Quote of the day

"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files everything away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you."

John Irwing, A Prayer for Owen Meany

new home decoration project/quote

Late last night, just as I was going to bed, I suddenly found myself redecorating the window on my hall door (This door has been mentioned before, when I've written about the "map butterflies"). I had tried to paint  a flower-themed thing on it some weeks ago, but was never too happy with it - and therefore never finished it. But last night, when checking facebook that last time before tucking in, I suddenly found this quote, and just knew that I had to use it! I have this fascination with words and text, also the aesthetic aspects of it, and have always wanted to find the right text for that door. Now I think I have, at lest for a while.  At some point it will change.

I don't have any pictures of the "painting" yet, but this was the text:

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you will miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life". I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that every day I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

I'll post photos when it's finished! Still needs some small fix-ups.

Recommended reading

One of the very few things I did last weekend was to finish reading the before-mentioned biography on Sophie Elkan. (Eva Helen Ulvros: Sophie Elkan: Hennes liv och vänskapen med Selma Lagerlöf) It was a very good read, and I could hardly put the book down. Except for telling the interesting, and sometimes tragic, life story of Elkan herself, who does seem to have been a fascinating person, the biography also highlights much of the life and politics of the time, the changes around the womens rights movement(s) just to mention one aspect.

For now, I'm trying to finish a collection of essays before I return home for Christmas, and should be doing the same with my thesis as well. But this is going painstakingly slow. At least I have finally collected some credits for my recent work, which makes it feel more worthwile, of course. Still, I'm looking forward to the change in routine that the holidays always are, even though this is not (still not, and will never be) my favourite time of year, and even though I'm already feeling the seasonal stress-relaed stomach ache. Let's hope for no tragedies this year (knocks on wood).

The biblio-mat

I love this idea! We should have one here at the library, or maybe at Kåren! I'd definitely use it all the time, out of sheer curiosity...

This week, our main university library has been holding a book sale. I went there yesterday, but bought no more than four books. I had hoped to find more books relating to my area(s), but ended up with only novels (and a biography!). Immediately started reading one of them, a biography on Sophie Elkan (today mostly known as the friend of Selma Lagerlöf, even though in her own days, Elkan was a known and loved author herself). Will definitely write about it later!