Some good news and some bad (well, yes)

So I've had my first treatment of acupuncture this last Wednesday. It was, interesting, to put it mildly for someone who hates needles! Anyway good news is that whatever he does with them it seems to be working, elbow seems to be on the mend even though I never would have thought so after the first session. Talk about sore and groggy! I knew that you would get whoozy headed and tired but nothing had prepared me for that. I don't know if I did the sane thing but instead of going home and getting in bed I went shopping! Well it worked for me, after half an hour of slowly walking around town I felt much better and called James to see if he wanted to meet me in town after work. But he had left his mobile at home so he didn't get the msg before then. But lovely as he is he came into town anyway to go and have a look at some baskets I had seen and was wondering if I should get for our mini recycle station under the kitchen sofa. I thought they were nice but a bit hefty on the price so we decided to wait until we've been to IKEA they usually have nice wicker baskets and other sorts.
The bad news being I have to go back for another treatment next Wednesday. But hopefully it will get better for each time, will just have to see how many treatments I will need before it being acceptable again. He is not cheap either, every session costs my boss 350 kronor ca ?27 instead of me going to the company healthcare center for ?6... But I've totally lost confidence in them so they can go jump in the lake and my boss can pay up for my treatment at this chiropractor/acupuncture center.

Between working, looking after the allotment, bbq-ing, cleaning, restoring a kitchen table, shopping, picnicking, biking, getting a poorly elbow and sleeping there has not been much time to do any blogging at all. Still my to-do list is huge and haven't gone down at all. Because every time you knock one of the things off it 2 more are added so it just goes round and round and never ever ends! I want vacation!!! No, wrong, I NEED vacation, NOW!

Working in a supermarket as I do you do tend to get your aches and pains from time to time. So it has come to my elbows attention that it had had enough and is right now throwing a major ache tantrum. It was giving me some serious trouble before midsummer last week so I stayed at home on Thursday thinking a day or two with rest would help. Of course it helps, for that space of time. But as soon as you get back into doing stuff with it it just laughs you straight in the face and hurts even worse. This being the case I went to the company doctor on Wednesday this week to see what it could be and if I could get any help for it. The doctor (being a total git) sat there explaining what I had and what he didn't believe in would help, nothing about what WOULD help more then maybe some acupuncture but he didn't issue any orders for such. So I left quite disappointed with a sicknote for when I had been home but with instruction to go back to work and see' how it works out' and a vague order about getting some acupunture done by someone.. Well said and done that is what I did yesterday and now it has worked out so that I cant stretch my arm fully because of the pain in the elbow area. Thing is I got work over the weekend, do I go to work today and the weekend and strain it even more and just 'see how things work out' or do I tell my boss today that its no use for a while and stay home until I get to Monday when I can call the doctor and say 'it didn't work out at all give me a new elbow now that you've ruined the one I had'? Well one thing it has taught me, never go to a doctor that looks like a toad peering underneath too big a glasses. He'll just send you home to 'see how things work out'!

More pictures from the allotment, it is growing well after 2 days of rain. The fleece over the spinach is about to break since they are striving so hard upward! My mum is going to pick them tomorrow so we can sow something else. I thought about either early carrots or some more lettuce/dill. And the broccoli have exploded in size. And we have a few flowers coming on the strawberries, got to remember to put some netting up so the magpies dont eat them all for us!

I have been busy as usual on my day off. James and I went to put the cars winter wheels in storage at my mum's. Later after James had left for work I didn't really know what to do but mum came to my rescue when she popped by and wanted a chat, she was waiting for the washing machine to be done washing her mops (she cleans for the building society) Of course I had the brilliant idea that we might as well go to a flower nursery while waiting because I wanted some plant soil since I was going to change the flower boxes over from pansies to summer flowers. Instead of pansys I potted cuttings of my big red geranium earlier this spring and also sowed some light blue with darker nerve petunias which now are all ready in their boxes. Also I wanted to see if I could find something nice for the allotment at the nursery. Mum wasn't that hard to persuade to come with me, or rather give me a lift there in her car.. We found some nice plants and some soil. In the end I picked out 2 pink Marguerites, one giant poppy in dark orange, dark red rudbeckia(?) and a yellow something like rudbeckia I don't know in English, but it gets really tall and looks like daisys but different colour.

At the allotment I weeded some and prepared the border where the new flowers wére going and I also checked the tomato plants and beans. Our sweet corn is dying off one at a time, wonder if we have some pest of sorts? Everything else is coming along nicely. Mum's spinach is ready for picking and I took the night fleece off the beans so I hope there wont be any more frosts or nearly frost at night, it is very late this year! But weather has been colder then usual and we didn't have any frost nights at all in late may as we usually do.

I snapped these few pictures earlier last week but it looks much the same part from the broccoli really getting big now and the peas are taller. Notice the darker green small tomato plants? They were the ones I potted, the bigger ones are mum's that she had in milk cartoons. They already have fruit ripening! The pea's we got from James dad is really doing well as is the dwarf runner beans. We just need some warm weather now. It's been lingering around +10 for too long now. Ok, we do have warmer days with sun and around +20 but they are too few!

Shamelessly stolen from scenic route.

This is a list of the top 100 grossing films and i've only missed 17 of them! Is that good or bad? I've higlighted the ones i've seen and added my score of good - bad at the end.

1. Titanic (1997) $600,779,824
2. Star Wars (1977) $460,935,665
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $434,949,459 ***
4. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $431,065,444 ****
5. Spider-Man (2002) $403,706,375 **
6. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)$377,019,252 ****
7. Passion of the Christ, The (2004) $370,025,697
8. Jurassic Park (1993) $356,784,000 ***
9. Shrek 2 (2004) $356,211,000
10. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) $340,478,898 *****
11. Finding Nemo (2003) $339,714,367 ***
12. Forrest Gump (1994) $329,691,196 ****
13. Lion King, The (1994) $328,423,001 ****
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) $317,557,891 ***
15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) $313,837,577 *****
16. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) $310,675,583 ****
17. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $309,125,409 ****
18. Independence Day (1996) $306,124,059 **
19. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) $305,411,224 ****
20. Sixth Sense, The (1999) $293,501,675 ***
21. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $290,158,751 ****
22. Home Alone (1990) $285,761,243 ***
23. Matrix Reloaded, The (2003) $281,492,479 **
24. Shrek (2001) $267,652,016 ****
25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)$261,970,615 **
26. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) $260,031,035
27. Jaws (1975) $260,000,000 ****
28. Monsters, Inc. (2001) $255,870,172 *****
29. Batman (1989) $251,188,924 ***
30. Men in Black (1997) $250,147,615 ****
31. Toy Story 2 (1999) $245,823,397
32. Bruce Almighty (2003) $242,589,580 ***
33. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) $242,374,454 ***
34. Twister (1996) $241,700,000 ****
35. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) $241,437,427 ****
36. Ghost Busters (1984) $238,600,000 ***
37. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $234,760,500 ****
38. Cast Away (2000) $233,630,478 ***
39. Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) $229,074,524 **
40. Signs (2002) $227,965,690 ***
41. Rush Hour 2 (2001) $226,138,454 ***
42. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) $219,200,000 ***
43. Ghost (1990) $217,631,306 ***
44. Aladdin (1992) $217,350,219 ***
45. Saving Private Ryan (1998) $216,119,491
46. Mission: Impossible II (2000) $215,397,30 **
47. X2 (2003) $214,948,780 ****
48. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) $213,079,163 **
49. Back to the Future (1985) $210,609,762 ****
50. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) $205,399,422 **
51. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) $204,843,350 ****
52. Exorcist, The (1973) $204,565,000
53. Mummy Returns, The (2001) $202,007,640 ***
54. Armageddon (1998) $201,573,391 ***
55. Gone with the Wind (1939) $198,655,278 ****
56. Pearl Harbor (2001) $198,539,855 ***
57. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) $197,171,806 ***
58. Toy Story (1995) $191,800,000 ****
59. Men in Black II (2002) $190,418,803 *
60. Gladiator (2000) $187,670,866 **
61. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) $184,925,485 ***
62. Dances with Wolves (1990) $184,208,848 *****
63. Batman Forever (1995) $184,031,112 ***
64. Fugitive, The (1993) $183,875,760 ****
65. Ocean's Eleven (2001) $183,405,771 ***
66. What Women Want (2000) $182,805,123 **
67. Perfect Storm, The (2000) $182,618,434 ***
68. Liar Liar (1997) $181,395,380 ****
69. Grease (1978) $181,360,000 *****
70. Jurassic Park III (2001) $181,166,115 *
71. Mission: Impossible (1996) $180,965,237
72. Planet of the Apes (2001) $180,011,740
73. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $179,870,271 ***
74. Pretty Woman (1990) $178,406,268 ****
75. Tootsie (1982) $177,200,000 *****
76. Top Gun (1986) $176,781,728 ***
77. There's Something About Mary (1998) $176,483,808 ****
78. Ice Age (2002) $176,387,405
79. Crocodile Dundee (1986) $174,635,000 ****
80. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) $173,585,516 **
81. Elf (2003) $173,381,405
82. Air Force One (1997) $172,888,056 ***
83. Rain Man (1988) $172,825,435 ****
84. Apollo 13 (1995) $172,071,312 ****
85. Matrix, The (1999) $171,383,253 *****
86. Beauty and the Beast (1991) $171,301,428 ***
87. Tarzan (1999) $171,085,177
88. Beautiful Mind, A (2001) $170,708,996 *****
89. Chicago (2002) $170,684,505
90. Three Men and a Baby (1987) $167,780,960 ***
91. Meet the Parents (2000) $166,225,040 ***
92. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) $165,500,000 **
93. Hannibal (2001) $165,091,464
94. Catch Me If You Can (2002) $164,435,221
95. Big Daddy (1999) $163,479,795
96. Sound of Music, The (1965) $163,214,286 ****
97. Batman Returns (1992) $162,831,698 **
98. Bug's Life, A (1998) $162,792,677 ***
99. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) $161,963,000
100. Waterboy, The (1998) $161,487,252 *

Sorry for the lack of posts. But its been a wee bit hectic since we got back from James running the marathon way back. Work has picked up as it always does in the summer months. Plus that I've been busy sewing a cat costume for Rosie. She is going to play in a children's theater on Sunday and asked if I liked to help out. Also I whizzed down to Gothenburg to get our car on Tuesday. My sisters new one had finally come so I went on the train on Tuesday and slept there for the night and drove ol' Betsy back home Wednesday. It's like a good old rocking chair that Mercedes. Bit slow on the take up but once your up and running its quite alright. But its huge, just like driving a tank! And its rusty, more rusty then I did remember. But driving it on salted roads wintertime eventually does that to a car. I also got a ride in sisters new car, a coupe Mercedes, don't ask what number, cant remember but it is a big piece of serious muscle car! I'm impressed.

To top of the hectic week or so I've had there was a mad rush at work today. Loads of people and lots to do and no extra staff either. How yummie is that on a scale? Pfffft....

Me, I' tired, me going to bed now. Oh yeah I even cleaned the apartment from top to bottom this morning. What an interesting life I lead hmmm?

Currently playing Weeping willows - Falling
So the nutter(oh sorry, my dear husband) has finally run his marathon and it went very well I thought considering how little training he had after starting his new job. I am very proud over him for doing it in 4h 42 min. And I am very proud over myself for not getting totally lost in Stockholm trying to follow him around the course. But please, why do they have to have several events going on at the same time?! There was a sailing race on and an outdoor foodfair going on as well. It was thick with people everywhere you went and the subways were overcrowded on the stations that were linked to the race course. I suppose it wasn't just me who had the brilliant idea of following the runners via the subway.
It was a brilliant day out even though I had fretted muchly the night before about getting there in time and finding our way from where we parked our car. And driving in Stockholm is never nice, too many cars and too damn pushy drivers! But it all went very well.

Part from the marathon nothing much is happening, still awaiting to get to know when we can have my sisters car, it is more likely now in 2 weeks time then to the weekend which we were hoping for. But that is alright since James don't have any more late shifts that there aren't any buses to get home with. At least we know that we can borrow mum's car. But it is so much hassle since I have to get up bright and early the next morning to collect my mum and drive her to work.

The allotment is going very well. We had some much needed rain last night and quite a lot of it as well. Am going up there later today to have a look if there is weeding to be done now that everything is springing up like there's no tomorrow. The seeds that James' dad got us is doing very well, even the pea's that where from the previous season are coming up in mass. It will be interesting to see how high the dwarf beans will grow and also if the wigwam we got for the runner beans will be tall enough. Broccoli that actually is broccoli is doing well as is the tomato bushes. Don't know how the sweet corn are doing though, never grown those so haven't got a clue how they should look like if they are doing well. The only disappointment is that the flower seeds, part from the marigolds, are not showing. Not even the sweetpeas I soaked in water before sowing are showing and it is at least 2 weeks since! The lily's I bought last year and planted aren't coming up either.. Don't know what's wrong, I even carefully checked that they were still there so no one had nicked them! Hopefully they will come up, I bought them as crimson red in to varieties one with freckles and one pure red. Thought they would look gorgeous with the dark lilac iris that are budding soon but no luck there. I will just have to wait and see what happens with them. But now i got to get on with my house cleaning, need to race around with the vacuum a bit and get clothes and other bits off to where they belong.

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..!

Cant sleep tonight it seems. Guess im thinking too much about what happend earlier today or yesterday as it seems to be now.
Am also wondering if she reads this blog..cant remember if she used to. Oh well never mind that eyh?

I had a small surprise at work today..
Ex-friend is going to start working there again. I was given the invisible treatment as well today by her, wonder how this will end... Great start to the week don't you think?

DROOL!
I could almost sell my soul for this one, almost.... !

Fast forward a week!

Yikes time does fly. But still nothing really important or worthwhile mentioning has happened. Well not to me but its another story with James.

Guess who got up at 4 and went to work the wrong Monday? *giggle*
At least he had an excuse for going, he was making sure he took the right taxform they requested off him.. I felt sorry for him though for going there after a few restless hours of sleep only to be sent home and have yet 7 days until he gets to know more about the work. He was more like a zombie then anything the rest of the day. Why he got up so early? Well he has to catch the bus to Borlänge at 5.40 if he is to be on time at 7 since we don't have a car, yet I might add. My sister has bought a new car and wondered if we were interested in having their old Mercedes, which we are even though it is a rust bucket it runs well and passed its MOT just months ago. So as soon as they get their new one we will be taking a trip down to Gothenburg to collect it. Reminds me, I have to get in touch with the chairman of our housing association and get a parking spot You know what my sister calls their car? Gamla Bettan - Ol' Betsy...

Back to work... Things seem to have settled down at least for this time around. Still I didn't like one bit to be there today.

Yesterdays antiques fair was very good. I found 13 postcards which I bought. And today there was 2 more in the post from the online auctions I'm bidding on as well. For what I've seen the online auctions produce much nicer postcard with better quality and fewer scars but generally they are more expensive as I noticed on buying one at the fair. It was of better quality actually, but for half the asking price of the online card. I guess you just have to be lucky when coming across the nice ones in fairs rather then online. And the fact that they had a lot of people going to fair already on Sunday didn't help either. It was very picked out but still I managed to buy some nice ones. There were lots of other things I would have liked to buy but I resisted and just went for my postcards this time. And besides the summer auctions will be starting soon! Maybe I will be in one of these fairs come autumn ;o)

Hold on to your wallets people! We are going to an antiques fair today! I took the day off since I was kindly given a free entrance ticket to the fair by a customer from the supermarket. I'm surprised too. So soon Lotta, me, James and my mum will be cruising the tables looking out for bargain. Not the same as Bargain hunt but never the less it will be fun!

I'm really getting into this auction stuff online. I am at the moment bidding on a Harmony Kingdom piece on ebay. I have also started to auction off postcards we dont want at brabud.nu with a bit of help from James doing the scanning of postcards

You are a MASTER of the English language!


While your English is not exactly perfect,
you are still more grammatically correct than
just about every American. Still, there is
always room for improvement...


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I've had a really crap day at work today. I've completely gone off working there in that selfish, backstabbing, intriguing, worthless piece of shit place!! Right now I'm so angry I might start to cry! And that's even worse! Why do women get weepy when they really really are crazy angry?? I hate that. Mainly because people don't take you seriously if you start blubbering all over the place when having a quite heated discussion. Bah!

Its not worth retelling what happened. The short story is that a person I thought was nice and helpful gave me a load of crap because I didn't run to the till when they called. Why I didn't was because I was on the phone in the middle of ordering vegetables and fruit for tomorrow! And no he couldn't go for a half a minute just so I could end the order. And afterwards I got a lecture about that when they call for you, you have to go to the till. Like I had been working there for a week and not for *bleep* 10 years. Definitely time to move on to a place where people watch out for one another a bit better then they do at our place. It is everyone for themselves and grab some extra while your at it and blame someone else for it. I hate it!

They've promised really warm and sunny weather for the rest of the week, I hope it holds for the weekend. There's only snow left now in the shady bits and the ice on the lake, but that will be melting quickly if it gets to be this warm.

I've received yet another postcard that we (me) bid on tradera.com. It is on the busy market square where my dad and grandma used to stand selling fresh vegetables. I've developed quite an interest in old postcards from Falun. James is also looking into old postcards but from England. Maybe that is what is keeping him from blogging? Well any excuse is a good one isn't it?

It is a bright and sunny day outside, of course I'm working!

It was a bit of a surreal day yesterday.. Remember a while ago, some 6 months.. I told you about a friend not being a friend anymore and the stick I got for being me? Well said friend came in the shop yesterday looking for work, she used to work there before she moved on to other things. I must say it was a weird feeling seeing her there. Not only because she once vowed to never come back but also because it was she who tried to make it out like I wanted her to come back and go back to how it used to be when we had our argument. Oh well, thing is, for a moment I felt guilty and 'bad' for ending the friendship all those months ago, this even though it wasn't me who suggested it ending in the first place. I'm not sure how to react either because she has been back in town since New Years, we met by chance when me and James went shopping, I had been warned that she was back in town so I was expecting to see her some day. She was very cool that first time but yesterday she seemed.. Oh I don't know. Sad I think is the closest I can come to describing it. But if she were the cool one the first time, I was ultra cool this time, maybe that's why she was sad. Sad that I didn't fold as I normally do and apologize for whatever she thinks I said and did wrong so we could get on again. I'm not sure but that is the feeling I'm left with. I could be completely wrong of course but still.

Oh btw, we didn't have any work for her now, but maybe for the summer. Interesting times ahead I think..

The major site revamp are having tantrums and hiccups!!! Silly thing.

Oh well im sure James will figure it out even if he has to call in the cavallery at some point before he has pulled all his hair out. I've done the graphic bit but i leave the coding to him. He is so much better at it then i am anyway. And im sure that he will be blogging soon, well you know what i mean.. soonish.

Breaking news: Major site revamp in progress, stay tuned! Also in this issue *Shocker*, James promises to blog in very near future...

Finaly back home!
Its been a very fun but busy day baking. We decided to try out different breads to see which ones are suited for baking in a woodfired oven.
This is what we tried today.

1. Gotland loaf
2. Rye loaf
3. Thecakes
4. Croissants with poppy seeds
5. Wheat buns with raisins
6. Tunnbröd (thin tortilla like bread)
7. Sticky bun log (only a half since we shared the last bits of flour when we made these)

All in all it is heavy and hot work making all that bread and ending up with so little now when you look at it. But it was a tester run anyway and we had great fun doing it all. Not to mention to bake the breads in the oven without it getting all black on one side and not baked at all on the other. I think we will be doing more tunnbröd next time round and having a different recipe with more spice in. I was very good at shuffeling those in and getting them out before they burnt to a crisp, which only took less then a minute if you werent paying attention! You also got very good at making the fire burn evenly after a while even though Lotta is sporting a few burnmarks on her arms because she werent thinking that the rim of the oven would be very hot.

To bake or not to bake, that is the question.

Or rather, what to bake and what not to bake.
See it is like this. We are 3 girls from work who are planning to bake bigtime on Sunday in an old fashion baking oven. There are some places around that people can borrow if they want to do this. Does it sound strange? Oh well, on Sunday we are going to go medieval and bake the old fashioned way in a wood fueld oven. It will be up to James to make sure the heating is evenly dispensed and that there are enough hot coals for the bread to bake by. I think it will be somewhat messy but mostly fun. Lotta, me and Ulrika have plans, big plans for what we are going to bake. And I'm hoping it will be bread we are coming back with and not black logs of black, hard crusted, dry wannabee bread

I've just succesfully bid on my first postcard! And no one bid against me so it is mine! Just have to pay the guy now and then it will be sent to us. No one has left a bid on our sofa covers yet though, but over 50 people have had a look at them. Im wondering if they are too expencive....

James has shown me the wonderful new world of online auctions. I think he might regret it.. I've so far bid on 3 old postcards from Falun and we have also put up our sofa covers that we bought and never realised they were the wrong kind (try sticking a 2 seater cover on a 3 seater sofa and you'll understand) for auction. Yes I know we could have returned them but by the time we discovered the mistake it was too late and I had misplaced the receipt.

I like the old postcards from Falun, so far I have 12 in black and white and I'm trying to think about buying ones with buildings that aren't there anymore. They would be worth more ;o) But I also look at the scenes they picture and where they are taken from. I guess the online auctions are a bit of a substitute since there were loads of good live auctions on today but I'm working, so.. You take what you can get if you are addicted don't you?

What else in news. I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging again. Even more since I've applied for another blog ring. Cant let Moi over at Blogphiles down now can I.

I've also set a few seeds but I think I might have been a wee bit too early. The broccoli are long and gangly and really no use. But they all came up! I'll see if I will reset them later on in April. But the ones for my balcony boxes has to go now or they'll wont be able to grow big enough for planting out. But they are sooo tiny.

I have done a bit more sewing on my bedspread, will probably do some more tonight. I'm feeling quite up to it as well which helps a lot! And there aren't so many squares left to do either. When you see the stack of unsewn patches go down you kind of get in there to finish them all off. Then you take a break for about a year or two before you sew them all together, right? ;o)

Weekend and a new shift. I'm not sure I like it but what can I do about it? We didn't win the lotto this week either so it is back to the grindstone tomorrow.

2375kr... That is how much we got in spare change.. I just counted them all. We save them in paper rolls for the various coins. Blimey! And they are heavy as well. I better send James off to exchange them for more lightweight paper..

Isn't it just lovely when the sun is shining and it actually is warm? It is doing that right now! And I've cleaned out the balcony from the winter mess and am going out there to just sit and catch a few rays... Ahhh lovely

You got to try this one! My best so far is 306 points.

Swooosh!!!
What was that?!
It was the weekend racing past. It went oh too quickly for my liking. We had a pleasant day in town on Saturday, I bought some earring with giftvouchers I had from my birthday and also I bought 2 new CD's with another giftvoucher I got from Rosie. The CD's are by Nora Jones and Mauro Scocco. They were just collecting dust since I never got around buying anything for them when I got them last year. So I thought I would make good use of them on Saturday. Yesterday we went to IKEA in Valbo to have a look around. We weren't really looking for anything in particular, possibly a bookshelf to have in the guestroom since our main big one is stonking full after this years booksale! Didn't find any we really liked though, we did buy some simple shelves to put up in the kitchen though. Now all that is left is to paint them and get them in place....

New week and a new schedule from work. Wonder how I will like it... I'm supposed to be doing the bake-off section at work when I start today. And I will be getting home earlier as well. I start earlier on Tuesdays and Saturdays as well. Will have to see how I cope, the new schedule means more time at the tills again and I know my shoulders wont cope well with that if I cant get out and do something else once in a while. I'm getting worn out, sad but true...

Working weekends really drains me of all energy right now. Its been up until today that I feel like I'm sort of getting in tune with the week. But I thought it was friday for a split second this morning at 9 when I woke , panicking because that meant I was late for work! But then I thought a bit longer and no I was alright, it is thursday, right?

Yesterday on my day off we went to Borlänge to investigate where James has to go when he is having his interview about a job tomorrow. Please think of him at around 10.30 swedish time and hold your fingers crossed that he will get it. It was a bit further out then we thought but he said he would be alright in getting there in time even though he will have to walk for quite a distance from the bus stop. We did pop in by Kupolen as well and managed to come just as the fire trucks arrived to the post center. Huge black clouds indicated that someone wasn't going to get their mail the next day. It wasn't as bad as we thought though seeing the little article about it in todays newspaper. It had been a little post van burning when re-charging its batteries. But from the smoke you would have thought at least half the building was going up in flames. We stood watching it for a while before going into the petshop. Our surviving siamese fighting fish didn't go so well with our new goldfish, the little bugger went and chewed on the goldfishes tails. So it was promptly put back into its old little tank. But it was getting depressed and not eating or swimming or anything so I came up with the brilliant idea to get it a mini tank with filter and plants and rocks to hide under. Thing is, the mini all- inclusive 'beginners' tank costed more then my bigger tank I had for christmas! At least it is eating again and swimming around. I'm thinking about getting it a mate, will have to see what I do. The new goldfish knows when it is feeding time now and they do swarm by the corner where I drop their food into the water, but they do that every time I come close to the tank anyway, greedy ickle buggers... :)

Found this via Belle

What Classic Movie Are You?

I've been busy the last couple of days. With what you wonder? Well....

It isn't done or anything, just got started on it again. I did quite a few of these squares a couple of years ago now. But then didn't get inspired enough to sit down and finish it until now. I am planning on doing a bed spread with this 3x3 square in the center framed by a one tone fabric and finish off the sides with a single line of squares. The fabric framing the center will be one colour, quilted in some fashion. I haven't decided yet if it will be white but most likely it will be. The pattern is called Storm at sea or Rolling stone. It is fiddly to make the squares but ones you got them into sections it is easy to sew together into a square of 36x36cm. Then you only have the problem of fixing the finished squares together into a bigger 3x3 section! But I must say I'm quite proud of maintaining a rough 36 cm square on all of them even though the sewing is a bit wobbly at times. Will post it on here when I'm finished, in the next decade or so...!

There are ways of salvaging old curtains given from your mum to new more to my liking ones. Well these were just too short (the top white) so I added on a spare bit of flowery voile and voila! you got a new pair of spring curtains! Well talking about spring, it was looking like spring at least until it started snowing an hour ago!

We got some new fish as well today to our tank. There are 3 new shiny fancy goldfish swimming around in there now. And some plants and a background. Our surviving Siamese fighting fish looks very bleak and grey compared to the flamboyant new goldfish. We've named them and this time it was my turn to do the honours. So the white and red spreckled one is Tinky Winky, the black and gold one is Dipsy and the all orange gold one is LaaLaa.... I know, James is really a bad influence on me!

My day off.
Sun is shining, snow is falling, it is +3. Now what could be wrong in that sentence?

We are heading out soon to do ...something. Haven't yet decided on what yet but definitely something is to be done today. I was thinking IKEA but mum needs the car early so wont go there today. We also discussed going by train to Gävle or Uppsala but nothing came out of it. So it looks like a trip to Borlänge and shop a bit at Kupolen. And then do some grocery shopping at Coop. Will fit a walk in as well since the weather is just fine (not grumbling about the snow)

Yesterday we went to the annual allotment meeting were they talked about what's been happening the previous year and elected new members to the board, I was elected to join the election committee. They also confirmed that the county messed up when saying it was fine to build small greenhouses. Now apparently you have to send an application in for a permit to build greenhouses since one neighbour has started to complain about how the allotment area looks like. We are very new to this so we didn't really know all the in's and out's of what's been going on. But one neighbour has started to come down and harass people at the allotment saying they have nothing to do there and they should clear off. Most of the times he has been drunk when going after people. Also he complains about people using the road that leads from the main road down to other houses along the allotment. But he cant deny us to use the road as long as the community there gets part of the maintence subsidised from the county, in other words, its still a public road. It seems that the neighbour also is complaining about the little bay getting overgrown and it is our fault for using fertilizers. And we shouldn't be using white fleece either to protect from frost, it should be green.... The list is endless of what he complains about. They are at the moment trying to find out what is what about permits since they have had different answers to what they are allowed to do. Hopefully they will get to know before the growing season starts here, which is in april, may. We were more welcomed this time and people actually talked to us! We felt quite out of it on the last meeting. But im sure they keep their distance untill they know if you are serious about staying in and use your allotment to grow plants in and not just leave it after you've put the seeds in. Quite a few do just leave them all summer thinking it will manage on its own. They also talked about getting a bit tougher on people that just leave everything. If they cant shape up they are out of there. But i will have to see it to belive it in this case. They seem very reluctant to confront people and tell them what's what..

Weekend over...
It has been lovely absolutely GORGEOUS weather here this weekend and who do you think had to work hmmm????
Well its obvious it was me, never mind that I had raging pms and was ready to murder someone, I had to work with Mr B as well! *pause to retract claws*

Serenity, calm, think of a slowly flowing stream..birdys chirping and humming bumble bees. Ahhhh....

IT DOESN'T WORK!

Today was scary, me that is, was scary. Women everywhere will understand and guys will go duck behind the nearest sofa until it passes. Just consider how much energy you release when on PMS ,negative or positive depending on your life situation I suppose. Its like walking around with a volcano inside that's just letting enough pressure out to stop it from exploding. By the looks of my temper this weekend my life must be quite shitty. But its not, well only work wise I suppose. Otherwise it is great!
Bet you next time I will be all weepy and will cry for the slightest little mishap, like not being able to tie your shoelace up or if the bread isn't defrosting quick enough for you. Pathetic. Still, it makes life much more interesting. I don't know if James will agree with me though... ;)

It is starting to melt a bit over here. Already! It is nice and sunny outside right now so might go for a longer walk before work. Been cleaning and pottering around a bit this morning. Just tidying everything away stuff that seems to be leaking out in various rooms all the time. Strange that how some things seem to grow legs over night isnt it... ;)

I've just cooked a lovely lambstew i've never done before and baked an almond cake for desert, yummieness in this apartment is high right now!

Work is going pearshaped in more then one way. And our boss is having a nervous breakdown or so it feels like sometimes. He is sneaking in new schedules without proper advance notice. He is calling it just temporary and still it will be a fixed one once everybody's got used to it. He hasn't said anything to me yet even though I know he has changed my shifts during the weekends. It will be most interesting to see how long he will wait until telling me. If he will at all of course. But when he does I'm going to ask him why he wants me to sit at the tills more and get more trouble with my shoulders then I already have( he knows about my problems in this area). And why he doesn't put A in as the new weekend boss as he had told and promised her. If he did as he had planned in the first place I would get A's shifts in the veggiesection and everything would be fine and dandy part from me losing out on double pay on Saturdays, but never mind that. He had promised to shift Mr B off the weekend shift since he wasn't doing what he was supposed to do and generally being a pain in the arse. But he chickened out didn't he and now it seems we are stuck with Mr B arsing around doing nothing during our weekends pretending to Big Boss that he did all the work while we work our arses off instead and never get noted for it! It is so shitty I cant tell you! No wonder I'm looking for another job eh?

I am holding in my hand a white envelope with my finished application for another job! Take a deep breath and scream, YEEEEHAAAAAAA!
Doesnt that feel better? I could get used to this you know ;)

I did it in 4 seconds.
I deserved an A++!!
Take the How Dexterous Are You? Quiz!!

Ehm, does this mean i need to spend a bit more time away from the computer? LOL

I am seriously suffering from low self esteem right now! I'm trying to write a CV and all I can see is that I've not done much different work then what I am doing right now, and it is soooo depressing! Plus the fact that I am getting old and and and! Well you seem to get my drift..

Im going to apply for a job i saw in the newspaper. It is at CSN. They grant loans for students in Sweden. If i understand correctly you will be giving advise and helping out generally at their helpline and filing the loan applications and likes. Im going to give it a shot anyway. Now to the hard bit, writing an interesting CV!

I had just noticed, it doesnt get dark untill 4.30 now a days! Its amazing how a few minutes each day make you peark up. But the thought of tomorrow plunks me straight back down again. Im going to the dentists to fix a hole in a back tooth. I HATE going to the dentists. Or rather what they can do to your poor teeth! At least im going first thing in the morning so it is over and done with on my day off. Why do i constantly make arrangements for doing stuff on my day off? In the end it is a hectic day with lots of To Do things on a list waiting to be ticked off. Its not really a day off is it then?

I might learn, someday that days off are supposed to be just that. Maybe.. :)

To have someone that talks in his sleep is very amusing and bewildering at the same time. Last night James was very tired and dropped off into bed very early. He said he would take a short nap, but when the nap just lingered on i went in to see if he wanted to get up or stay in bed and sleep for the night. When asking him if he was awake since he looked it i got a response somewhere around the lines of " an onion is smaller then an apple". I realised he wasnt awake and had a giggle but then he told me to go away in a sleepy kind of shrug. I left him to it and went back to my book. I do wonder how his mind works and what that was all about though.

Another long absence. I'm out of things to blog about. Horrible thought isn't it? Of course there are much to blog about yet but I haven't had any inspiration at all to sit down and write. Sometimes I've thought ' oh I really should have blogged about that ' but any further then a thought it has not yet become.

We had a blizzard at the start of the week and now it has gone very very cold. Sunny but cold and everything is covered in a thick layer of white crisp snow. We even went out to walk a bit in it and waddle through the thick snow drifts that the wind was making. There is something special about walking through snow up to your knees :)

James' work seems to have dried up. Not a phonecall from them for the past 4 weeks isn't a good sign. At least he is able to cash in on the dole since he joined the union a year ago. Every little thing helps I suppose. But I really do wish he would find a new job that is a more permanent one then the one in the book printers. Would put my restless mind to rest a bit more. That's another thing. I'm so restless. I cant concentrate and am fidgeting about almost everything. Wanting change, NOW type of mood. But what sort fo change you ask? Heck if I know. More then the obvious one of course, a change of jobs. I've been too long holding onto this crappy work in a supermarket. I think it is time someone else got it so I could get on with my life and do something I like for a change. Ha! Only if we win 20 million on the lottery this Saturday could we do that. Money is king in this world and oh how I hate to be bound to a work I really don't like anymore just because you need one to pay your bills so you can have somewhere to stay. Oh that did sound very spoilt didn't it. Think of all the people who don't have a home or a work to go to... But still you get the drift don't you, I'm fed up!

Have you got a memory that sticks there just because it was so brilliant when it happened but when explained later seems slightly weird? Well I now have one. It was on New Years day, family dinner with James' parents and his sister and her bf Steve. We had had our lovely turkey dinner that James' mum had prepared and we decided we would play a game called Quotations. In it there are several different groups of questions to answer, one group of them being Buzz Words. In Buzz words the whole point is that when one player reads the question the other players have to guess what word is missing from a sentence, when they know the word they shout BUZZ and the one who gets it first gets to answer, simple don't you think?

Well in the heat of the game you do mix your words up and it is only natural, anyway I think so, that you should shout the right answer instead of BUZZ. Well Steve did just that. But since James shouted BUZZ first he had the first chance of guessing. Remember this being a very simple question, the sentence you had to complete was "Like a .... out of water". You all know that the missing word is fish, if you didn't know you would have heard Steve shout it and guessed it was the right one since he shouted f*ck afterwards since he botched it. Anyway, we played in teams and James and me were one team. And I thought, great, at least we will lose one of our cards in this game when James were quick. But do you know what he said? Instead of a fish out of water he said duck and looked very smug for a second thinking he had guessed it right before I whacked him! He got this thing about ducks, it all started with a question in Trivial Pursuit that had something to do with animals hibernating and right out of the blue James wondered if Swedish ducks did hibernate like ordinary ducks did.....! We only played that for one round and then moved on to a more sinister game of Scruples....This is where you get questions that will test your moral values and if you can lie convincingly to bodge others. Also it shows how well you know each other...

Christmas was lovely especially having my sister and her bf here did make it extra special. Then we spent new year at James' parents in England. And I think that was just what the doctor prescribed for me. I was still coughing quite a lot from the flu I had before Christmas. But the mild weather in England and some retail therapy did the trick it seems ;)

Ah yes, SALE is a word I love to see when visiting England. I bought 7 new tops and 3 pairs of trousers plus got some lingerie from James.. . Plus everything else we got it is a bloody miracle we weren't overweight when checking in at the airport when going back! We went to 3 different city's shopping(joy joy joy) But also we did get to see James grandparents as well as James getting a football game in there as well. Being a huge Ipswich fan he was very pleased at them winning the game on Saturday. Me, I went to town with James mum and did some last minute shopping before going back to Sweden while he watched a round ball being kicked from one side of a pitch to the other. Hmpf, men and their sport! ;)

And we watched Love Actually on New Years Eve in Ipswich big cinema multiplex. I thought it was a weird film to start with but once you got the number of different stories they were following it was very good. But sad towards the end in two occasions. Being a chick flick I'd still recommend it to guys to go see. Talking about films, I'm major disappointed about The Return of the King! You could see where there will be longer scenes once the extended version comes out, you got this feeling about vital information being cut out and you sat there feeling cheated. And that I wasn't expecting from seeing the two other films. Still it is an amazing film and the effects and the story over all is still excellent. Just is, we wanted better for the last film!

My sister and her bf are coming to stay with us for the holiday and i have to get busy with cleaning and sorting out the guestroom. I think blogging will be scarce during their stay and we are going to fly to England on sunday so it will be a wee bit hectic. I'll catch up with you all once we are settled again after christmas. I'll leave you with a picture of our lovely tree and a wish for a lovely silly season ;)


Merry Christmas Everybody!

At last I might be making some progress to get better from this flu thing. I went back to work on thursday though, big mistake. I went to work yesterday as well but came home after a couple of hours and am now on sickleave until tuesday if I feel like I need it. I always go back too early! I think it must be my mum making an imprint in me when I was younger that you shouldn't be home sick, oh no, you should go back to school/work as soon as you can. But it doesn't work with me. I just get relapses and end up sick again :(

The coughing haven't stopped and my nose is still like a tap flowing with water. But at least I don't have a fever (knock on wood) anymore. The really silly thing is I feel awful for being at home. I got a guilty conscience about it! But that must be because I feel better when not doing so much and just relaxing, it helps my coughing as well. But when I'm at work I cough like an idiot because I'm doing stuff so it is a battle between feeling like your skipping work just because or getting your health back by doing light stuff at home. I'm dreading to tell my mum I'm home again, I can just hear her voice crackle in my head with all sorts of comments. Oh well, its the time to be jolly, so lets forget about that and be merry! Im sure a little glas of something strong will aid me in that ;)

Don't you just hate having a cold? Well I managed to get the flu on tuesday and am not best pleased! It is horrid enough to get an ordinary cold, but a flu? Yuck, I'd forgotten just how fuzzy headed you get from having a fever. And it doesn't make things any better that James got it a couple of days after me either. Now when I'm rid of the fever and perky enough to want to do stuff I feel too weak and sweaty just moving from the sofa to the kitchen to get something to drink. And everything in my mind is churning, its only 11 days left until Christmas and I've not finished my shopping yet! Or got a tree yet... Me, who every year solemnly swear not to get stressed at Christmas has wound myself up so tight I'm starting to panic a bit at the sight of the days just slipping by in a feverish haze! And it had to happen just this year as well when my sister and her bf can come to Christmas because they found someone willing to work for them over Christmas and they want to stay at our place! Me who wanted to get everything nice and settled for our first Christmas here and now I'm feeling more and more the urge to scream BAH HUMBUG to anyone cooing about Christmas and oh how wonderful it will be! I just have a big lump in my stomach and am not relaxed at all.

It's an amazing morning considering we have had the worst grey weather for over a month! It is blowing hard outside and the sun is rising to almost a blue sky. It has a white haze to it but i am sure the sun will shine today between the gusts of snow! There were storm winds yesterday night that made the windows rattle and the dry snow that fell to fly around making it look like a blizzard at times outside. Im sure it is colder as well, it looks like it.

We are heading into the center of town in a bit to purchase hall furniture from the Elephant shop (Indiska). We are walking it and im worried because i dont own a hat and my hood wont be any use outside in this wind! I will have to borrow one of James' hats. I hope we will make it back in time, im working this weekend as well so cant stay too long shopping!

Sorry for the lack of posts, but we've been busy with christmas preparations! We went christmas shopping on tuesday and yesterday i went hunting for spruce twigs to use when decorating our balcony rail. I ended up in the forrest by Källviksbacken cutting some with my mum. I also picked a bit of green moss to decorate our Noel candlestick. When i got home i happily got on with decorating the rail and finished off the whole big garland with some small fairylights. They dont twinkle but shine ever so nice in the green twigs.

By the time i was finished outside James had got home from work and we started to do a bit of cleaning up and decorating inside. I sewed some new christmas curtains since i didnt find any nice new ones, my old ones were sadly too short for our new windows. Just a note, what tacky christmas curtains there are for sale this year! And huge screaming patterns to them as well. I gave up looking for some already made up ones after seeing all that there is in ickle Falun and found a nice dark red material instead. They really are bedsheets but now converted into plain curtains with home made golden tiebacks and looking a lot more expensive then they really were. Im glad i can sew stuff myself at times like these. Or otherwise we would have silver goats on a red backround with giant purple hearts with black and golden lines mished into them hanging in the windows....

Today is baking day. Im blogging a bit while im waiting for my saffron bun dough to rise.

Saffron buns are traditional food for christmas here in Sweden. I like them a lot and they are fun to make as well. You can make them into many different shapes but i like the sunbread shape, lots of S's laid on top of each other to make a circle. Will take some pictures for you later.

We are visiting my sister in Gothenburg this weekend. We usually try to get there for her birthday once a year. We went into Gothenburg today for some christmas shopping. Well considering the amount of people milling around the streets i am surprised that James kept up for the entire day! He was very good even when i got a bit cranky at the end before we had a little lucnh at a full packed cafe. Their warm sandwiches were nicer then our home made ones and that says a lot, anyway to Pauline.. :)

I only managed to get one christmas present though. But of course we had time to go into a Lush shop as well. But considering how much soap i already have at home i was very very good and only bought a honey soap. Cant live without that soap!

The drive down here was miserable all the way. Rain and thick mist didnt do the trip any good. Neither did the fact that i was collected straight from work and we had already had a hectic morning there so i was very tired to start with. But we got here in the end even though it took at least one hour longer then any other trip we have made down to my sister. The forcast for tomorrow when we are going back doesnt look much better. Still grey and rain, possibly snow further up north. Ok for rain and mist, but please no snow untill we are home!

I wish i would have had our camera right now! It has been snowing all night and everything is coated with lovely sugary looking snow. Every branch of the trees are white, you cant see the lawn anymore and it is still snowing and the light outside is just amazing. I think i will go for a walk before heading off to work. It is sooo looking like christmas out there i've even put on my christmas cd. Oh bliss... And to make things even better. James is coming home tonight! I've missed him terribly, havent really been able to get my feet moving at all when he has been gone.

Im out of here, first going to feed the birds outside though before going wandering in the snow. I'll post pcitures tomorrow if the snow is still here.

We had a poweroutage at work this morning around 11. Apparently half of Falun was out and half of Borlänge as well. Dont know what happend yet. I will check the local news in a few minutes to find out if it was some clever chappy on a digger cutting the cable or if someone was half asleep throwing the wrong switch ;) It only went on for 15 minutes though so it wasnt so bad. Strange enough people kept on coming in and wanted to pay when we had no working tills! What do people think about when they demand to be able to shop even though we cant get into our tillboxes for change since they run automatic with the rest of the program. Sheeesh.

It is snowing.
Just a few flakes but still, it is snowing!

James has gone to England for a flying visit before christmas. He had not told his dad that he was coming but his mum was all in on the conspirecy to surprise James dad. I think it went down very well. Have to have a proper talk to James tomorrow, we were both too tired this afternoon to make any good sense. I was napping when he phoned and he was still tired from the plane trip and then the bus trip up north. Im still tired from driving him, we had to get up at 4 to get ready and head off at 5. But now i know how long it takes (2h) so i wont be too early on saturday when im going down to Västerĺs to collect him. Besides he is taking the late plane but still it is good to know when you can start off. Oh im rambling on, just too tired to make much sense so you will have to excuse me.

All is well again at work even though the drama spilled over to continue on Friday morning.

Lotta, Me, James and Roland went to an auction today, well two auctions if you are going to be picky. The first one being furthest away and the one that in the newspapers looked most promising was in fact the most disappointing one of the two. The first one was held by the same company that sold the cupboard we bought this summer. And it was supposed to be their quality autumn auction. Bah humbug is my opinion! Ok lots of old stuff. Old enough to have come from some museum and just as brittle as such items. Nothing really for us since we usually like the auction with goodie boxes and all sorts rather then the expensive collectors auctions. So after a brief discussion where everyone agreed to move on it was onward to Borlänge. And since it started later, at noon, we had plenty of time to view what was going.

I found 2 very cute and odd looking elephants that I bought for 25 kronor, unfortunately along with them came a little wooden indian which is cute also, a modern metal string sculpture as a candle holder (perfect for Rosie) and a little ceramic pot for melted butter. I put the two elephants in my coat pocket and handed the other stuff to James. Poor him and poor Roland but they are generally very good and don't grumble too much if we feed them a few sausages while the items are being sold off. There were some postcards but not really any nice ones or local to us. And as James said postcards of churches are just plain old boring since they don't change like a city card does.



We found another thing as well. A 1920's wall clock. At the bargain price of 275 kr! I thought it would be hopeless to bid on it and start of way up in the 500's. The clock does work, you wind it up with a key and it has a clear ringing double chime and right now it is keeping time. We set it around 7 and it is still hanging in there. I don't know if we will keep the chime going once its run out when the auction man winded it up for us to hear, it depends on how annoying we think it is at night. But I suppose you can get used to it though.

Major drama at work tonight. Mrs B took it badly that she and Mr B wasn't invited to a cruise on a Finland ferry, they found out tonight. She thought it was a work organized party but really it is Big Brother still haunting us and selecting a few friends and former work colleagues to take on trips like this. And it is always a big hush hush about them going so as to that Mr B and missus or anyone 'unsuitable' wont get whiff of it until it is too late. Obviously because they don't want them to tag along. It's the A team and the B team all over again. I hate when that happens.

Anyways, Mrs B thought also that there were a lot of bullshitting going on at work and everyone talking behind her back and so on. Well no wonder since she is readily dishing it out as well. But seemingly she cant take the heat when it is reversed and fell into tears tonight when I asked if there was something wrong. She said she had been nice to others and couldn't understand why people where behaving like this, she also asked me if she had been nasty towards me and I said it had been borderline a couple of times. When I said that she looked very shocked and said if it was so she hadn't meant it in a bad way. I suppose it is how you come across when talking to someone. But seriously, she has been dishing it out. We have one girl on maternity leave who cried every day the last 2 weeks before she went on leave because of Mrs B nasty tongue so she isn't all innocent. But sadly it must come to this before we do anything about it. If anything will happen is yet to be seen though. Me, I have doubts it will and if anything will happen it is that Big Boss will tell us all to leave Mrs B alone and shut up about the bullshitting. But that wont solve the real reason for all of this. And the real reason why work is a horrible place to be in sometimes is Mr B and his attitudes and that Big Boss allowed Mrs B to start work there as well. You could handle one but pair them up and you got hell brewing and I wouldn't like to be there when it boils over. It will be most interesting to go to work in the morning. I've already phoned Lotta and warned her about the storm coming ....

I walked to work this morning and took the camera with me. There had been fog all night so everything was covered in white frost. I snapped a few pictures and the one in the menu list is one of them. It's a shame i didnt have more time or else i could have had a very nice picture of frosted leaves. But time was running out and i needed to get to work.

Work, well it was as it usuall is. Somehow it doesnt bother me that it is a complete nuthouse some days and other days it gets my skin crawling just thinking about going there. Today was a so so day. It wasnt horrible, but it wasnt fun either. Just ..blank. You do what your supposed to do and nothing else. How sad isnt that.

I've just had a shower and used almost the last drops of 'B' never to busy to be beautiful' shower gel, I only use it when I need to treat myself to something luscious when I'm tired to the bone from work. Ohhhh, the bathroom absolutely oozes of a lovely honey scent. Not to mention my skin, all soft and sweet smelling. It smells like I've dipped myself in a big honey pot (but nicer!) Its such a shame they don't to big bottles of it, only small gift ones. I've already checked on the Lush online shopping site since I'm running out if it! I'm a great fan of everything Lush and fresh. It was James' mum that introduced me to this wonderful world of great handmade soap and bath ballistics and wonderful bubbles and and and! There is a new shop in Sweden as well! In Västerĺs! That is not so far away from here. Hopefully they will open a new shop further north soon and end up in Kupolen (big shopping center in Borlänge) because I doubt it will come here to ickle Falun.

Don't you just hate needles?

I went to have a blood test done yesterday and knowing I'm a difficult patient with veins that don't want to be found I told the nurse she will only get 3 chances and then I'm out of there. I've started to set a limit to how many times they can stick that needle in me after a disastrous time when they couldn't draw blood. And still they had tried 7 places on both of my arms. In the end they took it from the top of my hand and burst the vein in the process as well so I had a HUGE black bruise for a week or so after it. So the pressure was on for the poor nurse, she joked and said I might stick around for the 4th time but I looked her straight in the eye and said no way am I going to be a living pin cushion again. She managed to find enough blood on her second attempt, at least enough for the tests they needed to do. I will find out next week what the results are when I have an appointment to see the doctor. Its nothing serious, I'm a diabetic you see and they do checkups once in a while. And I'm not worried since my blood sugar levels have been very good.

Long time ago there used to be someone posting on this blog. But where the heck she went I haven't got a clue.

How come your life can get so boring that its not worth posting anything about it? Well its not really boring, BORING. Just very , normal and quiet and everyday kind of stuff. There is just so much you can say about work, home, auctions. OHH yes we've been to quite many auctions me and Lotta. Getting really into this now, we even have our little 'black books' with us now where we put what the things went for and what they were. Ohh very smart and professional... Pfft. James is now so bored of auctions he actually falls asleep with his eyes open at them. I still persist in that he doesn't need to come with me every time but still he does. I think it is because he has figured out that he can keep a better eye on me when he's there. But I usually buy MORE when he is there then when he isn't.

I've finished the book and am started on another one by Tolkien. I'm eagerly awaiting the last film as well, but doubt if I can get any tickets for it the first week. Still I don't consider myself a total LOTR geek. I like the fantasy world of it. But I didn't think the book was the most amazing book I've ever read. I am ashamed to say I prefer the films even though they don't follow the book.... It will be interesting to see how they've rearranged the last film and what their ending will be. I quite like the ending of the book even though it means that the Shire gets it. I thought I heard somewhere that it wasn't included in the film. Oh well, not long now though.

It did snow a bit today. Nothing that stayed on the ground though. But it was amazing to see the sun shine and the snow falling outside at the same time. Weird but beautiful.

Did you notice I changed the book I'm currently reading? I must confess, I never read the whole book before...! But after seeing the films over and over and well you get the picture I decided it might be worth reading. So for my birthday James bought me this HUGE book which contains all three stories in one volume with illustrations by Alan Lee. It weighs a ton and looks like a tool you smash a window with! And I'm sure I will get totally lost in it and wont surface until it is read from cover to cover.

There might be some snow!

But please don't tell James that, he said the other day that I must stop cursing so much, meaning I had to stop saying it will start to snow soon! And this is from the guy who when he first came over here stared out the window for quite some time when it started to snow in late October and couldn't wait to go out in the snow and make crunchy sounds with his shoes when walking in it. But that was oh, 2 winters ago now. And I guess the novelty of it all has gone. I suppose it doesn't help either that he every winter falls over a certain amount of times..

Nothing much has happened over here. Everything seems to chug along nicely and nothing extraordinary has happened for ages. The same ickle rut every day. Wake up, go to work, get home, food, TV, bed. But once in a while it is a getuplaterushtoworkandruinthewholedaybecasueyoudidntsetthealarmclock type of day. Ask James, he had one yesterday. Have you ever seen someone actually jump into their trousers? I must say it is a sight to behold. Gives you that sort of grin on your face you cant shake whenever you see him for the rest of the day.

*News flash!*

Bear with me my singing isn't that great, ok?

~hAppY Biirthday tooo Mee, HaPPYY biirthhhday to meeee, hAppYY Birthhhday DeaRRR Maria, happy Birthhhday tO Meeeeee~! YaY!

Don't ask me to do THAT again, pew. If there ever was someone who couldn't hold a tone it would be me. Still I used to sing in the school choir at one point. But I think I must have sang quietly or else they would have thrown me out earlier!

I've had some lovely presents, thank you kindly for them all. But only one birthday card came in the post today. It was from James' grandparents. Thank You Dot and George, I will spend it on something lovely and most likely it will be clothes or SHOES. Sad aren't I, but I am a woman and as such 'we' are entitled of our shoes and handbag fests!

Just something for you to ponder about..

If you have a gifted mathematical brain maybe you can send me an explanation of why this works!


DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST

It takes less than a minute.......

Work this out as you read.

Don't cheat and read the bottom until you've worked through it!

This is fun!


1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have dinner out. (try for more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (Just to be bold)

3. Add 5. (for Sunday)

4. Multiply it by 50 - I'll wait while you get the calculator.................

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1753....
If you haven't, add 1752..........

6.. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number .

The first digit of this was your original number (I.e., how many times you want to have eat out each week.)

The next two numbers are... YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it IS!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2003) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS. IMPRESSIVE, ISN'T IT?

Got that in a mail today and tried it out, and it worked for me. Now lets see if it works for you.

Vatican: condoms don't stop Aids

This is why I'm not a Christian. And that is why they will burn in their hell for telling people to stop protecting themselves. It sure makes me wonder what idiots can pass the eye of God and end up a cardinal or even a pope with a clear conscience. Where is the common sense? Oh sorry I forgot, there is no common sense where religion rules. We've seen it time and time again....

I just feel sorry for the babies being born with the aids virus and the mothers that will have to explain to them why they are sick. I bet you they don't say it was because their priest or cardinal told them it was worse using a condom and stopping the disease then not using one and having babies even if it meant having already doomed their life to sickness and early death...

Thank you Moi for putting my attention to it.

I just love Sweden in autumn...
And the fact that this scene was shot just around the corner from where we live makes it even better!

I HAVE to get to the hairdressers! Right now my fringe is so long I can pull it up and make a ponytail of it with the rest of my hair if I place it high enough. I look like a samurai!

It has been absolutely gorgeous weather here today (sorry Mary) Clear blue sky with wisps of white clouds stretched out in jagged edges. Quite warm in the sun and all those trees changing into autumn colors just gleaming in the sunlight.

Lotta and me went to 2 auctions today. We were not impressed with either of them. The first one was a local one where the most interesting thing I could find were some rolled up maps from around Dalarna and Lotta spotted a little coffee pan in copper. But we weren't prepared to stay until they came up so we left for another auction in Basna, a bit outside Borlange. They were highly suspicious looking with lots of orient carpets and artwork but not really anything else. And very highly priced as their starting bid so we took one or two laps around and looked at each other and I started laughing and off we went. They really looked a bit like the dealer and wheelers in Fools and Horses.... In the end we found ourselves at an antiques show in Borlange a bit before they closed. I bought some old postcards depicting Falun and had a good look around at the prices and bumped into some regulars to the local auctions. Some of them we like and some we wouldn't touch with a 3 foot pole but sadly you have to since they come to shop at the store!

Anyway after watching Lord of the Rings(extended version) again I have decided to get cracking on rearranging the bookcase now when all the videos and DVD's are nicely stacked in our new cupboard. It was with a bit of disappointment we realized we wouldn't be able to fit the stereo in there as well since there really isn't any natural holes for the leads to come out of it. And we don't want to drill a hole in it for just the stereos sake. But now when it is all arranged it looks alright anyway. If we just could get rid of the quite pungent smell of a sheep stable even after a good scrub it would be perfect. Hopefully a bit of Lush soap can take care of that since it smells quite strong in the bathroom cabinet where it has been living before. Only problem left is that we moved the stereo to the 2 small white IKEA tables we have in front of the big windows and I'm not sure it works having it there. We'll see if I'll move it around again. Constantly changing things around until it 'feels' alright. Weird isn't it?

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.