Our cupboard is done. I went out to Lotta today and did the last polishing. All that's to be done is to attach the new feet, which still look very new compared to the actual cupboard. I have stained them with a slightly colored wax but they still look all new and shiny. Might have to bang on them and throw them around a bit to get them to look a bit rugged. The innards of the cupboard still smell like its fresh out of a stable. I will have to wash it out and scrub carefully inside it to make it smell of sĺpa, Swedish oldfashioned soap.

My leg is hurting and yes its annoying. My guess is it is a varicose vein inside because you cant see anything on the outside. But it is all warm and tender to touch from the top of my left foot to just half of my calf. And to wear my ecco shoes today was a real pain so I slipped into my softer sandal's even though it is chilly outside. And ecco shoes that are supposed to be good for your feet, HA! Oh well I shouldn't complain should I, a foot that is slightly bigger due to swelling wouldn't fit any shoe. If it still feels the same tomorrow I'm going to phone the medical center and ask for advice. Please, some sympathy?

Life throws you some odd balls sometimes and other times it just knocks you straight off your feet.
A friend who I thought was my friend no longer is. And if I've understood everything so far it is my fault altogether. Why don't I feel guilty? Why don't I feel anguished that I've said such a terrible thing that it would end a friendship? Maybe it is because I don't feel like I've said anything wrong when saying how I felt about the issue. And I have been ratting my head in about it trying to make it all clear so as to understand what was misunderstood or just not heard. But the fact remains I'm one friend short today and the really surprising bit is it feels alright. It is ok. I'm not sad that its over, I've changed quite a bit over the years and I used to be very compliant and bend to some extent to suit others. But I don't want to be a door matt anymore for someone to step all over and use. And ever since I've started to say No there's been friction. Sad really because you should be able to say No without getting branded a Bad Friend and told so ever so often.

What is a Good Friend btw? Is there a course you have to take and pass to be a Good Friend? If so I've missed out completely apparently. Or is being a Good Friend someone who have lots of other friends? What about those like me that only have a few friends that's been there for ages through thick and thin though? Are we outcasts to be despised because we don't know the joy of having a big circle of friends around?
No really, I'm not kidding here, it was told to me I have a weird sense of friendship and that was due to me not having many friends. Period. So you tell me, am I weird?

It's been a relaxing weekend. We went to a market yesterday in Borlange and then had a nice meal out at Coop before going home and having a very restful evening with a little visit to the allotment and picked all the beans, which was a lot! And picked the last few beatroot that were left to grow bigger. It has been quite cold at night recently so we covered up the would be broccoli that in fact is cauliflower with some fiberfleece to help them through possible frost. The cauliflower was bought as broccoli so was a bit surprised when I had a peak in the heart of the plant to find a budding head of cauliflower looking back at me. But I had suspected that it was not broccoli since the leafs has grown huge in comparison to a broccoli plant.

Today we went up for the autumn clean up day and meeting which really was just collecting all the benches that's been dotted around and moving some of the compost heap further up the hill next to the barn. After that we had a really short meeting which I didn't really get the point of because she just asked if we had anything we wanted to ask and that was the end of that. I was surprised because we were there for the first time and she didn't even bother to say anything about that or tell us something about the general rules for the allotment's. But it was interesting to sit and watch how people acted towards each other... I am a bit like that, I observe people and how they stand and what they say before I decide to approach or speak. And sometimes you get to know more by just sitting quietly watching the situation unfold. And the very first thing that struck me was that there's conflict a foot in the society.

There's a new chairman and changes to be expected in springtime when the new season starts. Not so much that the former chairman has been toppled for the new one, more that the board is fed up with people expecting them to do all the work that has to be done around the allotment area, like cutting the grass between the lots, emptying the trash and tidying up after other people who scatter piles of junk wood everywhere. As of now you will have to take care of your own junk may it be glass frames that's broken or planks or sticks that you've exchanged for new ones in your fence or anything else that is bulky. And their will be a rotation list on who will be cutting the grass and there wont be anyone in particular to do the spring rotovating. So it is more or less everyone for themselves or everybody together. Will see how it turns out and how turbulent the spring meeting will be. Because I'm sure there will be angry people wanting to know how they are going to get their little plot done now and demand that someone will see to it and I'm sure that the trash situation wont improve straight away. But still it sounds really simple that everybody takes their own trash with them doesn't it? Instead of paying for the garbage men to empty the bin in summer they could use that money for something else, like new tools. But apparently tools have gone missing as well so all isn't well in allotment world..

All in all a good weekend, dont you think?

It is strange how much more room we now have in our wardrobes since I did a clean out yesterday. Ever seen the program Life laundry where they drag everything you own out onto the lawn and your not allowed to put anything back that you either don't use or will display? It felt a bit like that. Because I emptied all of our wardrobes in the guest room and really had a hard time putting old clothes aside and chucking it either in the bin because they were so worn it wouldn't do for charity even. But now at least we have 3 bags of clothes going to charity shops and a lot more space. One thing that I was thrilled about though was that most of the clothes being put away were too big! I don't think I mention it much but I am trying to slim down a size or two or maybe even three.. And this just made my day really, especially since I mentioned to James that what would I do know when I don't have much clothes left and he said he would buy me some new ones! I'll make him stick to it I will.

I still have to go through all these boxes with 'various' affections like old letters and old music tapes which I don't listen to anymore. And threes a whole box with soaps, skin creams and shampoos that I cant use because they make me break out in rashes. Mind you they are so little used they could well go for brand new. I think I'll ask my mum if she'd like some or else I'm going to bin them anyway. It is a trouble when you cant test the product before you buy it and make sure it really does suit you and your skin. At least now I can give soap and shampoo over to James but I don't think he will use my very flowery smelling deodorant or 'beautycream'...! And my music tapes? Hmm, might give them to Rosie and she could sell them at her second hand shop and if there isn't any interest in them she could bin them there.

May I rant on a bit?
I mentioned the program Life Laundry, we like to watch it and go ohh and ahh over how much junk they have accumulated but one thing we don't like is the crusher at the end where they throw absolutely everything they couldn't sell or give away. We both couldn't believe our eyes when they threw in a computer and monitor and just crushed it instead of recycle all of the hazardous components!!! But I think that it is much more common in Sweden to pre sort your trash and have recycle centers for almost everything dotted around town. We sort our trash in things to burn and compost at home using two different bins. And if you like there are centers for your hard plastic containers, your metal cans, all your glass bottles, special centers for your old paint and oils and other chemicals you really don't know how to dispose of. Battery boxes are everywhere and you get paid for returning your bottles and coke cans in the shop. And this is so natural for us now we think it is such a shame when you don't have it everywhere. It has built up an everyday thinking about being environmentally friendly. It doesn't really take much longer or is more bother then if you just chuck it in one bin and throw the problem away. But doing that you only really move the problem to somewhere else, more water and air will get polluted and in the end it will come back to you. At least here we have a chance of cutting down on pollution which makes me feel better about doing it. Rant over.

And now I'm off to work! Wish they could recycle our place and come out with new versions of some of them, but happily they are off on vacation. Where you might wonder? Well they went to somewhere called Sunny Beach in Bulgaria but it haven't been sunny in Sunny Beach for as long as they have stayed there. Oh I feel so good in a naughty evil kind of way.. Oh better shut up or karma will come back to get me, but still.....*giggle*

It has been a very hectict weekend. James' parents came over on saturday, we met them in Stockholm since James was going to run the St Eriks race there. So we combined the two and stayed a night in Stockholm so they had a chance to see some of the Big City before heading back up to Falun. James did do very well in the race even though he had been out back with the plodders. He managed to finish with the second group runners well ahead of his own group. So now he has a nice time to show for when entering other competitions, like the London and Stockholm marathons next year.

The cupboard you see in the pictures below is now all cleared of paint. Now we just have to find a nice new finish to it. Lotta thought a wax would be nice since the wood underneath all that gucky red paint was fairly nice. And after all that scrubbing the surface is silky soft and touchy feely right now. We might have found a key for it in an antique shop since it was missing its original one. We'll have to see if it fits later on today when we go and have a look at it.