Diamonds among the garbage

Camera shy

I'm taking a photography class for many reasons. First out, I want to master my camera beyond auto settings. But I also want to curb my shyness - I constantly see people and situations I'd love to capture but then don't because I don't want to step on anyone's integrity. Which is certainly a virtuous standpoint but is it true or am I just too chicken? 

This is a typical picture of a stranger by me. I don't think the man here could complain about having his privacy invaded? His identity is hidden by his looming work. But he is there. THough this would have been a much better picture with more of him revealed, don't you think? 

I often walk past this office. I feel a little bit better every time I do, though I feel for the people inside. But it gives me hope about doing my taxes. My paper work shrinks by comparison.

Happy to be alive!

The other day was inches from death as a school bus swerved into my walking though I had a clear go-light. 

I cried out (in Swedish, as that's my emergency language it seems) 

The driver did not notice or care. But just so you know, I'm happy to be here! It was close and what a ridiculous way to go, run over by school bus as you're carrying home crackers and kiwis. 

Lately

Wednesday, I went to have coffee with Josh, an old college friend. Perhaps I should write "Wednesday, I went to have coffee with the one friend I still have from college".  It's almost true, though I have Jenny too!

Anyways, it was great to see Josh. He lives only half an hour away (by foot, as that is how I measure distances, like the medieval peasant I often identify with), but I hadn't seen him for over a year as that's very often how life works once you have kids. Plans have gotten cancelled because of lice, fevers and yes, my half year stint on another continent. 

Anyways, he's a great writer and will soon have a new book out. Besides that he also writes stories for various publications.

Here's a great article he wrote recently, about a crack addict who dreamt big and went even bigger - coming up with the perfect pillow. This is my favorite quote:

He shot a deer, then ran to his car and called his media buyer to ask how much Fox he could buy through the end of the year.

---

the pic above has nothing to do with any of this, it's just a view the medieval peasant saw on her way to meet her old friend. 

Will reveal important news here on Tuesday

Stay tuned.

The only good thing that will happen on Jan 20

Dreading, dreading, dreading the awful day when a willful, hateful, impulsive, racist male bully will become the leader of the United States.

But one good thing does happen that day. An exhibition celebrating a brilliant unique woman opens:

I’m Nobody! Who are you? The Life and Poetry of Emily Dickinson

Important icons of our time

Empire State Building, Ramona and Hestra gloves.

Niki had her bday party

she turned awesome!

Jan 6th so far

Woke up, made lunch for Joel, saw him off. Saw Anders take ferry to work.

Saw Vanja finish her application for a youth program at the Whitney. 

Took Niki to school, met Ella on the shuttle, wearing her panda hat with matching gloves. 

Dropped Niki off, saw a T-Rex singing in a window. 

Have walked past Veselka a thousand times. Decided to try it. 

It was ok. Liked the place and the staff, though.

Went to the writers room and worked for hours, had lunch as so often from Sweetgreen. Heard about horrible Fort Lauderdale shootings. 

Contemplated future and as always, feeling uneasy about the president to come. 

 About to walk home over bridge soon. Going out tonight, if only for a little while.

Where would you go?

I'm in New York City now but would need to get away for a week to really focus on a book project. Where should I go?  Preferably traveling by bus cause trying to be eco-friendly. Looked into Vancouver but 3 days and 4 hours seems a bit steep.

Just looking for clean, affordable with great walking and perhaps swimming prospects.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

Shopping instinct trigger

Reading about yet another book on writing (do I need more of those? yes, please), I see the book was banned because the author urged the wannabe-writer to make the "characters suffer". I instantly need this book.

http://www.gailcarsonlevine.com/wm.html

What if?

What if America really runs on donuts? That would explain so much - shortsighted solutions etc.

I often think about

how similar these words are

appealing

appalling

at 4:30 every day

the subway turns to gold

Last few days of 2016

2016

So 2016 is almost over and I'm coming out of it feeling like this pic above. 

It's been a very shitty year both for me personally and, it seems, for the world in general. 

I could list the bad stuff but you already know it and probably have your own shit to deal with so I'm not going to. 

I'll list the good:

Lived for 6 months with Niki in a 1 bedroom apartment in Stockholm and it wasn't just sad and lonely and horrible to be away from older kids and husband (but yes, it was that too), it was also plain necessary for me to grieve my dad in my hometown.

Peaceful people put DAPL to a halt despite being attacked in numerous vicious and unnecessarily brutal and violent ways. 

Paralysis might be reversed

I published a new book (and Sweden's minister of culture officially recommended it )

I went to see Sara and fam up north

We went to Italy -Tuscany, Florence, Rome and I always love it there. 

I went to Paris with Sarah, Niki and Simon

I stayed mostly healthy except when I couldn't walk straight and had to have my brain scanned. Though on the bonus side: got brain scan off the bucket list!

I discovered I really hate working out on treadmill but find it completely ok to run while watching tv-series. I thank 1 Mississipi, Better Things, Bleak House, Dr Thorne and Transparent for getting me in better shape than before. 

We sold our house in Sweden. 

I took a lot of pictures and found true love in taking pictures. I really really love snapping pics. 

I signed contracts for more books to be published in the next few years.

I contributed to great new kids mag Koko.

Every dinner with friends. 

Every walk in the park. 

Every school visit

Every time I looked at the kids while they were sleeping.

Also - crowning moment of 2016 - finally biked out to IKEA and bought some bedside lamps. 

Niki turned 9

she got what she'd wished for: a lavalamp

Childrens book author

Just handed in my fourth book to the publisher.
Readers who've been me for long - it really happened.

it was my dream, now it's my reality.

what's your dream? dare dream it.

Visiting schools

I just came back from Sweden. It was so beautiful, snow had fallen and everything looked its best kind of wintery.

I visited a few schools too, talked about my books and met 100+ kids and teachers. It was all I'd dreamed it would be and more! The kids were so great and curious and lively. Loved it!!

This is the school library at one of the schools I visited.

And this is the school librarian Malena holding two of my books. 

Malena is such a star, she seems to really love her job and excels at it. 

Her school library was so cosy, I never wanted to leave. Just wanted to stay in there and read. 

Jazz hands

makes perfect sense to me

Read up on forest bathing

http://qz.com/804022/health-benefits-japanese-forest-bathing/

what really makes me feel like a freaking genius

is looking for an ancient receipt and actually finding it.
so proud right now.

when I was younger I thought I'd be proud of other kinds of achievements but really, this takes the cake.

now at work on my 5th childrens book

It really happened, my lifelong dream of writing for kids.

Next week am going to Stockholm again, will visit 3 different schools, meet hundreds of kids and travel with a book bus!

I sometimes forget how long I dreamed for all this to happen.
and then it did.

I'll post pics here next week.

at least weather is more friendly today

every morning I wake up and am at disbelief that trump won. 

america, how could you. 

Yesterday

Yesterday New York experienced Seven-weather. As in Seven, the very grim movie starring Pitt, Morgan and Paltrow

Have also been watching The night of lately and yes, that kind of cheery weather and setting.

So anyways the whole city seemed bleak. Really bleak.
I had an hour before picking kids up from school, too little time to get any real writing done, too much to just sit and stare.

Walked up to Fresh cosmetics on union square to see if I could get a sample of some night cream I wanted to try.

Was offered a little pampering session by a young man with beautiful skin and thought "why not?".
He went on an on about the various products he was about to use and after applying them to my skin he exclaimed "look! so refreshed" and I just couldn't stop laughing and then he laughed too cause it was such an apparent lie, a charade being acted out by the two of us.

Me  - november gray, tired, mom of 3 in Seven-weather and him a young male with dreams of Hollywood.

So refreshed!

not really.

then took off to pick up niki and on the way saw a young man on a bench surrounded by paramedics in no hurry what so ever. The paramedics were putting on gloves. The young did nothing. He looked strange. In fact, he looked dead.

he looked like a character from game of thrones. so strange to have seen so few dead people that when I see one for real, my only analogy is from a tv-series re-enacting death. his face had that bluish dead pallor.

felt so so sad. so so sad for young man on bench surrounded by people in no hurry. HURRY! I wanted to scream. I think it was an overdose, but what do I know? but that's what it seemed like. the opiate epidemic is everywhere here now.

thought about his parents getting the phone call.

then went to get my own child

it was a horrible day.

Dear Spanx

Dear Spanx, I love the following USP to sell shapewear:

• Back seam ensures no uni-butt

Uni-butt. I love it. Perhaps that's what I really want. 

Dear fellow haters of treadmills

I don't really like running but I like what it does to my mood. So thanks for making treadmills so I can just run off some anger/sadness.

Lately have even laughed on treadmill because I've started to watch Better Things while running.
I highly recommend this combination.

people have accused me of stealing Marcus and Martinus unknown triplet

we try to give him a chance to dance and sing too

book for that person in your life who loves women and trees

Yes, I am one of those persons in your life but as you can see, I already have this book. 

ps. as you can see, it's also a great concealer for a rosacea outbreak.

Bonus pic from Lidingö:

Vanja turned 15

and Anders mom was here to visit.