Nowadays

When we flew back from Sweden last week, I stole the highly laughable magazine Sky Mall, a magazine full with things you don't need. It is, however, pretty fun to look through; there is just no end to what crazy things they try to sell. Did you ever feel a need for any of these?




Maybe the silliest of them all. Who buys this?




Maybe a clever idea, but really ...  Who would keep this alarm clock after having to dig it out from underneth the bed at six thirty every morning for a week?




Cats are not like dogs who catch the ball and bring it back neatly. Schmaltz would bite the head of this mouse in second and all the electronics in it would be dead.




Since when does radar kill germs? Does it?




Doesn't this violate people's right for privacy?




Who in the world wants the litter box in the living room?!?!




Simply stupid.




Plastic rocks? Come on!




Tomatoes upside down ... Why? I ask myself why.




Maybe it feels good, but it looks silly. Probably one of those things you get, but then never use.




Please... Who needs one of these at home?

Today would be your 56th birthday.

I miss you.

On Wednesday, mom and I went to Helsingör (Helsingør in Danish), a small picturesque Danish town, just across the sound from us.

First out is Thyra, who visited us on Sunday together with her parents, uncle Björn and aunt Jenny. This is how pretty my three week old niece is nowadays. She is apparantly a very good eater and has put on a whole kilo since the first time I saw her!

I visited Björn at work today and found his colleague's desk covered in love notes from an obviously over-emotional girlfriend.
 
At least I am not the most embarrassing family member stopping by the office :-)

At Fredriksdal, you can see what houses and homes looked like centuries ago. Even though the buildings are partly restored, they are all real homes from the time they represent.

This manor from 1787 was donated to the town of Helsingborg in 1916 and the reason Fredriksdal became a park. The house is beautiful; I would move in any day.

This house is a little older and the people who lived here were hard working farmers. Due to a fire, the outside of the house is partly blackened.




Beds... It's probably a good thing I didn't live back when you slept like this. I get clausterfobic just looking at them.








House number three is very old; parts of it dates back from the 17th century. The owners were wealthy farmers.




Very picturesque.




A rich farm had its own loom. This one is from . . .






An indoor swing for the youngest.




This is probably what a typical block of a town would have looked like a century, or a couple of centuries back. However, since Sweden hasn't been in war for hundreds of years, many old parts of towns are well kept. These kinds of houses are still common today, although we seldom build like this anymore.




Old-style houses meets modern construction.