goodbye jönköping

Tonight is my last night in Jönköping, tomorrow I will take the train to Göteburg and have a nice couple of days there then fly to England on Wednesday for CHristmas with Nana et al.
I cannot believe that my time here is up, it's really been an interesting experience.
This past week was sooooo busy with group projects, it's scary how much group dynamics can affect ones happiness. One group stressed me out completely, more then I have felt stressed in years and years ...I almost threw a tantrum and refused to work in the same computer lab with them ....and I really am a nice person, it really brought out the worst in me!
The other group is so easy to work with and we laugh a lot ... this shows me that I better watch out who I work for/with in the future.

O future
what will you be?
what will you be?

Short term goals:
- Eat at the vegetarian restaurant in Göteburg
- See photo display at gallery with Åsa
- properly pronounce Åsa
- enjoy travel to England
- have a Merry Christmas , with all my prego cousins
- try to maintain vegetarianism during british feasts
- don't fret about unknown future
- arrive in Canada in time for New Years and celebrate with girlfriends!

Now I will go say goodbye to Sigrid, Matilda, Corina and Elin, my original hostesses, then I will my last bus ride to Huskvarna to pack up/throw up the contents of my apartment, then off to Elin and Karin's for one last sleepover !!

half a half a century

Best gift to get on my birthday , oh dear I have the best folks. ...Karin saw it and asked if it was mom and my brother...hehehehe...

Yesterday I woke up with my reoccuring neck pain ...symbolism for being 24 it was a pain in the neck! So I wasn't in the best moods , Karin cheered me up with pain killers and homemade waffles though! I decided it would be best to sleep at home because it's hard to sleep with a pain in the neck.. .Karin wished I would sleep over but I was stubborn ...I took the last bus home it's a connection bus, about a 45 minute ride ...where I started to write this song :

look on the bright side
my good friend once said
things may be bad but at least your not dead
go put on, button up your coat of red
go on go out for a walk
sun was a shining so I put on my shades
look on the bright side too long and it too may fade
started to feel glad for the good that I've got
glad you said to go out for a walk....

When I finally reached my house , I realized that I didn't have my keys in my pockets, or my bag, I had locked them in my apartment that morning! Oh dear! another symbol of 24 ....I locked my keys in sooo much! By this time it was around 11:40. I called Karin she told me when and where I could catch the next bus back to her place. I started walking the 30 minute walk to the stop, in a red coat I had borrowed from Karin. At first I felt the "why me's?" coming on but then I couldn't ignore the words I just had written so I happily walked through puddles with my rainboots.
I stopped on a little bridge over a little river that is next to an old sewing machine manufacturing museum built in 1914. The river is nicely , magically, lite up .... I looked down and watched the constant flow of the water, overcoming the rocky obstacles that were blocking its path. I was mesmerized by the water under the bridge, and then I looked up and saw how far it had come to get to that spot, drops and turns... there was no going back ... and that's where I had my birthday wish at the strike of 12, Elin called right after with her own wishes...she felt bad about me being locked out ...I couldn't have been happier ....sigh...life is magical!
I made it back to Karin's around 1, we made hard bread (crackers) with fun toppings, she put a candle in the butter! We watched tv on the computer, danced around the kitchen ..and went to bed around 3.....I dreamed about dogs and the first word in my head was music ...this will be my 25 year theme!

My name wonderful friend Åsa sent me this photo!!

Deer Cousin Sarah

I am so looking forward to going to PEI and hanging out avec you!
Yes we will have a jam session, a lot of songs I write could really use some bagpipe action!
We will also make something crafty together, I will make you a pink polka dot dress with bows because I know how much you love pink and dresses!
Kidding....but seriously we will craft, and I speak French....how long of a Christmas break do you have I wonder?
Maybe you will just have to miss some school to hang out with me ...your teacher will understand I'm sure!
Hope you are enjoying the first snow ! Miss You!

last week of being 24

I am celebrating my last week of being 24 by procrastinating on work , which was the theme of my twenty-four-year-oldness!

I feel like 25 is going to very productive.

I have never been upset about getting older, but this year I am a feeling a little reminiscent about the sweet innocent days of childhood, which I got a wonderful pictorial collage of from my momma and popsicle.
Adulthood is bittersweet, I cried when i looked all the photos of me growing up, and through those tears I was astounded at the great style I have had all my life!

I sure knew what to wear even at age three, so in celebration of being half a half a century old I will pursue clothing design even more and will recreate the masterpieces of my wardrobe evolution. And my brothers. And if anyone else wants a piece remade from ye old days of good send me a pic. natalie.slater@gmail.com

I will call the line : ye old days of good
pants will be outgrown looking grazing the ankles
soft cotton shirts, accessorized with random stains
party dresses
plastic jewelry from grandma jean's plastic jewelry boxes
socks with lace tops......i could go on forever

i will also pick up the harmonica again , it has been too long old friend