Kamelen Karoline’s funderingar

Prastkragar och April tankar

I gar kom jag plotsligt ihag en gammal Svensk sang dar texten gick nagot sa har; "varvindar friska, leka och viska lunderna omkring alskande par" Den sangen maste vara urgammal, jag formodar att det var nagot som jag fick lara mig i grundskolan. Har i Texas har varvindarna ersatts med sunnanvind. Temperaturen har antligen natt 17-18C grader pa natten och det ar skont att kunna stanga av varmen och att inte behova satta pp den igen forran i slutet av November. Jerry har varit ute de senaste natterna for att kunna se manen och venus i en speciell formation. Jerry sysslar ofta med att stirra upp pa den svarta natthimlen dar stjarnor, planeter, sateliter, flygplan ritar sina standigt nya monster. Sjalv stirrar jag ner mot moder jord. Jag ar nu fullt upptagen med min tradgard och mina rosor. Mina blombankar dar jag later de i mitt tycke intressanta vaxter leva tillsammans har borjat sin arliga show. Jag brukade ha Scottish Bluebells en slags svensk blaklocka tillsammans med mina prastkragar men de klarade inte av den stekande hettan i Augusti sa jag ersatte dem med en Texas Bluebell och det verkar ga bra. Jag, som vaxte upp i en landsanda dar ordet rosor endast forekom i samband med frost pa insidan av vara fonster, kan jag aldrig fa nog manga rosenbuskar, jag antar att rosenproblemet i norra Sverige bast kan beskrivas av en annan urgammal sondagskole sang, "Till en stad jag ar pa vandrign, dit dar rosor aldrig dor.....med den anskar jag er alla en GLAD VAR

Tankar efter att ha last mina lordagstidningar..

Har i Dallas (Dallas Morning News) ar man orolig for i vilken grad Obama ska skara ner pa den privata delen av Medicare for gamlingar. Uppe i Washington (Washington Post) oroas man over att Chinas prem. minister will ha garanti for "en triljon dollar" som dom har lanat till USA. I London (BBC World News) spekulerar man over resultatet av G20 motet i April, dar tydligen varldens economiska problem ska losas av dom som forstar sig pa det hela. Nere i Malmo(Sydsvenska Dagbladet)funderar man over EU's klimat konferens i Kopenhamn i Dec. och vilka resolutioner som kommer att fattas. I Uppsala( Uppsala Nya Tidning) papekar forsvars forskarna att Ryssland ska man inte underskatta och att Sverige maste tanka pa att rusta upp sitt forsvar vid granserna. Slutligen uppe i Norrbotten (Pitea Tidningen) undrar man i vilken grad den svenska riksdagen diskuterar den ekonomiska krisen.
Nar jag sa har tillgodogjort mig veckans mest betydelsefulla nyheter kommer jag att tanka pa Karl Marx och hans konstaterande "Att aldras ar att se sina gamla varldsbilder sopas undan och nya inta deras plats." Eller som de gamla sa "Intet nytt under solen." Allt har att gora med perspektiv tror Kamilla i Mars 2009

Only one new resulution for 2009

I have a few things that I plan on doing this year. Not to loose weight nor to start physical activities or any of those already projected but never realized. No this year I decided to put as my #1 resolution to be kinder to my fellow man. When I was young, a while ago I must say, I once read "Do not envy a persons glow of happiness since you don't know his/her secret sorrows" Who knows anyone of those that I meet in my daily task of originating mortgages may just fall into that group. My fellow Texans, implants or original ones are struggling with unemployment as the rest of the nation. Food prices are going up and their savings are dwindling fast. What amazes me is how they are filled with hope that everything will be better and so they keep on struggling. It is so true as it was stated by my assistant Liz, "What good does it do me to worry, if it had worked I would have started worrying many years ago" Maybe the Swedish bones in me can't help worrying about the future. Global warming, lack of fresh water, famine but most of all how the endangered species are disappearing in front of our eyes. Man seems to be like the cockroaches, multiplying more and more. Maybe we are sitting on the tree branch and eagerly chopping at the branch thinking that we are cutting down the tree and not realizing that we are the ones that will soon be falling instead. Who knows so therefore I think that if I start to be nicer and kinder to those around me the fall will not be so rough when it happens.

A bleak December is in front of us.

A few days ago even our officials in Washington DC came to the conclusion that the good, old U.S. is in a recession. We all followed with the greatest interest how the really "big" car makers came to Washington DC in their private jet airplanes @ $25,000 per person to ask the American Taxpayer for financial help. The Christmas shopping that usually kicks off a splurging without end due to the so called Christmas Spirit that every year is enforced by the merchants via Jingle Bells och Silent Night music, has not matured as expected. People simply can not afford to give since they have little or nothing to give from.
We just had our first cold spell for the year. The temperature fell to +8 and the cold Northern wind blew without interference its icy rain all the way from Kannada down here to Texas and me. I was amazed to se that my roses did not seem to complain, they stood grand and beautiful in front of my house one lavender colored and the other crimson red.
Jerry has started his winter chores. Every night he puts out birdseed for our feathered friends to have breakfast the next morning. All the leaves has fallen from my Cottonwood tree and my Bradford Pear tree is showing me its branches again. It is only my sturdy big oak tree that still has his dark green coat on but I guess that by Christmas even he would give up and shed his summer cover.
One thing that I have learned this last year is another impressive personality trait of my fellow Texans. When times get tough, they don't complain, they only get tougher, and that is something that I wish my Swedish brothers and sisters would have more of.
Merry Chirstmas to all and to 2008 I am saying goodbye.

Turkey time and climate thoughts

Har ar allt bra och behagligt, som bara Texas kan vara i November. Vi har nu host med alla hostfargerna som fars traden att brinna av langtan till vinter vilan. Min stora ek ar fortfarande gron, men min Cottonwood har forvandlats till en tegel rod stor och imponerande figur i grannskapet. Garannars granar och diverse lovtrad forsoker forgaves mata sig med honom. MIna rosor pa framsidan forevisar sin prakt i lavendel och rosarott. Gula och roda lov virvlar runt pa min grona grasmatta och stannar till bredvid mina pumkins som om dom forsoker finna faste dar.
Jerry visade mig just en bild fran UNT dar en man cyklar idag i snoglopet. Jag ar sa glad att jag inte bor i Uppsala eller i Skane med for den delen eftersom dom har rekord kyla i day -10. Allt enligt min "in-hous-meterolog" Jerry. Inte for att det verkar var battre uppe i Norrbotten. Jag tankte just nar jag akte in pa kontoret i morse, barbent med bara en tunn kofta slangd over mina axlar att min stackar kropp skulle nog inte overleva manga dagar i endera delen av Sverige denna tiden pa aret.
Thanksgiving kalkonerna forbereds nu i alla hem har i USA och pa Torsdag har dom sin speciella hogtid. 450 ars firande av Mayflower baten, immigranterna, indianerna och borjan till USA sjalvstandighet forutom samlandet av familj och vanner bara for att uttrycka sin gladje och tacksamhet for vad livet an har gett. Mina barn kallade alltid Thanksgiving for "Turkey day" och det ar ett passande uttryck for alla kvinnors 2-3 timmars forberedelse av middagen i fraga.

Last day for October Feelings

Yet another summer has come to its end. I am grateful for all of them, but this last summer was special in many ways. I got to go home to Sweden and enjoy all its Splendor from the beauty of Osterlen in Skane up to the 24 hour daylight in Norrbotten. I had the oppurtunity to see Henry in May, In July, In August and finally spend some time with him around my birthday in October at the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean in North Carolina. The economy that in the beginning looked like a black wall, impossible to penetrate has now developed into a thick Grey cloud. We adjust to changed circumstances just like nature is adjusting to the change of season. My roses has given me their last gifts of beauty and I rewarded them by cutting down their branches and leaving them with only a few leaves to collect and sustain their nourishment with.Our poodles continue to be our delightful companions. The whole country together with most of the world is eagerly awaiting the result of the election. Change is promised and that goes well with my October Feelings as well. This my wonderful country with its abundance of wealth and masses of educated and willing people eagerly waiting to put it back into its rightful place, a leader in the free world. Like our statue of Liberty is promising unlimited possibilities for those that lives on its shores, so are both the candidates. Change is good in nature as well as in politics, even though the winter may be hash and will for sure require us to work harder, spend less and save more and many will suffer and go hungry to bed.