It’s been a while…it’s amazing how time gets away from you. I completely intended to blog over the last couple of months but it’s amazing how time just gets away from you. We had a great trip to New York for Thanksgiving, Niagara & even squeezed in a couple of days in Iceland (definitely my favourite country so far) on our way back home to Sweden.
Anyway, as with every year, 2014 was a year of ups and downs for us. All kinds of great things have happened: moving countries, running marathons, releasing 2 new EPS, starting new musical projects, making new connections…the list goes on. But we also had some sad losses this year, including the huge personal loss of my Grandpa.
I have become quite a thinker over the last few years…I ponder on life’s events a fair amount and as we approached the end of 2014, I began to think about how little we know at the start of a new year. This was the theme for my latest blog post over at Salt of the Sound which I would encourage you to take a peek at.
2015…Here we are! What will happen? We don’t fully know. Will it be a year of successes? Lessons? Or losses? They’ll probably all weave their way in there in some way, shape or form. But we need to be content with the not knowing…and trust that it is in good hands!
Gott Nytt År (Happy New Year) from Sweden! Let’s make 2015 count!
Anita x x x
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Central Park, New York City
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View from Rockerfeller Center, New York City
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Aboard the Maid of the Mist, Niagara Falls, Canada
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Niagara Falls
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Enjoying Iceland
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Iceland in the Snow
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Iceland
PS: Photo credits go to my husband ©Ben Tatlow 2014. You can check out his Flickr page here
Today, I say goodbye to one of the most influential people in my life. Gentleness and kindness sum up my Grandpa to the very core.
Back in July, when my Grandpa was busy “directing” his own funeral, we sat down and had a tender conversation in which he asked me to write a song for him, to be played at this time. He wanted the song to reflect how he had found such peace in knowing that God is right there – so close to you – and all the time, if you just reach out to him. And here it is, Grandpa’s song: ‘Closer’.
And I am so thankful that Grandpa got to hear his song in this life. Earlier this month, we were so fortunate to travel back to the UK to see him and play him his song. His response was simply, ‘It’s beautiful’. On the morning of his passing, my aunt played the song to him only once and, after a restless night, he finally passed away with his song playing in the background. And now he is at peace.
So Grandpa….
Thank you for the memories,
for listening & advising with such gentleness and love,
for your kind & giving spirit,
for your encouragement & support,
for your love & wisdom,
for your generosity & so much more.
…you have had a huge impact in shaping who I am. And I love you.
…Until we meet again… xoxo
When you live at any distance from family and friends, you really begin to treasure your time together more. Last week, we were able to head back to the UK to see some of our family and friends. I now find even greater joy in spending time with family, as I know our time together is limited. And as for our friends…well, it was just like old times – almost as if we had never left London to move to Stockholm.
I am grateful for these friendships – with both family and friends. Their support for what we are doing with our music means so much to both me and Ben.
Re-visiting the area around Wimbledon, where we used to live, was quite a strange experience but also helped us to gain a lot of perspective. Along with meaningful conversations with our afore-mentioned friends, it reminded us of the choices we have made, all that we have acheived over these last 9 months or so, and it excites me to discover the plans God has for our future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29 v. 11
I listen to this track quite a lot as I reflect and thank God for all He is doing in our lives. It’s an instrumental track from our latest Salt of the Sound EP – if you like it, it’s available on our bandcamp store.
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Do let me know what you think of the song. What good things is God doing in your life? Maybe you face similar challenges with distant loved ones? As always, I love to hear from you!
This year, I experienced my first complete Summer in Sweden (and luckily for me – it was a hot one!). The Swedes love the summer months, and after their long, dark winters, are known for embracing the summer sun in all its glory.
Midsummer is a big celebration in Sweden in June…but we missed most of this as we got the keys to our new flat 2 days before midsummer so you’ll have to wait until next year to hear my thoughts on this one…
The strangest thing I found about summer in Sweden is that everything closes down and everyone goes on holiday…I already knew this but the reality of it is bizarre. People take 4-5 weeks holiday and just leave the city. Cafes and restaurants close. The tubes run a very limited service. Things just stop. It’s actually quite nice…as long as you don’t need anything doing with any kind of urgency!
So what did we do during the long summer when the sun never seems to sleep? Well, alongside working; we fitted in some days at the beach, swimming in the lakes, joined some friends on their boat, enjoyed our new surroundings in Stockholm (including a few day trips out & about), took a staff trip to Tallinn, Estonia and this week, we said goodbye to the summer and welcomed the cooling autumn breeze with a trip to Yasuragi, a Japanese spa in Stockholm.
Now, I wait for all that autumn has to bring with anticipation – a season of change, creativity & expectation is upon us and I look forward to discovering what it holds in store…
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What is your favourite season? Are you longing for the fading summer or looking forward to cold winds of autumn & winter?
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here. Here is a brief insight into what we’ve been up to (in no particular order):
- Leading Summer Camp in Småland for 60 youth from Immanuel International Church (Stockholm) & Fisher’s Creek (Gothenburg).
- Involved in the life & ministry of Immanuel International Church.
- A short break to Oslo, Norway – just the two of us.
- Visiting family back in the UK & catching up with some friends too.
- Buying & moving into our own apartment in Stockholm.
- Enjoying the incredibly warm (& thunderstormy) Swedish Summer from said new apartment.
- Continuing to work on our musical projects as Salt of the Sound, Anita Tatlow & Benjamin Tatlow.
- Working on our global healthy living business & helping the new people in our team to do the same for themselves. Want to know more? Get in touch.
Exciting music news!
We are just putting the finishing touches together for our Brand New EP, entitled ‘Through the Mist’. You can read more about the inspiration behind this project over at our website.
And here is a preview track from the EP:
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or on SoundCloud. I always love to hear from you.
