Is Two Enough to Make It a Custom?

Back in October, I got a new fridge and freezer installed. Both have been purring along contendedly enough – if there’s been any roaring, that has been coming from me, still having to do with the doors: The freezer still lacking a handle; and the fridge being hard to open (in spite of what might be assumed to be the largest handle in the fridge world).

As for the fridge, I soon came to the conclusion that I had to use some sort of tool to relieve the pressure first, every time before opening the door, and the best tool for the purpose that I could find in my drawers was a wooden butter knife. By now I’ve got used to that and find it the most natural thing in the world. Doesn’t everyone have a butterknife hanging on the fridge?!

Today, at long last, a couple of guys came along to put a wooden “front” on the freezer door. This makes the freezer look bigger on the outside than on the inside (it is in fact smaller than the previous one) – and serves as protection from dust etc.

My only objection when the guys declared the job “done” was the the same as last time:

Me: – Er … But there’s no handle??
Guy: – No, they haven’t arrived yet, and we don’t know when that will be. You’ll get it later...
Me: – And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?
(The new door fitting so tight now that there’s really not much room to grip around the edge.)
Strong Guy (showing me he can do it): – Or you could just use a dough scraper or something…
Me (calm and together, as if this was a perfectly normal conversation): – Okay. I’m already using a butter knife with the fridge…
Strong Guy: Oh? (testing the fridge door, and of course it opens ever so smoothly for Him…)

Then he starts searching his pockets, muttering “Didn’t I have a….” - the name of which I can’t remember even in Swedish, but I understood it to be some small item of plastic that could smoothly be added to the fridge to serve just about the same pressure-relieving purpose as my butter knife. But in spite of turning his pockets inside-out, he didn’t find one. So he just shrugged his shoulders (with no promises to come back with one), and I was left to my own devices, once again…

Fortunately I’m not short of butter knives, so I found another nice handcarved one, and also a piece of decorative ribbon to hang it from...

I’m just telling you this, in case you should happen to come by for a surprise visit, or (perhaps more likely) these mysterious objects should happen to appear in the background of other photos on this blog. It is not an old Swedish custom (yet!) to have a butter knife hanging next to the fridge or freezer. If, however, the tradition should spread, in years to come… now you know where it all began, and why!

(PS. I’ll try to remember to ask for that Thingy for the fridge again when some time in the Future they come to attach a handle on the freezer…)

After the Storm

Actually I doubt the storm Alexander ever reached storm force here in the inland area where I live. If it did, I slept through it. It did snow last night, and there was a bit of icy slush left on the ground this morning; but that thawed away later, and in the afternoon the sun actually broke through the clouds for a while (before yawning and going back to bed). Long enough for me to get out for a walk into town to post the rest of my Christmas cards.

Oops, it seems I was too late to post my link on Weekend Reflections. Well, never mind…

Winter Days / Lucia

Winter Days [Friday My Town Shoot Out]
How does your town prepare for the coming winter season?
What do your homes look like when the nights are long and days are short?

On 13th December here in Scandiavia we celebrate Lucia (St. Lucy’s Day). In the past (before calendar reforms) this feast coincided with the Winter Solstice, so is a festival of light; and I guess one reason that although the origin is Italian, the day is still celebrated here in Scandinavia because it fits in well with our other Advent/Christmas festivities to brighten up the darkness that otherwise reigns here during the month of December.

Lucia is celebrated both in private and public contexts. In most towns in Sweden, arranged by charity organisations and local newspapers, an official Lucia with a number of maids (often six) is elected at the beginning of December. They then spend 2-3 weeks visiting various public places (like hospitals and nursing homes) singing traditional Lucia songs and Christmas carols.

Borås Lucia 2014 was officially crowned last Saturday. As usual the ceremony took place in the Main Square in front of the Court House – starting at 4 pm, just as the shops close (on Saturdays).

15:41
There are extra market stalls in the square all December.

16:02
A new decoration this year is a double bow of lights with a mistletoe hanging down in the middle – for anyone feeling in romantic mood…

16:21
Lucia and her six maids stand on the stairs of the Court House and sing. Alas in the dark it is hard to zoom in and get clear photos…

 

Classic Lucia image by Swedish artist Jenny Nyström
(1854-1946)

Busy Days

This is the kind of stuff that’s been keeping me busy over the weekend, if anyone is wondering. I discovered on Saturday that my overseas Christmas cards should have been posted already on Friday… They’re still not posted, as today I’ve been busy with: 1/ getting my phones restarted with their new SIM-cards, and 2/ laundry.

So my cards & letters still haven’t got any further than to my own nondigital “out-box” in the hall…

(Photos emailed to myself from my new phone.)

Big Brother

My “old” phone (to the left), smart though it may still look, has been making more and more complaints lately about its memory being full, and therefore refusing to update apps. Apps on the other hand are sprightly multiplying little things (getting their energy from only-Google-knows-where) which keep on calling for my attention: “Hey, there’s a brand new version of me available!” they take turns reminding me, on a more or less daily basis. “Please update NOW or you’ll soon find yourself ex-communicated…”

Finally I succumbed to the pressure and had to accept that after little more than three years, I have to let my “old” Xperia Arc retire from active service and replace it with Big Brother Xperia Z3 (to the right)…

The Z3 is also on the market in a compact version, more the size of my old one... Decisions, decisions! I’m still not sure whether I made the “right” choice. Time might tell – or possibly leave me undecided for another three years; who knows! The smaller size was/is definitely easier to fit into a pocket or handbag. On the other hand though, I do tend to use the device more as a mini-computer than as a phone... And then a bigger screen does have its undeniable advantages. (So the big one was what I finally bought.)

Until next week I’m actually not able to use it as phone. I decided I wanted to keep my old number, but to do that, I still had to order a new SIM card; as for mysterious reasons, the bigger phone requires a smaller card than the small phone...

As an afterthought it occurred to me that I might still want a new cash card number for the old phone though. That way, I will still have the option to use that one as “safety phone” sometimes when the big one feels unnecessarily clumsy to carry with me. (When I’m only out for a short walk, for example, I very rarely use the phone - I just like to know that I can do so…)

Anyway, I have now received both the new small card with the old number for the new big phone, and a new big card with a new number for the old small phone… But as I found it safer (of course) to set the activation date later rather than sooner, the Big Switch won’t be taking place until next Monday.

In the meantime, I’m getting acquainted with and sorting the wifi settings and apps etc; which so far seem to be to my satisfaction. I’m even almost feeling optimistic that perhaps somewhere down the line it might save time rather than  just consume it. (That’s probably naïve of me, but where would we be without Hope?)

The Z3 is also said to have a really good camera, and  to be waterproof; so when I’ve got the phone part working I’m also looking forward to taking it out for some experimental photo walks!