Update

A month ago I wrote a frustrated blog post about a visit to my health care centre, being a bit worried about a suspicious-looking mole. As some may remember, I was not all happy with the procedure, as I only got to see a nurse (well, to be fair, two nurses) but no doctor, and for some unexplained reason they were not able just then to book me in for a later appointment either.

But they did say I could call back in April. So I did. The phone call at first gave me an eerie feeling of déjà vu, as the procedure suggested seemed to be the same as last time (“you’ll get to see a nurse, and then perhaps a doctor”). However, this time I did get to see a doctor.

Since my last visit, I’d been using my camera to keep record. (My own idea.) This meant I was able to show the doctor now, instead of just trying to explain verbally.

The GP will write a referral to the dermatology department at the hospital. He does not think it likely to be malignant but it should perhaps be surgically removed anyway.

So story to be continued.

Mosaic Easter Monday

On Easter Eve I wrote a little bit about some of our non-religious Easter traditions; but of course to those of Christian beliefs, Easter is above all a Church Feast – the most important of them all.

How many services are held varies from one church to another, but in some of the bigger ones you may be able to follow the drama of Easter all the way, step by step – on Maundy Thursday an evening mass with the holy communion (Last Supper), on Good Friday  a “stripped down” and low key service with focus on the Cross (minimum of decorations, and often no musical instruments used but the human voice), on Easter Eve a Midnight Mass (starting in darkness and then candles and flowers and decorations brought back in, and renewal of baptismal vows), on Easter Day a joyful and almost bombastic service or mass with lots of music, light, flowers to celebrate the resurrection; finishing off on Easter Monday with an Emmaus mass (in memory of the disciples meeting the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and recognizing him as he breaks bread and eats with them).

In the past, I have on a few occasions taken part in the whole flow of Easter church services – which can be a very powerful experience. Nowadays I usually end up with a compromise, just going to one or two. But I always have the whole context in mind. (Going to a Good Friday service, for example, you really should keep in mind that it’s only Act 2 – or whatever – out of the whole play. Neither the beginning nor the end.) 

This year, I went to one church for Good Friday, and to another on Easter Day.

On Good Friday, I went to the oldest church in the town centre (link to an old post), where a friend of mine sings in the choir. They are a church (belonging to the protestant Church of Sweden) that always offers the whole series of traditional Easter services as described above. So on Good Friday, the choir sings acappella, and there is no other instrument used to accompany the hymns either. It’s solemn, and contemplative. But also beautiful, if you’re in the right mood to appreciate it. (I was.)

My photos in this post, however, are from the church that I went to on Easter Day; also belonging to the protestant Church of Sweden, and the biggest church in my town (built in 1903-06). They have a huge organ seated on a balcony at the back of the church (I have blogged about that too before, for example here).

With the help of modern technology, images of the choir singing up on the organ balcony were projected onto white walls at the front of the church. (And lyrics of the hymns and prayers to be sung and read by the congregation were also shown there).

It was only at the very end of the service, during the postlude, that people stood up and turned backwards, looking up at the choir… And it was then that I took the opportunity to sneak out into a side aisle and take some pictures with my mobile phone. (All the photos in this post were taken with my phone.)

On my way home, I passed over this bridge where the railings had been decorated with twigs, flowers and feathers.

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Easter Eve Parade

The celebration of Easter Eve in Sweden bears a resemblance to Halloween in the US. Most people here celebrate Easter as a secular rather than religious holiday, but with some remnants of old superstitions mixed into it – like Easter Eve being a day when there might be witches about, which should be frightened off by bonfires and fireworks. Nowadays we bribe them with Easter Eggs full of candy instead… The tradition varies a bit from one part of the country to another, but children might dress up as witches and sometimes even go knocking on doors asking for candy . Or, they might dress up and go in a parade  through town; which they did in my town today.

I had been shopping and only caught up with the festivities for the finale, when they were dancing around the Easter tree in the square – much as at Christmas we dance around the Christmas tree, and at Midsummer around the Maypole...

And of course there was candy waiting for the little ones at the end of it all. As if they don’t get enough this weekend anyway - most of them.

According to a newspaper article, here in Sweden (population of 9.5 million), the shops sell about 6000 tons of candy just for Easter. Rather scary, put like that!

I probably had my share in the past; but this year my Easter Eggs just serve as “eye candy”. (Okay, I have some dark chocolate in the fridge… But I do try to keep mostly to fruit!)

However you celebrate (or not), I wish you all

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

Buying More Time

In Sweden/Europe we made the customary switch to Summer Time, or Daylight Saving Time, between Saturday and Sunday the last weekend in March.

I never quite understood the “saving” part. It seems to me that what happens here in the North is that we lose an hour when the days are getting longer anyway, and don’t get it back until winter darkness falls (and then seems to fall all the more suddenly). Moreover, every six months I have to spend time just to check/reset a dozen or so clocks (and usually forgetting one or two). (Not to mention all the time spent on complaining about it!)

The most trouble in recent years I’ve had with a so-called “radio-controlled” clock, in spite of that being The One that one might be tempted to think one should be able to rely on in these kinds crises…

I think that while residing in my parents’ home it did behave as it should; but apparently it did not like moving into town with me. While I’ve had it here, it has only grudgingly agreed to adjust to the summer/winter time changes, and each time has caused me more bother than all the other clocks together… This time, neither a fresh battery nor the trick of moving it into another room to pick up the signal was any help. It had clearly decided that if it’s any time at all, it’s time to retire...

As I still kept glancing at the empty wall space (in my study) where It Was Not, today I resolutely went out and bought More Time:

 

This one I’ll have to reset manually, but that will be no doubt be quicker than spending days of frustration on coaxing the old clock into picking up its signal!