We’ve discovered that the Red Avenger isn’t a superhero, as we previously thought, but a big-time wrestler (“small-time,” says Olof ) .  Whenever I lie down beside her, she is all over me.  Laying the smack down, if you will.  She fights dirty, too, pinching and biting and pulling hair.  I usually last only a… Read More Mistaken identity

“Oh!” Lydia exclaimed, when she saw my post from yesterday.  “I have a picture of that, too!”  She produced her cell phone to show me, and I knew at once that I had to show off her picture as well.  If anything, I think it’s better than her dad’s. You can tell by the pattern… Read More Same, same but different

Here’s another winter picture taken by Olof — the focus isn’t so sharp, but you can still see the cool cloud formation.  I’ve never seen anything like this (and, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t even see it live but just the same way I’m presenting it to you).  Nice, huh?

In recent years my holiday greeting/Christmas card list has grown by leaps and bounds.  Last year I sent out some sixty cards to family and friends and had nearly as many sent to my own mailbox from various points on the globe.  I know it seems pointless and unmodern to many people, but I’ve really… Read More Slacker

After weeks and weeks of a long, drawn-out fall, winter arrived in a great big hurry this past weekend.  We woke on Saturday morning to a temperature of -14°C (7°F), and though it didn’t stay that cold for long, it was plenty long enough for those poor souls–Olof, Lydia, and Tage–who had to be outside… Read More Chill

Lydia and I went to town for our monthly mother-daughter lunch yesterday afternoon, and we had the best time we’ve had together in a long time.  We just did the usual–lunch and dessert at our favorite café-slash-bakery and a little shopping afterward–but for once we were both on the same wavelength, calm and relaxed with… Read More Companionable

At Tage’s school, they have something called Tysta Torsdag, which means “Quiet Thursday,” and they have a weekly competition to see which table can be quietest in the cafeteria during lunchtime.  My boy tells me that his group has never won.  I can’t say I’m surprised. All I can say is it’s a good thing… Read More Maybe we should implement this at home.

For the past several years, I’ve had “ice pick headaches” semi-regularly.  It’s not tremendously often I have them–maybe once a month. or even once every other month–and usually it’s just for a day or two.  On those days, I might have anywhere from a half-dozen to two dozen quick, extremely painful jabs, and I’ve learned… Read More Idiopathy