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It finally became winter for real. Snow, ice, cold winds caressing my cheeks, darkness. December arrived with a bang this year. The month of waiting. Lit candles, together with mulled wine and saffron buns. This year I managed to bake my saffron buns in a much smaller size. Mini saffron buns with raisins. Yummy. Including the obligatory cottage cheese, which has complicatedly changed its name to curds. Despite all the hustle every year, it is worth the effort to make that special Christmas feeling appear.

Today I will take my 5th vaccination with the updated COVID-19 vaccine. This autumn has been filled with many and long colds. I have been lucky. Even though it has been many years since I had a proper cold, I remember the feeling of being affected by a viral infection. I do not think I ever have come across the concept of an updated vaccine but everyone understands without explanation. Viruses mutate and find new ways to cross national borders without a passport. We are used to it now.

In 2023 I celebrated writing my diary for 10 years. Looking forward to the next decade. Soon new year. My promises for 2024 are still unwritten. What promises will you make?

I do not want to read the news. There are so many horrible things going on in the world. Who takes responsibility for future generations? When I was in high school, the United States of America evoked many strong feelings, and some people thought that the USA was some kind of world police. I think it is good that someone wants to be world police. Several countries probably knew what was going on before Russia invaded Ukraine, but no one acted. I sincerely hope that there will be an intention on the part of both the UN and NATO to prevent wars before they break out in the future.

After the pandemic, there are new limit values from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, aimed at health care for risky use of alcohol.  Previously, I have devoted many years to studies of the association between smoking and alcohol consumption. I am still following new findings in alcohol research. The debate is heated among Swedish professors, both pros and cons. I remember “a non-smoking generation” in Sweden with Agnetha Fältskog and Ingemar Stenmark at the frontline among others. Currently, the National Board of Health and Welfare would like to see “a non-alcohol generation”.

In the last post, I mentioned that I still believe that music crosses borders. Rounding therefore off with Sophie B. Hawkins. I especially like the last four seconds, where it could be me holding the book.

It is good for your well-being to snooze I read the other day. Not a major study, but anyway. I searched through my photos for an image that could capture this day as fall begins to turn into winter. Found these Lady´s mantles (dew caps) below, which in summertime are so beautiful when they carry water drops. Now, however, the frost is taking hold.

It is important to see the little life in everyday life. A lot is going on in the world that affects our daily lives. We know we have to be vigilant. The unreal can happen, as happened to two Swedes in Brussels who fell victim to a terrorist.

And of course, we understand Israel wanting to defend itself when they have been attacked. The UN wants an immediate ceasefire from both sides. From what I understand, an Israeli music festival was targeted for attack by Hamas. Music is something that unites people, which in my eyes, makes this attack even more heinous. Ending up sharing this impromptu gig with Annie Lennox and David Bowie rehearsing. If you look closely, there is a man in the audience listening to them so devotedly and empathetically.

We will soon change to wintertime, so these days I remember my new summer memories. I am prepared to embrace autumn and winter with joy. Even though the world is struggling with war, you have to think of the present time here and now. One of the world´s longest ongoing political conflicts between Israel and Palestine has escalated. Perhaps the war in Ukraine is contagious. I had actually planned to go to Israel, but the war in Ukraine made me cancel my traveling til later. I went to France and Spain instead.

In Sweden, there are currently a lot of bombs and shootings, just like an Italian mafia movie. The police are getting help from the military. It seems like it is only Sweden that has these kinds of problems. None of the other Nordic countries. Finland, on the other hand, has probably had a sabotage on one of their undersea Baltic gas pipelines. As usual, Finland is demonstrating sisu.

Today, I think of my nice summer memories, and I say “Goodbye summer, and see you soon 2024”.