Caitlin Moran and Books and Dreams

I got a ticket to an event on Friday evening September 26th. It was called "Books and Dreams" and was at Storan in Goteborg. My daughter who is also very interested in literature and also a subscriber was also going and was the one who had bought the tickets through the magazine Books and Dreams.

I was very tired on Friday since I have a hard schedule on Fridays but was looking forward to this event very much. We were going to get to listen to a lot of different authors, both Swedish and foreign. It was no coincidence that this event was held at the same time as the book fair in Goteborg. In the price of the ticket a glass of wine and something small to eat was included.

The authors we were going to get to listen to were Peo Bengtsson, Camilla Grebe, Paul Leander-Engström, Michael Nyqvist, Cecilia Samartin, Maria Montazami, Camilla Läckberg, Henrik Fexeus, Sofia Sarenbrant and the author we were mostly interested in Caitlin Moran.

It started 6 pm and we got there maybe 10 minutes before. We had to sit on the second balcony because all the better seats were taken. But could hear everything clearly and if we leaned forward you could also see alright. The back was killing me in the end but the tickets were very expensive so you wanted to see.

In the break we went looking for the food and wine but had problems figuring where to go because there were so many people and no signs anywhere telling us where to go. finally we  found a sandwich and went looking for the wine. It took us a while but then we found a bar and after a long wait we got our glass of wine.

My daughter wanted to buy a book by Caitlin Moran and wanted it signed but it was hard to know where the line started. It was a mess and very poorly arranged. The card machine broke down, there was only one, and finally we could buy a book by Caitlin and went to look for the line to get it signed. Thismeant of course that we were late back into the theater.

The worst thing came to the end of the evening. They were giving out prizes. Your number on your seat was you ticket. None on the balconies won and there were quite many prizes to be won. You could hear people around you whispering. "They have none of the numbers from the balconies in that pot." Only the ones on parquet won. It felt like you had been cheated, not a very nice feeling.

I will never go again. Expensive and very badly arranged and then the cheat. But I was happy anyway because I went with my daughter and we went for a beer before going home. Thanks Madeleine!

Ase

Raking

Our beautiful oak

In our garden we have a beautiful oak tree. It gives us shade in the summer and a lot of leaves every autumn. You cannot leave oak leaves because they contain oxalic so you cannot leave them on the lawn. You have to rake and rake and rake.

I started on my 5th sack and I don´t think it will stop until I´ve done another 35 or so. Because the leaves have only started to fall down. There is yet more to come.

You have to be really careful when you rake under this big oak. Sometimes when a small wind is blowing through the leaves projectiles of acorn will fall down and they hurt as hell.

You can clearly see where I´ve been raking

Some people say that we shall take it down because of the work and that it gives to much shade and some say that it is too beautiful to take down. I both like it and don´t really mind the raking too much but sometimes you want more sun.

Now it will be the next owner´s problem, whoever it will be. We will move and have other problems to solve.

Ase

Portuguese language course

Both Lasse and I have started our Portuguese language courses. We don´t go on the same day which is both good and bad, I think. We were going to to go on the same day at first but that course was cancelled. We were offered to go on another course on Thursdays but I have my riding lesson every second Thursday so that was not an option for me. I found another course on Wednesdays but Lasse is normally in Stockholm then so that was not an option for him. So we ended up on different days.

I started my course last Wednesday. The lady, who was the teacher was originally from Mocambique and had been working as a teacher before. I can´t say i was very pleased with my course but Lasse was very pleased with his. His class seemed more motivated. I hope my class will pick up.

Yesterday I had my riding lesson but when i started to trot I felt that Pontus was lame (?) . So that lesson ended very quickly. Which is sad because next time, in a fortnight, I am in Portugal. I felt sorry for ol´Pontus but I hope he is better tomorrow or at last very soon.

Lasse is leaving for Portugal tomorrow and the wine harvest. I am a bit envious because i would have wanted to go as well but I could only take one week off. It seems they are starting the harvest of the red grapes on Sunday if the weather is ok and the white ones are already harvested so I am missing out on the whole harvest. Pity.

Got to go to work now. See you soon

Ase

Dentist again

I took the courage to call the dentist a couple of weeks ago. I got a time the week after for a check up and som x-rays. It took many years and a broken tooth before I had the guts to call them and when I did everything moved very fast, a bit too fast.

It is a bit shameful to say that you are afraid of the dentist. So afraid that you don´t dare to go there. But finally I did. On the phone I explained how scared I was and if they were going to do a big job with anesthetics I probably had to take some kind of sedatives. This was a dentist I got recommended.

On my first visit last week my daughter Madeleine volunteered to come with me, to hold my hand so to speak. She never did but mentally she actually hold my hand. When I got in to the examination room I said "You mustn´t be angry with me or say Wow! or anything like that. If you do I will walk away." They said that they would do nothing of the sort and I sat down.

The examination wasn´t painful but shameful. I felt so ashamed that I had neglected going to the dentist for so long. But of course I had painted a much worse picture than what it really was. It was bad of course but not as bad as I had imagined.

Then I got a new time for yesterday. The dentist was going to do a small job on a filling that had fallen out. He wanted me to take anesthetic as a sort of trial. I really didn´t need it this time. When he said it mt froze and then started pounding and it felt like I was going to cry, or walk away or ...I don´t know.

It was absolutely awful but was over kind of quickly. Then he said that he wanted to start with the broken tooth as soon as possible to be able to save it. He had prescribed sedatives for me and that I needed someone to drive me.

-Well my husband is leaving Sweden on Saturday and is away for two weeks, I said.
-Can you come tomorrow?

ding ding ding the alarm system went amok and I didn´t know what to say.

-Tomorrow? I whispered. I have to call him and ask (say no, say no, say no)

He said yes. Yes to drive me to death row.

So here I am. Soon I will take a shower and then 2 pills that will make me soft, with no worries and calm. Do whatever like-feeling. Ok you want to drill in my mouth. ok no problem. You want to take BIG syringes and put in my mouth. Ok no problem.

Pray for me or whatever you do.

Ase Don´t worry, be happy

A small vineyard in Portugal

So we´re getting closer. Closer to our dream and our own place in the sun. This may be the last winter of snow and ice but also our last autumn of picking mushrooms in the forest. But they might have some kind of edible mushrooms in Portugal as well.

In 5 days Lasse is going to Portugal to learn about the wine harvest. The 5th of October I am going to join him there. !0th of October is set to be "the take over" day. The lawyer, the seller, the real estate agents and we are going to meet to sign the papers and  shift the rest of the money. I am so excited.

Our language course was cancelled but Lasse found another on Thursdays starting next week. He is going to miss 2 times since he will be in Portugal but hopefully he can catch up with the rest when he gets back. I found a course on Wednesdays. I cannot go on Thursdays because of my riding lessons. We have to help each other out because I think this is going to be quite hard.

I got a good idea from a friend to look into Portuguese​-Flashcards​.com You get a sentence a day and you can choose your level. Mine is very basic. 

I hope the scaffolders will come today to put the scaffolding away. It looks so messy around the house. The painters have finished their job now but Lasse did a great deal of that work.

We went out last Saturday to listen to band at Stationen Norsesund. The band was good but the food was terrible. Everything tasted sweet. I could hardly eat anything even though I was very hungry.

Today I am having my second visit at the dentist. They are going to do a small job on one tooth but I am scared as hell. Keep you fingers crossed for me today.

Ase

storm and rain

When I look outside my window this morning I know one reason why we want to move south. Storm and rain. Today it is so windy and gusts of rain keep coming in. It is raining from above and from the side. There is no way you can protect yourself and keep dry when you walk the dogs for instance.

The weather report in Caldas da Rainha shows sunny and 22 degrees, much better in other words. Of course it will rain there as well. I know it  rains a lot there. That it is why it is so green and beautiful. But the season is a little longer and that´s what we want. A longer season and more promises of sun.

I am going to Gothenburg today to meet my best friend Anna-Lena. She is heading up to Umea and is stopping by in Gothenburg so we are able to meet for a breakfast. It isn´t that often that we see each other so it will be wonderful.

Yesterday I did a 75 minutes-yoga class, walked the dogs and went to the stable, rode and did the typical stable chores. Do I need to say I slept like a baby last night.

Now I have to get out in this foul weather and walk the dogs.

Write more later

Ase

Wonderful day

The day couldn´t have started better. Went to yoga class. This is the fourth time I attended for a very long time. First time I went it felt like somebody had beaten me severely with a stick all over my body. Wednesday class is much harder so that one I am just trying to do my very best, which isn´t much. I can participate in about 25% of the positions. Sunday class is softer and today it felt like I could do maybe 50%. Now after the body feels bruised but sort of happy. I think I am slowly getting a bit softer. I feel a bit sad though, which I always do after yoga. I keep thinking how much we are abusing our own bodies, or at least I am.


Now I have some time before walking the dogs and making an early dinner. Laundry time!!

The house is slowly getting back to its original self but it looks much nicer, bigger and cleaner. Paint can do a lot.

livingroom before paint and new floor

wood burner gone

wood burner back

curtains up

another angle