Gaining Mo-mentum

Roman Holiday

2012-02-11T09:16:00.009-07:00

Sorry about the gaps in posting. It's time to get back in the saddle, I guess. January and February have been full months. I was able to go to Utah for nine days in January to help Carrie with her darling little boy. Never mind that he had a time table of his own and was already a month old when I arrived, it was wonderful to meet him. I had the wonderful bonus of being there when Amy and Chris received word that they were to be the proud parents of a beautiful little boy through adoption. He is also a darling addition to the family and I was in baby heaven.

It was so gratifying to meet both of those precious babies and we hope these two boys will be best buddies in the coming years!

The first two weeks of February have been our regular shut down weeks for cleaning and repairs in the temple. My brother Randy and his wife Penny arrived the last day the temple was open in time to go on the last session and then we had a week together to show them why we love Stockholm so much. Even though it was snowy and cold, they were terrific sports and now know as much about Swedish history and culture and most Swedes!

What?!? The Vasa sank????

They even traveled by train with us to a speaking assignment three hours away and bore their testimonys in a sacrament meeting! What troopers!

Saturnus Hot Chocolate! What! Is this heaven?

Stockholm's smallest statue

Randy and Penny left to go to Paris and we hopped on a plane the next day for Rome--a dream come true! What an experience! We lucked into a wonderful little boutique hotel where the room was beautiful and the service amazing.

Hotel Mascagni

This is the land of ancient ruins, exquisite art, gelato, tiny little cars, religious devotion, scooters, friendly people, packed subway cars, creative street performers, pickpockets, and did I mention the artwork?

Ah, Bernini--his angels are the best!

Just one word.....GELATO!

We spent four days with Bernini, Michelangelo, and Raphael. We saw the imposing and awe-inspiring St. Peters Basilica, and toured the Vatican Museums where the art and architecture were overwhelming.

Michelangelo's exquisite Pieta

St. Peters--the scale is incredible

The main alter in St. Peters

The Pantheon

Pope Paul II

He looked pretty good considering....

The Roman forum

The hall of maps in the Vatican Museums

The Pope lives in the upper right hand corner of this building. It appeared he was home that evening--the lights are on in his bedroom and study.

I had Rick Steve's guidebook to Rome on my Kindle--a great resource. Thanks for the suggestion, Amy! I know, my head is in a book and we are standing in front of Castel Sant Angelo--according to Dan Brown's book, the headquarters of the ancient secret cult the Illuminati! I think he used a lot of literary license!

Pack jammed into a Rome metro car at rush hour--an experience never to be fogotten!

Ever seen a gladiator on a cell phone? He's no Russell Crow!

Here's my gladiator!

My personal favorite--Bernini's The Ecstacy of St. Teresa. It is still awe-inspiring and still generating controversy and commentary after all these years. A classic baroque piece!

Finally, here we are in front of the Trevi fountain where you throw a coin in the fountain and make a wish. It will insure that you someday return to Rome. There was so much we didn't have time to see and take in--I hope the magic of the fountain works!
Arrivederci Roma!

Last Christmas in Sweden

2011-12-26T04:10:00.001-07:00

Christmas Images 2011

Christmas Eve Julbord for the temple missionaries

Vårdinge Parish early Christmas morning service

Later Christmas Morning

I have no photos of skyping with our family members but it was in many ways the best part of the day! It was so fun to see our children, grandchildren (including the newest one), siblings, a nephew with his new baby, and speak with my mom on the phone. We hope to see those we missed soon!

This last part is called

A Very Near Christmas Miss

We had a very strong wind storm on Christmas night which knocked over a large tree just outside the fence around the temple. It slightly damaged the fence and came very close to landing on our nativity. I am sure our little donkey was quite shaken by the event! It was a little too close for comfort!

On that note....

Thank you for your love, generosity, and the heartfelt Christmas Greetings we have received from family and friends. And as they say in Sweden at this time of year....

Happy Continuation!!!

We Have a White Christmas!

2011-12-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

At least we have a little snow on the ground right now so it is looking hopeful for Christmas. We continue to enjoy the sights and sounds of this glorious time of year.

The Lucia concert at Globen was magical with beautiful lights and heavenly music.

We made a quick trip into Stockholm last Monday to see the windows at NK Department Store. While last years' were a disappointment, it looks like they are back in the game with this years' window decoration.

The theme was showing Santa (or Jultomten) in different roles:

I like this gingerbread version of the pig's head on the table instead of the real thing! Everything on this Julbord is made of candy!

Apparently in Sweden Santa can change genders...well, it is Sweden.

Santa's little potty cleaning elf

Santa deciding what to wear

This past weekend we took a ferry to Gotland to be with the little branch there for their Christmas party on Saturday evening and to speak in Church on Sunday. They are few in numbers but strong in Spirit! Gotland never ceases to amaze me in its charm and quaintness. Everywhere we looked it was like a scene from a Christmas card. We had a little time on Saturday morning to explore so we drove way to the end of Gotland to an island called Fårö where Ingemar Bergman had his home. The weather was cold, windy, and wet but the scenery was worth it!

Gotland is famous for its sheep. They are a special variety native to Gotland.

The countryside is dotted with Medieval churches which are beautiful.

An old village in the country

One of their famous "rauksten" or sandstone formations.

The children in the branch enjoy a Christmas snack

We all danced silly dances around the Christmas tree

Visby street in December--about 3 in the afternoon!

This is what most of Visby looks like

Doesn't it just make you hurt with picturesqueness?

May your days be merry and bright, and may your 2011 Christmas be white....unless you are in Texas, and then let it at least be cool!

Jul Kool

2011-12-11T08:35:00.001-07:00

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get! Here's what we've been up to lately...besides being in that big white building next door doing good stuff.
After a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with our temple missionaries and others, we kicked off the official Christmas season like this:

A beautiful advent concert in Katarina kyrka the last Sunday of November. It was heavenly music. The best concert ever! The most beautiful music to be found. We love this annual tradition.

A performance if Messiah in Storkyrka in Gamla stan--a never to be forgotten experience, even if the benches were murder to sit on and we were packed in like sardines! We had to do it at least once!

I love this statue in Storkyrka of St. George and the dragon from the 1400's. The sculptor used real elk horns to make the the spines on the dragon. He is fearsome and wild! Notice the sweet pious maiden to the left, who is being rescued by Saint Göran, as he is called here.

PKO described one the sweetest events this month so far, in his update. We had a group of Primary children come to the temple from one of our little branches. They came into the annex and sat in the dining room for a little presentation from one of our recorders and then the President came in and visited with them. They were thrilled and so happy to be there. What a great spirit they brought with them!

The children then went to the guest house where they enjoyed a little snack and decorated gingerbread cookies. As I was leaving the temple later that afternoon, I met all the children coming up the walk with their Branch President with their hands full of decorated cookies they had made just for us!

One little boy was holding his cookie tightly in his hand and when the others gave me the little tray with these cookies, he was still tightly holding onto his creation. I could tell he really didn't want to have to give away his decorated cookie. It had about a pound of candy and icing on it and it was an eight year old's dream cookie. I could tell just how he felt and if I had my choice, he could have kept it. His Branch President said to him, "Aren't you going to give Sister Oscarson your cookie?" He looked away...no eye contact. "Come on, you made it for the Oscarsons, right?" Oh, I could feel his pain and I wanted to just say, "Oh, let him keep it, it's okay with me!" But I knew his branch President was trying to help him learn something important so I smiled and held out my hand for his cookie. I told him what a beautiful job he had done decorating it for us and how grateful we were for his gift. I hope I thanked him satisfactorily. He slowly handed it to me with a sigh. Lesson learned. Life is full of hard decisions but hopefully he felt in that moment he handed me his precious cookie some joy and satisfaction in being unselfish and in performing an act of service for another. I treasure this cookie for what it represents. I love that little guy and will long remember his sacrifice.

This evening we are attending our third Lucia concert at The Globe. Maybe it won't take me so long to report on that event. It is always magical. In the meantime, may you feel the Spirit of Christmas in your hearts, may you thrill in the beautiful music of this season, and may you be surrounded by your loved ones.

I cannot end this post without proudly proclaiming that Carrie and Todd had a little boy born on Wednesday, December 7th at about 6:30 PM. He came a whole month early, his father was on a plane from Singapore rushing home to try and make the birth--unfortuantely he didn't, but was there shortly after the event. Blessedly, Carrie's sister Amy was by her side throughout the whole process. Thank you Amy for being there when I couldn't be. Oliver Kent Rhodes weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and is 19 inches long. We have waited for him to come for about 11 years so he is much loved, much appreciated, and somewhat of a miracle baby. Thanks to the whole village who helped get him here with your prayers, generosity, love, and service. He is a wondrous miracle and mother and son seem to be doing fine.

What a miraculous Christmas gift we have received! Congratulations Carrie and Todd!

Now that is what I call a Merry Christmas!!!

Buy Stomatol!

2011-11-20T07:20:00.001-07:00

This is a video of my favorite sign in Stockholm. What? You don't have a favorite sign where you live? You must not live in Stockholm! It turns out this particular sign has a bit of a history. The Stomatol sign has been a prominent local landmark in Stockholm since 1909. The sign is made from lightbulbs, not neon tubes, and was the first animated advertisement sign in Sweden. And now for your viewing pleasure: The Stomatol sign as seen from Slussen.

The advertising must work, I had to buy a tube of Stomatol to see what it was like. I like it. It's good toothpaste.

This is my contribution to good dental hygiene. Have a nice day and don't forget to SMILE!

The Great Rail Journey

2011-11-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

PKO's back problem still does not allow him to sit in a car for more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, but since we had an invitation to speak in Church in the Jönköping Ward this past Sunday, we decided to make our first journey by train. Jönköping is about three hours drive away and it didn't take much longer by train. Traveling by train has always seemed romantic, nostalgic, and slightly glamorous to me.

First we took the commuter train into Stockholm Central Station--I love the bustling feel of this place where everyone is either hurrying to catch their train to parts unknown or waiting patiently for the next phase of their journey.

We found our platform--thank heavens we didn't have to run full speed into a pillar to find our train. We got settled in our seats which we found to be much more roomy and comfortable than airplane seats! I entertained myself by watching "Sleepless in Seattle" on my ipod and the time passed quickly.

I was so engrossed in my movie I would have missed our one change of trains if Dad hadn't been watching. A quick change and we were on our way again towards Jönköping. The darkness and the fog added to the romantic atmosphere of the trip.

Sunday was a wonderful day. Dad taught a great lesson on the temple in RS/Priesthood and then we both spoke in Sacrament meeting. Afterwards, we were invited to the home of Maria and Dick Thörn and their three darling daughters. There was a wonderful spirit in their home and they showed us such great love and hospitality. We are so blessed to associate with the best people in the world!

The Thörns later drove us back to the train station where we reversed our journey. It seemed longer going home. I was glad to see the Stockholm Central sign appear.

The station was very busy for a Sunday night.

The most welcome sight is always the lighted temple with Moroni blowing his horn to greet us.

Dorothy was right, "There's no place like home," but I wouldn't mind another train journey sometime soon!

AAALLLLL ABOARRRD!!!

Bloggers Block

2011-11-07T06:26:00.001-07:00

We are still here! October was a tough month but we are still here and still kicking. I think I am suffering from bloggers block. We have been here for two years now and I think I am running out of new material. These weeks are passing by and we spend most of our time in the temple. We have had some extraordinary experiences there with couples being sealed, big youth groups doing baptisms, and own endowments but it does not seem appropriate to talk about it here and there are no pictures....hence, bloggers block.
PKO's back is still giving him fits and finding we have limitations is both a disappointment and revelation. What? Are we really getting older? How can that be? A 45 minute ride in the car to a speaking asssignment on Sundays just about incapacitates him. We have to go to Jönköping on Sunday to speak so we are taking the train so he can stand up and walk. It is a three and a half hour drive and it would do him in, I fear. So we are finding ways to deal with things and take it a day at a time.
What is a blog these days without some pictures? We were able to make the trip home to Utah for my father's funeral and it was a bittersweet time. I missed seeing my dad but it was wonderful to be with my mom, all seven of our children, and quite a few grandkids.

This is what I was missing, but it was so nice to spend time with Mom and see that she is living in a nice place with friends and family nearby to watch over her. She is a strong and amazing woman who continues to inspire us all.

They would have celebrated their 67th anniversary on Wednesday! We all miss you Dad!

And now some highlights from our trip.

The best part of being home--being with all of our children and some of the spouses! I absolutely love these people!

....and so I jumped into the middle of it all....

...and even got to celebrate my 61st birthday while there....

thanks to the hosts with the mosts--thanks for a wonderful party!

A shot of my girls...

Amer-cadamer and Suzie Petunia

The bud

Us with Emmeline Harris

Ceeb and Ems (with Todd alongside)

With Babs
(We like nicknames...)

Most of the grandkids, but not all!

Hey mister, is this heaven?

My Father, Theo James Green

2011-10-19T09:29:00.000-06:00

Theo "T.J." James Green

(November 30, 1925 - October 14, 2011)

“T.J.” Theo James Green 11/30/1925 - 10/14/2011 T.J was born to William Charles Green and Mary Olga Layton Green on November 30, 1925 in Salt Lake City. He married Jean Stringham on November 9, 1944 in Merced, California. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on June 18, 1945. T. J. was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and left a legacy of service for his family to follow. T.J. and Jean served a mission to Baguio, Philippines for eighteen months and also served a church-auditing mission for six years. He is survived by his wife Jean Stringham Green, son Larry S. (Shelley) Green, son Randy J. (Penny) Green, daughter Bonnie (Paul) Oscarson, and daughter Jan (Mark) Stubbs, and 19 grandchildren and 46 great-grandchildren with more on the way. He is also survived by his sisters Maxine McCallum and Patricia Blackley. He was preceded in death by daughter-in-law, Ruth Ann Green and brother Milton Charles Green. From the time T.J. was fifteen he worked for Wasatch Oil, which became Phillips Petroleum. He retired in 1988. He then helped start a research park development company. During World War II he served in the Army Air Corp and learned to pilot planes. He always had a love of planes and flying. His father taught him to finish conrete and his labors are in churches and homes wherever he lived. But more than anything he was a beloved friend, father and grandfather. We will miss him and we will miss his weekly letters. Funeral services will be held on Saturday October 22, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bountiful Utah East Stake Center 650 East 2150 South, Bountiful, Utah. Family may be greeted one hour before the service at the chapel. Interment will be at the Bountiful City Cemetery. The family suggests donations to the LDS Church Perpetual Education fund in lieu of flowers.

The above is the obituary for my father who passed away last week. I will write about him later--there are too many thoughts and feelings running through my head right now and I feel I could not do him justice. I need to process things for awhile. I will just say that I feel so blessed to have had this man for my father. He was a good man and a happy person. He spent his life serving the Lord and those around him. He led the way by example. He always lifted those around him and he has left the world a better place. He has written a weekly letter to me (and everyone else in the family) since I first left home 43 years ago and I will miss that cheerful happy note each week. It is hard to imagine my life without him there. We are off to say goodbye, pay tribute, and celebrate his life tomorrow. SLY, Dad.

It's My Own Fault

2011-10-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been tempting fate by bragging that I have not been sick for even a day since coming to Sweden. It was bound to happen then that this week I have had a seriously rough case of the flu. I have literally been flat on my back in bed for three days with headache, chills, fever, aches and pains, a cough, and stuffy head. I thought at times I was going to die. I didn't care, there are moments I would have welcomed it! I think I have turned a corner and may just live. I miss being at the temple. Right before my bout with flu we had two delightful visits with dear friends. First Jim and Arlene McCauley came to visit for a week on their way home from their mission in Siberia. He was a missionary companion of Dad's, a BYU roommate, and best man at our wedding. He loves Sweden and it was fun to hang out with them, show them some of our favorite hidden places, and have them in the temple.

This past weekend, Patti and Paul Hintze came for two days. Patti is like the twin sister I was separated from at birth. It is almost eerie how much we have in common and how much we think alike. They came to the temple, stayed in our guest room, saw a little of Stockholm, and we all watched Conference together.

I would add more but that is about all I can muster. I think I will go lie down again and try not to cough up a lung. Hope your conference weekend was great!

Buying Lingon Revisited

2011-09-14T06:03:00.002-06:00

OR HOW I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW NOT TO GET TAKEN IN BY MY OLD FRIEND OMAR.

You may or may not remember a blog from a year ago where I described our experience with buying wild mushrooms and lingon from a vendor at Hötorget. If you never read the account, you may skip this blog OR if you are really really bored you can review that blog here and then continue reading.

We really did enjoy having bags of fresh lingon preserved in the freezer for most of the winter. We found if you just plop a handful of frozen berries into a half a jar of lingon sylt, they just blend in and add a fresh taste to the lingon. We made one jar of lingon last all winter by doing that. It was like the widow's crock! Delicious and nutricious!

On Monday we were in town and near Hötorg so Dad let me off to run to the square to get some more fresh lingon. This time I was prepared for Omar and his brothers and their high pressure sales techniques. I did not take my purse, a credit card, or anything else for that matter....just 200 Swedish crowns in my pocket. I wandered into the square not making eye contact with any of the vendors who began calling out to me as they spotted me glancing at their berries. "Hey lady! Half off! Good berries! You want lingon? I make you a good deal!" Yeah right, I know these guys and how they operate now. No more Miss Sucker written on my forehead! I chose a stand out of the dozen or so on the square--mainly because the man there wasn't aggressively haranguing me and because his berries looked good.

"I would like 200 crowns worth of lingon, please. " That was it. That was my strategy. Okay. He began shoveling berries into bags and weighing them in front of me so I can see he was not cheating me. Then it started. "I have some great mushrooms. I make you a very good deal." Now comes the smart part. I said smiling, "I only have this 200 crowns with me, no thanks."

"You got a card? I take your card--good deal! You need these mushrooms!"

"No thanks, I don't have a card, just this 200 crowns. I'll just take the lingon, please."

Aha! I had him. He had no response to that. What could he do. He bundled up my 6 or 7 kilos of lingon, all the while mumbling under his breath and reluctantly handed me my berries. I gave him his 200 crowns and stumbled away under the weight of all those berries feeling triumphant! I did it! No more feeling like a big sucker. I figured out how to shop in Hötorg without getting duped. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks!

Omar got his revenge later that afternoon when I spent two hours washing and cleaning all the twigs, leaves, and microscopic stems out of the berries. What a tedious chore! But I can tell you it is worth it. When we spread that fresh tasting lingon on a piece of Norwegian bread and bite into that crisp fresh-tasting lingon, it is all worth it.

End of story.

The Hunt for Red Mushrooms

2011-09-05T12:21:00.002-06:00

While Emily and her clan were here we were on the lookout for the elusive red mushrooms which grow in the forests here in the fall. We searched in ancient forests filled with elves and trolls, but alas, no red mushrooms. Well, except for these, but I hardly think we can count them.

There is something so cute, foresty, and Swedish about red mushrooms. If you mention them to a Swede it will always bring to mind the famous children's book "Children of the Forest" by Elsa Beskow.

When Carrie and Todd were here last year, Carrie found some in the forest and she began collecting red mushrooms which prompted me to be on the lookout for them as well.

Cute, eh? Can you spot the handblown glass one from Skansen? Anyway, this morning PKO and I were out on a gloriously wonderful autumn bike ride and what did we see growing right next to the path bordering a rather busy street? Yeah, you guessed it, a whole herd of red and reddish mushrooms. So this is for you Em.

The red mushroom hunter in her pith helmet on the hunt.....

We just found them one week too late. In the meantime, inspired by Carrie's good news and a request, I have been knitting furiously and came up with this for the soon-to-be-born Rhodes baby.

I have now started knitting a little red sweater to match, but don't hold your breath. I haven't knitted a sweater since Emily was about 7. Anyone remember her little green lamb sweater? She was the one who got it because I had no idea how big it was going to be and she was the right size. Thank heavens we had girls in all sizes, I couldn't miss. I am much better at caps than sweaters but we will see how it goes.

So anyway, the red mushroom or amanita muscaria if you are a botanist, is supposedly a hallucinogenic, but I promise that we have not tried that theory--we didn't really see elves and trolls in the ancient forest--it just looked like the kind of place you WOULD be most likely to see them. So that's the story of the red mushroom and now I know where to find one if anyone is interested.

We have had two weeks off from the temple and we start back tomorrow. It was a wonderful break, especially with Emily and the gang here for ten days, but we are ready to get back to work. It feels like it is time to get back to doing what we came here to do. Our love and greetings to everyone from the land of red mushrooms and a beautiful temple!

Go Ahead! Squeeze the Scharmans!

2011-09-01T02:58:00.019-06:00

Wanna see some photos from our family vacation? Emily and I combined our photos at the end of their visit to Sweden and we took a total of 1,586 shots, so come on over and bring enough food to last for about 3 days! You're gonna love our pictures--each one is so interesting you won't want to blink!
Okay, so maybe not, but we did have a lot of fun, we saw a lot of stuff, and most of all, we just loved being together.

I'll just give you a few highlights and promise not to put you to sleep.

Riding the train into Stockholm:

Gamla stan (or Old Town):

Enthralled with the street performer

Hazel and her new friend

Stockholm's narrowest street

The Royal Armory--a favorite museum with lots of child-friendly activities:

Junibacken--the Astrid Lindgren-themed children's museum/play center:

Emily and Hazel on Pippi Longstocking's front porch

The girls riding Pippi's horse Lilla gumman

Abby the Snow Queen

The Warship Vasa:

What!!!? The Vasa sank????!!!

Skansen--the big open air museum of Swedish culture:

Little farm girls ready to go to work.

Abby feeding the pigs

The obligatory phone booth shot

A picnic which may or may not have included a few Saturnus cinnamon rolls
which are as big as your head! See?

Learning to weave a rug

An outing to Vårdinge and Sjunda--The Oscarson Family

history sites:

A desk from the school where Lovisa and Johanna Åkerlind attended school

The childhood home of the Åkerlind girls--Sjunda

A picnic in front of Vårdinge Church

And one last one of Emily at Kungälv Fortress:

Alas, all good things must come to an end and we had to put them all on a plane for DC on Monday morning. They missed an earthquake and a hurricane while they were gone. We are missing the hugs, the laughs, sharing Frazier episodes in the evenings, the outings, and all the fun and excitement that comes with having four darling girls and two good parents in the house.

Anyone up for the remaining 1,558 photos? Come on over....bring dinner, and maybe breakfast.

Thanks Scharmans for a great visit and lots of eternal memories!

Why I Haven't Blogged Lately

2011-08-25T01:01:00.000-06:00

Whoa! Has it really been that long since my last post? I guess so. We have had a very busy few weeks at the temple with lots of large groups. But NOW I really have a good excuse....we just began our two-week shut down period and look who came for a visit.

Oh, and they brought their dad, too, he was busy picking up the van they rented when this was taken.
So far we have visited a big Swedish estate,walked to the iron age buriel ground, visited an old medieval church, gotten lost on a dirt road in the country, driven to Göteborg and showed Em her birthplace, walked in an ancient forest, celebrated Em's birthday, explored a couple of old fortresses, eaten lots of hot dogs and mashed potatoes, riden a ferry, taken a tour on the canals, been rained upon just about everywhere, and loved being together.

See for yourself:

Can you tell I can't get enough of Hazel's cute face? And we are just getting started....today we hit Stockholm!

Loving it!

Love these people!

Love showing them Sweden and just hanging round!

Stay tuned.....

This 'N That and Especially Families

2011-07-31T03:14:00.001-06:00

I guess there is not a lot to blog about recently. We have been working hard in the temple with lots and lots of Summer visitors and groups, sealings, marriages, first timers etc. It has been a great Summer.

We continue to enjoy the fresh produce that comes with a Swedish Summer. The strawberries are sweet and flavorful and we eat them with everything this time of year. We have also had fresh raspberries and blueberries. I just love raspberries...a lot.

The other day both Dad and I were craving a good old fashioned BLT so we got the ingredients and enjoyed every juicy bite!

They really were were as good as we had hoped!
Speaking of food, the other day I was cleaning out the refrigerator and found a container buried under a pile of other stuff and when I opened it, I literally gasped. I had never seen anything like this--especially in my refrigerator. I couldn't even identify what the food underneath had originally been. It was kind of fascinating in a morbid and gross way.

It was so fuzzy....and multicolored....and weird. Sorry if I gross anyone out. I didn't know food could knit sweaters! (I promise we are cleaning out any and all such items before you come Em!)

We saw these boxes of corn flakes in the grocery store the other day and just laughed. I mean, there is generic and then there is GENERIC! How generic can you possibly get here? Which box would you want to buy? I guess it depends on the price. These certainly look like a bargain!

We took a walk on Södermalm the other evening--it is one of the islands that make up Stockholm and is one of our favorite places to just walk and explore. I must add this modified street sign to my collection:

And I couldn't help but think of a famous protestant children's song when I saw this....."The wise man built his house upon the rock..."

A very wise person indeed. These cottages have endured for several hundred years now.

Look where we ate yesterday evening. Just a nod to our Texas years and the burger was actually charbroiled and pretty good.

And finally, for those of you who are still with me (bless you) the highlight of the week was this sight...only better. We had large group of Saints from the Stavanger district of Norway here in the temple this week and many of them brought their small children with them. The parents take turns coming to the temple--one comes and goes on a session while the other stays with the kids at the guest house and then they trade for the next session. It is a great way for younger families to do temple work. The families had asked if they could bring their children up to the temple on Wednesday as the last session was ending and show them the dining room and parts of the temple that are in front of the recommend desk, as well as the grounds. Dad and I were already home and when I looked up from my computer and out the window overlooking the temple grounds, the entire pathway from the temple to the guesthouse was filled with beautiful Norwegian families. The children were all dressed in their Sunday clothes with freshly washed faces and neatly combed hair . It was one of the most beautiful sights we have seen here. What a great message those children have learned this week from their faithful parents about the importance of the temple in their lives. I hope they will never forget that experience. I know we will never forget the sight. Unfortunately, we were so caught up in watching that I forgot to take a picture until the very last of them were on the path, so you will have to use your imagination a little bit and fill in the entire path with happy parents and smiling children.

Families are forever and I am grateful for ours!

Nothin' But Fun And Games

2011-07-11T06:57:00.002-06:00

Well, by now you are all onto us. We don't really work in the temple every day, we are just here sightseeing and having one party after another. I knew the sham couldn't last forever. Now that it is out in the open, here are our photos of our 4th of July celebration--Swedish style. We had a BBQ on our back lawn, ate good food, threw water balloons at each other, and played an ancient viking game--you do all know that the Vikings REALLY discovered America, right?

A good time was had by all!

This past weekend we were invited to attend the 150th anniversary of the Karlskrona Branch. We have a lot of memories and old friends associated with that branch, as does Chip. Dad served there on his mission, he helped get the first church-built chapel going when we went back later, and then Chip served there as a missionary. Lots of memories and getting reacquainted. Monika Wrang sends her greetings, Chip!

It is thrilling to see the actual chapel that was so long in the planning and praying stages when we were here 35 years ago.

Dad is deep into reading all about Sweden's history and so we had to stop on the way to Karlskrona to see the famous Peace Stone that sits on a very small island in the middle of a small stream and marks the spot where in 1645 a peace treaty was signed between Denmark and Sweden that turned Southern Sweden over to Swedish control. Dad was thrilled to see it. I was thrilled to take his word for it and take his picture there.

He has a lot of fond memories of Karlskrona from his first mission here. Like the experience of going to a bath house where a little old Swedish lady came in a scrubbed his surprised little backside. The old bath building is still there but it is now a swim hall. Dad revisited his old feelings of embarrassment and surprise.

Is it just coincidence that "bath" in Swedish is "bad?"

We had to visit our old friend Rosenbaum who stands in front of an old wooden church in Karlskrona and collects money for the poor through a slot in this head under his hat. He is an old family friend. We have pictures of him with several generations and ages of Oscarsons. Now we have several more to add to the collection.

This coming week we have about 140 Norwegians coming to visit the temple. We just may have to go back to work.

May all of your Summer fun and games continue!

GLAD MIDSOMMAR!

2011-06-26T10:43:00.004-06:00

HAPPY MIDSOMMAR EVERYONE!

It is easy to understand why Sweden feels it is important to have a major holiday to celebrate the summer solstice. Anyone who has lived through a Swedish winter and lived to tell the tale has plenty of reason to celebrate. And they know how to do it up right. We have the Elmers visiting us right now from Houston and we have had a great time showing them around Stockholm and participating in a traditional Swedish Midsommar. We took them to Skansen on Friday for Midsummer Eve and it seemed as if most of Stockholm had the same idea--it was a mob. We still managed to see a few sights and experience a few things that are uniquely and beautifully Swedish.

Here we are all decked out and ready to get into the spirit of the day!

Are these men good sports or what?! (Actually, they only wore the wreaths for the picture...something about real men don't wear birch leaves on their heads, or something. I don't know.)

There were musicians, children and adults in folk costumes,

a Maypole and lots and lots of flowers to decorate it.

The men raised the Maypole into place. It wasn't easy with one as big and fancy as this one!

Everywhere we looked, there was evidence of Midsommar--even on the statues!

Later that evening the Klarins made a fabulously delicious midsommar dinner for the American couples, complete with marinaded herring, salmon, potato salad, eggs, salad, homemade rolls, and strawberry torte for dessert. Oh my!

I have decided not to think about the fact that the days now begin to get a little shorter each day and to enjoy all of this glorious sunshine and light while it lasts!

GLAD MIDSOMMAR ALLIHOP!

MIA (But Not Really)

2011-06-21T06:31:00.001-06:00

I know it must seem I have been missing in action lately. Well, we have not really been missing, just very busy. So here is a quick update complete with illustrations.
June 6th is not only our pater familias' dies natalis, it is also Sweden's National Day--kind of their version of the 4th of July, but with no fireworks. Since the royal family always makes an appearance on that day, and we had never had an official audience with the royal family, we decided we needed to take matters into our own hands and pay a visit to them. This is the official documentation of our very intimate and personal encounter with the royal family. Here we have King Carl XVI Gustav with his lovely wife Queen Silvia waving to us as they passed by in their cute little royal coach.

And then came the royal princesses and princes in their royal carriage. I wonder if they ever get tired of the word royal? They are all very beautiful people. Does it come with the job? Do they hide the ugly ones away in a tower or dungeon somewhere? Just asking.

The royal reality is that after the parade passes, this is all that remains--a gift from the horses.

Still, the queen did wave at us standing in our front row seats along the cortege route. It was a memorable day for the birthday boy.

And what else have we done lately? Well, we made a weekend trip to Trollhättan to speak in church and were invited to dinner at The Stulens. He is the bishop of the ward and his wife Helena Månhammar used to work at the Mission Home as nanny, cook, househelp when we lived here before. She fed us a meal to remember!

On Monday we visited the home and now park setting of sculptor Carl Milles. He sculpted the Poseiden fountain figures in Göteborg and in front of Union Station in St.Louis. We saw the hand of God

and various flying angels.

I love his way of seeming to defy gravity.

The Latvian Saints were here that week and we had their wonderful youth doing baptisms all week.

The young man in the white shirt is actually from Borås, but he was welcome too!

Saturday we drove to Oslo (seven hours in the car each way, but who's counting?) for Stake Conference. We spoke to the adults on Saturday in Romerike and attended the broadcast the next day in Drammen. It was a great conference and Norway is really beautiful, even in the rain!

Yesterday (Monday) we hosted six visitors from the Temple Department--architects and interior designers here for inspections, studies, etc. We toured and inspected the temple and then split up to take them around Stockholm to visit historic buildings, design and furniture studios, and other sights. We then had all of them plus the wives who were along for dinner last night. By the time we got the dishes washed and put away, we were exhausted. Needless to say, we slept well last night.

Midsommar is this weekend. We are expecting our good friends the Elmers from Houston to join us for the festivities and stay for a week or so. I promise that pictures willl follow. Sweden is so beautiful this time of year. There are masses of spectacular lupines lining all the roadsides and the rhododendrums around our house have been breathtaking.

May you all eat lots of pickeled herring, dance around

the maypole singing songs about small frogs, and enjoy the midnight sun!

Happy Midsommar!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST MAN I KNOW

2011-06-06T00:40:00.000-06:00

Some birthdays are milestone birthdays. When you turn 8, you can be baptized, turning 12 means receiving the priesthood and leaving Primary behind for Young Mens and Young Womens. When you turn 16 you can drive and date (if anybody asks you out, that is.) When you are 18 you are an adult (most of the time), and at 19, you can go on a mission--or 21 if you are a girl. Then the milestones slow down a bit. The person I love best in all the world hits a milestone birthday today. PKO turns 65 today. To those of you still struggling to get your heads around turning 30 or even maybe 40, this doesn't mean much, but to those of us who are just entering our "golden years" it's pretty big deal. He is now a senior citizen and can get all kinds of discounts at the movies and amusement parks.

Whoopeeee!

He is eligible for medicare and we get to try and figure out what the heck we do about supplimental insurance. I'm pretty sure it involves a careful study of 5,000 random brochures, two migraines, and a decision based on a "I'm just gonna choose the one with the most colorful brochure cuz I'm tired."

But that is neither here nor there, the IMPORTANT thing is that someone special is having a birthday today. So in honor of the BIRTHDAY BOY, here is a tribute to a life of 65 years well-lived.

Even as a baby he was full of charm.

Football hero

Good to his mom

Honored his father and his other Father.

I simply could not help myself, I had to marry this wonderful handsome guy.

Best decision I ever made!

Mission president at 30? Who does that and does it so well?

Thirty-seven years working his way up the corporate ladder and providing a great living for his family. His hard work and long hours allowed me to stay at home with our children and gave us all unbelievable opportunities and a comfortable life.

This man is smart, compassionate, generous, hard-working, funny, competent, and spiritual. He is the perfect combination of serious and light-hearted. He lives to please those he loves including his family and his Heavenly Father. He is steadfast, loyal, and good to the core. His depth and insight into the important things in life continue to amaze me after more than 41 years of marriage. He is loved by all who know him but especially he is loved by his wife and children. He is truly the best man I know and I feel honored to be married to him.

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY PKO!

Have a wonderful birthday and know how much you are loved and appreciated!

Mors Dag

2011-05-30T02:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Mothers Day in Sweden and I was properly pampered by my good companion.

He made me a lovely breakfast.

and gave me a beautiful necklace.

They gave all the women roses at church.

Yes, they do that here in Sweden, too.

We were invited to a delicious dinner at a member's home where their four beautiful daughters sang songs for us with the voices of angels. When we got home I found a fragrant bouquet of lilies of the valley on the front door from one of the assistant matrons.

All of that and this view out of our window this morning!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY AGAIN TO ALL THE WONDERFUL WOMEN IN MY LIFE!

Norway Revisited

2011-05-27T04:40:00.000-06:00

I am sitting home this morning trying to swallow past the golf ball sized glands in my throat which suddenly appeared four days ago so I have a little time to report on our trip to the Romerike Ward, just outside of Oslo Norway last weekend. It took us about seven hours to get there after completing a shift in the temple on Saturday. We arrived at our hotel at about 11 pm but it was just getting dark so the drive was really quite nice.
We stayed at a brand new Scandic Hotel by the airport in Oslo and I just have to share some of the elements of modern Scandinavian design they used in this hotel. These are lobby shots.

This last one is for Spencer who knows what I mean when I say that the hotels in Europe really know how to put on a breakfast buffet.

Four tables of delicious food, plus more, and it is included in the price of the room. It feels like Thanksgiving where you just want to keep eating but can't because there just isn't room to hold that much food!

The Romerike Ward is a strong and faithful group who attend the temple often. Their chapel is fairly new and is one of the most beautiful chapels I have ever seen. Everyone had told us it was like being in a temple and they were right. It is one of the Church's designs, but adapted to Norway using materials and furnishing which are pure Scandinavian. I only have a picture of the chapel and it doesn't do justice to the whole building. It is beautiful.

We left to drive home after the last meeting and told our GPS to "take us home!" Vickie, short for Victoria because of her high class British accent, decided to show us the scenic route home. We drove on back roads, up and down mountains, through gorgeous valleys, past scenic lakes until we were sure we would end up in Finland somewhere!

We felt like we were in the middle of some kind of Peer Gynt/Edvard Greig experience when we came across this Mountain King Troll which was about 30 feet tall sitting in the woods. I swear we didn't even eat the mushrooms on the breakfast buffet!

And suddenly we were at the Norwegian/Sweden border on the right road for home and right on schedule. Wait! It WAS an Peer Gynt experience!

You will be happy to know that the end of the world will not come this year as we both saw this view from our kitchen window yesterday--a lovely rainbow over the guest house.

Now if I can just get over whatever is causing my glands to swell like crazy, things will be okay. I finally went to the doctor today and it isn't strep, just a regular cold virus so I am back to Advil and chicken soup. I hope you are all well, happy, and enjoying life. See you next week!

Standing on Top of the World

2011-05-16T04:27:00.001-06:00

This weekend's speaking invitation took us to Bodø Norway which is just inside the Artic Circle. Yes, you read that right, we spent the weekend above the Artic Circle in a charming little fishing town which lies among the beautiful fjords of Norway. I have always dreamed of seeing the Norwegian fjords and the scenery in that part of the world did not disappoint us. It is the land of the midnight sun as it stays light all night long this time of year. In the "dark months", as they call winter, it is dark all the time. One sister told me she loves to take a walk in the moonlight at about one in the afternoon. I am glad we could visit in May. We could see why the people who live there love it--it is rugged, wild, and the nature is glorious.

This was taken from the plane window as we flew into Bodø.

We stayed in a hotel which was right across the street from this quaint fishing and boating harbor.

I love the compact old-fashioned fishing boats.

The occasion was a mission conference and we joined the Norwegian Mission President, his counselors, and other Mission leaders for two days of meetings.

Here is the church building in Bodø

And here is a good number of those faithful saints who attended

By far the cutest attendee was little Viktoria in her native Norwegian folk costume.

It is hard to describe the spirit and faithfulness of these good people. They travel huge distances, are few in numbers, and have struggles and challenges few of us can understand. They are the ones who keep the light of the gospel burning in Northern Norway with much effort and at great sacrifice. It was a great privilege to be with them and feel their enthusiasm as they shared their testimonies. We feel so grateful to have been invited to participate.

Does the size of this snow shovel tell you anything about the weather here in the winter? Its size made me laugh! There was still a small patch of snow to the side of the parking lot and the mountain tops were covered in snow.

After our meetings were over on Sunday, several of us had a few hours until our flights were to leave so a local couple in the branch generously offered to show us the sights of Bodø. First we went to a overlook high on a steep mountain above Bodø where we could see the city below and the islands and rugged mountain fjords which surround the area.

We then visited a truly remarkable phenomenon of nature which lies about 30 kilometers outside of Bodø. It is the worlds strongest maelstrom or whirlpool. The name of it is Saltstraumen and it is caused by the tidal currents which flow between two fjords that are connected by a narrow strait that is only 150 meters wide.

Four hundred million cubic meters of water flow through this stait in about a six hour period between high and low tides. The direction changes every six hours and it all happens four times a day. We were able to see it when it was at its most active stage. The narrowness of the passage causes these huge boiling whirlpools to form on either side of the passage, while right in the middle, a calm flow passes, which is higher than the whirlpool areas. It was raging powerful nature at its most impressive. If you google Saltstraumen videos you can see it in action--words and pictures hardly do it justice.

We finally made our way to the local airport where we flew first to Oslo, and then back to Stockholm, arriving home at about 11:30 pm. Another wonderful weekend experience with memorable people and sights for us to savor.

Just a final note, we had to say goodbye to Becky, Angie, and Julie on Wednesday, after a very fun visit with them. We are so glad they came and stayed with us during their time here! Thanks for coming girls. You are welcome back anytime!

LOVELY MOTHERS DAY 2011

2011-05-09T02:44:00.000-06:00

Even though it is not officially Mothers Day in Sweden until the end of May, we had a lovely Mothers Day here yesterday. Lovely was the word of the day. Becky Peterson and her daughters Angie and Julie are here visiting right now--in fact, this is us visiting Aunt Brown in Sigtuna their first day here.

Yesterday--Mothers Day--we drove out to Vårdinge Church to attend a service in the place where Gustav and Wilhelmina Oscarson attended when they were young. We got to see the baptism of a baby, listen to a very good sermon, and enjoy some special music provided by some local musicians.

It was lovely. We visited the school where Gustav attended as a boy and then headed out to Sjunda, where Wilhelmina's family lived. We found a lovely spot near the lake there to have a picnic.

Sorry about the stick in front of Julie's face!

We then drove to the Åkerlind cottage

where we received permission from the owner to walk the old road that leads to the lake behind the cottage. Here I am sitting on the porch of the lovely little stuga by the lake.

It was very Thoreau-esque. I could use a little escape place just like that. Being with Becky and the girls was fun but it makes me miss my own girls--especially on Mothers Day--not lovely.

But this was a lovely sight.

I loved talking to several of my children on skype at of the end of our day. Spencer got on and figured out how to get Emily on with us at the same time. We started playing Brady Bunch

and then it got out of control and we did this.

We were laughing so hard it hurt, but that was just lovely, too!
Becky and the girls had a dinner invitation at a friend's house so Dad and I watched an Indiana Jones movie and did our best to eat every cookie and potato chip in the house.

Did I mention that my Mothers Day was lovely? It was. Thanks everyone!

Lost Shoes, Cherry Blossoms, and Mobs With Torches

2011-05-01T12:18:00.002-06:00

On Thursday evening I left the temple a few minutes before Dad and then was watching him as he made his way home a short time later. He had his head down and was walking very gingerly. When he came in I asked if his back was hurting again. He replied by pointing to his feet. He had no shoes on! Some visitor to the temple had mistakenly taken Dad's shoes from the shelf below the coat rack in the hallway where everyone leaves their shoes while they are in the temple. They left behind their own shoes which were a little more worn and shabby-looking. That's being nice. We think it was a mistake. We waited two days to see if the mistake was discovered but no one confessed and no one claimed the old ones left in the temple. In the meantime, Dad, who only owns one pair of black shoes, was wearing a beat up pair of brown loafers to the temple for two days.

Not great with a black suit.

All of which leads to the story of a trip into Stockholm on Saturday afternoon to find new shoes and to participate in what turned out to be one of the most interesting cultural events of our time here so far.
We invited Jan and Marit Evensen, first counselor and assistant matron to come with us because they wanted to see the cherry blossoms which are blooming right now in Kungsträdgården and we promised them an exciting time. It happened to be Valborgsmässafton, a great pagan-based celebration involving welcoming Spring, bonfires, and revelry--always a great combination in my book. We had seen a flyer about a concert in Stortorg in the heart of Old Town and a "parade" to the pier on the water that overlooks Stadshuset by Riddarholm kyrka.
We were able to find some appropriate and comfortable new shoes remarkably fast and then on to the cherry blossoms in Kungsträdgården; literally translated the Kings Garden, in reality a promenade with statues, water features, and gardens in the center of town. It was beautiful!

Look! It's cherry blossom snow!

We then wandered around downtown for awhile, doing a little window shopping and ending up in Gamla stan for dinner at an underground restaurant whose claim to fame is that it is the former site of the prison which housed Jacob Johan Anckarström who shot King Gustav Adolf III at a masquarade ball at the opera. Great history. Kind of random decor in the medievalie-looking vaults of the restaurant which may or may not have included bagpipes, two mismatched crystal chandeliers, and religious wallhangings--it was interesting. We finally ended up on the benches at Stortorg; the big square in Old Town. There we saw a sign which informed us the concert would be performed by the Railway Orchestra and would be followed by a torch parade to the pier at Riddarholm. We bought our torches and we were ready for the excitement. I've always wanted to use a torch. They seem to be lying around everywhere and ready to go in movies.

The crowd in Stortorg began to grow. The Railway band stood on the steps of the Nobel Museum and played some rousing songs to welcome Spring--we gamely tried to sing along.

Then the real fun started. They began to light the torches. There were now probably a thousand people in the square, most of whom were carrying around lighted torches. We all then began to move out--the torch "parade" moved through the quaint old winding streets of Gamla stan carrying lighted torches. It reminded me of something out of a scene from "Frankenstein", kind of like this:

Or maybe even this

But it actually looked like this

Mind you there were children and babies in strollers in the crowd along with a bit of beer drinking (not us) and a good number of these people are carrying lighted torches which by now are giving off flying bits of glowing ash. We were joined by thousands of others by the time we reached the pier. We dumped our burning torches into a big pile and then made our way out of the teeming masses to a lookout point above the fray. By this time it was almost impossible to see anything happening.

I took this shot perched on the railing of deep stone stairwell leaning out to catch sight of the fire now blazing on the pier. I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS, PEOPLE! I hope you appreciate my sacrifice for the sake of blogging entertainment! What a strange tradition for a couple of Americans who grew up being taught about how dangerous it is to play with fire! It was a pyro's dream! The good news is that we made it back home safely on the train and no one got burned. The other good news is that Dad wore his new shoes to church today and looked very nice.

Happy Valborgs Day! Keep the home fires burning.

Why We Love This Job

2011-04-25T11:46:00.006-06:00

Not many words are needed for this one. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand of them. All you need to know is that we had two weddings with week--both special, but one was particularly close to Dad's heart as the groom was the son of a couple that Dad taught and baptized on his first mission to Sweden.

Maybe you have heard him talk about the Anderssons and his feeling that they were the reason why he was sent to Sweden on his mission. It's a great privilege to be a part of these wonderful occasions.

Today when we rode our bikes we discovered that the vitsippor had suddenly bloomed overnight in the woods. There are carpets of white flowers everywhere. The Swedes
love their vitsippor and that is how we know that Spring has really come to stay.

See why we love this job?

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

2011-04-11T23:50:00.007-06:00

Note: This is perfectly fine for children to read.
Dad and I took a long walk through the Iron Age burial ground on Sunday morning--one of the advantages of a late Church schedule--and it was gloriously evident that Spring has really come to Sweden. There are a few patches of snow left in the shadows

but otherwise, things are coming to life again. The moss in these woods is like walking on springs or the world's softest carpet.

The woods are not only full of old gravestones and signs of ancient civilizations, but there are huge boulders, giant outcroppings of rock, little canyons, marshes where the snow runoff has gathered and lots of places to climb and hide and play. Laying all over the ground are big pinecones.

Now this is where the difference in boys and girls comes in. Dad said to me, "Wow, these woods are a kid's paradise. I would have loved to have a place like this play when I was young. Think of the fun you would have sneaking up on each other and pretending to throw these pinecones as grenades!" Then he made an explosion sound and that shooting sound that only little boys are capable of making. I just looked at him sitting there in these peaceful beautiful woods and said, "You are right. This place is a kid's paradise but only boys would be playing war here. Girls would be making a little woodland home with places to sit, a fireplace, a little rock shelf with cups made of acorn caps and the pinecones would make perfect carrots!

So there you have it--the difference between boys and girls. He's throwing grenades

and I'm eating carrots.

And here's a casualty of the great Swedish Woodland Wars....

Now you tell me, who should be running the world?
Postscript: PKO saw a few pinecones laying on the table in the entry and said to me, "Be careful of those things! Be sure to keep the pins in them!"
I rest my case.

The End of the Ice Age

2011-03-28T00:04:00.007-06:00

The glaciers are receeding.

Nature will find a way. These appeared suddenly in the grass along our path to the temple this week for our viewing pleasure.

No one is more happy about this than my little friend who eats from my bird feeders outside the kitchen window.

Should I be concerned that when we got up this morning there was a light dusting of snow on our sidewalks? No, it will be gone by noon, right?

We had a lovely week with our friends from Latvia who were in the temple all week. Many of them were there from 8 in the morning until 10 at night on our late days. Their dedication is amazing.

Dad had an especially great experience with these outstanding youth who came to do baptisms twice a day on most days.

Yesterday we spoke in Örebro which is about two and a half hours away....unless you forget to turn your clocks ahead the night before, because daylight savings time was starting. We remembered when we were already 45 minutes late in leaving. We drove on the wings of angels and were only 5 minutes late for sacrament meeting. Modern day miracles (and a little nudging of the law) still work.

We hope Spring is springing in your part of the world. Have a sunny warm week!

Missing the Grandkids

2011-03-21T14:51:00.011-06:00

After Dad's touching update about our dinner invitation to our Stake President's house and how homesick it made us for our times with our grandkids, I thought I'd better post a few cute pics of the event. I know, it has only been two days since my last blog--don't get used to this frequency.

When Mathilde age 3 said she wanted a pony ride and no one volunteered, there were several very surprised faces a few minutes later among the adults to see the Temple President doing this:

Not wanting to miss out on all the fun, Lina age 7 insisted she needed a ride, too.

Yeah, this was one homesick grandpa on Sunday.

We were so grateful to have been able to spend the afternoon with the Karlssons and be included as members of their family for the time we were there.

While at NK department store today I saw this clever "chandelier" in their food store.

If you look closely, it is completely made up of kitchen utensils--ladles, whisks, and pasta servers. Very cute.

Here is Dad checking out the jars of cloudberry jam that can be yours for only forty dollars. Yeah, you read that right.

But isn't he just about the cutest husband ever, even after forty-one years of living with me?

And then here I am in front of one of my beloved doors of Gamla Stan. It's from the 1600's for Pete's sake! It makes me seem young.

Have a great week!

Smashing Windows, A Little More Riga, and a Forever Family

2011-03-19T11:50:00.015-06:00

Just a few random thoughts and photos that have been building up in my blogging mental file for awhile. NK, the fancy Swedish department store in downtown Stockholm may be one of the few department stores in the world to still have fabulous window displays for each season. Last Christmas' display was a bit of a disappointment, I think, but a couple of weeks ago when we were in town I saw that their Spring displays were finished and they more than make up for last winter. Take a peek at true creativity behind glass:

They remind me of William Butler Keats famous poem "The Second Coming" with the line:
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;" What? I studied English literature remember?

And because I have a million pictures of Riga that I am dying to share, I just need to put in a couple more. Chip made the comment that his impression of Riga was Stalinist architecture run rampant, and there is a reason for that. There are certainly parts of Riga that have the most grim and ugly Soviet built buildings I have ever seen, but in the downtown area, and especially in Old Town Riga, they have rebuilt, renewed, and taken great pride in preserving the classic buildings from all ages. I told you they are famous for their Art Nouveau buildings. There is a part of town called the Central District where one third of the buildings are built in this style--also called Jugendstil.

Ironically, this is called The Monument to Freedom and it was built in 1935, before the Russian occupation.

The Soviets didn't like it and built busy roads right next to it hoping that the vibrations from the traffic would weaken and destroy it. It didn't work and it stands beautiful and proud in the center of a lovely park today.

Old Town Riga is a mixture of very old medieval architecture and newly built reconstrutions to replace buildings bombed in WWII or blown up by the Soviets. Here is one view of Old Town with its plethora of old churches and rooftops.

This building is one of the most beautiful in Riga--it's called House of Blackheads and it is on Town Square Plaza.

It is a communal building for the citizens of Riga. It was bombed in WWII and the Soviets finished off the remains by blowing them up when they occupied, but like a Phoenix, it rose from the ashes when the Rigans rebuilt it in the 1990's. You can see the beauty of this main square. Notice in the far left corner, the saxophonist playing. Okay, here is his picture--it was one of those rare moments when you almost feel like you are in a movie with a soundtrack.

This is a restaurant that does a good job of feeling medievaley. Is that even a word? This guy was a little surly, but he did agree to let me take his picture. I think I am lucky he didn't bring out his crossbow and shoot us.

You have to love this kind of beauty!

Okay, okay, enough with the Riga pictures. I won't post any more but you have to promise to come over to our house one evening in a couple of years and endure an evening of "just a few slides from our mission!" Okay?

And lest anyone think that all we do is sightsee and travel, here is a reminder of what we really do all day most days--we get to be in the temple with families like this one.

This couple was sealed a week and a half ago and then had their darling daughter Sophia sealed to them. Those are the best moments in the temple, by far. Truly heavenly. We are so lucky!

Riga Teaser

2011-03-14T15:16:00.011-06:00

We went to Riga, Latvia on Friday afternoon at the invitation of the District Relief Society President and District President to speak at a joint RS Conference and Priesthood Meeting. They also asked us to talk to the YM&YW, Single Adults, and three branches on Sunday. We gave 8 talks each to various groups. Needless to say, I think they are probably sick of hearing us speak in Riga, but for us it was a fantastic experience. We loved meeting with the Riga Saints and getting to know them better. On Monday morning we got to do some sightseeing with Inara Jegina, one of our shift leaders for the Latvian saints when they come to temple and a professionan tour guide.

She did a wonderful job and it was fascinating.

I must admit I am really tired and we start back at the temple tomorrow so this short post may have to do for now.

I know this is crazy but we loved our hotel there--the Albert Hotel, named after Albert Einstein. He apparently loved Riga and had a pen pal there, or so we were told. The Hotel had an Einstein theme that was very clever. Just look:

The clocks in the lobby showing "relative time"

the atomic patterned carpets throughout:

blackboard-like signs on all the floors and door numbers:

There were clever Einstein Quotes all over the place, including the following in the dining room, which looked like a library, with old books etc. It says:
Put your hand on a hot stove for minute, it seems like an hour.
Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.
That's relativity! A. Einstein

One of the things Riga is most famous for is the huge number of incredibly beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. Sadly, many are in need of a lot of repair, but the ones which have been restored are beautiful.

I will have to go into more detail later, but here we are standing under an old arch from the middle ages. Riga is a very old and very interesting city.

Then we had hot chocolate that was not like any hot chocolate I have ever tasted anywhere, anytime. It was like a warm cup of melted dark chocolate bar. It was thick--very thick, and rich, so I had chocolate torte to cut the sweetness....oh my.

So that will have to suffice for now. More to follow. Post cards are on their way to the grands!

Do Not Try This at Home--We're Professionals

2011-03-03T07:59:00.014-07:00

Given that it is still winter here and there is not much else one can do when there is four feet of snow on the ground, we have become professional museum goers. We have a brochure that says there are seventy museums in and around Stockholm and we have visited at least twenty of them (not all in the last week, mind you). We may skip a few like the Tobacco and Match Museum and the Museum of Wine and Spirits, but we are making a good dent on the rest. I realize this subject does not make for the most interesting posts so I'll try and keep it light and short. Last week we went to Waldemarsudde (Prince Eugen's castle and art museum)--it was a beautiful setting--we must go back in the summer; The Stockholm Transport Museum....Dad's idea--not my favorite, but mildly interesting; the Toy Museum--needs more funding; and finally the Technical Museum.
Here's the pictures--you sort it out!

Remember the saying "life imitates art?"

I like the first mirror, thank you. That will probably do for now. Oh, and we DO go work in the temple every day, by the way. Just so you know. Gotta go for now. We are also working on a list of to-die-for pastry shops in Stockholm which Chip sent us. I'll let you know how that turns out.

This just may have to be first on the list!

How to Avoid the Winter Blahs

2011-02-20T03:26:00.020-07:00

I have to move past that last long post which takes forever to scroll through. Thanks to all who took the time to read it and appreciate our Paris experience with us! And now we move into the hardest part of winter. We seem to be in the middle of February once again and this is again the scene outside my office window.

The glare from all that snow can be blinding at times! We know we have several more weeks of winter weather ahead of us. The temperature last night was minus 18 degrees centigrade which is zero degrees farhenheit--it's cold here, folks! So how do we cope with the thought of at least two more months of winter? I will be happy to give you my formula.

Good Work.

Who could feel bad working here each day?

Enjoy Nature

We feed the birds outside our kitchen window and thank heavens I haven't encountered my sister's problem so far...

Glorious sunsets (even if they are at 4 PM!)

Brringing a little taste of nature indoors.

Good Food

Oh yeah, this helps a lot.

Jimmy Myrberg's beautiful sandwich cakes:

Still loving the French onion soup...

Saturnus cinnamon rolls which are as big as a house.

A temple missionary culture night, where we had a cheese tasting party with a cheese expert. It was fabulous!

And last but not least:

Good Reads

I am grateful for good books, for wonderful children who keep me supplied, for sharing neighbors, and for my Kindle. I LOVE my Kindle!

And THAT is how you beat the winter blahs! I think I'll go have a hot chocolate and read a little.

2011-02-12T11:34:00.046-07:00

Get ready, this one is a doozy. I don't blame anyone for not making through the whole thing, but I gotta document this for myself, if for no other reason!

This week we traveled to Paris for three days and now I get it. I think I have wanted to see Paris since I took my first French class when I was 12 years old. I have seen it romanticized and glorified in so many movies and books I was afraid it could not possibly live up to the image I had in my mind. Well guess what, it is every bit as beautiful, charming, romantic, and amazing as its reputation--and more. We loved it. We could have spent a week or more there and still not gotten enough, but we managed to cram a lot into our three days. Where to start?

Our Hotel
It was a toss of the dice because I found it on the internet and knew nothing about it, but this little gem was tucked into a little side street a block from Notre Dame and it was small but charming.

The colors were aubergine and citrine yellow--kind of classy! The hallways were narrow but quirky with murals and carpet that looked like cobblestones.

This is the view from the window. How charming can you get?

The Food

Oh my goodness, where to even start. There are hundreds and hundreds of small sidewalk cafes and delicious looking bakeries. I ate onion soup every day and then had to make my own when I got home. I'm in love!

This candy store had us at bonjour! Maison Larnicol. We had to pay a visit every day and fill a little bag with indescribable chocolate goodies. It was chocolate heaven!

We ate at Le Metro Cafe near our hotel twice--the onion soup is addictive!

The Museums
Everyone has said it was big, no--huge, but I didn't understand the scale of The Louvre until we got there and it took us 15 minutes just to walk to the first door.

There is no possibility to see everything. We were exhausted after several hours so we stuck with the obvious choices. The Winged Victory of Samthrace is awe-inspiring.

I think the crowd around the Mona Lisa was more interesting than the actual painting. The draw of this piece is just amazing even if the piece itself is not imposing!

I couldn't stop taking pictures of pictures. It was senseless but I could not help myself. I was standing in front of art I have loved and admired in books and classes for years--and they were there right in front of me.

It is hard to take in.
The place is so big that when we were ready to leave, we had no idea how to get out! We wandered around, studied our map, and finally started looking for signs that said, "sortie."

That's how you find your way back here--the main entrance.

We also had to find the secret hiding place for the Holy Grail, which is underneath here, according to Dan Brown.

But it was fun to see!
The Orsay Museum has all the absolutely amazing and gorgeous Impressionists' pieces. They don't allow photos or I would have used up an entire memory card! It's probably a good thing.

One of my favorite museums was The Cluny or Middle Ages Museum. Its showcase pieces are The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Absolutely beautiful! I love the style and feel of Medieval art. It speaks to me. The alterpieces and wood carving are amazing, too.

Another little gem of a museum was L'Orangerie where they have even more art by the Impressionists including Monet's water lilies. The room where they are displayed is is almost like visiting a church. There are signs asking you to be silent and you are surrounded on all sides by these deep and saturated paintings.

It was great way to experience them.

Notre Dame
If there was one place that was a little less than we expected, it was Notre Dame Cathedral. It is imposing in scale and the stained glass windows are incredible, but maybe we have been in too many beautiful medieval churches here in Sweden to be too swept away.

I would have loved to climb the towers but that part was closed we didn't get to see the famous gargoyles. There was a fashion shoot taking place on the corner by the cathedral.

Keep in mind it is February--this chick was freezing her little tiny tail off! It gathered a bigger crowd than we saw in Notre Dame!

The Eiffel Tower
When you are standing by this structure you really know you are in Paris. It is very impressive, beautiful, and French!

They supposedly were not allowing any visitors clear to the top (although we saw the elevator running up there...) but we went to the first stop and the views were pretty amazing.

I found an apartment for Hannah to live in--she wants to live next door to the Eiffel Tower. I hope she likes it.

At night there is a light show on the tower at the top of each hour and it was magical! One night we found ourselves at an outlook for the tower and saw these giant light puppets walking around.

Ooh la la--we were really and truly there!

And everywhere else you looked...
It was pretty much post card charming everywhere you laid eyes!

Even the subway was an experience. We had watched a charming French movie set in Paris before we came that has concertina music playing throughout. One evening we were on the Metro and heard acccordian music playing--there was a man on the car providing us with our own Parisian musical score.

We just looked at each other and laughed. The weather was mild and lovely (for the most part), the people were really quite friendly and helpful, and we finally understood why everyone loves Paris. Add us to the list!

Art Appreciation

2011-02-02T07:10:00.007-07:00

This post is for my former professor of Swedish Literature (and culture, and art, and history etc.) Because of you, I had an amazing experience today when I got to actually stand in front of and view this

and this

and even this

Thank you. It was a much more meaningful experience because of your class and all that I learned taking it. Did I mention that my professor is also my son. I feel doubly blessed.
We went to the National Museum today which was a treat because it is closed on Mondays which is normally our day off.

This is PKO going down the main stairwell with Carl Larsson's controversial and impressive "Midwinter Sacrifice" mural overhead.

The temple is closed for two weeks for repairs and cleaning so we are getting a little R&R ourselves. This week the National Museum in Stockholm, next week the Louvre! Stay tuned.

Oh, and I thought of my daughters (and daughter-in-law) when I saw this one. It reminded me of you busy mothers working daily in the trenches!

I think it is called, "Who are all these little people and why are they calling me mother?" Insert smiley face. Art speaks to all of us in different ways. See you next week.

Västerås Cathedral Up Close and Personal

2011-01-23T12:57:00.010-07:00

We had a speaking assignment in Västerås today and because the weather this time of year is always a little iffy, we left in plenty of time. We got there early and had time to explore the beautiful cathedral in this old and very quaint city. I love these old churches and this one is a beauty.

There was a small choir practicing inside and it sounded like angels singing just for us! The thing I love about these buildings are all the quirky and interesting details you can find as you walk around exploring. For example we found Gollum among the carvings.

"Give me back my Precious!"

I love the different views of this cute little cherub.
Front view:

and then back view....don't you just want to pinch him?

Then there is the tomb of this delightful threesome--the Marshal of the Realm Magnus Brahe and his two wives. Do you think when they wake up on resurrection morning his first wife will took around and say,

"Hey, who is that laying over there and why is SHE here?"

We can only guess what wife number 2 will reply. At least they are sleeping peacefully for now.

This one looks as if some medieval Relief Society got carried away with their quilt making class!

Off to one side there was a little play area for the children where they could dress up like a bishop, prepare the sacrament with a cute little play set, baptize the baby, or dress up like an angel.

Maybe they are onto something here. I used to find my own children playing church and doing the sacrament. I was never sure if I should be gratified or appalled.

And last but not least, this statue of Johannes Rudbeckius, Bishop of Västerås in the 1600's and counselor and teacher to the king. What a dignified, monumental commemoration...except, "Umm, excuse me but there is something on your shoulder. Oh I'm sorry is that your grandchild? Or maybe your conscience?"

It really is a gorgeous cathedral and we loved exploring it. No disrespect intended, I assure you. And that, my dear ones, is your culture for the week.

Field Trip

2011-01-15T13:02:00.014-07:00

Last Wednesday we took a day off and went on a fieldtrip. I used to love fieldtrips when I was in school. The East Asian Antiquities Museum is hosting an exhibit of the terracotta soldiers from China right now and we wanted to go see it before it left town.

It is on the island of Skeppsholmen in Stockholm which used to house the royal navy. It is the island in the center of this picture.

The display was set up in the old bomb shelter caverns cut into the solid rock under the island. It the first time the public has been invited into the caverns and you can see the entrance door next to the sign in the first picture.

The statues and display are amazing, especially when you consider these were made more than 200 years before Christ. The workmanship is beautiful. We saw just a sampling of the more than 8,000 warriors, chariots, horses, etc found in Emporer Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum in China where they are on display.

He wanted an army and palace waiting for him in the next life, to protect him, I suspect from all the enemies he had made through his ruthless bloodshed and wars in this life. Every warrior is supposedly different in appearance.

It was amazing and beautiful.

Even though it was snowing, we did a little exploring of Skeppsholmen which has beautiful views of Stockholm from just about everywhere.

This vantage point appears in many photographs of Stockholm with the royal palace across the water.

And this is the former residence of the admiral of the Swedish Navy. Nice house with killer views, wouldn't you agree?

So we finally got to see a little bit of China on this mission, afterall. Interesting.

Bits and Pieces of Stuff

2011-01-09T02:46:00.013-07:00

I guess I have an abnormal obsession with street signs but I think they say something about the culture from which they come. Here is one we came across recently.

What does it mean? Watch out for frogs on the road? That would be a vindication of an experience I once had for which I have been unmercifully mocked and derided through the years. Or does it mean frog crossing? Can frogs see and comprehend street signs? Did anyone tell them they can cross here? Maybe is is simply an invitation to stop your car, open the window and listen to the beautiful from music which can be heard in the evenings....but not this time of year. Anyway, then it would have been this, and it wasn't.

All I know is that I cannot find this particular sign in our atlas which shows what all the street signs in Sweden mean. And don't ask me what the grafitti on the sign says because I don't know.

Thank you all for the wonderful skype visits we had on Christmas Day. We just happened to snap this photo and it gives you all an idea of how fun it was to see and talk with all of you and especially the grands!

We love our kids and grandkids and that was really fun!
Speaking of fun, for all you lego lovers out there, I recently came across this lego Santa in front of a mall toy store. Pretty jolly, heh?

I have definately decided that Mother Nature is the most amazing artist of all time. Here are a few of her snow sculptures around the temple.

And speaking of nature, we were on our way back from a speaking assignment last week just as the sun was going down, you know, about 2:30 in the afternnoon, and we saw this pillar of light rising up from where the sun was setting. It was very unusual and striking. We could not figure out what was causing it.

Any ideas?

We had a very busy and full week in the temple. Lots of new endowments, baptisms, and sealings. We had a family with four children who were sealed on Friday and it was the most beautiful sight I have seen in the temple since coming here. What a powerful image to see those six gathered together in that room to be joined for eternity. What a privilege it is to be a part of this.

As everyone here is wishing everyone else this time of year, "God forsättning!" It means "Happy Continuation" (of the holiday season, that is....because it keeps going, and going, and going here, until January 14th, Knut's Day. But that is another story.

WE MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER ONE!

2011-01-01T04:45:00.011-07:00

And now let us welcome the NEW YEAR, full of things that have never been!

Note: The above deep thought is from my new Mary Engelbreit desk calendar for Jan 1. (Thanks bunches, Amy! I love it!)
We celebrated here at home with our American missionaries and had a very nice evening.
The table was festive, the food was plentiful and delicious,

We played charades. This is PKO trying to get them to guess "The Last of the Mohicans." They didn't. They really didn't get "Avatar" and glared at me for putting it in the mix. Best to stick to the oldies with this group!

Sister Lundgren trying to drag another answer out of them!

We are all too old and tired to party until midnight, so we celebrated with the people in Dubai....which means our midnight was really at 9:00.

I had forgotten how fireworks-crazy the Swedes are on New Years. Even in a snowstorm, there were fireworks galore. It truly sounded as if the marines had Västerhaninge under seige.

Welcome to 2011.
I hope all of you had festive celebrations, stayed safe and warm, and that you all can feel the love and warm wishes we are sending your way!

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ETHAN!! THE WHOLE WORLD CELEBRATES YOUR BIRTHDAY EVERY YEAR! We love you!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-25T03:10:00.008-07:00

Without a lot of commentary, here are some photos of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...so far. We had a Julbord for the American couples on Christmas Eve complete with three kinds of pickled herring, meatballs, red cabbage, and the rest of the usual goodies. It was a fun evening.

We even had a special visitor again this year.

We got up veeeery early on Christmas morning and drove to Vårdinge, the place where generations of Oscarsons and Åkerlinds lived, worked, attended church, and died. We attended the early morning Christmas service, or Julotta, as it is called. As we drove up to the church, it was all aglow from the hundreds of candles burning inside.

Inside it was cozy and beautiful, lit only by the candles set on boards running between the pillars. The service was nice--lots of music mostly sung by a small 5 person choir. They had lovely voices and almost always stayed in tune. There was a short sermon and the usual collection where helpers walk around and stick a collection bag under your nose with a long pole. I think I will introduce the concept of tithing envelopes to them, although they would undoubtedly not take in as much because it is private and there is less coercion involved. Outside the church after, it was just beginning to get light and there was a horse and sleigh waiting. I felt like I was part of a living Christmas card.

When we returned home, we sat by our Christmas tree (which we finally got up about a week ago)

and opened our gifts. Thank you everyone for thinking of us and knowing just the right things to send! Dad must have been especially good this year because he received a Norwegian sweater to keep him warm this winter. He looks very Nordic, don't you agree?

And now, I think it is time to take a long winter's nap.

Merry Christmas and God Jul!!!!

Christmas Continues

2010-12-19T15:41:00.015-07:00

Today is the 4th advent day.

That means it is the last Sunday before Christmas. We had a good week in the temple and I mention that because that is what we spend the majority of our time doing each week, but you would never know it reading this blog. It must seem like we are here attending julbords and concerts one after the other. Okay, this time of year, we are also doing a lot of that, too. Just keep in mind that we can't post pictures of what we REALLY spend most of our time doing. I am glad you get the spiritual side from Dad's updates along with this--between the two, you are getting a more complete perspective.

So--I can share the other things we have done this week. Here is a review of this past week in pictures:

We had an employee and guesthouse visitors Christmas party where the American missionaries performed a stunning rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas. PKO represented the ten lords a'leaping and did his famous stag leap. Here he is warming up in the "green room" before our big performance.

It is something that will long be remembered by all who serve here with him. I was a maid a milking, but forgot to take a picture....sorry.

We went to a wonderful julbord with a family that we home teach, at a fancy restaurant called Ulrikdals Castle to celebrate the brother's birthday and our 41st anniversay. It was as good as The Grand Hotel last year.

It has been snowing quite a lot but we really don't mind because our commute is short and it is very beautiful. This what it looks like when we go TO the temple in the morning:

And this is what it looks like when we come HOME in the evening. You can see that the snow keeps things bright and light when it is dark.

It may be cold and snowy outside, but we are cozy and warm inside.

And last but not least, we, along with several other temple workers, went into Stockholm today for another Christmas concert. It is fun to take the train and the subway into Stockholm, even with the delays and problems with the snow this time of year. Here we are in the subway station at Odenplan.

The concert was held at Gustav Vasa Church which is absolutely stunning inside and out.

We feel blessed to be here in Sweden and serving in the temple each day. It is a marvelous experience which cannot be adequately described. We also feel so blessed to be able to experience so many wonderful aspects of Swedish culture, especially those associated this time of year with celebrating the birth of our Savior. At the same time, know how much we miss each of you, our children, grandchildren, parents, and brothers and sisters. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. Please be safe and careful, those of you who traveling for Christmas. We hope to be able to Skype with our children to experience a part of your celebrations.

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU and as Tiny Tim expressed so aptly, GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!

Jul bord Cruises, Estonia, and Lucia

2010-12-13T02:26:00.017-07:00

There is almost too much to report on but I will give it a go. This past week we took a three hour Julbord excursion in the Stockholm Archipeligo, a cruise to Tallinn, Estonia, and went to the world's largest Lucia concert at Globen. We ate three Julbord buffets on three consecutive days, and are alive to tell the tale!

On Monday, we joined all of the paid employess of the temple for a three hour julbord excursion through the Stockholm archipeligo and ate ourselves silly while watching the beautiful scenery go by and listening to an accordianist and singer who were more Zydeco than Swedish! It was strange to hear "Små Grodorna" sung cajun style but somehow it worked!

After the cruise we walked around Stockholm with the Evensens and saw the Christmas windows at NK. They are always amazing!
On Tuesday we worked at the temple until around one and then left to go on my birthday cruise to Tallinn, Estonia. We took the train and then the subway to get to the harbor where the Victoria I was docked.

We boarded and found our little cabin.

That evening, we had yet another julbord! This one included a french bouche de noel, which looked so pretty and reminded me of Marie-Laure so I had to take a picture.

We ate ourselves silly, explored the boat, took silly pictures,

...played a few rounds of air hockey in the game room and then retired for the night to our cabin where we found the TV system was down so we read. Are we exciting travelers or what?
The next morning when we woke up, we were in Tallinn, Estonia! Great way to travel! The city is very old, quaint, and picturesque. We had a cab driver take us around and show us the hightlights of the city so we could get oriented, then he dropped us off and we set off on foot to explore the sights. It is an old walled city first founded in the 1200's and reminded me of Visby on Gotland.

Here is the "new" Russian Orthodox Church (only a 100 years old--practically brand new there!) which was very ornate and beautiful, but, as Dad pointed out, there was no place to sit and worship or listen to a sermon--and no photos allowed inside!

The Christmas Market in the main square of town:

Overlook of the city:

Views of the old walls and towers of this Hanseatic trading city:

Lunch in an old cellar restaurant that was very atomospheric and the food was really tasty--forest mushroom soup with goat cheese and hearty bread--oh, and thick hot chocolate on the side, just for good measure to warm us up!

You can tell a lot about a place by the looks of its doors. Here are a couple of my favorites. If you want to see more....just ask!

Here is my art shot from the window of the oldest operating drugstore in the world. It has been in operation since the 1400's although back then it was easier to find powdered toad than Advil... but, who knows, maybe that would work for headaches, too.

If you are thinking that it looks a little cold in these pictures, you would be right. It was a little chilly. By the end of the day we were ready to find our ship and our cozy little berth and get warmed up. That evening, we had...you guessed it, yet another julbord...

...that made three days in a row, if you were keeping track. I think I have eaten my fill of ham, smoked salmon, and rice pudding for awhile.

On Sunday, we went with all the temple missionaries into Globen for the world's biggest Lucia concert. The music was once again heavenly and the sights and sounds were out of this world beautiful.

Perhaps the greatest miracle of this event is that once again, 1500 teenagers managed to sing like angels, holding lighted candles and they didn't burn the place down or set anyone's white dress or hair on fire! Amazing!

It will take a lot to beat last week, but it is Christmas in Sweden so we will see what this week brings!
Merry Christmas eveyone!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like.....

2010-12-04T15:43:00.013-07:00

CHRISTMAS!
It may be dark and snowy, but it is beginning to feel like Christmas in Sweden. We have decked the halls with Christmas decor and the temple house is ready for the holidays. Well, except for a tree. That will happen hopefully, some time this week...or next. Here are a few highlights:

A little over a year ago, when we first came to Sweden, I looked in vain for a Swedish looking nativity set to display. It is not something easy to find here. I knew of a Swedish artist who several years ago had made a nativity for the Church's Museum of History for their collection of nativities from around the world and we decided to call her and see if she could make one for us. Long story short, miraculously, she agreed to make one for us even though she had retired, closed her studio and she has had health problems. It has taken a year, but just before Thanksgiving, Gerd Sjöquist and her husband Kurt came to the temple with their ward, and brought our long awaited nativity set. She and her husband lovingly helped us unpack each piece and set it out.

She is a master ceramist who lived in Dalarna, has studied the old itinerate dalmålning artists, and has a true understanding and feel for the old dalmålning style. She may be one of the only artists who has created three dimensional versions of dalmålning figures. Her husband is also an artist and built the wooden stable for the main figures. In fact, they sold us their own. We agreed a year ago that this set would be our Christmas gift to each other for the next three years--and maybe birthdays, mothers day and every other holiday, too! It is worth it. It is a true work of art and we are absolutely thrilled with the beauty and workmanship. Here are a few details of the pieces.

I could post many more pictures of all the beautiful details, but you get the idea. We feel so privileged to have this nativity in our home and will enjoy it for many years to come. It is such a perfect representation of Swedish art and style and captures so much of what we love about Sweden. That it also represents the birth of the Savior is a bonus.
May all of your homes be filled with the true spirit of Christmas as we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this holiday season.

I'm Thankful

2010-11-26T03:57:00.005-07:00

It has been a busy week but with a lot to be thankful for. The saints from Latvia have been in the temple all week and they are a special group. They all consider it such a privilege to be there and it takes such effort and sacrifice to come that it always humbles all of us. We have had five new endowments so far (with one more tomorrow) and the sealing of a family.

Among the group there were three youth who have been doing two baptismal sessions a day. The future of the Church in Latvia is in good hands!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we continued our tradition begun last year of inviting all who are living in the guest house and working each day in the temple to come for a traditional American Thanksgiving feast. This year we had 33 people come and it was wall-to-wall tables in the house. Everyone brought something to contribute to the feast and we provided the turkey, stuffing, and gravy. The food was delicious and I think everyone had a good time. In the fine tradition of American feasting, we all ate waaaay too much and felt wonderfully uncomfortable as we ended the evening.

As we sat at our table and looked around us at all the faces that have become so near and dear to us, we felt truly grateful to be having this experience. We are so blessed. Even though we were not with our own children, siblings, and parents, and a part of our thoughts were with them, we are so grateful to be here at this time and doing what we are doing. It is a Thanksgiving we will always remember and treasure. We have much to be thankful for. We hope your holiday was just as wonderful--we love you!

The Unblog

2010-11-14T10:18:00.008-07:00

Sometimes there just isn't a whole lot to blog about. It is not that we are just sitting around doing nothing, it is just that we can't take pictures and blog about what we really are spending all of our time doing. I just have to get past that silly picture of me looking for a moose where it looks like I have a huge head and little tiny feet. Can't explain that. Funny camera angle or something

Anyway, here is a picture of the Anderssons who came to dinner on Thursday evening which Dad wrote about in his update. He baptized them on his mission and they are the sweetest most wonderful couple you could ever hope to meet. The torte wasn't too bad either.

Today is Father's Day in Sweden. Dad got a large Frukt och Mandel chocolate bar which really doesn't do justice to the fact that this man is probably one of the world's greatest fathers. I mean just look at this man. Everyone who loves and appreciates him please raise your hand and shout YES! How in the world did we all get so lucky? He is pretty darn near perfect and we are so blessed to call him husband, father, uncle, brother, and friend. I am still trying to catch up to where he is.
Happy Father's Day to my best friend and one of the best people I know.

Love and greetings for another week!

Even More Randomness

2010-11-04T15:10:00.001-06:00

I'm still looking for a moose--we were out in the woods on Monday and really really searching.

Everyone seems to have seen a moose up close....except me. I will not give up. They are out there somewhere and they can't hide from me forever.

IKEA thrills! You have to make your own fun sometimes.

Just look where we get to live right now. Is this great or what?

These were all taken on Södermalm, one of Stockholms many islands and suburbs on Monday. We are still exploring all the old sites where the historical novels PKO is reading are set.We just keep finding amazing places.

And last, but not least, I loved this note I received from Hannah this week. She knows how to make a woman who just turned 60 feel very good about herself.

Thank you Hannah. You are cool and pretty, too. It must run in the family.

Random Things

2010-10-31T02:56:00.010-06:00

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful greetings on my birthday. I felt loved and appreciated even from 3,000 miles away...or however far it is. One of the many kindnesses shown me was the decoration of my porch pumpkin by one of the assistant matrons.

It think it is supposed to be a scene depicting Dad and I walking in a park. I would never tell her that it looks more like a mugger in the park, because it was such a charming thoughtful thing to do. I hope she doesn't read this blog!
Dad took me to Saturnus, our favorite little cafe for lunch on the Monday after my birthday. I had salmon soup

and he had a greek salad.

We love that place!
Since the first time we came to Sweden more than 34 years ago I have been hoping to get a good look at some moose in the wild. They are supposedly all over the place here. I have caught glimpses now and again, but I am still always looking for a closer view. A few weeks ago Dad saw a whole family of moose in a field near the temple as he was driving toward the highway. The other day as we passed that field I was searching for moose as I usually do now, and waaaaay off near the trees I saw this:

I know, not very satisfying. They are way too far away. You will just have to trust me when I tell you those are moose. I am going to keep looking and one of these days I'll get lucky, I'll have my camera close at hand, and I will be able to share my close encounter of the moose kind. One of our temple employees this week was talking a long walk in the woods, got lost, and ran into two moose....twice. It scared him to death. Apparently they can be dangerous if you get between a mother and her calf. I'll be careful.
I thought of Waverly, the duct tape queen, when I saw this in Stockholm this week.
She is right, you know. That stuff is really really useful. It seems to be the only thing holding this poor tree together at this point.

We had a very nice week in the temple with the Kungsbacka Ward as our excursion group. There are so many from that ward that are dear friends from our past experiences here. It was a joy to be with them. The week ended yesterday with Dad having the opportunity to seal a young couple and then their 16 month old son to each other. Those are the best times in the temple.
I hope most of you have heard the message that Grandpa Green in in the hospital again. I know that you will all be praying for his quick recovery and I truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers for him. He has been through so many hard things this past year.
Speaking of this past year, today marks our one year anniversary in coming to Sweden. The year has flown by at the speed of light. It has been a blessed and choice year and we are so grateful for this privilege and opportunity. We are grateful for the support of children, grandchildren, family, and friends. We feel the effects of your prayers in our behalf and we are so grateful for those prayers and for the blessing of being able to serve here in the temple.
On a lighter note, Happy Halloween everyone! We hope to see some cute pictures of grandkids in costumes soon!

Six Decades

2010-10-21T13:49:00.013-06:00

The new kid on the block....

First decade down....The freckle faced kid

Not quite 20 and about to marry my best friend...

Decade 3 in thick of it...

The forties were fun....

Fifty--life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies....

The face of 60.

I somehow never imagined myself being 60 but somehow, it feels okay. My life has been really good and I am blessed beyond belief. It will be interesting to see where the next decade takes us.

Autumnal Glory and Flower Missionaries

2010-10-18T13:05:00.010-06:00

It got off to a slow start and I suspect it will not last very much longer but Fall is here in all its glory. Here is our front porch and the pumpkin which Dad described. We hunted all over Stockholm for this little beauty. Now I am seeing them all over Stockholm. I was too impatient.
This morning when we stepped outside for our morning constitutional with Axel and Dottie, the fall leaves were everywhere. There was a solid carpet of leaves on the steps, walk, and lawn.

And here is my autumn valentine. He's a good one, he is!

The colors are vivid and bright.

This past week we had two special visitors to the temple. Our flower arrangements in the temple have been looking a little tired and out of place. We had all the furniture in the Celestial Room redone in April and the old flowers just seemed to need a makeover. This week the Church's temple department sent us two flower missionaries to redo ALL of the flower arrangements in the temple. These two wonderful ladies worked a miracle in just three days. They are both about 80 years old but they are spry and hard working. They travel all over the world creating floral masterpieces in the temples. Unfortunately, I can't take pictures of the arrangements they made for the temple, but they did make two new arrangements for the temple home and I can show you those.

Everything in the temple looks prettier and brighter now. How would you like that for a mission? I just love these two sweet sisters. We had them over for dinner a couple of times and I had the chance to spend some time showing them around Stockholm after they finished in the temple. Here we are on the narrowest street in Gamla Stan.

They were so much fun to be with. One of them is from our ward in Salt Lake and we recognized each other when we met. Who knew there was such a thing as a flower missionary. They are redoing the Bountiful Temple next, so those of you in that part of the woods can check out their work in a couple of weeks. They are artists. I love that there is a place and a need in the Church for all kinds of talents and age doesn't matter. I hope I can continue to be useful when I am that age.

On Saturday evening we drove to Göteborg for Stake Conference. I experienced my worst nightmare on Sunday as we were sitting on the stand in a huge auditiorium full of people. I suddenly heard the Stake President announcing that I (among others) would be bearing my testimony. I had not known in advance, but the visiting authority requested it. I had not prepared anything but I said a quick (but very heartfelt) prayer and stepped to the pulpit. Somehow, I was given the words in Swedish to bear a simple testimony. I'm sure I made mistakes but the Spirit was there and I think I was understood. I do okay in everyday conversation but when you are standing in front of a thousand people and your head is being shown on a giant screen where every drop of sweat is magnified, well, I could very well have been speechless. We are the recipients of tender mercies daily.
After conference, we were invited to have dinner at the home of the 2nd counselor in the temple presidency and his wife.

The mission president and his wife were also invited and we had a wonderful time. They have a charming storybook house and it was fun to see them in their own setting. After the meal we sampled several different chocolate bars and voted on our favorites.

A perfect ending to a lovely meal!
Have wonderful and gloriously vivid fall week!

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO OUR SUNSHINE

2010-10-11T01:00:00.001-06:00

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARRIE DEAR!
HAPPY DAYS WILL COME TO YOU ALL YEAR.
IF I HAD ONE WISH THEN IT WOULD BE,
A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU FROM ME!

About my daughter Carrie Ann--
We called her Sunshine from the beginning because she radiated joy, even as a baby. The members here in Sweden remember her the best of all our children because of her lively and slightly mischievious nature. They always say she was "busig!" (I'll leave it to you to look that up in an English/Swedish dictionary!)
She has always been lively, fun, creative, and interesting.

She knows a lot about everything.
She is very smart.
She is fun and funny and knows how to have a good time.

She is the style maven for the family. If you have a style question, ask Carrie. We often do.
She is a wonderful interior designer. I can't wait to see her new house in person. It looks fabulous! Unique, creative, and classy.
Sorry I don't have a pic of the finished look...it is exquisite!
She is generous and giving. Compassionate is a word that describes Carrie.
She is the favorite aunt because she throws fabulous sleepovers with fun things to do like Guitar Hero and to-die-for food.

Speaking of food--this woman can cook! It's always delicious at her house!

No one, and I mean no one, can throw a party like Carrie. She always goes the extra mile and everyone has a great time and leaves with a happy face! Her decor is always exquisite.

She loves Todd, her home, the temple, camping with Todd, beautiful fabrics, gourmet foods, pretty shoes, Anthropologie (the store,) her siblings, the gospel, reading, sewing, cute dresses, big fun jewelry, good movies, her bicycle Rosie,anything pork from Cafe Rio, and fun double dates with her parents.

She makes the most fabulous Halloween costumes.

Carrie is good through and through. She has a strong testimony and loves the gospel. She lives the gospel especially in her service to everyone around her. She continues to be a sunshine and light to everyone who knows her.
See? She even walks on air!
My life is so blessed by her presence and I have always felt so lucky to be her mom.
Carrie Ann, I am so glad you were born. You are a blessing to all who are lucky enough to know you.
And now, just a few more pics just because they are fun.

One of my favorites, not because of its great quality obviously. One day I came into our family room where my kids were and saw Chip giving Carrie this spontaneous hug. It warmed my heart.

Carrie, you are loved. Happy Birthday Sunshine.

Scenes from This Morning's Bicycle Ride

2010-09-20T14:38:00.008-06:00

It was the most incredibly beautiful fall day today. Really. Just ask PKO. He could not stop asking me, "Isn't this just the most beautiful day?" It really was I assured him about forty times. And just to prove it, here are some scenes from our bike ride this morning. I fear these rides will soon come to an end as winter approaches.

The woods are full of mushrooms right now. Ironic, isn't it? How much did we pay for mushrooms a week ago?

Me standing in the middle of a 2,000 year old bronze age grave site. I keep wishing we could somehow find out the names of these people so we could do their work in the temple. Some day!

PKO examining one of the ancient gravestones.

My faithful bike buddy admiring the random art work in the woods. Only in Sweden!

Now I know where the Blue Man Group's wives hang out--in the woods in Sweden. Wait, they don't got no legs....or arms for that matter!

Remember the church with the crooked steeple?

This scene really reminds me.....

...of this scene from The Polar Express! Well, except for the wild wolves.

This is what it looks like everywhere we look! It's almost too much beauty to take in. And after all that, we are ready for another week in the temple with a group of saints from Drammen, Norway. Have a beautiful week and don't forget to take time to stop and smell the mushrooms...or something.

Bureaucracy and the Environment

2010-09-17T01:33:00.006-06:00

I know, it sounds enthralling. Bear with me. I promise to keep it short.
We recently had to renew our visas in order to stay in Sweden for another year. We filled out our applications and sent them in with the required fee. A short time later we received two rather large envelopes from the migration office, each containing two full size sheets of paper. One was a receipt that acknowledged having received the application and fee. It took up maybe a quarter of the page. Maybe. Here is how the other sheet looked:

It says on it, "For the sake of the environment the Migration Office now writes on both sides of the paper."

This was on a separate sheet of paper, mind you.
Really? Does no one in the Migrationsverket see the irony of this mailing? I just love the efficiency of bureaucrats sometimes.

Wild Mushrooms and Lingon or the Art of Being Totally Duped

2010-09-15T07:14:00.007-06:00

Mondays are always a fun day here as that is our day off from the temple and we usually take the train into Stockholm and do a little exploring. This past Monday we were at Hötorget (The Hay Market), a square in front of the Concert House where the Nobel Prizes are awarded each year. It is a fun place with an open air market where venders are hawking whatever produce is currently in season. Right now it is golden chanterelle mushrooms and all kinds of berries from the forests. The men manning the booths are not native Swedes...I think they all come from the Damascus Institute of Very Loud Hawkers and Shysters. We decided to purchase some mushrooms and lingon berries because they looked really good. We were planning to do some more walking so we didn't want to have to carry any heavy loads around but somehow, the following happened. I will call the players Omar, PKO, and the Sucker.
Sucker: We would like some mushrooms.
Omar: Very good, very good. I make you a very good price. They are half price. (Omar begins to shovel a very large amount of mushrooms into a rather large sack.)
Sucker: Oh no, I don't want that many.
Omar: They are very good, I give you good price...half off!
Sucker: But we have to carry these around.
Omar: (Pointing to PKO) Well look, you have great big guy to carry them for you. (He continues to shovel mushrooms.) Very good price, too.
Sucker: (Thinking to self: That seems like an awful lot of mushrooms, but I guess they are light, and they ARE one half off.)
Sucker: We would also like some lingon. (What? Am I dumb or something?)
Omar: Very good, I make you good deal. (He begins shoveling HUGE scoops into a plastic bag.)
Sucker: Oh no, I really don't want that many lingon. Take some out...that's more than I want.
Omar: No, I make you very good deal. I not charge you for all these. (He puts the bag on the scale.) That's a very good amount. Now look, I add another scoop just for you and not charge you. (He throws another large scoop into the already bulging bag that by now weighs about 14 pounds.)
Sucker: You don't understand, we don't want to carry so much around.
Omar: This big strong man will carry it for you. Don't worry. (He works at the speed of light and has those mushrooms and lingon all packed up in a big sack ready to go before we can say a word.)
PKO finally speaks: Okay, how much?
Omar: 300 crowns
Sucker and PKO: (Mouths drop open and are both speechless but apparently gutless, too. We hand over the 300 crowns (about 40 dollars.))
Omar: Have good day!
Sucker: (Is wondering if she has a sign on her forhead that says, "I am an easy mark...try me.") I'll carry the bags. That was my fault. I am so sorry.
PKO: (with great patience which lasted for the next 4 hours) Just give me the bags. They are a little heavy. (That is an understatement. We probably had 2 pounds of mushrooms and at least 14 pounds of lingon.)
Sucker: (for the next 4 hours) I am SOOO sorry.
PKO: (Silence)

I did make delicious mushroom quiche for dinner that night which PKO really liked. It helped a little. I didn't save a piece for Omar. It took me several hours to clean that many lingon berries. I froze them. Now I just have to figure out what the heck I am going to go with that many lingon berries...jam anyone? Lingon drink anyone? I dried the remaining mushrooms and they weigh a lot less now. Who knew mushrooms could be so heavy? Lesson learned.

PART TWO: Exploring Södermalm
PKO just finished ready a book which Chip left with us called City of My Dreams by Per Anders Fogelström, which depicts life in the part of Stockholm called Södermalm (South Island) around the 1860's to 1870's. I read the last few chapters aloud to him as we were driving to and from Göteborg over the weekend and got quite caught up in the story myself. It is hard to imagine the poverty and suffering that most of the population of the world experienced in those times. The author took great pains to accurately describe actual places and events and we wanted to explore the area where the story takes place so we took the subway to Söder (as it is called) after our Hötorget experience. Now remember, we are doing all of this walking around on Söder while PKO carries around about 16 pounds of produce...and did I mention it was raining kattar och hundar? It is a very interesting place. There is a part of town called SoFo (kind of like SoHo in NYC) with quirky shops, antique stores, and other interesting buildings. Then we found some steep stairs which lead up to the White Hills part of Söder, which plays an important part in the story. Chip, these photos are for you--this is where Henning and Lotten lived and worked.

I was glad PKO just had to carry lingon up those stairs and not buckets of water and firewood while suffering from TB. I recommend the book highly. I also recommend we not buy any more produce from the wily guys at Hötorget, at least not at the beginning of an outing. What? The quiche was really good!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIP!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY OSCAR!!!

2010-09-09T23:46:00.009-06:00

Happy birthday to one of the best people I know--my son Chip. I hope you are sufficiently feted, celebrated, adored, and honored. Know how much you are loved and appreciated by your parental units.
While we are at it, a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet grandson Oscar! May your day be filled with presents, smiling happy people, and lots of cake and ice cream. You are an amazing boy and we wish we could join you for the birthday bash!

Isn't our family lucky that these two guys were born?

Country Rhodes and More

2010-09-04T01:01:00.026-06:00

The visit seemed to zoom by at the speed of light but we loved every single wonderful moment of Carrie and Todd's visit to Sweden. Here are a few more hightlights of our time together.

After completely wearing them out showing them our favorite haunts in Stockholm we branched out into the countryside. On Sunday we drove them to Vårdinge, where the Oscarson family Swedish roots are buried deeply in the soil.

It was a magical day with kind-hearted home owners in each place inviting us in to see where our people lived.

We ate a lovely picnic in front of Vårdinge Church.

The highlight was the chance to see the two rooms in the old cottage at Sjunda where Wilhemina Åkerlind grew up.

We saw the old woodfired bread oven where her mother baked bread and then walked out behind the homestead to the lake in the forest where they used to pick berries.

The woods were full of blueberries and lingon--it was also full of mean-spirited mosquitoes reminding us that there is opposition in all things!

All in all it was a very satisfying day.
On Wednesday and Thursday we took the Rhodes on the road again and drove to what I think is the most beautiful place in Sweden--well, that I have seen, anyway, Dalarna. Carrie fulfilled a lifetime dream when we toured Carl and Karin Larsson's home in Sundborn.

We ate another lovely picnic in front of Sundborn Church on the shores of a beautiful blue lake. The little hilltop village of Tällberg overlooking Lake Siljan has to be one of the most charming and scenic places on the face of this earth.

After a night's rest in a hotel in Rättvik which included a wonderful breakfast buffet, we explored museums, shops, and the countryside of beautiful Dalarna. We loved the Nittsjö ceramics factory,the Dala Paintings and folk costumes in the museum in Falun, the local home craft store in Leksand, and I thought Carrie was going to faint at the absolutely beautiful handprinted fabrics and designs at Jobs Handprinted Textiles.

We visited several Dala horse factories and you can't visit Dalarna without taking at least one picture under the world's largest Dala horse in Avästa.

We even explored a "mill environment" that was a little off the beaten path and Carrie discovered red mushrooms in the forest. It was magical.

We may have even seen something like this, but I can't swear to it.

Unfortunately, our time with the Rhodes was prematurely interrupted. We were supposed to have gone to Scotland with them on Friday to spend our last four days together but we found out that Dad is on the program to speak at a a special two Stake Conference on Sunday where Elder Nelson will be present so our trip to Scotland was cancelled. We are very disappointed that we missed out on the experience of seeing were Carrie served her mission. Maybe next time. It was so sad and hard to say goodbye at the airport on Friday morning.

The Rhodes are most fun and entertaining travel companions. We highly recommend them as visitors and loved loved loved our time with them! Thanks Carrie and Todd! We love you!

The Rhodes of Sweden

2010-08-28T23:20:00.007-06:00

We are having way too much fun to take the time to write a long blog, so this will have to do for now. Carrie and Todd arrived on Wednesday and we have about worn them out trying to show them all of our favorite places and exploring a few new ones. This will give you a taste of their visit until I have time to create an in-depth description!

.

This will have to suffice for now...we gotta run!

Why I Love This Guy

2010-08-23T17:05:00.008-06:00

Conversation on a cell phone today.
Setting: Visby a very old scenic Medieval walled city on the island of Gotland.
Situation: PKO was parking the car while I began to explore the shops. We were to meet up on the big square (Stortorg) in the center of town. As I approached the square I called him to see where he was.
Me: Where are you?
PKO: I'm not sure. I may be close to Stortorg.
Me: Do you see any big ruins?
PKO: Nope, I don't see any ruins.

Five seconds later I spot him about 50 feet away from where I am standing. This is a reenactment of what I saw:

Nope, no ruins there!
I am still laughing. Luckily, so is he.
And that is why I really love this guy.

By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY! You have been in my thoughts all day!

The Quiet House

2010-08-14T00:58:00.013-06:00

All is silent in the Temple House. There is no stroller on the porch and no little tennis shoes in the front entry. The kitchen counters are clean and there are no herb tea cups from Ile de Re sitting in the sink. There is no smell of ratatouille wafting through the house when we come home from the temple. The basement echos with emptiness. I am just about past the point where I feel tears come to my eyes when someone asks about our grandkids. Sigh....we miss the fun and excitement, the hugs and smiles, and the stories before bedtime.

Hurry up and come quickly, Carrie and Todd. We need someone to help fill the hole. In the meantime, here is a message for Chip and M-L's family. They will understand.