Extend your Christmas gifts this year and support the help efforts being made now in Asia by donating what you can to the organizations helping thousands of people to get through this hard time. I have.

'Nice and sunny for christmas day'... baah humbug! It has been -15 and now it is snowstorming out there. We went for a little walk though but just down to the local garage for some extra milk. When we got back we were all covered in snow and looked like a pair of walking snowmen. But it was great fun!

Sorry for the lack of posts but its been hectic, both at work and here at home. My sister and her bf arrived tonight after the long drive from Gothenburg and they are sleeping here. And as the computer is in their bedroom im sure i will be showed the door soon because they are very tired. So is James who already has gone to bed, poor soul was up early since they started at 5 this morning but at least he now have 2 days off before heading back to work. And we havent got anything planned what so ever part from Christmas dinner at mums tomorrow. Just relaxing, eating lovely christmas dinners and maybe a walk for Christmas Day since they have promised nice and sunny, but cold.

Happy Holidays everybody and see you after the weekend!

I think I'm all set for Christmas. Presents bought and wrapped, decorations are up and glittering, the tree will be appearing tomorrow if we can find a decent one and now some soothing Christmas carols are playing on the stereo. The Christmas cards haven been dropping in as well, thank you everyone. Only thing missing is SNOW! All of the previous snow has melted away in the tropical +6 we've had all week. And its rained and rained and rained. It is so grim and black outside at night, haven't seen any sunshine since... I cant even remember!

We are having a little Christmas (lill Jul in Swedish) tomorrow with our friends Rosie and Pär, they are coming over for dinner and pressie swapping. I'm looking forward to that. Some time for relaxing and just having a good laugh is in order I think considering how hectic work has started to become. It really got into full swing yesterday and the queues where getting longer and longer at the shop. I prefer it busy and lots to do then slow and boring so it suits me just fine and it helps to know that I'm not working this Christmas so can really relax over the holiday!

Today will be mayhem at work as we are having a free taster of the Swedish Christmas food at work. Lotta just phoned and said the parking lot had been full since 9 when we open the shop, she now has a grand view of the supermarket from her new flat. So I presume lots of shoppers enjoying some free food and not buying so much, but that is what you usually get. It's actually quite fun watching them when they struggle to get as much free food as possible, not just ones but 3 times and we always know which ones will be coming for their seconds and thirds and so on... But that is the joy of having freebies isn't it?

Back again. It was a very annoyingly stubborn stomache flu and i really didnt feel better untill last thursday when i went back to work for one day before having a long weekend off in Gothenburg with James and my mum visiting my sister. We had a great time in Gothenburg even though the city seemed mad with Christmas shoppers everywhere. Not to mention the big Christmas market they have at Liseberg (big amusement park that opens again 4 weeks before christmas) At one point im sure we were packed as sardines in a can and could only move if the others moved as well!

It is my day off but i got a To-Do list as long as my arm so i'd better get cracking and getting on with things on it! But... I'' be back!

Will be posting soon again, got hit by stomache flu yesterday night so cant hang around really. You all might get it!

We've been to look at this house this morning. It was very welcoming and had a warm feeling about it, my gut feeling was good if you know what I mean. Its slightly bigger then our apartment but it has a complete downstairs with a big room and two smaller ones plus you got your laundry room in there as well.The basement had a fresh smell to it, not a moldy kind of smell some houses have, but the windows are so small. Theirs only one bathroom though and it would need redoing with putting in a new bathroom suite and re-tiling. The kitchen was old but not in a bad state, just maybe a new coat of paint on the cupboard doors. A great plus was that all the appliances were new-ish, a couple of years old only. There is a cold conservatory attached to it, you access it from the kitchen. Possibly you could remake it into a warm one and voila you'd have an extra room or you could extend the house that way and gain some more space for the kitchen/lounge area. It would create a very nice sheltered outside veranda between the extension and the garage. Some painting of the wood details outside are needed but other then that we couldn't spot much on our first visit. The more I think about it the more I like it and that's a first with a house!

The garden was excellent, the main bulk of it was facing south and was at the back. There were at least 3 apple trees, a long line of raspberry bushes along the back fence and 4 currant bushes. Some medium size trees and a roseborder along the conservatory. Plenty of room for some vegetable patches and there is a little birds pond apparently even though it was covered with snow now I think it is seen in the pictures.

We have to have a serious think about this one. Only thing is there is a 'do it upper' house for sale as well in the same area, just across the street really, for a lot lesser money. We are going to have a look at that one as well. The real estate woman said there is a couple who are interested in the 'Rose cottage' (the nice one is located at Rose Street) and was going to talk to their bank about a loan but the couple were also going to look at this other house 'The Thistle' (since the road is called Thistle Road). Going to discuss this with Jamie when we are on our way to IKEA tomorrow. That is if we're not going to get another half snow blizzard! Then we're not going anywhere, because if it snows here in Falun it is much worse up over the mountains on the road to Gävle. Keep your fingers crossed there is no snow, I want to go to IKEA!

Note to self; when going to the gym, don't walk there AND back home again. I am completely exhausted but feeling quite alright otherwise. But we will see tomorrow morning if I'll be able to get out bed, even with the stretching I think I might be quite sore. This time was a test run to see if I wanted to do some more and I do so I signed up for a year. My boss will pay half of the cost which is very generous of him but also a way for him to make sure we use the card as intended and not just go a few times and let it slide.

Its been snowing here a bit more and they are predicting more for the weekend. So it might be true that winter has come at last. Usually when it has snowed and everything is nice and frosty white I get into the Christmas spirit and go about making everything all warm and fuzzy and indulge in some gift shopping and getting everything sorted well before the last week so I don't need to rush around like a chicken without a head along other late shoppers. But this year it almost feels like I could say Bahh Humbug to it all. My mum is pulling her hair out because she don't know what I would like for Christmas and she is seriously concerned that I don't KNOW. But I don't WANT anything and why do you always need to want something for Christmas, there are loads of people much worse off then me that could need some cheering up for Christmas. I am quite happy as I am, I got a lovely husband who will no doubt surprise me no end with his unusual and different gifts for Christmas, we got ourselves a nice place to live, even though we are looking for a house. I have all the gadgets that I need and don't need and the bookshelves are bursting with books from the last book sale still to be read. I think Eleanor got the right idea about having a different Christmas, not getting caught in the consumer web of shop 'till you drop mentality, but, its nice to receive gifts and I don't think my family is ready for a totally different way of celebrating Christmas. Perhaps in the future, but not now. I'm sure I'll make a list, but it will be short and I think mainly consist of music and movie wants. You just cant have enough of books me thinks!

I'm about to do something very unusual for me. I'm going to a gym! Voluntarily! No one dragging me kicking and screaming. I must be sick.

We've had a busy weekend with my sister and her bf staying at our place. We had some fun and it all went too quickly but it seems they might be able to come up for Christmas this year as well and have already asked if it is alright for them to stay here then as well. Which it is of course. Somehow it makes things a bit smoother that they stay here then at either mums place or Hasses parents place. Not that there weren't hurt feelings from my mum when my sister asked if they could stay here but even if you try your bestest someone will always feel neglected. Anyway, that seems to be sorted for this time around. Makes you look forward for the Christmas visit doesn't it? Sigh

It seems they are predicting heavy snow for tomorrow. It certainly has taken a turn to the colder up here with fierce cold winds yesterday and a distinct smell of snow in the air, so it is a coming that's for sure! I'll post some pictures of the snow if and when it comes. I like blizzards.. :)

Our house hunting is at a stand still right now. There are lots of nice-ish places but only trouble is they are so far away. The more convenient and closer ones are so high priced at the starting price we stand no chance if there would be bidding for it, which there always is now a days apparently. There is this little farm house with potential but it is in Säter, which would be alright for Jamie since he would commute the same distance as he does today but for me it would be too far. I suppose we will just have to keep on looking.

Yay blessed be the Gods!
James my elusive husband is blogging again, well sorts of and he is at this location right now. Go and read and give him a pat on the head for finally making an appearance

It's a grey day. But it is my day off! And now when there's been a change of plans I really don't know what to do with myself.

I've tidied away all the washing, fed the birds outside, fed the fishes inside and did the dishes and its still only 10.30. I am leaning towards going for a walk into town and do a bit of Christmas shopping, or at least have a look around to see if I find anything to buy! At least we have to buy another 'Need for Speed Underground' game because the one we bought intending to give to Hasse James has totally taken over. He was supposed to 'testdrive' it but since Saturday he has been playing it every evening. Tut tut.. Well I admit, I've tested it as well and it is fun!

Any ideas what you could buy for someone who has everything (ie my mum)? And to my sister who has a birthday coming up in December. BTW they are coming here next week for a short stop over the weekend. They will be sleeping here so that is something I'm looking forward to. Hopefully they can come up for Christmas but its not looking great.

I'm so bored I think I'm going to write some Christmas cards already! Yes I know, I'm nuts...

I think I feel a bit older, yes definitely older and grayer since I had my birthday last Wednesday. That is why I went to the hairdressers yesterday and got everything done. And I mean everything, got me some nice curls then toned them in a nice dark brown/red color, a touch up of the hairstyle and I did my eyelashes darker as well. Saves you from putting on mascara every day and not needing to worry about it running in this awful autumn weather we've been having. Rain and rain and some more rain for the weekend. Where did the nice, cold, crisp frosty mornings go? They used to turn into lovely golden sunny days just begging you for long walks. I wouldn't walk more then absolutely necessary outside right now, anybody for some driving rain, just borderlining sleet?

I had a very nice birthday and didn't open all my pressies straight away since I had loads to do on that day. The phone kept on ringing all afternoon with people sending me Happy Birthday wishes and I had lots of nice pressies, thank you all! My mum came over for dinner and I had a cake with one, yes ONE candle in it. No need to point out that I'm 32 now is there..oops!
Oh well, I'm not any different from when I was 31, or so at least I'm trying to convince myself!

"To live with someone from a different country" requested by Belle.

Somehow it doesn't feel odd, it feels familiar and comforting to live with an Englishman. My mum, who is from Finland, did stay with her aunt in England for a while when she was in her twenties and worked there for a couple of years before meeting my dad who also was from Finland. She moved to Sweden shortly before they got married. We've always talked a kind of mixed Swenglish in the family with my mum but talked Swedish to our dad. But we never learnt Finnish so that is what my parents talked when they didn't want us to know what they were saying.

Mum used to cook all sorts of English dishes and we got used to having brown gravy to almost everything and that the vegetables were supposed to be all mushy and overcooked(yuck) but also that yorkies are very nice with gravy and roast. But she also did these fantastic pastries and cakes and every time we went over to visit her aunt she brought back loads of English necessities like Oxo cubes, malt loaf, water biscuits, short bread, self raising flower and dried mint that she used for the lamb roast plus a heck of a lot more that would fit in our car, we'd go by ferry on the north sea and all I got to say about that is, thank the gods for planes and short crossings of 2 hours! So all of this is familiar and not unusual to me. Maybe that's why I fell in love with a handsome Englishman with a Suffolk accent... ?

But as Belle has found out there is a difference in tolerance to cold weather. When James first came over to stay he was fascinated with snow and could just sit and stare at it while it was falling outside. He still loves the crunch sound you get when walking on it when it is very cold but now when the novelty has worn off he thinks winter goes on forever and spring can never come too quickly when it is around March. And he still has difficulty in judging when it is a proper time to put some gloves and hat on. He still some times thinks it is alright to go out in -10 without a hat on! BTW when the English news says there will be severe cold they are talking about -1 or maybe even -3. It took a bit of time before I realized they weren't joking about it when I was over in England to visit James' family in winter.

He has never understood the Swedish term "fika", which generally means a cup of coffee or tea WITH cake or sandwiches. And he don't really get that we like to fika so often. It is almost like a religion to some, and it has to be at a certain time and there has to be cake and cookies with the coffee or else it isn't a proper fika! If a friend calls and wonders if you can get together and have a talk it usually means can you come over and fika or could we go out to fika at a nice and cozy cafe. I kinda like it, it is very relaxed and you get something to munch on while talking about deep meaningful stuff, like the latest gossip...

Even though I'm sure there are loads more that you can go on and on about there really isn't anything that irritates me. He is very easy to cook for, he always amuses me with his quirky sense of humour and I enjoy being in his company and misses him awfully whenever he is working a different shift then I am. Life would be oh so boring without him, I do love him to bits, love you Jamie...

"Your first trip to Ireland and your first meeting with Jamie" requested by Mary who was responsible from the start that me and James ever met.

It was in the days of IRCmania. It was the 'in' thing to do, to go to an IRC channel and chat to total strangers and have cyber marriages, cybersex, cyber theater plays with various people playing different characters or just a one man show where he/she changed his nickname to make a point not to mention cyber wars and hostile takeovers of various chatrooms. It was when the geek could earn a name as a genius hacker if he could spoof, flood and kill.

Mary was one of the first people I got to know really well over the internet. She was one of the gang in a channel called #cheeky_fookahs. We were a crazy bunch of people sitting up all hours of the night and day to chat to each other. Sometimes you just wanted to fool around a bit and joke and other times you needed a friendly ear who would listen to your troubles and worries and tell you that everything was going to be alright. And Mary, she is a very warm and understanding woman, will sit and listen to all your worries and tell you that everything will be alright, and in the end it is alright, because she said it is. But sometimes she finds you someone who she thinks would be perfect for you and introduces him with an innocent excuse that she has to do something and would I please keep him company for a while. So I did. And I don't know when it clicked, but it clicked, big time.

After a few months we'd got to know each other so well that we started to talk about seeing each other in real. I think it was Mary who suggested a party at her place, in Ireland, and that we should get together with the others in the chat room as well. In the end only Brian (twant) and Richie (SaWnOff) part from James and me would make it over to Dublin. And indeed it was a nervous affair. I can still remember that Friday when Mary and me were waiting at the airport for Richie and James' flights to land. It was busy at the airport and flights were being delayed so in the end it was Richies flight that came in first and when James flight had landed there must have been loads of planes coming in because all you could see was this wall of people moving slowly from the arrivals hall to the exits. But no James, after a while we heard a msg that would please Mrs Mary and Mirjam! go to the information desk, James is waiting. And there he was a nervous, pale, shaggy dog looking James. But he saw us coming and I can swear to this day that if I would have poked him he would have fallen over but instead I gave him a long warm hug and asked if he was alright and his answer was "I am alright now"

We've been to have a look at the house... and its got a lot of potential, it could be a lovely house, no a great house! Of course there are some but's in there as well. Like could we stand the bathrooms while saving up to re do them, it got its own sewage and water well. We would have to check the quality of the water and make sure the well is deep enough. If the waters no good what would it cost to get tapped into the mains.

Some pro's and con's that we talked about.

The master bedroom is huge, 21 square meters! It has its own French balcony and 2 sets of big windows, one to the east and one to the south. There is a working fireplace but you would have to check that and the other fireplaces before buying. No evening sun which is good. The walls are a good 30 cm deep in the old part and the new extension looked nice as well with wood beams in the ceiling.

They used electricity for heating plus the fireplaces, could turn out expensive both ways considering how the price of electricity has been rising and rising and that we don't know anyone that could sell us cheap firewood.

All of the rooms are of a good size and the layout of them is fine. Mainly wallpapering to do there and possibly sand the floor in the dining room.

There's this ugly stain in the bathtub, maybe due to the water, and over all the bathrooms looked dingy and a bit out of place. Mish mashed if you know what I mean. The sauna wasn't installed but it was all prepared for one, don't think I'd like one though. You could instead move the shower and the toilet to the sauna room and have a big washing room/drying/ironing room. You would get a new washing machine and tumble dryer.

The kitchen would look absolutely smashing if you tore down a wall and made a kitchen island with the oven and work surfaces but is it a bearing wall? The oven and fridge/freezer are completely new, the fitted cupboards are ugly and worn/old not to mention the tiling(screaming 70s!) but they have a working wood fired baking oven.....

Garden looked a bit tired and could need some doing up but you got a very elegant greenhouse and some apple trees and redcurrent, gooseberry bushes. But all that would be quite easily taken care of.

But mainly, could we afford it, is it worth it? There have been 10 or so to have a look at it and a couple of them seem to be interested. I seriously don't think it is worth more then the asking price in its current state, maybe even lesser considering the state of the bathrooms and that the outside needs repainting. I don't think the bank would give us a big loan so it is already in the upper limit we have set ourselves and considering that we would like to do quite a lot in it that costs money it is a question of can we wait and save up for it to be fixed and live in what it looks like now and knowing myself I don't think I could. Maybe if I had to but it would be agonizing... hmmm, got to think that one over.

What a wonderful autumn sunday, crisp air, clear blue sky and completly still. And of course i have to work the best part of it! But i dont mind because we are going to have a look at a house later on this evening. Yes we are still looking for that dream house. But we are in no real rush so taking the time to have a look at possibilities are fun at the moment.

No other real news to tell. Am working today with the dreaded Boris. But so far so good. But it is tiresome to work with someone that completly ignores what you'r saying and complains when we dont do as he says, in other words when we dont do his work for him! But we have stopped covering for him, if its not done it's his problem not ours. And if he hits the high grade of pesky we are going to the Big Boss this time saying we dont want to work with Boris anymore and could he please be removed or else we want to change weekends! I dont think it would have such an impact if it was only me that said it but we are several now that feel this is the last straw and if nothing happens soon that is what we will do.

Better get ready for work... *sigh*

I've been reading Bellus Animus and got inspired to do something similare. So, what would you like to know about me? Is there anything at all? I'll blog about the three first questions i get in the comments. So fire away....

(please help me gods...what have i done!)

We've bought a new car! At least we have made a down payment for it and now own the tires... Buying the whole car we will do on Monday or Tuesday depending on when the money gets transferred from England. We test drove it yesterday and it felt very nice, handled like a dream and what me and James could make out nothing seriously wrong with it. It's had all its check ups and its only 5 years old. Plus it is a Volvo. They usually are good standard cars, bit boxy in the past but quite nice now a days. I think we'll call it Rosalind. :o)

Guests have come and gone and everything is back to normal. Plus an autumn cold I might add. It was fun having my inlaws over for a long weekend. We managed to do lots and see a bit more of the area around Falun as well on Saturday. Best part I think was the bowling on Friday evening. I think I'll ask James to go bowling with me on Saturday if he isn't too tired from working extra. He has his mind set on buying a house now so every time he gets a little extra he says we got a new thing to the house, like a porch, a window, I think he has managed to squeeze in a roof as well in there...

I was in a baking mood yesterday, thought I'd try out Mr Jamie Oliver's stuffed breakfast breads. PfffT! As you might have guessed it didn't go so well. And I thought it tasted like sweaty socks even though the stuffing sounded nice and looked nice(parma ham, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, basil and hard boiled eggs)! That might just have been my cold BUT the breads did NOT look anything like his, firstly they were humongus in size even though I tried to make them smaller but then the filling wouldn't have fitted at all and they didn't stay nice and puffed instead they just swelled all over the baking tray like a sloppy jello gone bad. So I had to put them in separate trays or else it would have been one gigantic mutant bread that would have I'm sure taken over the world like the big amoeba in the film Evolution tried in the end sequence!

So today I'm trying something more sublte and easy, potato and leek soup. I've done it a gazillion times before but remembering yesterday I'm keeping my mouth shut until I've tasted it. Later I'm going to do a batch of Swedish meat balls for the freezer so James only have to take a ready made meal out if we are out of ideas for dinner or his next day lunch box. Wish me luck though!