Malo in the garden

2012-01-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

So this is the place. The house and the barns. Next summer, my horse will stroll outside my kitchen window. Till then there are a lot of work to do. The inside is not as idyllic as the outside may indicate. And we must turn one of the buildings into a stable and mend the fences and...so much joy!!!

2012-01-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

I have always had a soft spot for cows. It's something about their soft eyes and the way they run on stiff legs. Here are our new neighbors. They ate all the horse candy our youngest daughter bought with her own money. I promised her two new bags. Couldn't resist the hungry cows. Or my happy daughter.

2011-12-29T11:40:00.000-08:00

All the papers signed and the farm is now ours. We are renting a house while renovating and we'll move for good in June. Till then we'll have to turn this old barn into a comfortable home for this old gent and a friend. We will remove the roof, grout the walls and build boxes. Happy, happy times!!!!

2011-12-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed. I feel almost like a mad woman spending cold and dark evenings in the shed. Now I am waiting for more clay fantasizing about shapes and how to make them. This is the most absorbed I have been since I was ten and could think about nothing but horses.

2011-11-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

I turned 40 last Friday. My husband got me a throwing wheel. Now I spend all my evenings in the garden shed trying to master the clay. It's absorbing. He also arranged for me to learn horse driving. The horse I take care of is a very experienced roadster and he and a human teacher will teach me. I feel so grateful and I can't remember being this happy ever. Not primarily because of the gifts. But because the gifts show how much he knows me. And because I finally know what I want to do.

2011-11-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is roasted sweet potatoes with aioli, yellow beet roots with chevre and bruschetta. Not an ideal combination but still pretty good.

2011-10-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

More fall. This morning, when out to get the morning paper, I waded through leaves. When stopping with my camera a maple leaf landed on my head. One by one they fall slowly and dignified to the ground. This Friday, when walking home from school with the kids we found a lilac in bloom. The fall has been so long and warm. Next years buds thought spring was here already. Very strange to smell lilac in late October. A fall storm and the trees will stand naked. The leaves swirling at their feet.

2011-10-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Last fall in this house. In this garden. I walk around the garden thinking about all the work we have done to make it ours. To me it's perfect now. In all its obvious imperfection. Hard traffic outside, the traffic has always been our greatest obstacle. But the garden is invisible from the outside now and when inside, the traffic buzz feels like a curiosity. To us a reminder of how much we love the city. In the summer when lying on the grass, you are surrounded by greenery. No one can see you and still the tube is only a two minute walk away. We love that about this house.

2011-10-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Our house is out on the market. These photos are from the ad. It feels exciting and strange. Less sad than I thought. I guess I have processed the whole thing for a long time. And I am so happy to leave the city. Another life is waiting. I am grateful that we have the opportunity. Here's the whole ad.

2011-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Finally. We are buying a farm. We will live in the country. We will have space, stillness, animals and hopefully we will have more time together.More to come.

2011-09-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

This horse. When I am not with him I long for him. He doesn't cares for me at all. He is all about oats and apples.

2011-09-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

My husband makes the most amazing pizza. The dough thin, chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside.The cook in John Irving's Last Night In Twisted River adds a little honey to his pizza dough. After reading the said novel I tried to impress my husband telling him to add a dash of honey to the dough and he kindly told me that he had done that for years. Ok. Anyway. This post is about telling you the greatness about thin sliced raw potato and garlic on top of a pizza. It sounds quite dull, I know, but it's heavenly. No tomato sauce, just potatoes, garlic, some fresh rosemary or thyme and flaked salt. And olive oil. Don't forget the olive oil. Lots.

2011-08-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

On my door step today when coming home from work. A big basket full of King Bolete. I have the world's greatest in-laws.

2011-08-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

After a nine week vacation I enjoy being awake watching my foggy morning garden. Summer slowly shifting into Fall may be my favorite time of year.

2011-08-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I planted these Japanese windflowers a few years ago. I could not imagine how fast and furious they would grow. The flower delicate and almost fragile but the plant and the foliage sturdy and determinate. These late summer evenings I watch the flowers grow high almost touching the fruit heavy branches of the apple trees.

2011-08-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is cheese croquettes, pickled apples, mushrooms with parsley in olive oil and lemon, red peppers with ricotta cheese and anchovy. It was ok. The croquettes tasted kind of lame and the ricotta cheese needed more time in the fridge. But it was a fun meal to plan and prepare.

2011-08-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

The porch is almost done. My husband built the wooden mobile last summer. We finally got it up. I looks like a giant dough hook slowly spinning in the air.

2011-07-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

We are planning a move so our house will be for sale in a couple of months. Even though we are looking forward to the change and hoping for a new way of life it's a sad story saying goodbye to this much loved house. I keep telling myself that home is where we are and that everything has and end but still. I really truly love this house. The creaking of the stairs, the yearly struggle to fit the Christmas tree in our small living room, the names we have for all the places/spots where things can get lost. "Go look on the mosaic shelf" "Have you checked the kiosk?" I do not consider myself a nostalgic person but I find myself spending my evenings going through my photo archives searching for pictures of this home. Sometimes just looking, sometimes, like with these, juggle about in photo shop. These two photos show a little bit of what I love about this house. The living room/kitchen floor is always a little bit too hot, the light always very warm. The upper, bedroom floor, is cool and the light grayish. This post is totally therapeutic. There will be more. And I will get over it.

2011-07-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have a wonderful porch facing the back garden. This year we have used it for storage. A waste. Now the kids and I are working on reclaiming the porch. Cleaning and sewing. The sewing is hilarious because I really can't sew. Anyway, these are the colors I've chosen. Everyone is hesitant about the pink except me. I think it will look great.

2011-07-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

The garden is out of control. It's a jungle of overgrown perennials and weed. These are the sweet spots.

2011-07-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's a blueberry year. We went out and picked for a couple of hours today and will do so tomorrow as well. I feel rich.

2011-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

We are at home. Loads of free weeks a head. I lay in bed with cross word puzzles, the kids play with friends, lego or video-games. The garden is a mess, as is the house. I tried to capture the state of the house but the camera makes mess beautiful. Tomorrow we have a grand opening to look forward to. There will be a lot of cookies for sale in my garden...

2011-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

And back home. Isn't this what roses are made for? Climbing through fences, up trees, embracing entrances. Ghislaine the Féligonde and unknown clematis.

2011-07-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Denmark and Legoland. Then we stayed for a week with dear family in Malmö. These pics are from their neighborhood. They have a view of Öresundsbron, the bridge to Denmark, from their bedroom window. We ran up there a few times and I wish I took more photos. The shoreline border is made of big stone blocks and among the big grey blocks, benches made of drift wood are almost hidden. We sat under the bridge, by the sea, feeling the greatness of life and felt thankful for our health and all the possibilities we have. Hallelujah.

2011-07-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

archipelago of Karlskrona

2011-06-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a week at my parent's place in the south of Sweden. I have posted photos from their place many times before. It's very dear to me. Anyway, we are a family of enjoyers and this is a selection of what we cooked, baked and ate.

2011-06-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Veggie (no meat that is) lasagna. Not the typical summer dish maybe but very tasty. Basically it's made of a béchamel sauce with spinach, a tomato sauce with lentils (any color will do) and lots of cheese. Mozzarella on top.

2011-06-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of my biggest wrong buys. I had an old fashioned pink peony in mind and came home with this almost obscene monster. The flowers are plate sized and very intense in color (I havn't photoshopped these). No smell what so ever and a pretty short but very intense blooming. This year I counted 34 buds. Over the years my disappointment has turned into a mild form of loving for this sturdy and frisky plant and I am pretty sure that when we move I will take her with me. I am sure she will survive the change.

2011-06-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

My eldest daughter is 10 years old. Today she went to the park with a friend and later I found this bouquet on the kitchen window sill. A wreath of oxeye daisies surrounding a roundish cluster of blue flowers I think is weed and sprawling grass straws in the middle. All very thought-out but yet spontaneous. To me this is the essence of her. A true aestetic, with so many talents. Everything she does is beautiful in my eyes. She is the most loving, creative, happy person I've ever met. And I do know I am her mother and I guess it is natural for me to feel this way but that doesn't really matter, does it? If you don't see the beauty of the bouquet it's because of her mother's poor photographic ability (and her fondness for overusing photoshop).

2011-06-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

you have to look close to see the beauty of the aquilegia. i have these beauties growing everywhere in my garden. they were planted a long time ago. when i am gone they will still be here. blooming.

CV - favourite fiction

2011-05-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

As long as I can remember I've been a bookworm. No matter the difficulties of life I've never stopped reading. It's a haven. A place for me and my thoughts. On my own but yet in the safety of not being alone. It's impossible to name my favorite fiction, there are too many. But to me the best novel is slow when it comes to plot but digging deep into the essence of being. I think my favourite writers would be:
Colm Toibin
Alice Munro
Kazuo Ishiguro
John Irving
But I find it hard to list. I have had periods devoted to Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, Enid Blyton, Ernest Hemingway, Erich Maria Remarque...
But I also enjoy Curtis Sittenfeld, Dave Eggers, Jeffery Eugenides (the foreword to his collection of love stories is among the most heart breaking things I've ever read), Nick Hornby, Sarah Waters. There are so many and I am deeply grateful. Their words, their work have enriched my life in so many ways.

2011-05-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Every weekend I spend most of my time at the stables. Either at the riding school with my daughter or at the small stable where my weekend horse lives. "My" horse is an old workhorse and even though he is quite the dressage master if he feels like it we spend most of our time together ambling in the woods. Today was a warm day with the sun gleaming through the leafage and the scent of lilies of the valley heavy. Yellow islands of cowslip everywhere. I stopped on my way home and picked a bouquet. Now their scent fill our house.

2011-05-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Friday dinner. Haloumi, aubergin, hoummus, carrots in garlic sauce and bulgur salad. Listening to Tom Waits, having a glass of wine and quitely celebrating the weekend.

2011-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

We have four 80 year old apple trees in our small garden. To much apples actually but the trees almost holy beautiful. Their branches heavy with snow in winter, their craggy naked stems on a wet November day, the "fump" sound when the apples fall to the grass in August. And now the overwhelming blossom. This tree however is not well. It looks almost like a japanese cherry tree with the pink flowers on bare branches. Albeit the beauty, no leaves is not good and I guess we will have to call an arborist to see if there is anything to do to help the tree. Excuse me for being a bit dramatic now but the garden would be mutilated without it.

2011-05-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for/thinking about recepies without meat. Here's one I came up with earlier this week and the great thing about it was that even the kids loved it.
It goes something like this:

Parboiled broccoli tossed into a sauce made of soured cream (28%fat at least)and spices/herbs (I used home made veggie stock, lemon zest, salt and black pepper). Mix the sauce with pasta and sprinkle with roasted sunflower seeds and fresh cut basil.

2011-05-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

garden galore. Last week's confusing weather (tuesday snow, saturday sunny 25 C)is reflecting in my garden. Fortsythia, apple blossom, hagberry and lilac blooming at the same time. I am all dazed.

2011-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

The sea still. Grey fog holds the dream of another life. Promising more violent weather. Nothing to do but to hold on. Life is a journey.

2011-05-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

CV, by the sea. We are looking for a small farm not too far from the sea. This pic is from one of our recent hunting travels. So far no luck but a lot of beautiful places seen and explored.

2011-04-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

According to this blog all I do nowadays is cooking. And exploring the kitchens of the world. That is so not the case. But I do love to cook and I find it a rather easy way to be creative. Quick and instant satisfaction.
Anyway, this is my first gnocchi try. At the stable today while waiting for the farrier to finish I picked some nettles. Inspired by this fellow I used the nettles to make gnocchi. It wasn't easy and I used a combination of at least three recepies to get it right. The main problem was the amount of flour. Too little, the gnocchis fell apart, too much, they came out too hard. In the end some of them turned out really good and I will definitely try again.

2011-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

I learned this Turkish dish from a very dear colleague. Slice carrots very thin and fry under lid in olive oil and salt until tender. Toss thick yogurt with garlic (lots), salt and black pepper. Place the carrots in a bowl and cover with the yogurt sauce. Olive oil and black pepper on top. I serve it with bulgur salad and oven baked feta cheese.

2011-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

CV home. We bought our house seven years ago from the family who built it 80 years ago. I doesn't show but it was a house well taken care of. But not at all a house for a family with two (three to be) small children. Only one bedroom, one small bathroom, a kitchen not renovated since the 60's. Situated by a pretty busy road. The first thing we did was fence the garden for the safety of our kids. After that we built another bedroom and installed a tile stove. Since then we've continued working on the house and today it's perfect for us. Inside and outside. We actually want to live in a more quiet place and are planning a move to the countryside but it will be hard leaving this house behind. We have worked so hard making it our home.

2011-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

my husband bought eco italian artichokes (a rarity here) and I parboiled them and made lemon mayo with pestled peppercorns to serve. I also made a fish fond (stock?), simmering shrimp shells, fish bones, garlic, herbs and root crops for an hour. Sieved the fond and added cream, peeled tomatoes, fish and shrimps. All sunshine so far but then suddenly the stomach flu that had hit the rest of my family earlier that week got me and I never tasted the food. The kids did thumbs down and my husband said that the soup was good but too strong. I shouldn't have used all fond.
Well, the only thing I can say is that it smelled pretty fab and that it was fun as long as it lasted.

CV

2011-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Corner View, reflection. I find myself returning to this place, no matter the subject. My family has a house by the sea in southern Sweden. My maternal grandparents bought the lot and built the house 50 years ago. Now it's my parents place. I go there every summer (like I have been all my life) and it fills me with joy and humility to watch my kids run on the cliffs I used to run when growing up(and my mother too). The thing I wanted to get at is that when I come there I change into a certain mood. A very sleepy, reflective mood. I find myself very introvert, focused on details. Like the shape of a petal, the sound of the waves or the words in my book. Everything there seems clearer and more true. The stars are brighter and the air is easier to breathe. A happy reflective place.

2011-03-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

Childhood toys.

cv

2011-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Though I am so very happy to be back corner viewing I can't yet seem to fit into the regularity of it. Anyway, this is my post and it's supposed to be a combination of the themes "communication" and "four-legged". These are my four-legged friends, my cats and the horse I am so very happy to take care of in the weekends. Being around animals makes me calm and I enjoy listening to them, trying to figure out their needs. Both horses and cats are headstrong animals, very goal focused, not very interested in anyone else's opinion. But when they listen, they listen. Intense. I love, love, love them.

2011-03-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Grape Hyacinth. I love the gradual unfolding of those little bells.

cv

2011-03-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Late again. This week's theme was a hard one. I love wood. I have a trillion photos of wood. The hard thing was to choose. Anyway, from top, gate to sheep pen at our summer place, beautiful beetle on patio floor at the same place, old washboard bought at flea market last summer.

More corner views at Francesca's. I will put a link list as soon as I figure out the easiest way to do it.

corner view

2011-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Corner view. I have missed you. This from my kitchen counter this week.

From this afternoon. I had my sister's children over and while her oldest played with my kids this little helper kept me company in the kitchen, standing on a stool by the sink carefully washing her pacifier. Rinse then into mouth, rinse again over and over again.
Also from today, the pre-spring sun on the counter. In the winter the sun never reaches the kitchen. Now it's here. Joy!

More corner views at Francesca's

2011-02-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

The snow still knee high. The roe deers looking for food in our garden. Sometimes,when i have a bad moment, I think this country is not made for living in.

2011-02-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

My computer died last week. My husband has transferred all my images and all my bookmarks to this temporary machine. Still I feel lost. The not being able to download from camera got me search my archives. Here are some roses from my garden. At the moment they are covered in horse dung. I hope they'll survive this severe winter.

2011-02-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

I have repotted my geraniums. The fragile light green sprouts are in small vases on my kitchen sill. Spring will come.

2011-01-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

The light is slowly returning. Spring is still too far away for longing. Ranunculus and tulips, a promise of lighter days to come.

2011-01-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is a dish I had at a restaurant that I visited regularly a couple of years ago when studying in another city. Their only veggie choice but oh so good. This is my version (and I actually think mine is even better)of pasta with cheese sauce and roasted veggies.

2011-01-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Table decoration new years eve. Pink and white hyacinths and anemones. Not on the picture, large vase with lilies. Beautiful but the scent too heavy. Happy 2011!

2010-12-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. Snow, food, gifts, jigsaw puzzles, candles and rest. I made five different pickled herring and we tried wild boar instead of farmed pig for the Christmas ham. Success!

2010-12-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

December early morning. The world looks black and white. It's so cold and so much more snow than it usually is this time of year. Garden work feels far away and that is all good. We are building a bird table. The cats on the windowsill, yapping.

2010-12-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

on my november (december) window sill. Herbs (rosemary) from the garden, an orchid from my mother-in-law and geranium cuttings. The one in the white pot, my favourite - Doktor Westerlunds blomma, pelargonium graveolens. Like a winter lavender.

2010-11-26T15:59:00.000-08:00

As always, up too late sorting my photos. Found this. I am not sure if I have posted it before or not. To me this photo shows the essence of this lovable rose. Small apricot buds very slowly turning white.

2010-11-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

November garden. Melancholic and when looking close - very beautiful.

2010-11-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

From last weekend. Sunny days with the horse. Now we have snow. I guess that means calks.

2010-11-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Up early this morning driving my daughter to her first jumping competition. Took a walk in the park next to the riding school while she prepared.

2010-11-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Also on our way to riding school. An old fishing boat. We stopped to see if we could climb on and there was a ladder that the kids wanted to try but it looked a little bit too rusty for me to dare. We settled in throwing various objects into the still grey sea.

2010-11-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Along the road to riding school. In the middle of a cropland. Is it not great that people find the time and the pleasure in spreading joy like this?

2010-10-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

From the florist today. Wonderful Friday!

2010-10-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Summer highlights. Gillenia Trifoliata, another favourite perennial. A round shaped shrub with a sky of long lasting small flowers. Beautiful red stems and glowing autumn foliage.

2010-10-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Clematis 'Summer Snow'. This is a photo from back in August but it's still in heavy bloom. High up in the branches of an apple tree. Regardless of night frost. What a phenomenal plant.

2010-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Swiss chard. An amazing plant. So little effort so much joy.

2010-09-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

June. I've been struggeling with this lavender border. I wanted the bushes to follow the pavement. I can't count how mant times I have moved these poor plants. But obvioulsly they manage.

2010-09-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Trying to summarize the garden highlights of 2010. This is June and the bloom of Nevada. One of my favourite roses. It's a remontant but the first blooming is overwhelming. The 7 feet high bush looks like a pile of folded napkins. If you want the bush to bloom through the season you have to cut the overblown. My favourite garden chore.

2010-09-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

Walking in the garden right now means slipping on rotten apples hiding in the not cut since July grass. Beautiful blooming going on out there though.

2010-08-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

From the garden today.

2010-08-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Rainy days spent inside. The garden is a mess. Don't even want to go out there. Me and my garden have a complicated relationship. Some days I just want to cover the whole thing with asphalt. But bringing a little part of it inside, like the flowers in the jar, makes me see it with a little bit of love again.

2010-07-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Back home and out on a ride with the horse. Took these with my cell and planned to take more but there were so many exciting/scary things about I didn't get the opportunity. We met a jogger, mooing cows, a roe deer family and above us circled some kind of motorized kite. Lucklily the horse is a calm guy.

Gotland Trip - Wednesday

2010-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

We met up with friends and spent our last days on Gotland on the beach and right before heading to the ferry we had lunch at Leva. Crappy pictures but wanted to post anyway.

Au Revoir Gotland, hope to see you soon.

Gotland trip - Monday

2010-07-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

We drove from southern Gotland to the middle eastern part and although the view from the tent was spectacular there where so many mosquitos we chose to sleep in the car. Weaklings.

Gotland trip - Sunday

2010-07-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

A warm and sunny day. We did some sight seeing and the kids bathed all evening in the camping site's pool.

Gotland trip - Saturday

2010-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a clear blue sky and headed out on a roud trip. Suddenly the sky darkened.

The sheep felt something in the air

We foolishly thought it would pass

It didn't

Gotland trip - Friday

2010-07-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

On the ferry. Gotland is Sweden's largest island. In the Baltic sea a three hour long ferry ride eastward from Stockholm.

Arriving Visby

My family taking an evening dip after arriving to the camping site

2010-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Fritters from my favourite cookbook, Sultan's Kitchen by Özcan Ozan.
They are so easy to make and oh so delicious. Grated zucchini mixed with feta cheese, dill and parsley. Also grilled eggplant and red peppers with two sauces, garlic/yoghurt and tomato.

2010-07-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

This tent from my husbands childhood is folded-up in our garden right now. We are going camping on Gotland and the kids are so enthusiastic it almost makes me cry.

I love the tent's colors. Sweet 70's.

2010-07-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Making pasties filled with Swiss Chard from the garden and Feta cheese. It's so hot I can't believe I made it but we need snacks to bring to the beach.

2010-07-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

As a surprise, my husband took me to Yasuragi Hasseludden this weekend. We slept on futons, walked in the japanese/swedish garden, bathed and ate sushi. Heavenly.

The photos are not mine. I didn't bring the camera.

2010-07-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Concrete plant boxes. Now hosting tomatoes. Before - garage driveway.

2010-07-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

On the window sill. Green, turquoise and blue pottery. The beginning of a collection? I've never had one. Maybe it would be fun.

2010-07-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

We have lived in this house for six years now. The garden when we moved in pretty untended. But there where old apple trees, big lilac bushes and beautiful paving-stones from the 1930's. We have moved everything but the trees, trying to create a garden that fill our needs and wishes but that would also match the house. On the second photo from bottom- taken two weeks ago - a small space close connected to the house. The space is framed by the house, bushes and planking which makes it a hot spot. When we moved here this spot was bigger, like in the bottom photo (a different angle, but the same space). An arbor, surrounded by lilacs.We have made the spot smaller by moving the lilacs and we have replaced the dark red tiling with slate. Making brick flower beds of the original red tiles. Larkspurs, Foxgloves, Lavender, English rose Winchester Cathedral and Bowman's root are in bloom today.

2010-06-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

From today. Kiwi chasing flies on the porch. Me making tzatziki in the kitchen.

Very hot and sunny. I've finished Sarah Waters' 'The Little Stranger' and find myself absorbed, amazed and disappointed at the same time.

2010-06-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from a sunny Midsummer weekend at my parents'.

june 23

2010-06-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

First potatoes from our garden 2010. Just in time for the Midsummer festives.

june 22

2010-06-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

New table cloth. I havn't bought many cloths in my life. But I am really happy with this one.

june 21

2010-06-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Colorful times. Mudcake, Salvia and Peonies.

june 18

2010-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon. On the porch watching the heavy rain. There is something about thunderstorms. The roar of the sky echoing in my chest.

june 16

2010-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

FIF

Election year, FIFA World Cup and a royal wedding.
It's good to have a pile of books to dig into. And to make garden plans.

june 16

2010-06-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Love this.

Hus och hem

june 15

2010-06-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Lilacs overblown. Now time for peonies, geraniums and early roses.

june 12

2010-06-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

My family is gone for the weekend, visiting relatives. Me and the cats at home. I have been at the stable today. Riding in the woods, grooming, sweeping. Wonderful. My husband brought the camera with him but tomorrow I will take pictures of lilac petals covering the ground. For now a photo from last week. Inside, trying to organize.

2010-06-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

I found four different types of Aquilegias in the garden. And I planted white Hollyhocks and wild garlic.

2010-05-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

In the garden right now, aquilegia, lilac and loads of oregano. When we moved in six years ago we planted one plant of oregano. It has spread. Wide. It's everywhere. Lovely. Butterflies love it as much as we do. And I brought a sack of straw from the stables today. Used straw. The smell in the car very prominent. But I think the raspberries will enjoy it.

2010-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

A reminder. This years summer pot for the front porch. Japanese Spirea, mini Carnations and Hosta. The scent of the Carnations - heaven.

2010-05-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

These tulips are overblown now. A week ago they grew all over the garden. They are called Botanical Tulips and are very hard to buy nowadays. I am so happy these elegant rarities from the past still enjoy life in our garden.

2010-05-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

There is so much to do in my garden right now. Part and transplant perennials, topdress the raspberry land, found new beds and all the weed. An invasion. Already. Last weekend we prepared the vegetable patches and sow the potatoes. I had grand plans for this weekend but I am delayed by this new love of mine. Mr P the horse. Isn't he the most beautiful?