Time

Oh the frustration of time or to be more correct, the frustration of not having enough of it. There are so many things I want to do creativity wise but I never seem to have enough time to do it. Today I just sat there at my worktable unable to start with any of my ongoing projects, my heart beating and a huge despare, panic even building up inside. I felt that time was running out. I felt it so strongly that it was paralyzing. I wish I could take a year off….to be able to devote my time to create, try out new materials and feel the satisfaction of actually having time to pursue my ideas.

Ideas that now feels sadly out of reach….

Jeanette

My favorite place

This is where I have spent some of my time this Christmas holiday - sitting in my old armchair in front of the fireplace at the country house with my husband by my side thinking about everything and nothing. We didn’t say much. I was knitting and he was reading. I think we were both just letting our thoughts wander feeling very relaxed and at ease in each others company.

I think it is important to spend time together where you have nothing planed. No schedule, no list of tasks just you and your loved one. I cherish these moments; they are rare in our otherwise hectic everyday life.

The  knitting is a shawl ( what else…) in Rowan Kid silk haze in a beautiful orange color. I seem to be in an orange phase at the moment. Which is spot on it seems – the color of 2012 is tangerine!

Jeanette

A clean slate

I don’t believe in New Year resolutions anymore. I have given tons of them over the years, most of them containing a promise of loosing weight, being healthier or start exercising but usually also something that I would break the next day, week or month – which would inevitably make me feel bad or guilty. But why start the New Year with something that will cause guilt eh? Isn’t there enough of that going around already?

So this year I started the New Years with a wish instead. There is something so much more positive with a wish don’t you think? There is nothing to live up to just the feeling of joy if your wishes comes through.

I wished for a year with:

Less fear & more hope

Less hate & more love

Less doing & more living

May 2012 be a year when wishes come through!

Jeanette

Endings and beginnings

Maybe 2011 was a fabulous year for you, a once in a lifetime year, filled with adventure, joy and love. Maybe it was a terrible year, a sad year that you just wanted to get rid of as fast as possible. Or maybe 2011 was just one of those years that seemed to pass without anything special happening. A year with no rollercoaster rides.



For all of you out there I wish that 2012 will be your best year so far! Not your best year ever though for what will you do 2013 then?

May 2012 be a year filled with happiness, laughter, sadness, contentment, anger, joy, brilliant colors, rainy days and true beauty – all those things that life is really about!

May it also be a year filled with the joy of creating and the year when you seek, find or keep your artistic passion! 

 

Lots of love to you all!
Jeanette

No snow in sight

We very seldom have snow in these parts of Sweden but the last two winters were long and hard. We had snow, lots of snow from the end of November until February. The south Swedes tend to handle snow badly and we are not used to having to drive carefully on hard packed snow. We were bitterly complaining about busses and trains not going on schedule and about lousy plowing and snow clearance. Come end of December we all wanted the snow to go away.

Kisses in the snow beats kissing in the rain!

This year we have no snow at all. Not a single flake! Everything is a boring grey, grey, grey! So this year I long for busses that are always late and to have to climb over walls of snow that are left by the snowplows. I want to take long walks in the winter landscape feeling nice and warm in my down jacket, long johns, mittens and cap.

I should have been more grateful last year…..

Take care

Jeanette

Anna this is for you

Today I like to share my thoughts on friendship with you. In my world good friends and family are what makes life a life or at least a life worth living. For me there are three categories of friends.

1.
These are the friends that you have a good time with. You might not share your inner thoughts with them but you always share a laugh! Not the friends you would phone for help in the middle of the night though because they simply wouldn`t be there. They would be out partying! And come to think of it – so would you!

2.
These are the friends with whom you do a great deal of soul searching. They know you well and they know your inner story. They are the ones you always turn to for good advice and whom you know will always be truthful even down to “Does my ass look big in this? “

3.
Then there is the third category of friends. They are rare! They are 1 and 2 put together and then some. They can live near or far but you still feel their presence. Together with them you are totally at ease feeling secure, safe and loved. Between you there are sympathy, empathy, trust, loyalty, esteem and affection and together with them you can be your best or worst self and it doesn´t matter either way! These are the friends you carry closest to your heart!


This is my friend Anna.

Anna is a category three friend and we actually found each other by way of a blog in Australia. Imagine that eh... Anna is witty, funny and smart and I admire her for her courage, outspokenness ( is that a word?) and her colorful clothes. Anna has tried to teach me how to spin ( lets not go there) but managed to teach me how to knit heals on socks! Way to go Anna! When we meet we actually manage to get some knitting done in between laughs…..

Anna I am so glad I met you.

Jeanette

How did it happen?

Do you remember when Saturday night meant dressing up and going out not dressing down and staying in? No? I do. Vaguely. When did it all happen? The slow transformation from party princess to couch potato? Well two kids happened and a husband .....not necessarily in that order. Then age hit you big time and suddenly there was no way you could go directly from the club to work at least not if you wanted to live until lunchtime and not even if you took just the tiniest detour to the coffee shop for a double espresso on your way there.

If I go out on a weekday nowadays I hear myself say “ I better be going home now. Workday tomorrow you know” when the clock has just passed 9 pm. Í have a faint memory that before I used to say "the night is still young" and then it was usually past midnight.

Maybe it’s a vitamin thing?
Or a germ thing?
Or a lack of sun thing?
Anyway, I hope it’s a passing thing.

Wouldn’t want to start sitting on a park bench feeding the pigeons just yet.

They say that many fun-loving boys and girls go unnoticed because they walk around in uncle and aunt bodies. So maybe I am just a fun-loving lady temporarily hidden in a grandma body?

Fat chance!

Take care

Jeanette