Late summer and then snow

Hi, here are some more pictures. We have a little car, a Renalt Clio, we call it the Clio tractor because it is used for everything. We picked up 4 wagons filled with matured horse manure and made a beautiful mulch right on the lawn. All the less to mow, and as you can see it isn't totally mowed anyway because we got so much rain. The mushrooms love to grow on it, but you better take boots if you come to visit!
We got snow about three weeks ago, but now it is above freezing and it is all melting away. White Christmas? not likely. Hopefully we get some more snow though, there is a cross country ski place up the road, and after all the holiday treats it's time to work off the extra insulation.
I really love the picture of the rosehips and the field, not at all far from us.
I miss everyone especially during this time of year. Too bad Maine isn't tropical, I could use a warm beach and a pina colada right now!
Happy Holiday Wishes to All!

oh, let down your hair!

Got a fancy new hair-do. I know you haven't seen me in a while, but you may be wondering what is in the water making my hair grow so long and shiny!
Well I was trying to put up some more pictures, but I think this camera takes too big pictures and they won't upload.
Hey better than nothing after 6 months of nothing!
Oh, and miss tish, don't forget the kava tea! You can do it, the post office is just around the bend.

signed the contract

This is our loooooooooong drive way 600-700 feet, and Mathias with the now former owner Gösta. Mathias thinks I should learn to drive the tractor so I can plow out this winter.
There she is all nestled up in the birches.
This is the reason we will need a riding lawn mower.
Tool shed, aka place to put and forget things.
And here we have the beautiful back side showing the basement entrance.

random may and june pics

These two are from the 1st of May weekend, the european Labor Day. We had 7 guests come up from Skåne, the south of Sweden. That's Axel chilling by the lakeside.
For those of you wondering, we aren't eating vegetarian these days. It is called a Flint steak, like the Flintstones may have eaten.
Here I am at work, tired from the night shift. Gotta love the hairnet! Don't worry I was just posing to be silly.
Back to beautiful again, the day after Mathias proposed to me.

Guess What!

Mathias asked me to get married of course. Not sure of the wedding details quite yet, but I'll keep you updated.

Also we made a bid on a house and it was the highest, contracts are being written up. Crazy week huh! We will be going again on Sunday to look at it with Mathias' family.
Try this link to see pictures, not sure how long the link will be working. It doesn't show the complete address when I post this, but if you highlight all the way to the edge and copy it, it worked when I tried it.
http://beskrivningar.capitex.se/CapitexResources/Capitex.Web.UI.WebControls.Object/Capitex.Web.UI.WebControls.Object.AllPictures.aspx?GUID=3H9A213EUANBAMUK&TYP=CMLantbruk&Skin=SvenskaGardar

And just to quell any burning suspicions, no, I am not pregnant. Not sure I could handle all the excitement at once. I'm having difficulty taking it all in as it is!

My first marathon and other good news

Unknowingly I completed a ski marathon. How could that happen, right? Well 42 km means nothing to most of you including me, however 26 miles does. So when we reached the MÅL/Goal Mathias congratulated me on my first marathon. Nice surprise, and a little medallion with a moose on it for participating.
That was two weeks ago we participated in Matilla Öppet Spår(roughly meaning Open Trail) a non timed marathon. This marathon was a little less than half of what we will be doing in just a tad more than two weeks. With an eating break it took us 5 1/2 hours. We were hoping to make 10 km an hour, but in reality takes about 1h 20 min. The terrain for Wasaloppet the 90k/56 mile race, I have been told is not as difficult as in Matilla. No matter though, I am sure every part of me will be hurting.
The first three pictures are actually from December, our first venture out on skis. We were a good 6 hour jaunt up north visiting Thomas, Mathias' older brother. The following three were taken on January 27th in Matilla.
Other good news is that I was offered a job with ScanModule (where Mathias works) as an operator, overseeing the machines that make solar cells. It will be on a three shift rotation, so I suppose our daily routine will soon change drastically. The training begins on March 3rd. And now that I am an employee of ScanModule I can also participate in the ski relay, also Wasaloppet. However the 56 miles will be divvied up between 5 people. So it goes Feb 24th the big race then Feb 28th the relay. Soon there after I think I will have my head examined!!!

hi friends,

I probably have a lot to report since the last time was in November. Pathetically I can only find these pictures. Seems that we haven't taken any since October... This was at one time my new haircut Mathias called the hockey mullet. It is fully grown in and becoming increasingly annoying. I have come to particularly like the ultra short "insane asylum" bangs.
I have an interview tomorrow. As soon as I know I have a job I will be splurging on getting a hair cut, until then I will try to hold back from doing my own hack job.
The job is at ScanModule as an operator for the machinery that builds the solar cells Mathias is doing R&D for. I suppose I will have to start having a grudge against him because of the blue and white collar thing. However because of the shift, working nights and weekends, I will probably make nearly as much money. It will be great to start working again, so I hope it works out.
We have been training for a cross country ski race. Back in Oct. we bought skis and filled in a small slip of paper which resulted in me winning a ticket to participate in a ski race called Wasaloppet. I have begun regretting this since it is 90 km (56 miles). Unfortunately snow has been sparse in these parts so much of training is at the gym. I have far to go with technique out on the slopes. I could never have know what kind of science was behind waxing skis, it could make you crazy. I makes a noticeable difference if you have the wax right or not, especially when you are sliding downhill backwards into the 75 year old man that has lapped you twice in an hour. On the up side I have never had so muscular arms in my whole life.
When I come home we can all arm wrestle.