Waking up in the camper on a morning more than just beautifully indescribable. The sky shimmering blue, and the sun already warm enough that I had to move our silver cover to the sunny side. The silence, the smell of coffee, and a campground slowly waking up.
The neighbor in the caravan next to us just went out for a morning walk with their little dog. I had already longed since yesterday to sit out here and write my blog post. I could feel the moment coming already last night as my husband and I sat outside and enjoyed the evening.
A beautiful evening right where we live
When love hides in a song
Then, without even realizing it, he expressed his love for me. He, who’s usually so sparing with words about love in that sense, said: “This song – this one is mine,” as “Tycker om när du tar på mig” ( ”Love when you touch me”) by Per Gessle played. “It’s written with my words and the feeling I have for you.”
He’s not a poet. He doesn’t write. But in that moment, I truly felt his love.
He usually listens to much harder music, but somehow a Gessle song had become his. I’m moved again by the memory. The evening grew even more beautiful. The moment became warmer, softer, whole. Maybe that’s what love feels like – when you know it’s real.
Quote from the heart: ”He never forgets me – he loves me quietly, but deeply.”
When love lives in the small things
I feel it more often now than I used to – but there was something magical about yesterday. My husband is the best kind of husband, and little me… somehow I found him.
He never forgets me. His daily actions are often – nearly always – for my benefit. He wants me to be happy. He does things simply because he knows I like them.
The sea, for example. Making sure we camp near water. Giving me time to write. Letting me be with myself. Making sure I’m okay.
And still, those simple words yesterday – he had no idea how much love lived inside them.
A magical morning in front of the camper
So many words about my husband and love today. Maybe it’s this magical morning. Sometimes in the background I hear a lonely car far away, a dog barking in the distance, birds singing – and the occasional magpie screeching.
The grass is damp with dew, and the summer morning is warm and gentle. I’m lucky enough to sit under the awning outside LVL² and blog – just like I was longing for last night.
Back at Töreboda Camping
We returned to Töreboda Camping this weekend. We were here a few weeks ago. It’s a great place for kids – no jumping pillow, but there’s a pool. It’s close to town, and we’ve promised the little one a visit to Mandy’s Diner.
My husband made a reservation for tonight. The little one has to try their hamburgers – they’re in a class of their own. I don’t even like burgers usually, but I love theirs. We want our boy to have that experience.
Swimming and soft ice cream
Yesterday, I took the little one to the pool. It was crowded and the water was warm – not even cooling. But he wanted to swim, and since I’m the one who loves water, it was me who went in with him.
Afterward, we had soft ice cream on the way back to the camper. So convenient to have my wallet loaded into my Garmin watch – just tap and pay.
A new watch – and kids who figure everything out
Speaking of which, I bought myself a new Garmin watch. My old one – also a Garmin – needed charging every five days, and I got tired of that. This one lasts eleven.
The girl got my old watch, and the boy got the one she received years ago but never used – maybe because it looked “too boyish.”
The little one loves his watch. After just a few days, he’s already figured out all its functions. Every morning he gives me a sleep report, shows me the flashlight feature, and tells me it’s “smart.”
He’s even activated a digital voice that tells him he’s cooler than a penguin and as fantastic as a cat lying in the sun on the grass.
Who even needs things like that? But maybe I’m wrong. If you don’t already carry those feelings inside, maybe you need help practicing them – until you believe them yourself.
Reflective quote: ”Maybe you need to hear it – before you can believe it.”
Callout – What do you think?
Have you ever experienced a morning where everything just felt right?
Has someone said something to you that meant more than they realized?
Do you believe a few kind, silly digital words could actually build self-worth?
Closing words
So what kind of post is this? A jumble of morning thoughts. The coffee’s gone cold – as it usually does when my fingers start writing. I could write ten thousand more words, but who would read them?
Thank you for staying with me all the way to the end. That makes you magical.
Reflection
Sometimes love doesn’t shout – it whispers. It’s not in grand gestures, but in the song that reminds someone of you, the coffee left to grow cold, or the way someone makes space for your joy. And maybe, in a little watch that tells you: “You’re wonderful, just as you are.”
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It’s not always the big adventures that stay in your heart – sometimes it’s just a day filled with presence, swimming, cinnamon buns and conversation. And sometimes, it’s in the reflection afterward that we truly see what our children need.
A Day to Keep in My Heart
I’m sitting on the sofa with my morning coffee. Yesterday, I didn’t write a post – but for a good reason. The whole day was filled with joy and togetherness.
We were up before seven, ready to meet my little brother and his family for breakfast at Coop. Not a hotel buffet, but close – scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh rolls, yogurt, cereals, juice. We met at 8:00 and enjoyed the morning together. After that, some quick shopping – snacks, drinks, cookies.
Then we drove to Lanesund, our favorite beach. We spent four or five hours there. The kids, especially my boy and my niece, swam almost the entire time. Only surfacing to eat a bun or a waffle – then straight back into the water. It was summer at its best.
After the beach, we grabbed some food at McDonald’s. Later that evening, they came to our house again – bringing fruit salad, chips, and a bit of rosé wine. It was too warm on the patio, so we moved to the front side, where the hammock hangs in the shade. We talked for hours. The kids came out for fruit salad and chips now and then.
The Computer – A Place for Recovery
This morning, I realize what a valuable day it was. My boy said he had a “great day.” He didn’t even miss his computer – and that says a lot. From morning till night, he was fully present in play and connection.
But in the evening, he needed to unplug. To enter his game world. Their daughter didn’t enjoy that part, but we saw it differently. For us, it’s his way of resting.
In our home, we’ve always seen computer games as more than just screen time. It’s a way to pause. For some children – especially those with ADHD – it’s a safe space. In the game, they’re in control. They decide the pace, the story, the limits. And when it gets too much – one click, and it all stops.
Real life doesn’t offer that. Input comes without a pause button. Expectations pile up. So being able to retreat into one’s own space, even for a while – that matters.
Today’s Plan
Today will be a slower day. We’ll pack the motorhome, do a bit of gardening, some laundry. For dinner: pancakes with ice cream and jam. Too hot for anything else.
What do you think?
– How do you see screen time and recovery for kids? – Do you need to “retreat into your bubble” sometimes? – Can computers be a shield, not just a distraction?
Reflection
Understanding our children’s needs is a journey. Sometimes they need play and sun – sometimes a quiet world behind a screen. Both are real. Both are important.
Live today and act today. Yesterday is history and may hold dear memories. Tomorrow won’t arrive until tomorrow – and it might carry emotions born from today, from right now. Yesterday has left its marks on this day, in the shape of memories.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson
A little callout
Just a small spotlight on my neighbor’s YouTube channel – where she creates educational videos for young children. Click the image or this link to explore a collection of short films designed to help little ones understand life, emotions, and the world around them.
An unusually ordinary morning. A husband who was awake before me. And a cat who’d been out all night – even though he’s not allowed to. In our home, the roles are clear: I’m the lunch lady and the cleaner, my husband is the cozy corner. But sometimes, routines shift, and then it becomes clear just how much space a little meow can take in our hearts.
An Awake Husband and That Darn Cat
I’ve been awake for a while now, but it was an unusual morning here at home. Not because the cat was lying on top of me to wake me up – he always does that, I’m the one who feeds him. Not even because he jumped up on my legs and patted me with his paw to remind me about breakfast. No, what was unusual was that my husband was already awake.
That happens rarely. Maybe three or four times in all our years together. But today was one of those days.
And I know why.
A Restless Night with the Cat
Findus – my husband’s little cat, his darling and best friend – had been outside all night. Something he absolutely isn’t allowed to do, according to my husband. The cat usually comes in by the evening, but last night he never showed up. And he already seemed a bit under the weather before he went out, which made my husband even more worried.
So there he sat, awake and anxious, with worried eyes and his heart in his throat. Waiting. Listening for every sound. I fell asleep long before he did, so I don’t know how long he lay there listening for the cat. That’s why he was up before me this morning.
Morning Routine with Cat – and Milk in the Coffee
When I woke up, the cat was lying on me as usual. I got up, pressed the button on the coffee machine, poured in milk – and the cat started pawing my legs. Breakfast time. I went to his “pantry,” an IKEA drawer, grabbed his food, and walked toward his bowl.
He attacked my hands as I lifted the bowl – as he always does – and then gobbled his food down. Afterwards, he clawed at the living room chair, meowed, and wanted to go out again. I opened the patio door. He stared at me. I closed the door. He stared at me again. I told him it was raining. Then he slowly approached, his tail waving gently. I opened the door again. This time, he went out.
A Love Story Between a Cat and a Man
The cat isn’t just a pet in this house. He’s my husband’s baby. Meow-meow. Prince Findus. Yes, he probably has ten nicknames.
If anyone ever hurt the cat – my husband would be there like a front-line soldier. He carries the cat inside, dries him off, takes care of him. Me? I’m just the sidekick. I clean, feed, scoop the litter boxes, and try to stop the cat from sneaking in with half-alive prey.
My husband gets the cuddles. The cat seeks him out, purrs in his lap. I just get the shadow of their bond. Jealous? Not of the cat – maybe a little of my husband, who escapes all the work but still gets all the love.
Oops – I guess this turned into a cat post! I was actually going to write about my neighbor.
Want to read the next part where I talk about my neighbor’s YouTube channel, AI as a coworker, and what I really meant to write about? Click here to read Part 2: A YouTube Channel, AI as a Colleague – and Newfound Knowledge
Thank you again for reading my blog. It means more than you know.
Carina Ikonen Nilsson
Reflection:
Sometimes it’s those little shifts in everyday life that speak the loudest. Like who wakes up first. Or who waits by the door. Love can look like a tail waving in the rain – or a glance between a man and a cat.
Carina Ikonen Nilsson ”Live today, right now – yesterday rests in history, and tomorrow waits in the distance. Right now is what matters.”
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