alive and kicking..., jag lever,

couldn't resist this clematis catching the rays of the evening sun...

Indeed, I am still alive and kicking, although I haven't posted on the blogg for 10 days! School, life, kids, etc, combine to make my time busy. Hayfever and a cold added to the need for sleep, so the laptop remained closed after 9pm most nights. I may have posted comments on your blogs, but my own has had to wait. I'm off again shortly to deposit a child to a youth club, so this post will be edited later tonight...

Later, phew, thank goodness it's Friday and we can take a break for 2 whole days....
Off shortly to collect child 2 from her friend's house.
Just did a few maths questions online for the course, phew, they were not easy, complex numbers a + ib, and that sort of thing...

I got to see the giant blanket made by the art student Eilish Tuite in Limerick last weekend. I was even able to spot some of the patches I had knitted for it!




Last weekend was very warm, up to 24 degrees. My 4 year old got his allergy last weekend, it affects his eyes and I had to give him anti-histamine and eye-drops, as well as steroid tablets prescribed by the doctor to reduce the inflammation. This is his 3rd time getting this reaction, he got it early June last year and the previous year. Looks like this is part of his picture for now...

My 2 teenagers have only one more week in school, they've all their summer tests next week. Plenty of study this weekend then...

I have more than a month left till I get holidays. But it'll be almost a holiday not to have to get the 2 eldest girls up early for the school bus every morning. Plus they can help out more during the day! (That's the plan, let's see how the reality works out... blackmail and bribery may also play a part - no housework, no credit for the mobiles!)

Plenty otherwise to keep me busy, the last of the maths course, paperwork for school, cognitive psychology to read, housework, gardening, and knitting... I've started a blue and cream cardi top, self designing a bit.... we'll see how that goes too... pics to follow...

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Hej på er, jag lever...
Vi har det bra, det knallar och går, måste tyvärr kila nu, för att hämta en dotter, men återkommer säkert under helgen...
hoppas ni har en bra helg alla dem som kikar in här hos mig...
liz

my first Award, min första Award!

I was delighted to be nominated for an award from Irish Mammy on the Run, so thanks to Irish Mammy for this 'Kreativ Blogger' award!
As part of the award, I have to share seven interesting snippets of information about myself and then pass it on. So here goes...

1. I have a saxophone in the attic, and I know how to use it! I always wanted to play the saxophone and I finally went and got lessons in 1994, 1995. I bought myself my own saxophone but then in mid-1995 I had my first child and the saxophone has taken a back seat since then. It is now waiting with the accordion, the tinwhistle and the Irish flute, which are all also in storage. Their day will come....

2. I worked a few summers as a Youth Hostel Warden in my twenties, in a youth hostel in Dublin, in a hostel in Killala Co Mayo and in a hostel in Arthurstown Co Wexford. I got free board in a Sydney (yes, Sydney, Australia) youth hostel in exchange for cleaning.

3. I met my husband-to-be in a youth hostel on Achill Island off the west coast of Ireland in 1989 and we are still together 21 years later.

4. I've had 3 big trips in my life: first one was interrailing in Europe aged 20; second one was to Thailand, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand Hawaii, San Francisco and JFK NY on a round the world ticket, 11 months away all told; and the third one was a holiday when I lived in Sweden, to Norway, Faroe Islands, Shetland and Orkney Islands, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland and home to Gothenburg via London, using only ferries and road transport.

5. I like observing wildflowers and I like to know their names in Latin as well as English and sometimes even Swedish.

6. I am forgetful, disorganised, not a good cook and not good at keeping time.

7. Other jobs I've had include working as a shop assistant in Roches Stores in Limerick, a cleaner for a dentist in Gothenburg city centre, a teacher of English to Swedish adults and a home language teacher in Gothenburg to children with English as their mother tongue. I worked in a hospital in Randwick, Sydney. I also taught English to young Chinese adults in Sydney too. I even tried to be a housekeeper for a rich Australian woman and her 16 yr old daughter but that wasn't my best monent.... I lasted 3 days, I let the swimming pool overflow, I let the pet dog escape, I couldn't get a lizard out of the house, and I forgot to defrost the chicken kebabs in time(see nr 6 above!). I quit that job.....

Thanks for the award Irish Mammy, you'll be glad to know that it's going to Sweden next.

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Nu orkar jag inte översätta allt detta till svenska, vi har uppemot 70% luftfuktighet och jag håller på att gå upp i ånga....

Jag skulle vilja vidarebefordra denna Award till följande, vars bloggar jag har läst ändå sedan jag började blogga själv:
Skogsfrun på Dal
Lambergsfrua
Soffie69
Bagarbertan
och
Cottage by the Cranelake.

Torsdag kväll och inga matcher, bara läxor, barnen sitter på altanen och läser läxorna.
Vi hörs till helgen,
liz

four legged guests next door, fyrbenta gäster

Hej!
Vi har dessa 2 skönheter som gäster i ängen bredvid vårt hus. De tillhör min bror och hans fru och äter upp gräset så att min far inte behöver slå det med lie!



Hello all,
These 2 beauties are on their holidays in the meadow next to us, for a few days, to eat the grass so my dad doesn't have to worry about scything it later. The horses belong to my brother and his wife.

Jag gick runt lite i trädgården och tog några bilder. Först syren, (syringa), en purpurfärgad sådan, som blommar för fullt nu.



Here's a photo of my lilac bush,(above) with lovely deep purple flowers.



Looks like I need to weed the grass from this little plant, below...

Ser ut som om jag behöver rensa ogräset här...



this is my weeping birch and a flowering cherry, followed by my cherry tree which should produce some cherries with a bit of luck...







These are the hurleys, resting after camogie training.



dåså,
vad glad jag är att det är fredag, hela helgen ligger framför oss, och inga matcher, för en gångs skull!
ha det!
liz

a soft evening, thank God...duggregn idag

Indeed it did turn out to be a 'soft' evening, which means it rained, softly and slowly, but nevertheless rain, and that's fine with me.
If you ever asked my dad what the weather forecast was, he would always answer "Fine and wet". Which is spot on, really, one way or another, for Ireland...
I'm feeling a bit mellow this week, not really ready to climb any mountains or anything. I haven't gotten out for any walks much, just a short stroll with Sean the 4 year old, he wanted to cycle his bike a bit so we went along the road a bit and then the drizzle came down, so we headed home again. We had the company of Trixie, a dog from a neighbour, for the stroll. But he didn't like having his photo taken, the flash scared him.


My cherry tree is blossoming beautifully at the front gate, pity it just got dark with the rain on the way.
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Dåså, nästan en vecka till över, tiden går fort trots allt...
Det kom regn idag, regn och duggregn om vartannat, det vi kallar för en 'soft day' här på Irland.
Jag känner mig ganska trött denna vecka, har liksom inte lust att göra mycket, det är antagligen en reaktion mot all den körande hit och dit jag har gjort de senaste veckorna.
Jag gick ut en kort sväng med sonen Sean, 4 år, han ville cykla lite, vi hade sällskap av en grannhund, Trixie, som tyckte inte om när kameran blixtade. Och blixten behövdes, de annalkande regnmölnen gjorde att det blev mörkare, så jag tog bara 2 bilder, den ena av Trixie, den andra av körsbärsträdet vid grinden.
Torsdag ikväll, snart helgen, födelsedag i huset imorgon, det är värmlänningen själv som fyller år. Få se vad jag hittar på åt honom!
Annars går livet vidare, och nu tänker jag gå lägga mig snart....
liz

"det är gott att leva, gott att finnas till..."

Hej, jag har inte haft så mycket tid att blogga den gångna veckan, det var varit många matcher och träningspass för tjejerna och jag har helt enkelt inte haft tid.
Jag har försökt att lägga in fler bilder tagen av min man i Glenstal för 10 dagar sedan, men det fungerar inte ikväll av någon anledning. Suck...
Det har varit soligt men kallt på Irland, det blåser kallt norrifrån och ibland österifrån.
Jag jobbar på som vanligt. Barnen går i skolan. Värmlänningen jobbar. Katterna har vant sig vid varandra och tål varandra nu.
Det är skönt och grönt omkring oss, jag får gå ut med min egen kamera imorgon och ta bilder så att ni kan se hur det ser ut. Värmlänningen klipper gräsmattan varannan helg, det blir snart varje helg det behövs, till hans förtret....

Jag hoppas att kunna komma till stan imorgon och kolla lite i en garnaffär och se om inte jag kan hitta några bra mönster och lite extra garn.
Nu på torsdag ska den jättefilten som består av 3000 stickade lappar i A4 storlek visas upp för publiken för första gången. Jag kanske kommer dit till helgen och tar några bilder av den med. (jag stickade 9 lappar till den).
Ryggen mår bra, en av anledningarna till att jag inte har bloggat är att jag har försökt att låta bli att sitta vid datorn sent på kvällen. Jag har försökt att gå och lägga mig i vettig tid istället!
Jag hoppas att alla ni som är härinne och läser har det bra. Jag bloggvandrar imorgon och svarar då på de kommentarer jag inte har svarat på än.
Må bra!
Kom ihåg: "det är gott att leva, gott att finnas till, trots allt..." Så sjunger Ulf Lundell i alla fall!
liz
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Hello all,
Apologies for the delay in not blogging before this, I haven't had much time to blog, the girls have had lots of matches and training sessions, they've kept me busy, and I've been trying to go to bed early enough, so I haven't been allowing myself to even turn on the laptop after 9pm.
All is well here, work and school keep us out of mischief every day!
All is very green now, unfortunately I cannot get my laptop to cooperate with the disc of photos my DH took recently in Glenstal so this is a pic free blog tonight.
I'll have to get my own little camera and take some shots for the blog to show you just how green it is.
The weather is cold, the wind can be very sharp and cutting, although we have a lot of sun and it's very dry. I hear we may have showers on the way, rain even on Thursday! maybe 'a soft day' in store on Thurs?
So it's midnight almost and like Cinderella, I have to leave the party, time to hit the sack. Looking forward to a little yarn shopping tomorrow and maybe a sneak peek at Eilish Tuite's giant blanket as it is being installed at present in a building in Bedford Row in Limerick City. If it's not visible tomorrow I'll have to wait till Thurs or after to see it.
Good night, whoops, there goes my carriage....
Live well, remember 'it's good to be alive! '(translated from work of the Swedish songwriter and novelist Ulf Lundell)
liz

a new camera and a public holiday, en ny kamera och en röd dag

My DH (darling husband) got a new camera, and so it was off to Glenstal with us to take a walk and use the camera.
Here are a few shots taken today, there'll be more during the week.

Mannen min köpte sig en ny system kamera och då åkte vi till Glenstal abbey för en kort promenad och för att ta bilder. Här ser ni några bilder som togs idag.
Glenstal har stora rhodendron buskar och många mindre azalea buskar, de blommar så fint.
liz