Etikett: personal blog

Sometimes a motorhome weekend in Sweden begins long before the engine starts.
That’s the case this time – with freshly washed curtains, a living room that suddenly feels more harmonious, and a weekend waiting to be filled with both stillness and small adventures.

For those of you who follow my blog, the week has also brought other reflections – from the latest part of the Oskar Series to my post on ADHD in Everyday Life – Burnt Butter, Wardrobe Projects and Brave Steps. And did you know I now blog in both Swedish and English? Read this post in Swedish → På väg mot stillhet – en husbilshelg i Sverige och tankar längs vägen

The Journey That Began Yesterday

Even though we haven’t left the driveway yet, the motorhome weekend in Sweden really began yesterday. Not with driving away, but with those small preparations that set the tone.
I put a few things into the motorhome – nothing big, but still the bits that needed to be in place.

Then I decided to buy curtains. Fresh, new curtains. And not only that – I also decided to wash them before they had even been hung. My poor husband had to help, even though he was tired after work. But now they’re up in the living room, and the whole space feels different.

New green curtains in the living room, hung while still damp to dry straight, with plants and a cat tree in front of the windows.

New curtains – hung straight from the washing machine. Damp curtains dry neatly and let in just the right amount of light.

Grandma’s table now stands neatly with a cloth in the same fabric. No piles, no sketchpads – just a bare, beautiful table. It’s a rare feeling, as that table is usually both a dumping ground and an art desk. But today I decided: if I want to draw, I’ll go down to the basement and bring up my art supplies. This way, we won’t have corners of the house turning into workspaces whenever the mood strikes.

Freshly cleaned dining table with a green tablecloth, neatly set without clutter – ready for the weekend’s motorhome trip. — Clean table before the motorhome weekendGrandma’s table – for once without piles or sketchpads. Ready for a weekend with more calm than clutter.

Dining table covered with everyday items – magazines, pens, cereal container, and art supplies – as it usually looks. — This is how the table usually looks – full of everyday life and ongoing projects.

New Curtains, New Calm

We even got new curtains in the bedroom. Freshly washed and still damp when I hung them – my trick to avoid ironing. They dry straight and smooth in place, and the room suddenly feels both lighter and fresher.

However, this post isn’t really about curtains – it’s about the fact that we’re heading off today.

Back to Hanatorp

We simply couldn’t get enough of Hanatorp, so we’re taking another trip there. My husband’s brother is there, and they wanted to spend some time together. I don’t know what “cousin vitamin” has planned for the weekend, but if they’re there, they’ll definitely get a hello.

Since this is the last weekend before school starts, it feels extra special to get away. After this, it’ll just be Fridays or Saturdays, depending on how tired everyone is.

The Weekend Plan

This weekend, I intend to enjoy myself. Relax. Blog. And, of course, keep developing the Oskar Series. Perhaps I’ll add a few lines here and there, somewhere between my coffee cup and the evening sunset.

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A Question for You

Where do you find your stillness?
By the sea, at a campsite, on the sofa with a cup of tea – or perhaps when you give yourself permission to simply be?
Share in the comments; I’d love to hear from you.

Reflection

It’s strange how small things can change the feeling of an entire home.
A pair of new curtains, a clear table – and suddenly it feels like I’ve made more space, not just in the room but in my mind as well. This weekend, I want to take that feeling with me on the road. To let it remind me that sometimes it only takes small changes to set life in a new direction.

Between the Lines – My Voice

This isn’t really about curtains, Hanatorp, or even the motorhome.
It’s about creating space for what matters. About choosing less clutter so I can enjoy the present more. And about giving myself time – both at home and while traveling – to simply breathe.

”Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now – this is where life happens.” – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

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Att vara mormor och farmor – mellan närhet och saknad, symboliserat av en brygga ut mot havet.

Quiet Saturday Reflection – and a Post Waiting to Be Born

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 9 augusti 2025

i År inlägg 2025, Malix – personligt & bloggen, Reflektion & självläkning

This Is Not a Post About Answers – It’s a Post About Waiting

Read this post in Swedish-Stilla lördagsreflektion – och ett inlägg som vill födas

Foreword

It’s Saturday.
The coffee is steaming, and the house is quiet. Because of that, I find myself listening inward. There is nothing I have to do right now – yet, there is something I want to do.
The words are whispering. A post is on its way. I do not yet know what it will be about. However, I already know it wants to be written. And, of course, it wants to be written by me.

A Quiet Saturday Reflection

Today is one of those days when I simply listen. I listen to the sound of the keyboard, but also to the cat lying next to me, and to something inside me that is moving slowly – yet clearly. As a result, I begin to think about tomorrow’s post, the one that will be written by me. At the same time, I want it to land with you, the reader. Yet I also realize that I cannot know exactly how it will land with you – or what you might carry with you afterward.

I imagine that tomorrow’s post will grow out of just this – out of stillness, out of the pause.

A Letter, Perhaps?

Perhaps it will turn into a letter to someone I miss.
Or, on the other hand, it might become a thought about why Sundays sometimes feel empty – and other times, sacred. Maybe I will write about love, the kind that no longer has room in relationships. Or perhaps it will end up somewhere else entirely – somewhere everyday, somewhere you might recognize yourself in.

When the Time Is Right

We will see. The words will come when they are ready. That moment arrives when I have untangled the thoughts and found the right feeling – the one that allows the words to simply spill out of me. That is when time stands still, and I step into my writing bubble. Eventually, that bubble will lead me to the finished post.

Often, that is exactly how my posts are born. Afterwards, when the piece is complete, I realize that an hour or two has passed without me noticing – and I have been living entirely in writing time.

Callout

What do Saturdays usually feel like for you?
Are they a moment of rest – or just a short pause before the next demands?

Reflection – A Quiet Saturday Reflection

Some posts are born out of chaos.
Others are born out of silence.
This one is born out of waiting. And waiting, after all, is also a place.

PayPal – Support My Writing

If you would like to support my writing and help the blog continue to live, you can do it here:
→ Support the blog via PayPal

”Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now – this is where life is happening.” – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Here you can read: The End of Summer – and a Grief That Never Truly Pauses

AHA – Between the Lines

It doesn’t matter that I do not know yet. I write anyway, listening to the thoughts that begin to form. And it is in that listening that I find my way home to myself.

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