Missionary Week #15 December 24, 2018 – December 30, 2018

Missionary Week #15  December 24, 2018 – December 30, 2018

Merry Christmas to you and your families!  We had a great week.  We had Monday through Wednesday off from work.  So, we had quite the vacation! 

We decided that we would spend Christmas Day at home and enjoy the warmth inside!  So, Monday we ventured out to find my Grandmother’s residence when she was a baby.  In her birth record it gave an address of Östermalmsgaten 19.  So, we put it in Google maps and off we went.  When we got out of the train station, we had to walk about 4-5 blocks.  The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day (other than COLD!)  The street signs here are on the side of the corner buildings. We knew we were close when the sign said Östermalms 17-21.  

We found #19 and it is a nice building – made from bricks.  We didn’t go inside the building as there was a keypad but once you go in the entrance, there are a few steps up and then you go to the different apartments and floors.  

Östermalms 19

Full view of the building

The neat thing is, at the Archive where we work, they have the building plans for all the buildings – so in the near future we will be able to get a copy of the original floor plan and any changes that have been made through the years.  We tried to do that Thursday after work, but those maps and records have been packaged up for a move to another building.  So we will have to go to City Hall next week to find them or wait until later when the new building is finished and up and running.  Stay tuned!!!

Engelbrekts Church

We walked around a bit before going back to the train.  Right across the street from Nana’s building was a beautiful church with people going in and coming out since it was Christmas Eve Day.

 We walked further and came across a park where families were sledding down a hill.  Lots of people out and about.  We watched for a while at the little kids having so much fun on their sleds.  It was about 24* F (-4*C) We walked back to train and headed home.  Got warm and watched Christmas Movies for the rest of the evening! 

 Christmas Day, we watched videos about Christ’s birth and life in the morning, then more Christmas Hallmark movies in the afternoon waiting to call all the kids to see how their Christmas’ were going.  It was great to see the “tornadoes” in everybody’s house and the kids happy with their gifts.  New bicycles, guitars, legos, baseball hats, dolls, scooters, books, pajamas, bows and arrows, etc.  We love that we can stay in touch with our family.  The Junior Missionaries – get to call home only at Mother's Day and Christmas.  So, they were happy to hear and see family this day.  We had a ham dinner that was pretty tasty.

Wednesday Dec 26, we relaxed and watched more movies, worked on the computer (genealogy) all day and enjoyed our last day off! 

Thursday, we went in to work and had a great day – seemed to go by fast.

On Friday we stayed at work until 12:30-1pm and headed to the Temple.  It was pretty with the snow all around and had a Manger scene out front.  After our Temple trip we walked back to a little shopping area and found a Chinese/Thai restaurant and it was very good – headed back home in time to do laundry!  Our laundry room is in the adjacent building’s basement.  Our parking lot is a skating rink, and John tried it out!  It works really well – he slipped, and it was like slow motion but down he went.  We try so hard to be careful – in public places they put little rocks out so you step on them but in private areas nothing is done. 

Closeup of the Poster by the gate 

Map of the Royal Stables

Saturday, we headed out back in to Stockholm and went to check out some museums.  We walked by the Royal Stables – it was closed but we will go back in January – they have tours in the afternoon.

Royal Stable Entrance

This was taken from the window in the Preforming Arts Museum of the Stables

Right next door was the Preforming Arts Museum – Dance, Music, Theatre, Puppetry, Music

Skating Rink, music playing and pretty lights above the skaters

On our way to go to the National Museum we came across this park with a skating rink.  There was music playing and a lot of families skating and having fun.  We made it to the National Museum but the line was out the door and down the sidewalk – so then we walked to the Hallwylska Museum. 

Hunting Rifles

Swords

Billiard Room

China & Statues Collection - The Whole room had cabinets like these

Crakow Nativity Scene - that were on exhibition from the Historical Museum of the City of  Cracow

Fireplace

Hallwylska Museum.  This is a house that was built between 1893 and 1898 by the Count & Countess Hallwyl.  It has 40 rooms in 2,000sqm = 21,527.82 sq ft.  They had 3 demands for the architect, it should serve as their home, but also be both for the business and for the wife’s “growing art and handicraft collections”. 

They had a stable and garage but in 1908 they bought their first car and sold the horses!  It was very pretty, and I thought looked more like a palace then the palace!  Her collections were china, and figurines, there was hunting rifles, bows and swords.   I guess they left it to the government to use as a museum after they died.  There was a long wait to get in, as people left, they would let the same number go in.  But it was worth the wait.  We were home by 5pm. 

Sunday – Off to church and found it was only one hour!    We are off work Monday & Tuesday so another short week.  But then they tell us “It’s all over until Easter!”        

We are Happy and Well, We treasure the new experiences that we've had and look forward to many more.  Be Safe and Keep Warm with your family beside you!  We think of you often and We wish you Happiness, Health and a Prosperous New Year!   

John  / Linda Richardson