I Walk in Beauty

 

A rhododendron tree of unusual colour - in the old cemetery.

 

"Now I walk in beauty. Beauty is before me. Beauty is behind me. Above me and below me. Around me and within me."
- Traditional Navajo. 

 

Some of the purple rhododendrons that were first in bloom are already fading and dropping a lot of petals to the ground; after a rather windy and rainy week. Others are still in their prime, though:

 

Because of frequent downpours, I haven't been straying far from home this week. Yesterday I had the laundry room booked in the afternoon and did not go out. Today was delivery day (from the supermarket), but they came an hour earlier than usual, and after lunch I braved a half hour walk around the cemetery and managed to get back dry...  

 

I'm still using my walking stick when I go out, but in the cemetery I sometimes practice keeping it "off ground" for a while now and then, when walking on smooth paths without too much debris. In certain situations, like on uneven ground, walking downhill, or crossing streets, I still feel need of it, though. - And when crossing streets etc, I also kind of feel that it serves to tell drivers and other pedestrians not to expect me to be able to hurry! 

 

A couple of months ago, a friend whom I haven't seen in person since last summer, ended a text message with hoping that I have "a good physiotherapist"... I didn't find the mental energy just then to explain that I don't "have" a PT in the sense of meeting one at my health care center. However, that's not the same as lacking advice about useful exercises. These days, you really only have to google "knee problems" or "knee bandages" once, and if you're also using Facebook, they will immediately start feeding you not only daily commercials for knee sleeves etc (how many do they think one person needs?!), but also physiotherapist videos. Some of those just annoy me, but some have actually proved helpful. Besides the exercises as such, I find that it's very much a question of the PT's "attitude"... My favourite so far is one British guy whom I'm actually following now (while others still just keep turning up anyway). If anyone is curious, you can also find this guy on YouTube: his name is Josh Trevorrow. (I might try to share some video here another day, but just now I'm too tired for the technicalities.)   

The First Week of June

 

The first week of June offered rather "mixed" weather, with high risk of showers most days - so I've mostly been keeping to short walks. On Wednesday 3rd June, I managed a walk into town for a few errands and back again without getting wet, though. 

 

On my way  home, I passed by this really massive hedge of purple rhododendron in the park (photos above and below):

 

Besides stocking up on tea from my favourite tea shop, and a few minor things from the pharmacy - all of which I managed to fit into my small backpack - I also visited a flower shop to buy two flowering pelargoniums. Maneuvering a walking stick with one hand these days, one extra bag is as much as much as I can manage!

As I'm not (at least not yet) sitting on the balcony much, I placed the pelargoniums indoors for now. One in the living room (above) and the other one in the kitchen (below).

 

 

 

This time of year, I have a very green view from the spot at the kitchen table where I always sit - for example at breakfast. 

 

I bought a new black tea blend with strawberries, mango and lemon in it to try out. (I like it!) (A direct translation of the Swedish name to English would be "strawberry straw"...) 

 

Thursday afternoon was laundry day for me and I don't think I went outdoors at all - but from the laundry room down in the basement I could enjoy this "different" view of the rhododendrons outside (through a small window high up on the wall):

 

 

Friday the 5th was rather rainy, but dressed in a raincoat I managed my usual "recycling walk" + a visit to a small shop on the way back to buy some fruit & veg. (Fresh strawberries included! I think probably Dutch rather than Swedish, though.)

 

6th June is Sweden's National Day and a public holiday with  traditions attached. There are usually celebrations in the city park in the afternoon and I assume that was probably the case this year as well. The weather that afternoon also turned out rather good. But personally I didn't quite feel up for a walk into town just to mix with crowds of people this year. So I just went for a quiet stroll on my own in the cemetery, where the azaleas were still in full bloom:

 

 

 

 

And in the evening I watched parts of the national celebrations in Stockholm on TV. Below is an official photo I copied from the royal family's website, of them traditionally joining the crowds at the open air museum Skansen in Stockholm:

Princess Madeleine and her husband Chris O'Neill; Prince Carl Philip with his wife Princess Sofia; King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia; MrAndreas Norlén (Speaker of the Parliament), Crown Princess Victoria with son Prince Oscar and husband Prince Daniel. The queen and the princesses all wearing a national folk costume in yellow and blue (the colours of the Swedish flag).

Busy times for the royal family just now, as the King and Queen will also be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next weekend. (They got married 19th June 1976, but as in 2026 that date happens to be Midsummer Eve, the official celebration will be held the weekend before.) 

 

Mother's Day Traditions, and Rhododendron

 

Rhododendron are now also in full bloom. The photos below are from the cemetery today; the ones below from around the housing estate where I live, 2-3 days ago.

The last Sunday in May is Mother's Day in Sweden. 

The tradition was imported here from America, and introduced here in 1919. The somewhat later date for it here is said to be because they wanted spring to be a bit further along, so that there would be more flowers about.

In 1920, a leaflet was printed and distributed, giving some suggestions how to celebrate:

1. If you have a flagpole in your yard, the Swedish flag should be raised in the morning.

2. Mother should be greeted with a song by the children in the morning.

3. While still in bed, she should be served coffee and buns, prepared by the children, and given flowers and a present.

4. If possible, Mother should not have to do any housework that day. The children should make the beds, sweep the floors, cook the meals, and wash up.

5. In the afternoon or evening the family should hold a small celebration in which Father also participates.

6. Children not living at home should send Mother a letter or telegram or postcard, especially made for the day, and sent in time for Mother's Day.

(From a Swedish museum website, translated by me.)

From my own childhood, in the 1950/60's, I recall it as a day when it was my Dad who tried to perform (some of) those tasks rather than Mum (who was a stay-at-home mum and wife ever since I was born, just over a year into their marriage). This primarily meant that on Mother's Day, she was served burned toast in bed in the morning, even though she did not like eating in bed. Later on, she managed to persuade us (dad) to at least let her eat her burned toast at the kitchen table... As for the rest of the day, I suspect she was probably allowed (for all our sakes) to do the cooking herself; but forced to let dad (or later on, me and my brother) do the washing up. 

AI generated image

Not having children of my own, I haven't really kept up with the development of the Mother's Day traditions in later years! I usually burn my own toast all year round - and like my mum, I don't like eating in bed, but prefer to have breakfast at the kitchen table. (Lunch, on the other hand, I often eat in front of the TV.)

Do you have any special Mother's Day traditions?

SkyWatch & Progress of Spring

 

19 May 2026 - 21:05

Tuesday evening offered this sunset view from my balcony. 

Yesterday, Thursday, was dominated by grey skies and rain showers. I had to walk into town for a dentist appointment at 11 am, to get my new crown put in place. So I both put on my rain coat and brought a foldable umbrella; but fortunately (also managing my walking stick with the other hand) did not need to have the umbrella up much... 

At the the north-west entrance to the city park, I found rhododendron in bloom; and down by the river in the park, the huge old horse chestnut trees were in bloom:

The dentist appointment went well. I got a bit worried initially, because when they first put the new crown in to see how it fitted, it did feel to me like it would not fit at all... But of course they fixed that; and in the end I once again walked out of there a satisfied customer/patient. (I've been with the same dental practice for 35+ years. My old dentist retired a few years ago, but the new one soon earned my trust as well.) 

On the way back home I walked a different way, did not need my umbrella, and found some more rhododendron in bloom. The wooden door in the photo below sits in the wall of a cemetery (not the cemetery where I usually walk, but an even older one, closer to the city centre and park).

Today the clouds broke up in favour of a clear blue sky again. I've had some indoor things to do but have also been out for two shorter walks. Before lunch, my usual Friday "recycling" walk + stopping by a small local shop on the way back for a few things. 

On the way, noticing that the lilacs are now in bloom:

And in the afternoon, a walk to the nearby cemetery to check on the progess of the azaleas there:

 

Linking to SkyWatch Friday

Follow-Ups

 

Today we're having a sunny day, even if also very windy.  I extended my walk to the park in the city centre, going one way there, and another way back. Above is another impressive display of purple rhododendrons in the park. 

 

Along the river on my way back home, I spotted this purple plant (popular with the bees):

Symphytum officinale

At home, I uploaded my photo to Google Image Search and found that...

Symphytum officinale is a perennial flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. Along with thirty four other species of Symphytum, it is known as comfrey (from the Latin confervere, to 'heal' or literally to 'boil together', referring to uses in ancient traditional medicine).  Over centuries, it was cultivated in Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom as a vegetable and herbal medicine. (N.B. Internal or long-term topical use of comfrey is discouraged due to its strong potential to cause liver toxicity.)  The Swedish name is äkta vallört. It's not native to Sweden but was imported and has spread so that it can now be found in the wild.

 

I also passed by the spot in the cemetery where yesterday I was almost hit (!) by a fledgeling crow falling to the ground from a tree... 
 

Photo from yesterday

I was glad not to find any traces of the bird today. I imagine that after recovering a bit from the shock, if it still was not able to fly, it may have taken shelter under a hedge nearby. 

When googling, I also got this info from AI:  

It's common for baby crows (fledged or recently fledged) to be seen on the ground, as they are learning to fly and practice their skills. Parents will continue to feed them on the ground during this stage. After leaving the nest, baby crows need time to practice flying. They may spend time on the ground or in nearby trees, hopping, running, and attempting short flights. Even when on the ground, parents will continue to feed the fledgling --- This ground-based learning is crucial for the fledglings to develop the strength and coordination needed for proper flight. --- Seeing a baby crow on the ground doesn't mean it's been abandoned. It's a natural part of their development.  

Comments on yesterday's post included some varied suggestions as to what kind of bird it was. For my own part, I had no difficulty identifying it as what here in Sweden we call a "grey crow" (Swedish: gråkråka) - or commonly, just "crow"... Additional online research informs me that the Latin name is corvus cornix, and that in English it's known as "hooded crow". But it's an Eurasian bird, so friends living in other parts of the world are not likely to be familiar with it.

AI sums it up:

Hooded Crow vs Magpie: Magpies are black and white birds with long tails, while hooded crows are grey with a black head, wings, and tail. Magpies have a melodious call, while hooded crows have a caw-like call.  

Hooded Crow vs Jackdaw: The hooded crow is larger than the jackdaw, has a black head, a light grey back, and light grey underparts, whereas the jackdaw is smaller, with black plumage and a grey nape. The hooded crow also has dark brown eyes, while the jackdaw has distinctive pale grey eyes. 

For my own part, grey crows and magpies were probably among the first birds I learned to recognise, way back in my childhood. I especially associate crows with my paternal grandmother, because she used to throw out left-over boiled potates for them in her garden. I think she's the only person I've ever known who "encouraged" visits by crows, by feeding them!

AI: "Crows are omnivores and eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, small animals, and even carrion. They are also known to scavenge for food in garbage and even steal food from other animals." 

An Abundance of Purple

 

These rhododendrons in bloom (in the cemetery where I often walk) drew my attention to the old stone cross between them, and I went round to the other side to check what it looked like from there.

It's an old family grave, five people with the same surname buried there between 1895-1952. No longer in care of the family, but returned to the church. Still well looked after - I supposed for a combination of historic intrerest, and the gorgeous rhododendron.

While azaleas are now fast getting past their prime beauty for the season, the rhododendron are at their very best just now - so I decided to go and visit them all! (Or almost, anyway...) All the photos below are of different rhododendron trees and bushes, all over the cemtery.

 

And all of them surrounded by a buzz of busy bees...

Finishing off with a different display of purple. A sign informed me that this old grave is now used as an example of using perennials for decoration.

Sun and Rain

Saturday (May 31) offered sunnier weather than Friday; which I assume was probably good for business on the second day of our spring market. Personally I did not feel inclined to join the market crowd a second time, though, so did not extend my walk that day further than to the southern end of the city park, to check on some of the purple rhododendrons there - which are seriously impressive when in bloom:

Closer to home, there is a Golden Rain tree (Laburnum) in bloom. These always bring back childhood memories for me, as my grandparents had a whole hedge of them in their garden.

 On Sunday it was raining; but there was a break in the downpour in the afternoon, and I managed a short walk (snapping a few raindrop photos without getting too wet myself):

Rhododendron (left) and azaleas (right), and a glimps of the chapel in the background.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

 

 
Google image search tells me that these green leaves are hostas (also known as funkia) - a name I tend to forget from one summer to the next...   

 

I also noticed some "wild" roses (dog rose) in bloom. 
(Like with many other flowers this spring, it seems a bit early?)

 

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet..."

Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II