I usually don’t check out my blog stats since I write for myself, my friends, relatives and everyone who wants take part of my story.
The statistics turned out to be a pleasant surprise, despite my poor blogging during the last couple of months. 4,539 visitors since February 25, 2012! You, my visitors come from all over the world and it’s a bit overwhelming actually. Absolutely fantastic! Check out the link below and see for yourselves.
Welcome back!
Posted in Reflections
This photo was taken after the trip in Tiveden in October with me solely as a passenger.
One of the greatest moments in life is when I get the chance to be a tour guide. I haven’t quite figured out if I just like to have the power of the spoken word or if I simply enjoy hearing my own voice. Or simply the satisfaction of contributing with new and previously unknown information. Let’s rewind the tape and take it all from the start. No, not THAT far…! 
When I was 12 years old, I was quite shy and absolutely hated assignments that were supposed to be presented in front of the class. Yeah, “in front of the class”. My poor knee caps started trembling like castanets and ever fiber of my body yelled NOOOO. Two weeks prior to the oral presentation. Two weeks! Talk about anxiety in its worst form! I used to cough and maybe I could detect slight fever or a bit of sore throat. It’s a bit of dead end there as mum worked as a nurse at the local hospital. So she sent me off to school with the encouraging words “practice makes perfect” or ” what’s the worst thing that can happen?”. She didn’t have much compassion for my predicament.
I remember at one point when I was supposed to talk about Belgium and point it out on the map. The pointer started wobbling and landed somewhere in the vicinity of Iceland, a manoever that resulted in a good laugh from the audience. That didn’t exactly boost my self-confidence. I managed to stammer my way through the rest of the assignment and I thought that it was probably worse than dying.
A couple of years later, I studied with people who also had issues with the idea of facing an audience. It was such a relief when no one laughed at me. Instead they were very supportive. I joined a course to be a local guide and I got the opportunity to work as a tour guide during my education. That’s probably when I started adding some sense of humour to my guiding skills and now people laughed at me for other reasons. I still get things twisted sometimes, but hey it is not the end of world. You’ll stand corrected, smile and move on.
Now, I realise that mum was right – practice makes perfect. There are no other way around it. I forwarded these words of wisdom to my students when I worked as a tutor a couple of years ago. At the age of 19 they were still terrified of appearing in front of the class. I remember talking to one of the students and we talked about her future and career. She wanted an occupation that did NOT include any kind of oral presentation in public. Right…. Tough one, there.
At the age of 35, I don’t believe anyone describe me as shy. I love making new aquaintances and learn from other people. So, just hand over a microphone and let me entertain you.However, I might not give it back. 
One of those rare photos with me in front of the camera.
Posted in Me
Eric Nordevall II
This rainy Thursday had a work shop with representatives from the tourism business, a guided tour onboard a very new old ship followed by a buffet. I got the chance to enter the unique paddle steamer Eric Nordevall II. Or, it is a replica of the ship that sank in Lake Vättern in 1856. This is the only one of its kind in the world so it was quite exciting to step onboard and inhale the smell of tar and wood. The theme to All the Rivers Run came to mind, although I’d like to recall they had more pleasant weather conditions than we had this particular day. Despite wearing a heavy leather coat and spending most times under the white tarp as can be seen in the picture above, I almost froze my fingers off. Well, I may exaggerate there a bit, but it was cold!
Below deck, it was far more comfortable and I would gladly have stayed on to get a more extensive guide tour, but there was no time for that. I have followed the progress of this ship since 2002, for ten years, so it was interesting to see her (it is still a her despite the name) in her rightful element. I like all the details and the all the effort the team has put in to make it genuine as it was in the 1850′s. The ship is somewhat modernised and has electricity onboard and some other details that Swedish Maritime Administration wanted to see before passengers are allowed.
The bow of Eric Nordevall II
Stern lounge
Tiny cabin
The tasty buffet!
After the delicious meal we moved outside to witness the opening of Rosa Eko – Inre Eld ( it means Pink Echo – Inner Fire) because all these art works have weird names. Well, I can see it is pink all right and I get the “Fire” part. No, it didn’t get to me. I don’t like the idea of calling things ugly because I don’t want to hurt the artist’s feelings. As you may know, art (and beauty) is in the eye of beholder. We left before the ribbon was untied, as the speeches never seemed to end and the weather didn’t help to consider another option.
Colourful piece of art. (The car is not part of the installation)
This job certainly has its perks!
Posted in Everyday life
Focused
I have made my debut as a competition rider at the oval track in Hannäs, Kil. We compete on a track that resembles of a trotting course, but our track is much smaller (250 m) where we show the gaits to the judges . They sit in little booths as can be seen in the background. I was really focused and not particularly nervous. We did really great - for starters. Then something startled my horse and she left the track for a split second. Two of the judges saw this and I was disqualified. The rosette I had been picturing before me just went out the window. I was incredibly disappointed, but the the inofficial score were quite good. Instead I got the chance to support my friends and they were doing really well! Despite a couple of showers of rain, I had a great day and this something I’d definitely do again. Well, apart from being disqualified, that is.
After months of slaving weekends, holidays and late nights, I’m facing a functioning stable. I wouldn’t say it is finished, it probably never will be. Remember this picture from February?
Cow barn – before transformation
This is the same place, believe it or not on May, 5. The horses have arrived and settled in at the new place and they love their new spacious stalls. It’s been a long journey and it feels great to have the horses across the road. I enjoy the idea of taking a walk to check on them instead of getting into the car and drive 10 km back and forth twice a day. I manage my own stable and I suffered from lack of inspiration there for a while, but now it’s all coming back to me. There are a lot of curious people around here and the word gets around about the stable, let me tell you that!
Horse stalls
Horse stalls and saddle room
Saddle room
Posted in Horses
The cow barn - before makeover.
There’s pretty much going on in my life right now, hence the poor update. Just after the incident with the non-functioning car, I got the offer to take the horses home. Well, not actually to my home as the sofa is overcrowded as it is. And the little bugger would surely start nibbling on the curtains and leave a mess in the book shelves. No, you see, the friendly neighbour are cutting down on the amount of chooks who are at present accommodated in the old barn. They don’t need the surface of the entire barn and I was offered to build horse stalls there. Would you believe it?! The idea of having the horses just across the road instead of 4 k’s off appealed to me. No, I could have a glass of wine and still check up on the horses whenever I feel the urge to do so.
Concrete in smithereens
Partition between chicken coop and horse stable.
On the right side of the beams the horse stalls will be assembled and on this side, the equipment room will be built. I have been dating guys who can handle tools, but unfortunately my skills with the hammer are quite limited so I wont take credit for this wall. This is what the stables look like today. It will be ready to face the tennants in early May if everything goes as planned. Because… (*drum roll*)
Gledi från Prästgården
…that’s when I will get this beauty. I have bought myself a new competition horse! A well-trained mare with a fantastic pedigree who I believe will be a valuable asset. I have put the little guy on the market, read more about him here.
And of course, my life is a bit of a bumpy journey so I had to encounter som trouble along the way when Arragon, my beautiful and fastrunning canine crossed the road on his own. It turned out nasty as he got close contact with a car and the impact flung him up on the bonnet. He came home after his little adventure with a broken leg. I honestly thought his life had come to an end, but the vets managed to patch him up. His leg is fixed by screws and will be for approximately three months. This will be a real hoot (or not). He’s a greyhound and the last thing he’s allowed to do is run for months to come. Ah, at least he’s alive.
I’m still behind schedule with the riding and the competition is closing in – only a month to go!
Now, could I please have some uneventful time ahead of me?
Posted in Uncategorized
On its way to the garage
It has been some eventful weeks. I wee bit too eventful for my liking actually. Being locked in inside the horse box, monitor a horse with colic throughout an entire night and wave goodbye to car on tow truck is not my idea of desired action. I am not going to add dysfunctional broadband speed, the rubbish bin that was set on fire and required assistance from the fire brigade or clogged water pipes to that. No, not at all. I am not even going to mention that the dog ransacked my bag and broke my”Same shit, different day” mug. I bought it in Leipzig, Germany, in 2004. I still haven’t found a worthy successor to it, but I keep my eyes open. I am very meticulous about such details. Tea should be consumed with style. The aforementioned mug was slightly tacky, I know, but the tea tasted good.
Rest in peace 
As for the title of this post, you may detect a bit of sarcasm in it. You couldn’t be more wrong there. For three weeks, give or take, I have been given an office at the municipality building. There is just one slight problem. I like it too much. And in less than two months time, I have to move back to the tourist office for the peak season. I like the interaction with the guests but I also highly appreciate having work mates for the very first time in years. Someone who drops in at the office to reflect upon a new idea, someone who makes the rest of the mob aware when it is time for coffee breaks or just someone popping in to say hello and disturb for a couple of minutes. I love it.
I’m moving my riding career to the next level and will attend the first competition of my life. My riding abilities will be officially assessed on April 21. Oddly enough, I am not nervous, but hey, still two months to go. On April 20, I will be a nervous wreck. I always believed my nerves wouldn’t cope, but I constantly seem to surprise myself. Next Sunday, I will head to Karlstad and a riding course at my trainer’s farm. I’ll try a new competition horse that the trainer would like to sell to me. She comes with a good price so I would really like to win a fortune the next week or so an interesting pedigree for further breeding.
The horses outnumber the horse stalls at their current residence which gives me two options. A/ Sell one of the horses B/ Move horses to another stable. Now, here’s the project for this summer. An old dairy barn across the road no longer serves its purpose and the owner asked me how I felt about building new horse stalls there. What do you reckon about that?!
My enthusiastic neighbour has already initiated the project by detaching the milk pipelines from the ceiling. Well, we’ve got a fair bit to go and if things goes as planned (which they pretty much not tend to) they horses will move in at the end of the summer.
Dairy cows out (they left in 2004 actually) – horses in!
Oh, I forgot… The car is up and running again, the internet is speedier than ever and all the struggle with poor water pressure has come to an end. Not a bad week, eh?
Posted in Reflections
Room with a view
I have had a very rewarding and inspiring day today and when I was on my way home I honestly believed it was the first day at work. This Thursday started off with an interesting meeting which led up to something that had been planned since last November. I have changed offices. Nowadays I have a room in the municipality building in Hova. The hermitage is over after three long years. Work mates, regular coffee breaks, nice and warm office without a leaking roof. YAY!
This is the view from my office. A lamp post and a stack of pallets! The red house accommodates the newspaper office and the adjacent house is a floral shop. The yellow building accommodates a restaurant and pub and in the green house you’ll find a TAB shop. By the market square you see a red brick building, home to an insurance company. In the background the church tower rises.
The office before...
After admiring the view, I decided to get started. As you may have gathered, this office has not been used for a while and therefor it served as space for excessive furniture. Two desks, three tables, one filing cabinet and a couple of book shelves were removed before I could start the actual moving in procedure. I feel sorry for the poor guy who’s going to move in next to me. That room is now crammed and will probably take a fair while to make liveable. But hey, not my problem. I’ll just close the door to it. 
The obligatory coffee cup followed me throughout the day to keep me in a good mood. And warm, The outside temp showed -13…
...and after (several hours)
When I left at 4.20 p.m the office looked like this. Tomorrow, the book shelves will feel the sweep of a cleaning rug and some detergent.
Posted in Everyday life
Present for Katie
I forgot to unveil the gift I sent to Australia late last year, so here it is! The note book is custom made for Katie and designed by my friend Emma Jansson, a talented photographer and artist. I met her during the Swedish Championships for Icelandic horses in 2007 where she took impressive shots of horses and riders. The bright colours in her art work always make me happy. In her web shop you might find something you like…
Posted in Friends and Relatives
Yummy!
Unbelievable!
I have been, most unvolunteerily, locked inside my own horse trailer, cured the colt who suffered from horse colic and ta-da, due to a faulty ignition, the car will remain stationary for a couple of days. On top of that I misplaced the car keys and couldn’t find them despite a very thorough search. This week ended pretty much the same last week ended. I just got a message from the garage that they will fix the car next Tuesday. Seven long days. An entire week without the Ford. Not to mention the expenses that comes with it. Cars are great as long as they keep running, but they might just as easily put you on the verge of a nervous breakdown when they’re not functioning properly.
All these issues listed above, call for a chocolate pie. I found a new recipe for a chocolate pie with almond paste and…well chocolate. Next time, I’ll try avoid dropping the pack of cocoa powder in the batch. I estimate I got twice the amount in the recipe, but hey, after a week like the one I’ve had, I needed some cheering up. Chocolate shock pie! It turned out not too bad, maybe a bit bitter due to the excessive amount of cocoa and dark chocolate. Besides, it worked wonders for my awful mood. Let’s start from the beginning.
This morning I ran around like a chook with my head off, searching for the car keys (belonging to my car). Keys gone missing annoys me tremendously, and I felt I sank back into the same old foul mood I escaped from just days before. I have access to another car which helps a lot when you live in the countryside where the nearest bus stop is halfway to work.
Still in a foul mood, cursing the non-functioning car, the missing car keys, the Swedish winter (I was born on the WRONG continent) yeah, pretty much everything. Till I spotted the malboxes. I saw it from a distance. A big white envelope with the characteristic red details. Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee Australia Post! Suddenly, the foul mood was dissolved into thin air and I jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas Day – this is definitely Christmas to me!
Steve Parish calendar
My wonderful friend Katie Gatward knows exactely how to make my day! A lovely card and the 2012 Steve Parish calendar. And what do you know, I think Katie is a mind reader as well. The other day I stood in front of last year’s calendar thinking I would very much like a new one. I honestly can’t see myself facing a year without all the gorgeous photos of Steve Parish. I thought I’d order one myself as I don’t expect my friends to provide me with a new calendar each year, but for some reason I didn’t get to it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the lovely gift!
Even the neighbours were a wee bit curious about the slightly oversized parcel in the small mailbox. I’m considering a purchase of a bigger one. I had a silly grin on my face when I headed for work and I swear I detected some sunshine behind the heavy clouds. The fact that I wont be able to go horse riding in the riding hall for another week or that the stupid car is going to make my wallet echo for a very long time seems of less importance somehow. You know, let’s cross the bridge when we get to it.
The car keys? I found them later today. Unbelievable what a piece of Australia can do…and some chocolate pie!
Posted in Friends and Relatives
Týra in the horse box
For some peculiar reason, things that don’t usually happen to other people, well they sort of happen to me every now and then. The day I launch my autobiography, you’ll need a wheelbarrow to transport it home. The endless adventures and mishaps of Tess volume I – MM. That may sound a bit bitter, but the fact is I lead a pretty interesting life which gives me a good laugh or two. Afterwards, that is.
The predicament of the day then. Well, you see the blue nylon bag from IKEA in front the horse’s head? I had topped it up with haylage when WHAM! – the groom door closed. Great… or maybe not. It was dark, I was confined to the small space of a horse box. The ramp and top hatch was of course closed, otherwise I would have managed to climb out. 50 yards to the house and I was inevitably trapped. Now, normally it is possible to open the groom door from the inside, but I have deactivated that function when I have been driving the foal. We don’t want him to open the groom door by mistake, thank you very much.
Anyway, I began to think positive thoughts like I am happy enough not to suffer from any claustrophobic tendencies and fortunately there are people in the house. When I realised that I might not be able to get out of the horse box single-handedly, I started kicking at the door. For two reasons, actually. A/ There might be force enough to kick the door open. Ha, I have seen it on the TV when athletic men or women kick doors open or even use their shoulders to break their way into a house or room. Still, that would require some additional padding or extended mass of muscles. At this stage, neither of these alternatives were an option. B/ Start kicking loud enough to alarm the dogs. It worked! I kicked even louder and the dogs went mad of course. The stable owner opened the door and I manage to communicate through the vent hole in the groom door. I said I was locked inside and she just walked back in to put on some footwear. When she got back out, she turned around and called my name, a bit confused. I told her I was actually inside the horse box and man, did I feel completely stupid or what!
The mobile phone was in the car of course. I usually keep it one of the pockets, but this time I had changed its location, because I don’t want to carry it around while riding. This was about 5.15 p.m and I was fortunate that the stable owner was at home at this point as she is rostered on some nights a week. This week, her husband works night shift and get home about 11.30 p.m. You figure out the worst case scenario for yourselves…
Needless to say that I fixed the handle, so now the door can be opened from the inside. I don’t want repeat that sequence of my life again in a hurry. Still, I am laughing at the whole situation when I look back upon it.
Posted in Everyday life
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