Kurbits on my mind

I've been fooling around with kurbits and painting the multi-colored gourds in an old time style lately. Painting kurbits is very complicated and I hope you enjoy this simple attempt to put some of the old-time look into a more modern drawing.  I used my daughter's gel pens and fooled around until I had some of the style captured in her hair. (I'd actually really like to have some earrings like these!)  For more on modern kurbits take a look at what they're selling in Sweden, and here for a great website on about Swedish craft by Frida  http://www.kurbits.nu/ .

the game of life

We've been playing a lot of Life lately - you know that board game where the men are blue, women are pink, and they drive around all day in itty-bitty cars procreating and having a heck of a time. If only, right?  ;-)  My daughter quickly learned to be a doctor, the "best" job because you easily snag $100,000 every time you passed go.  My son got "stuck" being an accountant two times running which was pretty hysterical they thought.  He "only" made $80,000.  A teacher made $45,000 (hey, actually pretty spot on) so NO ONE wanted to be that!  Made me think, why do I want to be a teacher?  And should I actually give up (again).  Here's the back story....

Once upon a time a young idealist graduated top of her class in education with a great job and a song in her heart.  She was going to work in education teaching second graders to love learning!  She welcomed the little ones to the classroom and they had a fantastic first day playing games, + getting to know one another.  Then the books came out - math, English, science, social studies (Thoreau for second graders?), health, wealth - there was a lot for the second graders to learn, and for the young teacher to figure out.  How to teach to all at their levels was one big question.

Quickly she got swamped in a maze of scheduling the who, what, when and where of it all; and discipline "who did what to whom?", amongst other concerns such as having some kids who couldn't sit still, others who couldn't keep their hands to themselves, and some with serious issues that she didn't know how to address.  Was there help to be had?  Oh no, all the teachers stayed in their rooms, as everyone had their own battles to fight and this was before pages (i.e. para-professionals and teacher assistants).  Fast forward a year, the young miss left the profession at which she felt she was badly suited, and joined the world of marketing where the rules were clearer and young lives weren't at stake.  Yet the dream lived on....

Fast forward a loooong time and she went back to school after having had two kids, taught preschool and substituted.  Now, she thought I will be a paraprofessional and show them what I've got!  Surely they'll want me now that I've mastered the schedule, the discipline, and the vagaries of it all as evidenced by working one-on-one with a special needs child with many of the issues that bedeviled her before.  Well.... not so much... and here we are looking for work again.

So what has changed in education her lo so many years away from it?  Um, not as much as you might believe.  And this is where the tale ends, for now.  Does the not-so-young ma'm keep fighting the good fight for the kids? Or bail, again, and go somewhere where her creativity, hard work and smarts might be rewarded. Please tell, she needs to take a nap in my ivory tower, and then play Life with her kids. ;-)

Here's one cynical one ladies take on the game of life, do you agree?  Luckily I have a happy life with my family and friends so I have to say I managed somehow to win the bonanza even if this career thing doesn't work out, and for that I'm very grateful!

https://singlegirlsurvival.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/gameoflife.jpg

Cat lady thanks you

Ha, ha!  Wanted to thank all my wonderful readers for checking in to see how I'm doing here at La Vida Lagom!  Thanks to you I'm excited to say that I'm almost at 30,000 views.  So raising a glass to you and to the good fight of trying to stay sane and balanced in this stressful world with all kinds of fantastic things to do, people to meet, and websites to explore.  So thanks for viewing mine, and let me know how I could improve it.  I wish I was more of an expert on life but just trying to keep it "lagom".  Skål!

Kurbits today and "This is Sweden" at Ahlens

Drool, drool ... of course I'm drooling over Ahlens spectacular line "This is Sweden", who wouldn't?  I love the use of the kurbits motive (see here for more on what that is), the inclusion of iconic Swedish crafts like Dala horses (Dalahäst, see below)

and other typical Swedish items like the Samisk bracelets. (Shown in pink but I greedily want one in all the colors.) 

Check out the clogs too. which are so comfortable and well-priced right now. Hint, hint if you're wondering what to get me for Christmas this might be this! (Actually the clogs were removed from the site but there are many other stores in Sweden that sell them.)

I'm going to keep checking out the other beautiful items that were added to this line, and keep them in mind for future shopping in Sweden.  Have a happy Monday friends!

 Let me know what you think, and don't forget: "Lågom är bäst" ;-)

From "This is Sweden" at Ahlens.se

bloglovin and pinterest

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diets are boring

Hello everyone, trying to lose weight from a summer of excess?  I am.  Bleh, it's so boring.  I wish that this 5:2 method worked!  Instead I'm counting calories, and trying to exercise more.  So far I've lost three pounds but I've got a bit to go and anyway if I stop now it will all just pounce back on me. The 5:2 method, if I've understood it right, is to eat sensibly five days, and starve 2 days.  Or something like that ;-)  I don't subscribe to it (obviously) but I am trying to eat less gluten because that quickly fattens this Viking up and I need to be lean and mean to keep up with my kids!  ha, ha  What do you do to lose weight?  Any tips out there that work?  Tack!  Just trying to keep my diet, and my weight "lagom" I guess :-)

Lagom (Swedish)

Maybe Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but means something like, "Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right."

Zucchini cactus pyssel

Hi, do you a half a million extra zucchinis you don't know what to do with?  I have a couple from my mother in law who gardens, so on the docket is making zucchini bread and this fun treat from a Swedish magazine called "Handarbete & Pyssel" (kind of like arts & crafts).  It's a cute idea that a mom Karen Schaefter and her daughter came up with and it's in their new book "Pyssla med Mig!"

Arts & crafts is fun and a big deal in Sweden, as it seems to be everywhere as evidenced by Pinterest. (Of course if people are like me they mostly pin their ideas instead of doing them.) ;-)  I think this idea is just easy enough to actually do - and that's saying a lot these busy summer days.

You'll need a zucchini, red gumdrops, toothpicks, chocolate cereal, and a pot (preferably a cute one, but definitely a clean one).  The kids at 'The House Lagom' added red to jazz up this "cactus" and multi-colored gumdrops which wasn't part of the original plan but that's part of the fun. :-)

1. Put chocolate cereal into a clean pot. Cut part of the zucchini, stand it up in the cereal.  Make sure it's straight.
2. Put gumdrops on toothpicks and push them into the zucchini.  Ready to impress or give away.  

And for those of you who have even more zucchini, here's my mother in law's delicious zucchini recipe --

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3 eggs 

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups zucchini, grated

3 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Steps:

Beat eggs, add oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla. Mix. Add flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well.  Add nuts if desired.  Use greased loaf pans, bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour.  Check with a toothpick to see if it's done.  Yum!

Malmöfestivalen

Malmöfestival 2015

Hi everyone, the summer just blasts on - fun and sun everyday and lots of it! So sorry if I haven't blogged a lot lately, but it's been busy. Today I'm going to try to do some scrap booking (daunting!) starting with our recent trip. We went to Sweden in July and the weather was cold and rainy. Handsome hubby insists that in August the weather is usually better so next time we will go to Sweden in August, and one of the first things on my list will be the Malmö Festival.

Held this year August 14 - 21 it's just insane the amount of things that they have going on!  You'll find opera, dance, theater, music, interactive, food, an amusement park (a tivoli) - all at 32 scenes around the city of Malmö!  For example today (Monday, 8/17) if I were there I would eat barbeque, try a skim board, build a model of a house, dance Samba with the kids, try the Pop Quiz in Central park and listen to Zhala (who has opened for Robyn) at Gustavs scenen.

Here's the low-down from their site:

All you need to know

We're The Malmo Festival - a warm, friendly and sustainable festival and I have taken the city of Malmö for a wild dance one week every year since 1985. Right in the heart of the city you will experience everything from ground breaking art, music and culture to a variety of food that reflects the intercultural vibes and people of Malmo. 

Our environmental concerns have been awarded by A greener festival, the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and Yourope. With 1,4 million visits every year we're the largest festival in a city environment in Scandinavia. 

Everyone is welcome and almost everything is completely free!

If you wish to learn more about Malmö, please visit www.malmotown.com/en. They have useful information for you on e.g. hotels, train connections etc.

Slumming in Stockholm

Elena Stanescu and Mariana Ion, begging in central Stockholm. Last month, someone threw gasoline on them. Mariana, set ablaze, had to run to a fountain. CreditMoa Karlberg for The New York Times, 8/8/15

Some musings on the current state of the Sweden .. and how a culture can change....  kind of deep I know but I was deeply affected by seeing the beggars in Stockholm this summer.  The Roma or Gypsies as they are commonly called were everywhere, holding out their cups or hands for spare change, just sitting there and saying "hello" in their bathrobes and long skirts.

Turns out that the poor of EU have learned to migrate to collect money in the more affluent countries, and return to their own when they have enough.  Romania, from which many Roma come, has one of the lowest wealth levels in the E.U, and given their status as part of the European Union their citizens may move freely within the 28 nation bloc.

I won't give all the details (read this excellent article for more insightful information - http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/world/poor-eu-migrants-test-limits-of-swedish-tolerance.html? from The New York Times) but needless to say it has given many Swedes some serious pause for thought and questioned their values.  Do you give the beggars money or not?  They don't get government assistance because they don't live in Sweden, but they also don't add anything either.  I felt guilty seeing them beg, but honestly I chose not to help.  Does that make me awful or just American?  I guess we're used to seeing beggars as awful as that is ... and I didn't understand who these people were at the time.  I haven't ever seen this before in Sweden!

I really didn't know what to do, but then I read this - http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/valkommen-till-swede-hollow-en-svensk-slum/ - about an old Swedish slum in Chicago and it reminded me that at one point or another we've all been newcomers and needed a helping hand.  So yes to helping, and yes to giving opportunities, but what about those who just take the money and run?  The people in Swedish Hollow in St. Paul MN were prosecuted and considered the lowest of the low until the next wave of immigrants, and then they made a better life and moved up.  It's the American Way.

The above is a film of the shanty town in Malmo, the third largest city in Sweden, and although not a lovely city it is one with a proud past, a strong worker culture and many nice parks and other features like canals, castles and the Turning Torso.  Looking at this film is not meant to be inflammatory but it is a view into a part of the Sweden that personally I have never seen - migrants living in squalor.

The Roma are nomads and this is part of their identification, but it seems that times have moved on yet they haven't.  I mean is it OK to just wander into a country, ask for money, and leave?  And what will EU do with this quandary?  It's a huge issue and further complicated by the fact that many beggars unfortunately put their lives on the line in the beautiful land of Sweden (77 crimes in the last 18 months against beggars were reported) and that's just not right.

from - http://criesfromthedepths.blogspot.com/2014/04/swedish-police-stand-by-while-roma.html

Me want - Lejondolken flemish tapestries

Hi all, usually I don't pick up text verbatim but I want to highlight a great company that sells a variety of beautiful home objects made in Sweden that are inspired by Flemish weaving, a long tradition in Skåne, the very Southern part of Sweden.  Check out their website and let me know what you think about this unique company: http://www.lejondolken.se/home.html

History of Flemish Weaving in Sweden  During the 16th century many Flemish weavers moved into the city of Lund and its surroundings. Their skills and inspiration made the art of weaving flourish. They brought patterns and new ideas on how to weave, the locals soon adapted and made Flemish weaving a part of the culture in Skåne. It was the weaver Jürgen Münther and his wife Alhed that introduced Flemish weaving and tapestries to the manors and castles of Skåne. The old patterns were changed over time och became more colorful and distinct. Quite different from what can be seen on foreign textile art. The patterns from Flanders were infused with local images of biblical stories and fantasy animals. Popular patterns were the dove of Noah, the garden of Eden and the Unicorn. Only very few of the original tapestries still remain. But several of the weavings that followed are known to us and almost all of them stem from the southwest counties of Skåne around the city of Lund. Lund is since several hundreds years a city of the clergy, perhaps that is one reason why there are so many biblical motifs found in these Flemish weaving. The richest and most typical Flemish weaving from Skåne are from the counties of Torna and Bara, but also Oxie, Skytts, Harjager, Ljunits och Vemmenhög counties. Flemish weaving with very similar patterns to those found in Skåne can also be found in both Denmark and Norway.

Salad days of summer

If you're like me you like a nice salad for the dog days of summer.  This recipe I found in a Swedish tabloid a while back and I make it often.  You'll have to eyeball some of the measurements because they were in metric.  I usually wing the dressing and it comes out tasting delicious but for those of you who need a better gauge, I've added a dressing that will taste just as good and uses cups. Too bad I didn't take a picture of it last night.  It is as pretty as it is tasty, and it's paleo.  Enjoy!

From Iowagirleats.com (not my salad but looks similar) :-)

Mango chicken Salad for 6

Ingredients 

chicken (I used the grilled chicken from local grocery store)

cayenne pepper or chili pepper (you can skip it)

2 - 3 mangos

3 avocados

salad - preferably different sorts of lettuce but I used bib

Sugared nuts for topping

cashews

butter

sugar

cayenne pepper or chili pepper (you can skip it)

Dressing

1 dl olive oil*    * 1 dl = 0.4 cups so about a half a cup

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 dl apple cider vinegar (0.14 cup)

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter and saute nuts for a couple of minutes, add sugar and cayenne.  

Either cook chicken fillets or cut pieces off pre-made grilled chicken.  Add spices (salt, pepper, chili) to chicken fillets as you wish.  Chop the mangoes, avocados and put on a bed of lettuce.  Add chicken and then nuts. Drizzle dressing over, eat! 

 Dressing using cup measurements below - you can substitute sugar for honey

CLINTON KELLY'S DIJON VINAIGRETTE

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard (leftover in jar)
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper 

Lenny Rocked His Pants Off!

This dude is too cool, after splitting his leather pants in two while rocking "Fly Away", he quietly exposed waaay too much and left the stage to change.  Hey no "boob pop out scandal here" it happened in Sweden!  See Gröna Lund in Stockholm here - so sorry to have missed it!  We were at Gröna Lund a couple of weeks ago and I pointed out to hubby that Lenny Kravitz was headlining.  He is a true rock and roll star and at age 51 is still putting on a great show.  (I'm sure he'll wear underpants next time though.) Read more revealing tidbits here. Ha!  :-)

Gröna Lund at night, Stockholm, Sweden

Party! (crayfish party)

Happy August!!  I'm back home in the States and I have to say the sun feels goood!  It reminds that summer is the time to relax and have a couple of friends over either for a barbeque, or if you're in Sweden, a crayfish party.   Called a kräftskiva it's an easy meal to make with boiled crayfish, bread, cheese, snaps, maybe some potatoes and lots of dill.  And beer.  So a link to the crayfish recipe is here, and I'm sure the other items you could easily get.  Just don't forget to sing!!  More on that is my old post on snaps.  Skål!