an extra meeting of the shareholders to ratify our new bylaws, followed by communal lunch. Then shower, change of clothing and solving a bit of an internet crisis before the games began at 2 PM. A fun four hours, spent playing a variety of board games, was capped off with delicious snacks that people brought to share.

Promptly at 6 PM, I kindly but firmly showed everyone out the door in time to catch the 6:14 bus to a singing rehearsal. Then home again, dinner, some organizational work for the language exchange meeting tomorrow, and here I am, at close to midnight, looking forward to a good night's sleep.

My kind of day!

Day 136: Small pleasures

A day that begins with sleeping late is bound to be a good day. It was well past 10 AM when the craving for coffee finally got me to swing my legs off the bed and bounce into the kitchen. While the coffee was brewing, I puttered with this and that until, quite unexpectedly, the doorbell rang. Still in my nightgown, I was a bit put off and assumed it was someone in the building on a board of directors errand. Not really intending to open the door, I peeked through the peep hole only to discover that the mystery intruder was none other than a friend visiting from Australia.

We'd made plans for her to stop by for a cup of tea and a chat, plans that I'd managed to completely forget about! Naturally, because I did not write them in my calendar. Nothing to it but to open the door and welcome her in. What a lovely couple of hours we spent catching up on what's been happening in our respective lives over a hot drink and pastries she brought along. Put a smile on my face for the rest of the day :-)

Day 135: Daytime escape

There is something delicious about catching an afternoon movie, especially on a weekday. It's like a mini holiday right in the middle of the week. And when it's a good movie like the one I saw today, it makes the experience all the more wonderful.

And now, back to the warmth of my bed from which I sprang when I realized I'd forgotten to blog! LOL! Good night y'all!

Day 134: From the belly kind of laughter

I haven't been to see a stand-up comedian in ages so when I saw the event posted on MeetUp, I though, "Why not?" Let me tell you friends, there is nothing like spending a couple of hours laughing so much that your belly shakes. Al Pitcher is funny, in a Robin Williams kind of way: quick mind, quirky way of seeing the world and an hilarious take on Swedish (the language, the being, the lot).

An extra delight is that he appeared at Södrateatern where our production of Assassins will play in January. And I managed to get in a plug, if not for the production per se then at least for Sondheim. Pitcher asked if anyone in the audience had ever met anyone famous and I answered "Stephen Sondheim." (You'll understand the caliber of this comedian when I tell you that he spot-on knows who Stephen Sondheim is! And this in Sweden.) As he was signing autographs in the lobby after the show, I whispered in his ear, "I have have to run but I leave you with these parting words: Sondheim to the Masses!" He laughed at that one and I knew that he knew exactly who I was. Put a smile on my lips for the remainder of the evening.

Day 133: Happy is in the doing

Not our sukkah but wanted to give you an idea of what one looks like

It's Sukkot and for the first time since I was a child, I spent time in a sukkah. To my great surprise, today's shiur (lesson, in the biblical sense of the word) was all about the pursuit of happiness. Apparently, on Sukkot we are commanded in the bible not once, not twice but thrice to be happy. There were interesting discussions in the sukkah this evening about why that might be and how one might go about it.

In one of the associated readings by a biblical scholar, a long list of ways in which the writer tried to find happiness concludes with (and I paraphrase) "and I found the most rejoice in my labors." This resonated with me and I shared with the group the story of finding happy in 365 days. How I am finding that a sure-fire happy every day is the act of writing the blog. The doing in itself makes me happy.

As a bonus, a number of the people there became quite intrigued by the idea, perhaps even inspired to start one themselves. That, too, made me happy.

Day 132: Variety is the spice of life...på svenska

Hatching Heart
av Kali Franciska Von Koch

En sådan här dag gör mig glad. En dag då jag inte har planer utan bara gör. Och så hittar jag på saker. T ex, att anmäla mig till ett dansläger i Gäddede den 18 okt. Nu försöker jag att lära mig uttala Gäddede. Det går mindre bra ;-))

Idag är jag glad för tak över huvud, bra mat på bordet och det engagerande liv som jag lever. Har funderat en bit över min sinnestämning som på sistone har varit så himla positiv och som ger så mycket energi. Relationen mellan hur mycket energi jag har för att göra saker och hur mycket energi jag får av de saker jag gör. Känslan känns skör...jag skulle kunna vänja mig dock. Tänk att leva resten av livet i den här sinnestämningen?

Day 131: Surprise!

My finding happy mentor, Grace Ann, celebrated the three-quarter mark of her journey today with a Happy Giveaway, a tradition she started on her blog to commemorate milestones along the journey. She randomly picks among the people who commented on her blog on the milestone day and the lucky person receives a Happy Package.

Guess who won this time?
:-))

Day 130: Fall

One of my Dale cardigans made its debut of the year today thus officially opening the fall season at my place.  Scrumptious. Love that I live in a climate that calls for cardigans in the fall. Have no wish to give up the luxurious and cozy feeling of a fine wool sweater just to live in year-round warmth.

Welcome Autumn!

Day 129: Marking time

ALLA KAN Institutet, where I have led singing circles in the past, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a singing party this afternoon. So many familiar faces and a few new ones too. The theme was time and with it an opportunity to reflect back over the 14 years that I have been part of ALLA KAN.

I remember vividly walking up to my soon-to-be singing circle leader at the term kickoff in 1998 and explaining that I did not know one single song in Swedish. I wondered how that was going to work. He said, "Förstår du vad jag säger nu?" (Do you understand what I am saying now?) When I replied, "Ja," he assured me that it would all work out just fine. And so it did.

That was the first step in my long journey with ALLA KAN. After that singing circle, I signed up for a week-long course on an island in the Archipelago, and then joined the board of Sångföreningen ALLA KAN (a singing club comprised of circle participants). Eventually, after going through the leader training program, I began leading circles of my own. And then assisting Monica Sperens (ALLA KAN's founder) in the summer courses and leader training program. There have been singing trips to La Gomera, Corsica and London. Countless singing parties and mini-courses. And a number of friendships forged along the way.

So Happy Birthday ALLA KAN and thank you for the joy you've brought into my life! Ja, må du leva!

Day 128: Taking measure

An entire day with no plans...luxury. Coffee. Breakfast. Order toner for the printer. A phone call here. Another there. Bored!

Funny how luxury can turn to boredom in the blink of an eye. Not to fret, there's always something fun around the corner. Today's fun? Going through the Assassins script and writing in the measure numbers from the score for those in the company who prefer singing from the script rather than the sheet music. This will make the rehearsal process go much more smoothly as the cast will be able to find the place our musical director directs them too in a jiffy.

Tedious as this project might sound, it is actually quite fun. For one thing, I've gotten much more familiar with the Swedish lyrics. For another, I get to suggests tweaks here and there where the fabulous translation can be made even better. For a third, I spent the day singing.

And now, off to watch Doobidoo, a sort of singing game show. Tra la!

Day 127: Stambråk

The Swedes among you think no doubt that today's blog is all about tribal warfare, as do the English speakers who were curious enough to run today's title through Google translate :-) Well, you're all wrong. Today, at Mattecentrums Math Labs where I volunteer, I learned all about unit fractions (stambråk in Swedish). What, you ask, is a unit fraction? It is a fraction whose numerator is 1. Any positive fraction can be written as the sum of unit fractions, in multiple ways, as you can see in the following example:

Apparently, the ancient Egyptians used unit fractions in their calculations, which makes them (both the Egyptians and the unit fractions) worthy of study. 

It always makes me happy to learn more math, though admittedly I have a hard time seeing of what possible use unit fractions can be. Even my fellow volunteer, who also happens to be a full-time math teacher, had no good answer for that one, which did not, however, discount our mutual joy in discussing the topic.

Day 126: Atonement

It is the day of atonement today. Yom Kippur. It's a very spiritual day in the life of a Jew. This year, for me, it fell by the wayside in the sea of other realities that I live in. (Although not completely. Aside from morning coffee, I fasted for the rest of the day as tradition calls for.)

So what other realities filled my day? In no particular order: A funny exchange of e-mails with members of the board that I serve on of my bostadsrättsförening (co-op). Recruiting hosts for the next Swedish Language Exchange meetup. Updating the attendance list for Nick and Helen's bon voyage party that I'm throwing in October. A production meeting for Assassins followed by a meeting with the theater staff. Vacuuming and dusting my place in preparation for said production meeting. Refilling two retractable pencils with new lead. Oh, and various activities for ALLA KAN Institutet's 20th anniversary party coming up on Saturday.

Have I mentioned lately how much fun I'm having?
I lead a charmed life.

But I digress...

Before the day comes to a close, my sincerest apologies to those I have offended this year.

And for this Yom Kippur, I will atone...G-d willing...next Yom Kippur.
G'mar chatimah tovah!

Day 125: Changing focus

My week as a "single mom" came to an end this morning with a rather leisurely and successful breakfast with my Sweeties. They were all talk about Being Elmo which we'd watched last night and which obviously left a big impression. To my question, "So how do you think our week went?" I got three thumbs up. And I got hugs at the door as I sent them off to school.

Then it was time to shift gears and return to my single life, without the mom part. The impact of re-entry into a childless existence was softened considerably as I had tonight's Assassins singing rehearsal to look forward to. Four members of the cast got together with our wonderful musical director to sing through a couple of the songs. Tricky, tricky Mr. Sondheim. Every single note is so specific, and many are unexpected. Then there are all the variations on one and the same melody line. It's all nuance. Into this nuance you have to fit the densest of lyrics. Such a challenge.


I know a number of these songs in English and tonight I heard a couple of them in Swedish for the first time. Surrounded by a top-notch cast, I managed to sing along, ever so quietly!, and was humbled by the level of difficulty. And everyone's commitment. And good humor.

How lucky am I?

Day 124: Celebration

Homework, check. Project, check. Piano practice, check. Dinner, check.

It's our final evening together after a productive and fun-filled week and absolutely cause for celebration! What better way than with a midweek film fest... Being Elmo, A Puppeteer's Journey was loved by all!

Gonna miss these Sweeties and feeling so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend an entire week in real time with them. Now if they would only let me kiss them ;-))

Day 123: Rubber ducky

A byproduct of a week with my Sweeties is that I've managed to get these not quite nine-year-olds interested enough in the upcoming production of Assassins to want to go see it. They also walk around humming tunes from the score :-) In the process of answering their questions, I also learned quite a bit about the assassinations.

Now they're happily ensconced in the bath while I continue listening to the score myself. Soon, bedtime story. Then lights out for them and feet up for me. Life is good!

Day 122: A place for everything

It took me a long time to stop feeling guilty and like a weirdo just because I like neat. I don't just like it when it's neat, I get a great sense of satisfaction out of turning messes into neat, out of bringing order to chaos. And I'm good at it. It's wonderful to be good at something you like to do, especially something that most of the rest of humanity dislikes so vehemently.

For a long time, I felt like I should not actually enjoy the act of neatening. That I should do it but grudgingly. Nowadays, it's somewhat of a given that given half a chance I will start reorganizing your closets and lining up the bookshelves. Or cleaning out the fridge. I'm not much for cleaning really, but neatening...that's my thing. And before you ask, yes, it's equally neat at my place. Not all the time of course but most of the time. When a certain line gets crossed, or I'm expecting company, then sim-salla-bim (as the Swedes would say) the place gets a once over. Besides, I can't think well in a clutter. And I do so like thinking well.

So, there you have it. I'm out of the closet. Just call me Neatnik ;-)

Day 121: Tomorrow

Today, I'm glad that yesterday had a tomorrow. A time to start over, to do better than I did the day before. It amazes me that I get second chances and that they come with so much love and consideration. Like being thanked by a very sleepy Sweetie for waking him up. And having a long and thoughtful conversation with another Sweetie over breakfast about the merits of various cities to travel to. And "coming Auntie Bella" (rather than "just a second" or "I just have to...") when I called down the stairs to their playroom where they were getting in precious minutes with the adored Legos. And smiles and "see you later"s as they went off to school, on time...maybe even a minute or two early. Grace.

On a practical note, this was my happy project for today. Note that I did stop short of alphabetizing, though they are sorted by language and type of book. A bonus was finding postcards from Auntie Bella strewn here and there among the books, postcards that are now neatly stored in a plastic bag on the top shelf along with letters from Aunt Janice ;-))

Life is good!

Day 120: Sun and stars and all creation...

If you were in the chorus at Russell Sage Junior High School the same years as I, then you will recognize those as the lyrics to Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Perhaps you were in another chorus, or not, and recognize them anyway. I hadn't thought of them myself in quite a number of decades (though exactly how many I will not divulge ;-)) until the other night when the Sweeties were practicing the piano.

Yesterday, and again today, I had a go at it myself. My days of piano lessons coincided pretty much with the aforementioned chorus and lasted about the same number of years, that is, three. If you have ever studied the piano you know that three is not very many years. To my delight, I could actually manage this (very simple, albeit two-handed) version of Ode to Joy. Joyous indeed!

Day 119: Today, a cook

Friends think of me as a good cook while I think of myself as good at following recipes. If you want to become a cook, try making food in someone else's kitchen, even a really well equipped, well stocked kitchen like the one at the my Sweeties' home.

My challenge was facing ingredients and spices that I am not at all familiar with. Since I did not feel like going to the store, I was forced to rely on my imagination and past experience to come up with some combination of things that would not only be edible but also palatable. I am quite pleased with the result:

The real test will come in an hour or so when the Sweeties and I sit down to eat...will it be thumbs up? Or do I revert to recipes online? The suspense is mounting...

Day 118: Fall is upon us

It rained all morning and cleared up in time for my walk to the library to return two books. I love the smell in the air after a rainfall.

Later, I decamped to Bagarmossen where I get to spend an entire week with my Sweeties as their parents head off to NYC. I am filled with anticipation for the coming seven days of living life as close to being a single mom as I will ever get. Not vacation, real life...with school and scouts and soccer, homework and piano practice, bedtime stories and wake-up calls. How lucky am I?!

On the walk from the tunnelbana to their home, the air smells of pine trees and I catch sight of the first turning leaves of the season. Reds and yellows. Beautiful.

Life is good. I'm a happy camper.

Day 117: The godliness within

So I'm not much of a believer, not in the many rules of religion. The religion I was born into has a great many rules. I am much more fond of the rituals really. And I am glad that there are other people out there who are committed to the rules. They create and maintain community, a place to return to, a way of being that carries me back.

The flowers looked something like this. Happy 5773 everyone!

I realized a few years ago that my connection to the prayers is all in the melodies. If the melodies are unfamiliar to me, they feel "wrong" and I find it impossible to connect to the jewishness within.

Waiting for the rebbetzen and her family to walk with to shul this morning, I was captivated by the beauty of some potted flowers in their courtyard, their stillness, their life. Meditating on their beauty, I made my resolution for 5773:  to give the godliness within...that time that is just between me and myself...substantially more room in my life.

And I am a happier camper for that. Amen.

Day 116: Honey

Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey

Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey

The way that you kiss goodnight

The way that you hold me tight

I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing

This is the land of milk and honey

This is the land of sun and song and

This is the world of good and plenty

Humble and proud and young and strong

Sugar,

Oh, Honey Honey

You are my candy girl,

and you got me wanting you.

A hundred an done pounds of fun,
That's my little honey bun!
Get a load of honey bun tonight.

Sweet and healthy 5773 everyone!

Tonight: Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner with the Greismans

Day 115: Haircut...of sorts

Today, the trees in our garden got trimmed by a pomologist. There is a specialist for everything and trees are no exception. It is always instructive and fun to watch Björn trim our trees and explain the fine art. They do look somewhat bare now but he assures me that they will produce fewer but bigger and tastier fruit next season as a result. Made me happy to send him on his way with a bag full of apples that he picked from the crown of the apple tree (which we could not reach during our recent apple picking session).

Day 114: Finding the silver lining

Phew. Let me cut right to the chase and say that directly after I called and ordered the locksmith to change my locks, I found out that Fotografiska had found my portfolio. I immediately canceled the locksmith and could not wipe the happy grin off my face.

Back where they belong

It's easy to find happy when things go right. To my great delight yesterday, between bouts of unbelievable frustration (not to mention annoyance with myself), I found myself noting what I had to be happy about anyway. The portfolio/key fiasco should not, and did not, discount the fact that I had helped students at the math lab, gone for a brisk walk, witnessed the amazing view outside of Fotografiska, saw a glimpse of the  Christer Söderholm exhibition, got in a second brisk walk back to the school, managed to convince some students there to let me in through the locked doors and the janitor to open the remaining locked doors, hung out while waiting for the janitor and saw a second art exhibition in the corridors of Södra Latin and spent a lovely evening with a friend talking theater and life.

This morning, after a leisurely breakfast with said theater friend, off I went in the rain back to Fotografiska to pick up my portfolio. I took the opportunity to spend substantially more time at the exhibit and then made my way home to my warm and dry apartment, one I could open with my keys! Before I even took my coat off, I put the extra set of keys in their proper storage place, a system that works perfectly as long as I follow it. Fortunately, the lesson was not an expensive one this time. Yet another thing to be happy about!

Day 113: Finding happy in disaster

I get to spend the night at Ulricha's which really is the silver lining. But what an evening in that cloud!

Off I went from the Math Labs tonight feeling happy and full of life. I had helped a couple of students, one with converting from base 16 to a binary number and another with expanding expressions, and I had an opening at Fotografiska to look forward to. On top of all that, I was feeling particularly pleased with myself for walking the couple of kilometers to Fotografiska, and at a brisk pace at that.

The exhibition, btw, is fabulous. One to return to again and again, taking it in sections. An amazing body of work. And as a member, I can go as often as I please...one of my favorite investments over the past couple of years with the highest ROI to date. But I digress...

It's a good thing too, about my membership, because I had not been there for longer than 10 minutes when I realized that I did not have my portfolio. It's just a simple plastic case with a zipper and looseleaf rings inside. I use it whenever I volunteer at Mattecentrum, so it has scrap paper, pencils and a whole bunch of solved equations. Tonight, however, it also housed my house keys.

My last ray of hope is that one of the other volunteers found it and took it home for safe keeping. Waiting with baited breath for a mail or a phone call...

Day 112: Cesar rocks

Shed a tear or two watching the 100th episode celebration of The Dog Whisperer, especially when Cesar got to meet his childhood hero, Lassie.

In the meanwhile, the smell of freshly baked apple cake wafted in from the kitchen. I'm not much of a baker, meaning I rarely do it, but I could not pass up the opportunity to use some of the many apples we picked in our garden on Sunday. I doubled a cupcake recipe and turned it into a cake. Here is the result...who's coming over for cake and coffee? Otherwise, I hope it freezes well!

Day 1/11: 9/11

We all have those certain moments in life that we will never forget and some of them are communal. For example, although I was just a kid and not even living in the U.S.A. at the time, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Many years later, although I was no longer a kid and again not living in the U.S.A., I remember vividly sitting in my office chatting with a cousin in Israel on AIM when he told me what was happening. I quickly picked up the phone and called a good friend in NY. She was sitting in her office and while we were still incredulously discussing what had happened, the second plane hit the Twin Towers.Of the many posts about this historic date on Facebook today, this one by one of my FB friends is the one that I liked the most, for its hope and positivity.

"I'll never forget, but I think this will be the first #sept11 where I don't spend all day feeling heartsick. Work for peace everyday."

Amen to that!

Day 110: Newborns

Bruno #1 holding Bruno #2

Amazing how quickly you forget that lovely, cuddly, soft feel of a newborn. And they grow so quickly that you have to take every opportunity to cuddle with one. My closest friends are all beyond the childbearing phases of their lives so my contact with newborns has diminished dramatically over the past few years. That's why I was so happy to hang out with some friends yesterday while friends of theirs visited with their 6-week-old. This photo was taken after I reluctantly handed the baby over to his namesake ;-)

Day 109: Farming!

Yum!

Or as close as I ever get to farming anyway ;-)

Today, we picked apples from the tree in our garden. What a luxury in the middle of town to have a fruit tree growing just outside my kitchen. One of the neighbors even brought along a makeshift apple picker that he devised himself to help us reach the really high fruits. And another had a nice long ladder that we used. It's surprising just how many apples this one tree produces. The birds had gotten to quite a number of them, about half, and we sorted our harvest into two bags, one for eating and another for cooking. Apple sauce and apple pie, here I come!

Our official taste tester (left) and her dad with his home made apple picker

Good for cooking (left) and eating...help yourselves!