nini

I’m still here

skäcklingevägen

Winterskies Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

In case you wondered… I’m still here.

I’ve been busy with all kinds of things so this blog had to have some rest.

Wallpainting

wallpainting

Walls being painted. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

There was no enjoying autumn really as the outside of the walls of the house were being painted and got in the way of being outside.

Winter?

Garden in November. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Winter comes and goes. No snow except for a few days here and there. Exceptionally warm outdoors.

Garden in December, 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
In the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Thermostats on the radiators

Then my housing-coop changed thermostats on all the radiators in the entire housing-coop. I have five (5) radiators including the one in the bathroom.

That meant a lot of visits by the guys who did the job coming back several time. Every time we had to move all the furniture and plants in front of the radiators so there would be at least one meter of space in front and around them. They still have to come back for one of my radiators in the kitchen which was broken when they were here but fixed now.

Waterleak

Waterleak. The damage of the floor. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Mid-November I had a waterleak from one of my radiators in the kitchen. A severe one with lots of water coming out from it. It destroyed my floor. Have had visit from the firm that measures how wet it is and decides which measures have to be taken to repair it and the next step is that it will get broken open, dried and then rebuilt.

My floor after the waterleak. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The week befor Xmas the firm that will remove the floor called and wanted to do that the next day… Who wants their kitchen-floor removed one week before Xmas? Not me. So I said, call back about it after the holidays. Managed to get hold of them today and we booked Tuesday the coming week for the removal of the floor and installation of the fan that will dry it.

Gustav

Gustav. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Gustav visits regularly.

Knitting

Socks from left-over yarns. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

And I keep on knitting. Sweaters and mittens and socks. All of them can be seen in my Swedish blog.

Projects

Also dug into my project-basket with things I need sewing. Sewing means I need my kitchen-table. And I won’t have a kitchen-table during the time when the kitchen-floor is drying. Finished a couple of things in that project-basket. Only remains a few pillow-cases in that basket now, but they will have to wait until I have a kitchen-table again.

Apron. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

Sew an apron from an oil-cloth cloth.

Oven-gloves. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

Sew a new pair of oven-gloves from old jeans and an old kitchen-towel.

Night-gown. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

Sew a night-gown of the cloth I bought for it two years ago… Just hadn’t got around to making it until now.

Bedspread in the making. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2020

Finished the machine-seams of the bed-spread I started working on a couple of years ago. Now only remains to make the hand-sewn seems for decoration on it. It is made of two old velvet curtains and the backside is a regular white sheet.

This weekend I will empty the kitchen. That is the table, the chairs, the pallets, a bookcase and some plants. And I will also have to move my work-space from just outside the kitchen into the livingroom as I know I will not be able to sit here when the fan is doing its job in the kitchen. It will be too noisy.

So I’ve been busy with other things than writing in this blog. It is not dead yet though…

Posted by nini in floorrenovation, Gustav, kitchen, projects, Various, 0 comments

Moving indoors, autumn is here

kitchenwindow

The jungle in the kitchenwindow. Photo:©nini.tjader.2019

It is autumn. Plants have moved indoors from the patio. It is getting colder and we have had some frost nights.

Jungle in the kitchen

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The kitchen jungle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a jungle in the kitchen. The figtrees and the pelargonias är in since mid September when the weather started to turn to colder, especially the nights got colder.

Plants in the bedroom

bedroomplants

Plants in the bedroom. Photo:©nini.tjader.2019

In the bedroom I placed the Caliente pelargonia, one Mårbacka pelargonia and the tall Attar of Roses fragrance pelargonia. I hope they will survive the winter there. As always when they get moved indoors lots of leaves are getting yellow and have to be removed. They still bloom though and I will allow them to do so as long as they want. Some people cut down pelargonias when moving them indoors in the autumn. I don’t unless I have to. I rather cut them down in the spring when they need it. The tall Attar of Roses so far is the one not getting yellow leaves. Yet. And it grows and blooms. I will have to cut it down later as it has reached the ceiling.

Jungle in the livingroom

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Plants in the window in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a bit crowded with plants in the livingwoom-window.… Pelargonias and the largest figtree.

Tomatoplant in the livingroom

Since I shot the above picture, I’ve also moved the large tomato-plant indoors, just inside the door to the outside place (kind of tomato is Tiny Tim) as it is full of flowers and tiny tomatoes. 

tomater

Indoor tomatoes. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I pluck the tomatoes when they get of size and ripe them on a plate in the kitchen.

tomatoes

Tomatoes ripening indoors. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

No special tricks to get them to ripe. They just lay there on a plate in the warmth of the kitchen and slowly ripe by themselves. Som do all kinds of mumbo-jumbo to get them to ripe. No need for that. Just leave them alone and they will ripe by themselves.

livingroomplants

Plants in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

On the other side of the door to the outside place there are two Mårbacka pelargonias and one Aloe Vera that previously lived in the bedroom.

The patio and the garden

Empty patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The patio is now empty. Not just because I moved all the plants indoors. Well, not all the plants moved indoors. Some, less worth to try to spare over the winter went into the dumpster. But there was another reason too why the entire outside place got emptied. The wooden parts of the house were to get painted.

Painting of the walls. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

So furniture was moved out on the grass to make room for the painters and the scaffoldings.

Walls getting painted. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

So life in garden and outdoors was finished earlier than usual.

Walls getting painted. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The painting is almost finished now. They are supposed to be done by the coming Tuesday. Then I can go out and move the furniture back to the patio, and check damage on plants in the garden. I’ve done a quick check and it isn’t as bad as it could have been. But some damage there is.

Most of the scaffolding was already gone yesterday. Last time the walls were painted was only five years ago. It needed to be done now to protect the wooden parts. I hope it lasts longer than 5 years this time…

Posted by nini in autumn, bedroom, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, livingroom, outside place, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

My turkish kelim carpet

turkishkelim, kelim

The top part of my Turkish kelim carpet. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The other day somebody spotted my Turkish kelim carpet in the background of one of my Instagram posts.

Turkish kelim

It is an interesting carpet. I bought in Turkey in 2003 after some discussions about the price. It is 305 cms long and 77 cms wide, but rather thin. I managed to squeeze it into my suitcase for the transportation home. It has lots of pictures of animals and flowers on it and some of the patterns are probably symbolic for one thing or another. Not that I know… I also do not know its age.

Pictures of the carpet

Shot some pictures of it from top to bottom (the way you look at it and follow the pattern) the other day. The bottom part of it near to the door to the patio is a bit sun-faded, but the rest is OK. I’ve had it cleaned (by professionals) twice. I love its colors.

I love this carpet and I too enjoy looking at its patterns. It lives in my livingroom and I pass it every day several times when I pass from the livingroom into or out of the bedroom.

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The second part of the carpet. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Every part of the carpet has a different picture in the middle of it. Five in all.

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The third part of the carpet. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

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The 4th part of the carpet. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

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The 5th part of the carpet. Photo: ©nini,tjader.2019

The 5th part of the carpet is the one faded by the sun. It is not TOO bad though. The bottom righthand corner always rolls up from the floor and I have not been able to fix that. I bought it like that. Presently I stick that corner under the round floor-pillow.

turkishkelim, kelim, carpet

A glimpse of the underside of the carpet. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Under the carpet I have this grey security carpet so you won’t fly away with the carpet if you come in a hurry. It prevents it from sliding.

The backside/underside of the carpet is interesting as well and very well made. Handmade, yes.

Posted by nini in carpets, handicraft, Interior Design, livingroom, 0 comments

On my windowsills

kitchenwindow

The western kitchenwindow 2019-+8-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In my opinion, windowsills are for plants and flowers. Makes the rooms nice to be in.

At this time of the year, the content on the windowsills is in transition between summer and autumn and there are far less plants there than in the cold season as some of them live outdoors during the warm season.

kitchenwindows

Kitchenwindows 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the kitchen

My kitchen has two dinws. One to the south, one to the west. In the kitchen I use plants instead of curtains. One of the plants is my huge philodendron that follow the curtainrod over both the windows. It starts in its pot on the floor though. I’ve had that one for many years by now and it started its life in my previous flat.

kitchenwindow

The southern kitchenwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the southern kitchenwindow I presently have two hanging plants and smaller ones on the sill. There are one small cactus (that grows really slow), three Saint Paulia grewn from leaves, and one Thai Basil to the right which you cannot see in this picture.

kitchnewindow

The western kitchenwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In between the two dinwos I presently have a kind of cactus on a high stand, then cuttings from fig trees and Saint Paulia and a regular basil. Two hanging pots with tradescandia (two different kinds). And a potus hainging up there as well.

kitchenwindow

Hanging plant in the kitchenwindow. 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

kitchenwindows

In the corner between the two windows in the kitchen, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the livingroom

In the livingroom I have one west-facing window beside the door to the patio.

livingroomwindow

Livingroomwindow, 2019-08-17.Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I recently re-organized the plants in the livingroom-window and moved one of the hanging plants from the kitchen to here. There was more room in the window here than in the kitchen. I also led the Monkey Face monstera upwards when I gave it a larger pot and new soil as it was becoming very long.

I have a bench in front of the window to be able to have more plants there. The lamp on the bench is from Ikea, but the bulb in it from ICA Maxi (grocery store).

livingroomwindow

Ficus. 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The above ficus is from cuttings from my neighbour. It is fast getting big now so it too got new soil and a new pot.

livingroomwindow

Monkey Face monstera in the livingroom window, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

On the floor in the corner of the livingroomwindow I have a hug tradescantia. Had to get a new plantstand for it from Ikea. It still reaches the floor from the stand…

tradescantia

Tradescantia in the livingroom, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the bedroom

I have one small window in the bedroom.

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Bedroomwindow 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The bedroomwindow is pretty empty presently On the sill, behind the curtains, are my cactus plants. The I have a chests of drawers in front of the window that I also use for plants, but mainly wintertime. At the moment there are only two aloe vera here. Wintertime some of my pelargonias live here.

cactus

Cactus and haworthia in the bedroomwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In just a month or so I will have to solve the problem of where to put my figtrees and pelargonias that have to come in from the patio. Which to keep and which not and where to place them. Meanwhile they are just fine outdoors.

Posted by nini in bedroom, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, livingroom, Plants, 0 comments

In the garden just now

garden

The Garden 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the garden just now or recently you can see that it is much greener this year than last. We have had (so far) a quite normal Swedish summer. Days with rain and wind and almost chilly, hot days with lots of sun and warmth have passed. Personally I prefer the hot and sunny days, but I also appreciate the rain when it comes as that means that I don’t have to water the garden those days… It has been drier than normal though so we are forbidden to light up grills except in specially designated places.

garden

Part of the garden 2019. Photo ©nini.tjader.2019

The grass is almost green this year and so is everything else.

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By the birdbath. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The garden is a bit “wild” and unorganized at places. But that is how I like it.

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One of the flowerbeds. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The tagetes planted here to keep the lice away from the rose has become much bigger than I thought it would be. The rose, presently without flowers, is without lice, but just now also without flowers. But new buds are coming so there will be flowers again. In the righthand corner is a large ruccola which I have no idea where it came from… The astilbe here just started blooming. 

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One of the flowerbeds. Photo:©nini.tjader.2019

In the picture above you can see the rose.

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The hostas and echinacea in the flowerbed along my patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
echinacea purpurea magnus
Echinacea Purpurea Magnus 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The Echinacea Purpurea Magnus are larger than ever this year. And the grew fast. The bumblebees and the butterflies love them.

garden, flowerbeds
At the entrance to the patio and to the left to the backgarden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The wild wine on the bow that is the entrance to the backgarden is growing fine this year and looking good. The hollyhocks at the front flowerbed are tall as usual. Almost finished blooming now.

hollyhock, stockros, garden, flowerbeds
The dark red hollyhock. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I have several different colors of the hollyhocks. Prevailing are the dark red ones. But there is also one yellow, one pink, one green and pink… You never know from year to year which colors they will get. When finished blooming (after several visits of the large bumblebees) I let the seeds dry on the plant. Then harvest and put them in the ground for next year. Next yer they will have leaves but no flowers. Only the year after that they will bloom.

garden, blackberries, björnbär
Blackberries 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the flowerbed by the entrance I have a blackberry-bush. Last year and the year before it got about 2 berries… This year is looking much more promising… Not ready yet but I hope I will get enough for at least one year of blackberry-jam…

garden, blueberries, blåbär
American blueberries. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

My two bushes of American Blueberries in the backgarden also delivers this year. Sweet and large blueberries. I do nothing with them but eat them directly from the bush when they are ripe.

flowerbed, garden
The flowerbed along the outside of my patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The flowerbed along the outside of my patio is all filled up this time of the year. Hard to believe in the spring when you see nothing but some crocus here and the rest looks empty. The white astilbe above has bloomed out already and the echinacea is coming up behind them. The red pelargonias in the boxes along the rail are doing their thing by adding color in the garden.

blackcurrants
Black currants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The black currants delivered fine this year as well. All picked now and in the freezer.

blackcurrants, svartavinbär
Black currants 2019. Photo: ©nini.thjader.2019

Eventually they will become jam and/or a cake or so. I still have black and red currants from last year in the freezer which I will soon do something with.

And I have finally got myself a battery-charged grass-scissor for cutting the edges along the the flowerbeds. I it is a joy to use and SO much faster than a manual scissor. Love it.

grässax, grasscissor
Grass-scissor. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
wine, garden
Wine 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The wine is also coming along fine this year. Long before it is ready yet, but looking promising. They do not get big, but the grapes get very sweet.

And it is already August… I wish summer would last for ever.

garden
The garden 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in flowerbeds, Flowers, Garden, Garden and Nature, greenery, summer, 0 comments

Daylilies, summer 2019

Daylilies 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I love daylilies and have three kinds of them in the garden. They originally came from a flowerbed in the housing community that were re-made and we had the free take of whatever grew there before the remake. So I got these three kinds of daylilies. They are well established where they grow now in my garden. When it rains they get a “waterfall” from the roof right down on them. Which they actually love. Apart from water I feed them nothing else. Sometimes in the spring might add some fresh soil on them. In the winter they totally disappear and start new again when spring arrives.  Each flower blooms only one day. But, as there are several buds on one stem, they have a long blooming-time. When wilted, I cut off the wilted flowers. When the leaves get yellow, I take off those too.

Here some pictures of this years daylilies which started blooming jus a little over a week ago.

Daylilies 2019-04-22. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylilies 2019-06-27. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Dayliles 2019-07-07. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylilies 2019-07-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylily 2019-07-21. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylily 2019-07-21. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylily. The dark-red one. 2019-07-24. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylily. The red-yellow one. 2019-07-24. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylily, the peach colored one. 2019-07-24. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylilies. The peach-colored ones. 2019-07-26. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylilies. The dark red ones. 2019-07-26. Phopto: ©nini.tjader.2019
Daylilies. All of them. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in flowerbeds, Flowers, Garden, 0 comments

Summer at the Big Dam

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

 

Yesterday neighbor and I took a walk in the woods by the Big Dam (in Tumba, Sweden). We do that now and again at different times of the year. There and back is about 8 kms.

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a magical place. I shoot almost the same pictures of it every time we are there. Yesterday was no exception. Water was still, no wind and the sun was shining.

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The water was TOO still. Brown stillstanding. Smelled rotten. The flow down to the creek was blocked by treestumps and dead branches.

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba, Sweden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Still, it is a beautiful spot. As there was no wind, the clouds got mirrored in the water.

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba, Sweden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The trees in the middle of the summer are as green as they can be. There is fish in the dam.

bigdam, tumba

Summer at the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The dam seem endless when you stand at this point. It is supposed to flow down into the creek and further on to the Small Dam further down. There is a place there with logs to sit on to contemplate the view. I wouldn’t recommend swimming in this brown still-standing water though…

flower, bumblebee
Flower by the Big Dam with bumble bee. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

By the dam there was a group of these flowers. Have no idea what it is but the bumble bees seemed to love them.

On out way back home we always pass this old treestump by the path. I take a picture of it every time to see the change of it. It is the remains of a large tree that fell over the path during a storm some years ago.

treestump
Treestump by the path we follow from the dams. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in Big Dam, Nature, summer, 0 comments

I love poppies

poppy, vallmo

Poppy in my garden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I love poppies. All kinds. These flowers are so beautiful. Some reappear every year, others just appear from nowhere. And they spread of themselves by seeds. You never know from year to year which ones you will get. Or where. But they are alway beautiful. And always welcome.

poppy, vallmo

Pink poppy, Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Here are some pictures. All photos by Nini Tjäder and ©nini.tjader.2019

Posted by nini in Thoughts, 0 comments

Summertime

birdbath

Birdbath. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Summertime

Summer arrived by the middle of May and went away again and then came back. Far from as hot as last year but almost as dry.

bluebells, rose

Bluebells and roses. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Summer is my preferred season. I love sun, light, the light evenings, and the warmer temperature.

clematis

Clematis Rouge Cardinal. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

By now the entire garden has come to life. But the grass is more brown than green because of the long periods of draft we have had. Rain once a week isn’t enough to keep the grass green. I water the flowerbeds and bushes, but not the grass.

climbinghortensia

Climbing Hortensia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The climbing hortensia is blooming this year again, much to the joy of the bumble bees.

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Elderbush with tagetes. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The elder bushes have bloomed. Not as much as I would have wanted but at least they bloom. They had a lot of lice as usual. A tip on FaceBook made me test an unusual way to keep the lice away from the elder bushes. To plant tagets under and around them! The first ones I planted froze just shortly after I had planted them. A sudden coldspell took them. So I grew from seed a batch of them and when ready (and frost nights no longer to be feared) planted them at first under the elder bushes. Then also in one of the flowerbeds around the rose therer.

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Flowerbed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

A border of red petunias are planted at the edge of this flowerbed. The tagetes behind them and also around the rose.

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The rose “Summerwind”. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The rose “Summerwind” just started to open its flowers. We planted it last year, late summer.

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Entrance to outside place from garden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

At the entrance to my patio from the garden the hollyhocks are getting bigger and bigger and whatever else grows there is hardly visible… They are also several more than last year. Not blooming yet, but soon. The wild wine and the honeysuckles cover the rose-bows that lead into the backgarden.

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The backgarden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The backgarden

The backgarden is starting to look like an unkempt jungle. But, as it is not outside my windows, not my responsibility to take care of.

The backgarden is starting to look like an unkempt jungle. But, as it is not outside my windows, not my responsibility to take care of.

Mint and peppermint. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

What I do have in the backgarden is a bed of mint and peppermint that gets bigger for each year. It is unusually good this year. No hungry insects have eaten it yet and it hasn’t bloomed yet either.

marigolds
Marigolds. PHoto: ©nini.tjader.2019

I also have a bed of marigolds grown from seeds from last year in the spot where the old planting-box used to be. Presently surrounded by net so the cats won’t use it for their toilet…

I love gardening and to be in the garden, no matter if it is work or relaxing.

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Part of the garden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in Garden, greenery, summer, 0 comments

Cherry Blossom Time

cherryblossom

Cherry Blossom Time 2019. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is Cherry Blossom Time presently. Once a year we all (or many of us) go to Kungsträdgården (Kungsan)( in Stockholm to watch and take pictures of the cherry blossoms there when they blossom as best. I’ve been there before for that, but missed it the last couple of years. This year weather was prefect. Sunny. Warm. Everyone was there. So were a lot of Japanese for some reason, and som buddist monks. Here are some pictures from this years bloom.

All this pinkness is overwhelming.

When I was done taking pictures I walk to the other end of Kungsan (Kungsträdgården) to have a short, nostalgic look at the tea-house where I spent lots of hours with friends during several summers when I was young. The tea-house under the elm-trees looks much the same as it did then. It even looks like they still have the same chairs as they did then. Uncomfortable ones…

teahouse, kungsan, kungsträdgården
The tea-house in Kungsan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in Flowers, greenery, spring, stockholm, Thoughts, 0 comments

Getting a new floor in the livingroom

floor, livingroom

Due to the water-damage from leaking radiator-pipes in my livingroom, I am getting a new floor, now that the pipes are fixed and the water-leak stopped. Images about the water-leak and the emptying of the livingroom can be found in my Swedish blog.

floor, livingroom
The floor in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The old floor was removed yesterday. The new floor will be done when the dampness from the water-leak is gone. Will be contacted by the beginning of the week about when they will come and install the drying-devices. Then I will have to live with the dryers for a couple of weeks until floor is totally dry. They will then pour new concrete and isolation and then lay the new floor and put back the livingroom in the condition it was before removing the floor. When that is done my stuff will moved back from upstairs where it is stored in two room the housing-cooperation has there. Then I will have a lot of work with moving the books and all other stuff into their places again…

View of TV from bed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Meanwhile I live in the bedroom and the kitchen and the halls and bathroom. I have to pass the livingroom every time I go to and from the bedroom. The TV and internet router are moved into the bedroom which make the bedroom extremely cramped. I hope the driers won’t be too noisy.

Here are som pictures from the work being done.

Posted by nini in floorrenovation, livingroom, 0 comments

Happy Birthday Gustav 14!

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Gustav 2019-03-15. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Happy Birthday to Gustav, 14 years old today. May he get many more years and continue to be as healthy as can be at his age. A bit more tired, but still alert enough to catch both rats, mice and birds… And begs for smoked ham as a treat. Still as talkative, still a lapcat. Gustav visits me regularly, sometimes almost every day and sleeps in his favourite places in my flat for a couple of hours. Then he goes out and home again.

Here are som recent pictures of Gustav.

Posted by nini in cats, Gustav, 0 comments

The ugly season and pelargonias

garden

The garden, 2019-02-16. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is now officially the ugly season. The period between winter and spring. And the time for the pelargonias to wake up.
Snow is gone  –  hopefully we will not see any more snow this season.
Greenery hasn’t woke up yet. But it will the next couple of days as warmer weather has been promised.
It is still cold outdoors. One day it rains. The next it snows. The next it rains.

icy,
Icy 2019-02-09. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Or sudden frost and really cold nights that makes it next to impossible to walk outdoors on sidewalks and walkways. The green grass is about to wake up, but not really yet…

gustav, cat

Gustav wounded. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Gustav, the neighbour cat, got wounded catching a fat rat. Gustav is fine now and healing fast. He caught the rat that for some time was stealing bird-food and even climbed the metalrod to get to the feeder. I’ve removed msot fo the bird-food since I saw him/her the first time. Bird with a tail in the feeder? No thanks.

rat, deadrat

Dead rat, 2019-02-19. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The rat is dead and went in to the common bin. Good riddance… Gustav killed it and brought into his mom and left it on her office floor… I am grateful that he doesn’t consider me being his mom so he has to bring me such gifts…

pelargonia, mårbacka

Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

With the increasing daylight, the few pelargonias that have survived the winter and the dark are waking up. Above is a cutting that came from the large Mårbacka pelargonia as it broke off from it when I moved it indoors in the autumn.

pelargonia, mårbacka

The mother plant of the Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo ©nini.tjader.2019

The motherplant has woken too. I need to cut it down soon and make more cuttings from it. It is growing high. Presently it is 65 cm high from earth up.

Bontrosai, pelargonia

Bontrosai pelargonia. Photo: ©ninitjader.2019

The Bontrosai pelargonia – which originally, a year ago, was the top of Ulla’s Bontrosai  –  is ridiculously high, 75 cm from earth up. It too needs to be cut down, get a new pot, and get siblings. Any day now. I have waited for the daylight to increase.

snowdrop, springflower
Snowdrop, 2019-02-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The first springflower, a snowdrop appeared a week ago. I have seen the leafs of the crocus coming too, but so far no flowers. But soon.

I long for the real spring, warmth, more light, no frost…

At the gym. 2019-02-04.

Meanwhile when waiting for warmer weather I go 3 times a week to the gym. Above my gym group on February 4th 2019. Till in the middle with Anette our trainer had birthday that day.

Present knitting, a greenish cardigan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

And I knit (will return to more about that another day). Presently a multi-coloured cardigan from top to bottom. First sleeve almost don, second to follow.

yarn, book, needles
Bought on fair. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I also visited the Sy- & Hantverksmässan, also called Syfestivalen, on Februari 15th with friend Ulla. I visit this fair whenever it occurs, which is twice a year. The above is what I got this time. The five balls of Opal yarn I won at a contest on the homepage of the fair. The six red skeins will become a simpla sweater when I am done with the cardigan above. This time from a Norwegian pattern that I bought on Ravelry. Looking forward to start it… I try not to knit more than one thing at the time and never start the next project until the one I am working on is done.

yarn, pattern
Yarn and pattern. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

And meanwhile the jungle in the kitchenwindows is still there.

kitchenwindows, kitchen
In the kitchen, 2019-01-27. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in cats, Garden, Garden and Nature, Gustav, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, knitting, pelargonias, spring, Thoughts, 0 comments

Blackbirds

blackbird, koltrast
Blackbird on the bow surveing the neighborhood. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Across the road in the tree I see from my outside place and the livingroom the blackbirds sit daytime. I feed them during winter and have done so for several years. They always come back. They are fun to look at. I recently stopped feeding them as a mice had discovered their feed and I want to get rid of that. But the below are the visitors this winter. They normally were 6 in numbers but occasionally they were 13 at the same time.

Today 2 of them were back again since I stopped feeding them. They have to find food elsewhere from now on. The blackbird restaurant is now closed for the season.

Posted by nini in Birds, Nature, Thoughts, winter, 0 comments

The Tree Across the Road

tree

 The tree across the road on december 28th 2018 at 09:56

Since Februari 2018 I’ve documented the tree across the road on and off.

I just updated the album with more images. You can find the album with the tree images here. I update it infrequently with new images.

I still do not know which kind of tree it is. It is full of white flowers in the spring for a short time. The blackbirds still spend a lot of time in it wintertime.

Posted by nini in Nature, Outside, 0 comments