Update. 

If anyone ever checks in here - here's an update of what's happened since my last post featuring the kids in Cuba in April of 2017.

We moved back to Sweden. If was hard on the kids. Brutal. We got a dog to soften the blow. We were five and a dog. 

The pandemic hit. I took a job working for a kids gaming company in Stockholm. Anders missed living abroad and started working in Spain. 

Turned out Joel was allergic to our dog.

Anders and I divorced. Anders more or less moved to Barcelona.

In the turmoil of divorce, Niki said the thing that mattered most to her was the dog.

I managed to find an apartment that was really two apartments. 

Joel who now had a girlfriend could use the smaller one and not live with dog yet still live with us. 

Vanja realized they were non-binary and changed their name to Ivan. 

Niki went to space science hight school up in the far North of Sweden.

Anders moved back and Joel moved in with him. Ivan moved away to go to dance school.

Suddenly, it was just me and a dog. 

The IRS called to say we owed them a massive amount of money because they'd changed regulation regarding property gains and this applied retroactively as well. 

Since Anders and I had divorced, we needed to split our money anyways so best thing was to move again. 

I found an apartment in the same building as my parents had lived in when I was born. It was too expensive for me and I was going on a trip so left and forgot about it. 

While wearing a bathing suit in Sicily, I got a text from the realtor saying they'd lowered the price of the place. Still in bathing suit, I said I'd take it. 

Niki realized she loves space but is not so into natural sciences and math. She moved back to Stockholm and now lives with me again. 

Anders has a girlfriend in Barcelona. 

I quit my job at the gaming company. By now I'd written 10 children's books. 

I received a 5-year writing grant. 

As often as they need me, I work in a book store. 

I'm working on two, perhaps three new books for kids. 
I'm working on a book for grownups too. 

I don't know if I can, currently writing is quite hard. 

I'm seeing a very kind and funny man I had a crush on in the 90's. 

I see my mom often. She misses dad so much. 
I love her so much. 

Hide & seek

Jennifer and friend

Imagine my joy when in Havana, a nice lady turns to me and asks "don't you have a blog?"

Jennifer, so good to meet you! My phone was stolen the next day so lost your contact info. 

love

-emi

Went to Stockholm and everything looked like a postcard

Hi, long time no see

see I haven't blogged since february?

this is what's happened:

It's been a very long, cold and drizzly winter/early spring in New York. It's cold and drizzly today as well, though also beautiful in a muted, soft kind of way.

here are the cities/locations I have on weather check. Which do you have?

 

I went to Sweden and bought an apartment. We're moving back in July. I'm looking forward, forward to being on my own turf again in a city I love so much. I love New York too, but I've missed my friends and family and the streets and parks and well, home is home.

I hope the rest of my family will like the place as they haven't yet seen it. It's walking distance from the city but also close to the water and forest.

I'll go back to take a look with Anders in late april/early May.

My fourth children's book will be out in late May.
So much to happen in the upcoming months. A new home in the old country which must seem new to the kids. New jobs, new schools, new everything.

When the new seems overwhelming, I go to museums, where everything has already happened. Perhaps a few thousand years ago a woman like me was also moving, thinking about her new digs and where her children would now find new friends. Perhaps she bought this cup for her morning drink.
Likely not, but who knows. It's from the early 1st milliennium BC, from the Caspian region of current day Northern Iran. You can see it at the Met.

Went to Sweden, as it seems mainly to work on our awkward family photos

Snow day

Go go, Elizabeth Warren

The shortest photography class you'll ever take

These two pics were taken with less than 50 seconds apart, by the same photographer using the same camera, with the same lens, in the same location. The subject matter is also the same: fake bird with real bird.

It's easy to see which is the better shot.
All it took was a changed f-stop (and consequently changed shutter speed) and and a few steps closer.

(f/16, ISO 400, 1/60)

(f/2 ISO 400, 1/13000)

Every day thought reading the news

I CAN*T KEEP UP WITH THE ESCALATING INSANITY

ps. I SALUTE YOU FOREVER AND EVER ELIZABETH WARREN

NYC - no filter

Taking a photography class and learning about shutter speeds and f-stops

this one's shot 5 minutes AFTER pic above, but with longer shutter speed (9 seconds)

silky water (30 seconds)

ferry under bridge (14 seconds)

ferry under bridge and helicopters above (30 seconds)

sirens on the bridge (0.32258s)

early morning (0.43478s) 

early morning, silky water (30 seconds)

Welcome to my new instagram account

Have started yet another instagram account, so I have a special place to post anything museum related

https://www.instagram.com/history_objectified/

Jeans

So many things I don't understand about the world right now. Like these jeans?

Hi granny

Seems all creatures on earth share this ancestor. Makes me giddy and scared at the same time.

wish this was the american leader instead

Authentic new greeting phrase heard on street of New York

"Hi! How is the new world order treating you?"

Will dress like this for fall

love this palette - chocolate, pistachio and hazelnut.

Looked for birds, saw a car.

Shocked ostrich has now been shocked for 3000+ years

went to the morgan library, loved this

A Winged Hero Pursuing Two Ostriches

Cylinder seal and impression
Inscription abraded in antiquity.

Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period

ca. 1250–1150 B.C.

Marble

31 x 14 mm

Seal no. 606

See more information »

Item description: 

In one of the most striking of the Morgan's Middle Assyrian seals, a hero pursues an adult ostrich, possibly representing the earthly equivalent of the griffin, the conveyor of death. The fleeing ostrich, with its head turned back in fear and fury and its feathers bristling, ranks among the greatest Mesopotamian depictions of animals. In the biblical Book of Job (39:13–17), the ostrich is considered a malevolent creature because it disdains its young, which may account for the presence of the young ostrich and enhances our understanding of this extraordinary seal.

Have to wait til 2018 for season 2 of Atlanta

so will have listen to this on repeat for over a year.

EDIE WINDSOR!

look who marched where I marched!

edie windsor! 

longtime blog readers understand my star struckedness - here's a post from 2012

http://lftec.blogspot.com/2012/12/edie-windsor-youre-inspiration.html

Women's march NYC

marched in NYC with the kids and it was great! here's one of my favorite signs from the day:

Working out with Americans

I'm getting Spy fit with the help of The Americans.

script is good but the styling? SO GOOD

found myself googling

" Where to find everything Nina wears on the Americans;  everything: boots, dresses, coats, blouses tutti "

No spoilers please, am just a few episodes into SEASON 1.

Pope on POTUS

wait and see?

how about what we can conclude after just the first half week?

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-pope-idUSKBN1560NU

Things were so different 8 years ago

niki was a baby, my dad was laughing and we were all so happy about the new president

I love this head

MADE FOR ME!

https://nyti.ms/2jAggJA

Update: has been sold out since before x-mas.

It's Tuesday, my good news day

We're moving back home to Stockholm in July.
I love New York but Stockholm is my home. My real home.

Now: finding a new home (we sold the house last year), finding schools for the kids, finding a job for me. It will be an interesting year.

Zoe Leonard wrote this in 1992

We all do it