A dear friend sent this little poem to me yesterday. It is very true and worth taking to heart. I just had a big fight with Mark so this poem means even more to me right now.
Please read it and let me know if you like the poem!
Off to another busy day in the life of me.


Beautifully Stated

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous~

Oops, over a week since I wrote last. Ginetta (one of the few that knows about this blog) even said she had checked for new posts, so here we go.
The last week has been filled with gougeres and- gravlax making and slicing. The slicing is still going on. I have 8 more gravlaxar to slice. It takes about 30 minutes / salmon. .. This weekend was spent solid at the Swedish Christmas Fair at Harbourfront. We worked SUPER HARD all weekend. On Sunday night I had to leave before it was done, I was just tooo exhausted to do anything else and was afraid I was going to lose it totally. It was better to just go home. Yesterday was a day of many cultures and new experiences. We went to Newmarket to the the eye doctor. Jojo is getting glasses as well now and Sigrid's prescription has changed so she ended up with a new frame, $$$$$...!!! The plkan was to visit a dreaded mall to get some new clothes for the girls after the eye doctor so we stopped at The Promenade Mall. Never again!! Found some stuff for Sigrid but wow it's a different world out there. We are very sheltered here in our part. That became even more apparent when we after that drove to the Air Canada Centre to see Pippi's friend's oldest brother play basket ball. We were in definite minority being white. I have never felt that before. I felt like the whole place could burst out in riats any minute. The game was great and the right team won. Everyone was happy. It was so nice to finally come home and tuck everone into their beds and relize ones again how lucky we are to be safe in our homes. Tomorrow is a new day with things to do and places to go. Mamma is coming on the 7th. It will be fun, I hope!!! I could sense a little digging towards not so good stuff the other day I talked to her but I tried to brush it off so hopefully we can kep it like that!
Have to tuck myself in now, it is late and my eyes wants to stay shut!
Until next time!

Monday early morning.
Cold outside, the thermometer is showing .7c, that is very close to freezing. Have to prepare for a fight with Pippi about not wearing shorts anymore this season. - I DON"T LIKE PANTS is her new mantra. We had the "family" here last night for Sigrid's belated birthday celebration. It was good. I made chicken chili from The Barefoot Contessa. It was ok. Not really great but ok. As a cake I made a ice cream cake. We tried to order one from Ed's but he needed 2-3 days notice..HELLO, It is November, how busy can your ice cream shop be???
Saturday night we spent with friends and went to The Balmy Beach Club. A band palyed and lots of people were there.
This week has gingerbread making sheduled. I am responsible for baking 500. Have found a few people helping me luckily enough, but I will have to do lots myself.....Tonight is Gourmet Club, I am making french onion soup. Don't really feel like starting cooking again but it's just to dive in. Will also check if there is YOGA this morning or afternoon. Next weekend is the Swedish Christmas Fair at the Harbourfront so next weekend will be spent down there.

I want to write a great blog. A blog that people actually return to and leave comments on....So here we go, I am going to give it a try. I will do my best and hopefully I'll get better with practice
This afternoon I went to watch my 11 year old play basketball with her school team. If anyone from Kroksbäcksskolan had been there they would have reconized me in her. I so totally remember when I was in grade 6 and loved to play basketball. We played every gym lesson against 9c, we where 9d. Can't remember if my class used to win or loose but I definitely remember how into it I was. Lena, Marie, Marina and the rest of you, do you remember?
This evening was one of those rarities when nobody has anything and I became restless and ran off to a YOGA class at Downward Dog. Didn't realize before I got there that the 7.30 class was a level 2 ooops. The instructor , the same guy who teaches fundamentals on Wednesday, was there. That was good because he just thought I really wanted to learn. Which I of course do.
Last Saturday we had a little dinnerparty here. It was a swedish family and Robert and Helen. The menu was: smoked salmon with horseradish on bruchetta with the drinks...then pumpkin and carrot soup that was deliscious. For main I made Butter Chicken- my favourite! We had saffron rice, dahl and rajita as well of course. The dessert was supposed to be chocolate mousse but became soup for some weird reason. Think I let it sit out for to long before serving....
I am reading cookboks like crazy right now. The Barefoot Contessa is my favourite. I have all 5 of her books. Her and I have the same tastebuds, I think.
I have to go to bed now because otherwise I'll have to eat something and that is not the right thing to do at 11pm! So, have to go! Bye for now!

Went to YOGA fundamentals today. A class that was supposed to teach us beginners the "moves" so we can go to a class without feeling totally lost. It started out pretty good. A little slow maybe. I found myself thinking about what to serve Robert and Helen for dinner on Saturday when they are coming over......Anyway, it picked up and we did work a little harder but towards the end I got kind of annoyed. There was 2 people that are very experienced and not really in need of YOGA fundamentals. They asked some questions and suddenly the class was all about them and not me (yoking) This could turn in to a ranting thing but I won't let it, instead I will look forward to next week and I am sure the class will be great then! Other than that what has happened? The weather is awesome, a little grey but very mild. It is almost middle of November and still not freezing I LOVE IT! We had a big radiator in the hallway taken away today. It will be good when it is done. The rad had been there since the house was built so the wall behind the rad is in a terrible state. Have to figure out what to do with that.

Ginetta and I are planning a biscotti making day in December. We will be 10 people and we are making 6 different biscotti recipes. I am looking forward to it. Ginetta is making really cute invitations and is handing them out in the next couple of days!
I have rev up my blog a bit, I think. I don't feel inspired at all right now. Some days I am full of things to vent but today I fell totally deflated, sorry!
Will do better!

Just an average Sunday in the household. Just got back from a stint down on Queen street. Always fun to browse through some stores now and then. I am also trying to organize the gingersnap baking for the Christmas fair at Harnourfront. Somehow I got involved in that as well. It is ok. This week I have to get prepared for christmas catering season. I am starting with the gravlax. Hopefully I'll get that done this week. Next weekend is Sigrid's birthday and party. We are probably going out for dinner with her and her friends on Firday night. She wants to go to the new Il Fornello. Then we have Swedish school on Saturday morning and a brithday party in the afternoon. Can't decide if I am going to follow through with ny thing that I don't give out lootbags after age 10. Have to disuss it with Sigrid. It is soooo overrated. Just after Halloween on top of everything.
Ok, I am going over to the school yard, apparently the kids and Mark are there playing soccer.
Later!

This is fun. I like having a blog. I have not told many people because I am not sure I want everyone to know about it. I told Ginetta and Pia, that's it. It would be fun to get a comment though. So, if you are stopping by please let me know!
Today is a typical Saturday. 2 kids at sleepover from last night and 1 is having a birthday party to go to this afternoon. It is at an indoor volleyball place. Same place as my daughter is celebrating her birthday next week. i might meet up with Lotte to make lots of gravlax for SWEA's christmas fair at The Harbourfront here in Toronto. It is the 25th anniversary this year. They have lucia celebration there as well. Have to run now and get the kids from the sleepover and then birthday present shopping at Mastermind.
Talk later.

Nu tänkte jag skriva på svenska igen.
Har precis haft alla barn hemma på lunch. Ja, tro det eller ej men mina barn kommer hem och äter lunch. De går i 1an, 4an och 6an. När vi flyttade hit gjorde det mig helt galen. Nu har jag vant mig och inser ju att det är ganska bra egentligen. De äter ju ordentligt men det är fruktansvärt med allt fram och tillbaka till och från skolan hela tiden. Nog om det, jag har kommit över det och behöver inte rant om det mera. Det känns skönt att lämna saker bakom sig ibland.
I eftermiddag ska jag simma. jag simmar i en masterswim class. Det är kul men skitjobbigt. Man är helt slut efteråt. I Sverige lär man sig ju knappt crawla om man inte tävlings simmar så jag har äntligen lärt mig att crawla. Efter simningen ska vi hem till några kompisar och äta middag.
Helgen ser relativt lugn ut, skönt!!! Måste få tjejerna att göra lite svensk läxa. Det är svenska skolan nästa Lördag!
Måste få något gjort innan det är dags att hämta alla barn igen!
kram och hej

Ok, so today I feel like writing in English. I still can't decide which language to write in. I guess I have been away from Sweden so long that it is almost more confortable to write in English.

When I was younger I kept diaries all the time. I still have them all in abox in the basement. I have told my kids to write journals or diaries but I don't think they see the pleasure in it. I use to love to go back and read what I had been up to a year ago for example. That is what I want to use this blog for. A blog is really todays diary, right...

The pisture is from the cocktail reception at the MaRS centre last week when the Queen and King of Sweden came for a state visit to Kanada. There was 300 people but I don't think everybody got to talk to them!!!!

I am going to use this blog for "ranting" as well. I am not sure of the meaning of ranting but what I mean is that I most often have certain things that I just can't believe. It sometimes is good but most often it is bad...Like the cupcake day at my kids school was suppose to take place on NOV.1 the day after Halloween, HELLOOO! Who in their right mind wants to bring in 24 cupcakes to school and tell your kids that yes, you had tons of candy yesterday but here you are, have a cupcake!!! I talked to my oldest daughters teacher and we decided to postpone it til next week. So now I ahve rantet about that. Anothr thing I am ranting about is Organized snack at kids sport events. I was sent this great article from NY times. I ahve forwarded it to lots of people and everybody agrees with me. I will try to post it on my blog.

As I mentioned earlier I use to write diaries. I also wrote tons and tons of letters. I still have lots of them. Not my letters but my friends that I got in return. It was great when I moved to NYC in -88 I remember taking the elevator down to the mailbox and most often there was a letter. My most devoted friend to write was Pia! We must have exchanged at least 200 letters over the years, maybe more actually.

Ok, I have fold some laundry before bed time!

TorontoAnna

Wow, jag har börjat blogga. Det trodde jag inte jag skulle göra. Jag blev så imponerad av andra bloggare så jag är tvungen att testa själv. Har inte bestämt om jag ska skriva på svenska eller engelska.

Den här veckan har varit ganska lugn. Ja, det var ju Halloween igår och det kan man inte kalla lugnt. Jag gillar inte Halloween egentligen. Allt godis och skräp som barnen äter kunde de verkligen vara utan.
Förra veckan var svenska kungaparet i Kanada på statsbesök och jag var bjuden pa cocktail party. Det var verkligen häftigt. De var sa fina och det var kul att kanna sig riktigt svensk.