A bit closer to christmas

We just celebrated Advent yesterday and lit the first candle. And the we hung up the lights in our flagpole. One step closer to christmas.

But then you can start dream about the spring. So here I bring you some flowers I usually pick just after the snow has left the roadside. 

Here is one vase with tussilago, coltsfoot. 

And as usual it is a piece of art from my mother Gunvor. Made in ceramics.

More religious art from Gunvor

This close to christmas I feel like showing you som more things from my mother Gunvor's collection - some of her artworks - here you have of Jesus Christ in different forms.

This one is my favorite - made of wood and then partially painted - a crucifix; Jesus on the cross.

Here is a close up on the face.

This a face of Jesus carved from a solid piece of wood.

Her you have more of my mom's art:

http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-religious-art-from-gunvor.html

Bears and weddings in St Petersburg

Living close to Russia, I am as you swedish, I always thought about how it would feel to go there. When I grew up and Russia still was The Soviet Union I would not have gone for a holiday there for all the money in the world. But I know it is a really beautiful country. And interesting.

So one day I decided to go there on a cruise, to St Petersburg. But that is a completely different story. So I had 4 hours to spend on a guided tour. Not much, but it was enough that day, a really cold summer day. I I forgot to bring warm clothes, stupid me.

As yoy see the city is surrounded of water, it is a bit like Stockholm in that way. But then you can find these mobile shops with the usual shopping-trash, not for me.

But the view is really amazing, St Petersburg is one beautiful city - at least in the city centre. 

Of course you have to see a real russian bear, so putside on of the citys many beautifully restored palaces I found this woman that wanted mony for having a photo taken with you and the bear.

But since I don't like wild animals taken from there natural habitat in ways like these, that was not for me. Anyway, I took one photo of her and the little bear without paying, with a part of the magificent palace behind, The Winter Palace.

Once upon a time this magnificent building, The winter Palace, was the home to the russian tsar family, from 1732 to 1917. But the revolution changed it all.

Today part of the building is the home of one of the most important art museums in the world, The Herimitage Museum.

This is what I expected Russia to be, over the top churches with golden onion domes. This one is called Church of the Savior on Blood.

Construction started at 1883 under the tsar Alexander III but have been changed since.

It is also a very popular place to get married in.

All over the city you saw the, the newely wedded couples taking pictures for the memory books. One that really caught my attention was this couple. 

Summer and winter

All seasons have their benefits, but as you may know by now I am not a big fan of winter. But I can't deny that it could be really beautiful with snow.

Here you have a photo from last winter. It's still raining and rather warm outside, more autumn than winter. Thank's for that!

And here you have the same place in summer, with different shades of green everywhere.
I know what I prefer, but both seasons has it's charm.

On top of the pyramid

A long time ago, in the late 70's, I was a teenager and started to see the world, so one day I took a trip to Cairo, Egypt with a girlfriend.
Remember that I stayed in a hotel with bugs that "ate" my legs. It was once a vey elegant hotel, you know the type of place that could have been in an Agatha Christie novel. But when I was there with a friend it had seen it's best days.

And in Cairo we went to see the pyramids in Giza and Saqqara. And when we went to the three famous one's in Gize, my 3 friends wanted to mount the pyramid. Crazy idea I know, but I just did not want to say at the bottom of the big tomb, all alone for more than 3 hours that it took to climb up and down. Remember this was in the 70's, tourists where not common at all in the streets in Cairo, or even at the pyramids.
So we hires a guide, it was REALLY expensive, but neccesary, to climb up. It toook 1 h up and even more to go down, and I suffer from vertigo.

Here you can se us, on top of the pyramid. The view was fantastic!

Some religious art from Gunvor

You seem to like the stuff my mother has made thru the years, she was a really amazing artist. Here is som more of her stuff, some religious work.

Here you have a statue of Bridget of Sweden, heliga Birgitta as we call her here. She was a saint and founder of the Bridgettines nuns and monks.

My mother made som nativity scenes too, here is one that I love very much, the women on the scene.

And here is a nun, made of ceramics. My mother's work is now in some churches and other public places here in the country side, utside Uppsala. 

And here is even more lovely ladies, sitting on a bench chatting.

Outside the grotto...

Here you have an older post of my mum's work:

http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-more.html

Phuket

Phuket is a really big tourist destination, no question about that. Even if you really can fan beaches where you are almost alone even in Phuket. It is not really the place for one that wants a really unspoiled island.

But it is a really a very nice place to spend your holidays if you just want fantastic weather, nice beaches, friendly people and excellent food and amazing hotels that even a budget traveler can afford – this is the place for you.

I have been there four times now, and I really looking to go back again, as soon as possible. For us Swedes it has become a like a second home these days. Whole families, even with toddlers, comes here, year after year.

It it also a big island, and you can go here with a lot of money to spend, or like a budget traveller.

One very nice thing is shopping, you can shop on the street, like on the photo or go to the shopping town of Patong. There you can find it all, they have an amazing shoppingmall now days, JUNGCEYLON.

But there is acutally so much more to see an Phuket, here is inside Wat Chalong, and it is the most important Buddhist temple on the island.

And here is a photo from outside. Thais come here to be blessed by the monks. But you can also find out your lucky number or get your fortune told.

Two more...

Here you have too more of my mother Gunvors work. I love to show you all her art works, in all shapes and sizes.

And here you have one staty of a woman I now have inside, before it was outside in the garden.

This is a piece that should be on a wall, it is a collection of things from nature.

Love you mum!

Here you can se older post's - about my mom's work:

http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-of-my-mothers-art.html

The old oak tree and roses

Now when the winter is coming any day now, it's cold but not snowy yet, I start to think about all the nice tings of summer.

Like this beautiful old oak tree. I take my walks here and watch it all the seasons. But I prefer it in the summer. It is more than 100 years old they told me. You can just imagine all the things that had happened all this years. It probably will stand there after I am dead too.

An here we have my lovely roses, they make my summer, every year. Oh I miss the summer!

More of my mothers art

As you could se before I did put up some of my mother Gunvor's art work here on my blog. As I also promisied, here is some more of her stuff.

This "Aquarium" above is made of wool - yarn - and home made ceramic details.

I am sorry for the flash light in the middle, but it is a watercolour of a landscape here in the country.

This is a typical piece of art from my mother, she loved to do things in ceramics that looked like they where from things in the nature around us. Like this huge seed pod.
Love you mum!

Here the earlier photos of some other work my mum did:
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-mother-gunvors-art-work.html

My mosaic table

Last summer I wanted to make a table to put outdoor in my garden. So I opted for a mosaic table made from old tiles that I cut in pieces.

But first I draw the patterns I wanted - a turquoise sea, a sun and a blue sky - on the table.
Then piece by piece I put them there and glued them on the table with cement.

Now it was time for the finishing touch, and after that I was ready to put it all out in the sun in my garden. Or at least I thought so.

And it turned out well, at first. At least it looked good. Then I placed a sink in the table, so I could be able to wash hands outside.
But then it started to rain, not uncommon here in Sweden. And then it all fell apart, and had to throw it all away....
But it was beautiful as long it lasted.
If you want to see what I got instead - look for the blog post here on My blog from Ostuna that's about home made pizzas.
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-pizza-al-forno-legna.html

And here in another mosaic table - from Thailand:
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.se/2012/09/mosaic-table-and-chair.html

My mother Gunvor's art work

I just came to think of her again, as I often do, my late mother Gunvor who died more than a year ago. But even if she is not here on earth no more - her art works still are. She was amazing at working with ceramics, and water colour and all the rest.
Here is some of her works, for you to see.

This is a torso of ceramics, even if it looks like wood. 

And here is a scuplture in rusty iron, called "What are we doin'g with the earth!"

This is a work of art that I love som much, is made from stuff my mother found in the ashes of my house that burned down. She made it from fabrics she found in the snow, and it shows my home in flames. I is so beautiful, even if it was an horrific experience.

And here is an oil painting of the back yard of her home, a sunny day in Sweden.

And here she is my lovely mother Gunvor. Miss you!

Another day I will put even more of her works, love them all.

A nice slice of Turkey

Here is some photos from a trip I made some years ago, to Side in Turkey. This i pic from the beach, the hotel I stayed in had it's own sandy beach with full service.

Here is the beach restaurant at my hotel, good food every day without leaving the beach. Or the pool area. The hotel was very nice, Sentidio Perissia Hotel in Side.

I loved the grilled meat or fish, made in front of your eyes , á la minute. And since I went all inclusive I never had to pay for anything. Very nice.

And here is Side amphitheatre. A must to see when in Side. 

The roman amphitheatre in Side centrum is now a museum.

And here you have the remains of The Temple of Apollo.

One man outside the mosque of Side, beautiful tiles - not only there but everywhere in the older houses of the city. Today most of the houses in the city is now made to fit the tourists, but they are still beautiful.

In almost every shop you can find spices, sweets and the traditional mint tea and apple tea.

And of course I stayed here, at the poolside wich was enormous and very well kept. It still was a little cold in the sea - I was there in april - but the pools was really nice.

Updated Snow Angels

Just want to say I updated my story on Wattpad with some new chapters.
http://www.wattpad.com/2542179-snow-angels-part-7

Here is the first chapter of Snow Angels:

It is always difficult to wake up after a long night partying. But this morning it was extra hard, my head was pounding and I felt like vomiting.

I didn’t really remember where I ended up yesterday. When my eyes finally got accustomed to the bright light outside I realized that I had been sleeping in a big room with a modern touch, stylish furniture and eggshell colored walls, like in a fancy magazine. You know the type that you could find in Modern Architecture.

But the thing that got me going was the fact that I was not alone in the bed. Beside me was a snoring man in his forties, half naked and with a big tattoo on his right shoulder. An ugly eagle.

Then I looked down on my own body, I was still dressed, thank God, in my light yellow silk dress that now more looked like a worn nightgown, all wrinkly and stained.

Oh dear, I wonder what these stains came from?

I tried really hard but could not remember anything about him or the night that passed. How did I end up here? Who was this guy?

I was now sitting up and the hammer in my head started to pound in my forehead, so strong that my eyes became watery. Was I crying?

My last memory from yesterday was at a party at a friend of Janice. It was really close to her home in Manhattan so we had walked there. It was a really nice summer night and I remember that we talked about what we would do this holiday.

I realized that I have to go to the bathroom. So I slowly put down my feet on the creamy, fluffy carpet, my legs looked almost as pale. Then I realized that I had some strange marks at my ankles. I tried to look down on my feet but my aching head stopped me.

Toilet first.

I had absolutely no idea where the bathroom where, I had never been here before.

I started to feel a little nervous, unease. But I had to pee. That was more important in that moment.

I opened the first door I found. Luckily it was a big toilet, with pink marbled walls and floors.

So I then entered and did what I had to do. But sitting there I looked out of the window. And then I felt like I freeze, a chilling sensation begun to creep up my spine.

What I saw outside was a big lake or something, mountains and some forest in the background. And all was covered with a lot of snow!


READ THE REST - AT WATTPAD.
http://www.wattpad.com/1753548-snow-angels

Swedish ruins...

There is something special about houses there falling apart, abandoned and on their way to become a ruin. A house no more.

Here you can see some photos of some stalls and farmhouses close to my home, it was a really snowy and cold day, last january. 

But it is really beautiful in some ways anyhow.

Then I can show you all another picture from my garden, also last winter, all my apple trees full of snow, and the bushes too. 

In the summer they bring me lovely berries, red and black currants that I use for jam and pies and other good stuff.