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.

Excitement and Gateway

The Texas parents are eagerly shopping for school supply mixed in with early Halloween paraphernalia. The department stores have sold out all their summer clothing and are proudly displaying winter coats made of wool and sweaters with snowflakes on the front. Outside the temperature is stuck around 100F. Welcome to the Texas way of doing things. Some think that we are backwards I think not. We are actually always looking forward with excitement and we are at the same time bracing to tackle any hardship that my be lurking in the future. We are the last true pioneers one can truly say.
My excitement this month is that I am going to North Carolina to see my grandson Lilleman. An other reason to be excited is that I have switched employment and I am now working for the Gateway Mortgage Group. Just the name Gateway is a suitable one for the month of August. Something has to change that is all there is to it. Every day I look up the temperature in Northern Sweden just to get some cooling inspiration and today it was a whopping 53F. and it is supposed to be summer there right now. I guess there are more than one reason why I live in Texas.

Home from the cool and into the sizzling heat of July

So Jerry and I made it back just in time for the celebration of 4th of July. Lilleman with parents Ty and Elizabeth brightened up our dusty and dull life on Northpointe Dr during a couple of days. Doom and gloom is preached and talked about everywhere. If it is not the gasoline prices it is the stock market. What happened to my optimistic and happy-go-lucky American friends? We live in a land of the abundance and we have the freedom of free enterprise so these trying times should really be the stick in the butt that we need to set this country straight again. When I watched the beautiful fire work from my front yard and saw how the sparkling, glittering cascades of many colors fell to the earth I was thinking what a great country I live in. Yes there are problems but they are not impossible to solve. I came to the conclusion that If I got to my office every day and do my part with a happy and positive outlook on life would be a good beginning. My figtree is covered with the most delicious figs that I can enjoy every morning with my youghurt and my garden is giving me all the comfort that one can ask for. So grab on my dear fellows and let us get going again.

Bortglomda Juni

den 10 juni 2008

Den blomstertid nu kommer......

Ljuva Juni manad som kommer med lofte om varme och frihet till allt och alla. Jag tittar noga pa hur vacret ar hemma i Granslandet och denna manad tror jag att vadergudarna har gjort ett litet misstag. Vart Texas vader har kanhanda valsignat Norrbotten med sin sol och sin varme. Om det nu ar den Globala klimat forsamringen eller vadergudarnas misstag det ma vara hant. Jag blev sa sugen pa lite myggbett, kaffetar i goda vanners lag och ej att forglomma upplevelsen av all den ljuvliga varluften som kommer nerrullande fran Langberget och sveper in mitt Gransland i en varm kappa av den harligaste varkanslan att jag bestallde biljett for att komma hem till Midsommar. Till saken hor att det kanhanda blir en av de kallaste, blotaste och blasigaste midsommar i mannaminne men vad gor det, man ar val en hardad valkyria. Har i Texas har vi haft en tidig varmebolja. 35-38 grader i drygt en vecka, uj uj vad mande nalkas innan Augusti hettan aker i nedforsbacke in i September igen och man kan lamna luftkonditioneringen och ga ut i naturen igen. Min tradgard som ger mig den allra hogsta tillfredsstallelsen har fatt ett 15 cm lager av isolerande barkbitar av cecertra, allt for att kunna behalla fukten av myllan inunder. Mitt flyg gar i morgon till Frankfurt i Tyskland och sedan blir det raka sparet upp till Lulea.