Random Posts

The painkillers still needed after the menisectomy are slowing me down at nights.... have returned to work, but come home really exhausted and basically pass out on my couch only enabling me to see the first five minutes of new episodes of favourite tv-shows... I am slowly returning to normal life, but still have a little way to go before I achieve that.

Some of my friends from PaperCraftPlanet have cheered me up with eGreetings and homemade cards, and thought I would share a few of them with your while my crafting seems to be and a standstill too (have some ideas in my head so hopefully the crafting drought will end soon)



First one is from Claire and is very me - except I can't been the right knee that much yet ;o)





Second one is from Cole: I just love fall colours and then the travelling



Just like me two weeks ago - Cole's card made me laugh very loud when I opened the mail at my postoffice, and think the customers thought me to be a bit crazy.... if they only saw what I did.

Thank you ladies for the cheering up after the knee surgery :o) The words you have sent via Email and cards have really helped me keeping the spirits high!!

Chocolate

Now some of you might say "What the....??!! She doesn't eat chocolate!" - and you are right, my favourite kind of chocolate is hot chocolate, never been to fond of the kind you eat.

The same someones may remember, that I am very fond of liquirice, so you might know why this chocolate bar was too tempting for me to resist: milk chocolate with salmiac filling.This is ok - but can not eat the whole chocolate bar at once - only a few pieces at the time making the chocolate bare last for several days :o)

Fantastic Voyage

The other day, I saw something on a screen that somewhat reminded me of the 1966 science fiction movie "Fantastic voyage" - doing something inside the human body without  leaving too many visible scars behind.

The settings of this "movie" was acutally inside my knee (without the miniature format of persons being present in there), as I had a menisectomy done - weird feeling watching the inside of your knee and then see the removal of cartilage. Sometimes words come out of my mind before I actually consider, what I saying and suddenly the nurse + surgeon had to stop: they were laughing too much about the comment I just flung out there "Wow it looks like candyfloss being twirled on a stick!" - Candy floss is never going to be the same again, but not a great loss since I never really like candy floss, but I think just seing somebody make it in the future, and I will start laughing

Have to rest for a while, and then it is going to be small steps back to the photowalks - I will use the time making more christmas cards, weaving more hearts and even start a sewing project that I have postponed far too long already. Adapting to the temporary circumstances and making the most of it :o)

Cycling Versus Chaos......

It already started slowly yesterday: two of the major streets in Copenhagen got parts shut off yesterday for transportation, and suddenly people forgot their traffic manners and the rules throughout the city, and it will only get worse.

In the upcoming week, Copenhagen is hosting the cycling event: UCI Road World Championships, so a large area of the city will actually be closed for traffic bicyclists and pedestrians can enter the area, but heavy restrictions are imposed on cars etc. Will road rage occurs in the areas surrounding the event area?? People living and/or working in Copenhagen will seriously have challenges.

Me, I am a bystander, as I am quite immobile these days, but thanks to technology I am able to do a lot of the usual things from my home... will miss the interaction with friends and colleagues, but this is only temporary.

Election Day

Today is election day in Denmark (my vote was cast last week, as I went through surgery earlier today) - it is the first election since the financial crisis, and this time it is more intense than ever: will we keep the current primeminister (right wing) or will we get the first female prime minister (left wing)?  I won't discuss politics in this post, nor will I reveal who got my vote.

This guy caused a lot of laughter on September 21st, 1994, when he got elected for parliament - mainly due to a lot of people either being fed up with the politicians back then or a signal to the other politicians to get more serious. His primary campaign pledge was: tailwind to the cyclists (bicycle) :o) By the way, his name is Jacob Haugaard and he is a comedian.

I believe that casting a vote is not only a citizen right - it is a duty even though you might not agree with any of the politicians, hence the possibity to cast a blank vote.

Challenge Inspired By A Challenge

Little over a month ago, I challenged myself to make one weaved heart per day for a year .. ok what was I thinking?!?! *LOL* Have not given up, but is having fun. A couple of days later I decided, that this years Christmas cards should have a theme - using the hearts on all my cards.

When I weaved heart number 35, I discovered the possibility stamp the center, but also missing the right stamp. A Day For Daisies latest challenge "A bit of Holiday & a bit of Red" has the perfect freebie, and one of the challenge rules is, that we are to use the stamp on our card :o)

Another Christmas card finished and still lots to do.

Thought Association: Cakes

Whenever I encounter a Søstrene Grene store, I just have to go inside and look a the many nice and non-expensive items - often I don't buy anything but just the look of the happy colors and items in this store, and you are inspired.

These candles just screamed "Buy us!" - Price 15.94 DKK or just about 3 USD. Have contacted the first follower of my blog, since I don't have her address: She is going to teach cup cake classes, so thought this would be a fun little gift for her.

What else does these remind me of??! Well something I really hope I get to taste one day .... well next time when in England I guess :o)





The photo of the pops is borrowed from the scrumptious site of POP BAKERY - mouth watering site, and the incredible creations just want you to read post after post after post...........

September Tea Swap - Part Two

Saturday, I reveived the September Tea Swap from Mary - always fascinating to se how many different ways a tea inspired card can be created. What she sent me is truly travel memories in a cup - how great is that ?! :o)

Cinnamon Apple *insert friends' and family's laughter here* :o) I eat apples everyday, never get tired of them eventhough I have lived at a former apple plantations (all the trees were still there, but the apples were no longer sold) = eaten lots and lots of apples also in cakes, pies etc. Have previously "only" tried Cinnamon Apple Spice from Celestial Seasonings, so this is a treat.

Pumpkin spice.... wish we could get more things with pumpkins locally.... dried pumpkin seeds for cooking/baking is what we can get, as pumpkin is regarded as something for decoration. This is where the travelmemories from the US kicks in ..yum yum memories...

Thanks Mary!! :o)

Dark Room

Sometimes it is hard not to get lost in a dark room - one looses the ability to look out the window and see life and opportunities.

It would not be true, if I said, that my MS never have an dark effect on me. Luckily I am able to drag myself to the windows. It does not occurs often, nor does it last long. When I end up in that dark room, it is usually due to something happening in my world that suddenly reminds me of the fact, that I do have MS.

Saturday I got lost and ended in that room again - 2 family members needs surgery, and one of them I did not know about until 2 days ago. Suddenly my little knee operation seems unimportant - and yet it will have a positive impace on me when done.

Late Saturday night I browsed through these pictures on my computer (taken during seightseeing a while ago), and yesterday I realised, that they are a mirror image of the thoughts I had during the weekend.

Do You Remember.....

....what you did 10 years ago, when you heard about the unbelievable events in the US? Events that changed the world and enforced enhanced security in a lot of areas worldwide?

Remnants of WTC: The Sphere in Battery Park, NY

I remember my boss saying "The internet news says that a plane has crashed into World Trade Center in New York!!!"

My immediate reaction after checking the US time was "Luckily no one was up at the observatory seing the plane hit the building!".... then I went quiet.... those words came out of my mouth, since I some years before had been up at the observatory and seen the view...... then thinking about the vaster number of  people that went in and out of that builiding...

Then he said, another plane has hit..... total disbelief in the office - some of us recalled the van with the bomb a couple of years prior, but this was simply beyond imagination....then the Pentagon....

I was supposed to be a night school that day, but instead I went straight home and turned on CNN (only one student turned up for class - everybody else + the teacher was home watching the news) and did not turn off the tv until I went to work the next day - got some sporadic sleep - but was terrified by the attack on innocent people.

I shot this photo myself: I did not know about the monument until I was standing in front of it recognising it from outside the World Trade Center, thus creating tears in my eyes.

We owe it to the innocent people, that died due to these tragic events, to remember them and honour them.

Welcome Home

Whenever I look after a house or an appartment, I always leave a welcome home card for the owners - sometimes the idea for the card is already in my head before I start that housesitting, other times I struggle a bit.

I just bought a stamp (no company mentioned on the stamp) and figured that it might be great looking on the die cut Rickety House by Tim Holtz, but as soon as I mounted the stamped and COPIC coloured die cut on designpaper with cats, I dismissed this idea..... the die cut looked ok...... but the background was way off.

The shape of the rickety house still lured in the back of my head - then came an idea. I enlarged the shape on a photo copier... the shape could be used on a iris-folding inspired card. The "frame" surrounding the house was originally white, but it seemed to "flat" - found my copics and had to decide which color to use. One of my friends saw this card before I placed it at the house and thinks the colouring adds an autumn-like-windy-feel to it.

Until now, I have said that the housesitting started 5 years ago - but my friend (that commented the card) corrected me with a big smile "But you and your ex-boyfriend housesat his parents house in '95 while they were on vacation.." I admit,I completely forgot about that and remember that we had to look out for 2-3 cats and the old grand parents living close by.

Ramling here.. and I "just" started this post to share how one idea lead to another :o)

September Tea Swap

Could not resist participating again in Fran's monthly tea swap :o) She hinted this month's optional theme: Fun Puns or Primary Colors a couple of weeks ago, so this card was actuallly made before I got my swap partner, Mary, as I was inspired. She already received the cards, which is why I can now share it with you.

I love blue, and if you see old porcelain/china tea cups, that is usually the color along with white. Yet another excuse to use my CreativiTEA stamp set from Taylored Expressions, as sereniTEA, clariTEA and creativiTEA would be perfect as the fun puns.

Did you spot the tea samples? No? Well let me just lift the lid a little and you will see where they are hidden :o) When Adela Rossol created the template for POT O' TEA CARD, I do not believe she ever thought of it being transformed into this.

I send Mary a bag of YogiTea - Pure and one of Liptons African Rooibos - hope she likes them.

Dan's Pseudolasagna

During the time when I lived at a dorm, my next door neighbour, Dan, invented this dish simply by using, what ingredients he had in his kitchen (every dorm appartment had a kitchenette). It soon became a big hit, and the recipe was shared throughout the dorm. Even after moving from the dorm, the recipe still finds new cooks.

So I have decided to share it with you - I am from a country using the metric and celcius systems, but plenty of websites, that can convert the measurements for you ;o)

Dan's Pseudolasagna   (serves 4 persons.... or more)

1 bag of pasta (approx 500 g)

1 big onion

300-500 grams of minced meat (any kind will do)

1 glass of mushrooms (champignon)

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 teaspoon curry

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili

1 teaspoon basil

1 splash of soy sauce

1 bag of scredded mozarella cheese

1 brick of mornay sauce

cooking oil

1. Boil the pasta according to the recommendations on the bag - and take away the water. My favourite shape of pasta in this dish, is fusilli.
2. Chop the onion into small pieces and cook golden in oil. Add the minced meat and cook untill all the meat is turning into a crispy brown color.
3. Add the glass of mushrooms (drained from liquid before adding) and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add spices, sambal oelek and soysayce.
5. The pasta is turned in to the pot and cooks for a few minutes then put aside to cool off a bit.
6. Preheat oven to 200 degrees (celcius)
7. Place the dish in ovenproof glassware
8. Pour the mornaysauce over the dish and cover the surface with the shredded mozarella cheese.
9. Cook in oven for 20 minutes.

Serves well with salad or bread of your choice.

Bon appetit!

P.S. The dish is suitable for reheating in a microwave and you can freeze leftovers to have a quick meal in handy on days your are too tired or to busy to cook. 

Words of Inspiration

O bed! O bed!
delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head!

Thomas Hood

Sunday

Some pictures captured on my walks during the past 2 months.

The last picture (street art by Krea) reminds me somewhat of Jim Burton and his characters in "Nightmare Before Christmas"

Elephants........

Just a quick note - go see today's (September 3rd) Mutts comic Strip :o) How appropriate, as I am going to the Farewell to the Elephants = all the elephants are on display at an indoor place, so going to see the elephants I did not meet on my walks.

Things You Take For Granted

Ever passed by a place reguarly - you notice what is there, and yet you do not really realise what you see?? Sounds cryptic? Where to begin...?

Yesterday I had a downer of a day. Did receive some good news at the beginning of the day, but so much paperwork needs to be done/changed because of it ... then work .... then problems caused by my knee (can not wait for that minor knee operation)....... argh!!

Then last night, Petra emailed me since, I was one of the random picked winners for this card which resulted in me having 3 wonderful new digistamps to play with. Mood lifted to happy spirit again and thing a thought hit me......

My fascination of hot air ballons - I know it dates back to my childhood, but have not really realised the cause until now.. something I passed with the bus once in a while, which would fuel my imagination. Browsed through my photos and laughed when I found this:

It was made by the artist Henry Heerup and is a commercial for a travel insurace company. The weird thing here is not only that I discovered the source of my fascination - I am also a member of the Museum Friends at the artist's museum.