The Kitchen Window

 

Rain pouring down outside today, and not much to do but be grateful that I don't necessarily have to go out. (It may still clear up in the afternoon, though.)

The photo above was taken on a  somewhat sunnier day. It's the view from my favourite place at my kitchen table. From that angle, I don't see the next building, and - this time of year - nothing but green trees and a bit of sky. It's my "breakfast view" every morning, and a good start to the day. (Also in winter, because even with the trees bare, I only see the top of other buildings far off.)

My African Violets

Painted nettles. They grow fast and are easy to propagate: just put cuttings in water. Actually, last winter I put some cuttings in vases and just left them like that (did not get round to planting them)... They lived on for months on nothing but tap water, just sprouting more and more roots - just like that little one is doing now...

PS. It struck me after I'd already published this post that today it's exactly 15 years ago that I moved into this flat. And the view from that window was one of the "selling points" to me the first time I came to look at the flat, about three months before that. (Figuratively speaking, as I wasn't buying it, just renting.)

December 11 - Wednesday

Alcea Rosea - Stockros - Hollyhock

Lund, Skåne, Sweden

December 25 – Christmas Day

“Normal” Advent calendars only have 24 windows/doors to open (at least in Sweden, where our main day of celebration – including opening of presents – is Christmas Eve). But I decided to continue with these daily images on my blog all December, until the New Year.

Today’s photo is a stained glass window in Växjö Cathedral.

Merry Christmas to all of you around the world who have Christmas Day as your main day of celebration!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Tulips

Sharing with Shadow Shot Sunday 2

1st Advent Weekend Reflections

All my Advent window lights are up now.
From to bottom: kitchen, bedroom, living room & study.

(Taking photos of window decorations must be one of the hardest things…! I had to put these photos through numerous editing filters in Picasa to get them presentable at all… Ah well…)

These four electric candlesticks have all been bought since I moved into my present flat (seven years ago). In my previous home I had two. My first one (from nearly 40 years ago) was replaced a couple of years ago; and now my other old one (from about 30 years ago) seemed to have given up as well. At least a change of lightbulbs had no effect. And as fiddling with more advanced electricity is not quite my thing, I then found it safer to go out and buy a new one.

So today I bought this one…

 

….to replace this one:

Weekend Reflections

FMTSO: The View from the Window

This time of year, when I sit at my kitchen table and look out the window, I hardly see anything but greenery outside. The far-off buildings are hidden by the foliage (and the nearby one by the curtain).

In winter I see farther, and can also sometimes enjoy beautiful sunrises from the same spot.

Actually the view from this window was one of the things I “fell for” on my very first visit to look at this flat, in early spring, just over seven years ago. (The photo below was taken on that occasion. I did not know then if I would get the flat, but asked if I could take some pictures to help in my own decision process.)

Friday My Town: The View from the Window

Good Friday Reflections

This morning I walked into town to attend a Good Friday church service; and got into a triune reflective mood even before I reached the church. (There’s the building, and the building reflected in the water, and the reflection of both in the windows, and all of them caught at once by my eye and the camera; including the reflection of myself and the camera…)

(from Wikipedia)

Linking to:

Friday My Town – Open Theme

Weekend Reflections

Shadow Shot Sunday

From my kitchen window one sunny morning this week.
Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Weekend Reflection: Happy Easter

Not sure I’ll have much time for blogging in the week to come, so I thought I’d put in an Easter card already this weekend. Happy Easter to you all – and good luck with figuring out what’s inside vs outside in this picture!

Weekend Reflections

FMTSO: Stained Glass

This stained glass window is found in the Gustav Adolf Church in Borås, built in 1903-06.

The apostle depicted is St Peter, to whom Jesus said “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Gospel of Matthew 16:19).

At the bottom of the window you also see the town’s coat of arm, which consists of two sheep shears.

 

(The window to the left, on the wall next to the pulpit.)

Church Window Mosaic

Yesterday (Sunday) we had lovely weather for November – clear blue sky and around +9°C.

My camera fell in love with the reflections in the windows of the old church in the town centre.

      

What’s New?

I bought new curtains for the kitchen – decided I needed a “treat” after all the work put into getting my home back to normal after the change of windows.

A friend came by on a surprise visit yesterday and insisted that she wanted to buy me flowers - she didn’t want to buy them before she came as she wasn’t sure I’d be home… So I ended up going with her for a short walk to the nearby florist’s and got to choose which ones I wanted. I picked the cheerful orange chrysanthemums for a bit of autumn colour.

The white cyclamen I got from another friend three weeks ago… Last Friday, she moved to Australia! (It has not quite sunk in yet that she’s actually gone…)

Here, autumn is upon us now, with the trees changing colours from one day to another…

 

Today has been one of those days when the weather shifts from minute to minute  - and we even had sunshine and torrential rain simultaneously!

The last three photos are from a short walk this morning (in rain and sunshine).

Windows Upgrade IRL

I’ll be “off blog” for a couple of days, because of a change of windows. Not Windows, mind, but windows!

Just spent a day taking down all my curtains and removing flowerpots and “stuff”, preparing the way for the Big Job which is planned for tomorrow.

Before I got started I told myself not to panic.  There’s not all that much stuff just in front of the windows… the only heavy piece is the desk in the study… and if I take out the drawers… and getting curtains down is less of a problem than getting them up again… I can do it…

Half way through, I wondered: Where does all this stuff come from? And, more importantly, where am I going to put it?? Because they’ll be doing all four rooms… And not only do they need elbow room when working at the windows, they also need to be able to get to the windows (carrying windows!)…

Phew. Well, it’s Wednesday evening, and now there’s a strange echo from the keyboard because of no curtains and carpet in the study, and I just sincerely hope I won’t need anything from the bottom desk drawer as the drawers are piled up in a different corner of the room than the desk itself, which is shoved to the side (I hope I don’t need anything from the bookshelves either).

Later tonight I’ll disconnect the modem and the router, because they “live” close to a window too.

In the kitchen there’s just space enough for me now to have breakfast at one corner of the table tomorrow morning before I make myself scarce (going to the rehab pool – and after that I’d probably better have lunch in town).  Before I go I shall have to make my bed and take down the bedroom curtains and place those on the bed because that’s really the only space left I can think of…

Wish me luck. I can only hope they do get all four rooms “done” tomorrow, or I might end up spending tomorrow night on the sofa, draped in curtains…

Weekend Reflections: Let There Be Light (2)

Last weekend we had the official lighting of the Christmas lights in town. Since then, I have also been getting my own lights up. As this is the darkest time of the year here in Sweden, I enjoy getting my window lights up in time for the 1st Advent Sunday. Electric candlesticks and advent stars in the windows are very common here during the month of December.

Back in my childhood, I think most people had only one of each. Nowadays it is not uncommon to have one in each window. I say that to defend the fact that as of this year, I myself do have four electric candlesticks (one in each window) + two stars (on in the kitchen and one in the study) + a chain of lights on the balcony…

The 1st Advent Sunday is always the fourth Sunday before 25 December. This year 25 December falls on a Sunday,  and therefore 1st Advent Sunday is as early as can be – 27 November.

I’m glad of that, because I don’t think I could have waited another week to put up my lights! That feeling may have something to do with the last three years being so full of worries (for my elderly parents, now both gone). This December, no worries of that kind; but still a lingering sort of melancholy, and trying to find my own way and will among old traditions and perhaps new ones, memories and future. Whichever way one turns, this time of year will always be full of reminders: lights and decorations, special kinds of food and drink, and spicy smells.

I decided to get a new electric candlestick for the kitchen window this year, to replace an old one which I’ve had too long. So I went to two different shops in town to have a look – and found one in each shop which took my fancy. One seemed more right for the kitchen though, so I bought that one. 

However, a couple of days later I found myself going back to to buy the other one as well; because my mind had not let go of it, and just kept telling me how good it would look in my bedroom… As indeed it does!

 

Today * Yesterday, with all the candlesticks in place, and the sounds of storm and rain outside, I was inspired to also add the delicious time-of-the-year smells of saffron and gingerbread to the atmosphere... First I made a saffron loaf in my bread maker; and then ‘shortcut’ gingerbread biscuits. So called by me because I let the food processor do most of the job, and no rolling-pins or pastry-cutters involved. But you still get the right smell and taste!

For Weekend Reflections 

* Some technical problem got in the way of posting this Friday evening.
Hope for better luck today!