March 2019

1^st March 2019

I actually awoke around 7:30am, tog my medicine and was up at 8am. I had thought about to send emails to the pension authorities in Ireland and Malta. That made me to have an early breakfast. I wrote the emails, when I was dressed. The Malta authority I asked for the statement of my pension, because they told me, they sent it around three weeks ago. From this I have got a very quick answer, telling me, that all is OK and that they hope I will get it soon. The pension authority of Ireland I asked, if they meanwhile have implented my new address in their system and if I can get a statement with my new address about the amount of my pension. I have not got one for a long while, not even one, how much I have got throughout the years before. Furthermore, the amount of the Irish pension is not updated, which surprises me. I do not think, that their citizens do not get a little higher amount each year and it should be similar for other EU citizens.

Before I was ready for my next activity, the door bell was ringing. It was a serviceman from our housing company. I had made a servicecall by their website some days ago and know it was time to check, what was wrong. There is a kind of thermostat in my apartment. It was fastened on a wall with adhesive and falling down from time to time. I was not sure, it was working anymore because of that falling. The serviceman told me, it should be fastened by a srew as well as he was not sure it was working. Though he read the code on that thermostat and told me, if this one still is working correctly, he will come and put it up on the wall by a srew, but if not, he will come with a new one and put that up on the wall. He added, that it is no idea to put the one I have up now, before we know, if it is working. I agreed, of course. Next week I will get the result.

I decided to bake a cake this day. I already had bought the necessary ingredients some days ago. It is called Mockarutor. I baked this one a lot of times before and think it is good to have some cake at home for guests respectively my family, when they are visiting me. I will taste it, when it is ready, because I did take can sugar this day instead of the usual white sugar. I had it in the owen already, but it has to become cold, before I can add the icing on top. By the way, it was close to that I burnt the cake, because I used the timer in my phone for the first time and put it on 10 hours instead for 10 minutes. Fortunately, I checked the time anyway and did take the cake out of the owen in time.

When my cake was ready, I have got an email telling me, that my new vacuum cleaner is on the way to me. I think, it will not be here before Wednesday. I am looking forward to it. It took such a long time for me to decide, which one I would like to have, even I was sure, that I will have a handhold one with a smaller one for cleaning couches etc. I was waiting, that I could buy it here in town, but this model is not sold here in town. It is a new model and quite expensive, but I decided to have that – in the hope, it will be the last one I buy. There was not shipping costs added and I used pricerunner.se to find the company with the cheapest price.

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I was very tired this day and the problems with my tounge and my mouth got worse as well. The painkillers did not really help, it is on evil circle, because I get heartburn of the painkillers, even I take them together with the meals. It seems, that the heartburn makes the problems in my mouth worse. I had a nap in the mittle of the day and was to bed around 8pm, even I did not fell asleep before 10pm, because I was watching a movie. During the afternoon I was working with my project for around two hours. I did not do much.

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2^nd March 2019

I awoke as usual between 7am and 8am. I actually did not take a painkiller this morning. The breakfast was OK, even it was not much easier to eat than the breakfasts the days before. Anyway, I did not get that pain in my mouth I was fighting with for more than a week now, but instead, I have got a headache, which is not as hard as the pain in my mouth.

I checked my Swedish account and I know, I have to be careful with my money. I will almost have around 2000 SEK less each month, because of my new home. I also have credits now, which I have not had for a long time. The most important was, that I checked, if the amount for the vacuum cleaner already had been paid, because the Track and Trace link is not working anymore and I am a little afraid, that I won’t get it. I sent an email to the company, asking for an explanation.

The rest of the day I spent with my project. I had only a cold meal in the evening and it was easier to eat as the days before.

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3^rd March 2019

I did, like Wencke Myhre sang once upon a time “Ein Sonntag im Bett” (A Sunday in the bed). I was anyway not in-active. I was reading news on the Internet and was on twitter as well. I actually had only one meal this day. I still have to overcome to eat, but it is getting better.

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4^th March 2019

It was a quite normal day. I had breakfast and read my messages and emails. The company, where I ordered the vacuum cleaner told me, that they will send a new parcel, if the first one will not arrive. Before high noon I also have got a message from DHL, that my parcel is ready to pick up at a point close to the railway station. I have another parcel or maybe better, a big letter, to pick up at the grocery shop. It was raining before noon, though I might pick that all up later this day.

I did not make it outside in the afternoon either. I was working with my project. I also had three meals this day, as it is usual.

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5^th March 2019

I was to the “Pressbyran” to pick up my new vacuum cleaner. When I was there and got the parcel handed over, I was surprised, because of the emballage around it. It was none. The vaccuum cleaner came in it’s original box. It had a handle, what would have been a good option for carrying it home, but I was prepared, because of the weight and had the wheels for my shopping cart with me. That made it easier for me during the 20 minutes walk. At home, I first had a meal before I was out for another time. Now going to the grocery shop to pick up the little parcel. I also did buy some groceries.

Well back I did unpack my vaccuum cleaner. It followed a munal in a size of a book. The explanations were in many languages and I was thinking, that this is not a good option for the enviroment. I would have understood, when it had been in English as well, but in more than 20 languages is way too much. They could have saved so much paper! The manual was not really good either, some explanations were missing. I guessed, how to use all of the functions.

After my evening meal I was watching movies by YouTube. I just was not in the mood to work with my project.

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6^th March 2019

Finally it was time for the dentist. I had lots of time in the morning, before I had to leave my home to go there and was in time at the dentist’s place, of course. It was my first visit at a dentist’s in Katrineholm. The meaning this time was, to have an examination. They advertise, that they take in account the health conditions of their patients as well, though I had a filled in “health declaration” with me.

During the examination and the talk with the dentist, I did not get the feeling, that they understand my health condition. I also explained, that I have a problem with an inflammation in my mouth, what she told me, I have, because I would not brush my teeth good enough. I know, that is the other way around. The problem is my health condition and, when I have inflammations in my mouth, I am actually not able to brush my teeth as usual. I do brush my teeth, anyway, but not so intensively as usual. What surprised me as well, that she could not imagine, how hard it is to eat without the two missing teeth. I had to tell her. By the way, they did not have a surrounding x-ray machine. I thought, that is standard now, because years ago at other Swedish dentists, they already had. Fortunately, they did not have these thin plates, to have in my mouth, which always hurts me. The one they used, where more complicated, thicker with rounded corners, which made it easier for me, to have them in my small mouth. When she gave me the offer for the dentist work, it was around 20,000 SEK, I had to pay myself. I told them, I will call them and ask for an appointment, when I decided to let it be done. – I have to split it up over almost a whole year. There will be no money for traveling.

Back at home, I was on the Internet, looking for the site of the “National dental service” and comparing the prices. There are list prices of the government of the county and prices, the National dental service decide as well as the prices the private dentists decide. Every other private dentist can have different prices. That is the Swedish system. The National dental service had lower prices than the dentist I have been to, today. Though I asked the dental service by email, if they could make the work, which has to be done after the offer I have – without paying for another examination. I hope I will get an answer soon.

I had my main meal and was then going to the library again as every Wednesday afternoon – to the language café. There were mostly other immigrants there this day. A son with his mother from Tunisia. He has been working at the authority for unemployment service before. Two weeks ago he and seven more were fired there, because a new directive of our Swedish government. This week they fired twelve more, he told me. The male and female officers had to leave, because of the idea of the government, that private unemployment service shall take over. – Actually, there are already such services. The change is just for giving the private sector more income. The idea, of course, is one of “Moderaterna” (a political party right from the middle with many business men members and voters. To compare with the German political parties, it is a fusion between FDP and CDU.) His mother is a new comer to Sweden. She speaks Tunisian Arab and French, of course, but also English and she is very interested in to learn Swedish. There were two women from Somalia as well as a woman from another African state. At the end of the meeting, I helped the other Swedish woman to put away the water for the coffee and tea etc and we were exchanging some words, when she told me, that she originally is from Norway. That explained to me, that she did not know Swedish words I had learned, when I was new in Sweden. Today some of those words are not common anymore in Sweden, but maybe in the North.

I tried to have a homemade soup of tomates, but I had to put “cream fraiche” in it, for beeing able to eat, even I did neither have salt nor any spices in the soup, but couscous. Updating my blog I was thinking about to try to see a movie from hour library. The movies we can see on a platform called “viddla”. When one has chosen a film and put the play button, one has to put in the number of it’s library card and the PIN chosen by itself for all errands at the library. I was not allowed to see movies for 7, 11 and 15 years old – only movies with no age. They are called “barntillåten” (allowed for children – under the age of 7). I was interested in other movies, of course and did not continue. I chose a movie on YouTube instead.

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7^th March 2019

I had decided to finally go to the recycling containers for cardboard etc. I took one moving box with cardboards and carried that to the closets recycling containers for bigger things. It was a little hard to carry the box with cardboards, but it was OK. Well there, it was easy to put them in the correct container, which has a much bigger opening, than the ones on our backyard. I found a key in front of the containers, picked it up and was willing to leave it to the police. Back at home I checked, if it really is the polisstation, which takes care about lost and found keys. That was right, but I also read, that there is another option, what means to put them in the nearest mailbox. The post office has to forward them to the police station. I thought I need to tell, where I found the key, therefore I was going to the police station. It is very close to our House of Culture. There were a lot of poeple, who were asking for renewing their passports, though I had to take a number and wait for my turn. When it finally was my turn and I gave that key to the police officer, she thanked me, but did not ask anything. I decided in that moment, that I will the next key I find put into the mailbox instead. I will avoid the waiting time with it.

Already so close to the House of Culture, I was entering it and asked at the library about the problem with the viddla databas. The female assitant did check the data inserted in the system, but could first not see anything wrong. Luckily she was then logging into her own account and could see, that there were the date of birth in the third line and she checked my account one more time. This date of birth was missing. She corrected it and told me, that I now should be able to watch movies at the viddla databas.

Back home, I had a meal and was then out again with the other box with cardboards. This box was heavier. On my way to the containers I had to stop more than once to put the box down and take the rest. Even with that box I reached the containers and put the cardboard in the respectively. By the way, I took both the boxes back and put them in my storage space. One never knows, if they will be needed again.

I was tired this evening and was to bed early, but used my smartphone for a while, reading news and using twitter.

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8^th March 2019

It is the International Womens Day. I had planned to go to the supermarket, what I did after breakfast. It seems I am very good in calculating, how much items I can transport with my shopping cart. When I left the supermarket, it was full, but also heavy as usual. I hoped, that I could go back by bus, but I just missed the bus. The next one would have been in an hour, though I started walking. There is a very little hill to force and I did hold the cart behind me and therefore hold it the other way around as usual. Therefore I discovered, that it did not feel so heavy at all, if I hold it that way. I continued all the way by holding it in this order, of course. I was soon home again. It had been snowing lightly on my way, with raindrops in between, but I have had my warm winter jacket and I did not have any problem.

I tried to find out about the “Fridays for Future” movement. There will be a world wide demonstration next Friday (15th) and I tried to find out, if they also will have one in Katrineholm. In connection to it, I was on the homepage of our community to find out anything, put only found minutes from a meeting of the city council with reports about environmental investigations. I read a lot of the minutes and I think, the politicans here will claim, they are already doing a lot for the environment, even there was no action taken.

In the evening I was out, looking for the torchlight procession for the International Women Day. I did not found it, but was then to the House of Culture, where they gathered. I was thinking about, that I could have taken the movie home, which I had reservated and already had come in, but there were no assistant at the information desk of the library. I stayed during the whole time of the celebration. At the end a youth group were playing and singing songs. Unfortunately the voice of the singer was not really coming through. I stayed anyway in respect for this girls and boys. Many people were leaving already, before the group started with the music. I am always surprised, that people do not have more respect for active youth.

This night I was on viddla, trying my luck again and now it was working. I watched the movie “The Intouchables”, which is about a Parisian aristocrat, quadriplegic since a paragliding accident, who hires a young man to be his live-in caretaker. I can recommend that movie, if you have not seen it yet.

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9^th March 2019

I was early up. Around 10am I took a walk to the library and picked up the movie “Schindler’s List”. I asked for it at the information desk and the assistant showed me, where the reservations are available. I had to registered it at a special computer. This kind of computers I remember from the time before I left Sweden for working abroad.

Before having lunch I started to update my blog, but got so tired and frozen, though I was going to bed for a little while. I had a late lunch around 4pm and updated the blog afterwards. Finished it, I watched “Schindler’s List”: Businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) arrives in Krakow in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi party primarily for political expediency, he staffs his factory with Jewish workers for similarly pragmatic reasons. When the SS begins exterminating Jews in the Krakow ghetto, Schindler arranges to have his workers protected to keep his factory in operation, but soon realizes that in so doing, he is also saving innocent lives. I highly recommend to see this movie, if you have not done yet. Maybe even your library have it.

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10^th March 2019

It is already Sunday again and I spent the day with reading.

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11^th March 2019

After breakfast and just getting dressed I have got a call from a guy called Adam from the Postcodlotterie. I thanked him right away for calling and hung up. Last week a woman did call me from the Penninglotterie. I am wondering, how they come over my cell phone number. I do not have a landline and they actually call me on my cell phone.

I should have been to an association called “SeniorNet”, where seniors help other seniors to use computer software, their smartphones etc, but I have seen it too late, though I continued with project instead.

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12^th March 2019

Even this day I was working with my project, but also was to the supermarket as well as to some other shops. I was looking for a cardboard or paper for the demonstration on Friday. I did not find, what I was looking for, but cardboard on a roll. Though I did take that instead. It will be easy to transport. There were a $-shop close to the shop, where I bought the cardboard roll. I was visiting it, to inform me about, what they have to offer and bought some small things I anyway had on my wishlist.

As usual, when I am at the supermarket, my shopping cart was totally full, when leaving. The bus was just coming and I did not catch it, though I walked all the way home with the heavy shopping cart. By chance I hold the cart with my hands the other way around, rolling it behind me and I was surprised, that it felt much less heavy that way.

Sometimes I feel lonely in my nice, big apartment, but than I am remembering, that it happened as well in my little second hand apartment.

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13^th March 2019

I was early up in the morning for being in time at the polyclinic to meet my new general practioner (GP). I hoped, it will be one I really can talk with her about all my small health issues. I did not eat or drink before leaving – she might order blood test for me. Unfortunately I did take my thyroid medicine, because other doctors told me, that is OK even they will order a blood test about my metabolism.

I was very happy about my female doctor. She had 30 minutes for me and I did tell her all my health history and the problems I have for the moment as well as I think, that I have had two small strokes a lot of years ago – it must have been in 2005, 2006 or 2007. I do not remember the year exactly, but it was, when I was living with my two youngest children in Perstorp. I never told someone before – not even the doctors, because I do not have any problems, one can see since that. Anyway, while the first one was not given me directly some problems, of the other one I lost my ability to speak for a very short time. I directly started to speak loudly to myself and it was going over fast again. Since that time one of the corners of my mouth is hanging down. The doctor did take it serious and if I understood it right, an investigation will be made soon. She did check my blod pressure, of course and it was 122/75, though she told me, it is very good, like written in the books. Therefore it is not very likely, that I have heart failure, but it will be done an investigation if the blod test will show signs for it. After I finished at the doctors I had to go for the blodtest – and they did a big one as well as I had to go for an ECG. I did not get the result for the ECG directly. Though I have to wait for a letter from the doctor. She is not allowed to send me the results by email for secrecy reasons.

In the afternoon I was to the language café again. We had good conversations all together.

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14^th March 2019

Even this day I skipet the “Seniornet”, I will start to go there the upcoming week. I was working with my project all day long. I thought, I will finish it, but did not, because I have to change the text on some of the photos. In the beginning, I added the text with too small letters. It is not possible to read it, when the photos show up in my frame.

I have had a good contact with my children living in Scania by email this week. I hope I can visit them during Easter holiday. I have to rent a car again, to get my last belongings home from my son Daniel and also will take him with me, to see my home and the surroundings. In real it is much better than my video.

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15^th March 2019

Have you heard about the demonstrations “Fridays for Future”? This Friday it was a worldwide action. People from more than 120 countries and over 2000 places were attending. The school strike was initiated by a 16-year-old Swedish girl. She started last year at the end of the summer to sit outside the House of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm with her sign “Striking for the climate”. She was and is paniced by the global warming and she is right, over 14,000 scientists agreed meanwhile. She was allowed to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos about the climate change and is now very well-known. She actually has been nominated for the Nobel peace price this year and woman of the year in Sweden. Most people demonstrating were students from secondary schools, but also from universities. A minor amount of adults (teachers, scientists, parents and grandparents) were joining, so did I. It was raining slightly all the day – and of the photos and videos from all over the world, it seemed it was on most places, but people did not care about it. In Stockholm, all people did not really have space. They were standing on stairs, on the other side of the river etc. Unfortunately the demonstration looked very professional now with a scene and music etc. I had to walk away after some hours, because I got pain in my feet. I never have been good in standing on the same place for hours.

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I took a quick look at an Åhlens shop, looking for saucers, but they were all very expensive. Therefore I bought small pads instead. I just need something to save my table from the exudation of my big coffee cups and of overspill from my water glasses. Afterwards I took the underground for “Fruängen” to visit my son Samuel and his family.

My son did pick me up at the underground station. He had his youngest son with him – he had two days off, because he had quit his last job – he will start at a new one on the following Monday. We were going together to a supermarket and also to a shop for electric and electronic products. I was looking for a kniv to clean my ceramic hob. I was lookig at other places before, but the knives were sold out. Even at this place, the knives were sold out, but there was another shop close to it, where I found it and my son did buy some things he needed at this other shop as well. It was so funny to see my grandchild Vincent looking at the things in the shop. He was mostly interested in boxes and tried to open them.

I have had tea in a metal water bottle with me as well as sandwiches in a plastic box for re-use. I was so hungry now, that I ate of the sandwiches in the car and more at my son’s home. Anyway I was already full after one of them. Vincent dit tell his father already in the shops, that he was hungry. My son told me, that he has had lunch for a short while ago and that he had eaten a lot. At home my son prepard pancakes, but did not fry them. They were for dinner. When it was time for dinner, I was asked, what I would like to eat and I told them, that I would like to have pancakes as well. My grandchildren did have their meal first, of course, and I had the rest. Actually both of them did eat as much as I ate, that means three pancakes each. I think, Vincent is in a phase of growing a lot.

We spent the evening together, but his wife, who was coming home around 5pm, was going to bed early, because she had a headache. I also had a headache, but not so hard as hers. My son told me, that he had been at a doctor as well, because his wife had told him for my son was getting tired soon. Though he also told me, that the doctor was talking about, that he might have Celiac desease. I asked him, if he has problems with diarrhea, but he told me, it was the other way around, when he is eating bread. I thought, that did not fit with Celiac desease. Around 9pm we were going to bed.

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16^th March 2019

For the early hour I was to bed, I also awoke early. Soon I heard my grandchildren running on the upper floor and decided to take my medicine and to dress. Upstairs breakfast was getting done by the mother of my son’s wife and herself. I have got an omelette and had the other sandwich from my sandwich box.

I later followed my son to the supermarket. The youngest sister and her boyfriend was invited for dinner, which was salmon, vegetables and couscous. I had roastbeef instead for salmon. At this stage I already had hard to eat again, because my mouth did hurt a lot again. I did not ate very much, but needed the same time like the others, eating much more than I. We had a very good and fun chat all together. Before I was droven by my son to the railway station in Södertälje Syd, we also had a slice of cake.

Just before entering the train, I saw a Swedish woman from the language café. We had company at the train. Well at home, I had another sandwich and cold rosehip soup. I did not have all of the rosehip soup, but already all of the sandwich, when I had to throw up. Directly afterwards I did drink the rest of the rosehip soup and that was no problem to keep in my stomage. It was this, who made me wondering, if I might have Celiac desease and was looking up it on the Internet. Against, what I did think before, even constipation is not unusual with this desease and also they were writing, that one does not need to have all the symptons. Actually it would explain, that I so often have aphthaes in my mouse, have the big problems with gases and constipation. I also read, that it is very usual to get the desease when one had problems with the thyroid and autoimmunity. Unfortunately there was also stated, that one has not to stop with eating bread and other things with gluten before an investigation had been made. I think, I anyway can reduce the intake of food with gluten, though I do not throw up. I had problems to fall asleep, even I had highened the head end of my bed. I was not sleeping very well, when I finally fell asleep and had a nightmare.

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17^th March 2019

I awoke around 7am of my nightmare and because I had to go and pee. I did take my thyroid medicine and was going to bed again, because I was still tired, which I accepted, because the short and bad sleep during the night. I slept until around 10am.

I was still working with my project for my digital frame, but was away from home for a couple of hours for the supermarket. It actually takes such a long time, when I am walking. This day I needed more time as usual at the supermarket, because I was looking for Quinoa. I did not find it. I do not have a hurry to buy it, though I will look at other supermarkets or groceries next time I have to buy some food anyway.

Even this evening I had problems to fall asleep. It became around 2am again.

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18^th March 2019

I was up as late as the day before. I had planned to bake small cakes of cocos and also fry Swedish meatballs, but I started with the last corrections of my photo project and finally it was all done before I was going to bed.

There was an appointment in my letter box for a sonography of my thyroid – to be sure, that all of it was removed. In addition to that, they also will make a computer tomography of my brain, because I told the doctor about my “maybe” stroke, when I have been living in Perstorp. I never was talking about it with a doctor before, because I thought, they will not take it serious as I do not have signs of it.

I could not fall asleep soon either this night and sent an email to my dentist as well as to a special medical care clinic, where I have had a gastroscopy, because my GP (general practioner) had told me, she would like to get my journal from there and I am also very interested in the result, because if I remember right, they told me there after the examination, that I have a shortening of the villi lining the small intestine. I did not have a clue, that this is a sign for celiac disease. My GP in Ekeroe did not tell me either.

I now also understand, why I was better in Mexico during the summer. It was the time I had not eaten wheat for a while. When I later (in late fall) started to eat wheat tortillas as well, I did get the problems with my stomage back. Though it did not have to do only with the amount of papaya I ate during the different month in Mexico. I have to wait until my new GP has got the result, that I can be sure about it.

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19^th March 2019

Even this night had been short and I fell asleep again until 10am, after I had been awake around 7am. I already planned my new project, which will be to modify some t-shirts. They all have round necks, which are quite small. I will change that into v-necks. I also have to piece a singlet. Maybe I cannot start that today, because of my plans to bake the cocos cakes and fry meatballs.

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20^th March 2019

I spent a lot of time with reading this time. I also have got some more answers to my emails to the EU parliamentarians I had written to, because of the Art 11 – 12 of the EU copyright directive. It was from a Swedish member and from the German member of the Piratenpartei. Both are against that articels and will not sign it. The female member from the Piratenpartei (Germany) is also very active on twitter, though I did already know about her decision.

Futher more I have got an answer of my email to Piratpartiet (Sweden), in which I was asking about a demonstration against these articles. There will be one in Stockholm, one in Göteborg and one in Malmö – that are the three biggest cities in Sweden. I promised to attend the one in Stockholm. It will be held from high noon at the Mynttorget i Stockholm.

We had so nice weather this day, it was +11°C as it’s best. Unfortunately I was staying at home anyway, but for the language café in the afternoon. I tried to book our laundry, but it was no free time this day, but the last one in the evening, though I booked it for the upcoming day instead (1pm to 5pm).

I started to take the Gaviscon medicine against heart burn twice. The first time after the evening meal and the second time just before going to bed. It actually helped.

I was watching a movie on YouTube again. I have not done it for a while. I did not really know, what the movie was about. It had the title “The thee Lions”. Actually it was about WWII. The lions were three soldiers, one from Germany and two from the USA. The German did not like to kill people, but became a lieutnant and gave orders to kill. He did never kill a human being himself. At the end, when the war was just over, he had been on his way for two days without some food, he entered a concentration camp, not knowing, what that means. The responsible leader told him, that he had got order to kill all the rest of the people in the camp and explained, that he did not have workers enough to do that. He claimed, that he had done all he was asked for during his service, but now he could not make the impossible possible. The German soldier was not only surprised, but also disgusted. He left the office of the camp and was going into the forest. After a while he was distroying his gun and tried to leave the forest. On his way out he got shot.

The American “lions” were a singer, who was promised to only have to attend the war for two month, but once in the army, he was treated like the others and was in the war until the end. He survived. So did another one, who became friend with him at the start of the war. It was a bashful jewish man, who fall in love with a young woman, he got to know by the singer. The young woman and the jew married. This man was robbed at the army and he was fighting with the robbers one and one and got into jail for it. His wife was visiting him and he saw, that she was pregnant. – The girl was two years old, when he was coming home. Actually the singer and this man met again in the stage of the end of the war and fighting together. They were in the concentration camp, named above, where their chief asked for the names of all the people prisoned there. There were a priest or similar and some other Germans. A Jew entered the office and asked to be allowed to have a service, what they have not been allowed during all the years, they have been there. The priest told the Americans, that it is not necessary and no mening with it. The American chief got angry and told them, he will never see the Germans again and allowed the Jewish to have their service. In addition to that, he told the singer and the other soldiers to take a little time off. They were walking the street outside the concentration camp into the forest and saw the German soldier in his uniform and shot him, not recognizing, that he did not have a gun anymore. It was a very interesting movie.

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21^st March 2019

I have got a free subscription for the Katrineholms Kuriren, our newspaper. I could chose between the papers or the digital version and chose the digital version, of course. I can use it since two days, but did read it for the first time this morning. Actually, if there is no much more to read, I won’t subscripe it after the trial periode has run out of it. The most interesting thing, was, that there was a girl, who did leave her class at school last Friday, demonstrating against the climate change. The teachers told her, she should come back into her class room and also tried to take her sign!

After lunch I did piece my singlet and change the necks of two t-shirts. I was OK with it, they became, but think, I could have done it even better.

In the evening I was watching an American movie from 1958 on YouTube. It was about some small Islands in the Pacific Ocean and the WWII. I did not know, that it was about WWII before a bit into the movie. The problem shown was about relationships with people on the islands – indigenious as well as people, who had taken refuge there of different reasons. Even that was a very interesting movie.

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22^nd March 2019

I was very dizzy and tired, when I awoke around 7:30am. Anyway I was up around half an hour later. It took a little longer for me as usual with breakfast and dressing me. I was happy, that the aphthous ulcers were not hurting so much anymore and it was easier to eat again. Even I am still careful about, what I eat.

In the afternoon I was using our laundry and drying room. This drying room is fantastic (see picture below). Unfortunately I had four machines to wash and there are only three in the laundry, though the blanket I washed, was not becoming dry. I will remember that for the next time. The room with the mangle is locked, though I could not mangle my sheets. I will continue as usual and only iron my pillow cases.

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23^rd March 2019

I had to be at Mynttorget in Stockholm at high noon for the demonstration against the article 13 (and 11 as well as 12) of the EU copyright directive. I am not against copyright, but the article 13 kan only administered by upload filters, which means a control and censorship of all items uploaded on the Internet. This also opens for other controls and is not consistent with the Human rights. Therefore I was up early this morning.

My train was leaving in Katrineholm around 10am and I arrived in Stockholm a quarter past eleven. I should have been five minutes earlier, because the train had a problem and the motorman had to stop at a train station (where this train usually never stops) and check it. Fortunately it was done really quick and we could continue.

I was quite early at Mynttorget, a few people from the Piratpartiet (the Swedish Pirate party) were already there and some other people from other political parties. This was a demonstration right over all the shadows of political life. The police were checking our route – that there were no hinder, and also told us, that we have to use the right file of the street with no more people than four beside each other. I remember only the demonstrations in Hamburg, that I had attendet and was surprise, how good the Swedish police was handling this. By the way, they also told us, that they will handle all conflicts for us, if there will be some and we do not have to care about them.

When we started a quarter past high noon, because we could not start earlier for the parade of the Royal Guard, we were some more people, but I think we reached the amount around 100. We were disappointed, of course, that so few did see the need for this demonstration.

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The funny thing was, that people around – even politicans, who were attending the demonstration, first tried to speak English with me, because of the sign. Though I told them, that I speak Swedish as well and that I wrote the text in English, because it is an international demonstration.

There were no problems at all, when we walked the streets and at our goal, the Soltorget (close to Sergels torg). There were speeches hold as well as a rapper from Gothenburg was supporting us. There were a few more people now, but still not very many. Maybe the reason is, that most of the Swedish EU parliamentarians promised to vote again this articles.

For a cheaper train ticket back, I had to wait a couple of hours. We have an app here, were one can buy the train tickets and in this, I have my age as well, because it is cheaper for retired people. Furthermore I can see all the trains and the prices for the ticket for the day I chose. By this, I always can buy tickets for the lowest price possible. In the morning the lowest price also fit my timetable, which was great. Anyway I had to pay 148 SEK for the ride. In the afternoon I could choose a ticket for 107 SEK. That is the lowest price so far for a ticket between Stockholm and Katrineholm and the other way around as well. During the waiting time I was at the train station and eating my food bag. I also had something to drink with me in a metal bottle (the one I bought in Belize :-))

Well at home I was tired. I had another meal and was going to bed early, watching a movie by “viddla.se”, where I can watch 3 movies for free/month with my library card.

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24^th March 2019

I concentrated on the evening, when I was going to my first “Sunday dance” since I was living in Helsingborg. I found that dance club “Rock You2” in the list of all those associations here in Katrineholm and became a member. It is for only 100 SEK/year for retired people. Nevertheless I finished my t-shirt-project this day as well.

I found the dance hall easily. While waiting for the music, which would start around 15 minutes later and was coming from a computer, I could not open a chat with the other people there. I did not know, what to say and the other persons did not try to talk with me. When all were going to the dancing area, I was still sitting in the room infor, but a male dancer was asking me, if I was not interested in dancing. He took me with hem and was also dancing with me for a while. In the dancing hall is a corner with a table and two couches – like the ones you can have at doctors or dentists. Women were already sitting there and I joined them. We still did not get a chat. I think, that is the Swedish way. Fortunately, I was asked to dance quite often. The dances played were jitterbug and foxtrott. I love to dance jitterbug. I was often asked to dance, sometimes they asked me if I dance jitterbug. Three or four dancers asked me for it. I had fun and I was happy, that I remembered a lot of the different steps I had learned.

I was walking home and had a snack. I was not really hungry and not keen either to cook something. I went to bed after I had read the papers and had been on twitter for a while.

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25^th March 2019

I had to go to shop. My oldest grand child will fill six years on 1^st of April. He wishs more LEGO and I am keen in to fulfill that wish. One of the two toy shops is closing and have reduced prices. I am happy, that I do not need to go to Stockholm for buying toys, but I am sorry about, that the shop will shut down. I had not seen the shops opening hours (1pm to 5pm) and arrived there at 12:20pm. Fortunately I had another errand – a little further down that road and was going there instead. When I was back, I had still 10 minutes to wait before opening.

The shopkeeper was very kind, when she opened and asked me, if I had been waiting for a long time. I told her, I had not. She also told me, that there were not very much left of the toys, because the sale. There were lots of LEGO anyway, but mostly StarTrek, which I do not like to give to my grand children. I found three different boxes to choose about – one for 6 to 12 years old children and the other two for 7+ years old children. I chose the first one. It is an helicopter, with space for a little boat or scooter inside. My grandson already has a helicopter, but one, who cannot carry anything, but the pilot. Though I hope, he will like it. I did get a 25% discount on the box.

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As usual I had my shopping cart with me and did not need a bag for carrying the box home. I also was going to the grocery shop. Just before I left I had got my mail. It was only advertising, but one from the grocery shop and one from the supermarket. The grocery shop offered me 10% on my shopping, because I am new in Katrinehom, but I had to buy groceries for almost 300 SEK, which is never a problem ;-). I was not really sure, that I came up to 300 SEK this time, but I did – and was a little over it. Though I have got my 10% and I also had 25 SEK on my member card, which I could use at the same time as well. The groceries I had bought were no more, that I could put them into my shopping cart as well. I am very satisfied, when I do not need to buy plastic or even paper bags. When I know, I will buy lots of things and it maybe will not fit in my shopping cart, I also take my backpack. Always thinking about the environment.

In the evening, I tried to update my blog, but I did not come far, because I was sooo tired, that my eyes shut meanwhile I was writing. Even Katrineholm is not a big town, but I was walking more than 5 kilometers this day. I know, that is not very much, but it tired me.

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26^th March 2019

Even this day I was dizzy, when I awoke. I also have had a stupid dream before – about a pram and things on it and under it. At least, they were all stolen. Than I was at an open street shop looking for a sweater, but they only had the hard Mexican ones. I told the seller, that I will have a soft, fleecy one. Maybe this last part of the dream had to do with my poncho, which I always use on my couch like a blanket to warm my feet and my legs.

After my usual morning routines I was updating my blog, always my eyes on the clock, because I had to go to the Polyclinic for an ultrasound and a computer tomography. I was in god time and the ultrasound was actually done a little earlier than my appointment. For the computer tomography I had to wait half an hour. There were other people, who where taken in acute. With the ultrasound they checked, if there is any part left of my thyroid gland, but there is not. I asked the assistant, why I could have high TH4 results, when I only take 100 mg Levaxin and she answered, I have to talk with my endocrinolog about it. I have never met an endocrinolog for my thyroid before. Though I have to ask my doctor, if it should not be god to meet one for my thyroid problems, because I still have all the symptons one has, when having a mal function (too low production of hormones): freezing, cold hands and feet, losing hair, dry skin etc. For the computer tomography I have no result yet.

In the afternoon I first filled in a form and wrote a letter for looking for funding of my upcoming dental work – which will be for 2,000 EUR. First I tried to get a loan of a usual credit company, but by not seeing my income from the other EU countries, I was denied. I could ask my son to help me, but there are so many people getting money from different foundations, I think I should try as well. I have to add a lot of papers to that letter, which I have to get the upcoming days.

Afterwards I started my new project: Filling xls.files with my economy, especially about my last trip. I am really interested in to see, how much money I spent for the different kinds of living in Mexico and Belize, e.g. food, transport, accomodation (should be very low), souvenirs etc. When I well had started I continued until midnight, but with a rest for having my evening meal.

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27^th March 2019

I had put the alarm clock on 7am and 7:30am, but was not up before later. At our library we have the “digital week” and I was interested in to meet the SeniorNet, where I will help soon. I also was interested in to join a talk about the future projects of the community of Katrineholm as well as getting some more knowledge about the electronic service of our community. All I could get this day, but I was not in time at the library for the SeniorNet. I did print the letter and the papers I already had on my USB-stick. By printing the form, I also have got a page with the others papers asked for.

Finished that, it was time for the talk of the community of Katrineholm. Actually it was not a talk. There was an interactive screen and they asked me, what I want to know. It was really good to see all of Katrineholm on that screen. I already had read about on the homepage of the community about there housing and school projects, but here one could see, how it is meant to look like, when realized. I also could see a digital model of the transformation of two of our big streets. It looked so nice and should be finished this summer. The project leader of the community dit explain, that the streets have had a lot of traffic and even truck traffic – rakt throughout the city center. With the transformation, no trucks are allowed to cross the city center. It makes the city more attractive for its citizens. He also told me about the digital “Naturkartan” (map of the nature) for Katrineholm kommun. It is a kind of gps program, who will show me the way out into the surroundings as well as home 😉 again. Path for walks and bicycle path should be to find there. I thought, that will be perfect for the upcoming spring and summer.

I should have stayed at the library for the weekly language café, but on the one hand I had to eat something and on the other hand it was still nearly two hours left for the start of the language café. Though I was going home and stayed at home. The walk to the library and back home is just the amount of physical activity I need a day.

In the evening I tried to continue with my new project, but stayed reading news on the Internet. I had only a light meal this evening and was going to bed around 10pm.

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28^th March 2019

After my morning routines I updated my blog. I planned to attend the SeniorNet for the first time this day and I did. I was very welcome and could already help another retired woman with her newly bought laptop and her smartphone. The funny thing was, that her phone only has 8 GB (the system already needs a little more than 4GB to run) and she told me, that she has had one with 2 GB before, though, when she bought this one her son had told her, that 8GB is much. I did not know, that they still sell smartphones with 8 GB only. My tablet, which I bought 2014 has 16 GB, which I think is very little. My smartphone has 32 GB, but I would have prefered the S8 at that time with 64 GB. Unfortunately the price was twice as much as for the S7.

This day I did neither have other activities nor did I work on my project. I was on twitter and also read the news on the Internet instead. Since I had stopped drinking coffee, it was the first time I did not take medicine against my heartburn. I could fall asleep anyway.

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29^th March 2019

This day was very sunny and I told myself, that I should take a walk and in addition to that make my errands, but I did not. I was not productive this day. I still have the problem to awake dizzy in the morning and needing a long time to get ready as well as I am reading a lot on the Internet, not only news or twitter. I am wondering how I can have a high T4 thyroid hormone, when I do not have the thyroid gland left and only get 100mg Levaxin (that is the name of the medicine). I read, that this is the cheapest and most common medicine, but not all people are helped with it, just because it only is the T4 hormone. If another gland (measured in TSH) is not working correctly, which helps to get a part of the T4 into T3, one also need T3 hormone. There are more T-hormones and there is another, natural medicine, which includes them all. Unfortunately this medicine from the pig is not usual to get. Anyway I will ask the doctor for my TSH and also asked to get a view of an endocrinologist. By the way, she had written to me, that it is space to lower my medicine.

In the evening I tried to see another movie at the viddla.se homepage, but I was unfortuned, because the windows system sent a message, which I only could leave by the “escape”-button. I was on the way to sign in at this time and already had pushed the button. I came back to the inloggning site and was denied to see another movie – that means, the movie I was logging in for. I was disappointed, of course, but was then on YouTube and watching an american movie from the 1960s. It was the time for the Flower power movement, but in this movie they did ask for a voting age of 14 years. A singer, with a bad childhood, now 22-years old, had a financial adviser with a high IQ (168) and he was only 14-years old. At least, this was decided. Soon after they were able to vote, they got their 32-years old congress man. Furthermore an 84 year old congress man died and they got a 25-years old girl (a former child movie star from the group around the singer) into congress. She asked for the election age of 14 years, which became tro and the 22-years old singer run for president and became it.

The movie became hilarious now, even it also had a serious message. Camps were built for people 50+. They did get a lot of LSD there. There was no other harm done to them. In addition to that, the USA did sent grains to the countries, which had not food enough. Anyway, after some years also the first elected congress man, who support the lower voting age of 14, did hang himself. In another scene, close to the end, he came with a little girl – I think it was the daughter of the congress man, who hanged himself, and told her, she had to stay with them, but that would not be really possible, if that former congress man already became 50 years old. Furthermore, the singer, now the president, was at this time 25 – which das not agree with the age of 50 for the former congress man either, because when he was elected, he was only 34 years old. Nevertheless, this girl told the president, she would not stay with him, because he is too old. At the very end of the movie one can see the president in a park. He found a scorpio at a brigde in a cord and killed it. The very young “owners” of the scorpio were coming and told him, that the scorpio had been there pets. When the president is leaving, on of the boys tell the others, the voting age should be 10 years.

Even this night a could fall asleep without my medicine against heartburn, but I still can only lay on my back. When I turn around on my side, the heartburn is coming back.

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30^th March 2019

After breakfast I was sorting my papers, I will send to the fond asking for some help. By this I discovered, that I might have forgotten to take all my originals with me at the library. I think, I forgot them at the copy machine – I used the multi function for copies, though they were put in another compartment of the copy machine, but I also had to take one copy separate, because the original had not the size of A4. I anyway was going back to the library this day – and also to the grocery shop to post my letter.

My originals were not at the library. They may have been thrown in the box for recycling and were already recycled, but maybe another user had got them and taken them with him or her. I hope for the first option. Fortunately I had taken photos of my copies, though I know, what they were about.

As part of the digital week, the library offered to show their users all the online service, they offer. One can alway miss something and therefore I asked for that. There were a couple of services, which I now have an explanation for and they are very interesting like the utalk – for learning languages. It seems better than dualingo I used before, but I have only entered the first lesson in Spanish so far, which was too easy for me, of course.

On my way home I made the detour to the grocery shop for stamps for my letter. It was a big and heavy letter, though I needed four stamps, all together had a value of 36 SEK (3.60 EUR). I hope the whole amount for this letter (that means the copies, the envelop and the letters, which was for nearly 100 SEK) will really respond in some help for my dental work. If you are wondering, why I try to get this money even I could afford the dental work after some month, I can tell you, that I think, they are so many others in similar situations like me, who are asking for this help – though why not me, too.

During the evening I was working with my xls-project again, but stopped, when it became Earth hour. I switched of my lights and my laptop as well. Anyway I had quite much light in my apartment, because of the street lights. There is one directly outside my apartment and I decided, that I need other curtins for my room. I do not care about the light, I can anyway sleep, but I am thinking about my future guests.

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31^st March 2019

Just awake, I checked the app for our railways for buying a ticket to visit my son Samuel and his family. We will celebrate his oldest son, even his birthday is the 1^st April. I found a cheap trainride, which will arrive just before 2pm and asked my son by a short message, if he can pick me up at that time. Soon afterwards I have got green light by him and bought the ticket online. I did not buy the return ticket, because it was said, that the dinner will be between 5pm and 6pm and I was not sure, that I will make it the same evening back home. Though I had not only the gift for my grandchild Leon, but also all the things one need to stay overnight with me. By the way, I did not have special paper for the gift, therefore I packed it in a part of the cardboard on roll, I hade bought some weeks ago. I did write “Grattis LEON” (congratulations LEON) on it with filt pen in different colours and draw three balloons in different colours as well on it – with tiny ropes and, where the ropes met each other a rosette. It really looked nice.

My son was waiting for me in his car at the destination railway station. He asked me, what I would like to eat, because they only had spicy food at home. I chose to have a hamburger, because I still was awaiting the dinner at 5pm. His following questions were, if that was easy to eat for me, what hamburgers are and if it is OK to go to a hamburger chain called MAX. I agreed and was happily surprised, when he ordered our meals in the vending machine, because we could choose plus and minus to the hamburgers. For the problems with the inflammation in my mouth, which I still have, I chose to have it without the tomato, my son ordered a hamburger with gluten free bread and some extras for himself. The only negative thing was, that they did neither have lingonberry drink (which comes without bubbles) nor uncarbonated water. I had a fruit soft drink and let the bubbles fly away – that means I was drinking it, after I had finished eating.

Well at my son’s and his family’s home, I left my gift to Leon. He put it on a shelf, where already other gifts were put. His wife and the guests had just finished their meal. By that I asked my son about the dinner and he told me, that they had changed their mind. First they had thought to have catering, but her father did cook for them. Though there was no dinner in the late afternoon. Some of us adults dit play a board game, which was a gift to Leon. It is actually for nearly all ages, but not very small children. One had to put together card with path, but all did not fit and also we had to put them together after special designs. When I attendet the game – I did not from the first beginning, I won all the time, but once, when I was the second winner. All in all I won the game. One of the adults was so surprised, that I was so quick. It confirmed one more time, that I am a visual person.

After a while, the first guests were leaving. Later my son drove home other guests – all relatives to his wife. When he asked me, if I already had bought a ticket for the ride back, I told him, no, but was looking for it. When I was looking in the morning, the tickets for the train around 8pm were the cheapest, but it had changed, though I bought a ticket for the train 7:25pm. There were time enough to reach that train.

At home, I needed another meal, of course, but was not craving for something. I did eat the rest of a chocolate cake, I startet weeks ago. It was only one row left. That was my whole dinner. I actually was thinking about to have chia pudding, but it had to swell for two hours, though I prepared it for breakfast instead. Suddenly I became very frozen and was going to bed, where I was on the Internet for a while.

For following me throughout the next month, please click the link April 2019.