I have, to my great sorrow, become all too familiar this year with the Swedish traditions having to do with the death of a loved one ( Read more... )

Björn and his brother have had the most unpleasant task of notifying various companies and agencies of the death of their father. Some of the time it has been unbelievably and ridiculously difficult. It's hard enough to lose someone you love - services agencies that make it even harder are one of the banes of modern life.

But Telenor absolutely ( Read more... )

The very last item on the "to do" list on Kjell's refrigerator whiteboard was "Kattvakt - 11 - 13 juni ( Read more... )

My journal is both a forum for keeping my family in touch with my life and a place for me to air my thoughts...here are some (very random) thoughts and memories I have of Kjell ( Read more... )

Björn's father passed away on Friday.

It was completely unexpected.

Completely out of the range of possibilities.

Totally incomprehensible.

Anyone who has read my journal knows that Kjell was one of my very favorite people on this planet.

He was the very definition of a good man.


( Read more... )

Living overseas means that sometimes when there is news in the family it comes in unconventional ways ( Read more... )

I did the good Swedish thing this morning and carried a tray with hot chocolate, little sandwiches and a couple of small presents in to Björn to awaken him with the traditional Swedish birthday song "Ja må han leva".

[The translation of that song gives me a little pause: Yes, may he live. Yes may he live. Yes may he live out one hundred years. Of ( Read more... )

Having untrustworthy internet has caused me to change the way I use the internet. Sometimes we have a whole uninterrupted hour or two, but most of the time it's five or ten minutes of interneting before the signal strength craps out and then it's a fight to try to get back online again ( Read more... )

Squeeeeeeeeeeeee ( Read more... )

Before I left for Skövde last week I gave a homework assignment of doing something nice for yourself every day. I've enjoyed seeing that homework assignment referred to in some of my friends' posts.

My mom started out by trying to report on something she'd done for herself each day, but after just two days she came to a conclusion which says a lot ( Read more... )