While we don't celebrate the American Thanksgiving in Sweden, for some reason we have in later years still imported Black Friday - which this year turned into Black Week. (Whether in spite of or because of the corona virus may be debated; as at the same time, the government and the health authorities keep telling us to keep distance and stay away from shopping centers...)
For my own part, I was hit by another kind of blackout on Wednesday, when all of a sudden my cable TV/internet/phone quit working. I had been watching something on Play TV in the afternoon, without problem, but then when I tried to switch back to regular TV, everything just froze. I tried the standard trick of restarting things; but that did not help. I had a TV emergency number written down and called to check if there was a general problem. Nope, there wasn't. They arrived at the theory that the fault might be in the power adapter to my my cable box; which it was too late to do anything about that day. I then also realized that oops, if the fault was with the cable box, I also had no internet...
I survived, of course: after all, I still had electricity, and FM radio, and my mobile phone (but with limited data, as I use a cash card). I could even have watched films on DVD if I had wanted to, as the problem was not in the TV itself. Being without both TV and internet at the same time still made me feel oddly disconnected from the rest of the world, though! I don't think that's actually happened before, except perhaps during some power outage (which rarely last long in the city). Usually if I've had internet problems, that has not involved the TV channels; or vice versa.
I was a bit worried that I wouldn't get it fixed before the weekend, but luckily it got sorted out the next day. They phoned in the early afternoon and said I could pick up a new power adapter at a place within walking distance from where I live. So I did; and when I got back home and plugged that in, all went smoothly back to normal. So... I had my own kind of Thanksgiving Thursday, celebrating being reconnected to the World again!
I've also done my usual decorating for 1st Advent Sunday - even though Advent celebrations, like everything else, will be a bit different this year. As no congregations larger than 8 people are allowed at the moment, the usual live church services and concerts are cancelled. But, now being back online again, there will be various digital alternatives... (And with Blackout Wednesday fresh in memory, I might try to make use of that!)
Your fog pictures are stunning! And your window is so pretty and cheerful. Very good that the problem was so easy to solve! On our local T.V. news, every day they say how many covid cases are in the different cities and counties. Do you know how many cases are in Boras?
ReplyDeleteNo Ginny, I don't know how many covid cases there are in total. Numbers are still rising in our region though (Västra Götaland) and in the hospital here in Borås there are 49 covid patients at the moment (6 of them in intensive care), according to the latest statistics. How that compares to other cities/hospitals of similar size I don't know.
DeleteThat is a pretty scene with your Advent candles, star and red checked curtains. You could print that for a Christmas card. I must say 8 people limit is rather severe. I think our restrictions of 50 in church is severe, here in my city in California. For the past 10 days we are not allowed inside churches at all! We attend outside under a tent with heaters or online. What a troubled time this is, and yet you and I have many blessings including our sweet card sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Terra. We had 50 people as limit here in the spring/summer, then just as they were about to increase that number in the autumn, the virus hit hard again and instead they had to lower it. As I understand it, 8 was the lowest they could go without breaking basic constitutional laws. But right now, that applies to outdoors public events as well as indoors (which really means, everything of that kind cancelled).
Deletethank you for the card across the ginormous pond between us. it came yesterday. your window is so cheerful and with the fog outside, i know you need it. i have had a few times without tv/internet/phone thing and it was horrible. in fact we had that a couple weeks ago, and i was thankful it lasted only 2 hours.. ours was a general problem so no one had to come out. i know that feeling of being disconnected. and I don't like it. i would hate to have to go back to the life before internet. would be a shock.
ReplyDeleteSandra, going back to "life before internet" would be a really weird kind of time travel now, I agree!
DeletePhew, I would have been very thankful, too, if my connections to the world would be severed so suddenly and then came back simply by plugging in a new adapter!
ReplyDeleteI like fog, it gives the world such a special atmosphere.
O.K. and I went walking around the three villages that form an administrative unit (he lives in the "main" one) on Saturday evening to look at Christmas lights and decorations, it was one of the most romantic and enjoyable walks we have done this year (and you know we have done many!).
Like in your country, there won't be any of the usual Advent things going on; the village band are not allowed to rehearse or perform, for instance.
But many have been very creative with setting up "Advent walks" in their villages or "Live Advent Calendars" where one decorated window is lit up on each of the 24 days.
Meike, I've read/heard about such arrangements as well, but not within walking distance for me. There are Christmas lights and decorations put up in the city centre, but the usual festive ceremony of turning the lights on (the weekend before 1st Advent) was of course cancelled this year. And with all the special events cancelled I think I'll probably just stick to daytime walks this December...
DeleteAlthough Scotland has been very measured and strict in some places we are fortunate in that 2 families with a maximum of 6 people can meet indoors. We've had no covid 'outbreak' on Lewis (although we had one in The Uists). Travel to a higher rated tier is now illegal except for certain defined reasons
ReplyDeleteYour second photo is, in my view, exceptional.
Thanks Graham. Fog does have a certain charm of its own sometimes, even if too much of it soon makes the world rather dull... I'm glad the covid outbreak in the Uists has not spread to Lewis and I hope you'll be able to keep it at bay.
DeleteWe don't celebrate thanksgiving here in NZ either, we just wait until Christmas day but many retailers here have been promoting black Friday sales, I don't know why because they were held on a day that wasn't a 13th of the month, just another excuse to sell products.
ReplyDelete