Another busy day in London getting things organised. I was in such a hurry to get to the Harrow Registry Office yesterday that I forgot to take the death certificate!
Kai is enjoying spending time with his Uncle Don. Have been asking friends for anecdotes about Fay for the funeral but most of these are unusable as they describe things that I did as a teenager. What an unspeakable monster I was! So, no change there!
torsdag 29 juli 2010
Fay Farrow 1920 - 2010 RIP
My mum passed away just before midnight on Tuesday evening very peacefully to the sound of Vaughan Williams on Classic FM with me holding her hand. I'm very glad that I made it over to Sweden in time.
One minute later Kai rang and said he wanted to go back to the hotel! Hats off to the fabulous Grunewald family who took care of him all day and then drove us home.
Thanks to everybody for their messages of condolence. It's a sad time but Fay's going was a blessed release for her. She really looked very old and frail at the end.
Don and I are now busy organising the funeral. He's on NY time so we were up and at it at 5.00 am! Kai is keeping me sane by forcing me to spend 2 hours a day in Hamleys. Yesterday Jeanie kindly took him to see Toy Story 3 in 3D. Cool!
I'm very blessed to have such wonderful, helpful friends!
One minute later Kai rang and said he wanted to go back to the hotel! Hats off to the fabulous Grunewald family who took care of him all day and then drove us home.
Thanks to everybody for their messages of condolence. It's a sad time but Fay's going was a blessed release for her. She really looked very old and frail at the end.
Don and I are now busy organising the funeral. He's on NY time so we were up and at it at 5.00 am! Kai is keeping me sane by forcing me to spend 2 hours a day in Hamleys. Yesterday Jeanie kindly took him to see Toy Story 3 in 3D. Cool!
I'm very blessed to have such wonderful, helpful friends!
lördag 24 juli 2010
Sensible shoes
As a complete raving loony, when confronted with a crisis I sometimes have to ask myself: What would a sensible person do in my shoes?
The answer is pretty straightfoward: Pay a visit to the nearest shoeshop as soon as possible!
The answer is pretty straightfoward: Pay a visit to the nearest shoeshop as soon as possible!
onsdag 21 juli 2010
Kung! Phew!
After watching Scooby Doo and the Samurai Sword, Kai has taken an interest in the martial arts. Well actually there doesn't seem to be much art to it. He just uses fists, feet and any available gardening implement to beat the shit out of me.
Crouching elephant, raging tigerette!
Crouching elephant, raging tigerette!
tisdag 20 juli 2010
Om-bloody-niverous!
Kai, Zoe and I had a grand day out at Öland’s funfair and zoo on Saturday with two other families.
The day didn’t start too well. No sooner had we left Löttorp than the skies opened and there was a major downfall. Thunder, lightning and rain so intense that we had to drive at a snail’s space as we couldn’t see the car in front of us. I was convinced we’d have to re-think the day but by the time we got there the weather had cleared up and it was actually sunny for a few hours before the skies opened again.
The zoo was a strange place. Most Swedish zoological parks these days are hyper-organised and almost too slickly professional. Last summer we were at Kolmården, where Kai and I watched a display of birds of prey that felt like a stadium rock show. Pounding heavy metal music. Witty repartee. Every wingbeat meticulously choreographed.
Here everything was a bit more amateur in the best possible way. Most of the staff were clearly schoolkids doing a summer job. On a day when it was half-empty that suited me fine.
First out was a large piranha. One of the (very young) zookeepers was feeding this ferocious Amazonian predator with pieces of melon. I commented on this and she told me that all their piranhas had gone vegetarian!
The funfair was perfect for Kai as he could go for as many rides as he wanted. The splendidly bequiffed young chap working the Octopus looked like a refugee from Mozchester. Probably hoping that Mozza would just happen to stroll past and give him a part in his next video!
The goats were a big hit with both K and Z. Kai stroked them and Zoe was a tiny bit frightened but also very delighted by their rather pushy attempts to get food. To my horror I felt something nuzzling my thighs and discovered that the horrendous beasts were doing their best to eat my shorts. Any animal prepared to sink that low must truly be described as omnivorous!
The day didn’t start too well. No sooner had we left Löttorp than the skies opened and there was a major downfall. Thunder, lightning and rain so intense that we had to drive at a snail’s space as we couldn’t see the car in front of us. I was convinced we’d have to re-think the day but by the time we got there the weather had cleared up and it was actually sunny for a few hours before the skies opened again.
The zoo was a strange place. Most Swedish zoological parks these days are hyper-organised and almost too slickly professional. Last summer we were at Kolmården, where Kai and I watched a display of birds of prey that felt like a stadium rock show. Pounding heavy metal music. Witty repartee. Every wingbeat meticulously choreographed.
Here everything was a bit more amateur in the best possible way. Most of the staff were clearly schoolkids doing a summer job. On a day when it was half-empty that suited me fine.
First out was a large piranha. One of the (very young) zookeepers was feeding this ferocious Amazonian predator with pieces of melon. I commented on this and she told me that all their piranhas had gone vegetarian!
The funfair was perfect for Kai as he could go for as many rides as he wanted. The splendidly bequiffed young chap working the Octopus looked like a refugee from Mozchester. Probably hoping that Mozza would just happen to stroll past and give him a part in his next video!
The goats were a big hit with both K and Z. Kai stroked them and Zoe was a tiny bit frightened but also very delighted by their rather pushy attempts to get food. To my horror I felt something nuzzling my thighs and discovered that the horrendous beasts were doing their best to eat my shorts. Any animal prepared to sink that low must truly be described as omnivorous!
torsdag 15 juli 2010
Nettled
One of the delights of being a parent is discovering all the different ailments that a small child can suffer from.
Yesterday after lunch, poor little Zoe found herself covered with some horrible lookig blotches that made it lookmas though she had been rolling around in some stinging nettles.They itched enormously and after a while transformed themselves into a rash over her whole body.
Off to the health centre to discover that she was suffering from urticaria, commonly known as nettle rash. She's now had some meds and is her old naughty self.
Before we got to the doctor, Grandma Stina suggested that we covered her in potato flour to ease the itching. Passing motorists must have wandered what on earth was going on. It looked at though we were basting her up prior to popping her in the oven to cook her for supper. Cannibalism is not that common here on Öland.
Yesterday after lunch, poor little Zoe found herself covered with some horrible lookig blotches that made it lookmas though she had been rolling around in some stinging nettles.They itched enormously and after a while transformed themselves into a rash over her whole body.
Off to the health centre to discover that she was suffering from urticaria, commonly known as nettle rash. She's now had some meds and is her old naughty self.
Before we got to the doctor, Grandma Stina suggested that we covered her in potato flour to ease the itching. Passing motorists must have wandered what on earth was going on. It looked at though we were basting her up prior to popping her in the oven to cook her for supper. Cannibalism is not that common here on Öland.
tisdag 13 juli 2010
Those socks are made for walking!
This summer, various of my pals are off carrying out epic feats of endurance. Armchair traveller that I am these days, it is great fun to follow their adventures. And in this age of the internet and mobile phones, one can receive an almost daily update. Quite a contrast to the days when I was a backpacker. I remember one Yuletide back in the mid 1980s spending most of Xmas Day in Cuzco with Jeanie trying to make a phone call home.
First out is my pal and colleague, Gary (Watson). With his son, Jack, who is 10 years old, he is walking right across England from east to west: from Whitehaven to Whitby. The Coast to Coast Walk is certainly going to treat them to some magnificent scenery as they trudge through several national parks. They are now four days into the journey and have reached Patterdale.
Prior to departure Gary explained to me about the equipment that they had purchased. Special shoes of course and extremely expensive wonder-socks that they must change twice a day. These super-socks are so state of the art that they don’t ever need to be washed. It all sounds a bit super-pongy to me but I’m sure Gary has thoroughly investigated this wonder of modern technology.
First out is my pal and colleague, Gary (Watson). With his son, Jack, who is 10 years old, he is walking right across England from east to west: from Whitehaven to Whitby. The Coast to Coast Walk is certainly going to treat them to some magnificent scenery as they trudge through several national parks. They are now four days into the journey and have reached Patterdale.
Prior to departure Gary explained to me about the equipment that they had purchased. Special shoes of course and extremely expensive wonder-socks that they must change twice a day. These super-socks are so state of the art that they don’t ever need to be washed. It all sounds a bit super-pongy to me but I’m sure Gary has thoroughly investigated this wonder of modern technology.
fredag 9 juli 2010
Wet! Wet! Wet!
Now enjoying peaceful rural life at Grandma Stina's on Öland.
The drive down yesterday took a while as Ulrika isn't currently allowed to drive so I had to do it all. Got up at 4.00 am to ensure an early start so I'd only had 3 hours sleep. The stops became longer and longer and more frequent as we progressed.
Very chuffed to find a vintage, hand-made dress for Zoe in a charity shop in Kalmar. She looks very sweet in that and her new straw hat!
Within an hour of arrival, Kai and Zoe had dragged out all the toys from the woodshed and found some water pistols and then transformed the garden into some kind of aquatic war zone. Children!
They love having a large garden to run around in, being flat-dwellers.
Back to the battle!
The drive down yesterday took a while as Ulrika isn't currently allowed to drive so I had to do it all. Got up at 4.00 am to ensure an early start so I'd only had 3 hours sleep. The stops became longer and longer and more frequent as we progressed.
Very chuffed to find a vintage, hand-made dress for Zoe in a charity shop in Kalmar. She looks very sweet in that and her new straw hat!
Within an hour of arrival, Kai and Zoe had dragged out all the toys from the woodshed and found some water pistols and then transformed the garden into some kind of aquatic war zone. Children!
They love having a large garden to run around in, being flat-dwellers.
Back to the battle!
lördag 3 juli 2010
Roskilde - more than just moo sick!
One extraordinary discovery as we wondered round the Roskilde Festival area. At the stand on sexual education, Pete and I found a small inflatable mini cow sex toy. That was wierd enough in itself, but what was worse was when a gentlemen uses it to pleasure himself it moos ! Strange country, Denmark
Prenumerera på:
Kommentarer (Atom)