I know I’ve written before about the sometimes-startling differences in what things cost here in Sweden compared to what they cost in the States. I think the reason that I am still surprised is because some of the differences don’t make any sense whatsoever. I mean, I can understand that a small jar of lingonberry… Read More Contrasts

I bought these socks for my son yesterday. At an Asian import store. In the far reaches of northern Sweden. You gotta love that.

The weather is positively glorious today, beautiful enough to make me not even care about the mountain of snow still on my front yard. The skies are clear and blue and the sun is warm and all the roads and parking lots and walkways are dry and easily traversed. I put my snowboots and winter… Read More Yes, I love that man of mine.

Since the first of the year Lydia and I have been having a “mother-daughter day” one Saturday every month. We leave Olof and the little kids at home and drive to town, where we eat a leisurely lunch together and then maybe do a little shopping. It’s been good for the two of us to… Read More On Not Learning a Lesson

Three years ago today I brought home this little ball of fluff, my present to myself for my 30th birthday: Today he looks like this, and I think he may be the best purchase I ever made: P.S. Thanks so much, everyone, for all the great birthday wishes yesterday. They really added a lot to… Read More Another kind of baby picture

Lydia’s friend Sandra slept over last night and conversation at the dinner table turned to the puppies that Sandra’s dog recently had. Lydia asked how the mother dog was doing and Sandra answered that she was fine, that when she wasn’t feeding the pups or eating herself she spend her time resting. Lydia nodded sagely,… Read More Wise words

Some months ago my computer up and died. One day it was just … gone. There were no bangs or whirrs or flashes or anything leading me to believe that the end was nigh, but one morning I turned it on and there was nothing but a blank screen. Since it is an old-ish machine… Read More Unsolved Mysteries

And for those of you who expressed dismay about the snow in the egghunt picture, here are a couple of shots of our front yard taken this afternoon. It’ll be a while yet before we’re seeing much green, I’m afraid.  

This is just a reminder for anyone who may have missed my “All Booked Up” column in the current issue of Mosaic Minds … I’m holding a drawing for the English translation of the Swedish classic baking book Sju sorters kakor (“Seven Kinds of Cookies”). See the article here for details!