It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

I thought of this today, as it is our second wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that two years ago today we became man and wife at Nynäshams Kryka in front of family and friends, followed by a lovely reception at Freja.

This evening we celebrated by going to dinner at the restaurant where we had our party:



It's wonderful to be married to you, Lars-Goran.

I really should NOT be let loose near a book shop or a library. Well, maybe a bookshop as I'm too poor at the moment to buy too many books, though I do drool on them (in the hope they will sell them cheaper later!). Today L-G was going to the library on his way to work a while at the boat club. Me, being the kind, generous soul that I am offered to accompany him there and carry home his books. What would Germaine Greer have to say about that, I wonder?

Anyway, as I have two books I'm reading at the moment and a stack of others waiting to be read, I didn't need to get library books. So why did I come home with six borrowed books (all THICK!), another five that they were selling off (5 for 25kr - bargain!), a double CD, two videos as well as the THREE thin volumes that L-G borrowed. You should have seen him smirk at me as I had to lug it all home.

I'm impossible when it somes to reading. The world could collapse around me and I'd never know it if I was immersed in a good story. I've always been this way. My mother would send me into our living room to dust and come in two hours later to find the dusting not even started and me curled up with a book that was calling to me from the shelf. I used to read under the covers with a torch after "lights-out", I used to read the telephone directory, the cornflakes packet. Anything I could get my hands on. And this love of reading is still with me today and my daughter has also inherited it - it means we will never be bored as we can be whisked away by our imagination and the written word to explore new places.

Amusing website today: 714 things to be cynical about. My question: Only 714? I laughed at the following:
» Frank Sinatra after 1970.
» pop music after 1970.
» life after 1970.

Thought for the Day: Do paranoid schizophrenic agnostic dyslexic insomniacs lie awake at night wondering if they might be the dog that's out to get them?

How little did we realise just how literal that "Hail!" would be!

Our friends Anders and Liz (he is Swedish, she is American) came all the way from Flyinge (near Malmö) with their children for a weekend with us.



They were the easiest guests to have over - so happy and flexible that I felt I could relax completely. I've been very lucky with meeting people that I only knew online. Almost everyone I've met has been really nice and the one or two negative experiences are soon put in perspective when you meet up with lovely people like Liz, Anders, Martin and Karin.

THURSDAY

We spent the entire day and evening in Stockholm. It was glorious, sunny spring weather so we decided to take advantage of the special opening times of a boat shop at Ulriksdal to replace the boat's Swedish flag that flew off in the wind storm and grab one or two other things. We then travelled to see Madde, go out for fika and a walk in the sunshine. Lambi was beside herself with joy and Madde was happy to see us as well as to get out in the sunshine a while. She seemed a little remote and thoughtful, but perked up a bit when we talked about her upcoming graduation.

FRIDAY

Today I had to do all the things I should have done before! I went shopping to stock up on things we'd need over the weekend. Of course, Willys didn't have all I needed, so I also had to go to centrum and get a few things at Konsum and Systembolaget. Then it was cooking for dinner and lunch the next day, plus cleaning the apartment and getting the bedding ready. Miraculously, I was ready just before they arrived.

I was slightly annoyed with Liz as I had said to come around 6pm. Lars-Göran said they'd be driving a Volvo stationwagon and get here at 6pm on the dot. I laughed at that - imaging she'd have a more individual car and would not be so punctual! We had a semi-bet about it and thanks to Liz arriving on the dot of 6 in a Volvo stationwagon, I lost that bet. Damn! I had to endure Mr Smug grinning at me in victory.

Nåväl...

We had dinner and went to the harbour so that they could see where the boat is and be able to find it in the morning.



I LOVE the expression on Karin's face. Those kids were great. Really well mannered, chatty and wonderful with Lambi. It was so cute to watch them feed her, pat her and play with her. Martin loves to draw and over the weekend he drew a whole pad of animals that he'd seen at Kolmården - and they were wonderful drawings. Karin was a bundle of energy and life with an eagle eyed ability to find playground equipment and concrete ducks.



As you can see it was calm and sunny at the harbour and out on our pier. Everyone handled getting on and off the boat well and we looked forward to the next day's sailing. We were concerned about the weather, but decided that it may be okay and we'd see what it was like in the morning. We slept on the boat and let them have the apartment. We told them it was because it was a small apartment, but really it was so we could gossip about them *grin*

Saturday

After last night's punctuality, we were scared they'd turn up at 9.30 on the dot, so we were up and ready early. And they were late (Murphy rules again!). The day was sunny, with some cloud cover and best of all, we had wind! So Lars-Göran and I cast off, raised the sails and then handed the tiller over to Anders and let him steer the boat.



He looks quite the natural, even though he'd never sailed before in his life. I think he enjoyed himself and he and Lars-Göran chatted away like old friends. Funny how these men are shy about meeting strangers, then when you finally crowbar them together and they click, you can't shut them up!



After an hour and a half, we landed at out club island of Lacka (set in a group of islands north of Nynäshamn and just outside of the Muskö Naval base). They all went off to explore while I did the last minute lunch preparations. As it was clouding over, we discussed where to eat lunch. We can set up a table in the cockpit, but then I thought the children would like to run around a bit, so I suggested the picnic area by the pier. But Lars-Göran decided that just in case it rained, we should use the club house, set on the east of the island, overlooking Mysignen.



As it turns out, it was a sensible choice. Not only did it rain a few minutes after we set up, it HAILED. Huge, marble sized hailstones that covered the ground like a blanket of snow.



We were dry and happy inside, enjoying our lunch and enjoying the view over the main fjärd that leads to Stockholm.



After lunch, we waited a while, watching the clouds move over the islands and waters and decided it was not going to leave in a hurry. This was a pity as the rest of the island is pretty. But we made a dash for the boat, where Lars-Göran and I set up the cockpit tent and made the choice to motor home with the tent up.

About 15 minutes after we cast off, the rain disappeared and I could open up the tent while we went back to Nynäshamn. We chatted and enjoyed the scenery while "the boys" took care of the steering - aided by a continuous supply of coffee!



Back at Nynäshamn (the sunniest kommun in Stockholmslän) it was clear and sunny. Rain? Hail? Not here. After dinner, Lars-Göran took them on a short tour of the area overlooking the sea and we enjoyed dessert together and they gave us a beautiful candle-holder as a thankyou gift.

We have been spoiled again with absolutely perfect spring (almost summer - Swedish summer, that is!) weather. The last few days of sunshine and warm breezes has been uplifting. When we walked to the vet yesterday morning, the scent of apple blossom in the air was intoxicating. I love the scent and colours of spring. Most people here make a real effort with their gardens and it was a delight to gaze at the profusion of rhodedendrons, pansies, tulips, snapdragons etc all over town. When you add that lovely bright, soft green of the new growth on the birch trees, all reflected in blue skies and sunshine, you know you are alive.

A friend in Australia sent me this picture as a joke, but honestly, I think I'd really love to have one in lime green!

Watering Can Purses:



You can also get them in teapot design. But I like the watering can myself! (I can hear L-G saying a resounding "No way!" already)

Another friend sent me a cool link to Name Popularity. I discovered that my name has been steadily slipping in popularity since the 1900's. Doesn't worry me, though. It only makes me feel more unique.

Lambi went off to the vet yesterday morning for her operation. We stayed while they anaesthetised her and then we went off to the woodyard while they removed the teeth, returning in time to hold her while she woke up. They removed 3 teeth and cleaned the rest of them (a cool 1200SEK!). We sat there feeling really bad about it, thinking we were bad owners, not caring for her properly etc, until the nurse said how unusual it was to find a poodle so old with so many teeth. Apparently they are a bad breed for tooth trouble because of the tiny, long snout and inability to take more than dainty bites of things. We got some special paste that we can smear on her teeth each day to help her. She was pretty much out of it for the rest of the day. She sat in her basket on the boat, sort of looking without seeing - quite funny to see, actually. We didn't get to keep the teeth, so no tooth fairy for Lambi. I feel mean about that, too.

The big news here in Scandinavia is of course the Royal wedding between Mary Donaldson from Tasmania and the Crown Prince of Denmark. My dear husband's comment was "They'll have to lock up the silver now there's an Aussie in the house" Whatever does he mean? *grin*

OUR VERY OWN PRINCESS Well... I think NOT, but that was the headline in my hometown paper this morning. It seems that the Australians are overjoyed by the prospect of an Australian sitting on the Danish throne. And from what my Aussie friends based in Denmark tell me, the Danes are delighted to have Mary there as well. I really hope that fairytale will have the "They lived happily ever after" ending.

Fellow AAer, Stewie was there and wrote a great report in his What wedding? article. I think it's so romantic, especially as it happened in the land of Hans Christian Anderson. I hope she has a wonderful life with him.

This photo was taken yesterday evening by our good friend Lennart. He and his wife Anna were walking in the woods near their home in Upplands-Väsby and came across a family who were grilling by the shores of Mälaren. As Lennart is a real fire lover, he waited until they left, then popped some brush (quite a lot of it by the looks of things!) on the dying embers and made a nice fire that they sat by and watched the sun go down. What a beautiful picture of peace and serenity. And one of the many images I love about Sweden.

In the "It's a small world" category.... I got a letter from an Aussie girl that had sent me countless emails about coming to Sweden. This was over a year ago - she was coming for a 6 month contract with Siemens and was scared about a lot of things. Well, over a year later, she is STILL in Sweden and has met a guy. And how freaky is this. Her boyfriend is the younger son of one of Lars-Göran's closest friends. And they keep their boat down here in Nynäshamn (L-G helped arrange that). And (even better!) she has a packet of Tim-Tams for me to say thankyou for all of my help. So she'll be coming down to deliver them. So that is a visit I'm anxiously waiting for :)

Today it was the day that foreign sailing boats started appearing in our guest harbour. Usually it's the Dutch and German boats that are here first but not THIS year! This time it was a lovely ketch from Littlehampton in England



And more surprisingly, a small boat that has come all the way from Lunenburg, Novia Scotia in Canada - a 28 foot boat called I SHOULDN´D



It's always so exciting to see long-distance travellers.

I love the Swedish tax-return arrangements. May 3 is the deadline for declaring our taxes in Sweden. Funny date, isn't it? But it is so easy that you can easily leave everything until the last minute - literally.

How easy is this? Several weeks ago, a piece of paper arrived in the mail. It was a one-page tax-return form... already filled in with my income from last year (thanks to the person number system, they know everything you do!). You can change it if you want, sign it and give it back, and voila, you've done your taxes.

But if you are particularly lazy, you can do even less. You can SMS your approval, or change it online, using your on-line bank security codes. Skatteverket, the tax department, already has this year's stats: Over a million Swedes filed electronically, of which 87,189 did so via SMS. We did ours on-line in the semi-traditional way.

My friend who lives in Södermalm quite close to the tax department headquarters, decided to deliver his return in person. Would you believe that the tax department was open until midnight on tax day! How's that for service? There were huge boxes outside the office and people were stuffing in their 1-page returns — no envelopes, no attachments like we have back home. He also said that friendly Skatteverket workers were fanned out along the approach routes, collecting returns from people on their way to declaring. One worker even stood in the middle of Götgatan as drivers opened their windows and gave her their paperwork. Brilliant!

Today I got some funny spam. The combination of sender and subject of this one mail really encouraged me to open it:



At least it made me smile!

The other thing I forgot to talk about was Valborgsmässoafton - the big bonfire night in Sweden.

On the evening of April 30, bonfires are lit all over Sweden to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring. People gather by the light and heat of the fire to listen to choirs performing a number of traditional spring songs - quite ironic if, in the meantime, sleet and snow are doing their best to put the fire out. This photo was taken by my friend Lennart at the celebrations in Skansen in Stockholm. As you can see, the Swedes love a BIG fire!

Celebrating Walpurgis Night on the eve of the feast of St Walburga was originally a German custom. Walburga, who was an abbess in Germany in the 8th century, has become Sweden's Valborg. Lighting bonfires, especially in the eastern parts of Sweden, is an ancient custom: it was done to scare off predators before the cattle and sheep were let out to graze but also to protect people against the witches believed to be gathering on this very night to worship the devil.

Especially in university towns like Uppsala and Lund, the traditions surrounding Walpurgis Night are strong and include choral singing, speeches and wearing white-topped graduation caps. The bonfires also offer a suitable occasion to get rid of all of the winter debris. See, the practical Swedes strike again!

It's so great to get a surprise and to know that there are special people out there who notice and appreciate things that you do.

Today we came back from a few days sailing. When we came in, we listened to the messages on our answering machine and one of them was from a local florist, Blomster Snäckan asking when we would be in to get a delivery of a bouquet (called a bukett in Swedish!). Flowers? For us? It hardly seemed possible. Lars-Göran rang and yes, there were for us. As the delivery man had already gone home, we said we would come by and pick them up.

And this is what L-G picked up. As we had collected it rather than had it delivered, we got a few more flowers added. Isn't it beautiful? The florist told him that the requested colours were green and gold (now, there's a clue!), but she hoped it was okay that she added orange as well. Actually, it's perfect as orange is my favourite colour.

So who sent them? None other than Kate Juliff, the webmistress of this great site, Australians Abroad. What a huge surprise. All the way from New York to little Nynäshamn. Thankyou so much, even though it is ME who should send flowers to you. It really has cheered up my day and I feel really overwhelmed. Thankyou!

Yes, we did go out sailing and Lars-Göran's hands were better. Note the past tense. For some reason, the rash has started again, so it will be back to the psoriasis clinic again in the morning.

But on Thurdsay, we headed out in glorious spring sunshine.



It was cold still but look at those blue skies and the glint on the water. There could have been a touch more wind, but we were happy to be out on the water, even if we mainly confined our sailing to the local islands. There were several "teething problems" with various bits of equipment (a constant hazard on a sailing boat, I'm afraid) but we were quite satisfied with the few days out.

It wasn't all fun and games, though, as I still had to complete my homework for this week's Swedish classes. You can see that we have plenty of room inside - and even the Aussie flag above my head for inspiration.



On the Monday, L-G's 20 year old daughter, Madde, joined us for a day. As you can see, Lambi was delighted she was there!



The day had begun in warmth and sunshine, but unfortunately it clouded over during the morning and by lunchtime, it was raining steadily.



As you can see, we were not the only ones out that day. We had hoped to head down to Landsort and hike around the island to the lighthouse, but it was not really feasible in this weather.

So we went to a closer, small island called Solön. This translates as "The Sun Island", but as you can see from my full rain gear, it was hardly sunny that day! We have passed this island quite a lot while heading south. It lies on a busy fairway for pleasure boats and we have not had a chance to stop and look at it more closely. Usually it is busy when we are here and as rocks abound in the narrow channel, we usually have to concentrate on the navigation markers and depth meter rather than gaze at the surroundings.

However, it was really quiet on Monday, so we decided to see if it was deep enough to moor the boat to land and wander around for a look at what was there.

It seems that the island belongs to the local shire council's personell social club. There were several little cottages on the island that could be rented and a larger club-rooms with a great glassed-in balcony affording a view of the busy little channel as well as a glimpse of the main fjord and small archipelago there.

The small pier is quite deep and there is also a low pier for motor boats as well as several rowing boats for use by those renting the cottages. It would be a lovely place to rent for the summer.





One of the joys of being out now is that bird life is returning to the region. And as so few people are out, it is a great opportunity to watch the birds begin their nesting in peace and quiet.

The most common birds are gulls and various ducks.



Some of the ducks have chosen an "interesting" place to lay their eggs. Even those two gulls are taking a look.



I kid you not, they have nested in that big planter pot at the beginning of the pier. It really doesn't look too safe, does it?



The white swans are also busy getting their nests ready as well.



And there are also the fields of wildflowers that spring up in the lush, green grass around the island.



But there is work to do. Boats to be launched and the crane waiting for L-G's touch, so it's back to Nynäshamn, despite the mist and rain in order to get everyone else's boat season underway.