I never did play childrens games with Mom, but I guess she decided it was time! She just "tagged" me! Apperantly there is a game of purse tage that the ladies play, where you have to reveal the contents of your purse. Well, I usually don't carry a purse, opting to stuff my pockets instead or to carry a backpack. So, since the closest thing I have to a purse is a backpack, I will (to show good sportsmanship) reveal the contents of my backpack.
Starting with the outside pocket, I have:
a deck of playing cards and a deck of water Uno cards
3 sets of keys- one to my car, one to Kris'car and the church, and one set to the motorcycle.
a hairbrush
a pack of fruit mint gum
2 bus schedules
the wrapper from a cough drop
a broken rubber band
a pack of matches from a weenie roast with the youth
3 ball point pens (all blue ink)
1 black permanent marking pen
2 pencils
a pencil sharpener that looks like an engine (pistons move when you twist the pencil!)
an eraser
a florescent orange small superball (to remind me that I am Gods CHILD)
a good tablespoon of dirt,dust and crumbs
my daytimer (if I don't write it down I will forget!)
my wallet with 5oo swedish crowns (about 50 US dollars) and a lot of reciepts and cards
a money pouch with the earnings of doing tattoos on Saturday (460crowns - 10%)
a pair of sunglasses
the inside pocket:
a pair of leather motorcycle gloves
teachingnotes from this past thursdays younge believers class
attendance records for my mentally handicapped painting class
assorted colored paper- A4 size
a (filled in) questionare about our congregation
an old insurance claim from when the stereo was stolen from my car
a sudoku magazine
a book- Sherk- in Swedish
A NIV study bible with at least 5 different teaching notes within the pages
the study guide we use with younge believers and its workbook
a chocolate cookie (not to be put back in!)
a candy bad with 10 small superballs, a guitar pick and 6 crowns in it
a pair of scissors
a mechanical pencil
assorted small paper scraps, crumbs and dust in the bottom
a coke light bottle filled with water
The inside inside pocket:
pair of extra contact lenses- daily wears
a small bottle of liquid soap
a small bottle of shampoo
2 panty shields, 2 cotton mice with string tails.
I think my list was a little longer than Moms, but so is my bag!! She taught me well.
There is a man, Damas, that just moved to Vännäs from Burandi(I think). He has been coming to our church a couple weeks now, and I had invited him to eat dinner with us yesterday. He is still learning swedish, and is bored most of the time. He offered to come and do some work outside later on today, plus that I need to take Katrina into town, workout at the gym, get groceries, and make supper!
I need to get ready for my special painting class now. (starts at 11:00) I hope to write more tomorrow.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Nothing exciting
No speeding tickets this week! Today I am going to start the official planning for out sunday school summer camp. The place I was originally planning on using is already rented out, so I will be looking into a few other alternatives. One of the ladies at church had a few ideas, and is willing to help during the camp, so I will be meeting with her later today. Some of the youth are going to a weekend confress this weekend, so it will be slim pickings at the youth meeting. That's OK, I don't mind a smaller group every now and then!
Kris has been in Gothenburg since Wend. He is suppose to come home sometime today. SAS airline has had a strike, and a lot of flights are canceled. We'll see if his flight home is effected or not. Otherwise, he will have to spend a little time doing R&R- how sad!!
Well, I do have a bit to do today, so I guess I ought to get to it. Have a good one, yall.
Kris has been in Gothenburg since Wend. He is suppose to come home sometime today. SAS airline has had a strike, and a lot of flights are canceled. We'll see if his flight home is effected or not. Otherwise, he will have to spend a little time doing R&R- how sad!!
Well, I do have a bit to do today, so I guess I ought to get to it. Have a good one, yall.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
fine, fines and Finns
I finally have a full 24 hours with absolutly nothing on the schedule! I haven't had one of these days in a long time, and I actually feel bored!! I was hoping to spend some time with Kris today- feel like I have been neglecting him lately- not even sleeping in the same bed. (Didn't want to get his heart going too much in the middle of the night) But he came rushing down the stairs this morning at 7 and said that he had to go into the hospital. I was petrified at first- thinking his heart was giving up on him! But he had forgotten to tell me that he was on call today. So, he was actually going in to take care of a patient. I will call him in an hour or so to see if he wants to grab lunch in town. It would be nice to have some one on one time with him.
I think I will do a double light pass at the gym today- first work out with weights and then go swimming. I think it will be fine day.
Last night I was driving to a youth activity, jamming out to the Newsboys and generally not concentrating on my driving. Way too late, I saw the police man with a hair dryer. I was sure I knew what the speed limit was, and was 5 kph under it, but didn't have a seat belt on. Grrr- 70 bucks! Unfortunatly, I was wrong about the speed limit, and was 15kph over then limit- a 70 dollar fine would have been a blessing! Instead I have a 240 dollar fine!! Big GRRRR! I could just kick myself for not seeing the signs- I must have driven past them 5oo times! There goes my savings for this month!
I was at a leadership meeting at church, and we had a couple fellows as guests. They were from Finnland, and were on a tour to raise funds for a bible school they support in Russia. I read their information pamplets (which were in English) and translated them to english. It was so nice to be reminded that our spiritual battle is not one we are alone in- we are internationally joined through our faith in the Lord. They might speak Finnish, Swedish, Russian or English- but we have the same heavenly father! So, blessings to our Finn brothers as they wander on through Sweden and Norway.
Now I am going to wander into the kitchen and find some breakfast. Have a good one, yall!
I think I will do a double light pass at the gym today- first work out with weights and then go swimming. I think it will be fine day.
Last night I was driving to a youth activity, jamming out to the Newsboys and generally not concentrating on my driving. Way too late, I saw the police man with a hair dryer. I was sure I knew what the speed limit was, and was 5 kph under it, but didn't have a seat belt on. Grrr- 70 bucks! Unfortunatly, I was wrong about the speed limit, and was 15kph over then limit- a 70 dollar fine would have been a blessing! Instead I have a 240 dollar fine!! Big GRRRR! I could just kick myself for not seeing the signs- I must have driven past them 5oo times! There goes my savings for this month!
I was at a leadership meeting at church, and we had a couple fellows as guests. They were from Finnland, and were on a tour to raise funds for a bible school they support in Russia. I read their information pamplets (which were in English) and translated them to english. It was so nice to be reminded that our spiritual battle is not one we are alone in- we are internationally joined through our faith in the Lord. They might speak Finnish, Swedish, Russian or English- but we have the same heavenly father! So, blessings to our Finn brothers as they wander on through Sweden and Norway.
Now I am going to wander into the kitchen and find some breakfast. Have a good one, yall!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Cops,robbers,hockey and Grease
Keeping 2 jobs going is not as easy as one would think! The advantage is that I can afford to have someone come in to help with the cleaning. I love it, as do the rest of the family- they don't have to do as much! Cleaning is not one of those things we really enjoy- except when ít is done. As I am writing, our helper is running around dusting and getting ready to clean. Later today I am hoping to take a bunch of bottles, paper, plastic and glass for recycling. (Tired of the piles of bags and boxes and in need of some quick cash!)
I was suppose to go to a meeting today in Northern Sweden, to a town called Kalix. But I admit that I am overjoyed that something came up and I needed to stay home. It was a 4½ hour drive up, a 3 hour meeting and another 4½ hour drive home. I love riding my motorcycle, but that was a little too much- even in a car! Besides, now I have time to clean up a bit, get a few odd jobs done, and do some prep work for the younge believers group on Thursday.
Last week I had activities for the youth during the easter break. We kept active Monday with a game called Captured at the Church. They had to do certian tasks to earn a key. At the end, they had to use the keys to get clues. The clues led them to the final treasure. We had 4 hours of fun and stopped at 5 for a 1 hour supper break. In the evening we played board games till 2am. Tuesday we were to play burnball (similar sort of to baseball) But it snowed and was really windy. A few die hards went and played anyways, and the rest of us decided to make supper for everyone to eat together. We ate a little late, but enjoyed the company. In the evening we watched Bruce Almighty and Forest Gump, then played penalty Uno. (If you make a mistake you have to pick up two cards from the draw pile). We went home at 1am. Wend. we started with games at the local gym. We layed out mats, got out the ropes, some gymnastic equipment and spread them around the gym. Two people were chosen to be "it" and a game of tag/don't touch the floor ensued. Two hours of that wore us down so we swithched to dodgeball. By th time 4 rolled around we were too tired to do anything else. So we cleaned up and went for supper. We met at the church and played a game of photo treasure hunt. I gave everyone a list of things to get a picture of, and how many points the picture was worth. They went out to get as many as possible, and returned to the church at 8pm. Then we walked/rode bike to a place where we could build a fire and grilled stick bread and hotdogs. We had a short devotional and talked about what to do next.After a vote, we played cops and robbers! Four "prisoners" escaped, and the cops had to find them. Those who were not cops or robbers were citizens who could call the police and tip them- or lead them astray. We met back at t he church at 12 and played PIG and Uno till 2. Then I had to close shop- I was beat!! On Thursday, most of them went on another retreat with the Missions church and were away till Sunday evening. We had a lot of fun!! But man was I tired! I slept most of Thursday away and fought through the weekend to regain my energy.
Kris is doing better. He has worked all this week. He is tired when he gets home, but is feeling stronger and stronger each day. Last Tuesday, he and our son, Björn, went to an ice hockey game in Ö-vik. It is a 1½ hr drive from Umeå, and he had worked allday. I was really worried about him driving, the long day and that it is somewhat exciting at a live game. I had a hard time releasing my worries, and even had a few people pray with/for me all day. Kris called home at 10 and said that he had found someone to ride down with, and someone else to ride back to Umeå with. Would I be willing to drive into Umeå in the evening and pick them up? What a relief!! Boy was I willing!! Thank God for even answering the prayers of a worried mom/wife! They both said after the game that they had the wrong seats- all the goals were scored at the other end of the rink! (No mistake there! God knew just where to put them!) So they made it home safe and sound.
On Saturday evening we took the kids to see a musical- Grease. They got all dressed up- Björn even had a shirt and tie! The only thing we forgot was to get cash! The stands didn't take bank cards! So at intermission, the kids were thirsty, asn we had no cash. Luckily I had done some wash earlier in the day and had just enough money to get a can of soda, which the kids shared. They were really great. We stopped for ice cream on the way home. It was a noce evening together.
Well, now this entry is more than long enough. Have a good one yall. My dishwasher is done as is my washing machine, and it is lunchtime as well. Bon apatit!
I was suppose to go to a meeting today in Northern Sweden, to a town called Kalix. But I admit that I am overjoyed that something came up and I needed to stay home. It was a 4½ hour drive up, a 3 hour meeting and another 4½ hour drive home. I love riding my motorcycle, but that was a little too much- even in a car! Besides, now I have time to clean up a bit, get a few odd jobs done, and do some prep work for the younge believers group on Thursday.
Last week I had activities for the youth during the easter break. We kept active Monday with a game called Captured at the Church. They had to do certian tasks to earn a key. At the end, they had to use the keys to get clues. The clues led them to the final treasure. We had 4 hours of fun and stopped at 5 for a 1 hour supper break. In the evening we played board games till 2am. Tuesday we were to play burnball (similar sort of to baseball) But it snowed and was really windy. A few die hards went and played anyways, and the rest of us decided to make supper for everyone to eat together. We ate a little late, but enjoyed the company. In the evening we watched Bruce Almighty and Forest Gump, then played penalty Uno. (If you make a mistake you have to pick up two cards from the draw pile). We went home at 1am. Wend. we started with games at the local gym. We layed out mats, got out the ropes, some gymnastic equipment and spread them around the gym. Two people were chosen to be "it" and a game of tag/don't touch the floor ensued. Two hours of that wore us down so we swithched to dodgeball. By th time 4 rolled around we were too tired to do anything else. So we cleaned up and went for supper. We met at the church and played a game of photo treasure hunt. I gave everyone a list of things to get a picture of, and how many points the picture was worth. They went out to get as many as possible, and returned to the church at 8pm. Then we walked/rode bike to a place where we could build a fire and grilled stick bread and hotdogs. We had a short devotional and talked about what to do next.After a vote, we played cops and robbers! Four "prisoners" escaped, and the cops had to find them. Those who were not cops or robbers were citizens who could call the police and tip them- or lead them astray. We met back at t he church at 12 and played PIG and Uno till 2. Then I had to close shop- I was beat!! On Thursday, most of them went on another retreat with the Missions church and were away till Sunday evening. We had a lot of fun!! But man was I tired! I slept most of Thursday away and fought through the weekend to regain my energy.
Kris is doing better. He has worked all this week. He is tired when he gets home, but is feeling stronger and stronger each day. Last Tuesday, he and our son, Björn, went to an ice hockey game in Ö-vik. It is a 1½ hr drive from Umeå, and he had worked allday. I was really worried about him driving, the long day and that it is somewhat exciting at a live game. I had a hard time releasing my worries, and even had a few people pray with/for me all day. Kris called home at 10 and said that he had found someone to ride down with, and someone else to ride back to Umeå with. Would I be willing to drive into Umeå in the evening and pick them up? What a relief!! Boy was I willing!! Thank God for even answering the prayers of a worried mom/wife! They both said after the game that they had the wrong seats- all the goals were scored at the other end of the rink! (No mistake there! God knew just where to put them!) So they made it home safe and sound.
On Saturday evening we took the kids to see a musical- Grease. They got all dressed up- Björn even had a shirt and tie! The only thing we forgot was to get cash! The stands didn't take bank cards! So at intermission, the kids were thirsty, asn we had no cash. Luckily I had done some wash earlier in the day and had just enough money to get a can of soda, which the kids shared. They were really great. We stopped for ice cream on the way home. It was a noce evening together.
Well, now this entry is more than long enough. Have a good one yall. My dishwasher is done as is my washing machine, and it is lunchtime as well. Bon apatit!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter everyone! My week has been full and fulfilling. It has also been full of irritation and worry. I know we are not to worry, but to put our trust in God. I am trying! (My kids say that I am very trying!)
For the past 3 weeks Kris (my hubby) has been dealing with a major problem which he downplays a lot. He works as a cardiologist (heart doctor), and was giving ekgs one day. He had a few minutes free, and true to his nature couldn't be still. So, he turned the machine on and gave himself and ekg. He had been having a little heart pain, which I didn't know about. So curiosity and boredom got the better of him. His picture showed that he has liquid around his heart and the heart muscles were inflamed. Not good. He had another doctor he works with check him out, and was confirmed. So, he came home. At first he tried to go to work anyways, and that didn't work out too well. Then he stayed home a full week, and even took some medicine to stop the heart palpitations. We all did our best to not stress him, and to keep him on the couch. No chores, driving or excursions, walking the dog or even making coffee. I stayed home most of the week, only leaving to go to meetings that could not be rescheduled. He slept most of the week, getting exhausted from walking to the bathroom! Toward the end of the week he started to feel better, He worked on his tan, sitting outside a couple hours a day. After the weekend, he decided to go to work on Wend. and Thursday this past week. I thought he was nuts, and advised against it. But I am just the wife, and he is the doctor... so of´f to work he went on Wend. morning. He was only going to do paper and computer work, have coffee with his colleges, and then come home. He was completely wiped out! He should not have gone. But the stubborn man went back to work on Thursday anyways!
Why are men so stupid, especially when they are educated? They can't even blame their stupidity on ignorance! Pig-headed, thick sculled, ...#¤!½&%¤½# Grrrrrrrr!
Since then Kris has been home. We went out for a couple hours yesterday to a birthday party, but a couple hours was all he could handle. He stayed awake till late, and went to bed. We will see if he can muster up the energy for church today.
On Tuesday he is planning on taking Bjorn to a hockey match in Ö-vik, a town 1½ hours from here. I am beginning to wonder if he will be able to do it- especially the driving. We will see what becomes of it all. I might have to drive them down, wait for the game to be over, and drive back.
Björns birthday is on Wend. this year. Middle of the week. We got him an electric guitar and an amp. He has been taking acoustic guitar lessons for almost a year now. Bjorn and his friends have been talking for a couple of years about building a band. They each chose an instrument to learn, and have been working on it for a year now. Who knows, maybe the next Abba band will be forming right here in Vännäsby! I think it is great that they have a plan and are working towards it.
Katrina really made me proud! (again) Her school has a talent show every year. This year, she and a group of girls decided to do a Disney theme. Each girl picked a character to portray. Katrina was Bell from beauty and the beast.The others were Tinkerbell the fairy, a mouse from Cinderella, Cruel la De Ville, Pocahontas, Snow White, and an Arabian girl from Aladdin. Each girl made their own costumes- nothing store bought. Katrina sat at the sewing machine and made her dress from an old sheet, and a recycled zipper. I was so impressed! I didn't help her at all except to show her how to thread the machine! Anyways, the girls did a fantastic job with the choreograph, content and costumes. They won! We are so proud of all the planning, practice, and work that they put into it. It will be exciting to see if and what they do next year!!
My jobs have kept me running. It seems like there are more and more painting jobs coming in. They keep me busy on the days I am not working at the church. It is starting to feel a bit much, but I love both jobs so much! It is hard to keep up with everything though. 2 jobs, a sick hubby to keep track of, 2 kids, a dog and a house. (If I don't keep an eye on him, Kris will try to "help out" by vacuuming, doing dishes, cleaning up... I told him that it won't help at all if he does theses things and wind up having a heart attack! He's no good to me dead!) Life is good, and we are re-examining how to keep it that way. Since Kris can't work or have any over time for quite a while in the future, we need to pull in our belts and rethink our budget. I do believe that trip to France is off for the time being, as are the new sofas, redecorating and the new car. These things are just material objects and are of no real importance. We have each other, and that takes priority.
We do have a few things to look forward to. Summer weather has come early, and I always look forward to riding the motorcycle. Warm days are a definite plus, as is the thought of vacation. I found out earlier this week that we will be getting some guests from the stated in June- and I really am looking forward to that! (We have only had one other visit from the states- when Mom visited a few years ago) The kids are really looking forward to the visit as well.
While I was writing this blogg, I had some eggs on the stove, boiling them to be able to paint them later this morning. And I promptly forgot them. I was hearing some popping noise, and thought it was Björn bouncing a ball in his room. It's early morning and I was enjoying the solitude, and didn't want him to wake everyone. So I went to the bottom of the stairs and asked," Who's awake?" Kris answered. But then I heard the popping noise again, from the kitchen! Then I remembered the eggs. Sure enough! The water had boiled out, and the heat was still cooking the eggs, making them pop. Mmmmmm, the beautiful smell of burnt eggs! I guess I will have to try again.
So, keep your eyes on cooking pots, your feet on the ground, your heart a pumping and your hands busy with doing good things. Have a hop-py egg day and I will try to write again before the end of the month.
For the past 3 weeks Kris (my hubby) has been dealing with a major problem which he downplays a lot. He works as a cardiologist (heart doctor), and was giving ekgs one day. He had a few minutes free, and true to his nature couldn't be still. So, he turned the machine on and gave himself and ekg. He had been having a little heart pain, which I didn't know about. So curiosity and boredom got the better of him. His picture showed that he has liquid around his heart and the heart muscles were inflamed. Not good. He had another doctor he works with check him out, and was confirmed. So, he came home. At first he tried to go to work anyways, and that didn't work out too well. Then he stayed home a full week, and even took some medicine to stop the heart palpitations. We all did our best to not stress him, and to keep him on the couch. No chores, driving or excursions, walking the dog or even making coffee. I stayed home most of the week, only leaving to go to meetings that could not be rescheduled. He slept most of the week, getting exhausted from walking to the bathroom! Toward the end of the week he started to feel better, He worked on his tan, sitting outside a couple hours a day. After the weekend, he decided to go to work on Wend. and Thursday this past week. I thought he was nuts, and advised against it. But I am just the wife, and he is the doctor... so of´f to work he went on Wend. morning. He was only going to do paper and computer work, have coffee with his colleges, and then come home. He was completely wiped out! He should not have gone. But the stubborn man went back to work on Thursday anyways!
Why are men so stupid, especially when they are educated? They can't even blame their stupidity on ignorance! Pig-headed, thick sculled, ...#¤!½&%¤½# Grrrrrrrr!
Since then Kris has been home. We went out for a couple hours yesterday to a birthday party, but a couple hours was all he could handle. He stayed awake till late, and went to bed. We will see if he can muster up the energy for church today.
On Tuesday he is planning on taking Bjorn to a hockey match in Ö-vik, a town 1½ hours from here. I am beginning to wonder if he will be able to do it- especially the driving. We will see what becomes of it all. I might have to drive them down, wait for the game to be over, and drive back.
Björns birthday is on Wend. this year. Middle of the week. We got him an electric guitar and an amp. He has been taking acoustic guitar lessons for almost a year now. Bjorn and his friends have been talking for a couple of years about building a band. They each chose an instrument to learn, and have been working on it for a year now. Who knows, maybe the next Abba band will be forming right here in Vännäsby! I think it is great that they have a plan and are working towards it.
Katrina really made me proud! (again) Her school has a talent show every year. This year, she and a group of girls decided to do a Disney theme. Each girl picked a character to portray. Katrina was Bell from beauty and the beast.The others were Tinkerbell the fairy, a mouse from Cinderella, Cruel la De Ville, Pocahontas, Snow White, and an Arabian girl from Aladdin. Each girl made their own costumes- nothing store bought. Katrina sat at the sewing machine and made her dress from an old sheet, and a recycled zipper. I was so impressed! I didn't help her at all except to show her how to thread the machine! Anyways, the girls did a fantastic job with the choreograph, content and costumes. They won! We are so proud of all the planning, practice, and work that they put into it. It will be exciting to see if and what they do next year!!
My jobs have kept me running. It seems like there are more and more painting jobs coming in. They keep me busy on the days I am not working at the church. It is starting to feel a bit much, but I love both jobs so much! It is hard to keep up with everything though. 2 jobs, a sick hubby to keep track of, 2 kids, a dog and a house. (If I don't keep an eye on him, Kris will try to "help out" by vacuuming, doing dishes, cleaning up... I told him that it won't help at all if he does theses things and wind up having a heart attack! He's no good to me dead!) Life is good, and we are re-examining how to keep it that way. Since Kris can't work or have any over time for quite a while in the future, we need to pull in our belts and rethink our budget. I do believe that trip to France is off for the time being, as are the new sofas, redecorating and the new car. These things are just material objects and are of no real importance. We have each other, and that takes priority.
We do have a few things to look forward to. Summer weather has come early, and I always look forward to riding the motorcycle. Warm days are a definite plus, as is the thought of vacation. I found out earlier this week that we will be getting some guests from the stated in June- and I really am looking forward to that! (We have only had one other visit from the states- when Mom visited a few years ago) The kids are really looking forward to the visit as well.
While I was writing this blogg, I had some eggs on the stove, boiling them to be able to paint them later this morning. And I promptly forgot them. I was hearing some popping noise, and thought it was Björn bouncing a ball in his room. It's early morning and I was enjoying the solitude, and didn't want him to wake everyone. So I went to the bottom of the stairs and asked," Who's awake?" Kris answered. But then I heard the popping noise again, from the kitchen! Then I remembered the eggs. Sure enough! The water had boiled out, and the heat was still cooking the eggs, making them pop. Mmmmmm, the beautiful smell of burnt eggs! I guess I will have to try again.
So, keep your eyes on cooking pots, your feet on the ground, your heart a pumping and your hands busy with doing good things. Have a hop-py egg day and I will try to write again before the end of the month.
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