Preparing For The Future!

Today I have spent mostly trying to relax, but also trying to prepare for what is about to start! I had a long session with my diary this morning, and those thoughts have been with me throughout the day.

I have very mixed feelings about this upcoming semester, so it isn't easy to know what to focus on, or how to deal with my anxiety for it. I am very nervous and I do have anxiety, that thus far varies quite a bit, but is still present. I know this is a very demanding course, and you need to study a lot - but I am very motivated in my studies now, so I don't think that will be a big problem. However, we do have lectures every single week-day (Monday through Friday) for at least the first 8 weeks (and then some) ... and I know I sometimes have a hard time coping with that. If I experience some difficulties or mood-swings, I can't operate on all cylinders, and I need some "time off" - and now all of a sudden, that's not allowed!
Because I also know that missing lectures - even one missed lecture - on this course (at least during the first 3-4 weeks) will most likely prove fatal for me. That's what happened the first time I took Hebrew (now I'm taking Greek, the courses are pretty similar) - and that ended up being a total disaster! But just knowing that I can't miss lectures, make my anxiety levels rise!
I also know I need to cope with preparing a lot of stuff for every day, and most likely the concept of "reading-translating-analyzing" every day, in front of the group, will be used - which is another cause for worry.

Then, on the other hand, I actually do feel quite confident about the future! I know I have stuff I need to work with, and things I'm coping badly with - but after having completely last semester the way I did, I actually got some confidence in my studies, and a self esteem boost. I was active pretty much every day for the entire semester (with a few downturns of course), and I performed really well, I got the high grade, VG, for most of my exams, and I even took an unoffical course that I didn't need to - and did really well there as well. And not only that, the social arena worked out really nice, I found my place in most groups - and I met a new a friend (which doesn't happen that often!!) - and in the Department, which also helps me find my confidence!

In conclusion: Major confusion! *lol*
Still, at least I'm not feeling completely devastated, and I guess that's the main thing. I think I can expect both good and bad things from this semester, but what I am really truly hoping for, is that I can cope with it. By that I don't mean that everything should simply magically work out, but that I am also able to cope with the bad things, so that I don't get depressed, or feel like I need to skip lectures, stay home, and start feeling alienated again. That will take a lot of work, of course, because I will no doubt run into problems along the way - but fingers crossed, I will cope! :)

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Val McDermid
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 8
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: Introduction to New Testament Greek, meet with "CSN", studies ...

Another Blog Award! :)

Thank you so much Annika, for giving me another award! :)


I don't have the energy to do a proper "forward" of this blog award, but spontaneously I want to give it to:

• Dakota
• Lena
• Sara
• Johanna
• Jessica
• And back to Annika again of course! :)

A Big Sister Moment!

Not much has happened today - but I had to write and share a "Big Sister Moment" with you!
I sent a package to my Dad and his family yesterday, a few letter and small gifts for the girl ... mostly a "thank-you-for-this-summer" thing. Today I got a phonecall, and I figured it was "M" (the older one) as she tends to want to call every now and again!
But it was my younger sister, "I", who called!!! First time ever!!! At first I didn't understand, as she didn't really "speak", mostly made noises in the phone, but it was really her!! She's gotten sooooo big!! :) Aparently everybody had gotten excited about the package and wanted to call me - and "I" had carried the phone around for 20 minutes before my Dad found a moment to call me! *feeling happy*
I can't believe how time flies!!! I mean, I know "I" is growing up too, but she's always been the baby, this is a major break-through for her! I'm trying to remember when "M" called me like that for the first time! I don't really remember ... well, I do remember the first time she really talked to me, as in talking and describing something - that was during the spring of 2007, when "M" was about 2 years and 8 months (give and take some months here and there) - and "I" is 1 year 7½ months now ... But I don't remember the first time"M" just listened in the phone, not saying much herself ...
Anyway, that was a lovely conversation, that's for sure!

The last of my Tradera-auctions this time ended today as well - I did quite well this time - yay! One buyer actually bought 37 (!!!!) of my Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen-auctions - yikes!! I have no idea how to managed shipping them, but I do have the weekend to try to figure it out! And all the money I can get are very welcome indeed! :)
I hope I can get more auctins up during the weekend - or at least later on! I really need to get rid of a lot of stuff, and like I said, any money coming in are more than welcome! :)

Hope you all will have a lovely weekend!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1 (season 7)
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow:No idea!

Taking A Break!

After a very rough night indeed, I've spent the morning trying to come up with some decisions regarding my life - and since I'm completely exhausted, have a bad headache and Zorro has been completely insane, that wasn't easy!
The last week or so haven't been great for me, I haven't been feeling very well, and I haven't gotten things done, in the way I had hoped, for various reason - some valid, some not, I guess. This has left me with a constant bad feeling about what I should have done and should do and what I haven't done.

So now I've decided something. I can't say for sure wether it's the right decision or not - but you often only know that after the fact anyway, so I'm gonna go with my decision anyway.
I've decided to take a break. I have three days, including today, before I'm starting a new semester, which I know will be very demanding. While I will not take as many courses as I did last semester, I will also miss out on some of the advantages I had last semester, so I'm definately counting with this one being equally difficult, if not worse! So, these last three days I will spend on me! I won't do anything I don't want to do, period! I will try to take advantage of these last few days of freedom (as I probably won't have any more until next summer or something!), and really enjoy myself! I will also try to not feel bad about things that aren't getting done ... I'm an expert on beating myself up for not coping or not being organized and efficient, but if I do that, the whole idea of enjoying these days will be lost, right?!

Like I said, I don't know if this is the right decision to make now, but I've made it. Period. I know I'm going to have to put in a major work load starting Monday, not only with studies and work at an academic level, but also work on my social skills, on coping with the social arena, on dealing with other things, such as my essay or the fact that I need the bathroom floor redone (still haven't heard anything from the Floor-Guy) and other things - but doesn't that give me all the more reason to really take advantage of these days and do the most of them?

Okay, rambling now, sorry!
Just wanted to let you know what I've come up with, since I did sleep for about 2 hours last night and have spent most of the time trying to figure out what to do with my life now. And I've reached a decision, so here it is! :)

Now I'm gonna try to wake up properly - I still feel like a zombie even though it's lunch time - and see if I can't take a little tour out and enjoy the lovely weather we're having today!

Take care!

Happy Birthday Amanda Tapping!

First of all, wishing Amanda Tapping a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I've been doing okay today, better than the last few days at least, and I guess that's something. I have tried clearing off a bit here (I tend to make a mess of a perfectly clean room in about 4 seconds!), I ran a few errands in town and mailed a few packages, I've gone through some photographs and put them into Albums - I'm so way behind on that, and I've been catching up on the AmandaTapping.com Forum ... not that bad, right?! :)

I still wish I was feeling better and could be more efficient, since I know that starting Monday I probably won't have neither time nor energy to do anything but studying - but I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself either. After all, I haven't been feeling the best, and doing something has to be better than doing nothing!

Tomorrow I simply have to meet with CSN ("The National Board of Student Aid"), as I've been putting it off forever now. If I don't meet with them and try to sort things out, I won't get my money, so I really have no choice now. Hopefully I'm feeling up for it tomorrow.
I'm not quite sure how to plan the day though, as I really should do a lot of things. I have "errands" to run pretty much all over the county, and I still haven't figured out how to plan that, what to skip, what is better to do when ... it's kinda complicated. Guess I'll have to take sometime to sort that out tonight. CSN doesn't open until 1 p.m. but if I'm going half way across the county, maybe I should try to do that before CSN tomorrow ... life is hard! Ah well, I guess that will be sorted out somehow!

I'm happy to feel this much better, I hope it continues, because I know I'm gonna need every bit of energy I can get to cope with Uni on Monday, so fingers crossed!
Hope you are all doing well!

Today's Blog Dedication: To Birthday Girl Amanda Tapping!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Val McDermid
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 7
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow:CSN, errands ...

Getting A Blog Award! :)

Thank you to ANNIKA for giving me this blog award:



So the rules of the award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Give to seven other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blogs.

Whoa, this was very difficult, because to tell the truth, I'm not that big a blog reader actually. Also, some of the blogs I'm nominating are in Swedish ...
Here we go!

1. Yes, cheating, but giving the award back to Annika ... I constantly read Annika's blog and check for updates, it's a nice varied blog with interesting posts! :)

2. tolle lege - Lena's blog! An interesting insight into her personal life, and you can trust she finds a funny twist to her posts - lovely blog! :) (swedish)

3. Sara's blog - while not updated very regularly, it's always great to read what's she's up to (and what she feels is worth blogging about *lol*) (swedish)

4. Denna dagen, mitt liv. Johanna's blog, where she adds the sermons she's done - amazing read! While I've decided to definately not become a priest, it's fantastic to read how she interprets the Bible texts and what she decides to do with them! (swedish)

5. Even the Darkest Night Will End - Annika's Les Misérables blog is fantastic! I love reading her thoughts and comments on my absolute number one favourite musical! :)

6. Dakota's World - saw it already got an award, but I read this blog often and it's really lovely so I want to add it as well! :)

7. Film & TV - Jessica's blog about anything related to movies and television! Great reviews and interesting facts! (swedish)

Getting Back To Normal?

I apologize for the lack of blogging for the last few days. For various reasons I haven't been feeling very well lately, and I've been having a hard time doing anything at all - which has been very frustrated. I know myself well enough to realize that I do have these down-turns every now and again - and sometimes for no aparent reason - but they are still frustrating! During sensitive periods I need very little to get down and somewhat depressed, and now a few things happened at the same time ... and there I was.
The problem is I'm having difficulties working my way out of it now. I know all the right things to think and do, but every time I try them, something happens to make me feel down again. Again, it's nothing big, and mostly silly little details, but they are enough to hinder me from getting back on track.

I have tried to arrange a day or two in complete isolation now - which is a lot better than it sounds like actually! :) I'm getting more and more used to being out around people, and doing things, but when I feel like this, I still prefer isolation. That way I can really work with myself, thinking, talking, writing to myself and try to break the pattern I'm stuck in. If I try to do a lot of things, there's a big chance something will happen that makes me feel low again, and than all the work I've put in has been for nothing!
There's no guarantee this will work either, of course - there are no guarantees in life, period - but at least I think I stand a fighting chance now, and that's something, right?

I really hope I can find my way out of this, as I have tons of things to do, and I'm starting Uni on Monday! I realize I won't have time to do everything I had hoped and planned, because when I'm feeling as low as I have these past few days, I'm very destructive and not at all constructive, but at least I hope I can do something - and I also need to be both practically and emotionally prepared to start next semester!!

I'm still running auctions on Tradera - have sold some and will hopefully make a continuing project of it. Feel free to check it out **here**!

I have also made quite a few digi.scraps of my sisters the last few days. They have all been uploaded to my Picasa Album (if you want to see, email me for the URL), but I can't help but share a few of my favourites here! Enjoy!

Tagged!

Here are my ABC's:
(was tagged by Annika)

Attached or Single?: Single
Best Friend?: I have a few close friends, but don't ask me to choose one of them!
Cake or Pie?: Probably cake ...
Day of Choice?: Depends on what week I'm having!
Essential Item?: My Diary
Flavor of Ice Cream?: Vanilla
Gummy Bears or Worms?: Don't really care for either one of them ...
Hometown?: A somewhat small town in souther Sweden
Indulgences?: DVDs ...
January or July?: January
Kids?: Don't have any kids of my own unfortunately.
Last Movie I saw in a Theater?: Mamma Mia!
Middle Name?: Well, Jessica is technically my middle name, my first is Ann-Marie.
Number of Siblings?: Two younger (step) sisters.
Oranges or Apples?: Apples
Phobia or Fear?: I'm experiencing both of them (on different scales), and hate them equally.
Quote?: “To love another person is to see the face of God” (Les Misérables)
Reason to Smile?: My little sisters
Season?: Fall
Tag Four More: Lena, Sara, Jessica ... don't think I can think of a fourth ...
Unknown Fact About Me?: I rode a camel named Helmut once (*LOL* It's true, I promise!)
Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals?: Let's just say ... I eat meat ...
Worst Habit?: Skipping breakfast a bit too often.
Xrays or Ultrasounds?: Only ever had Xrays ... and that was not a good time!
Your favourite food?: Tacos
Zodiac?: Aquarius

An Intense Week!

After having visitors here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I spent better part of yesterday more or less in a coma! I am coping with social situations waaaay better now than ever before - go back a few years (even less) and I could never have survived a week like this - but I'm still getting tired from it!

Absolutely nothing happened yesterday, I pretty much ended up playing silly computer games or watched "Stargate SG-1", that was it!

Most of this morning was the same, I had major difficulties getting started, and everything turned into being very hard! I finally managed to pull myself together and take the bus to get some more cheap clothes (probably the first time in my life I haven't felt like I've been to Hell and back when I've bought clothes!) ... especially jeans. I wear them more or less all the time, and since I'd found a model I really liked, and they were really cheap, I'd figured I get another pair.
I got there - in pouring rain - and found not one, but two pair of jeans and a really nice tunic! I probably haven't bought this much clothes in 5 years together! *lol*

Still, that little outing made my mood a bit better, so after that I managed to clear up the kitchen, which had been a mess since Taco-night, and I've also started studying a little. I had some notes from last semester's Hebrew course that I hadn't finished retyping. I got a few 'missing ones' from Lena the other day, and I really want that finished and completed when I start the next semester. It was a good thing I got started to, I had no idea it was so much!! When I started going through them, it turned out there are about 70 pages of rough notes to retype and work through *yikes!*. That sure will take a while to finish!

Now I'm hoping for a fairly early night tonight, and a constructive day tomorrow! I have lots of projects, I am behind on a lot of internet stuff (forums etc), I shall continue the Hebrew-notes-project, I should add more auctions to Tradera, I should start cleaning the bedroom ... no doubt I will be busy! :)

Take care!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Val McDermid
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 6
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: Lots of little projects (see above)

I Am So Lucky!

I really feel like I'm such a lucky person today!!
I had a fantastic day yesterday - and the entire week has just been amazing - and I feel really lucky and blessed!

But I guess I should start at the beginning...
I had intended going shopping first thing tomorrow morning, as a store just north of town were having a clothes sale (I truly hate buying clothes, as I feel like a fat cow every time I try anything on, but then again, I simply have to have clothes to wear, so sometimes I just don't have a choice).
I overslept a little, but still managed to get the early bus ... I started checking the clothes department of the store, and for a change I really didn't hate it!! *gasp* Okay, so I'd still be happy if I lost a whole bunch of kilos - and fast (working on that!) - but somehow the "trying-on-clothes" wasn't a complete torture. I actually found one pair of jeans (they were really comfortable, and looks okay and was super-cheap, so I'm seriously considering going back and getting another pair ... or two ... *lol*) and three (!) shirts!! One is a liiiiittle tight, but give me a serious week or two working on my food-and-excercise habits and it'll work out. And while the other ones also will look a lot better in a few weeks, I can at least wear them without worrying about looking like the biggest freak around!
I was also supposed to buy some food and vegetables, but they were really expensive, so I decided to get them when I got home.

As soon as I had payed for my clothes, I realized that my bus home, had left like a minute before - the next one was due in an hour! *sigh* I had however spotted a city-bus stop not far from the store, so I thought I'd go there, see if I can catch a city bus to the train station and take the train home. I was totally lucky, I ended up at the right bus stop and the came after like 15 seconds! Amazing! I had a nice little bus ride (I always enjoy going places I've never been before) and was able to come just in time for the train, I only had to wait about a minute for it.
Once I got home, I bought what I was supposed to, took a bus home, and was completely exhausted - so I slept for a few hours!

Then it was time to start getting things in order for Taco-Night! :) I did some clearing away, ran the vacuum cleaner, prepared most of the tacos and took a shower, and then headed to the train station to meet Sara and Johanna. They came from oposite directions, but both trains were late, so I had to wait about 15 minutes for Johanna, and then we spent about 5 minutes waiting for Sara.
It was SO nice to see them again, I have really really missed them during the summer! We have the same sense of humor and we can really comunicate in a wonderful way. For me, who is used to having major anxiety when it comes to dealing with people, and constantly worrying about what I'm saying, if it sounds right, if I'm doing the right things ... It's just a fantastic feeling to now meet lots of people, where that's not an issue!! I can be "me", relaxed and just say what comes to mind, without having to think twice about it - and it works! ;)

We had a lovely night, eating tons of Tacos - at least it felt that way - and more or less constant laughing! *LOL* I really really hope we can get together very soon again!

They left around midnight, but I was sooo hyper and riding on an adrenaline wave, so I didn't fall alseep until about 2 a.m.
I woke up around 5, with stomach cramps, so I was up taking some pain killers - went back to bed and slept to 10.30!!!!!!!!!!! *yikes*!!!! That never happens to me! :)
When I got up, feeling almost drugged, I realized that last night we spent some time getting things in and out of the refrigirator and the freezer, and the last time, we hadn't closed the freezer door properly ... so my floor was REALLY wet, there was ice all over and dripping constanly!
Still, not to fret, as I had been meaning to defrost my freezer for like a year or so ... now I'm finally getting it done! *lol* Most of the morning I've spent wiping my kitchen floor and removing ice. Still, I hope it won't take to long until it's done and I can get the freezer up and running again.

I had intended to go to Lund today, and deal with some problems I'm having with CSN ("The National Board of Student Aid"), but I'm really tired, the freezer isn't working yet, and my stomach cramps aren't that much fun right now, so I'm gonna have to deal with that next week instead.
For now, I'm thinking a nice, relaxing, quiet day today! :) Maybe, just maybe, I can start clearing in my bedroom, or add some auctions to tradera, but I'm definately NOT going to do some major project today! :)

Today's Blog Dedication: To All My Friends Wherever You Are - I am SO lucky to have you guys, thank you!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Val McDermid
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 5
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: No idea! :)

Great Visit + Blogs!

I've had a rather mixed-feelings-day today.
I got up fairly early and managed to get some clearing done, and take a shower - AND relax a little - before Lena came around noon. I hadn't seen her since ... around June 5th I guess, and it was great to see her again!
We had some catching up to do, and I am constantly reminded of how wonderful it is to meet people I can relax with, and enjoy just spending time with - without having to worry about a major ongoing anxiety attack!! Also, there might be a slight chance Lena could reconsider the courses to take this semester and maybe take New Testament-Greek ... which is what I'm taking! I'd really love it if she did, as I very much enjoyed her company and having her as a study-buddy last semester in Hebrew - but of course it's her choice! :)

After she left I ended up trying to sort out a few things on the computer ... and naturally it ended up being waaaay bigger than I thought ... [see entries below].
All my blogs seemed to hate me and refused to do anything right - which was very annoying. I managed to get my Swedish blog, ~ Cogito, ergo sum! ~, to work after a few hours, but my Everyday Pictures!-blog seemed lost forever. I decided to start over, with 'Jessica's Daily Pictures! instead, so hopefully that will work out better - even though some of the pictures I will publish there have already been used in the old blog.

Tomorrow morning I'm going for a shopping tour, but I'm hoping to get a few hours to clear away and prepare for Tacos before Sara and Johanna arrive. Apparently, Johanna had late-lectures and would come straight after that, but it doesn't look like they'll be here before 8 p.m. - I'll meet them at the bus stop - so I'm guessing it'd be a good thing to have prepared most of the food! :)

Today's Blog Dedication: Jay Acovone (born 1955) - who played Major Charles Kawalsky in Stargate SG-1. Happy Birthday! :)

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: A Val McDermid novel + a book on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Currently watching: Family Guy
Currently listening to: The Robbery - Javert's Intervention (Les Misérables CSR)
My Plans for tomorrow:

Blogs Working ... ?!

Hey again!

Well, I do hope that my blogs are working out now. The Swedish blog, 'Cogito, Ergo Sum!' is still in the same location - which I hope is working now, but the Picture blog has a new location now ...

Please note that the follwing applies to my other two blogs:

• ~ Cogito, ergo sum! ~ : http://cogitoergosum-jessica.blogspot.com
• Jessica's Daily Pictures! : http://jessicasdailypictures.blogspot.com

I hope you will enjoy my blogs! :)

I will be back with a proper entry about today a little later, or possibly tomorrow morning!
Take care!

Major Blog Trouble!

Hey folks!

Sorry to say, I'm currently experiencing some major blog trouble!
The pictures on the Everyday Pictures!-blog seems to be either vanishing or acting very strange, and my Swedish 'Cogito, ergo sum' blog is also acting up, since you can't use RSS feed on it ... *sigh*

I have really tried to limit my blogs now, so that I know I can keep the ones I have active and updated, so I DO want to fix this ...
I am in the process of moving my Pictures Blog now ... and it seems I'm gonna have to "move" (I guess really 'start over') my Cogito-blog as well. There I will just copy the entries over the next few days, as I want to keep my entires (lucky I kept a back-up, right!!), but the Pictures-blog will be "starting over", so some pics will be used again ...

I'm sorry for the inconvenice of this, and I thank you for your patience!
I will be back, when I get the new blog-URL:s up and running!

Finished + Adorable Cuteness!

YAY!
I did the last touch on the cleaning this morning! *woo-hoo* Only the bedroom project left now - yay!!
I met my friend at the train station at about 11.40 today - and of course her adorable 8 month-old son! I haven't seen him since mid-May sometime, so he'd certainly grown a lot!! It was great to see them both again ... though I have a feeling Zorro wasn't quite as pleased ... While he's used to my little sisters, they are a bit more careful, and have - at least during the summer - been a lot older than 8 months. Though after the little adorable guy had grabbed to handfuls of Zorro's fur - twice - Zorro realized what was going on, and made a run for it every time the little one tried to get close! *lol*

I had a great time catching up with my friend, and I accompanied them when they left, as I had errands to attend to. The 'real' one didn't work out of course - but at least I got a little outing, and it wasn't completely wasted either!

I notice, however, that I've gotten away from the fact of "dealing-with-people-other-than-my-Dad's-family" during the summer ... because I've been completely exhausted tonight. I should have done some light clearing up after the visitors, done the dishes and stuff like that - and even though I wasn't home from my outing until 6.45 tonight, I haven't had the energy to do antyhing!! I've sat in my couch watching Stargate and that's it ... *yikes* Guess I'm in for a bit of a change now ... not least with Uni starting up with at least 5 lectures per week AND the essay .... *gasp*
Still, I guess I'm about to get good "training", as Lena is coming tomorrow for lunch, and I will have 'taco-night' with Sara and Johanna on Thursday. But right now, I'm totally ready for bed! :)


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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: A book on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 5
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: A bit of cleaning, lunch with Lena, hopefully starting my Bedroom-project!

No Pics!

Sorry about the 'no-cleaning-pics' entry! *lol* I'm more or less finished, but it's no use taking pictures this late, the flash will reflect in the windows, and it will just look weird. I hope I can snap some shots tomorrow, when I've done the final touch, and add them with tomorrow's entry!

I feel like I've gotten a lot done today actually ... even though I still have to get up early to get the last things finished by tomrrow. But I've still done almost the entire living room (clearing away, wiping all the bookshelves (and all the other furniture), vacuum, remove a large chair and the table, and carpets, and scrubbed the floor - I've done the entire bathroom, and the hall ... so now it's pretty much clearing up in the kitchen, and one last run with the vacuum cleaner - and that's it.
Well, the bedroom is left, but I really will have to take that as a separate project ...
Still, I have a feeling I will have to get up early tomorrow, I realized I have to do some shopping before picking up my friend at the train, so I'll probably have to leave her about 10.30 - and I have to prepare the sallad as well ...

Even though I'm really tired now, and aching all over, I think i'ts worked out pretty well. I'm definately no fan of cleaning, that's for sure, but I think I've coped better this time than before. There is one thing I truly HATE about cleaning though, that doesn't seem to go away ever ... which is cleaning the bathroom drain ... I really really HATE it! It doesn't help that my drain is totally old and totally terrible either! First and foremost, it's too old to function properly, so I have to clean it pretty much every week - *YUCK* - and it's also really rusty down there, so the water in the drain is pictch black ... and filled with various disgusting particles ... *shivers* Today when I cleaned it, I also found this metal "blob-thingy" ... it felt like it was supposed to be propped into a whole to prevent leakage ... eh, that can't be good, right?!
Still, since my carpet isn't' good, I'm hoping someone will contact me soon about that, and from what I gather, they will also change the drain if they open up the floor to let it dry out and get a new carpet - I can't wait!

Seems like my week will be rather busy - which I totally like!
A friend - and her young son, aged about 7 months! - will come for lunch tomorrow!
On Wednesday, Lena will come for lunch! It's her first time visiting, I'm really looking forward to it.
And on Thursday night, Sara and Johanna will come for a Taco-night!
And in between that, I need to do some complementary shopping, get in touch with Uni, and at least start with cleaning my bedroom ...
So yeah - I'll keep busy!

Which is why I'll try to get to bed now ... if I can actually CLEAR by bed (all the things I haven't had the energy to deal with today has been stacked on my bed - along with the rest of the mess in my bedroom! *lol*

Also - don't forget to check out 'jessiezorro's Tradera Auctions'! :)

Take care, guys!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: A Val McDermid novel
Currently watching: 2½ Men
Currently listening to: An Interview With Amanda Tapping
My Plans for tomorrow: Last-Minute-Cleaning, Meeting a Friend, Shopping

Cleaning Update!

Just a small cleaning update ... check out that last photo - I never knew my living room was that big! :) But now, after having scrubbed it - I do know ... I'm currently waiting for the floor to dry, so I can put everything back. Then all I have left in the living room is some minor wiping off - and as I said, putting everything back (including the furniture!)!
Which means, I SHOULD be able to finish going over the bathroom, and the hall, and carry about 5 loads to the basement, and take out like 10 garbage-bags of varying size ... right?!? ;)
Guess I shouldn't think I get much sleep tonight! *lol*
Still, I would SO much like to finish it all (well, bedroom excepted, but I already knew that) before I go to sleep tonight. That way I can sleep in tomorrow and only worry about preparing a sallad for when my friend arrive, and take a nice shower ...
*fingers crossed*

Okay, I'm guessing the floor must have tried now, as transferring photos from my old camera (which I'm using now, for some reason) takes forever.

I'll try to make another update tonight, or tomorrow morning, depending on how tired I get! :)
Seeya!

Daily Photos!

As per request (well, sort of ...), I will be adding daily photos of my cleaning progress! *lol* As you can see, not that much has happened yet! But to be honest, the kitchen is actually CLEAN now *promise*, the only thing is I'm gonna have to put a lot of stuff in it while I clean other stuff.
The living room however, is far from ready ... and I should really get that, as well as the hall and bathroom ready by tomorrow, as I have a friend coming over on Tuesday! *yikes* I've already given up on getting the bedroom ready, it's never been really "in order" since I moved here, so I'm gonna have to take that a bit at a time ... but it's still a lot of work left.
I haven't been that efficient today either, for several reasons. One is actually shopping. I was supposed to go shopping around lunch time - but it took forever, and by the time I got home, I had forgotten a lot of stuff - so I had to go again tonight! *sigh*
Also, I haven't been feeling so great the past few days. I don't know if there's something I'm allergic to, or what's the matter, but I'm constantly sweating and I'm having problems breathing. I honestly don't think it's serious (and those of you who know me, know I'd have to experience a near-death-thing before seeing a doctor), but everything gets a lot more difficult when you're constnatly gasping for air ...

Okay, enough complaining now ... My mood is a lot better than yesterday, and even though I know I have tons of cleaning left, I'm hoping to be pretty efficient tomorrow, and feel I can get a lot of things done. My "real" vacation here at home, will probably start next week, that is tomorrow, as things will be more active from then. I've tried doing things since I got back from the summerhouse, but starting next week I will have to start dealing with Uni in a more active way, I will start meeting friends (I have one coming over on Tuesday, and have more or less decided - though not definate yet - with three others) and that will probably act as a motivator, to get the cleaning over and done with! I hope ... :)

Sorry about the not-so-long entries lately ... yesterday my mood was horrible, and I only slept about 3 hours tonight (yup, due to my breathing difficulties I'm more or less giving up sleeping in my bedroom - but the couch isn't that comfortable) so now I'm exhausted!

Today's Blog Dedication: To Storsmulan, who isn't feeling the best at the moment! My thoughts are with you! *hugs*

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Val McDermid (sorry, can't remember the English title)
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 4
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: MAJOR CLEANING! :)

Cleaning?!

Okay ... so this is what it looks like, going through a major cleaning project?!?!?!?!?!??!
*little sigh*

First of all, apologies for not blogging for a few days ... my mood hasn't been the best, the reason why can pretty much be explained by the picture! I guess I'm a bit too thorough when it comes to it ... so I want to clean everything that I can even think of! Which in effect means, it is NEVER done - and so I'm frustrated!!

I've gotten the kitchen pretty finished now, and have started on the living room ... but it sure is taking forever and more to get everything done, that's for sure. I guess it doesn't help that I've added almost 60 auctions on Tradera (*~*click click *~*) during cleaning ... I've been sorting through my Buffy/Angel and Mary-Kate & Ashely Olsen clippings ... *yikes* I think I added about 300-350 pages on Tradera .... and that took some doing ... they don't seem to be that popular, but there are still at least a week left of the auctions, so fingers crossed, right?! :)

Today I'm having the worse day, where every single thing seem to be going wrong ... I really hate those days. I don't think I should get started on it, because I'm guessing you're not looking forward to me constantly complaining about absolutely everything - I'll just go so far as to say my mood is HORRIBLE ... and leave it at that!

Still, I though I should make a blog entry to let you know I'm still alive ...
Take care

Project Started!

Yes I did start my massive cleaning project today ... and of course it turned out to be waaaay more massive than I had antipicated. I really need to finish most of the appartment (except maybe the bedroom, which has been in complete chaos since I moved in here three years ago!) by the end of this week - because starting next week, I will start having people over here ...
I'm just not sure how I'll manage ...

I started in the kitchen today - and the more I did, the more things I discovered I needed to do. *little sigh* I haven't even finished the kitchen - but I did put up about 30 auctions at Tradera during the day, which took some time ~~click here~~ - but I haven't that much left. It's pretty much a matter of storting through, and cleaning, a bookshelf, run the vacuum, remove the carpets to scrub the floor properly ... oh yeah, and dusting everything in the window (lots of photoframes there). Then I'm pretty much done with the kitchen ... so I guess I'm making some progress at least.

I had intended going out to a mall, and some stores around town tomorrow - but now I'm wondering if I should save it for Friday. I haven't quite made up my mind yet, but it would definately feel nice to have gotten a little bit more done on my project before I'm giving myself almost an entire day off. But I'll have to decide that tomorrow (also kinda depends on when I'll wake up and how tired I am, because if I'm gonna make decent time tomorrow, I'll have to leave here at about 8.45 a.m.).

Got the movie "Clubland" in the mail today *yay*, but I haven't watched it yet. I'm in the middle of a massive 'Stargate SG-1' marathon at the moment - watching all ten season (yup, I'm nuts!) - and I want to finish that first. So far I've gotten to about mid-season three, and I have to say most of these early episodes are really great ... then again, most of the later episodes are also really great - guess that's why I'm such a fan of the show! *lol*
Just watched "Jolinar's Memories" and "The Devil You Know", and I really like that storyline. First time I watched it I was soooo amazed to see ... ****spoiler**** Apophis return ... they did a great job on his makeup too! :) And Sokar is a pretty cool Goa'uld - after all, a guy yaking on the persona of the Devil is really something, right?!!

This And That - And A New Project!

Today has been a 'this-and-that' day ... This morning I went to get a hair-cut, which was more than neccessary after the summer. Nothing drastic - that's definately not me - just even it out ... but it was nice to get it done.

Otherwise I haven't done much ... added a few more auctions on Tradera - **click here** - I'm hoping to get my act together and clear out a lot, and hopefully some of it will sell! *fingers crossed*

I've also decided on a new project, which I'm hoping to get started on tomorrow. This appartment needs a true cleaning - and I'm talking massive! I'm not a fan of cleaning, that's for sure, but I can usually keep it decent around me ... but now I'm realizing I need to do it very thourough ... think 'cleaning-before-you-move-out' - well, almost anyway!
I can't say that I'm looking forward to it, but I think it's definately time for it now. I don't have much planned for the rest of the week - except an outing on Thursday - but next week things might start happening, so I should really get at least most of it done this week!
Also, I'm hoping that a massive cleaning will mean that I really go through all my stuff, and that way I can find even more stuff to sell on Tradera! That's almost like killing two birds with one stone, right?! ;) --[That is really a horrible expression, come to think of it ... why would you want to kill innocent birds???!]
Anyway ... send your thoughts my way tomorrow, when I'll be buried in spunges and dustrags! *lol*

Finishing off with a few new digi.scraps - more are added in my Picasa Album!





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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Sue Grafton
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 3
Currently listening to: Me and I (ABBA)
My Plans for tomorrow: Massive cleaning, Tradera auctions, collecting DVDs from the Post Office

Busy Day!

Today I have gotten quite a lot done, so I'm really pleased with my day!
I was up pretty early and did some light cleaning, and when the landlord's office opened at 9.30 I was there - feeling quite nervous and anxious. There were already people there waiting in line, so it took a while before I got to see him.
We dealt with a few matters, the "real" issue was my bathroom floor. I didn't get that much clarity, but apparently some professional "guy" will contact me and I guess I'll have to discuss the details with him. It sounded like I'd be able to stay home for the most part of it anyway, which is good - doesn't feel to happy about imposing on friends for weeks at a time ... also, since I have Zorro, it's not just me imposing, it's a crazy cat imposing as well! ;)

I felt quite relieved after having handled that meeting, but I still knew I had two phonecalls to make, so I couldn't quite relax either. I managed to gather strength and took care of those as well - yay me! Everything worked out very smoothly, and after that, I took a well-earned nap!

During the afternoon I took a walk downtown (takes about 25 minutes) and ran a few errands before walking home again. I haven't gotten that much done since I came home, but I did manage to start preparing some Tradera auctions! I have tons of stuff I should add, and I only had energy to fix 8 of them ... but if you want to check them out, feel free to do so by **clicking here**!

Unfortunately I didn't get my dvd package today :( ... but I couldn't help myself to a few more dvds today! *feeling a little guilty*
I bought the first Stargate movie, "Stargate: Ark of Truth", from Play.com - and on eBay I found the Aussie movie "Caterpillar Wish" (Philip Quast) rather cheap! :)
I'm so waay behind on Stargate - I haven't even seen "Atlantis", and I haven't seen the SG-1 movie "Ark of Truth" either - and now the second movie "Continuum" been released ... guess I have some catching up to do there!
And finding something with Philip Quast always makes me tick! I know I'm still missing a few movies - like "Me and Mrs. Jones" and the episode of "Inspector Morse" he's in ... but I'm definately keeping an eye out for them! :)

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: I For Innocent (Sue Grafton)
Currently watching: Family Guy
Currently listening to: The Secret Garden (Original London Cast)
My Plans for tomorrow: Getting a haircut, shopping at a nearby mall, maybe more Tradera-auctions.

Activities Started!

Yes, I have had a more active day today - although I haven't gotten everything done!
The entire morning was spent in the Amanda Tapping Forum ... I had so much to catch up on - but I really like it there, so it was worth the time, learning what everybody had been up to during the summer.
I've also gotten a few things done online, spent some time cleaning the kitchen ... all in all, not too bad a day! :)

Tomorrow will be even more active, I have to have a lengthy conversation with my landlord. My bathroom floor hasn't been good for some time, I approached him earlier but nothing happened - and now it's even worse ... I fear they will have to open up most of the floor and at least put in a new carpet - I have no idea when or how that works, but I at least have to talk to him about it. I also have a few other matters to discuss as well.
Also, a few boring phonecalls to make. While my Social Phobia is getting better and better, I still find it terribly difficult talking on the phone. I get nervous just thinking about it, and while it's nothing major I have to get done over the phone, I'm still having anxiety problems ... Still, making phonecalls is a part of your everyday life, so it's just something I have to get used to.

I also have a feeling that I have a dvd-package waiting for me at the Post Office tomorrow. They had a bit of a sale, and I haven't bought dvds in ages, so I ordered the first season of "Remington Steele", season 1 of "Stargate Atlantis" and the movie "Clubland", starring Rebecca Gibney and Philip Quast. Unfortunately "Atlantis" was out of stock, so I'm gonna have to wait for that one - but I still look forward to seeing Remington Steele and "Clubland" ... I also need to get a few errands done downtown ...

It feels good being back on track now, I hope things will work out smoothly tomorrow as well, so I can get started on visiting my friends, dealing with the fact that Uni starts in about two weeks etc.

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: A Sue Grafton Novel
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1, season 2 ("Secrets")
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow: Running errands, making phonecalls, talking to the landlord

Back On Track!?

I think I'm back in my normal routine now ... although I can't be sure!
I had planned today to be the last "catching-up" day, so that I'd really feel I could get on with my life, but unfortunately I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with a nasty migraine! That pretty much put a stop to all my plans, so I haven't done anything apart from trying to get rid of it.
I'm up and about now, though I haven't had the energy to be very creative at all. Guess I will have to put my whole 'catch-up-plan' forward, and deal with that tomorrow instead.

I have some general cleaning left, and some stuff I need to take down to the basement, but I would also like to start getting in touch with all my friends. Things have been almost upside down since my Dad and his family left, but I really want to be able to spend time with my friends, and for that to happen, I do have to get in touch with them first! ;)

So here's hoping tomorrow will mean a clean apartment, a general update on my friends activities and whereabouts, and hopefully getting a few internet projects done ... Sound like a good plan? :)

For now, I'm off to bed - even though I've spent most of today in bed, I'm still exhausted, and I'm hoping to get a good night's sleep now, so I can get started tormorrow morning!

Take care!

Looking To The Future!

I also thought I'd include an entry focusing on what the next semester will be for me.
First and foremost, I will take a full-time course in New Testament Greek - very exciting!! While I'm still more of an "Old Testament-Girl", and Hebrew will always be special to me, I think I will very much enjoy taking this course as well.
There is something very exciting about learning to read a text your fairly familiar with in translation, in its original language. I've been studying Hebrew pretty intensly, especially last semester, and I can't say I've radically changed my opinion about the Swedish translation, but there's another depth, and another understanding of the texts, that comes with reading it in it's original language!
Naturally, since we're dealing with ancient languages (espcially concerning the Old Testament) you can't be absolutely certain of it's specific meaning in the times it was written, but it still makes your own understanding much broader!
Up until now I haven't been that interested in the New Testament ... well, that is the truth with moderation, but let me get back to that later ... but I'm hoping this semester will create an interest for the New Testament as well!

Fact of the matter is, I first studied the Bible back in 1998 (wow, that's actually 10 whole years ago - hard to believe!!!!), and then I was more interested in the New Testament. I continued with History Studies, I moved to a new city and had hardly began my studies before I ended up on sick-leave - but just before temporarily ending my studies, I had taken a Bible course, and actually found the Old Testament more interesting than the New Testament!
And that stuck!
Even after sick leave I have had a great fascination of the Old Testament, of the God described there, how many faces he shows ...
But I still hope to gain an interest for the New Testament as well - and what better way than to study New Testament Greek??!! :)

Also, I will have to write an esay (7,5 ECTS-points - that equals 5 weeks studies) in the Old Testament, to catch up on my credits, where I early on fell behind. The only problem is: I have NO IDEA what I want to write my essay about!!! I have a genuine interest in the Old Testament, but I'm interested in everything!! I don't have a particular area I want to focus on, which makes choosing a subject for an essay very difficult! I will definately have to spend some time trying to figure out that, before the semester officially starts!

Well, this was a general briefing of what the future holds for me, so you know what I'll be doing this upcoming semester! ;)

Take care! ;)

Mini-Vacations!

While most of my time this summer has been spent in the summerhouse, I have made some little outings (mostly day-trips) which will constitute as 'mini-vacations', so here's a little summary! :)

Håverud!



In Håverud, which is about a 40-minute drive from the summerhouse, there is a famous aqueduct, and we decided to take the kids there for the day (actually half a day), and I think especially 'M' found it memorable, she kept talking about the boats for quite a while afterwards!
We had a really nice time, the girls got icecream (a big hit with both of them!) and they had this lovely stuffed moose there, for kids to "ride" ... and boy, that was a success!! We do have wild moose near the summerhouse, so at least 'M' knows all about them, and being able to ride on one - even if it was "fake", was a real treat for her! :)







Visiting Annika!



I spent a short weekend visiting Annika, which was really great! We haven't seen each other - other than our weekly Christmas traditions - properly since we went to London in July 2006, so it was wonderful to spend some time together! Unfortunately, circumstances surrounding my visit was horrible, but I still think it was nice to be able to see her.
We went to the movies and saw "Mamma Mia!", a really great movie! I definately have to get the dvd as soon as it's released. We had a nice taco dinner and watched the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables - I hadn't seen it in ages, and it's nice seeing it with somebody else! :)
I had to leave pretty early on Sunday morning as I was borrowing my Dad's car, and they needed it back, but it still felt nice to see Annika more properly!

Fjällbacka!



My Mum and I have a summer tradition, that one day every year, we visit the Swedish West Coast. This year - like last year - we decided to go to Fjällbacka, which is a lovely little visit by the sea, that we both enjoy a lot! And I have to admit, it helps that Fjällbacka is the village where most of the plots in Swedish author Camilla Läckberg's books takes place! *lol*
The day we had planned promised to be the hottest day of the summer - *typcial* - and neither my Mum nor I take kindly to hot weather! We didn't want to give up the trip entirely, we had after all planned it, and also planned to buy back some freshly smoked salmon, fresh shrimp and other lovely foods, so we went anyway!
And it was really hot!!! Mum's car is rather old, so the fan isn't exactly the best, and you can roll down the windows ... and the trip takes about 1½ - 2 hours ... we were pretty exhausted once we got there, and went straight for lunch! After food - and lots of water - we tried walking around the village for a while, but it was really terribly hot, and none of us felt great. After a while, we went to the SeaFood store, I grabbed the car, and after having made some wonderful - yet expensive - purchases, we went home, and spent a lovely evening in the summerhouse!




Skånes Djurpark



When my Dad and his family drove me back home, they decided to make a little vacation of their stay here, and among other thing we spent almost a whole day at "Skånes Djurpark", which is a fairly big zoo, situated about 60 kilometers from where I live. I had never been there, but I head some great things about it - and I really loved it! I think it might have been a bit too many impressions on the girls, but I still think they enjoyed the day a lot - both of them! :)



Two major highlights for me was:

* Seeing a bear up close - we arrived at feeding time, and he was sitting there waiting for his lunch and looking soooo cuddly and nice (though I for sure wouldn't want to meet an angry bear in the woods, they are huge!!)!

* Seeing lynx (have no idea what the plural of it is, but we saw 4 or 5 of them, and 2 adorable cute babies!!)! A neighbour in the summerhouse had actually seen a lynx just outside his door one morning, but they are extremely shy, and I had never seen one before, so that was quite nice!


'M' had a great time, seeing the animals, playing in an Adventure Park (though she needed some assistance from her parents, as most of the activities were for children around 10-12!!), and she also got a pony ride, which I think was a big hit with her! :) Doesn't she look happy?! (sorry about the poor quality of the photo, I tried to hurry a lot, and probably hurried way too much).
'I' is looking very impressed when she sees 'M' ride, though I doubt she'd like to try it herself! :)

Kristinedal!

I would like to tell you a little about the summerhouse, called Kristinedal, since it is a big part of my life during the summer months, and it has been very important to me all my life.

It was actually my grandmother who helped my parents aquire the land, about 7000 square meters of forrest back in the mid-70's, and when they found out I was on the way, they cleared the land and built the house, in 1978, my year-of-birth! :)
Ever since I was a newborn, we've spent summers, weekends and sometimes Christmas there, and I've always loved it! I've gone through bad times there as well, and it was tough knowing how to feel about it when my parents divorced, but it has always had a very special place in my heart, and still does.

Before the divorce my Mum and Dad owned half of it each, and after they split up, my Mum gave her half of it to me, so now my Dad and I own it together. Seeing as how he has got a new family now, I think it's a good thing we both own it. I don't think my Dad and his family would have kicked me out or something, but I still feel good about knowing I do own half of it, and nothing can be done there without my approval and admission.

The land we own originally belonged to a big manor, but after some time, the owners of the manor at the time, decided to split the land. The manor is still there, quite big with lots of land, but there are also three other pieces of land with different owners (ours is one) that used to be part of the manor.
When I was little I got to know the family that owned the manor at the time, they had a girl who was two years older than me, and we used to play togheter a lot!! Unfortunately, they moved when I was 6, and even though the next family also had kids in similar age, we never really got on well.
Lately, the owners of the other houses surrounding ours have changed, the manor still has the same owners, but otherwise there are three Norweigan families around us now ... but then again, we don't socialize much when we're there, so as long as everybody is friendly toward each other, we don't mind much who the neighbours are ...

Unfortunately, the time I get to spend in the summerhouse now, is almost only restricted to the summer, since it's such a long way to travel. From where I live it's about 430 kilometers, and since I don't have a car, and have to think of Zorro, I cannot go up for a weekend or so. I feel a bit bad about that though, because most of the year, I can never ever go there, and during the summer, I'm almost stuck there for 6-8 weeks ... and that gets a bit too much at a time as well ...
Not much I can do about it though, so I guess I'm gonna have to do the best I can, right?! :)




I often think I take millions of pictures of the summerhouse, but when preparing for this entry, I could hardly find any ... Guess I should scan some more soon .... or check back at older digital pictures ... most of the ones I've added to this entry are a number of years old (say at least 10!!) - so most of the trees are a lot bigger now! :)

Sister Update!

This entry will focus on my two little sisters, 'M' - who is 4 years old, and 'I', who is 1½ years old! :)

'M' turned 4 in mid-July and she's a real darling! (this picture is from her 4th birthday) She's very intense, but she and I have a very close relationship despite the fact that we live so far apart. I spent a lot of time with her when she was newborn, and I think that has created a real bond between us.
Sometimes, she's a bit too intense though, and I can't quite keep up with her! :) She can't sit still for more than 5 seconds at a time, then it's "What are we gonna do now?" that is the usual question! :) I think she's pretty developed for four years old, she speaks completely clearly, she counts to at least 30 or 40 without thinking, she knows the alphabet and can write her own name and her sister's name ... and if somebody helps her, she can write pretty much anything - she just needs help with what letters to put in! :)





'I' turned 1½ on 'M's fourth birthday, and that is a lovely age! She's talking quite a lot, though it takes a while to learn "her language"!! :) She calls me "Jecka" (with a very special intonation that is just adorable!!) and Zorro is something like "Jujjooo" (very hard to "translate"!!)! *lol*
I didn't see her much when she was little, and she's far more restricted than 'M' ever was, but I've gotten quite close to 'I' during the summer as well, something I'm very happy about! :) She's in a quite independent state now, when she wants to do everything herself (even things she can't handle), and toward the end of the summer, I was the only one allowed to help her put on her socks or shoes! ;)





I love both my sisters dearly, but at times I find it difficult when we're all living together. It's a matter of always putting the children first, and they are both quite demanding in their own way. 'I' is demanding in that you have to watch her eating and sleeping habits pretty closely or else her mood turns quite ugly - and 'M' is demanding attention and that you play with her constantly ... and I'm not used to that! I have made an effort at trying to really appreciate the time I've gotten with the children, since I don't see them very often, and most of the times I think I've succeeded. But there has also been times, when I've had a hard time dealing with them both, and when I've longed for peace and quiet. Hopefully that doesn't make me a lousy big sister ...

It's interesting to see how you look at them though! 'M' has gotten soooo big since 'I' was born, and at times, I'm worried everyone expects too much of her - both me and her Mum and Dad. After all, she's only 4 years old, she's a kid, and at times kids behave badly, or aren't very sensible ... but that's a kid's right ....
And on the other hand, 'I' is constantly the "baby" ... well, almost, anyway! I know we treated 'M' quite differently when she was 1½, we expected far more of 'M', and treated her as she knew and understood things, and now we're surprised that 'I' in fact does understand what we mean ... very strange how impressions like that changes!!

I have a strong feeling you will see lots more pictures of the girls in future entries, as I have loads of photos from this summer! :)