Easter Monday

 

It's Easter Monday, which is still a public holiday here in Sweden (and in several other countries too, I think). For my own part, Easter "celebrations" have been very modest this year, though - as I've hardly been out at all, nor had any visitors.

On second thought, that last statement is not 100% true. On Friday afternoon, someone  tried to pay me an unannounced visit, exactly during that half hour or so when I was out on that day (for my usual weekly walk to the recycling station some ten minutes away).

When I got back from that short walk, I found a pot of small daffodils sitting outside the door to my flat. No card attached, so it had me puzzled for a while who had brought them. I was contemplating putting a "thanks to whoever" on Facebook, when the benefactor called me. It turned out to be a friend still not using neither computer nor smartphone (so a message on FB wouldn't have reached her anyway). I thanked her of course - and the daffodils really were a nice surprise, as I had not got round to buying any myself. (No flower shop nearby, and when I was in town last week, other errands took priority.) 

I did not say what at the same time I thought to myself: that paying someone a surprise visit is not really the best idea these days - even if statistically, I'm likely to be at home "more often than not". 20-30 years ago, this person and I were neighbours. These days, we are both 70+, don't live in the same residential area, and our paths rarely cross spontaneously. So really better from several aspects to call first... 

With the weather forecasts for the rest of the weekend in mind, I also did not suggest that she'd "pop by" another day soon instead. 

Storm Dave from England had announced its arrival in advance (via the weather people on TV etc), and did not care one bit that most people might prefer some peace and quiet for Easter. The whole weekend was very windy, with Easter Sunday the worst: the wind noisily rattling the windows on the south-west side of my apartment all day yesterday, and including quite a bit of rain, too. (Luckily I had taken the warnings seriously, so had removed the plastic tarpaulin from my wooden bench out on the balcony and tied the bench itself to the balcony railing - not leaving the wind much to "play with" this time.)

Today it's been sunny again, but still with capricious winds blowing. I took out a bag or two to the bins by the corner, but felt discouraged from walking further. From national and local news I've also learned that quite a few trees have fallen over roads, trains and buses have been cancelled, and electricity and internet have been out for people in some areas. For my own part, power and wifi have been working the whole weekend, though.

So as blog readers may have noticed, I spent pretty much the whole Easter weekend  finishing my 1983 time travelling project instead. (With some food and TV in between.)

Daffodils and Snow

Miniature daffodils in bloom on a sunlit grave in the old cemetery.

This morning I woke up to more snow on the ground (compared to the evening before), and outdoors temperature of around -9'C. But the sun was now shining, and in the afternoon, the streets were snow-free again, even if the lawns still mostly white. 

Going for a walk around the the old cemetery nearby, I observed that most of the gravel/sand graves were bare, while most of those with grass growing on them were still covered with snow. Not quite all of them though, which puzzled me a bit. Somehow it did not seem to be all about light vs shadow either.

 

 

Neither in the cemetery nor closer to home was it a good day to sit down on a bench to ponder about it, though!

Maple Tree and Daffodils

Some more photos from my walk on Saturday. After I had been to check on the cherry blossom trees, I took a little detour to check on another park nearby.

The big tree is not an oak but a maple.

 

Some daffodils in bloom - but looking a bit "downcast" from the capricious weather.

A park area with big lawns down by the river used to have flowerbeds of daffodils and tulips in spring, but those parts of the park are obviously under re-construction just now, so I didn't bother going down there this time...

No real change in the cold weather since the weekend. Less windy today, but raining...

Macro Monday: Raindrops on Daffodils

For Macro Monday

Feeling kind of narcissistic lately… (supposed to be a joke!)

Monday Update
Actually I spent most of the weekend “doing nothing”; well not staring at my own face as Narcissus, but rather at the ceiling (or the inside of my eyelids), just listening to audio books; getting up for some stretching exercises every now and then. Glad to say it helped. While on Saturday I wasn’t able to lift my left hand to my face (as in holding a glass of water and drink from it), I’m more or less back to normal today. In that respect, anyway!

Macro photos from my balcony, Sunday morning.

Saturday Update

The first mini daffodil opened out on my balcony 3 days ago.
Since then the sun has gone back into hiding though.

The sciatica is better but now instead I’ve got “tennis elbow” problems (not from tennis!). Of course it is my (otherwise) “good arm” while on the other I have arthrosis in the shoulder.

Won’t be out and about much in either of my worlds this weekend. Luckily I have some audiobooks waiting and dvd’s.

Also have a training program for tennis elbow since before so will try to be a good girl and do those exercises and hope for the best.