everyday life

groundhog day

February 2nd is Goundhog Day. According to folklore;

• if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early;
• if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

Here we had a bright, sunny day, som I guess we have winter for another 6 weeks. ;-)

Since I have a cold, I took a short walk outside in the sun, but after I bundled up in the sofa and watched Groundhog Day. As you should a day like this!

my st paddy's day

After a hard working week it's always nice to have a slow weekend with sleep-ins. So yesterday I woke up at 6. Not exactly what I wanted. And I couldn't go back to sleep, so I had breakfast, watched a couple of episodes of Mad Men, and around 10 o'clock stepped out for a walk. No sunshine but also no rain or snowfall, I walked around the small lake.

After the walk I ended up at the usual place for a cup of coffee and a waffle. And I also had my knitting with me. So this became my 2nd breakfast (or perhaps early lunch?).

Back home I managed to to some house work, knit and watch some ski races on TV. And late afternoon/early evening a movie date with a friend. We saw Hugo, Martin Scorsese's latest. Nothing like Scorsese's other films, but a really sweet story about a young, orphan kid who meets Georges Méliès. I liked it a lot.

almost done

Slow Saturday with my knitting, watching the latest episode of Homeland. Outside it's snowing, inside it's cosy. On the needles a scarf, fake rib, in maroon, estonian wool.

Saw Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy yesterday. A very stylish film made by Tomas Alfredson, who made the Swedish version of  Let the Right One in. I liked Tinker, great actors and I think Gary Oldman will be nominated for an Oscar for this role. And I hope Alfredson gets a nod too.

red & hot shawl

This weekend I have been knitting infront of the TVset watching 6 Harry Potter movies, getting ready for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1. And in the prosess finished the Red & Hot Shawl. And it turned out really well, if I can say it myself. This one is off to someone else though..

 

Red & Hot Shawl
Yarn: Ullcentrum
Colours : redish
Needles: 5,5 mm circ bamboo
Pattern: -
Design: -
Started: Octorber 21, 2010
Finished: November 14, 2010
Yarnsource: Ullcentrum, Gamla stan

first time, this year

I just had my first outing on the balcony for this year. I enjoyed a cup of coffee, sitting in my chair on the balcony for about 20 minutes. It was so lovely! And it gives hope about  the spring!

When I woke up this morning, around 8.30, it was -14 C / 7 F outside, but a clear blue sky and lots of sun. The winter has been long and beautiful, but I feel it's time to change season now! We have still a lot of snow here, and it has been snowing this week too.

I couldn't find my sunglasses so I have the sun in my eyes.

After this blog post is written I will go out for a walk, pick up my movie tickets for tonight - Alice In Wonderland - and walk around my neighborhood and soak up the spring.

Have a great Saturday!

new trailers

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince did not make it to the theatre's Nov 21 as it was said at first. We have to wait to July to see it, but they released a new trailer..

 

 

trailer

Oh, why can't it be November?

control

I recently saw the film Control, about the Joy Division singer Ian Curtis (1956–1980), directed by Anton Corbijn. The film is based on the book, written by Ian Curtis wife/widow, Deborah Curtis, Touching from a Distance. The film was beautiful filmed, and it was very much an Anton Corbijn film.

Shot in black/white with great scenes. The film is about Ian and Joy Division but also about his love to his wife - and to his mistress.. Needles to say, it's not a happy movie, but an amazing soundtrack, and really good performace of the actors, Sam Reilly as Ian and Samantha Morton as Debbie.

I was perhaps a bit to young when Joy Division was at their height (and I was to deep in to ABBA at the time). But as you grew older you change your music taste and I have listen to some of Joy Divison songs. As you might know, after Curtis suicide, Joy Division became New Order, and New Order was something I listen too during the mid 80s.

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

New Order - Blue Monday

Have a great Saturday night

mamma mia

I had a lovely evening at the movies yesterday with a friend. We saw Mamma Mia! The Movie, the musical turned in to a movie. The film was actually really good. It was really reallly funny, sometimes a bit corny, but I love corny... Sometimes I wish life would be like a musical, start a song when you want to tell something.

And Meryl Streep was actually really a good singer and she was very funny as well. And it was nice to see an American actress look (close, anyway) like her own age. Some scene's in the movie are hilarious, like Chrsitine Baranski's take on "Does Your Mother Know?" Or when cast, in the end sings "Waterloo", in full 70s outfit. Oh. My. And Julie Waters has some really funny scene's with Stellan Skarsgård. And my personal favorite, Colin Firth, is always a joy to watch. And he sings, with Pierce Brosnan, "Our Last Summer" very good.

It's a great movie celebrating the middle age woman! And how often do we see that?

And even though I have been an ABBA fan since 1973 (Ring Ring) I hadn't seen the musical, so it was really nice to see the movie. Not a "deep" movie, just pure entertainment.

knitting & football

Another night with some knitting and football. Tonight we have France vs Italy. My hopes goes out to Italy! Both teams are in big trouble, they need to win AND Romania needs to loose against Holland, to qualify to the quarter finals.. Tomorrow night my boys need to win or get a draw to get to the next round. Sweden plays against Russia tomorrow 8.45 pm CET. And at the same time I'm hoping to find a TV, because we have our annual summer party at work tomorrow...

The waving lace socks - my knitting tonight

To avoid the rain when I walked home I visited the big fancy department store NK. And there on display, you can get a close up on the Vivianne Westwood wedding dress, from the movie Sex and the City, the Carrie Bradshaw wedding dress. And of course I snaped some photos of it.

The Carrie Bradshaw wedding dress