Finally, I'm getting back to blogging. The main reason for my sabbatical from the blogosphere is the fact that for the last several months, I have had a 17 year old foster son. Need I say more?? With hectic schedules, I usually spend my mornings doing mom stuff and by the time I finally get a chance to get here, kids start to roll in from school and my computer is usually taken over by unseen forces (which means big kid retreats to his little "man cave", closes the door and spends the rest of the afternoon playing games on the computer). The computer is located in his room so it's impossible to use it without invading his space. But since he's transferring out of state in a couple of days, maybe I can back into a better routine. That being said, I'm ready to post again but will be organizing my themes or other stuff that I wish to write about.
A few snippets of life in my fast lane:
1)Drive to Florida
2)Really cool (new) Pastor
3)School starts
4)Mr & Mrs Vegas kid
5)Turkey Day
I'm hoping to get at least one post a week done, if not more often. So stay tuned and grab some popcorn. I'll be back in a few days!
So says amma today.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
What's in your soda?
When I went to Sweden, I had to have my "Pepsi" fix and got it. The stuff is international...like McD's. I've also become a label reader and was surprised to find that my tasty treat was made with actual sugar, not the cheap high fructose corn syrup that is thrust into almost any sweet drink available in the the good ol' US of A.
I'd been hearing that this HFCS stuff isn't so good for you and so I did a little research (to satisfy my curiosity and not look too blonde). When I googled the words, the first thing I was shown to go to was a site that basically tried to debunk the "myths" about how bad HFCS is. I read it and what was missing was that none of the claims made in favor of the stuff was supported by any studies, experiments, or otherwise. When I linked into a few other sites that denounced it's greatness, I was shown all the studies, facts, etc., that prove how dangerous this stuff can be.
Lets start with obesity. Besides the fact that kids drink way too much soda (especially teens) this is definitely a contributing factor in getting fat. If one can think back 30 years or so, just before HFCS was being used, there didn't seem to be so much of an obesity problem.
Other problems this stuff can cause is liver damage, complications in diabetes, mineral loss, changes in skin collagen (it can age you!), copper deficiency, defective connective tissue, heart arrythmia, even high cholesterol(more about that one later).
In my quest to satisfy my cola craving, I can't find anything without this crap in it except for Pepsi Throwback, which was promotional and is no longer available. It also has caffeine which I try not to have too much of due to bone health. I did find some 4-pak of bottled soda sans HFCS but it was too expensive and I refuse to pay for something that costs that much for a substitute that should be there in the first place!!
So the other day, at the local grocery, I found a brand called "Adirondack Natural" that is cola flavored, does not have the questionable HFCS,and has no caffeine!!! I was in cola heaven. Not only that, but it actually cost a little less than my usual 2-liter bottle of caffeine free Pepsi. It also has no preservatives. So here is finally a soda that I can drink without worrying about what it's doing to my insides. I've never big on drinking just water (I do love to drink milk with supper or cake or cookies) and I do check the labels on the juices I give my son to make sure he doesn't get bad stuff, but I don't need to put our health at risk just because something is touted as good for you. It turns out that the use of HFCS is good only for the bottom line....the one that lines the pockets of the CEO's.
So if you're a soda drinker like me, perhaps you can peruse your store for this better stuff and give it a try. I'm not very disciplined as far as giving up drinking soda goes (and I was actually going to try) so this is a good find. Even if you don't regularly partake, I'm sure you know someone who does. Even if they don't have this particular soda in your area, at least warn your friends and loved ones of the dangers of this cheap sugar substitue and urge them to get the HFCS out of their systems. And never, never, ever give crappy sodas or juices to your kids!!!!
So says Amma today.
I'd been hearing that this HFCS stuff isn't so good for you and so I did a little research (to satisfy my curiosity and not look too blonde). When I googled the words, the first thing I was shown to go to was a site that basically tried to debunk the "myths" about how bad HFCS is. I read it and what was missing was that none of the claims made in favor of the stuff was supported by any studies, experiments, or otherwise. When I linked into a few other sites that denounced it's greatness, I was shown all the studies, facts, etc., that prove how dangerous this stuff can be.
Lets start with obesity. Besides the fact that kids drink way too much soda (especially teens) this is definitely a contributing factor in getting fat. If one can think back 30 years or so, just before HFCS was being used, there didn't seem to be so much of an obesity problem.
Other problems this stuff can cause is liver damage, complications in diabetes, mineral loss, changes in skin collagen (it can age you!), copper deficiency, defective connective tissue, heart arrythmia, even high cholesterol(more about that one later).
In my quest to satisfy my cola craving, I can't find anything without this crap in it except for Pepsi Throwback, which was promotional and is no longer available. It also has caffeine which I try not to have too much of due to bone health. I did find some 4-pak of bottled soda sans HFCS but it was too expensive and I refuse to pay for something that costs that much for a substitute that should be there in the first place!!
So the other day, at the local grocery, I found a brand called "Adirondack Natural" that is cola flavored, does not have the questionable HFCS,and has no caffeine!!! I was in cola heaven. Not only that, but it actually cost a little less than my usual 2-liter bottle of caffeine free Pepsi. It also has no preservatives. So here is finally a soda that I can drink without worrying about what it's doing to my insides. I've never big on drinking just water (I do love to drink milk with supper or cake or cookies) and I do check the labels on the juices I give my son to make sure he doesn't get bad stuff, but I don't need to put our health at risk just because something is touted as good for you. It turns out that the use of HFCS is good only for the bottom line....the one that lines the pockets of the CEO's.
So if you're a soda drinker like me, perhaps you can peruse your store for this better stuff and give it a try. I'm not very disciplined as far as giving up drinking soda goes (and I was actually going to try) so this is a good find. Even if you don't regularly partake, I'm sure you know someone who does. Even if they don't have this particular soda in your area, at least warn your friends and loved ones of the dangers of this cheap sugar substitue and urge them to get the HFCS out of their systems. And never, never, ever give crappy sodas or juices to your kids!!!!
So says Amma today.
Monday, June 8, 2009
A few pics from Sweden
Hope my attempt to publish a few pictures isn't in vain. I have great difficulty with this thing so be patient!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Swedish Experience
I'm finally getting the chance to blog about my trip to Sweden. It's been difficult these days trying to get enough "me" time on the computer due to the fact that we have a foster son, who'd 16 1/2 and spends most of his waking hours consuming all the game time he can (when he's not at school).
Anywho, my trip (accompanied by my big brothers) was nothing short of fabulous. The weather was mostly sunny, breezy, and cool but we packed in quite a bit.
Having left Newark at about 5:30pm on May 1, we arrived in Stockholm the next morning at 7:15am (Sweden is 6 hours ahead of us). We acclimated ourselves to Arlanda Airport and I made my way to the nearest coffee shop. Yum...good,strong, Swedish coffee! Then we exchanged our $$ for Kronor and finally, found where to get tickets for the Express train to Stockholm. N Period could got a senior discount and Caboose and I got a "twofer" deal.
The express took 20 minutes to deliver us to Central Station and while I waited for my friend to meet us, the boys checked out a few things and bought tickets for our train trip to Goteborg on Monday. I finally figured out that I was waiting in the wrong area and found my friend Maggie and we had wonderful hellos and then it was off to the "T" to take the subway to the bus station and then to Maggie's apartment. Maggie was the ultimate host, having bought us tickets for the T and bus (same ticket!) on her senior discount. We hung out at Maggie's for awhile and while she stayed at her sister Eva's apartment across the way, we napped then headed over to Eva's for a fabulous dinner.
On Sunday, I went with Maggie to her church in Stockholm. What a gorgeous place. It was built sometime in the mid-1700's and is just the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The choir is professional and it was like listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And there were only about a dozen or so members! And like every Lutheran church, we had coffee hour after the service. It was just grand! People are so nice there. After returning to Maggie's, the boys and I took a foray back into Stockholm and visited Gamlastan (Old Town). There are cobblestone streets and buildings from early 1600's. There's a restaurant that's operated since about 1641 in the same place that serves a lot of "authentic" Swedish fare, but it is a bit pricey for this tourist on a budget. We saw the Royal Palace and visited at least a dozen gift shops. On Sunday evening, we had another delicious meal with our hosts and then took a leisurely walk around the grounds of the apartment complex. There are walking/biking trails all around and you can go for miles! We even heard a nightingale singing. It didn't get dark till almost 10pm.
On Monday morning we headed out to go back to Stockholm to catch our train to Goteborg. The ride to Goteborg (Sweden's 2nd largest city) took about 5 hours and was the smoothest ride any of us had ever had on a train. Once in Goteborg, we took the tram (a "light" electric railway) to our hostel. We had a private room with one twin bed (mine) and bunkbeds. There was a sink in the room as well as a small table and it was quite comfortable. A bit of advice: rent the sheets and towels. Once settled, we walked about the neighborhood since we were a bit away from the downtown area. We got food, ate, and chatted about our first impressions (WOW) and then went to sleep. The next morning we ended up walking to the downtown which gave us a chance to explore a bit better. The architecture is awesome and old and be sure you don't walk in the bike path. The boys explored the trains at the central station a bit more. We saw the XJ200 which is rather expensive but our 5 hour trip would only take 3 hours on this. Also a Danish train that takes you straight to Copehagen. Many of the train cars are named after no one in particular.
We ate at an Irish pub restaurant that evening which was quite good (especially the beer). Back to our hostel and some time to relax and take it all in before bed.
More tram riding the next day, this time to the end of the line in one direction and then the other. The scenery is just beautiful being by the sea. We also took a bus to Kungalv, where our grandmother was born and raised. I was able to take pictures of the church she attended with her parents and 7 siblings. I wanted to visit the cemetery where many of the family is buried but it was too far to walk and time constraints had us leaving too soon. We marveled at the simple homes which made us feel like we were at our mother's or grandparents' homes. The same little decorations in the windows and many homes have a flagpole in the yard that flies the Swedish flag.
We left Goteborg on Thursday and although it was a bit rainy, I thought it cool that there didn't seem to be a place to park one's bicycle at the plaza in front of the central station. This seems to be a very healthy country. We didn't see any really overweight or obese people either. Must be all that biking and walking they do!
When we got back to Stockholm, we put our luggage in a locker at the station and did another walking tour of the city and ended up back in Gamlastan where we had dinner in of all places, a Mexican restaurant. It was pretty good, the price was right and we thought it better than some back home. We made it back to Maggie's and the next day another trip back to the city. This time Maggie came with us and we took a boat to get to the Vasa museum. This is a huge ship that foundered 15 minutes after it set sail in 1648. It was raised in 1964 and restored a bit. Many of my pictures didn't come out because of the dim lighting which is so because the ship is deteriorating. All in all, it was quite fascinating and I highly recommend a visit if you ever go to Sweden. We also went to the National Museum but only to the gift shop since the admission was more than we wanted to pay. More walking around Stockholm and then back to Maggie's apartment. We took our host and her sister out to dinner at the nearby mall and it was a wonderful meal. And they didn't "overfeed" you with food. The portions were generous but not so you couldn't eat most of your food and feel overstuffed. We spent the evening at Eva's apartment with Maggie watching TV (the programs were in English with Swedish sub-titles!) We said our goodbye's and went back to Maggie's apartment and to bed.
We arose very early and through the rain and dragging our luggage, caught the 6am bus back to the T station and then back to Stockholm to get the express to the airport. I did manage to buy a small bottle of Aquavit which I think is Swedish moonshine. It's strong and the mere aroma will give you a kick! After a long 8 hour flight home (and the food was good on the plane!) we were back in Newark to a very warm, humid day. We went out to dinner at our favorite restaurant in Gillette,NJ and we were all fast asleep by 8pm.
I have promised my soon to be 16 year old grandson that I will take him to Sweden for a graduation gift (in 3 years) which should give me enough time to save up. He says he's looking forward to it and maybe this time we can actually meet some of our cousins.
So says Amma today.
Anywho, my trip (accompanied by my big brothers) was nothing short of fabulous. The weather was mostly sunny, breezy, and cool but we packed in quite a bit.
Having left Newark at about 5:30pm on May 1, we arrived in Stockholm the next morning at 7:15am (Sweden is 6 hours ahead of us). We acclimated ourselves to Arlanda Airport and I made my way to the nearest coffee shop. Yum...good,strong, Swedish coffee! Then we exchanged our $$ for Kronor and finally, found where to get tickets for the Express train to Stockholm. N Period could got a senior discount and Caboose and I got a "twofer" deal.
The express took 20 minutes to deliver us to Central Station and while I waited for my friend to meet us, the boys checked out a few things and bought tickets for our train trip to Goteborg on Monday. I finally figured out that I was waiting in the wrong area and found my friend Maggie and we had wonderful hellos and then it was off to the "T" to take the subway to the bus station and then to Maggie's apartment. Maggie was the ultimate host, having bought us tickets for the T and bus (same ticket!) on her senior discount. We hung out at Maggie's for awhile and while she stayed at her sister Eva's apartment across the way, we napped then headed over to Eva's for a fabulous dinner.
On Sunday, I went with Maggie to her church in Stockholm. What a gorgeous place. It was built sometime in the mid-1700's and is just the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The choir is professional and it was like listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And there were only about a dozen or so members! And like every Lutheran church, we had coffee hour after the service. It was just grand! People are so nice there. After returning to Maggie's, the boys and I took a foray back into Stockholm and visited Gamlastan (Old Town). There are cobblestone streets and buildings from early 1600's. There's a restaurant that's operated since about 1641 in the same place that serves a lot of "authentic" Swedish fare, but it is a bit pricey for this tourist on a budget. We saw the Royal Palace and visited at least a dozen gift shops. On Sunday evening, we had another delicious meal with our hosts and then took a leisurely walk around the grounds of the apartment complex. There are walking/biking trails all around and you can go for miles! We even heard a nightingale singing. It didn't get dark till almost 10pm.
On Monday morning we headed out to go back to Stockholm to catch our train to Goteborg. The ride to Goteborg (Sweden's 2nd largest city) took about 5 hours and was the smoothest ride any of us had ever had on a train. Once in Goteborg, we took the tram (a "light" electric railway) to our hostel. We had a private room with one twin bed (mine) and bunkbeds. There was a sink in the room as well as a small table and it was quite comfortable. A bit of advice: rent the sheets and towels. Once settled, we walked about the neighborhood since we were a bit away from the downtown area. We got food, ate, and chatted about our first impressions (WOW) and then went to sleep. The next morning we ended up walking to the downtown which gave us a chance to explore a bit better. The architecture is awesome and old and be sure you don't walk in the bike path. The boys explored the trains at the central station a bit more. We saw the XJ200 which is rather expensive but our 5 hour trip would only take 3 hours on this. Also a Danish train that takes you straight to Copehagen. Many of the train cars are named after no one in particular.
We ate at an Irish pub restaurant that evening which was quite good (especially the beer). Back to our hostel and some time to relax and take it all in before bed.
More tram riding the next day, this time to the end of the line in one direction and then the other. The scenery is just beautiful being by the sea. We also took a bus to Kungalv, where our grandmother was born and raised. I was able to take pictures of the church she attended with her parents and 7 siblings. I wanted to visit the cemetery where many of the family is buried but it was too far to walk and time constraints had us leaving too soon. We marveled at the simple homes which made us feel like we were at our mother's or grandparents' homes. The same little decorations in the windows and many homes have a flagpole in the yard that flies the Swedish flag.
We left Goteborg on Thursday and although it was a bit rainy, I thought it cool that there didn't seem to be a place to park one's bicycle at the plaza in front of the central station. This seems to be a very healthy country. We didn't see any really overweight or obese people either. Must be all that biking and walking they do!
When we got back to Stockholm, we put our luggage in a locker at the station and did another walking tour of the city and ended up back in Gamlastan where we had dinner in of all places, a Mexican restaurant. It was pretty good, the price was right and we thought it better than some back home. We made it back to Maggie's and the next day another trip back to the city. This time Maggie came with us and we took a boat to get to the Vasa museum. This is a huge ship that foundered 15 minutes after it set sail in 1648. It was raised in 1964 and restored a bit. Many of my pictures didn't come out because of the dim lighting which is so because the ship is deteriorating. All in all, it was quite fascinating and I highly recommend a visit if you ever go to Sweden. We also went to the National Museum but only to the gift shop since the admission was more than we wanted to pay. More walking around Stockholm and then back to Maggie's apartment. We took our host and her sister out to dinner at the nearby mall and it was a wonderful meal. And they didn't "overfeed" you with food. The portions were generous but not so you couldn't eat most of your food and feel overstuffed. We spent the evening at Eva's apartment with Maggie watching TV (the programs were in English with Swedish sub-titles!) We said our goodbye's and went back to Maggie's apartment and to bed.
We arose very early and through the rain and dragging our luggage, caught the 6am bus back to the T station and then back to Stockholm to get the express to the airport. I did manage to buy a small bottle of Aquavit which I think is Swedish moonshine. It's strong and the mere aroma will give you a kick! After a long 8 hour flight home (and the food was good on the plane!) we were back in Newark to a very warm, humid day. We went out to dinner at our favorite restaurant in Gillette,NJ and we were all fast asleep by 8pm.
I have promised my soon to be 16 year old grandson that I will take him to Sweden for a graduation gift (in 3 years) which should give me enough time to save up. He says he's looking forward to it and maybe this time we can actually meet some of our cousins.
So says Amma today.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sweden Update
Whew! Time is drawing near for our trip to Sweden. I'm getting really excited since I've never been "abroad" and for me, this is the trip of a lifetime to the place from where most of my ancestors came. And being as proud as I am of my heritage I know there will be a lot of "familiar" things because I was so exposed to my family history.
I met with a former member of my church last Sunday who is from Sweden. She is here visiting her children and grandchildren and I had to tell, of course, about my upcoming trip. She asked when and where we would be staying and I gave her the itinerary (so far) stating that we hadn't booked any hotels yet. Lo and behold, she called me the next day and offered us her apartment in Stockholm for the nights we would be there (the first and last two of the week). She tells me her sister has an apartment across the street from hers and she would simply stay there. Wow! What a deal. She even said she'd meet us at the airport to make sure we get the right bus to her place. I called my brothers immediately to tell them the good news and they were just as excited at the offer. Next on the agenda, we'll be traveling by train to the west coast of Sweden to hopefully meet a cousin or two and maybe a day trip to Oslo. Of all the hotels in the city, there is nothing available. Seems that there will be some kind of trade show going on and everything is booked. Vegas kid sent me an e-mail with a link to hostels in the area. It turned out to be a google search but I found Lonely Planet (they have the best travel guides. I went on their site and finally found only two remaining hostels with any rooms. So instead of trying to find a hotel that would cost around $100 a night per person, we were able to get a private room with 3 beds for under $200 for the three of us for 3 nights. As I related to Vegas kid, I'm in bargain Heaven! All this in spite of the fact that the three beds consists of a bunkbed with a trundle!
So my mister will be happy that the bank won't foreclose on our home so I can take this trip. He loves it more than I do when I don't spend money so he'll be happy to hear this bit of news when he returns home from his latest business jaunt.
Happy Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter!! Praise the Lord!!
So says Amma today.
I met with a former member of my church last Sunday who is from Sweden. She is here visiting her children and grandchildren and I had to tell, of course, about my upcoming trip. She asked when and where we would be staying and I gave her the itinerary (so far) stating that we hadn't booked any hotels yet. Lo and behold, she called me the next day and offered us her apartment in Stockholm for the nights we would be there (the first and last two of the week). She tells me her sister has an apartment across the street from hers and she would simply stay there. Wow! What a deal. She even said she'd meet us at the airport to make sure we get the right bus to her place. I called my brothers immediately to tell them the good news and they were just as excited at the offer. Next on the agenda, we'll be traveling by train to the west coast of Sweden to hopefully meet a cousin or two and maybe a day trip to Oslo. Of all the hotels in the city, there is nothing available. Seems that there will be some kind of trade show going on and everything is booked. Vegas kid sent me an e-mail with a link to hostels in the area. It turned out to be a google search but I found Lonely Planet (they have the best travel guides. I went on their site and finally found only two remaining hostels with any rooms. So instead of trying to find a hotel that would cost around $100 a night per person, we were able to get a private room with 3 beds for under $200 for the three of us for 3 nights. As I related to Vegas kid, I'm in bargain Heaven! All this in spite of the fact that the three beds consists of a bunkbed with a trundle!
So my mister will be happy that the bank won't foreclose on our home so I can take this trip. He loves it more than I do when I don't spend money so he'll be happy to hear this bit of news when he returns home from his latest business jaunt.
Happy Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter!! Praise the Lord!!
So says Amma today.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sad news
I've been so excited about finally going to Sweden. I had been in touch with one of my cousins (most of them are elderly) and just when you think you've begun to make plans, bad things happen. I was waiting for a reply back from my last post to my cousin and I got one from a different cousin. She had a friend write it because she can't speak or write English. I learned that my contact cousin got his cancer back and was in the hospital. He told the other one to write and let me know and she said he probably wouldn't leave the hospital. She had an e-mail so I gave that a shot and I did get a reply back the other day saying he had passed away. She also said that another of our cousins would not be able to have visitors as she is going in for some kind heart surgery soon. And this cousin had made plans back in October for a 6 week trip to a resort on one of the islands off Sweden so wouldn't be available to visit.
So it seems that we won't be able to see any of our family in Sweden when we go but our purpose was also to visit the place where our Grandmother grew up and we will surely do that. I have a friend who can translate for me so I can write a letter to one of the cousins and hopefully meet one or two of the younger ones. Another friend at church visits sometimes but now lives back in Sweden has offered to meet us in Stockholm at some point and that will be nice to see a familiar face.
So wish us luck.....I'm counting down the days! And yes, Kid, I will try to get some tiles for you!
So says Amma today.
So it seems that we won't be able to see any of our family in Sweden when we go but our purpose was also to visit the place where our Grandmother grew up and we will surely do that. I have a friend who can translate for me so I can write a letter to one of the cousins and hopefully meet one or two of the younger ones. Another friend at church visits sometimes but now lives back in Sweden has offered to meet us in Stockholm at some point and that will be nice to see a familiar face.
So wish us luck.....I'm counting down the days! And yes, Kid, I will try to get some tiles for you!
So says Amma today.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Going Home
Well, I finally did it, or rather will do it. For the past couple of years my brothers and I have been casually chatting about going to visit a few cousins in Sweden. We thought about doing this as soon as last spring or maybe even in the fall but whatever the reasons, we never seemed to be able to bring the whole idea to fruition. And now, especially since my mom's passing, we're going!! Yippee!! I sent Christmas cards to two of mom's cousins that she keeps in touch with and explained our sadness over her loss. One of them can speak and write fairly well in English and before I got his (forwarded) card to mom, he'd sent me a letter explaining that he knew something was wrong when he hadn't gotten mom's card at the usual time before the holiday. He is around 80 years old by now and there is another cousin who lives not far from him who is 84 years old now. I had read the letter to my brothers and the oldest bro thought we should start planning our trip in a year or two. Nope, not good enough and maybe too late. I wanted to go NOW. I get e-mail notices from SAS (the main Swedish airline) and wouldn't ya know that I got a notice of a spring fare special so I called the guys and said I'm booking this one.
So on May 1 we leave from Newark (since one of us lives nearby and the other two will drive down to NJ). I'm really excited. After I got everything booked on line I called one of the brothers and let him know it was a done deal. Since the guys are rail fans, I let him know that I want to see other things in Sweden besides trains. And we'll be spending about 5 hours going from Stockholm to Goteborg (which is in southern Sweden on the opposite coast and near the Norwegian border). Our relatives live within 30 miles north of Goteborg. To get to their towns, we take a bus.
We're also reading a guide book by Lonely Planet which is excellent. It tells you the places you might stay and visit and also what the costs may be as well as how not to spend your money. Sweden is very expensive so we'll need to be frugal. A beer can be around $5 or $6 and that's for the cheap stuff. I also wrote a letter to one of the cousin's and let him know that we're coming as well as asking for any travel tips while we're in his area. If anyone has any good travel tips or knows of good, yet inexpensive places to stay, leave a comment. They'd be greatly appreciated. We might stay at a youth hostel in Stenengsund or Kungalv but probably in a hotel in Stockholm. Since one bro is on a cruise with his spouse, we'll have to wait to make an itinerary. Getting the cheap airfare was our first priority.
So wish us Bon Voyage and I'll be looking for your travel tips!
So says Amma today (no negative ranting!)
So on May 1 we leave from Newark (since one of us lives nearby and the other two will drive down to NJ). I'm really excited. After I got everything booked on line I called one of the brothers and let him know it was a done deal. Since the guys are rail fans, I let him know that I want to see other things in Sweden besides trains. And we'll be spending about 5 hours going from Stockholm to Goteborg (which is in southern Sweden on the opposite coast and near the Norwegian border). Our relatives live within 30 miles north of Goteborg. To get to their towns, we take a bus.
We're also reading a guide book by Lonely Planet which is excellent. It tells you the places you might stay and visit and also what the costs may be as well as how not to spend your money. Sweden is very expensive so we'll need to be frugal. A beer can be around $5 or $6 and that's for the cheap stuff. I also wrote a letter to one of the cousin's and let him know that we're coming as well as asking for any travel tips while we're in his area. If anyone has any good travel tips or knows of good, yet inexpensive places to stay, leave a comment. They'd be greatly appreciated. We might stay at a youth hostel in Stenengsund or Kungalv but probably in a hotel in Stockholm. Since one bro is on a cruise with his spouse, we'll have to wait to make an itinerary. Getting the cheap airfare was our first priority.
So wish us Bon Voyage and I'll be looking for your travel tips!
So says Amma today (no negative ranting!)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Another New Year
I've been wondering what exactly to post to my very first blog of 2009. I thought some reflection on 2008 was due so here goes.
Last year didn't seem to fly by quite as fast but here we are in the new year once again. I made many new memories last year and hope this year will be just as memorable. To start out, we adopted our foster son. He's autistic and non-verbal but is doing remarkably well in pre-school. He's such a happy little guy I feel lucky to have him.
Next came Vegas Kid's engagement and then wedded bliss in June. The ceremony was in Vegas and I spent several days "chillin" in the Vegas heat. It was great to meet kid's new in-laws.
Sadly, we suffered the loss of my mom. Thankfully it was a peaceful passing. She was 20 days away from her 88th birthday. Our memories our warm and we miss her terribly.
October brought the newlyweds to the east where they honeymooned and we has a special party so my terrific new son-in-law could meet his newly acquired family. I hope they'll be inspired to visit once in awhile (I can't wait to be able to visit LV again).
Our holidays were as they usually are except for the fact that mom wasn't here. The only thing that I didn't was go all out preparing breakfast for my house guests. I guess I just wasn't up to it this year.
Now we look forward to the New Year. I haven't made any resolutions other than saying "I'll try" to make what changes need to be made. I know there's quite a few.
In 2008 I had the most important of my prayers answered and for that I'm most thankful. We have what we need here and I no longer want for much (except independent wealth like most of us want).
For 2009 we hope and pray that our economy will recover somewhat anyway and we don't have any devastating storms and that our troops will all soon be home.
Bless you all and Happy New Year!
Last year didn't seem to fly by quite as fast but here we are in the new year once again. I made many new memories last year and hope this year will be just as memorable. To start out, we adopted our foster son. He's autistic and non-verbal but is doing remarkably well in pre-school. He's such a happy little guy I feel lucky to have him.
Next came Vegas Kid's engagement and then wedded bliss in June. The ceremony was in Vegas and I spent several days "chillin" in the Vegas heat. It was great to meet kid's new in-laws.
Sadly, we suffered the loss of my mom. Thankfully it was a peaceful passing. She was 20 days away from her 88th birthday. Our memories our warm and we miss her terribly.
October brought the newlyweds to the east where they honeymooned and we has a special party so my terrific new son-in-law could meet his newly acquired family. I hope they'll be inspired to visit once in awhile (I can't wait to be able to visit LV again).
Our holidays were as they usually are except for the fact that mom wasn't here. The only thing that I didn't was go all out preparing breakfast for my house guests. I guess I just wasn't up to it this year.
Now we look forward to the New Year. I haven't made any resolutions other than saying "I'll try" to make what changes need to be made. I know there's quite a few.
In 2008 I had the most important of my prayers answered and for that I'm most thankful. We have what we need here and I no longer want for much (except independent wealth like most of us want).
For 2009 we hope and pray that our economy will recover somewhat anyway and we don't have any devastating storms and that our troops will all soon be home.
Bless you all and Happy New Year!
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