Ett ställe på Gotland..

..en riktig äppelgård. Härlig trädgård med massor med fruktträd. Jag strövar omkring i förrgår i solen i den sagolika höstträdgården medan lillasysters häst Shanghai gobblar i sig av äppelsorterna. Här är den alltså. Första bilden på mitt nya hem på Gotland.
A place to love. An applefarm. Almost! Two days ago I strolled in the autumn sun in the lovely garden by the old house which will soon become my new home in Gotland - the historic island in th Baltic. My sister´s sweet old horse Shanghai gracefully feeds on the many kinds of apples in the lush garden. I will love it there!

"America, we have come so far.."

..and seen so much! But there are still so many things to do.."
Barack Obama´s victory speech in Chicago last night left tears in my eyes. Yes. This is an historic change. The historic map has been rewritten and changed tonight..
I visualize a tilt of the globe: Will the hatred of the Big-Brother-in-of-West diminish somewhat in the murky caves of Afganistan or Pakistan? Will the fear of terrorist attacks of Americans and their interests now slowly fade?
In this moment I close my eyes and see generations of black cotton picking slaves of centuries of humiliations along with our time´s endless spectra of racial discrimination. The deprivation of the right to vote, to ride a bus and sit where you pleased, to attend any school of your choice. Phenomenom so painfully recent. Will there now be new rays of hope for the poor in the South - black and white - and hopefully in the rest of an increasingly economically polarized America? I hope so.
I see people who let go a long time ago finally perhaps get something to believe in.
But I see - along with so many others - the danger of the immense expectations weighing heavily on the shoulders of this Messiaslike person - Barack Obama. Sometimes the Obama political meetings almost takes on a typical religious mass meeting US style. Just look at people eyes when they view him on the podium talking. Salvation is near..
I sincerely hope so.

Virginia was probably the most important state to gain for winning this election. Traditionally republican, it cast its democratic votes last night and the wind changed in this state and spread across America. And the scale tilted over turning the US map from red to blue..

When I was in Washington last month people there suspected this would happen - Washington D C is growing at an enormous rate and finding places to live is getting harder in this metropolitan area and its inhabitants (mostly democrates) are moving the short distance across the state line to settle down south in Virginia - thus resulting in the turning of its political color from red to blue last night..

BBC was first to publish his moving victory speech early this morning European time. Click on the link below and watch Americas first black president to be:
Obama´s victory speech

PS Just read this hilarious reaction on a blogg from California:

Obama...Plouf!

They did it, my family jumped into the unheated pool with their clothes on at 9:30 pm California time! I made a video of the whole thing but I don't know how to post it. It was hilarious. They jumped in shouting OBAMA!, but as soon as they hit the water they scrambled back out screaming OBAMAAAHHHHH.
DS

O O Oh...Obama!

Bara(ck) Obama! I natt håller vi inte bara valvaka utan även tummarna för Obama i detta historiska val i USA! Kl.01.00 bör vi veta utgången..

Söndag morgon - första frosten..

Gotland - 07.00 söndag morgon i soluppgången. Rimfrost över fälten där man hittade den stora silverskatten för några år sedan..

Gotland 1:a november

The 1:st of November in lovely Gotland - the largest island in the Baltic..
The roses of which Gotland is wellknown, are still in bloom. Gotland boasts the warmest climate in Sweden and scores top rate as to hours of sunshine in our northern country. Grapes are cultivated here and some wine is actually produced on the island´s calciferous soils.

Fruits are in abundance and apple pies are baked in the rustic kitchen..

The grand chandelier is decorated with silk flowers..

The fish nets are brought indoors for the winter..

The gorgeous sun of November leaves long shadows..

The faithful Gotland roses are still there.. for a while more..

Fleamarket bargains: copper pots hang from the kitchen celing..

The horses are out enjoying the sun after two days in the stable after heavy rains..

We pick the ripe pumpkins and when the sun sets it gets really chilly. And it is nice to sneak into a warm bath in a luxurious tub with lions feet!

Happiness is a warm. soft kiss on a sunny November day!

Happy halloween!

I wish you all a great and creepy halloween from the scary
island of Gotland..

- right in the middle of the dark and stormy Baltic!!
Boooooooh!

Catnap..

The rain is pouring down at Gotland! Stop. Fall is here! Stop. There will be no blogg today.
The horses, peacocks, dogs , geese and roosters and cats are all wet and sleepy..Stop.
I can´t use my computer. Stop. You can see why!
I am seriously considering a siesta myself! ZZZZZ! Full stop!

Autumn is the time..

..for a perfecty lovely little cup of tea - or two..

And to drink this healthy beverage from a beautifully decorated cup..

The English are so skilled in creating those lovely cups. This (above) is a Royal Albert cup.
And this a "Royal Swan"
And this is "Charlotte". And this is the Bavarian Rose. They are all very romantic and feminine and I have a hard time imagine Prince Albert drinking from his cup above ( with his little finger raised??) They can all be found and ordered from www.tableandhome.com
Now, the cups below are pieces of art and was designed by the Catalan architect Gaudi.

Marvellous, aren´t they?
As for great teas? Well some of my favourites are from Mariage frères in Paris whose lovely Salon du Thé in Le Marais certainly is worth a detour. (30 Rue de Bourg-Tibourg) And their pastry! You can order their new 2008 "flushes" from their home page. Reports are increasing about the benefits of regular tea consumption. And they are not talking about "the perfectly lovely cup of tea" that John Brown - her Scottish personal servant - used to serve the late Queen Victoria. Because that one was surely laced with Scotch! (Perhaps it worked wonders after all because of the age the Queen reached!) They even had a teapot modelled after her.
See this humoristic monster-wounder below! I have never seen anything like it..
Awesome! How I would love to have one!

The Young Queen Victoria Limited Edition Teapot
from the
Maureen Berry Collection

Tröttnade..

..ett ögonblick på att måla skärgårdsmotiv. Och målade
två dockmotiv igår kväll i stället.

Den översta är en antik buktalardocka blev litet förälskad i på en antikauktion jag besökte en gång. Och minns så här ungefär. (Undrar vad den gick för? Hade så gärna velat ha den!) Den andra dockan måste vara från första hälften av förra seklet. Bullkindad och "Gretchenaktig". Målad efter en docka jag hade en gång som kom från Tyskland och hette Gisela. Som hade tennisracket, läderskor och smycken och stickade vantar och annat lyxigt tillbehör..Tyckte egentigen aldrig om den dockan. Den var för fin för mig och man kunde liksom inte riktigt leva upp till att vara en sån "tjusig frökens" mamma när man var 8 år..
Nu blir det skärgård igen efter dockpausen..

I needed a break from all the marine/archipelago painting I am doing at present. So last night I painted these two dolls out of memory. They lurch deep in my memory from the past. Watercolors. But - Now back to the old track of sea, boats and cliffs and pretty cottages..

Målarlust! The urge to paint!

Vaknade upp denna måndagsmorgon med målarlust! Höstens färger inspirerar!

Det är hög tid att producera akvareller inför Sandhamns julmarknad - tiden går fortare man tror. Gjorde den här i morse som var ett beställningsjobb men just denna är inte från Sandhamn utan från en annan del av skärgården. Men på julmarknaden blir det bara akvareller från vår ö förstås! :-)

Inspiration! Woke up this sunny Monday morning in the Stockholm archipelago and felt the urge to paint! It must surely be the gorgeous colors of fall that are so very inspiring. Now is high time to start producing all the watercolors needed for the Xmas Market Days that will take place on the island of Sandhamn in December. Here above is one I made this morning - still in my nightie. This particular one is not from my island though but from another part of the lovely archipelago that surrounds Stockholm.