Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Day 30 - "Up"

Today's picture is shot from directly underneath the subject, looking up. Like yesterday, this is something that has appeared in my challenge before. At first I thought that it would be nice to end the challenge the way I started it - by shooting the stairway again, from a different angle. It is a really interesting and variable subject, and it has such gorgeous reds and blues. But today is an overcast day - the lighting was just horrible - so I abandoned that idea pretty fast. So for the last time (for now); can you guess what this is?

I can't believe that the 30 days are up! It seems the challenge has gone by in a blink and it has been a lot of fun. I've also developed a great respect for those who do this for a whole year! Now that's a real challenge! It wasn't always easy to find something good enough each day, and that's only one 12th of a 365 day challenge. So, salutations to all those of you crazy enough to make it for a whole year, you are my heroes!

Also, I must say that I'm really impressed by all of my fellow 30-day posters. You've rocked, and it's been a treat to see what you come up with each day! Well done and congratulations on making this year's challenge really special!

Finally I want to thank all of you who have commented on my pictures. It has been so nice to get your input, and without you, it would have been a lot harder to keep on going. Thank you my friends, you are the best!

/MrsHjort

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Day 29 - "Infinity"

Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you crawl on the edge of an endless abyss? This picture reminded me of a dream like that. I have some dreams that seem to reoccur randomly. One of them is crawling along a very narrow bridge high up in the mountains at night, another is trying to cross a street but being unable to move because my legs have fallen asleep. A third, is loosing my teeth - for some reason I just spit them out, one by one, and then desperately try to get to the dentist, with my teeth in my hands.

Silly how some dreams keep coming back, fortunately they're not all bad. For the last month I have been dreaming regularly about vacationing in Thailand. That one is not puzzling at all, since I'm going back there in a couple of months. The nightmares, however, are more of a mystery. I've obviously never been in any of those situations. The unconscious mind works in strange ways.

/MrsHjort

Monday, April 28, 2014

Day 28 - "Summertime"

You know it's summer when you start seeing these things to the right. To some they are a symbol of holidays, and to some they are a curse. I've never had one myself, but I've used one and I must admit that I liked it.

Today was t-shirt weather, and the trees are green, can you believe it! For a Swede, who lives in darkness for months in the wintertime, the spring is always welcomed with joy, and relief haha! In December we all fell like bats - the sun is down when we get to work and it's down again when we get home. That means no sunlight whatsoever, if you don't go out on your lunch break. Ah, but joy! Now the days are growing longer and longer. In northern Sweden the sun soon won't go down at all. I've never seen it though - I live down south - but it would certainly be cool. Sometime, maybe, for now I'm satisfied with watching the daily changes outside in the garden. Summer is here and the flowers are blooming :)

/MrsHjort


Sunday, April 27, 2014

Day 27 - "Hearts and Spades"

This made me think of playing cards. I've played a lot of hands during the years, but just for fun. In our family we have a tendency to developing preexisting games into more complicated versions. Like to this one game, we added an extra deck to make it more exciting, and then another one if we felt the need for even more things to keep track of. Playing various games keeps the mind "on its toes" and teaches it new tricks. And it's enjoyable too.

When I was a young teen we used to tell each others fortunes with cards. Silly huh? Each of the Jacks symbolized a guy we liked, and the different colors told the fortune - the diamonds were children, hearts spoke of love, spades of quarrels and cloves foretold money. Each Jack was given 12 cards and those would tell what the future would look like with the guy in question. My, my, my, haha, how silly we were! But it was a lot of fun for a bunch of giggly 13 year old girls :)

/MrsHjort



Saturday, April 26, 2014

Day 26 - "Ties"

Today has been one of those perfect days. You know, one of those days when the weather is just right, the food is fantastic, you spend your time in the company of loved ones and just enjoy all facets of every moment. I count myself very lucky, I can without a moments doubt say that ha have the best family I could wish for.

I took a lot of photos today, not all of them abstracts of course - a relative or two also got caught by my camera, whether they wanted to or not. But now they are quite used to me snapping away haha. And some of them have even ended up in W1K's contests, like Mr.

The reflections in today's shot is what caught my eye. Even though some might say that they are a bit distracting, I like the way they enhance the lines, and I seem to be drawn to the color blue more than usual for some reason. Maybe it's because of the weather - not a cloud in the sky!

/MrsHjort

Friday, April 25, 2014

Day 25 - "Glow"

Light can do wonderful things to mundane objects. I'll lift my hat to the one who can guess what today's picture is of! I'll give you a hint; this thingy is usually white.

The Swedish word for glow ("Glöd") has multiple meanings; in some contexts it can also be interpreted as "Spunk". Today has been a very energetic day. I haven't had the time to eat lunch until just now, but somehow I've not tired the least. I've filled in for a college who is ill today, and despite leading 5 classes, almost non-stop, I felt as clear headed teaching the last class as I did the first. Funny how some days are like that. I love them! It's a great feeling going home from work and thinking "Yes! I nailed it today". That's what makes teaching the best profession in the world. When things sort of just flow - you get your pupils to the next level and also have a lot of fun along the way :)

/MrsHjort

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Day 24 - "Deep Waters"

The blue in this made me think of water. I have always loved to be around lakes and oceans. As I grew up I lived right by Vättern - Sweden's second largest lake. After a five minute walk I would be right at the beach, which was great fun in the summertime! I remember that when I was a small child, my father and I used to walk down to the marina to look at the boats. Funny how you remember little things like that just by looking at a picture, I haven't thought of that for ages! Nowadays I live further up the hills but I can see the lake from my window, and sometimes I walk down to that little marina to shoot (that's actually my parents in this picture).

One of the highlights each Thursday is taking the train into town before work. The railway runs right by the waterside and the view is just as stunning each day. In many ways Vättern has always reminded me of an ocean. It is so large you can't see the other end, and just like an ocean it has a lot of different moods.

/MrsHjort




Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Day 23 - "Cause and Effect"

This has been one of those days when nothing turns out the way you expect, for good or ill...

I had planned to shoot something completely different. You see, I was going to take the train into town, like I usually do, but since the train was cancelled, I had to take the bus instead. Usually, that wouldn't be a problem, but today there was this really jumpy driver that made me grab for things to hold on to all the time. It reminded me of the time when I rode in a car with an acquaintance - who had just gotten her licence - and, just like back then, I became quite carsick. So, because of this chain of events, I didn't feel like walking that extra kilometer, like I had planned, to get my shot. That's why I ended up desperately searching my home for something to shoot and found a lot more stuff that peaked my interest than I thought I would. So, to end this scrappy, rambling, late night story, which is probably quite typo infested and is currently scribbled down by a very tired author, Mr got to choose from my shots today. Can you guess what this is?

Goodnight my dear readers, sleep tight :)

/MrsHjort

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Day 22 - "Crimson Light"

Unfortunately, as the Easter holidays are over now, I was back at work today. Don't get me wrong, I really love my work, but I wouldn't say no to a pair of extra days off either. The holidays always go by so quickly!

Everyone was a bit confused today. It's strange how quickly the mind adapts to a new daily routine, and I felt totally lost today. So many little things that usually are second nature felt like a whirlpool of tasks, and it took a while to get back on track. Yet everybody was a bit more rested today, and happily greeted each-other in the corridors, with smiles and sparkles in their eyes.

This is the cool looking lamp I mentioned back in day nine. I finally had the corridor to myself, and could take my sweet time to shoot it from different angles. I hope you like it :)

/MrsHjort

Monday, April 21, 2014

Day 21 - "Happy Helpers"

In our family you can always count on people when you need them. We (all of us) have been helping Mr's brother's family move and renovate their apartment the last couple of weeks. Now it's time for the family to rally around us and help out with a big project in our garden. If you can figure out what the picture is of, you might guess what it involves.

Since we've moved in Mr has become garden-mad. I would have never guessed it, since he didn't even water our plants when we lived in the apartment. Now, he's got a lot of great ideas and carries them out in no time. He jokingly says that when we're done he'll charge an entrance fee haha.

I never thought I would enjoy gardening as much as I do. When I grew up I hated it. But things change and now I'm off to de-weed the strawberry tillage. I love sunny days!

/MrsHjort

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Day 20 - "Angles"

Geometry was always my favorite type of math as I grew up. Maybe because it's so real - you can solve it logically just by looking. Geometry is everywhere in our every daily lives and it's easy to find examples to explain why things are as they are. Last semester my students got a homework project that involved designing the "swimming pool of their dreams", they also calculated it's volume, to see how many liters of water it would hold, and its area, in order to see how much tiling it would need. It tuned out very well, and it was a lot of fun to see what they had come up with.

This picture turned out pretty geometrical. I love that you can find math in photography. The golden ratio crops up again and again in most great photos, as well as the subjects we shoot. Math is beautiful :)

/MrsHjort

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Day 19 - "Spring Days"

I have always liked yellow on my bedroom walls. It makes each morning seem optimistic somehow - I love waking up to a sunny morning.

Today is not only sunny inside, but outside too. Great weather for shooting this month's calender picture, and for gardening too. I have declared war on the weeds. When we moved in they grew all over, seriously, I mean it, all over! I can't tell you how many huge carrot-like roots I've dug up. But finally the weeds are beginning to surrender to me. Today I will deliver the final blow ;)

Just got a call from Mr, who is at the store: Mr: "Would you care for a barbecue breakfast?" Me: "What?!". Mr has been dying to to barbecue ever since the first flowers started blooming, and now that he has a new grill to replace the old broken one, he's Captain Eager! Although I love barbecue, I can't say that it's my preferred breakfast haha. We'll have some strawberries in milk instead and save the barbecue for later.

/MrsHjort

Friday, April 18, 2014

Day 18 - "New Things"

Last night I finally did it. I watched Stargate! That's right my dear readers, the "Trekkie" has been adventurous haha. I figured I need something new to watch, having watched Star Trek many, many more times than I care to admit.

Thus it happened that I popped the original film from 1994 in the dvd-player (why not start at the beginning?) and enjoyed the show with Mr and a table packed full of goodies (I love our hang-in movie nights!). Sure, it's not the best movie I've seen, but it was far from the worst! I think I'm going to give the series a chance. Now, I know some of you are "Gaties" (is that the right word?), and I know there are several series, so if you could point me to the best one to start with I'd be grateful ;).

/MrsHjort


Thursday, April 17, 2014

Day 17 - "Foundation"

Time for yet another pseudo-philosophic rant ;). My latest thesis got published the other day, and it made me think of all the things I've learned since I started my higher education. Much of the material seemed way too advanced at the time - I will certainly never tech any of the math I've learned beyond that of my first semester. At times it felt very unmotivated to master math that was even more advanced than the courses the engineers took . Yet somehow we all felt that it was necessary for us to be on a whole different level than our future students.

My pupils always get very surprised when I tell them how much we actually had to learn; "No way! Really?". And I remember from my own time in upper secondary school that I thought the math teachers were all geniuses! Maybe because at that time I really struggled, and I couldn't imagine how anybody could solve stuff that easily without having to think about it! Now I know :)

/MrsHjort

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Day 16 - "Paint it Black"

As this shot popped up on my screen today Rolling Stones immediately started playing in my head. Funny how that happens sometimes. Just yesterday an other photo made me "hear" Oh Santa by Mr B. It's nice when it's something you like, or, like in the second case, also find witty. But we've all been stuck with that annoying song that just wont stop "playing". Then it's best to find something one likes quickly to replace it, if even possible!

One of my friends introduced me to a rather unique band called Steam Powered Giraffe about a year ago. One of their songs stuck on my mind after just hearing it once! I didn't like it that much at first, but it grew on me and now I'm just as crazy as my friend. I listen to them all the time. Don't you love how friendships can make you find new things to like?

/MrsHjort

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Day 15 - "Confessions of a Tomboy"

I wonder how many of you will recognize this, maybe not those of you who live outside of Scandinavia, but most Swedes will know this trademark. This is a huge sign outside a well known clothes chain. I have to admit, I wouldn't know it from this shot - I'm just not that interested in shopping. "Hate it" would be more accurate. I prefer to do my shopping online if I can; it's fast, there are no lines and, best of all, it's not crowded!

In fact, I've never been a girly girl. I don't have that many women friends and those that I hang with are not that girly either. I love math and science, or even better, science fiction! I play a lot of computer games (currently I play Dragon Age 2) and I am quite crafty with a hammer and nail (when we redid our kitchen I assembled all of the cabinets myself). I never paint my nails, I don't have a million shoes (or bags) and I couldn't care less about the latest celebrity gossip. Oh, and I like whisky too! Cheers my friends! Now it's your turn to confess ;)

/MrsHjort

Monday, April 14, 2014

Day 14 - "Timeless"

I shot a lot of pictures today. I'm feeling better now and had a lot of fun trying to look at things from different angles. It's nice to have a day off too. It feels quite luxurious to be able to do whatever I want on a common Monday :).

If you look at this picture for a while you'll probably notice that something is off. The numbers aren't where they are supposed to be. Sort of just like me - it fits very well today since I'm "off" (work) too haha. By now you've probably noticed my "linguistic-philosophical qualities" :P. I probably have my time at the university to thank for it. At the end of it, my friends and I had developed a very weird sense of humor. I vividly remember that we laughed and laughed about the strange examples we could come up with after a lecture about language and context. Good memories. Doesn't time go by in a blink...

/MrsHjort

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Day 13 - "Memories"

If you've read this thread at W1K you know that Mr and me got married in Thailand. And while this seashell lap has absolutely nothing to do with that (it was a gift from my mother in law) it still makes me go back to that little cozy hotel. Funny how the mind works.

It's gone six years since our honeymoon/wedding trip to Koh Samui. That place will always be very special to me and when I leave the island it feels like I've left a peace of myself behind. I love Thailand...

I've been thinking of that place with increasing frequency the past couple of weeks. Want to know why? I'm dying to tell you! One day, out of the blue, Mr surprised me by telling me we're going back there this summer. Oh tears of joy, it's going to be a great summer holiday this year :)

/MrsHjort

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Day 12 - "The Find"

As I searched for things to shoot today, I found this little beauty; a lantern. I bought it for practically nothing a while back when I discovered a gift certificate was almost outdated. It was love at first sight haha.

I'm ill today, and therefore I'm relieved to have found this to shoot without having to go very far. The lighting caught my eye and the blue against that red was just to my taste. I hope you like it too. Now to some breakfast, and a cup of steaming hot ginger tea.

/MrsHjort 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Day 11 - "Mix"

Today has been one of those chaotic days which mixes a little of everything. It has been the last workday before Spring Holidays (YEY I finally get Spring Holidays! I haven't gotten those since upper secondary school!). Of course, as a teacher, that meat that a lot of things had to be taken care of today. Exams had to graded, students informed, e-mails sent, papers copied, meetings held, forms filled in, books distributed etc. etc. etc., but now I'm finally done! Not that I'll be free all week - I'll be working at my other office a couple of days (or maybe three), but a slower pace is welcomed and I look forward to taking it easy. I think I'll begin with a long warm bath! After checking out all the other awesome 30-day challenges of course ;)

Also, my Master of Education Diploma finally arrived by mail today! It feels great to finally have it! That means I'm finally done, for real! To be done with the last course is one thing (it finished two months ago), but to hold that diploma in my hand feels very, very good!

/MrsHjort




Thursday, April 10, 2014

Day 10 - "Old and New"

There's an area of my hometown - or well, the next town (they're so close you can't even see where one begins and one ends, I tend to think of them as one) - with these really old brick buildings. I like the traditional architecture very much and the bricks makes an interesting subject to shoot. The only modern things they've added are these large letters to indicate which building is which.

The different textures of old and new caught my interest today as I was on my way to one of my favorite lunch places. There's a great little restaurant in the area that has the best fish and chips in town(-s haha). I love Thursdays - Thursdays are when I get to eat lunch out, with Mr :D

/MrsHjort 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Day 9 - "Rain, Rain and More Rain"

This week turns out to be as rainy as the previous was sunny. Good for the garden, not so good for the rest of us, except maybe those who are allergic to pollen...

I thought I would do another shot from inside my workplace today, but I was too embarrassed! It was of a cool looking lamp at the school. I was caught zooming in at it, like some nut, and felt that I had to explain my behavior to a perplexed coworker - "I'm in a 30-day challenge, so I have to shoot every day". Some students also walked by and looked somewhat puzzled. I just couldn't stay there and try to get it right. Maybe I'll save it for when there are less people around haha. Luckily I found this on my way home, the rain has some advantages I guess ;)

/MrsHjort

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Day 8 - "The Unwilling Gardender"

Can you guess what this is? It is something I bought yesterday for indoor use. I already have one, but it's nice to have one on each floor.

Today has been very, very rainy. The dark gloom has made it hard to get good pictures, but I have tried to do my best. This one is perhaps not as sharp as it should be, but as an abstract it has its potential and I like it anyway.

Mr is set on gardening this afternoon, despite the weather, and wants me to join him. Any sunny day, or well, at least any dry day and I would love to. As for now, I prefer to do my gardening indoors, with that thing to the left ;)

/MrsHjort


Monday, April 7, 2014

Day 7 - "Like a Bird"

As the daylight lasts longer up here in the north one takes notice of little things; like the how the morning air smells differently, and how the it is filled with wonderful sounds...

I love my early walks to work. It's so nice to see the the changes from day to day, each a bit greener than the next. Can you believe it, I actually saw leaves on a tree yesterday. Yey! I almost did a little happy-dance when then and there, or, well, at least in my head ;)

/MrsHjort 

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Day 6 - "Time and Tradition"

As we moved into our current home we also came into possession of this grandfather clock. The clock didn't come with the house, but rather with Mr - since we bought the house from his mother. This clock has always been his; it got delivered about the same time he was born, and it has always been very dear to him.

I love furniture like this that has a story behind it. We actually keep his "birth card" by the clock-face - it seemed to belong there. The clock does not work all that well - if you wind it, it only ticks for an hour or two before it stops. We've set it to 10:53 AM. The reason? That's the time when Mr was born :)

/MrsHjort




Addendum:
I've just tested the suggestion Marga had. I think it looks great, don't you? :) Thank you for your feedback!

/MrsHjort


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Day 5 - "Home Is Where the Heart Is"

I love Saturdays! There's nothing in the world like waking up at home on a sunny Saturday morning with three purring cats crowded around you. Yes, I know, I'm a bit of a crazy cat lady, but I can't help it - I love it :D. It's always the thing I miss the most whenever we are away on vacation.

Saturdays are also calm, you have no early classes to teach, and no timetable. I so enjoy taking the time to make a healthy breakfast and drinking some coffee lazily looking out the window. Soon it will be warm enough to sit outside, and the strawberry season is coming soon. There's nothing in the world like waking up at home on a sunny Saturday morning and enjoying strawberries for breakfast out in the garden :)



Friday, April 4, 2014

Day 4 - "Candy"

This piece of art always makes me think of M&M's haha. It's not a type of candy I'm particularly fond of though. Not that I eat candy very often - I try to eat healthily most of the time, but dark chocolate is something I have a hard time saying "no" to, especially if it's filled with something, like raspberry mousse, mint or liquor! Plus, it goes so well with a cup of coffee.

What's your favorite candy? :)

/MrsHjort

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Day 3 - "Golden Light"

Since I've already shown you the stairway up to my office in the school where I work, it's only fair that my other workplace also get's to be represented here. You can find this lamp in the hall outside my other office, where I work with legal stuff. It's best to leave it at that since it's a job that is practically unheard of. No one has listened to me trying to explain what I do there long enough to actually understand it haha.

It's nice to have two jobs - they are very different and offer some verity to my daily routine. One is a people-job and while other is strictly intellectual, and I enjoy them both.

/MrsHjort

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Day 2 - "The Red Eyed Beast"


Have you ever thought that the lights of a car sort of looks like eyes? I have ;). Some cars look friendly and sort of smile at you, while some look like sinister characters who roam the roads whilst grinning confidently.

I've never owned a car, I've never needed one since our city is so easy to get around in. I live five minutes from a train station and seven minutes from two different bus-stops which covers all my needs. Not to mention that I only have to walk for ten minutes to get to work - which is great! I count myself lucky not to need a car, at least not yet...

/MrsHjort

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Day 1 - "Options"

After a good night's sleep the answers usually come, and for me it was "abstracts".

Abstracts is something I've not shot very often before, and I look forward to this month of shooting them. I's going to be exiting to try and look upon the world in new ways - like just now, on my way home from work! I realized that the stairway up to my office is a rather interesting motif. It is something I've never quite noticed before as I'm usually quite stressed as I run up and down between lessons, but today I stopped and "smelled the roses".

I currently work at the school I once went to as a student, and I remember thinking these stairways were hideous! But I've changed my mind about a lot of things since then.


I hope you like them too :)

/MrsHjort

My Father, a Tribute to a Kind Man

This blog post is going to be longer than usual, and even so, how can one summarize one's feelings and memories of a person within the p...