Back home again

When you are multicultural it's sometimes hard to know where is home. Is home with my mother? Is it with my family in the States? Is it where I grew up, or where I made a home? I don't know, I guess that I'm lucky to have a home in two beautiful places, but it can be hard too. You're always missing someone.

So I'm home from my trip to Sweden, and it was delightful to see everybody, but it seems that Swedish isn't as good (or perhaps my parents hearing isn't as good) as it once was. My mother and my stepfather both had birthdays in the span of a week, and one of them was a BIG one (90!) so we partied hard with my aunts and uncles in Ystad.

Here is a shot of the beautiful beach that I took walks on as often as possible

We went to Vellingeblomman, check out the Easter display! They have Easter witches in Sweden. 

My family above. 

Painting in my sketchbook was relaxing. I enjoyed the downtime in between the two big b-days. It was nice talking walks and catching up with my friends. Plus I enjoyed hanging out with my sister and my mother.  

Note all the dalahästar in a store in Malmö! I went there one day for some shopping. I went to the art gallery too called Konsthallen.

The beach huts in Höllviken are one of my favorite motifs. I'm sure that I'll make something of this photo. Aren't they cute? 

Grattis igen! 

So glad that we got to celebrate with you and I miss you already!

Swedish Midsummer!

Hej! As I write this post, I am missing Sweden. It is experiencing record breaking warmth this spring, and I can just imagine lying on the soft white beach near my mother's house while listening to the children play and the sounds of the surf. Ahhh! There's nothing like a good Swedish summer. This year, unfortunately, we won't be able to go as we're staying on American soil all summer, but I'm unfolding my Swedish flag and celebrating Midsommar nonetheless (on Friday June 22, 2018)!

Below are some photos from our last summer excursion to Sweden in 2017. It rained quite a lot, but that didn't dampen our spirits. It took me a while to post these because I was getting quick a lot of weird spam comments about all kind of strange things and frankly, it freaked me out.  I had to remove the ability to post comments. But please enjoy the pictures, I am thinking of you all in sunny Sweden as I write this and wish you all a "GLAD MIDSOMMAR"!  Love the place that you live, it's truly magical, especially this time of year.

Helsingborg, view from the docks

Play area at Tjolöholm Castle - castle is lovely

Göteborg, Castle on Kyrkåsberget

Archipelago of Goteborg

On the old trolley to Liseberg

The Volvo Museum

Nimis in Mölle, Sweden

on the way to Nimis - it's a hike and very steep to the structure

Skåne

Viking tour at Foteviken

Lilla Torg in Malmö

Little bath houses 

Beautiful sunset in Höllviken

Surf and sun!

öppna landskap (open fields)

On a drive through the beautiful landscape, my son took this scenic film through the car window.  It gives you a good sense of how open and natural the view is in Skåne.  Enjoy!  Personally I will definately look at this video again in the winter months to come. 

Welcome back summer people!

Hej!  Här är jag igen (here I am again.)  Refreshed, and ready to go.  Does it have something with sending the little ones off to school perhaps? ;-)  I hope you all had a very happy summer, we did.  We spent four weeks in the motherland, i.e. Sweden, i.e. literally the land of my mother!  It was a wonderful break and luckily for us the weather was great so we enjoyed days on the beach, touristing, walking in the forests, and basically hanging out with friends and family.  The province that my family comes from is Skåne in the far south, and it's beautiful, but I'd love to know more about your roots dear reader and where you are from.

from blog http://sondotter.com

There's a wonderful book that I've enjoyed called Popular Music from Vittula by Mikael Niemi that I highly recommend.  It introduced me to another province in the highest north, Norrbotten, right next to Finland. Pajala is the name of the town and it's rough and fierce and full of characters that grab your heart and make you wonder about humanity.  "Popular Music from Vittula" on Amazon

Here is a quote from the book that I can relate to:

“The most dangerous thing of all, and something he wanted to warn me about above all else, the one thing that had consigned whole regiments of unfortunate young people to the twilight world of insanity, was reading books. This objectionable practice had increased among the younger generation, and Dad was more pleased than the could say to not that I had not yet displayed any such tendencies. Lunatic asylums were overflowing with folk who'd been reading too much. Once upon a time they'd been just like you and me, physically strong, straightforward, cheerful, and well balanced. Then they'd started reading. Most often by chance. A bout of flu perhaps, with a few days in bed. An attractive book cover that had aroused some curiosity. And suddenly the bad habit had taken hold. The first book had led to another. Then another, and another, all links in a chain that led straight down into the eternal night of mental illness. It was impossible to stop. It was worse than drugs." 

- Ha, ha!  So true.  But luckily for me our whole family enjoys reading so I've not been locked up quite yet.  :-)  

Vikings!

Goodbye to some of our favorite Vikings, have a safe trip home!

We just said goodbye to our favorite Vikings who are now safely home in Sweden after celebrating Thanksgiving with us.  We all had a great time, here enjoying a walk on the chilly beach.  It makes me cold to even look at this shot, so I've included pictures below of a wonderful warm day visiting the Viking Village in Höllviken, Sweden called "Foteviken".  The kids and I were there last summer for a Viking market and re-enactment of a major battle that took place at the site.  Hope you enjoy them.  See http://www.foteviken.se/ for more information (link to reinactments below) and maybe you too can become a Viking!

Items being sold at "Foteviken Viking Reserve"

Viking village in Höllviken, Sweden at market

Check out the shields hanging in the great hall of the Vikings.

Viking ladies enjoying the show.  These girls told me that they really liked being Vikings.  Is the draw not having to bathe?  :-)

They had a "battle" to show what happened when the Danish king, invaded Skåne (the south of Sweden).  I love the little Viking in the middle holding on to its hat!  For more information about reinacting Vikings and the markets in Sweden and abroad check out this link on Foteviken's site.

A Viking game, hurl the massive log as far as you can.  Methinks they didn't have an X-box.