Why Can't AI spell??

 

Small Scale Recycling

 

Remember my Barbie & Skipper dolls? Last spring I gave away most of my childhood "collection" of them (six out of eight) to a charity shop; but decided to keep these two + a selection of clothes made by my mum back in the 1960s. And instead of just going back into their box, they've continued to be on display on one of my bookshelves, and I've kept changing their outfits now and then, "just for fun". The other day, I was inspired to make them new casual tops out of a pair of old socks. Barbie's did not require any stitches at all, just cutting. On Skipper's I had to add a few stitches by hand for a better fit. 

When "playing" with them, I keep getting impressed by my mum's details on some of their clothes from around 60 years ago... Like Skipper's pair of jeans:

In our local newspaper this morning (which nowadays I subscribe to online), one of the local news was that another second hand shop for charity is about to be opened in the city centre (we have a number of them since before, but none of them right in the middle of the city). I have to confess that so far, I've been giving away a lot more clothes and things to collections for charity, rather than buying second hand myself - especially clothes. But I'll certainly at least pay the new shop a "curiosity" visit when it opens!

How about you? Are there many second hand shops where you live, and do you like shopping clothes second hand?

Tulips & Prayers

 

When in town yesterday, I bought myself some more tulips. They're sold in bunches of 10, and this time I divided them between two vases: one for the living room table, and a smaller one for the kitchen table. 

My thoughts & prayers just now are very much with a Swedish friend of mine (in another town) who will be having brain surgery (again) on Tuesday. 

 

 

The Calm After the Storm

Yesterday, stormy weather moved in over western Sweden, and several warnings for strong winds were issued. Train departures in the region were cancelled, as part of the roof at Gothenburg Central Station blew off in the morning, cutting off electricity to several tracks at the station for several hours. Many buses were cancelled as well, as fallen trees were blocking roads etc. A major bridge in the archipelago north of Gothenburg was also closed to traffic. 

As for myself, I was in the lucky position of not needing to go anywhere, so I just stayed in. I had ordered groceries with home delivery, which arrived on time; and I also had electricity and internet as usual all day. So personally, I was really not affected at all. But looking out, I could hear and see that the wind outside was really strong even in my neighbourhood (all kinds of debris flying about; but nothing "major"). 

This morning the storm had passed on. All was still and quiet compared to yesterday, and the trees that I see from my window were hardly moving. We even had a bit of blue sky and sunshine for a while. That might quickly change again, though - so I grabbed the opportunity to go for a walk into town again, and pick up a few things from the pharmacy. 

I could see no major damage from the storm along the paths I walked (only small branches and litter blown about). And the river was still as a mirror - or at least very nearly so.

I even found the first real "sign of spring" on my way back along the river: Snowdrops growing in a flower bed by the river, near the condominiums on the other side of the path.

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Two for One

This is as close as AI & I will get with an illustration for today's adventure, I think - even if I can't quite figure out which rubber tube in the image goes where and does what... ;)

Anyway, once again I had to get up early for a walk into town to my primary health care centre, this time to see the doctor and get the results from my blood tests last week, and discuss whatever else might need discussing. (A standard check-up of this and that.) 

As with all my health appointments this winter, I'd been worrying weeks ahead about what the weather might be like on the actual day. But so far this week the temperatures have stayed above freezing point; so there was no snow and ice on the ground today. Raining a little, but not much wind. So no problem walking into town as I usually do.

In the illustration above, there are two doctors, because while I was expecting a tête-à-tête with "my" doctor (whom I'd met once before, at a previous check-up 1½ year ago, and quite liked), this time he had a young medical student with him, who was to go through things with me, while the senior dr would just sit quietly in a corner and pretend not to be there (but listen in, and be at hand). "If that was all right with me"... And as I do realise that medical students do need to practice to learn, of course it had to be...

And yes, the young man was nice enough. He may well become a good dr.  I just really miss the times when I had one and the same doctor for many years, and knew that she actually knew me. Since the last one of that kind, it's been a new face every time for a number of years, and varying routines. Some do a lot of talking and very little listening... This student, on the other hand, pretty much left all the talking to me! (Luckily, the senior dr had not been asleep in his corner, so he did provide further comments at the end about some things that I felt I had not really got answers to...) (Afterwards it struck me, though, that neither of them said a word about the results of my blood tests. But I assume that must mean they were all okay, and did not need discussing!)

As for my blood pressure, that tends to rocket as soon as I set foot in a dr's office (no matter which dr), and this time was no exception.  Knowing that, I had actually checked it at home in the morning though, and then it was just fine. And they took my word for that.

Remains to be seen if they sorted out the prescriptions as discussed. (I trust the senior dr has to sign those, though, so no real worries.)

The good news (besides no bad news!) was that the senior doctor is a permanent member of the staff there now, and confirmed that I'm "listed" with him now. 

Nevertheless, I hope I won't be needing any further appointments for a while!

Stained Glass Windows

The past three weeks or so for me have involved quite a few reminders of "life and death" - either because of recent happenings, or related to anniversaries, or just one memory stirring another... The other day my fluttering thoughts led me to turn to the Bing Image Creator and ask for some stained glass windows - like in a church or chapel. I named certain things that I wanted included (like cross, sunset, leaves and flowers, birds and butterflies); and I actually love all four of the designs that AI came up with on this theme. So I just want to share those with you - with some quotes picked from Goodreads.

 

“Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

 

“I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."

Verse XXVII
― Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam

 

“I thought I could describe a state;
make a map of sorrow.
Sorrow, however, turns out to be
not a state but a process.”
― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

“Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

All Hearts

 

In Swedish, Valentines' Day (14 Febr) is called Alla Hjärtans Dag = All Hearts' Day. (Often just referred to as "All Hearts".) This year, the day arrived accompanied by awful weather, and my guess is that not many couples around here tried to celebrate it by going for a romantic walk. On the 13th, we had lots of snow falling down us once more; and on the 14th it all started turning to rain, slush and ice again. I hardly set foot outside for four days (Tuesday through Friday). 

Today, however, I woke up to sunshine, a blue sky, and almost every trace of snow and ice gone again - for now. So I grabbed the opportunity to go for a walk into town and check out the City's effort earlier in the week to create a bit of Valentine's mood in the main square. (I had seen photos of and read about it in the local newspaper.)

Crossing a footbridge over to the Park on my way back, I also noticed quite a few padlocks along the railing there. I believe some of those have been there for quite a while  - but maybe some new ones were also added on All Hearts' Day? 

 

My other purpose for going into town today (besides snapping a few photos of The Big Heart) was to buy myself some tulips. It's also my mum's birthday on Tuesday next week (or was). She used to get tulips for her birthday (it's the most common cut flower sold at the florists' this time of year); and after she died (15 years ago in May), it's become a sort of tradition for me to buy some tulips for myself around this date, "to remember her by".

- - -

I also popped into a clothes shop for "a quick look" (mostly really to seek shelter from the wind for a little while). But happened to lay eyes on a denim jacket that tempted me to also try it on - and then buy it. The thing is, I have an old one, but it is very short (to the waist only) and also really too tight now when buttoned up... So I have been on the lookout for a while for one a bit longer and wider. That has not seemed to be the fashion in a while - but looks like they're back now... The photo below shows the new one to the left, and my old one to the right. The sleeves on both are the same length, but the new one is both longer and wider. (I'll be able to wear a cardigan or sweater underneath it in spring/autumn.) I decided to buy it while still available in "my size"... (Even if with the shifting fashions, it's getting increasingly difficult to say what that is supposed to be!!)

 

The Opposite of Fun

Having posted my own childhood memories from the amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg for "Sepia Saturday" this weekend, it felt extremely weird yesterday (Monday) to hear the news of a devastating fire having broken out there - in their new 'water world' called Oceana, still under construction... The photo below snapped from my TV screen today; the English text below copied from www.mynewsdesk.com

Press release - 12 February 2024 18:19
Update regarding the fire at Liseberg Oceana Water World in Gothenburg, Sweden

A fire broke out on Monday morning at Liseberg Oceana Water World in Gothenburg, Sweden, resulting in total destruction of the building. The fire, which started on the outside of the southern part of the building, quickly spread to parts of the pool hall.

One person contracted by Liseberg is still missing, and the police have filed a report of a missing person. A total of sixteen  22  individuals have sought medical care for minor injuries ---

- We are deeply saddened by the devastating event. Our primary task now is to assist the police in the search for the missing person and to support everyone affected, said Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen.

The main focus throughout the day has been to prevent further injuries and to avoid the fire from spreading to adjacent structures and nearby buildings.

Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel and Liseberg's nearby office buildings have been evacuated. ---
Liseberg has established continuous communication with the fire department, police, the local hospitals, and the construction contractor NCC to coordinate efforts.

Monday Morning

"Slippery" illustration by Bing AI

Today was one of those days I would have preferred to just stay in - if not for the fact that I have a primary health care check-up coming up next week; and before that, they need a fasting blood sample from me.

I'd been keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts for a week, hoping for "a better day" to get that done - but just now, only worse seems to be expected. So this morning, and without breakfast, I ventured out not long after 8 a.m. Weather: Freezing drizzle falling on snow and ice... 

I had actually intended to try and catch the bus half the way (two stops); but when I reached the bus stop, the printed timetable there was different from what I'd tried to figure out at home (using an app) - so not knowing when to actually expect the bus, I just sighed and continued on foot. (Probably both saved me time and kept me warmer...) I was of course dressed for the weather, including the right kind of footwear; but it certainly wasn't the most fun day to be out and about anyway. (But tomorrow might well be worse!) Anyway, once I reached my destination, there was no queue at the lab, so it was all over very quickly. 

 

Image by Bing AI

I had brought a small thermos of tea so then had some of that + a banana in the waiting room before I ventured back out again. And back home, more tea + a sandwich... But after that, I was so tired that I actually went back to bed and fell asleep for another hour or two; before I got up to make lunch!

PS-1: Walking down outdoor icy steps one step at a time (outside the health care centre), very slowly, holding on to the icy rail with one hand, and a firm grip on your walking pole with the other, being as careful as anyone possibly can, turns out to be a great way to get strangers smiling at you and saying: "Be careful now, it's really slippery..."

PS-2: When I asked Bing for a slippery illustration, cartoon style (see the image at the top), I did not ask for it to involve animals of any kind... 

Below is a photo of "the real thing", somewhere along my way:

 

Sepia Saturday Fun

Normally I participate in Sepia Saturday from my family history blog Greetings from the Past (see link in my sidebar). But the SS prompt picture this week made me think of my own childhood rather than going further back in history - and nothing to do with my grandparents. So I decided to put this post here instead. 

 

I have actually never been all that fond of amusement parks - or even simpler playgrounds - as I've always preferred my surroundings to stay still rather than going round and round, or up and down. Carousels make my head spin, boats make me sea-sick, and even riding in the back seat of a car tends to make me car-sick... So I'd never volountarily even try a contraption like the one in the Sepia prompt picture above. It was never my idea of "fun"!

Children are supposed to enjoy amusement parks, though. So when I was six years old (in 1961), my parents brought me to the well-known amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg (Sweden's second largest city, on the west coast); and evidently got me to at least try a slow carousel and the bumper cars:

 

Me on the right; temporary friend on the left.

I also visited Liseberg on a few more occasions: with the family once or twice when my brother was little, and it was also the goal of a school outing or two. I know I once did go up in the Ferris wheel (with a good view over the city), but even that was an experience I've never really wished to repeat. (I'm no good with heights either.) My preferred "rides" were on the Ghost Train (in a dark tunnel with scary things jumping out at you and screaming - which on the whole I preferred to getting motion sick); and one that took you through some kind of fairy tale landscape. My memories of that very vague, but it was my favourite because it was slow and totally non-scary... 

Linking to Sepia Saturday 710

 

The Boy and the Turtle

 

In a playground park close to where I live, there is this statue of a boy balancing on a turtle - looking rather like he's using it as a surfboard. I understand that originally they belonged in a pond with a fountain; but that's long gone - only the statue left. And just now, in the snow, perhaps more accurate to say the boy is using the turtle as "snowboard"! (Brrr. I feel a bit like dressing him up warm...)

I snapped this photo yesterday when walking through that park. When uploading it to my computer today, I did a bit of "online surfing" to see if I could find out more about it. Turns out it was made in 1945 (when this whole housing estate was new), by an artist named Bror Chronander (1880-1964). What inspired the statue I've not been able to find out, though. Its title does not include the word surfing - it's just "The Boy and the Turtle".

It occured to me to also ask Bing Image Creator for "a young boy surfing on a turtle", and below is what I got. One of the four actually comes pretty close to the statue!

 

 

More Musings on "Life and Death"

 

It kept on snowing on and off from Monday night until this morning, when we had a glimpse of sun and blue sky again for a change. On Tuesday and Wednesday I stayed in. Today I managed a short walk after lunch. Byt then the sun had already gone into hiding again, but at least the pavements and walk paths had meanwhile been ploughed and sanded. It still felt rather cold though, so I was not tempted to go very far - just took a short turn around the old cemetery, which now again looks pretty much like it did in January.

Following the sad news towards the end of January about the death of my blog/pen-friend John in England, February has started out with more news of similar kind. First I learned through FB that American friends, living in Asia since many years, lost a son (in his early twenties) in a tragic motorcycle accident in the US. (For now, because of that, the family are all gathered over there.) (They're not bloggers, so no one reading this is likely to know them.) I met the dad in Sweden way back in the mid 1980s (not yet married then) and we've somehow managed to stay in touch - in later years via FB. So I've also seen photos of their sons growing up. Must be such a chock to unexpectedly lose a child like that, just at the beginning of his adult years...

Then on top of that (for me), a dear friend in Sweden (but not in the same city), who has been fighting cancer for a couple of years now, let her friends on FB know the other day that she'd just been told that (unless there is a miracle) she won't be getting well again. She's several years younger than me, so that too feels really tragic and "hard to grasp". It's been a a long time now since we last met in person, but we've been friends since the 1970s, when we both did live in the same city for a while. So she's yet another friend with whom in later years it's mostly thanks to FB that we're still keeping up to date with each other's lives. 

So frequent reminders lately that Life is Short, and Unpredictable. But, on the other hand -  also reminders of deep thankfulness for these friends, and having been able to stay in touch with them throughout all these years, in spite of the physical distance. (In itself, really rather "against the odds"...)

 

Bed-Knobs and Broomsticks (Book Review)

 

Back in the autumn, something made wonder if I ever read this book or not, so I downloaded it for Kindle. Read it today, and I'm still not sure. I see there's also a Disney movie based on it, from 1971, but that seems to differ quite a bit from the books, and includes animated scenes, and I'm pretty sure I never saw that.

Anyway, I've read it now. It's actually two books: The Magic Bed-Knob (1945) and Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947).  

The Magic Bed-Knob

"Once upon a time there were three children and their names were Carey, Charles and Paul. Carey was about your age, Charles a little younger, and Paul was only six. One summer they were sent to Bedfordshire to stay with an aunt..."

A neighbour of their aunt is a Miss Price. One day she falls off her bicycle and hurts her ankle - or so it is said. Paul, however, claims to have seen her falling off a garden broomstick... The children bring her some food from their aunt, and get to know her a bit better. As Paul has been watching her fly the broomstick, she confesses that she's studying to be a witch, but says she's not really much good at it yet. The children kind of blackmail her into a deal: They won't tell anyone, if she can give them some kind of bewitched item.

Paul happens to have a loose bedknob from his bed in his pocket. Miss Price says she can put a spell on that, which will make his bed able to travel: "If you twist it one way, the bed will take you where you want, in the present. Twist it the other way, and the bed will take you back into the past."

The children decide to give it a try in the present, but disagree on where to go. Since it's Paul's bedknob, he makes the decision, though (it is only for him that the magic works - he has to be the one to twist the knob). And he just wants to go back home to London, so that's where they end up first... Which turns out to be troublesome enough, with the bed landing on the street outside their house (with no one at home)...

Eventually they manage to get back to Bedfordshire, though. They consult with Miss Price, and she agrees to come with them on their next outing with the bed - this time to a South Sea island, which, according to an encyclopaedia they consult, is supposed to be uninhabited. The encyclopaedia turns out to be wrong about that, though, which means they land in another unforeseen and rather scary adventure...

Without revealing the details of that, they manage to get out of that situation as well, and back to their aunt's - but in an awful mess, and with the bed soaked in water, which they have a hard time trying to explain to their aunt; who by now is very annoyed with them, and decides their stay with her is over. They manage to keep Miss Price out of it, though (but their aunt probably wouldn't have believed them, anyway!)

Bonfires and Broomsticks

At the opening of the second book, a couple of years have passed. The children are again going to be sent away for a vacation, and this happens to coincide with them finding a newspaper ad put in by no other than Miss Price, declaring herself willing to lodge a couple of children for a while. She agrees to take these children whom she already knows. When they get there, she declares that she's given up magic - but she is now in possession of the bed from their aunt's house (I forget why, but that had been sold in the meantime, and the aunt moved away I think), and Paul still has the magic bedknob... And this time, rather than travelling in the present, the children end up travelling into the Past, to the year 1666, just before the Great Fire of London. And from there they bring back with them a nervous necromancer, who is really only pretending to be able to do magic. He spends a bit of time with them in their own time (something which made me think of the British TV series Catweazle, which I enjoyed back in the 1970s) but Miss Price decides he has to be taken back to his own time again: "I don't really like to mention it, but there's no getting away from the fact that, as far as we're concerned, Mr Jones is long since dead and buried."

But back in he 1660s, of course, new problems arise, as back then, people believed to be practising witchcraft were also being persecuted. "If he sank and died there in the water, it showed he was a human man and innocent of magic, but if he lived, that was a sign that he lived by supernatural powers, and they would burn him at the stake."

How they all got out of that last adventure, I will not reveal - but I found the whole book quite entertaining, in a nonsensical way... :)

- - -

Mary Norton (1903-1992), English writer of children's books, is probably better known for The Borrowers series (1952 to 1961 + 1982) - about tiny people living secretly (like under your floor or behind your walls) in the midst of contemporary human civilisation. That's one of my favourite children's books/series, ever since my childhood. I have the first four in Swedish from the 1960s, and have also reread them all in English in later years (including the last book, written 20 years after the original series).

It's Snowing Again

 

I shot a "mini" video with my phone today, just testing to see if I can upload it here... 

If you can't see that, here is a regular photo:

 

Two more Novels by Jospehine Tey

I have now finished listening to the Josephine Tey Audio book collection that I bought around New Year. (61+ hours of listening altogether!) 

The last two are stand-alones (not including Alan Grant):

Brat Farrar (1949) is one I remember having read before (a long time ago). I know liked it then, and still did now, when reading it again.

The story is set in the late 1940s, after WWII. Beatrice (Bee), a spinster, lives on a big old English estate together with her late brother's four children, whose parents both died several years ago. When the oldest son, Simon, turns 21, he will inherit the estate plus a trust fund from his mother. For now, they all survive on a business combining breeding, selling and training horses, and giving riding lessons.

Simon used to have a twin brother, Patrick, who was older than him just by a few minutes. But soon after their parents died, Patrick disappeared, leaving behind what was taken to be a suicide note. His body was never found, but he is assumed to be dead.

Brat Farrar is a young man of around the same age, recently returned to England from America. He grew up in an English orphanage, but ran away in his teens and ended up working at ranches and stables in western US; until a fall injured his leg. In London, he now meets a man who at first mistakes him for Simon - and when he realises that he is not, he comes up with a plan to make Brat impersonate Patrick, Simon's missing twin brother, and thus claim his right to inherit the estate and money. Brat is unwilling at first, but agrees when he learns it will involve working with horses. He gets some tutoring about the family history, and then contacts the family solicitor, claiming to be Patrick, with a story to account for the missing years. He manages to convince the solicitor; and when introduced to the family, they too (or at least some of them) also do see in him a resemblance to Patrick...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Miss Pym Disposes (1946), Lucy Pym, author of a best-selling book on psychology, is invited to give a lecture at a Physical Training College. After her initial lecture she is also asked to stay on for a while. She is given a room in the students' quarters rather than among the other teachers, which means she gets to know some of them quite well. The end of the term is approaching, and some of the senior students are going be recommended by the school for jobs at other institutions. Two of them especially are rivals for a very sought-after position at another school. Just before the end of term, a tragic accident occurs, which also turns into a test of Miss Pym's psychological expertise.

I was not all that captured by this book to start with - perhaps to do with my own memories of gymnastics and school gymnasiums (...all negative...) back in my school days. But aside from the accident/crime scene being a gymnasium, the author does deserve credit for the moral dilemmas raised towards the end of the story.

- - -

Previous reviews from this audio book collection:

The Man in the Queue

More by Josephine Tey

More Whirlwind Adventures

 

Left: The sculpture by the Travel Center serves as a good illustration of the weather lately...

Right: I wonder what hit this lamp post: A/ The storm, B/ a bus failing to stop in time on the icy street, C/ a snowplough, or D/ some young delinquent getting really angry at the security camera sign? (And did the security camera manage to capture the incident, whatever it was?? So many questions...)

- - -

Yesterday was still windy here, and rainy as well. (I stayed in.) Today around noon it was still windy, but had stopped raining, so I ventured out again. First I took a paper tote bag full of various stuff to the recycling containers (7 minutes walk or so from home). On my way there, I noticed more plastic dustbins turned over by the wind (cf previous post). The wind also managed to snatch at least one piece of plastic from  the bag I was carrying, and triumphantly carried that off to play with, who-knows-where... But the rest of the stuff I managed to dispose of as planned, in sturdy containers better designed to stay in place.

On my way back I went by the greengrocer corner shop for some bananas. Then back home to dispose of those. Then out again, in the opposite direction, into town. I had half in mind to take the bus part of the way this time, from the nearest bus stop to the next one... But once I was on my way, my "auto-pilot" took over, and I just walked on (as I'm used to). I did remember to walk by the travel center as intended though (a minor detour from the standard route), to post a letter. No postboxes get emptied here over the weekends any more; but the one at the travel center is placed indoors - which somehow makes it feel safer to post things there, rather than in one standing outdoors in all weathers...

In town, I visited the book shop again. When I was there recently, I forgot to look for a book I've been wanting to buy - the last instalment in a series by a Swedish author. No doubt I could have ordered it online and got it delivered - but on some websites nowadays there are so many confusing delivery options that I sometimes have difficulties figuring out if it The Thing I Want will be delivered smoothly to my letterbox, or if I might end up having to go across town to pick it up in some obscure little shop I never heard of. (Which has happened once or twice.) Besides, to show my appreciation of the fact that we still have a physical book shop in town, I try to actually buy something there now and then. Have to confess I buy very few printed books these days (reading mostly e-books and audio books) - but as I already have the previous two in this series, I wanted the third in print as well.

I also happened to walk by a clearance sale in a clothes shop... (All items 50 SEK ~ less than $5.)  I took my chance with a blue cotton T-shirt (i.e. skipped trying it on in the shop, as that is far too much bother in winter, with all the layers of clothes one is already wearing...). - It does fit, and will hopefully come in useful in summer.

(Another "walking in the storm" image by Bing.)

 

When You Walk Through A Storm...

 

"When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high..."

This Muppet video turned up for me on Facebook last night and made me laugh, as a storm outside was actually howling and rattling my windows at the time - and throughout the night. It was a lot worse far up north in Sweden though (I heard on the radio this morning that it had reached hurricane strength there), and along the coasts; but even around here (inland south-west) strong enough to at least (as I found when I got out) turn over a few dustbins...

 

It wasn't raining today though, so I held my head up high (but well tucked into the hood of a warm winter coat), and managed a walk to the supermarket for a few "light" items.

Stopped on the bridge over the river to take this photo - which gives you no idea whatsoever of the strong winds still blowing. It was alright on my way to the supermarket, as then I mostly had the wind "helping me along"... A bit worse on the way back! (I kept to the pavement along the street today. The paths in the old cemetery next to it are usually  covered with broken twigs and branches from the old trees after a storm...) 

Illustration by Bing Image Creator (+ me)