White Open Spaces

Today I woke up to a new layer of freshly fallen snow, combined with even colder temperature, but also sunshine. I went out for a walk around noon, to get the most of the light; and (after having fed the nearest letterbox with another pack of Christmas cards) decided to go in search of "white open spaces" (which means walking in the opposite direction than when going into town).

 

In summer, this is my "butterfly park".
In snowy winter, other things to attract the camera...

 

A few blocks away, and across a busy road,
there is another park area down by the river:

 

 

Finishing off with the football field close to home: 

Bird of Passage (Book Review)

 

 

Bird of Passage

by Catherine Czerkawska (2011/2020)

This is a book that I read for the first time back in 2014, but just reread. I can't find that I wrote a review about it in 2014, so doing it now.

The story, starting in the 1960s, is set on a Scottish Island. I don't think the island has a name in the book, but the descriptions remind of the Outer Hebrides (as I know them from other books - and blogs). 

A young boy with traumatic background, Finn O'Malley, has been sent from a monastic school in Ireland to work with the potato harvest on this island over summer. There he becomes friends with the farmer's granddaughter, Kirsty Galbreath. (She and her mother live with the grandfather on the farm.) The farmer takes a liking to the boy and arranges for him to come back there the next few summers as well. When Finn and Kirsty get older, they part ways, though. Finn leaves the island (without telling Kirsty why or whereto) and goes off in search of his roots, and to find out why back in his early childhood he was parted from his mother, to be brought up by monks running a very harsh school in Ireland. Kirsty misses Finn, and never forgets him. But she gets on with her life, marries a rich landowner on the island, gives birth to two daughters, and makes a career for herself as an artist (painter). Many years later, she and Finn meet again...

Although slow-paced, it's a captivating story; also leaving me with a sense of having spent time in the landscape as well as getting to know the characters. I have read several books by Catherine Czerkawska, and find that she is one of those authors with the power to leave me with impressions of setting and atmosphere that continue to linger years after I may have forgotten both the general plot and various details. 

- - -

The reason I was reminded of the book this autumn and decided to reread it was that the author wrote about it on her blog, which I also follow. This was when the Kindle book was on special offer in Britain for a week back in October. I already had it (since 2014), but when I looked it up on my Kindle, I had trouble getting it to load properly at first. Later I found that it had updated itself to a later edition, though; so that's probably what caused some temporary trouble. It now says © 2020  - and that can't possibly have been in my original download from 2014! I also got the new cover. (So there, another advantage that may come with certain Kindle books... Updates to the latest edition!) The Author's Note at the back adds the background information that a source of inspiration for her in writing this book was Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Rereading it again now, I can see that. (Whether I also saw it in 2014, I can't remember!)

An Act of Foul Play - Book Review

 

 

An Act of Foul Play
A Lady Hardcastle Mystery # 9

by T.E. Kinsey (2022)

Not long after I had read (and reviewed) #8 in this series, #9 was also released, and I have now read that one, too - or rather, listened to it as audio book.

It's November 1911, and Lady Emily Hardcastle is celebrating her birthday by seeing a play at a theatre in Bristol - as always, in the company of her maid and friend, Flo. The evening does not go quite to plan, though, as a murder takes place on stage during the interval...

It's a "locked room" kind of mystery, offering lots of twists and turns before it gets sorted out. In this book we're also introduced to Flo's twin sister Gwen. As usual, the charm of these books lies a lot in the banter between Lady H and Flo (and their friends) - and now also Gwen.

The audio book excellently performed by Elizabeth Knowelden (English actress), as usual.

Snowy Walk in the Park

 Oops, just noticed that I haven't posted here since last weekend! It's been a snowy week, although not with so much snow as to make life really difficult. On Wednesday morning (Dec 7), I called my hairdresser and asked if she could fit me in (before it got worse), and I was lucky: She had an opening at 2 p.m. that day. So I walked into town then, had my hair cut, and then walked back via the main square and the park, taking some snowy photos. 

 

 

 

 Snow changes the familiar street art...

 

 

... as well as the temporary installations...

It was a very cloudy day and felt almost like twilight, although it wasn't really quite that time of day yet. (I've edited some of the photos to bring out the colours better.)

Amaryllis and Postage

The budding Amaryllises I bought for last weekend are opening up their flowers now. :-) The pink one in my living room, and the red one in the kitchen.

At the beginning of the week gone by, I posted my "far away" Christmas cards. (Asia, Australia, North America) I hope they'll all reach their destinations in time this year.

The ones going to other countries within Europe (including Great Britain) will be posted some time next week. Most of my Swedish ones are still waiting to be written, but should be posted before the 15th (recommended by PostNord Sweden).

While pottering about with this, I learned that postage will be going up again next year - by around 15%. With the general inflation and energy crisis, I suppose not really surprising; but it's beginning to feel expensive. So I will at least be cutting back on postcrossing (i.e. international exchange of postcards with random strangers)...

From 1 January 2023, the cost to send an international letter or postcard from Sweden will be 30 SEK - which currently equals $2,9 / €2,75 / £2,3. 

I still have quite a lot of unwritten postcards in stock, though, so have decided to prolong my 'transition period' a bit by ordering a good supply of 'forever' stamps before New Year - at the old price.  ;-)