I've been married for a year today. I cant believe how quickly it has gone by and life as a married woman is wonderful especially with someone like James. His wicked sense of humour always makes me laugh and he is so thoughtful and really a true romantic at heart. In the last couple of weeks I have been getting roses from James, just because when I asked, and on Friday I had a bunch of 20 long stemmed red roses that are now sitting on our chest of drawers in the bedroom. Also this morning I had a present waiting for me. James went and got it as soon as I woke up enough to open my eyes. It was a Harmony Kingdom piece called 'Ed's Safari IV' and an extra potbelly figurine of Gorbachev, don't ask me why but James said it came along with the other one. But when I opened the lid of the safari piece to see how it looked like inside, they almost always have a scenario inside as well (there was a snake that obviously eaten someone, probably Ed), something else fell out. It was a ring! I never got a wedding ring last year since we couldn't afford it then. Well we could have squeezed it into the wedding budget but maybe not been able to get the one that I really really wanted, so we decided that I would get it on our first anniversary instead. So a couple of months ago I went to have a look for a ring and I presented some options for James and said that these were wonderful but he would have to make the choice. And this is what he chose for me....

The ring with the diamond shape pattern is my engagement ring. The other one is just....so beautiful. Life would be oh so boring without James. And definitely less sparkling!

Hey ho hey ho, back to work we go...! yippi......

It actually feels quite awful going back there. I'm relaxed now and i know that by friday already i will be all wound up again! Definatly need some change of plan.
At least it will be short and sweet coming back. I work 2 days and then i'm off 3 for Pingst, then i work 1 and am off 1, work 2 more days and then James is running the marathon so i have to shift the weekend im supposed to be working. Not too bad, will notice in my paycheck i suppose but i cant be bothered about that right now. And it feels better knowing James has a work as well. Otherwise i would have worked like a little nutter to get at least one weekend back.

What can a girl do on her vacation? Hmm, some shopping perhaps?? Yes that's the answer to boredom! Shopping it is then. See ya's!!

I'm on vacation and besides digging at the allotment and just relaxing I've been swearing quite heavily over this.

Yes I'm trying to get into this weaving stuff again. And I curse myself for taking this particular one, but it was just lying around all ready to be used so I figured, why not.. It is in a single fine linen tread and I'm not sure if it is because its too old or what but it is very brittle and already there's been 5 treads snapped that you have to fix in a most annoyingly time consuming way to get it to look right. I am considering to take the whole thing down again and put a different weave up with double treads, same pattern but a different material. The pattern is called munkabälte in Swedish, translated I suppose it would be 'the monks belt'? Anyway, back to swearing a bit more!

I feel bonewrecked!
Arms hurt, my back hurts, all my ears are bitten by mosquitoes! What I've been doing? Planting and sowing at the allotment this evening with James. We decided, well James decided that he wanted to finish off the last bit of land to turn over and I tagged along to rake it and make sure it was nice for sowing. So I took some seeds with me in case of we had the time to do that as well. We planted the potatoes and onions, sowed all the seeds except for lettuce, we put up the tall tripods for the runner beans as well. We went there quite late, at around 7.30 and didn't finish before 9.30. It was getting dark then and a few raindrops kept on falling. But now the major part of it is done. Just have to wait for the runner beans and sweet corn to sprout here at home and get a bit bigger before I dare put them out, and also the broccoli plants are soon ready to put out. I was just thinking how the heck we are going to be able to fit everything in since mum has some tomato plants growing on her balcony that also are going in there. Hmm some serious considerations about the use of space left to be done. I might have to dig a few of the raspberry bushes up that we relocated last summer. They didn't do that well when we moved them anyway. That leaves a nice little border to put stuff in as well then.

It is fun, gardening. Just a bit back breaking in the beginning since we took over a lott that had been badly neglected for a long time. Last years job was mainly getting all the weeds out and cutting back the raspberries and growing some quick vegetables since we started pretty late. Plus digging in some peat to try and improve the soil, which is heavy clay soil to begin with. This year has been a bit of weeding so far but mostly turning the soil over adding some more good plant soil. I'm going to have a peak at our compost as well to see if that has started going. Lots of things to be done, I'm glad I got a weeks holiday coming up. Glad I'm off from work, but it would have been fun going to England as well. Oh well, maybe later on this year. Here's a picture we took earlier before we went today though, I'll try and take a new one tomorrow so you can all see what we've been doing.

What Color is Your Brain?
brought to you by Quizilla
At work or in school: I like to be with people, sharing with them, inspiring them, and helping them. I work and learn best when I can take into consideration people and the human element. I flourish in an atmosphere of cooperation.
With friends: I always look for perfect love. I am very romantic, and I enjoy doing thoughtful things for others. I am affectionate, supportive and a good listener.
With family: I like to be happy and loving. I am very sensitive to rejection from my family and to family conflicts. I really like to be well thought of and need frequent reassurance. I love intimate talks and warm feelings.


So, what color are you?

I've been busy with our allotment this week. Yesterday me and mum went to put up some new iron string to hold the raspberries in check, we also put in some much needed fertilizer and a bit of new soil into the bushes. I turned over the land where we had been standing since it is clay soil and packs very easily into very dense hard soil. I also turned it over by our new wicker fence so it would be ready to plant some sweet peas in later. I've put out some flower seeds but think it was good not to plant anything else since there was a frost last night. I did remember to rescue our potted plants and seedlings from the balcony before I went to bed. About time I got around making a early start with the others vegetables we're going to have as well. I read somewhere that it helps them along if you grow them indoors before you put them out especially here in Sweden since the season is quite short some years. I'm going to try that with the runner beans and sweet corn.

I have a feeling I will be up there next week when I have a weeks vacation. It was meaning we were going to go to England for James' uncles wedding but since James started his new job already we didn't want to risk it by asking for some time off so soon. He has a 6 month probation before it turns into a steady full time job, and you really need to put in an effort so you make a good impression on your boss. It seems to be going well for him learning to do the orders in time and he likes it, you can tell, because he really didn't like the book printing factory and was depressed from time to time about it and the fact that it was more of a 'we-call-you' kinda job didn't help either. Here he has had his summer schedule already and knows exactly how he will be working up until 29th of august. By that time they will have completed the new ICA Maxi in Borlänge and also the warehouse will have been completed in there extension building and up and running.

Currently listening to Gypsy Kings - Bamboleo

Seems my itchy fingers got the best of me. But I think it looks better then my old template. Was getting tired of that one. I think Lynn knows what I mean...

To something totally different. We might be getting the car the last week of May. It depends on if my sister gets her new car before that weekend, it is a holiday here in Sweden, or if we will have to wait for it a bit longer. It would be perfect to get it before Pingst, that is what the holiday is called, some Christian thing, don't really know why we celebrate it either. All I know is that a lot of people want to get married around that time.. Think, it will be James and my first anniversary this year. It's gone way to quick! It has been a lovely year. But it is only now I'm really getting used to being the Mrs Last. But saying that, Lotta was convinced I wasn't married when we talked about being taxed together since you were married the other day. She said it wouldn't comply with me since I wasn't married... And still she was at our wedding! Don't know if I should get insulted or just worried about her state of mind.. ;)

Eh...
They've changed everything around in blogger!!!!!
Panic Panic!!
Me dont like change, me likes the good old days, me old!

Well it seems to be working fine though, just bare with me, i think i will be looking at new template designs a couple of times though. I mean, 60(!) new templates to choose from. Anyone would go a bit nuts... ;o)

While trying to get my head around the situation at work it doesn't make it easier that a friend has a tough time with a personal crisis. But helping her out seems to have taken the aim off my own problems which is good. There's no use in getting worked up about the situation at work and I don't think it is so easy for J either being back and all. But I'm not going to be a pushover this time.

The fact that I've again set up my weaving loom helps my mind untangle from the worst what-if's and it is springtime so got the allotment to tend to as well. It is getting to be that busy time of year again when everything has to be prepared and planted and looked after. But that is one part of life I enjoy. Remind me of this post when I've complained for the hundredth time about weeds popping up like there's no tomorrow! To give you an idea of what's in store, this is what we are going to try grow this year. Potatoes, broccoli, runnerbeans of 2 variations, peas, tomatoes, dill, basil, sage, parsley, lettuce, onion, sweet corn and beet root plus a whole bundle of flowers to the side. I am thinking about taking one row of raspberries away, maybe exchange the other one as well for a newer kind with bigger berries in, so we can have a bit more room for flowers along the allotment border. This year I'm going to plant a new kind of frilly daisy, Siberian poppy's, ringkrage(don't know the English name) and marigolds Touch of Red see below.

We'll be well busy the next few weeks when planting and making sure the frost doesn't take them away the same night. I might wait until end of may actually just to be safe. But still, there's a wicker fence to be set up at the back of the allotment to keep the neighbour's raspberry bush from falling into our side. I'm going to sow some sweet peas along it when it is finished. I have to have a look if all is well with the garlic I planted in autumn and if they have survived or if that was a miss. I've also bought a new rubarb plant to put in where the one from last year was supposed to be, it strangely disappeard during the winter! I would be up there now if it wasn't pissing down with RAIN! But it is good that it rains maybe it washes some of that pollen away, haven't felt any of my pollen allergy yet this year part from a few sneezes in the weekend. It is amazing! Maybe I jinxed it now, oh dear..!