The “outdoor office.”

Cotton stash basket

Those granny squares again…

Working through the thunderstorm

A new approach: alternating between 2 colours every stitch

The top of the hat.

The latest hat: brim useful in the sunshine.

Hat from side-back view.

Mosquito “Mygg” repellent and bite gel.

Well, “bugbear” is the operative word. In English, it has a general meaning for anything that worries or annoys you, usually something that is awkward and can be long-lasting.  This is my third summer and my “bugbear” is – ironically – bearing the bugs that bite me to within an inch of my life.  An exaggeration?  Perhaps, a little.  But little is not the size of the allergy swelling that I have in response to these brutal “I-like- your-English-blood” attacks.  I have an angry bite, swollen to the size of the palm of my hand on my leg, for example.

I am sitting outside – as it is too beautiful not too – and the fresh air is top of my list for my convalescence.  I even managed a decent walk yesterday (progress) but on my return, I felt yet more bites on my poor, tired, allergic, body.

So, armed with bug- and conveniently also human- repellent (it smells!) for prevention of bites plus after-bite gel for when the repellent fails, I continue to living life a bit on the edge (buzz, buzz) in this idyllic summer, while trying to relax.  You get the irony.

There is even more irony in that I am here house-sitting in an amazingly cosy house, designed with inspiring and high light-giving windows everywhere.  But of course, I can not sleep with the very long daylight hours this far north.  It really is something to be experienced, a wonderful phenomenon I will surely miss in the winter,  but I just need a bit of darkness (curtains, blinds!) so I can sleep!  I have (sadly) blocked one lower bedroom window with pillows and a bin liner (desperate measures) but the higher window remains out of reach.  Luckily, last night, thunder and lightning meant a dark night (only I could like this) so meant good to excuse to sit inside and craft, and later, some sleep before the bright sunshine first woke me at 5am.

You see, there is trouble in paradise!  Most Swedes (people, really) probably think me a little crazy.  Maybe I am.  It is all that sleep deprivation and those swelling bites messing with my head.  Anyway, those outdoor Swedes are too busy swimming, running, walking, grilling, swimming even more to even notice me inside with my improv curtains drawn. And they do all these activities tirelessly and completely bite-free.  Sigh.

The pictures show my “outdoor office.”  I have orders and interest from two local shops so I have a lot of crochet and crafting to do.  If it wasn’t for those darn mosquitoes, “mygg”, it would be near perfect to be outside listening to the birds twittering and horses nearby whinnying.  I must say, the coffee does taste better outside and there is no air fresher than that in Jämtland.

I am determined to adopt a positive attitude and not let my poor health, bug bitess, sleep deprivation or what have you keep me down, not for too long at least.  I hope. I am on a mission to recover, get healthy, lose weight and gradually increase my motion levels, step by step. Literally. “One step at a time” or “ett steg i taget” as they say around here.  Wise words in either language.

Step one for recovery (from long-term illness): acceptance.  I need to take the rest when my body says so.  That is now, actually.  Time for a healthy lunch and some down time for a while.

What is the weather doing where you are?  Are you in summer or, on the opposite sphere, experiencing winter?  What are your seasonal bugbear and highlight?