Happy Halloween!

Nu syr jag igen! - I'm into sewing again!

Nu har jag en sömnadsperiod igen! Jag håller på att sy fodrade brallor till Timon av det där fina påslakanstyget som jag mindes från min barndom och ett par till mig själv också. Den här gången har jag tagit mig tid att rita ett mönstret på papper också så jag hoppas de blir bra. Det tar faktiskt rätt mycket tid att klippa ut efter att par befintliga byxor varenda gång. Har varit iväg och köpt muddtyg. Och sen ska jag försöka vänta att ge honom dem till jul om jag kan, fast jag har tänkt sy fler nu när jag är igång och det är roligt så jag kanske borde testa dem innan jag gör fler? Har inte riktigt bestämt mig. Skulle vara kul att sy någon matchande tröja också. Nu vill jag bara sy, sy, sy varenda kväll. Jag har ju så mycket i mitt sy-rum nu. jag behöver sy undan lite.

Now I'm into the dangerous and slightly addictive habit of sewing again! (I mentioned sewing in my previous enjoyment-post and have to add that it actually feels rather energizing so far) I'm currently working on a pair of trousers for Timon out of the duvet covers that I remember from my childhood and a pair for myself as well. I've finally taken the time to make a pattern so I hope they will fit. It actually is quite a tedious work to make measurements and cut from a real pair of trousers every time. I'll see if I manage to keep them a secret all the way to Christmas but I plan to sew more from that new designed, yet untested, pattern of mine so maybe he should try them on and it is autumn colors on that fabric, isn't it? It would be nice to sew a sweater too. Now I want to sew, sew, sew every night and I really need to get rid of stuff. My sewing room is overloaded with old clothes and other fabrics.

Jag skulle kunna sy randiga manchesterbyxor...

I could make striped cords...

eller randiga mjukisbyxor och/eller en randig tröja...

or striped sweatpants or sweater or both...

Det finns hur mycket som helst av gamla kläder och annat att sy av... 

Men det blir på bekostnad av annat. 

Får bestämma hur mycket tid jag ska tillåta mig själv i syrummet varje kväll helt enkelt. 

I really have got an abundance of stuff to create from.

But it will be at the expense of  other things, things that I prioritze more, if I really think about it, or at least ought to prioritze more...

but now when I'm into this I just want to keep on sewing.

I simply have to decide in advance how much time I should allow myself in the sewing room each evening.

Joining Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On

and Maja at Husmorsskolan on Symöte 

Äpplen, äpplen, äpplen

Vi fortsätter med äpplena; mos, mos och mos och 4-5 burkar torkade äpplen än så länge. Funderade och kollade recept på fruktläder men det verkar bara vara en krångligare variant av torkade äpplen; man brer ut moset på en plåt och torkar det vad jag har förstått. Kan väl inte smaka så annorunda än torkade äppelbitar, eller?

Alla Ingrid Marie har jag och Timon packat ner i en banankartong och lindat tidningspapper om varje äpple.

Kvar finns Cox Orange eller Cox Pomona, vilket det nu var, som också ska packas ner och lagras. De ska hålla sig ännu längre än Ingrid Marie har jag läst, men de vi har är inte så fina och inte så goda att äta direkt heller så efter att vi tagit hand om de äpplen som inte ska lagras och gjort pläppelmos (plommon+äpplen) och torkade äppelbitar av dem kanske vi ger oss på de där coxen och gör något av dem också. Tur att jag hittade en massa glasburkar på Blombacka i fredags! 

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.} 

* 

Throughout the week I've felt grateful for: 

• meals cooked by my Mom
• leaves raked by my parents
• my dad fixing my bike and lending out his car since our was stolen
• collecting autumn leaves
• leaf-preserving through dipping into paraffin that turned out really nice
• the look in my sons eyes when he saw the first snowflakes today this autumn/winter . "You may sing about the gnomes now Mommy" he told me. In Sweden the gnomes turn up at Christmas time, but since I've found out there are very few songs about autumn I have accidentally sung Christmas and winter songs. And my son has kept on reminding me it's to early
• reading "The Story of the Snow Children again. My son actually asked me to read it at breakfast when I read him The Root Children. I told him he had to wait until the first snowflakes were falling. What a joy when they did!
• the prolonged season of apples
• Getting inspired, by all the different varieties of apples mentioned in the old pamphlet The Forest Garden by Robert Hart, to call my mother-in -law to find out if she had more apples on her trees leading to picking lots of apples during some morning hours in good company
• making "plapple sauce" with my youngest (apples+plums)
• Getting a message from the library that the book I reserved had arrived; a translation of Hurry, hurry Mary Dear , an inspiring favorite of mine during the transition time from fall to winter

Joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude * Sunday

Finding and Defining Enjoyment

Welcome to the October edition of the Simply Living Blog Carnival - Enjoyment cohosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair. This month, we write about what brings joy to our lives. Please check out the links to posts by our other participants at the end of this post.

******

As I've found out that time is not actually given, it's a matter of prioritizing, I've taken the time to slow down to figure out what I actually enjoy. What energizes me? While being a working mom (as the majority of moms where I live) to four kids; two teenagers, one middle schooler and a preschooler, the fact that my preschooler has given up naptime and instead falls asleep earlier in the evening, has allowed me some preschooler free hours each night in a life otherwise lived rather hectic. These hours I've prioritized slowing down, neglecting the piles of dirty laundry, piles of dishes a cluttered home and other unpleasant tasks and instead spent a small amount of this time each night, figuring out what I enjoy. I summarize my days and have committed to notice what energizes me each day for some weeks now. Other people have hobbies and don't have to think about the answer when someone asks them about what they enjoy, but this hasn't been an easy question on my behalf. Maybe this is kind of odd. I don't know. 

What I've found out so far is that I enjoy working together as number one. It could be hanging or folding laundry together, moving and brushing tiles for our roof-renovation, loading the trailer or cooking or whatever. I enjoy the connecting opportunity that opens up when sharing work together, especially with my three older kids. No matter how hard the work may be physically, working together energizes my spirit. Working together often means laughter and chatting. And I become a happier mom.

We have bought these houses with a little piece of land that is highly in need of renovation. We all have different goals for this project. We all have different dreams. One of my major goals on the process of working on them is connecting, working together as a means to connect. Pure enjoyment.

I enjoy playing boardgames with the kids or just taking a walk or playing badminton together and of course on top too; family-time including my husband.

I also enjoy reading books and blogs that inspire me in my life during those evening hours. And put my thoughts on print to make them clear to myself and make my goals more distinct, often by a draft for a blogpost.  Unfortunately I enjoy it so much that it sometimes actually makes me miss out on that life. Almost like: "Sorry, I'm reading about how to be a better mom so I can't enjoy being a good mom right now, honey". I understand that I need to put up boundaries on my reading and put a real effort on living those changes more. Now.

I try to enjoy my everyday life, the short time with my youngest before I go to work, the time when I come home, days off and weekends.

I enjoy dreamweaving, planning for the future, reading, collecting facts, lining up the opportunities. For a simpler life and step by step live those dreams. It's energizing.

I enjoy sewing clothes but I haven't prioritized it lately. It takes time from goals that I prioritize higher. I think about sewing projects and have a lot of ideas and piles of clothes to redo and make new creations from but I don't actually get to it. In order to declutter my mind I ought to get to those piles of ideas crowding up inside of me. Maybe why I don't prioritize this interest is because it's all me, it doesn't include anyone else, ok the kids will get new clothes but it's not about relationships and then I don't prioritize it. Maybe it's because sewing takes a lot of time and even if it energizes me at the moment it makes me tired afterwards. It consumes me. And I get all rapt up in it. I actually am a person who easily gets rapt up.

Enjoyment is also a choice. What do I choose to enjoy? Can I choose to enjoy "unpleasant tasks" for instance? Can I stop seeing them as obstacles for doing what I consider essential, the things I really want to do, and instead as means to get there? Could I take them on mindfully and enjoy them, one by one, step by step, not thinking about the next chore and the next after that? Thinking instead about the enjoyment a completed task brings and the enjoyment that comes with a cleaner, less cluttered home for instance? Can I give up "me" while completing them? Talking about enjoyment and what energizes me leads to thoughts about what drains me and number one on that list is working alone when I know my older kids could have helped me out and I know they're not doing anything in particular instead. Most important; I could have more time with them if they helped out more. If I give up on self-pity in those moments and concentrate on the task and the outcome of it long term I would be happier, that's for sure, and even enjoy them.

*****

Thank you for visiting the Simply Living Blog Carnival cohosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair. Read about how others are make their lives joyful. We hope you will join us next month!

• No, She Doesn't Sleep Through the Night - And It's Not So Bad! - This post on Partners in Kind is about our family sleep habits, how we tried CIO, and how our family learned to let go of the 'standard' in order to enjoy a good nights rest for all of us.
• Don't Do Anything That Isn't Play - Momma Bee at Raising a Revolution is inspired by Marshall Rosenberg's (nonviolent communication) advice "don't do anything that isn't pay" to find the enjoyment in doing even the most mundane and disliked tasks.
• Shared Hobbies - Jorje of Momma Jorje shares her progression of hobbies, since hobbies can wax and wane. She also explains why sharing a hobby makes it the best.
• The Joy - Relaxation Relation - At Authentic Parenting, Laura discovered how much enjoyment is related to relaxation.
• Finding and Defining Enjoyment - Anneli at Mamman i det gula huset shares what she enjoys, her thoughts on how she has found truly enjoyment through self-reflection and how to find enjoyment in every day tasks.
• Simply Enjoying Life - Mandy tries to focus on enjoying life at Living Peacefully with Children by cutting out some things and changing her perspective on others.

Gratitude Sunday

Joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots 

on

Gratitude * Sunday

A chance to slow down and reflect on the little things in life  

I'm grateful for:

• Time spent working on our renovation project. I really enjoy the work we're doing there.
• Grandparents and kids working together. 
• Beautiful autumn views
• Sunny days
• Some simple autumn decorations completed and on place
• Thoughts, dreams and plans for our future garden
• meals cooked by someone else

Höstrensning - Säljes

Jobbar sakta men säkert med att rensa bort kläder som inte används och har lyckats bra med att sälja undan på tradera under sommaren. De sommarkläder som varit till salu men inte blivit sålda har hamnat hos Myrorna och de sommarkläder som inte lagts upp på tradera än ligger i en sommarkass tills nästa vår. Jag lägger upp till försäljning på tradera varje vecka så mycket som jag hinner. Det här är ett axplock av hur höstens utbud ser ut just nu:

1. Tunikan överst till vänster har ett utgångspris på 40 kr

2. Den randiga tröjan på stora bilden, också 40 kr

3. Lila kortärmad blus, 20 kr

4. Lila stickad tröja, 25 kr

5. Randig tröja, lilla bilden, 40 kr

6. Svartvit tröja med hjärta, 20 kr

7. Kjol, 40 kr

8. Grön tröja, 25 kr

9. Grönbrun tröja, 25 kr och guldbyxor, 20 kr 

Spetsblus, 20 kr

Randig sammetsliknande kavaj, 30 kr

20 kr

Allt finns mer utförligt beskrivet till salu på Tradera

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Thoughts of one of those who are trying to focus on simplicity...beauty of the everyday moments. 

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...It's totally dark. It's 19.50 P.M.

I am thinking...about my little one sleeping in my bed and the little time that was given to connecct with him before he fell asleep tonight ,this weekend we will be together all the time, next week I have a free day, going to Blombacka for the weekend, maybe staying over night, hoping for much connection time with some of my kids, working together

I am thankful...that I have these wonderful kids, that I'm growing as their mom and that we have this wonderful project to work on which opens up to creative plans for the future 
In the kitchen...it's really messy

I am wearing...jeans and a pyjamas-shirt

I am creating...dreams coming true

I am going...upstairs soon to tuck my son to bed and to look over my daughter's homework

I am wondering...where I will be in my dreamfullfilment at this time next year and where I will be as a mom and about when my 16-year old will come home. It's getting late. (She's studying maths with her friends).

I am reading...Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Laura Mrkham

I am hoping...that my stressed out husband will stay alive, somehow be able to change paths and lead a calmer life soon

I am looking forward to...connecting with my kids upstairs, working together in the weekend, trying some new vegetarian recipes with some help from my little one. (Company in the kitchen makes me happy.) 

I am learning day by day to be a better mom

Around the house...it's as messy as yesterday because I work fulltime this week

I am pondering...about whether starting permaculturing is a realistic dream for next year 

A favorite quote for today...

One of my favorite things...is working together

A few plans for the rest of the week: putting up clothes for sale on Swedish ebay (tradera), mailing sold clothes, do some laundry,  do some tidying up around here

A peek into my day...hrhmm... came home late, dark outside, no pictures today...

Linking with the Simple Woman's Daybook