The year 2025. Away is good, but home is best.
JANUARY. The year began with severe cold. Minus 20 degrees and snow. Gunnar went to Torsby and had a new hip joint implanted. Everything went well and he returned home the next day with crutches. Sickan has a new friend, Pax, My and Linn’s brown Labrador, who is moving to Karlstad. FEBRUARY. We travel to Gothenburg to see Inger Carlsson’s exhibition at Galleri Anna H. The grandchildren go skating on the lake and the ice rink. We sing in the Grafva church choir and give a concert. Kickis choir, Stämma, sang at Rebeckorna at Odd Fellow. MARCH. We launch the boat in Gapern. Martin helps us. The lake is ice-free and it’s time to prepare for pikeperch fishing. Gunnar has eye lid surgery. We train at Actic a couple of times a week. Stämma performs a Maria concert in both Grafva and Forshaga churches.
APRIL. Ebba turned 11 and got a new bike. Martin turned 40. Kicki knits sweaters. A beautiful Setesdal sweater for Gunnar, which became too small, so Emma got it. We put up nets. Pikeperch and perch in the freezer. Gunnar has an art exhibition in Fryksta in Kil. Astrid and Emma are building a new deck. It will be beautiful. MAY. Martin and Maria are planting a new potato patch in the garden. Horse manure does the trick. Gunnar turns 75. We celebrate with a small party on Astrid and Emma’s new porch. Mina turns 5. Gunnar’s new book, “En droppe bläck” (A Drop of Ink), comes off the press. JUNE. Gunnar gives the opening speech at the KRUT round in Ulvsby and exhibits at Siw and Lars-Göran’s in Brandsbol. We travel to Rhodes with the whole family and celebrate a bunch of anniversaries. We fly from Karlstad. We stay in central Rhodes town, go to the beach and swim, and explore the old town. We rent two minibuses and travel around to discover more of the island. It’s pleasantly warm on land and in the water.
JULY. Kicki turns 70 and celebrates by driving a Porsche and partying with the family all day. Warm, beautiful summer days. We take a trip to Dalarna, visit Nygårds-Anna in Boda, Tina and Hans, Luifran and Stefan in Falun. We celebrate Svante in Västerås, who turned three. We visited the Rådmanns in Mariefred. AUGUST. We celebrate Irma’s 14th birthday. We took a trip with Ebba and Irma to Niklasdamm and looked at all the geraniums there. Sickan and Pax visit us in Norum. We enjoy swimming in Gapern. Good temperature. SEPTEMBER. We traveled to Greece and rented the upper floor of Christina and Leif Fryle’s house in Mani. We rented a car and drove around the mountains and along the coast. We visited the island of Monemvasia. Three wonderful weeks. Opening of the Autumn Salon at the Värmland Museum. I brought a painting. Kickis Kör Stämma gave a Marian concert in Högerud Church.
OCTOBER. We participate in the Autumn Market at Chark & Deli in Lamberget. Selling Karlstad paintings. Visit from relatives from the US. Cousin Sue and her family from Indiana. A pleasant meeting. Gunnar curates the Autumn Salon in Säffle. Celebrating Lovis’s 5th birthday. The music classes gave an autumn concert in Tingvallakyrkan. Beautiful and lovely. In Norum, the water is turned off and the boat is on land. Kicki and Stämma are moving out of Spinneriet and into Bageriet on Orrholmen. Nice rehearsal space. NOVEMBER. Gunnar is learning how to make sausage at Tobias’s Chark & Deli. Baking sourdough bread. Dinner with Birgitta. There is a lot of music. Request concert with the Wermland Opera Orchestra and conductor Cathrine Winnes at CCC. Lisa Nilsson and her band give a lovely concert. Ebba and Gunnar jam on the guitar. Värmland Book Festival at Nöjesfabriken. Bianca Kronlöf is a hit. Gunnar has an exhibition at Galleri Zausnig & Hjorth. Sells 14 paintings. We enjoy a delicious breakfast and a wonderful spa at Fratelli. We build gingerbread houses with Ebba and Selma. Fiber is installed at the cottage in Norum. Irma dances beautifully with her company Shape. Candle making at Astrid and Emma’s house. We sing in Advent at Grava Church.
DECEMBER. The last month of the year begins wet, dark, and mild. Our beautiful Advent tree lights up the back of our townhouse. Musikhjälpen lights up Stora Torget. Opening concert at the new Bageriet with the Wermland Opera Orchestra. Selma turns 11. Ebba has a cheerleading performance at Fröding Arena. Nobel dinner with Birgitta and Micke. Stämma gives a concert at Dömle and Almars Gård. Wine tasting evening with sparkling wine as a birthday present from Ulrik and Anna-Lena. Big Lucia concert at Carlstad CCC with all the music classes. Afterwards, we were invited to a glögg party at friends’ house in Lorensberg. Gunnar had a board meeting with Värmländsk Kultur at Peter Franke’s house at Sundsta torg. Delicious Christmas food and pleasant conversation. The choir sang at Kronoteket together with Ann’s students. Christmas concert with the church choir in Grava Church. And then Christmas arrives…
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026.
Kicki and Gunnar
