Thursday, November 29, 2012

ttttttt tttttt tttttt


(i wrote this song in swedish for my little guest my 3 month old )

hej på dig                                            
hej på mig
hur mår du idag
hur mår du idag
ska vi sjunga nu
vad ska vi sjunga om
kanske om regnet som faller nu

hur mår du idag
hur mår du idag
ska vi sjunga nu
vad ska vi sjunga om
kanske om regnet som faller nu

titta ut genom fönstret
och kolla hur det faller
regn dropp på en regn dropp
tttttttttt tttttttt ttttttt

titta ut genom fönstret
och kolla hur det faller
regn dropp på en regn dropp
tttttttt ttttttttt ttttttttt




            (picture by the big brother 3yr old)
*note the snow man beside the rain....yes it is snowing in stockholm!!!!!!*

(-: Rhoda :-)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

letter to a three year old.....

where are you????
omg!!!!!! are you sitting up there playing with your cars.....
look at you, i'v been walking around the house looking for you in all the places i could think of.....
but i never imagined that you would be comfortably seated on the kitchen counter playing with your cars so quietly....
and how did you manage to push the kitchen chair all the way to the counter without a sound....
ok i am happy that you took the time to clean the kitchen counter before playing by pushing all my stuff on the floor and then stacking everything neatly in a corner.....yes i must admit that you have been watching someone doing the cleaning....but putting everything in a corner usually means that you plan on going back and sorting through the mess later....
so little man....would you like to come down from the counter now and bring your cars with you....i would feel a lot more comfortable if you played with your cars on the floor....and left the kitchen counters to cooking....
if you like you can help me bake some bread later on...that way with me present making sure you don't fall and hurt yourself...you can enjoy standing on the kitchen chair and bake with me.....
and if you really want to be helpful before we start baking....you can pass me all the stuff you so kindly stacked in the corner one by one and i will put them all back up onto the counter where they belong.....

(-: Rhoda :-)

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

mince not my fish!!!!!!!!!!




after my workout today i felt pretty good about myself....i even ignored the rain to buy myself a yummy healthy nutty something??? smoothie when my daughter called me up and said....you have to loose weight now.....and i said i know i know i will....she said NO MUM listen....in biology we just learned that for every day that you are 5kgs overweight you loose 1/2 hr of your life....shall i do the math for you....well that killed it for me....so i went to the fish counter looked at all the fish and told the nice man serving me...that as i can only successfully cook lax...


could he please sell me any fish as long as it doesn't turn into mince once i'm done cooking it....so let's see if i succeed and i guess hello fish goodbye 1/2 hr off my life for the next?????? years!!!!!!!
                                                                                 
(-: Rhoda :-)






Monday, November 26, 2012

celebrating trees!!!!!!!!

       
as a child, a great pastime is to look up at the clouds and imagine what you are looking at.....
gazing up at trees can also stimulate your imagination.....
i see a heart when i look up at these trees....opening up to a view of the sky......eternal love perhaps....
or simply love in the global sense!!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

sparkle sparkle sparkle!!!!!!!!

 going to sleep in the dark is the most natural thing....but waking up in the dark.....leaving your front door in the dark and then coming home in the dark and it is only 4:00pm just doesn't feel right!!!!!!

                                                            can't wait for the snow!!!!!!!
                                    the light will change and the whole city will look magical!!!!!!
                               and walking in the park will no longer feel like a walk in darkness.........

(-: Rhoda :-)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

app upon app upon app!!!!!!

everything moves so fast.....i keep trying to keep up with it all....
easy fast shopping....self service check out counters....but now you can walk up to the cashier
and pay with your mobile phone....
a first for me was buying my public transport ticket on my phone... then checking in on a
flight with my phone and now i can download an app and use my phone for my grocery shopping!!!!!
and to think that not so long ago....we didn't have mobile phones and we survived!!!!!
today we'd probably be sooooooooooooooooo LOST without our phones...
although we survived our teenage years without the mobile phone can you imagine teenagers today
organizing their social life without!!!!!!!
all these apps just keep my head spinning!!!!!!!

mobile phone the new easy in one handbag...no more backaches or stress....everything
you need you'll find on your phone!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Saturday, November 24, 2012

from disco to house!!!!!!!!

what what what???
slow....moving into another beat....and then higher....building up to the climax....and then it drops
and the craziness begins.....
understanding my sons experience at a house (what??) concert!!!!!!
at the door waiting with thousands of excited fans....you could feel the tension as everyone wanted to
get in and experience this legendary concert in the history of HOUSE MUSIC!!!!!!!!
emptying your bladder is for sure a priority so as not to miss out....
entering the stadium "new friends arena" you leave reality and you enter a dream state....the base is on....and it is only the crowd, you and the music!!!!!!
as the heat rises so does the expectations of the crowd....everyone wants to see swedish house mafia and not the opening bands....
every time something changed on stage, from a light or a sound anything....the crowd would go crazy in the hope that they would finally see swedish house mafia....
out of the blue,,,,an imagine appeared on the projector sheet introducing the artists....and then boom the projector dropped and the whole crowd went crazy as the band began to play!!!!!!!!
after five seconds the heat rose and you could feel the sweat of the people around you (i'm to old for this!!!!!!)....as the crowd were fist pumping moving to the sound of music (quote a classical musical....) breathing, one of the most natural unconscious actions....becomes a difficulty as you are forced to tilt your head back to be able to breath.... the air conditioning keeps hitting you like a wave....every so often you would be sprayed with water cooling people down and restoring some sense of reality!!!!!!!
and the cycle would begin again....the heat would rise...the excitement would be heightened.....
 slow....moving into another beat....and then higher....building up to the climax....and then it drops
and the craziness begins.....

my sons advice....
wear loose clothing as the vibrations of the base will transmit cool air through your clothes!!!!!!!

amazing but true...
the power that only exists for legends....
-it was one of the DJ's b'day...and they asked 35,000 spectators to sit down and in a blink of an eye....the whole crowd fell to the ground....they were instructed to rise as the beat dropped....talk about a juxtaposition!!!!!!!

I AM LOST!!!!!!!
(-: Rhoda :-)

Friday, November 23, 2012

half now half later!!!!!!!

time for tea!!!!!
coffee shops are always great people watching....fun places to pass the time and catch up with friends...but there is something very quaint and special about being invited into a home where the art of tea time is taken very seriously....
walking in and smelling the freshly baked cake and biscuits...and then sitting down to a feast of teeny tiny sandwiches as well...what a treat!!!!!
and there is nothing like coffee or tea served in fine china....

i will never forget this lovely lady in her 80's who would sip on her coffee and divide her slice of cake in half for later....
-you know you must always watch your waistline!!!
and she never slipped....even if we went out for a coffee or she came to me, she would make sure to pack the other half of her cake or pastry for later.....no cheating!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!! if only i was so disciplined!!!!! 
well no wonder she looked terrific!!!!
my new mantra for when i see cake the next time....
i can i can i can only eat half......i can i can i can only eat half....i can i can i can only eat half....


(-: Rhoda :-)

Thursday, November 22, 2012

amazing!!!!!!!

what we see........
i am a bit of a clueless mum......and today i appeared particularly daft to my son when i had no idea about zlatan's victory goals for sweden....i knew that my son had watched the football match at the new friends arena and that they were playing against england....but somehow living in stockholm i seem to have managed to miss zlatan's amazing incredible angled bicycle kick!!!!!
so this morning in an effort to drive me out of my clueless world....my son sat me in front of my computer went onto youtube and showed me swedish house mafia in concert.....so that i am more clued in the next time!!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

twist of spice!!!!!!!


this morning as i was reading through f/b i saw a post my friend put up....
-bought a turkey....don't want to look at it....
and posted a recipe...
indian style roast turkey
which you can find on www.ifood.tv

my friends words took me back to a time and place when i became a mother....
all i know is that once i had a baby i just couldn't look at a whole chicken again, just lifting the
chicken and having to deal with it....it was to difficult...even to this day, i will buy chicken fillets or drumsticks but a whole chicken....still makes me think of a baby!!!!!!! just can't cook it....

anyway, back to the kitchen and turning meals into multicultural feasts!!!!!!!

aromas from the east
to the thanksgiving table i come

turkey vindaloo and
gravy madras in my tum

flavours and fragrances filling the spaces
making any home
a melting of places

giving thanks is common to all cultures

happy thanksgiving
with a twist and dance of spice!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Monday, November 19, 2012

why speak!!!!!!!

chance encounters can be so strange sometimes....where you see something and for a moment think you'r transported to a far away place where men in blue can talk and no conversation seems odd....

a friend of mine was on a walk with her baby when this man in his 50's stopped her and asked her....how expensive her pram was....being swedish she found the question uncomfortable and said, i have two children and it is a double pram...the man then insisted that he wanted to know how much it cost....so not knowing what to do....she told him how much it cost...and he called out to his wife, to come and see how much money they were saving not having a pram....
he then looked at her and asked her where she was from???? and she said south america...he then pointed at his wife and said yes...my wife is also south american, she only speaks spanish and we have nothing to say to each other because we can't communicate!!!!!!!

well.....
"true love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen"
françois de la rochefaucauld
"life is not a destination, it is a journey"
ralph waldo emerson

(-: Rhoda :-)

Sunday, November 18, 2012

imagination!!!!

my child, your child our child!!!!!!!
it really doesn't have to be complicated as long as children are loved and feel secure!!!!!!
i just love the fact that we live in a world where OLD has no place.....there really is no such thing as old anymore, women can happily change careers in their 40's and 50's...the gyms are buzzing with ladies in their +++ working out....and women can dress "young"....this new freedom has made women so interesting!!!!!!! there is always something new to learn and experience out there and growth is such a "gem"....
with this sense of independence, even romance becomes more fun!!!!!!
knowing what you want as a woman and being happy with your age makes you so much more beautiful and opens up a whole new world to you, where dreams can become reality and holding hands and kissing no longer seem silly!!!!!!!!

"happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination"
"we are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without"
immanuel kant
"i can control my passions and emotions if i can understand their nature"
spinoza
"to bring anything into your life, imagine that it's already there"
richard bach

(-: Rhoda :-)

mothers!!!!!!!

if we spent more time picking up and appreciating the beautiful things around us instead of focusing on the negative and destructive....wouldn't this be a beautiful peaceful world!!!!!!!!

i often wonder if this would be a more compassionate world if our world leaders were women....how can we allow our sons and daughters to go through the grief and pain of war when we have endured the pains of labour??

"it is said that all people who are happy have god within them"
paulo coelho
"if it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it"
marcus aurelius

(-: Rhoda :-)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

stuffed home!!!!!!!!!

how much stuff do we really need....?????
a japanese friend of mine...i would like to call her an expert in compact living....once said to me....
if you haven't used it in over a year you don't need it...
and i have to say she has a point there....homes are like hamsters they seem to have a way of hiding
and collecting the most ridiculous things....and it really is only when you move homes or decide to do a massive cleaning where furniture is turned upside down and wardrobes are emptied from top to bottom that all these "things" turn up...suddenly you can't make enough trips to the dumpster or give away enough clothing to charity....your home surprisingly seems massively bigger than what it is because like a balloon....it is about to explode with stuff you never knew you had!!!!!!!


(-: Rhoda :-)


Friday, November 16, 2012

dreamlike!!!!!!!

                                           how do you find your way back into a dream....
                                 there are so many beautiful moments that we encounter in life...
            whether it is a conversation with a perfect stranger or a chance meeting with a transporter
                                                          as it passes by so close....
                                                   you could be walking side by side....
                life's happy moments can only be enjoyed if you open your door and venture out..

                                                                 (-: Rhoda :-)


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

the trip!!!!!!

there are so many wonderful coffee shops out there....but when you walk into one and can't stop talking about it ....then you know that you'll be back!!!!!
watching the preparation that goes into your cup of coffee can be such a trip!!!!!
choosing your beans
enjoying the pleasant aromas given off as they are ground down....
                                           and watching the simplicity.......boiling water......
                                                                    a bit of stirring
and then the moment you'v been so looking forward to....a personalized cup of coffee, so tasty made to your liking.......as for the pastry....should i should i not?????

good coffee is just sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth the trip and the wait!!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

mambo/lambo


relationships are like bread...they come in all shapes and forms....and it all begins with the mixing of the ingredients and then the final product can be............???
back to swedes only because they make things so clear....there is a name for everything....
for instance.... if you talk about your grandparents you will clarify whether you are talking about your maternal or paternal set of grandparents....and the same goes for your relationship status....
here are some examples:
1. gift (married)
2. sambo (cohabitation)
3. särbo (in a relationship but living separately)
4. delsbo (couples who live together sometimes)
5. gråbo (older couple who have moved in together)
6. närbo (in a relationship but living close to each other)
           and then this....
5. mambo ( still living at home with mama until you find a place to stay)
6. gambo (living at home with your mama or grandparents)
7. villbo (couples who want to live together but can't...)
8. cybo (relationship in cyberspace)
and if you really want to go into further detail.....
(a) lambo (lame)
(b) limbo (sticky glue)
(c) rimbo (2 poets living together)
(d) högbo (a couple who is very into each other)
and the list goes on and on and on.........
the beauty about the swedish language is that it is clear and to the point...no mincing words here....in the country of "lagom" just enough....you will never wonder about the status or the nature of your relationship because you will find the answer in one word....very clear and to the point!!!!!!!! nothing confusing here!!!!!!!!

it's all about finding your mix and mixing away!!!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)


Monday, November 12, 2012

to cope or not to cope??

you know that you are jet lagged when at 3:00am you tiptoe into the kitchen to make yourself
a cup of tea....tiptoe back into bed with your cup of hot tea and a book and then for no reason, your bedside table which seemed quite sturdy no longer supports your cup and ooooooooooooops....tea everywhere....and who wants to change sheets at 3:00am so unless you have small kids and are used to changing beds while sleepwalking....this really isn't funny!!!!!!!!

but on the upside....jet lag is quite an interesting phenomena....it hits you hard but somehow, if you must you still manage to cope with your daily activities.....so is this coping mechanism the same as the one parents of young children have....managing to survive on minimal sleep and still waking up in the morning to go to work, smiling at colleagues and even producing work of quality!!!!!!!
so what is it about sleep....we know we need it but then how is it....that parents of young children and jet lag sufferers cope?? is it possible that we have this wonderful compartment in our brain that stores all that teenage sleep for a rainy day!!!!!!!!!


(-: Rhoda :-)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

the way we feel!!!!!!!!!

 when you go out for a meal....presentation matters....whether it is fine dining or eating on the run....food always tastes better when it looks good on a plate...
now what happens in the kitchens of restaurants can be a real mystery....unless you find yourself sitting at a restaurant with the chefs in full view, busy busy busy!!!!!!
so a visit to the facilities...can tell you a lot....
people do seem in a hurry and forget to lock!!!!!
 now floors can be deceiving....how can you tell if the floor is clean when this is what you are looking at.....
 but then if anyone should experiment...then why not restaurants....what effect does green have on you after a couple of drinks and a very rich meal!!!!!! ???????
hence the very clever floor!!!!!!
 but then other establishments go for the more classical, elegant calming experience....here you know that the establishment takes their cleaning and presentation very seriously...
they even have art on the walls to keep you entertained!!!!!
and why not adopt a good idea for those of us who can say it all with one expression!!!!!
restaurants...public facilities....public transport....airlines....etc....quick and easy!!!!!!
oh yes and tidy should apply to all!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

mystery solved!!!!!!!!!!





                                                      on a wintery valentines day
                                                      a grounded rose petal froze
                                                     and as my steps crunched across the hay
                                                     the dream of spring tickled my nose

                                                     two birds flocking to the same place
                                                     one with a mystery gift of flowers in a vase
                                                     the other flew south away from winters embrace
                                                     and left me longing for a different place

                                                     a love born of flowers
                                                     on the corniest day
                                                     how to keep sincere the words that you say

                                                     breathing unconfined air
                                                     with pure sight and sound
                                                     love is being close with no one else around

(-: Rhoda :-)


Friday, November 9, 2012

dancing chandelier!!!!!!!

swedes are very considerate people.....
but when they decide to party you better not stand under them.....because things might fall!!!!!!!



(-: Rhoda :-)


Thursday, November 8, 2012

top up!!!!!!!!

now there are two things you learn very quickly when you live in sweden....
1. there is no such thing as bad weather....so just make sure you are dressed for the weather and go out no excuses!!!!!!!
2. there is always time for ice cream...come sunshine or snow!!!!!!!
this is viking country....and swedes love ice cream!!!!!
pinkberry is such a fabulous idea, standing in line, choosing your toppings and creating your masterpiece!!!!!!!
what an experience....yum yum yum!!!!!!

sweden needs a pinkberry!!!!!!
frozen yoghurt....this must be healthy!!!!!!
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

little feet!!!!!!!

walked in the front door....and i felt like mama bear coming home to a new and changed world....
my front door no longer squeaks....and my home no longer smells of me....i have visitors, they may be small but they sure know how to take over.....
 my furnishings have shrunk....
and the visitors love to talk....and sometimes even cry....
 these little visitors have made themselves very comfortable....even the fridge knows we have guests....
now everything is soft....food has to be easily chewed giving our dental floss a break!!!!!! because now our food no longer gets stuck between our teeth but simply melts in our mouth.....
 with little visitors, you have to retrain yourself to look down and sleep with the lights on....just in case
you trip on something that isn't supposed to be lying between your room and the bathroom....

 and if you enjoy watching TV...you will soon find that until they are asleep your home will be filled with programs you forgot existed!!!!!!!!  but don't let their choice of programs fool you...these little people are way advanced when it comes to technology and they will laugh at you....if you make mistakes and call an ipad an ipod!!!!!!!
the good thing about these visitors is that they are cute....so even if they keep you up all night crying....once you see their smiling faces...with a little help from a very strong cup of coffee, you will manage a smile and think...soooooo cute!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

nice welcome!!!!!!

stockholm i mitt hjärta!!!!!!
(stockholm in my heart...)
or should i say " taxi stockholm in my heart....."
there is nothing more welcoming in a city...than landing at the airport and entering a CLEAN taxi....
so i had the most wonderful drive, with a very interesting, chatty cab driver....who took me on a journey of swedish history....this chapter began at steninge palace...the taxi driver with his orator skills had me in suspense as i followed axel von fersen's life, from his love affair with queen marie antoinette of france to his lynching in 1810 for a murder he did not commit....funny you never really associate lynchings with sweden?? but then human history all over the world is really all about human behaviour!!!!!
anyway....as i reached my destination...i thought to myself....
there are so many taxi drivers out there with a lot of interesting knowledge....wouldn't it be great if this could be reflected when booking a cab....especially for those of us who love a good chat!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)


Monday, November 5, 2012

trunk always facing the supermarket!!!!!


cars cars cars....i'm pretty clueless when it comes to the different models and as long at it can drive in all weather conditions making me feel safe especially on icy roads and unplowed streets....i am happy happy happy!!!!!!!
but then while walking down Santana Row....i came across this shop full of curious spectators touching, admiring and sitting in the ......
TESLA MODEL S
wow!!!!!!! a purely electrically powered car very nice!!!!!!
i suppose this is the future!!!!!!
moving away from petrol and cruising the highways on  batteries!!!!!!

a car perfectly adaptable to the needs of all shoppers....the boot in front would be
especially handy when shopping depending on the way you park...if you back into your
park easy peasy....just open the front and you'r all set!!!!!!!


(-: Rhoda :-)




Sunday, November 4, 2012

squeak squeakee squeak!! (protect my acorns while i'm gone)


                                                    The day has come to say goodbye
                                                        to memories and experiences
                                                            enjoyed side by side

                                                         From the buzz of city life
                                                    to looking through natures lenses

                                                    Shopping never had a chance
                                                          against such soothing
                                                          massage of the senses

(-: Rhoda :-)


Saturday, November 3, 2012

yountville!!!!!!!

 in the land of food and country....feel the warmth of a risotto....
 in a place so quaint and small, be a child and enjoy meatballs!!!!!!!
 scallops on a plate....put your mouth in a watering state!!!!!!!
skate and spuds and greens with some white wine in between!!!!!!
 with an egg...a lot can be done....and mixing mushrooms is always such fun!!!!!!!
rice pudding topped with strawberries is like christmas in the summer!!!!!!!!
this is just not necessary!!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

Friday, November 2, 2012

return visitor

now this is the second time i'v smelt a skunk, the first time i was indoors, this time i was in a car with nowhere to go or escape...actually once the smell hits your nostrils whether indoors or outdoors there really is nowhere to hide!!!!!! the skunk has got you and you are in for a loooooooooooooooooooong miserable wait!!!!!!!
i couldn't believe that a whole street could stink...it was crazy!!!!!!! and that the degree of smell stayed the same wherever you were on the street...how is that possible, if you drive past a farm or a winery that smells (fertilizer/fermentation...whatever the smell??)...once you drive past you'll be right but the skunk just doesn't let go....that smell sticks to you like super glue!!!!!!
anyway fresh air or no fresh air....the one lesson i have learnt here...is that when the skunk comes to visit you'll just have to let them in....because this is one visitor you can't keep out!!!!!!!

the very happy skunk!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)

car wash!!!!!


i never knew going to the car wash could be such fun!!!!!!
driving in....leaving your car to be washed... and then walking into a waiting room filled with the overwhelming smell of fresh popcorn...
complimentary coffee and lemonade also available...
a truly social place with lots of friendly chatty americans to help pass the time.... and a choice of seating both indoors and outdoors!!!!!!

and then the finale!!!!!!!!
the towel swivel....indicating that your car is ready!!!!!!  

i think i'll try the tea towel swivel...next time dinner is served!!!!!!

(-: Rhoda :-)





Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Witch fell off her broom!!!!!!


                                                              Flying on her broom
                                                              vroom vroom vroom

                                                      Looking for some bats ears to
                                                             decorate her room

                                                          The witch gets distracted
                                                   by some eye balls on the ground

                                                         she dives to retrieve them
                                                         and ends up underground

(-: Rhoda :-)