Monday, June 4, 2007

I am back.

I am a bit behind on blogging to say it mildly...I'll let pix from the past month do all the talkin' folks.

The notorious Queen's Day or Koninginnedag as the Dutch like to call it. Other's would just call it crazy...

Here's one for the Queen! A selection of all the Beatrix:es that came out on this day.

And all the others...


No such thing as too silly on a day like this!





THANKS FOR ANOTHER LOVELY CELEBRATION! SEE YOU BACK NEXT YEAR. I for sure know someone that will come back and beat us all Texas style...Right TLily?


Next event...Long weekend in Sweden together with the Lagcher's.




























Birka ' the Viking Island'

Some of us enjoyed it more than others...Time flies when you're having fun, right luv?




























At Gondolen they serve this cocktail "På Kanelen". First, the one who can give me the recipe will be greatly rewarded. Second, it should be absolutely criminal leaving Stockholm without having one!




If we can't go to Lapland, then Lapland has to come to us - the Absolut IceBar in Stockholm.


Last but not least - breakfast with this special girl - Sofia.











Who brought her 'pytteliten' sister - Julia. And her parents of course.

THANKS FOR A LOVELY TRIP, MAURICE & REBECCA! LET'S DO IT SOON AGAIN. TUSEN TACK TILL MAMMA-MU FÖR LÅNET AV LÄGENHETEN. DIN LILLA SYSTER ÄR PRECIS LIKA SÖT SOM DIG, SOFIAN. HOPPAS VI SES NÄR NI FLYTTAR IN TILL NYA HUSET!

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

There is a birthday in Portland!

Hey V, it is your birthday for another 2 minutes over there in Portland. I so hope you had a really happy one! Here is a Swedish birthday cake to you from me. Big hugs.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Before Easter is all forgotten....

...and I will write more...here's a bit of a diary from our Easter visit to Sweden.

Friday 30/03: we left our dear little house and blooming garden and met up with the Finnish gang (Niina & Adam) at the airport to have dinner and build up the vacation excitement. In Oslo, we went straight to the Hansen Family. Over a good red wine we caught up with the latest and greatest.

Saturday 31/03: Waking up to a sunshiny Norweigan day was great. Almost as great as the breakfast that was served. Yum! Off we went sightseeing. Holmenkollen (skijump) and the surroundings. Aker Brygga and the year's first "ute pils" (outside beer). Gotta give it to the Norweigan restaurants, they are prepared for anything. Sat on nice and fluffy sheep furs, fleece blankets...Did I mention sunshine?

Sunday 01/04: April Fool's day...And there were a couple that got tricked around the breakfast table as young Mr.Hansen invented pepper chocolate milk...Hi! Hi! Another day of sunshine and relaxation. Gå på tur (take a walk, but it sounds funnier in Norweigan) is one of those things you got to do. Off we went to charming Baerums Verk where the Hansen's live.
Well, we all know the Dutch pretty much conquered the whole world. Seems they made it all the way to Baerums Verk, since they left a pancake house behind... Next stop was a little chocolate factory that made marvellous hot chocolate... The afternoon well spent on Ann Magritt's sunny terrace with some more catch up chit-chat. Dolly Dimple's came by with our dinner. Then we packed Trine's automobile full and headed downtown Oslo and her apartment.


Monday 02/04: Work day for some. Vacation day for us. We headed on foot (gotta love this gå på tur thing they have there in Norway) and we basically did ALL of Oslo on foot. Started in Grunerlökka to Karl Johan on to the royal castel then Bogstadveien. In Frogner we had passed like a million of these coffehouses so we just had to make a pit stop. Who needs Starbucks when you have Kaffebrenneriet, Norway? Finally made it back to Aker Brygga (sail dock) and this time we picked a chilled beer and heated terrace at TGIF where Trine met up with us after a hard day at work. Dinner at "Mucho Mas" best TexMex I've had in a long time. Then 007 tucked us into bed. I just gotta say - this Bond movie was really good! Am I the only one that seem to think so? Was about time for a blond blue eyed Bond, anyway.


Tuesday 03/04: Gå. På. Tur. Our legs are definitely used to the flat lands of Holland. Say no more... Anyway, we put our poor feet out there again. This time we food shopped in artsy Grunerlökka and whipped up a Thai/seafood salad for Trine when she came home. The best with Norweigan retail? Deli de Luca . "Råest på convenience" (toughest on convenience) is their motto and I can nothing but nod with my mouth full of Oreo Cream Cake. For those that has not had a Deli de Luca cake - you have like, missed out. Majorly. Book a ticket to Oslo immidiately!! Oh yes! This was also the day I found that bridesmaid dress. For those of you that started to fear I had a serious problem. Thanks for putting up with me the past...eeeh...3 months.

Wednesday 04/04:06.39am bus to the airport. Landed in a windy Narvik. Spent a couple of hours way up there...Here you can see how many kilometers we were from the rest of the world...
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO THE NORWEIGANS FOR THE HOSPITALITY AND TAKING THE TIME WITH US. DET VAR KJEMPE KOS!! STOR KRAM THERESE OCH SANDER!!

The train took us to my dear Gällivare and a cuddly welcome at Hasse & Ulla's

Thursday 05/04: Whatta day! Whatta day! Anna's day. Her Bachelorette party day to be specific.

Collecting Easter eggs, dressing up as an Easter witch, horese back riding, cancelled paragliding, selling Easter kisses, singing with the After Ski band and getting full score on the love quiz - Anna excelled all of her missions. Better bride-to-be can not be found. A well deserved evening of relaxation in the Sauna looking at Dundret (mountain on the picture). Then we all took on the mission: Gällivare by night.

Friday 06/04: Day after big party. Bridesmaids in church at 9 for practice. No comments. Then off to see my cousin & family in the cottage. The evening was a evening of Thai food and fun, as we celebrated Micke&Carola's surprise runaway wedding. Sneaky! Big, big congratulation hugs to you!

Friday 06/04: ANNA & JOHAN'S BIG DAY
And whatta a LOVELY day you guys had. That you let us be a part of. Everything from the ceremony (great!) to the dinner and party, it was all very personal and 'you'. This was also the day we got to see your Max for the first time. We are so happy to be there for this day. Tack och stor kram till er alla tre från Tessan och Sander.



Saturday 07/04: where did vacation go? One last day of total relaxation; annual ice fishing competition in Nietjakk. The strategies were many. Not so much fish, but a furry reindeer and a blanket - could just do the trick.
A furry reindeer, a dog, a baby and a blanket - I need to grow a 3:rd hand to be able to fish.

And of course there was the Dutchman and his prize winning fishes.
A big, big thank you to Hasse and Ulla for the usual warm hospitality. We always feel so welcome and we can't wait to come back again. We miss you all already. Många stora kramar från oss!!

Monday 09/04: a long train ride (16 h.) and a quick stop in Stockholm -sorry mamma & pappa we didn't have more time together with you! - we left Sweden feeling happy and relaxed. Maybe a little, little tired, because we did a lot this time around. We'll do like the coolest cat in the world "Pesto" an American Ragdoll and take a cat nap soon...

THANKS TO ALL YOU SWEDES FOR ANOTHER GREAT VACATION! SEE YOU SOON! KRAMAR FRÅN TESSAN OCH SANDER!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Sofia har blivit stora syster!

Från mig och Sander i Holland kommer stora grattis kramar till Malin, Tassos och Sofia som fått en till liten flicka till familjen.

En till liten tjej som säkert gillar att mysa så mycket som dig, Sofian.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Portland, Oregon.

Yeeehhh!! My first American visitor. Great to hear from you V. I've been slacking with the English, but I will definitely write more now - so please stick around :o))
Getting ready to go on Easter vacation! Can't wait! Can't wait! Can't wait! Next Friday we fly to Norway. Staying Friday-Wednesday in Oslo with Trine and Ann Magritt&family. Wednesday we fly all the way up to Tromsö. From there it's only a 3 hour train ride over to Sweden and my hometown Gällivare for 4 days of fun: Anna & Johan's wedding! Apparently there's 2 meters of snow up there. Did I mention I can't wait....

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Påskharen är på väg till dig Malin!

Blueberry Cobbler och Rice Krispies. Kan påsk haren bli mycket bättre. Hoppas paketet hinner fram lagom till påsk kaffet.

LilleBror!!

En stor kram och ett försenat grattis på födelsedagen, lill Gubba!! Snart är du också så gammal att du tycker att bloggande är coolt...Ha! Ha! Vi får fira ordentligt när vi ses i Gällivare.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Det var vi och nollorna.

Jag, Linda och Nina begav oss med det arla morgon tåget in till Amsterdam för shopping i lördags. För mig var det tänkt att jag skulle finna den perfekta brudtärne klänningen innan lunch och sedan kunna vara lite trevlig och avslappnad mot eftermiddagen.....Yeah right....Vi fick i oss frukost och kaffe, hann till Zara innan affären hade förvandlats till loppmarknad och de extra långbenta jeansen sålt slut, vi hade klarat hela Kalverstraat innan lunch - fortfarande helt klänningslös.

För att hålla modet uppe gjorde vi ju som flanörer gör mest - kollade in gatulivet. Helt klart är ju att en tidig lördag morgon på Kalverstraat är det ett par fokuserade shoppare (vi), de som varit på bortamatch, de iförda gårdagens smink och party stass och valda delar ur Amsterdams freak show. Vi var smått imponerade av variationen människor som vandrade förbi oss.
Sedan gjorde vi som tjejer gör mest - obsessade kring andra tjejers utseende. Dagens tema var alla nollor som svassade förbi. Beach 2007 satsningen nalkas och det är lite stressande att se de som redan har formen. Sen var det ju de vanliga högvattens byxorna, bootsen som är fel varje dag på året, lime gröna skor och sen det här med varför holländarna envisas med att trampa på pedalen med mitten delen av foten....Många av dessa observationer gjordes under säsongens första terrass besök. Vi hade nästan glömt bort hur gott rose smakar med lite solsken. Sedan var det lunch och jag lyckades än en gång med konst stycket att gå på Sushi restaurang utan att äta en enda Sushi.

Sander var mycket förstående och lördags kvällen spenderades på favoriten benk. Imorgon skall vi lyssna påDave Matthew's Band i Köln. Den misslyckade klännings shoppingen är ett minne blott denna måndag!

Friday, March 9, 2007

John Deere

And of course. There was John Deere. If he was handsome before. He is gorgeous now.

They did loose it!

I always knew that Dave&Paula would loose it completely one day. It's been coming for a looong time. I mean, it is not possible to be as sweet and thougtful as they are without going bananas. And they did...My word. What landed on our doorstep today? This Care Pack just full of..of... treasures!!! Check it out people:



Last time we spoke to you guys you mentioned something of a box of random stuff " you know, just full of fun things". Hello!?!? You forgot to mention how much thought you guys put in to this. We are totally BLOWN AWAY!! Thank you so, so much!
Vermont Calendar - I mean, who can have a day/week/month without a little bit o' Vermont in it?
Antique box w/ tea - as soon as our kitchen is done --> prime spot!!
Blueberry coffee - Sander thanks the Lord everyday! I am now thanking YOU everyday!!
Firealarm - we wouldn't want all this great stuff we got to go up in flames, now would we?
Kitchen utensils - spiffy, spiffy, spiffy.
The MOUNTAIN of Rice Krispy Treats - good bye Beach 2007! Hello krisp krisp & marshmallow!
SinterKlaas - how on earth did you find our Dutch fellow in Vermont?
Starbucks gift certificate - Caramel Macchiato. Frappucino. Say.No.More
And.... The Love Cuffs - "Don't let him get away this Valentine's Day" Well, I am not letting him get away any day now that I have these puppies...

And there was this other thing in the package...You guys ARE really crazy. We can't thank you enough.
Dave & Paula, a bizillion of thank you's! Lots of love from the both of us!!

Veckan som varit

Jag håller så med dig Nina, veckan har bara försvunnit. Så jag gör precis som du har gjort och ser om jag kommer ihåg höjdpunkterna...

Veckans Trevligaste: Det stora paketet med massor av "random stuff" från USA. Bild bevis på väg in på bloggen och en ranson blåbärskaffe på väg till Malin.
Veckans Duktigaste: Springtur i hällregn, helt klart.
Veckans Gottaste: Take-A-Wok på hörnet Gijsbrecht-Neuweg var precis så yummy som jag hoppats på.
Veckans Skratt: Dörren som inte passar in i dörrposten. Kommer säkert utveckla sig till resten av måndadens trauma...
Veckans Internet Shopping: guldiga skor från zappos.com
Veckans Jobbigaste: Morgon möte. I Belgien.
Veckans Trauma: Hitta outfit till bröllopet.
Veckans SignaturMelodi: The Sweet Escape med Gwen Stefani är på repeat i mitt huvud.

Nu väntar en sval Lancer och en mjuk soffa. Imorgon väntar hysterisk klänning shopping i Amsterdam - bear with me fellow shoppers...Bear with me...

Thursday, March 8, 2007

I made the headline :o))

Wooow! My blog made the headline on Emma and Jeroen's homepage - find their link to the right.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Semestern är nära...Ja, en så där 250 dagar....

Ååååh vad jag är glad!! Vi har bokat resa till Thailand - Sveriges nya Mallorca. Men vad gör väl det när det ser ut så här...

Monday, March 5, 2007

Charity day - happy day!

I did charity work today - and I am mighty proud. Cuz it was for such a good reason. Bake sale raising money for www.NineMillion.org. Now that is a great way of starting the week!

Utmaningen är antagen, fru Teall.

1. Kan du fixa en punktering och byta torkarblad själv?
Punktering på hojjen, no problems. Bilen, värre. Torkar bladen, tveksamt.
2. Hur äter du ett äpple?
Jag måste erkänna. Jag har börjat som dom på avdelningen....skära ner den till molekyler innan jag kan äta den.
3. Är du rädd för små svarta kryp med många ben?
Ja.
4. Big Brother eller Sportnytt?
På det svarar jag CSI.
5. Rent spontant, om du fick välja en present till dig, vad skulle det bli då?
En rejäl massage, inget sånt där skönhets salong dutt, utan en redig omgång.
6. Är du mörkrädd?
Paniskt.
7. Resmål som fascinerar?
Måste nog Vermont eftersom jag åker dit varje år.
8. Ditt senaste telefonsamtal?
Jobb-bitchning med en kollega.
9. Om du fick välja en artist som kom och spelade på din födelsedag, vem skulle det bli?
Dött lopp mellan John Mayer och Mauro Scocco.
10. Förrätt eller efterrätt?
En chockladig efterrätt, tack.
11. Bästa stunden på dagen?
Måndag-fredag 17.00
12. Tre saker du alltid har med dig?
Var det bara tre saker skulle jag vara rackarns nöjd. Jag säger väl mobiltelefon, plånbok
och läppglans.
13. E-post eller snigel post?
Snigel post eftersom jag är en "sucker" för fint brevpapper och roliga kort.
14. Den senaste komplimangen jag fick? Sander gillade mina grekiska köttbullar med potatismos och smält Bregott havssalt
i mitten -TACK Linda!
15. Senaste gången någon skällde på dig?
En rätt enververande typ på jobbet, som dessutom visade sig ha fel. Voff! Voff!

OCH JAG I MIN TUR UTMANAR RIKKE VENNEN!!

Sunday, March 4, 2007

You are cordially invited!

Usually it helps to actually inform people of where to go to find a blog if you now decide to have one....You are all sufficiently informed and you know where to go to see what I am up to.
For the moment - heading straight for bed. It is way past my bedtime and I wanna get into my PJ's and get some pages further in my otherwise so interesting book "Konsten att vara snäll" (The art of being nice) by Stefan Einhorn. Think I am in the middle of getting my head around the difference between morale and ethics...Now that should put me to sleep quickly....zzzzzzzz. Tot morgen!!

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Welcome!

Well, it took me long enough - but here it is. My blog. Hope you'll stick around and check it out once in a while.