Spring Flowers, Fashion & Memories

 

Daffodils and pansies in a flowerbed along the ground floor of the old town hall (where there is a restaurant with an outdoors terrace outside).  

Two shops or 'establishments' had balloons on display outside - I don't know why.

Yesterday (Saturday) seemed a good day for going into town for a couple of errands. One of them was to hand in a few items of clothing at a charity shop; and thus having things to carry already on my way to town, I took a bus part of the way. (It doesn't save me much time, but it does save me a few steps, which hopefully my knee might appreciate.) 

Having disposed of my bag of old clothes at the charity shop, I went across the square to where they sell new ones... And actually found what I was looking for: a long and wide denim skirt, with elastic waist. For summer, I might have preferred it in a slightly thinner material - but on the other hand, being sturdier, it can be used all year round. Anyway, it came close enough to what I had in mind, and I bought it. My main purpose for wanting to add this item to my wardrobe just now is that it will cover any kind of leggings, knee sleeves, bandages or support stockings etc that I might need to wear underneath it...! 

I remember when midi/maxi length skirts came into fashion back in my youth - it was 1970-71, when I was 15 years old and in the 9th and last year of our primary school. When the autumn term started, the midi/maxi skirt fashion had not yet reached Sweden - or at least not the town where I was living then. But we had two new students arriving from abroad - two sisters, who had just moved to Sweden from Austria (probably Vienna) - and they both came wearing midi length coats in some red shiny material. And at our graduation, the next summer, I myself was wearing a midi length skirt with buttons down the front, and shorts underneath... 
 

On my walk back home, I was glad to see more spring flowers spreading and brightening up both lawns and flower beds.

Scilla

 

An old grave in the cemetery re-used as flowerbed, with yellow daffodils and crocus.

 

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!!)