Thursday Thoughts

12 februari, 2016 / Leya / 12 kommentarer

Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, says: ”Max Martin and Cecilia Bartoli have both contributed an incredible amount to music in their respective fields. They embody what the Prize represents; excellence in the world of music.”

Sometimes…(despite everything…) I am very proud of my country, Sweden, and when it comes to music there might be a reason for it.

It does not come natural to Swedish people to be proud of their country – we always think of the shortcomings and the mistakes, and ”this could have been done in a better way”. But with music – I think we should be happy about our contributions to the world. Only a few names…Jenny Lind, Birgit Nilsson, Roxette, ABBA, Ace of Base, Avicii, Max Martin…

Congratulations to Max Martin, the great hit- maker, for being awarded the Polar Music Prize!

Bodil Malmsten is dead

6 februari, 20166 februari, 2016 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

The much loved, Swedish poet and writer Bodil Malmsten is dead. Two hours ago I heard it on the news. She was in her seventies only and a brilliant thinker and poet. I cannot say how sad this day is – no more poems, books, subtle humour or new thoughts to look forward to. She had such a crisp and different look upon things…something we all needed. Many of us has got her last book by our beds today.

Media is filled with personal memories of her and people’s thoughts of what she has meant to them. She said herself she was not afraid of the big secret – what happens after death. She also said about her cancer: Why not me? Where many of us would think – Why me?

I guess I should not ask – Why you, Bodil. But I do.

WPC: Time

5 februari, 20165 februari, 2016 / Leya / 19 kommentarer

Time – we are all moving in it – and through it. And looking back…through what we think is a clear window frame, we realize the blur and the shadows. Time changes everything, and we can never know or be certain about the way everything looked or worked…

Not in Ostia Antica, Rome, and not even yesterday, at home. In our minds we can imagine or remember – but the moment in time is gone.

SL-WEEK 31: Time

2 februari, 2016 / Leya / 9 kommentarer

Time, for Sylvain Landry.

Travel theme: Future

23 januari, 2016 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

I hope for a green and brighter future, but alas…this is my potential scenario.

Cee’s Black &White Photo Challenge: Anything that Starts With the Letter S

23 januari, 201623 januari, 2016 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Silhouettes, Icelandic sun and sky – for Cee and the letter S.

Thursday Thoughts

22 januari, 201622 januari, 2016 / Leya / 48 kommentarer

I have been helping an old friend moving to a home for elderly and disabled people. Yesterday I helped her packing up the last things and putting everything into place. We went through all her paintings as well, to see how many she could use on the new walls and where to put them up. And the rest…I do not know…

She has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Once she was so smart, sharp tounge and vivid mind and memory. She was even a candidate for a TV prize contest. These last three years…she has been losing everything…and now she can no longer manage on her own. She was also a famous dog breeder for 30 years and won international as well as national fame. Her last dog she could no longer take enough care of, so two weeks ago we went together to the veterinary to put him to sleep. Tough on her and tough on me.

This is so sad, the whole situation. So many people suffer from this disastrous disease. And my old friend has no family, no children – only a half brother. And they have not got along the last 20 years.

She has nobody – but me. Luckily, the last two years she has found a good friend in a new neighbour coming over with some food and cookies – and sometimes some company. I am so glad she is there, as I live 60 kilometres away and cannot visit every day.

When I came up the stairs, she met me with a weak smile – ”I don’t like it here, they are all numb and dumb…cannot speak or understand what I’m saying”. She moved in two weeks ago, after we had been working hard to get her this apartment as she was so alone and needed company in order to eat properly and function socially. She had help four times a day and got food and cleaning as well.

”They are not kind to me here”, she says. ”I want to move.”

We have known each other for 40 years. Now I am searching for my old friend behind those gentle eyes…but I’m afraid she might no longer be there.

Travel theme: Entertainment

16 januari, 201616 januari, 2016 / Leya / 9 kommentarer

The world has, within some days only, lost two giants in entertainment: David Bowie and Alan Rickman. Ailsa’s Travel theme this week is all about Entertainment. The Show must go on. That is the only way to cope with Life.

SL-WEEK 28: Music

15 januari, 2016 / Leya / 2 kommentarer

Sylvain Landry – Music.

Music, concerts offer a great escape! At least for for a moment. This is Camelot and its brilliand singer, Roy Cahn.

Music, and concerts offer a great escape – at least for for a moment you can forget yourself… This is Camelot and its brilliant singer 2009, Roy Cahn.

SL-WEEK 27: Pride

5 januari, 20165 januari, 2016 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

I am immensely proud of my daughter, who after high school went to New Zealand as a volunteer worker – natural science. NZ is far away from home – in fact they are our antipodes – and she did not know anybody there. I never got the opportunity to go when I was young, so a bit envious I was…

She handled it perfectly well and worked with everything from clearing the djungle to setting up traps for rodents and vermin.

This photo reached me after some weeks – and the pride I felt was overwhelming. A working girl, with knife , machete and saw – doing good things for Mother Nature. My Daughter.

Now she is studying to become a dentist, and when finished, she is determined to go back to NZ to live and work there.

For Sylvain Landry – Pride