top of page

Posts List

"I’m baking a pie. Rhubarb pie, for now. We don’t have our own rhubarb, but we got some from a neighbor. For several years, we’ve tried to grow it ourselves, but the plants refuse to take hold. Isn’t that typical? Rhubarb, which is almost considered a weed! This year, for the first time since we pruned the apple trees, we’ve at least had a substantial apple harvest. They are super sweet, and big. Yes, it’s definitely harvest time, and as usual, it’s difficult to find the time to take advantage of everything. Mats was home for a quick "visit" this Friday but is now away on another work trip—down to Småland, of all places. Life at home goes on as usual, even though the pace has picked up a bit at work. I try to be in Stockholm on Mondays and Wednesdays, either to visit archives or to be in the office. It’s a pretty good balance, for now. Waiting for the bus Last Wednesday evening, the master's students had a graduation party. I was invited! Nice people. I hope everything goes well for them in the future, wherever they end up. This Friday we rearranged the sheep paddock... again This time, we pulled the fence through a wooded section with some larger rocks. The sheep have never shown any sense of adventure before, but wow, did they start climbing! It was apparently great fun for them, and they were good at it. Real mountain goats... Now they are joined by a herd of horses as well

Late summer

"I’m baking a pie. Rhubarb pie, for now. We don’t have our own rhubarb, but we got some from a neighbor. For several years, we’ve tried...

Read More
I came home to the apartment a little while ago and just took a bath. It’s not very late in the evening, but it still feels like it could be midnight. I went to Stockholm early this morning to go through a bunch of archival material at the Royal Library (KB). I wasn’t really looking for anything new, just needed to double-check that all the strange claims I’m making in my dissertation chapter are actually supported by the sources... I made some progress but didn’t finish. I’ll be back there tomorrow. After work, I met Tobias for a drink. Now, I’m not sure who’s reading this, but if there are any “new” readers, I should mention that Tobbe is my oldest and closest friend. We were colleagues for many years at the meat factory and were both new to Stockholm at the time. It’s nice that we’re still close even though we both live completely different lives today. The reading room at the Royal Library (KB). Beautifully cinematic. Finnish army dogs in training. On my way down to the old newspaper archives. We met in Hornstull at an Indian restaurant. And after that to Loopen, down by the water.

The Royal library

I came home to the apartment a little while ago and just took a bath. It’s not very late in the evening, but it still feels like it could...

Read More
Yesterday, we were invited to Mats' parents for lunch. Last time I saw them was at Easter! Way too long ago. They live in Sollentuna, municipal next to Stockholm. However, quite soon after I had to leave to get to Hornstull and meet Tove. We did our master's together and have become good friends by now. Last year, we went to Greece on an archaeological trip together, which was unforgettable. Anyway. I slept in the apartment last night and came back to the house a while ago. Had time to go and check on the sheep, but that's all I have done today. Tomorrow, we're going to a house viewing (just for fun, it doesn't match what we're looking for but we are still curious). After that, Mats' sister and her family are coming to visit. Tove and her dog, Sickan! From now on and for the next two months, it will not be difficult to be self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables.

Sollentuna

Yesterday, we were invited to Mats' parents for lunch. Last time I saw them was at Easter! Way too long ago. They live in Sollentuna,...

Read More
I guess it's a sign that you're "recovered" when the holiday starts to feel boring. It's been over 6 years since I last had a proper vacation, so I had almost forgotten this feeling. On Monday, I'm thinking of going into the office. Not that there will be many people there, but still. I wonder if my little desk plants have survived? Maybe some kind soul has seen them through the curtain and given them a bit of water now and then. I hope so. We haven't done anything special this week. One day we visited the sheep, and today Mats went into Stockholm, but otherwise, we've stayed home. We need to get a new greenhouse set up before winter to store hay in (instead of building a barn, which we realized would be both expensive and difficult). My dad is coming up in mid-August to help us, and by then the foundation needs to be ready. Current status! The location is actually terrible, squeezed between a pile of brush full of wasp nests and a broken compost bin. Also a terrible location, right in the middle of the road. Look how majestic the bean vines are! The red ones are runner beans. I've never grown those before Cauliflower and pointed cabbage. The cauliflower is both small and ugly, but this year it still counts as a victory considering all the slugs! That's right. Another thing I did this week was to apply liquid beeswax to the bathroom vanity. Since it's made of wood, it has to be protect from moisture. I hope it works.

Lugna dagar

I guess it's a sign that you're "recovered" when the holiday starts to feel boring. It's been over 6 years since I last had a proper...

Read More
Today, we went to Vällingby to buy a horse trailer. Incredible. Two weeks ago, we didn't even own a car. But, relying on public transport doesn't work when you have animals, especially sheep. This one is not exactly a luxury item, but it will work for transporting the sheep back and forth between pastures. Yesterday, there was a crafts day at the heritage center where people interested in textile crafts were welcome. I participated by spinning wool on a drop spindle and spinning wheel. Others demonstrated flax processing, nalbinding, lace making, and weaving. It turned out very well. We were there from 12 to 4 PM, and during that time, both children and adults came by to learn or try out the crafts. It really had a Skansen vibe! Here it is! Flax breaking The children got to spin small wool bracelets on a drop spindle Lace making Me and Gitte Karin

Volvo och kärra

Today, we went to Vällingby to buy a horse trailer. Incredible. Two weeks ago, we didn't even own a car. But, relying on public transport...

Read More
The car didn't break down even once on the way back to Småland! And it was very lucky because Biltema in Malmö was closed due to the IT failure, where we had planned to stop and buy new coolant if necessary. Yesterday was packed with both wine tasting and hiking. And yes... it was in that order. Since Mats was driving, I got his wine too, hehe. We visited Skepparp's vineyard, one of the earliest wine producers in Sweden. We actually wanted to learn more about growing grapes, but the guided tour focused almost exclusively on the wine itself. We're not particularly interested in that, but the wine was still good! Afterwards, we parked the car at a hiking trail. It stretched a little more than ten kilometers and parts of it were very twisty, which I like. It almost felt tropical in places. Along the trail is Skåne's largest waterfall, close to Hallemölla mill. Its the second mill we've visited this holiday. The trail passed an old alum factory On the way home we bought food to ate by the sea. We had an incredibly beautiful evening. A beach picture in daylight. We stopped and dipped our feet (sure, it may look exotic but damn, how cold the water is down here!) in Falsterbo before we went home. And so, Gränna! Another kind of water. Vättern. Think I prefer lakes to seas, after all. Here we bought polkagrisar, of course. Tonight we are staying at Grenna Hotell

All the way to Gränna

The car didn't break down even once on the way back to Småland! And it was very lucky because Biltema in Malmö was closed due to the IT...

Read More
Today we visited Mandelmann's farm! When we bought the house, we started following their TV program. In fact, most of what we know today, both in terms of animal husbandry and cultivation, we have them to thank for. It was special to see the farm in real life. All the places - the greenhouses, the plantations, the pastures, etc. - were easily recognisable. However, the farm as a whole is smaller than you get the impression of in the program. We also had time to ask them some questions about how they go about keeping the pests away from the plants. Up early and out late to cut snails, was the answer. So, no miracle solution there. Ah, and then the car broke down. It made it through half the holiday before the radiator started to fail, or if it's the water pump. Either way it's leaking coolant. We hope it makes it home to Hallstavik, otherwise we have to send it in for repair in Malmö and take the train home. The lonely tree Yesterday we visited Ale's stones. An ancient relic of the type of shipwreck. At this point, we have both been there countless times. Ystad

Mandelmann's farm

Today we visited Mandelmann's farm! When we bought the house, we started following their TV program. In fact, most of what we know today,...

Read More
Now we are finally in Skåne. It is noticeable that we went south because all of a sudden it was high summer heat again! We checked in at 5pm at Skivarp's gästvigaregård, which is a cute little hotel/hostel from the mid-17th century. The village of Skivarp is approximately 20 minutes from Ystad. The AI wanted to translate Skivarp to Disc Warp, which I thought was quite funny... Anyway. We have had time to eat dinner and go for a walk. Tomorrow we were thinking of visiting some vineyards in the area. It will rain all day, so no time to go hiking. Yesterday started with us saying hello to my grandmother and grandfather. A picture of me and my horse Candela hanging on the fridge door... how old could I have been here, 14? Mum and my sister Jonna came by too. Grandfather inspects the car. In the afternoon we went with my (paternal??) grandmother and grandfather to Tabergstoppen outside Jönköping. Taberg is a very high mountain (approx. 343 meters above sea level) where iron ore was mined in the past. The cafe is apparently famous for its prawn sandwiches… ... And for its view! On the way home, we visited an old mill that grandfather knew from the time when he worked at the municipality. It is located in the middle of the dark forest. I love places like this. Back in Nässjö. Here we have the town hall. And the city park. And here I am! Tired, lying in bed in our room. Bedtime soon.

Skivarp

Now we are finally in Skåne. It is noticeable that we went south because all of a sudden it was high summer heat again! We checked in at...

Read More
Yesterday we left Häverödal to go south. The first stop was Nässjö, where we are now. We have left the house and the animals in good hands with Ingvar and Osva. Before we left, however, we had to slaughter a hen, Gnaggy, who had been sick for a couple of days. It was very sad. She was our first chicken hatched on the "farm" 2 years ago. Something had gotten stuck in her throat (I think a tumor, Mats thinks a stone) that couldn't be lifted, and which meant that she couldn't eat properly either. Never a fun thing to do, but at the same time good to know that we can handle such a situation on our own these days. The day before departure, we moved the sheep to new pasture. As soon as we arrived, the pouring rain came. When we arrived in Nässjö, we went out to dinner with my father at Vita Armandi. Nässjö's only restaurant that is not a pizzeria....

Nässjö

Yesterday we left Häverödal for Nässjö. Tomorrow we head to Skåne. Sadly, we had to euthanize our sick hen.

Read More
Ever since we had some sort of summer celebration at work in mid-June, it feels like my brain has gone into vacation mode. After 3 PM, it’s practically impossible to do anything productive, whether it’s work, gardening, or household chores. The worst was the week after Almedalen. We both lived in a kind of fatigue haze that wouldn’t go away. But next week, the real vacation begins! We’re heading to Nässjö to visit my family, then to Ystad to stay at an old inn for a week. We've bought a car, so we plan to take day hikes around Österlen. One day, we’ve also booked a visit to Mandelmann's farm, of course. My former Skansen colleague Osva and her husband will be staying at the house while we're away. The sheep, however, will be moved to new pasture before then. They’ve been in the garden for a while now, and the food is running out. Tonight, we’re going to prepare by setting up a fence. Below are some pictures from the garden and crops. Everything is growing so well! Beans Pumpkins Kitchen garden Potato land Also potato land Idun Cabbage land The Greenhouse

Vacationtime

Ever since we had some sort of summer celebration at work in mid-June, it feels like my brain has gone into vacation mode. After 3 PM,...

Read More
Our rabbit Gustav has been having trouble breathing for a while now. Initially, we thought it was because he had gotten fat. Due to the shortage of roughage last fall (thanks to the weird weather), we had to buy ridiculously expensive hay designed for elite racing horses. Both the sheep and the rabbits became round as balls! But the breathing issues haven’t resolved despite a better diet, so yesterday we decided to take him to the vet. Our cat Bengan needed to be neutered and chipped anyway. We’ve got antibiotics and are hoping for the best. On the same day, but in the evening, I was invited to my colleague Steve's 60th birthday party. Steve is a professor of history from Scotland, specializing in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). It was he who interviewed me when I applied for the doctoral position at FHS. The party, as you might imagine, featured quite a bit of whiskey and other delights! Despite that, I managed to get home relatively early. In my previous post, I wrote about our water heater and mentioned that there was no panic despite the leak... That was true until last night, when it practically exploded. Good luck finding a plumber on a Saturday during the first week of the industrial vacation. Luckily, it’s summer and warm... Gustav is a little Rex My colleagues: Håkan (left) and Per (right) The birthday celebrant! Locally produced gift: eggs from the chickens, flowers from the gardens, and honey from the neighboring village.

Veterinary Visit and Birthday

Our rabbit Gustav has been having trouble breathing for a while now. Initially, we thought it was because he had gotten fat. Due to the...

Read More
July, and so far we have managed both Almedalsveckan on Gotland and Midsummer in Dalarna. The past few days have been spent trying to catch up on gardening, the sheep's facilities (i.e., building a rain shelter), and other household chores. Our water heater started leaking a few weeks ago, but since we haven't been home, it has been left as it is. I mean, it's just a few drops per minute, so no catastrophe. However, it's an annoying expense during vacation time! On the gardening front, things are going relatively well. But that doesn't mean it's time to lie down in the hammock! A feeling I likely share with many other gardeners at this time of the season is always being one step behind. There's always some weed (despite mulching) that has spread too much, some plant still stuck in its pot, or new pests that have appeared. And then there's the watering that needs to be done. Somehow, everything usually works out in the end (around August), and the harvest gets overwhelming instead. Perhaps it takes a few years of experience to recognize the pattern... Since this is my first post, here is a small collection of pictures from June, as a sort of kickoff.

First Post and Mid-Summer

July, and so far we have managed both Almedalsveckan on Gotland and Midsummer in Dalarna. The past few days have been spent trying to...

Read More
bottom of page