Boris Update!
Our newest member of our Gullringstorp family, Boris is doing just fine.
He seems to be enjoying his new home. He watches the cats and our little Max through the plexy glass on his enclosure. He can be found on every shelf and resting area provided him. He has finally found his heated shelf and seems to enjoy it. He hasn’t started to eat yet but I offer him a nice bowl of delicious chopped veggies: kale, carrots, zucchini and apple. If the plate is untouched in the evening, it goes into the chicken’s bowl. He will soon start eating. He’s still adjusting.
I am so glad he is here with us at Gullringstorp!
Neighbor Party August 2013
At a Neighbor Party, the hosts, organize the entire evening for us. There are the games that start the evening off, then we retire to indoors for a beautifully laid buffet. After the meal comes desert along with coffee, then godis (candy snacks) and snaps and cognac. There will be active conversation from the recent harvest, to hat or straw bales to tractors. Information is shared and everyone, up and down our table is engaged in a conversation. After tractors, our end of the table was relegated to discussions about goats, then the soap making business, then tractors again. Our hosts were kind enough to arrange for a mini bus to pick us all up at preplanned locations. This was so kind and allowed everyone to be free to drink as much as they wanted and not have to worry about the drive home. When we arrived at our host’s Inn (Värdshuset) in the woods just minutes away from Gullringstorp, our hosts greeted us outside in the garden. We were told of the events of the evening. I am pretty sure that this tradition is only in our neck of the woods, but there are outdoor activities well planned out for all the guests to participate in. Everyone enjoys the fun , no matter how silly. It’s great to see all of our hard-working neighbors leave the worried of the world behind and just have FUN! Our Planned evening:
Station 1 : Drinks! We walked through the beautiful woods and came upon the first station. There we had our choice of drink, beer, whisky etc.
Station 2: Driving! We were all wondering what we would be driving. We soon found out.
Station 3 : Tossing Frogs ! Oh dear, I all could think was, poor little frogs!
Station 4: Hot Air Balloons! We had no idea. We soon found out.
Station 5: Up to our waist in water !!! Oh dear! Station 6: Tire toss! Tire toss???? Oh dear.
Gathering at the Inn
Our hostess came out to greet us
Our host also came to greet us
Our hostess filled us in on our activities for the evening
Gustav thought our activities sounded fun
Station 1 Drinks. I had a white wine and my husband had a whisky 
Station 2: Driving!!
Remote controlled driving!
Station 3: Tossing Frogs Luckily they were NOT real frogs, but jelly frogs!
A bucket full of jelly green frogs
This is the water bucket we tossed the frogs into
preparing to toss little green frogs
Leif tossing while Irene keeps score
Station 4: Hot air balloon Object of the game was to hold a balloon between your legs and walk around a chair 3 times
Station 5 : Up to your waist in water ! We weren’t actually! there was a glass of water on a piece of paper and the object was to pull the paper without spilling the water. What fun we had and so many laughs
Hard to see, but there is the glass sitting on a piece of paper
Station 6 : Tire Toss For some reason, I was picturing tractor tires and this would be an event for the men. What a surprise to find out that it was a bike tire to be tosses over the back of a wooden lawn chair. It was a lot of fun for all. I made it twice!
Go Irene !
Almost there Irene !
Go Leif !
Bosse made it over the chair!
All our event photos are only of my other team mates. The other teams were ahead of us and we didn’t really see them except at the end when al got together at the end. 
After all the teams had completed all the events, we waited for our hostess to welcome us inside to sit for our meal and drinks. 
a bit of nature brought inside
We had a beautiful buffet in the next room
A side board was laden with many varieties of tea and beautiful antique tea cups
Two very old beautiful paintings were hung in the buffet room
One of the many antique lighting fixtures that were in the Inn
A delicious variety of salads were prepared for us
This was my plate, an assortment of salads, pork and the ham, onion and egg pie with a roll with cheese
We had wine and snaps along with beer
Our hostess had assistants to take our beverage orders. They were so nice.
Our host in deep conversation with one of the guests
We enjoyed the beautiful meal and then it was time for a traditional Swedish event, Snaps Songs. We each got printed out song lists with lyrics and even the name of a familiar song that was the tune for this Snaps Song. We had lots of fun and everyone participated, even my husband.
This song was about O.P. a favorite variety of Snaps
After the songs we had desert and coffee.
A sweet little cake and my tea
It is a Swedish tradition for someone to stand up and say a special toast of thanks to our hosts. Our hosts were thanked not only for the wonderful time, but for the food , drinks and good company. This evening it was my husband.
After some time has passed and we have all had plenty to eat and drink, it’s time for an all time favorite at our neighbor parties, Grilled Korv ( Hot Dogs) ! 
To our hosts, Ann-Marie och Carl-Eric, we send a warm THANK YOU for such a lovely evening ! To our neighbors we send a warmTHANKS for the evening’s enjoyable companionship. To our neighbors who were unable to attend, you were MISSED, but please enjoy the fun here.
Paris in December Part 2
So far, you could see that we ate our way around Paris. What can I say, we like our food and has Paris has the most fantastic food. Well, we didn’t just eat our way around Paris, we enjoyed many cultural pursuits as well. This City Girl turned Country Gal really enjoyed the city, once again!
My daughter and I love ballet and especially the Paris Opera Ballet :
Inside the Paris Opera
Beautiful
For the costumes above
For the costumes above
Curtain call at the ballet
We also enjoyed some great exhibits in some of the museums in Paris:
Musée d’Orsay
It was a rainy day but that didn’t stop us or anyone else
This was the exhibit we viewed
Another rainy day, but that didn’t stop us. We enjoyed some of our favorite paintings at the Louvre
Just some of our favorites:
My daughter especially loves the bookshops in Paris. She speaks and reads French fluently so the bookshops are a delight for her. I enjoy them also, even though I don’t speak French:
La hune one of my daughter’s favorite book shop
Polish Book Shop that always has beautiful windows which we enjoy every year
Oh, beautiful bookshops!
Shops and Holiday decorations in Paris:
Le Bon Marche one of our most favorite department stores
Window decorations at Le Bon Marche
Window decorations
I have never seen a merry-go-round in a toy department of any store, but in Paris at Le Bon Marche
Exquisite costumes for little girls with big imaginations
A wrapped up BHV department store as you enter Le Marais
Sorry I forgot some food photos:
A lovely restaurant we went to for the first time
,,
No trip to Paris would be complete with out a trip to Notre Dame:
A view of Notre Dame from a bridge
850 Year anniversary
A tasteful decoration at the entrance
We were able to book seats for the Messiah at the Theatre des Champs-Élysées- what a wonderful experience:
The Theatre des Champs-Élysèes
Beautiful Holiday decorations near the Champs Élysées
Blue was the color of most of the decorations throughout Paris this year
This next video I took from our seats way up at the top, over heads, while standing and leaning. Honestly, it’s mainly for listening to not really viewing because of my view. Sorry. Maybe you can start the video and then close your eyes and just listen. I hope you can still enjoy this beautiful encore:
Paris in December Part 1
The beginning of the New Year has been very busy here at Gullringstorp and at Li’l Sis Goat Milk Soap. After all the fun of the holidays, it is time to set down some plans for the new year and to start putting those plans into action. I have been trying to get up to date with my blog after the holiday absence. I still have much to share about the goings on in my stable.
Before it’s too late, I would like to share a bit of our annual Holiday trip to Paris. This is our 11th year, just my daughter and I we stay at the same family run hotel, visit our favorite restaurants , book stores, churches and museums. We have been lucky to be able to attend wonderful ballet while in Paris for the week before Christmas.
I would like to share some Paris moments with you:
Delicious food and treats of Paris:
Lovely basket of bread
Where we get our delicious Greek sandwiches that we eat standing on our bridge
Breakfast at Café de Flore
Café de Flore croissants
Café de Flore breakfast setting
Hot chocolate at Café Flore, just the very best
Beautiful setting
Dressed hot chocolate servers. Beautiful handle covers to keep from burning your fingers when you pour
Our favorite falafel lunch in le Marais
Sauce choices for our falafels
Le Marais, Paris
Tea service at Café de Flore
Café Rostand our favorite place for a late lunch or early dinner. Fantastic food and if you are fortunate, exciting conversation with a neighbor at the next table.
Chocolat viennois
French Onion soup
Quiche Lorraine
Tarte aux Framboises a lovely and delicious end to a fantastic meal
A fun thing in Paris is seeing well behaved dogs sitting with their owners in restaurants. What’s even better is to be able to meet and get to know the cat or dog whoes home is the shop or restaurant. This is the restaurant cat at Cafè Rostand
This little kitty was so sweet and curious. She was a delight to watch.
Just look at that cute face! What a view as you enjoy your meal.
Macaroons at the famous Ladurée in Paris. After years of enjoying the window and displays, we went in and bought some for the very first time. Wow!!
A beautiful box to hold beautiful treats
A chocolate macaroon… just delightfully delicious…
Welcome back for Part 2, museums, ballet and Holiday sights in Paris.
GullringstorpGoatGal
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