Mood Today: Devilish

Just a fun little photography/Photoshop project for [another] cold, wet day in Göteborg. Clicking on the image will take you to my Flickr Photostream.

Daylight Fading

And one more thing...

The sun has just set. It is 3:40pm. That is another reason why lights are such an important part of the holiday season in Sweden; they help chase away the darkness of Winter. Most store fronts also now have candles burning outside on either side of the entrance. Inviting.

Back to the fading daylight. In December, the sun sets around 3:30pm for nearly the entire month. At the beginning of the month, the sun rises at 8:30am; later in the month this tops out at 8:54am. On December 21st, the shortest day of the year, the times are as follows:

Sunrise: 8:52 AM
Sunset: 3:25 PM

Daylight: 6 hours 33 minutes

Good times!

So as not to succumb to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), I have a six-month supply of St. John's Wort. Hopefully, I won't have to resort to a lightbox. But, just picture it: me and the dogs sitting in front of a lightbox every day.

To Market, To Market

Ooops. Forgot to mention that we are heading to Germany this weekend to experience the Chrismas market (Weihnachtsmärkte, in German). Several people strongly recommended that we visit the Christmas markets.

Although there are markets in both Göteborg and Stockholm, the ones in Germany are supposed to be the best. The absolute best is in Nuremberg. But, that a bit too far to drive, so we are heading Lubeck in Northern Germany. The Christmas markets in Lubeck should be fun.

Will have a full report when we return. Including what we bought.

God Jul, Already?

Here in Sweden, there is no major holiday, such as Thanksgiving, to prevent the start of Christmas season. Although I finally found a whole turkey at ICA Maxi, we are foregoing the traditional meal this year. No turkey. And, at over $3.25/lb., I can't say I'm too sad. Of course, not having pumpkin and apple-cranberry pies (freshly baked by yours truly) or my special corn bread and cranberry stuffing is a bit sad. We are going out that evening and depart the next day for a weekend trip.

So, some Christmas decorations went up around the city a few weeks ago. Large stars and snowflake with lights that stretch across narrow roads around city center. The bulk of the decorations will go up around the city on December 1st, or so we have been told. Including some hideous shapes with blue lights on the Aveny that I saw last year.

The stores have been pushing Christmas odds and ends since October. TJ has been in the holiday spirit and a diligent shopper. For my part, I bought some cookie cutters for the annual Christmas cookie bake-off and decorating event. And so it begins.

TJ has already decked our halls and walls with shiny red and silver ornaments. Cinnamon-scented candles liven the air. And this:

This is a tomte candle that you burn starting at the beginning of December to count down to Christmas Day. The tomte originally started off as a more pagan creature, but has now been folded into the traditional Christmas story involving St. Nick - the Christmas tomte. There are many variations of a tomte. I like the ones that look like gnomes. Like this one (clicking on image will take you to my Flickr photostream):

I plan on buying an antique, traditional looking tomte in the next few weeks. Expect a photo.

We attended our first holiday party - a glögg mingle. We met old faces and new in the most spacious, wonderfully decorated apartment just off the Aveny. Glögg is the Swedish version of mulled wine. Sweet, warm and tasty. A recipe if you are so inclined.

Unfortunately, we are missing a Lucia party this weekend. What fun that would have been. The actual date of the Lucia celebration is December 13th. It involves a young girl dressed in white with a crown of burning candles on her head. Glögg and lussekatter (St Lucy buns) are consumed. The buns, which I will have to try, are made with saffron. And, there is a Lucia song. More here. And here.

Halloween Party Post-Mortem

Well, the scariest day of the year is over. And, I am not talking about election day. No, the aftermath of our Halloween party has been cleaned up and put away for next year. Yes, there will be a next year. Click on the image above or here to see photos from the party.

Special thanks to David and Simon for providing me with supplemental photos (and video) from the party. Still, between the three of us, no one had a picture of TJ in full costume as Ghostface from the Scream movies; he discarded his mask and knife quite early. TJ is sneaky that way.

A note about the photos. Many people in the photos have red eye. I decided not to correct them. Mainly, because it was too time-consuming. But also, because the red eyes fit with the demonic theme of the party. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

So, the next day was recovery day. Now I remember why I don't drink a lot of tequila. Two words: massive headache. And TJ? Well, they say that happiness is a warm puppy. But, I think a couple of Advil would have helped more.

Feeling Good

The fog lifted overnight here in Göteborg. I awoke to a crisp, clear morning.

sun in the sky, you know how I feel...

it's a new dawn
it's a new day...
and I'm feeling good

'cause this old world is a new world
and a bold world
for you and me

Bump in the Night

There is nothing scarier than a good Halloween pumpkin (mine was good, not great).

Except, of course, waiting for election results. So, I'm hoping there is no bump in the middle of the night. No strange new dawn of uncertainty.

No, I would like to think the real nightmare is over. That suspense will be minimal. The joy, overwhelming. The healing? Well, we can always hope.

The Great Pumpkin Disaster!

Our Halloween party is rapidly approaching. It looks like the the turnout will be robust. Planning has been going along smoothly. Up until now.

While in the US, we purchased candy corn, candy pumpkins, and Peeps (yes, Peeps!). A little taste of traditional Halloween candy for our Swedish friends. Well, traditional except for the Peeps part. Also found costumes for ourselves and the dogs [party pix to be posted next week]. Lots of scary decorations for the apartment. And this guy...

Yes, a Devil Domo plush toy! In fact, we got two additional little Halloween-themed Domos from Target. Don't judge. I have had a Domo for 7 years. I like strange and cute figures from Japan. No comments from the peanut gallery.

Anywho, we decorated the apartment this past weekend. TJ did the bulk of the heavy lifting. Stringing cobwebs and setting a plastic spider into said cobweb. Hanging bats from our circular staircase belfry. Gluing a plastic skull onto a beer bottle. Did I mention that TJ was putting up the decorations? On Saturday we went grocery shopping and picked up two pumpkins. A postmortem analysis:

Buying your pumpkins 6 days before our Halloween party - Seems logical.
Carving your pumpkin 6 days before your Halloween party - Shouldn't be a problem.
Keeping the pumpkins indoors - Might be a problem.
Pumpkin becoming soft and squishy in places 3 days before your Halloween party - A bad problem.
Mold growing on your pumpkins 3 days before your Halloween party - A very bad problem.

The autopsy photo clearly shows the problem.

So, if you happen to be attending our Halloween party on Friday night and see one or two [skillfully carved] pumpkins, you will know that the pumpkin elves were hard at work Friday afternoon.

Absentee Blogging

Okay. So the frequency of my postings has slowed a bit. I've been wrapped up in things (how specific of me). But, I did vote. The ballot was mailed on Monday. And barring some unforeseen event, my vote will be counted. I hope all my dear friends and family in the US are voting. It's too important for you to not let your voices be heard. Participate or don't bother complaining about the result.

We're certainly sailing through uncharted waters with not only the US economy, but the global one as well. I've been following along here in Sweden. And while I find a silver lining in that the US Dollar has staged an amazing rally against European currencies, it's pretty bleak otherwise. Still, TJ and I have decided to keep traveling and not let the opportunity to see Europe slip away.

For those who know me well, you probably can guess how I voted. But, this video uses both humor and poignancy to illustrate why it's time for real change in the US. I'm hopeful.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is fast approaching. A scary day during some scary times indeed. Even here in Sweden. So, we've decided to throw a Halloween Party. Halloween is not celebrated on the same level as it is in the US. The holiday and associated marketing are just making inroads into Scandinavia and, for that matter, most parts of Europe. Candy corn is unknown to most Swedes. The horror!

We aim to change all that.

But how will we acquire the requisite orange, yellow and white sugary gold? Well, a trip to the US, of course. Luckily we already had one planned. A very brief trip to Upstate New York. But long enough to do a little shopping and help prop up the US economy. We're both bring an extra suitcase! And we will return with candy corn, some decorations (which are few and far between here), and perhaps the makings of a costume.

Yes, it is going to be a costume party! In that spirit, I designed an apropos Halloween greeting. Click on the image below (or here) to be taken to an interactive page where you can reveal who is scarier...

Glad Kanelbullens Dag!

Much to my surprise, October 4 is Kanelbullens Dag. A day to celebrate the cinnamon (kanel) roll or bun (bulle). That Sweden has a special day set aside for a pastry should really come as no surprise. But, I would have thought that the French would be the ones to honor such delectable treats. Perhaps they do. I am always willing to be enlightened about such matters.

So what is Kanelbullens Dag? Well, this handy website would surely tell me, if only I were more proficient at Swedish. Luckily, I found this bit of info on another Swedish blog. "The Cinnamon Bun Day is invented by an organisation called Hembakningsrådet. Hembakning means home baking, and this organization works for supporting knowledge about cereals, baking and other bun-and-bread-related issues."

So, there you have it. I cannot think of a better reason to celebrate. In fact, thanks to TJ, I've already "celebrated" this morning with two lovely warm kanelbullar. Two down....many more to go!

After The Fall

Sure. It all seems so pleasant and unassuming at the moment. Looking out my window, there is not a cloud in the sky. Truly beautiful. But, the air has a slight chill. A hint of what is to come.

The weather stopped being warm a few weeks ago. The turn came in late August. Snap! Just like that. One morning, I awoke to this scene.

A gray day. An ominous cloud stretching across the sky. Gray days are nothing new here. But, coupled with the change in temperature, the falling leaves, and the sun's rapidly advancing march South, the signs all pointed toward the impending dormant cycle. So, I took the picture above to illustrate the change. But, this is what I really saw.

Seasons shift rapidly here. Although technically Fall now, it seems as though we've moved past it already. The leaves just need to catch up. The final nail in the coffin will be when all the outdoor seating areas at cafes and restaurants are disassembled and put away until next year. I hear that will take place in mid-October. Then, outdoor life here will slow down noticeably. And it will all be about dressing in layers. Crisp morning air. Frost. Runny noses. Hot chocolate!

Still, on a day like this, I think Winter just got pushed back a bit. But, it's out there. Waiting.

UPDATE: Okay, we're in Day 2 of Indian Summer. Who knew?

Scene: Photo Vignettes III

Lördagsbarn Stopp!
Surbrunnsgatan and Stora Badhusgatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 20, 2008 2:24pm


Lördagsbarn Gå!
Surbrunnsgatan and Stora Badhusgatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 20, 2008 2:25pm

The Trials and Tribulations of a Spastic Hund

Yes, hund is Swedish for dog. And, isn't this a picture of one sad little hund? But, looks are deceiving. The bandage is more for protection than a determinant of actual injury.

So, how did this come to be. It starts, as usual, with new and unusal behavior from Zoey. In this case, she started acting strange in our favorite backyard restroom area behind the Otter House. Last week, she began to tiptoe (best description I can come up with) at the edge of the grass. She didn't seem to want to walk into the yard, let alone do her business. Occassionally, some unknown force was nipping at her feet and head. Then, she would sit down and stare out away from the yard. Curious. We had to move onto to other pastures, equally as green, but farther away.

So, some of this may be my fault. I failed to notice the small bugs on her. They were, in fact, mosquitoes. And, it appears, they were biting her. Somehow, I thought given the colder temperatures that the bugs would have gone to their permanent slumber. Apparently not. Zoey began licking her paw. Swollen and a little red. A bite.

Now, dogs seem to think their saliva has curative powers. They apply it everywhere. To everything. One side effect of continuous licking is hair loss. Another is irritation. Zoey had both. Thus, the bandage. Which lasted all of 15 hours. She is a clever girl. Still, there was a little time for the affected area to heal.

No need to send cards or flowers. The patient is doing well.

Scene: Photo Vignettes II

Leo Pacifier

Højbro Bron, Copenhagen, Denmark
September 6, 2008 4:14pm

Zoey Pacifier
Norra Allégatan, Göteborg, Sweden
September 5, 2008 1:48pm