Missionary Week #33

Missionary Week # 33           Date: April 29, 2019 - May 5, 2019

Hello Everyone!  Another week has flown by – we had a Holiday in the middle of the week – so it feels as If we had 2 Mondays this week!  I noticed today, that I had the wrong dates on last week’s letter – it has been corrected now….I make numerous mistakes – Like when I said Beaver Ponds was near Heber!  I meant to say – near Greer!  It proves that my proof reading is not up to par!  We hope your week was wonderful!

Monday – We were up early again and headed to work – and had a normal day of work, lunch, work and leave at 4pm.  Today we headed to Kungsträdgården (you may remember where the ice rink was) to see the rows of Cherry Trees in blossom.  We should’ve gone a day or two earlier because the blossoms were falling already, but we found them and sat down on a bench and enjoyed them and all the people that were soaking up the sun!  

Cherry Trees - two rows 

We then headed to the Young Single Adult Center for Family Home Evening.  On our way we found a restaurant “Mandarin City” and had a quick dinner.  It was very good but we got turned around and headed the wrong way.  When we got to the Center they had already started and were in the middle of their lesson.  They were having a great discussion – we think- it was all in Swedish!  Then they were ready for games, we played a card game it was like “Hearts” but I couldn’t remember playing that – but anyway there was 10 hands played and they all had fun winning or not!  It’s amazing how they switch into English and back to Swedish so fast, even In the same sentence.  There were 6 kids there this week which was good to see.  And they survived with no treats – they found some hard candies that they passed around.  We all left together and we walked with Andreas and Promise to T-Central and went our different ways.  We got home at 9pm – it was still light!  Sun goes down about 8:30. 

Tuesday – We went to work and started on a new County – Uppsala.  The year is 1915 – so the boys are born around 1895.  There aren’t many medical cards, so we are going through these boxes a little faster because we don’t have to stop and straighten or mark them to be redacted.  We had lunch at 1 -it was pretty quiet.  Because tomorrow is a “Red Day” or like our Federal Holidays in the States, a lot of people went home early today.  We left at 4pm and headed home.  

Catapult - you throw a bean bag and it
shoots you a Chocolate Marshmallow
ball that you try to catch!

After dinner we headed out to find a Valborg Celebration – Pronounced Valbory - On valborgsmässo evening, they light fires and greet the spring with songs and celebration.  It has religious meaning from the past to cast out evil spirits  – but most Swede’s say it is just tradition now to get together and have bon fires in parks, and after dark it turns into a drinking party – when the kids leave.  These happen all over in the different neighborhoods.  John found one fairly close – a few train stops away from us – put on by “The Scouts” so we wanted to go see what it was like.  We walked through a neighborhood into the forest and ran into a little family who said to follow them, the wife knew where it was!  So we got to the park and it was like looking at a Scout-O-Rama at home!  We enjoyed walking around and seeing all the little stations and activities that they had.  They had a booth for cotton candy – a food area – popcorn (which in Swedish is “Popcorn”!) 

Fishing Pond

Horse Races - Family has to throw
a pine cone into pink bucket - if they
make it you can move up one square!  Horses were made from pillow cases.

Cotton Candy

I’ll probably over load the blog with pictures because it was so fun to watch.  The uniforms are a different blue and their patches are all worn on the uniform – instead of sashes.  They had an announcer that started the official start and the boys had all gathered in 2 columns with torches and they marched to the pile of wood/brush to light it.  They had their Scout Flag and the Sweden Flag in front.  There were a lot of people there.  We talked to one of the leaders and she said they followed Lord Baden Powell’s Boy Scouts.  She said there was about 400 members in this unit.  They allow boys to join from 8 years to 17years old. The bon fire roared and there was a choir set in place and they sang several songs.  

Flags at beginning of torch
procession

Scouts Torch procession

When we had seen it all we headed home and got a call from Jaylen – it was time go through our mail!  One letter was a release from our Temple Laundry calling.  So many of the letters are junk but there are a few things that are necessary!  Glad we don’t have to go through the junk mail!  Thanks Jaylen & Blaire!  The only junk mail we get is shopping flyers here!  We have been able to email with JT about his Viet Nam Social Studies project.  He writes his questions and John answers – with this prompting we are going to start to write out some of the stories that John has told us about  – but we’ll try to write it down before he forgets!  It’s a story that needs to be written.  I find in searching my ancestors – one in particular story was that the man who served in the Civil War – didn’t want to talk about it.  He was with Sherman on his “March to the Sea”  I can find paper trails and records but it would’ve meant so much more to  hear his story from his experience. 

Wednesday – Happy May Day!  We couldn’t find any May Pole’s but we hear they are around.  We were happy for a day off.  We made a shopping list but decided the stores would probably be closed – we’ll go tomorrow.  It rained on and off today and it smelled so clean and fresh.  We got a Marco Polo from Jonathan at his work at the Hair Place – their new automated machines are in and they are running! Looked fantastic.  He also works on the trains at SRP and TEP – there have not been any trains for the last month or so to SRP – so they fill in at TEP when they need. 

Thursday – Happy Birthday to Justin!  When John called him, he was stuck in Las Vegas – he had been to a meeting up there for his business and the flight home had been cancelled.  Today seemed like another Monday – but tomorrow is Friday!   We went to work with our umbrella up today!  It rained most of the day.  We made it home and watched until the traffic died down so we could go to the store.  When we went into the store it was raining – when we came out it was SNOWING!   

Friday – Up early and headed to the train – and John said “Was that a snowflake that just hit my face?”  It was!  At work we got our shuttles ready to ship.  At lunch we watched it snow in light little flurries, we worked until 4 and it was cold.   

Saturday – John got up and did all the laundry – even folding!  I made breakfast and swept up and did a little cleaning.  So after breakfast we decided to go visit Uppsala – where the boys are from, in the military cards we are capturing now.  We went to the Castle first – we found an art museum and a different type of museum – all in Swedish – it looked like a women’s suffrage movement.  We walked around the whole castle – tried every door and then went back to the museum to ask if they opened up the castle – the lady said No.  We don’t know if it isn’t open yet or if they never open it!

  

The Botanical garden across street from the castle

We headed over to a beautiful church there and went through it. It was beautiful!  The workmanship amazes me.  

From comments on the internet about this church they said
to look for the women in wax - gazing at the tomb - we found her!

Wood carving - Just amazing art work

So much prettier in life! 
The flowers are green that don't show up

Gustav III Museum

Then there was a museum right across the street from the church called the Gustav III Muesum – he was a King here – there were 3-4 levels of this museum. 

One level was about Viking – Boat graves and the things that were found in them.  

Floor map of a boat grave with drawing of what was
found where in or around the boat

Drawing of the boat grave

One was Egyptian – including a couple of mummies and sarcophagus’.  

Then there was an “Art Cabinet” which was displayed.  It had 4 sides, with many little drawers and openings – carved wood, shell amazing detail. The room was filled with the displays of all the things that was found inside the cabinet!  You can view it here:

http://www.gustavianum.uu.se/collections/art-collection/exhibitions/the-augsburg-art-cabinet/

 To see this website in English – you scroll to the bottom and pick English!  This is just one section of the website – check out the other collections here also!

 Between the Church and museum was a little park with a Rune Stone
 we have seen these in Skansen also - There was a sign explaining this one:

Rune stone with an inscription from the 11^th century AD

Holmfast had the stone erected in memory of Igulger, his father and Torbjörn.  The rune stone was found in 1910 in a corner of present-day Gamla Torget.  In the Middle Ages a Franciscan monastery was located in the area.  Many of the rune stones in the University Park were found in the same block

Sunday – We went to church and had a good Fast Sunday.  The ward seems to be getting bigger – or at least more people are coming out to church.  We had 7 people in the English Sunday School. All in all, it was a great day.  Good weather – had a chill to it but no rain or snow!

 We hope you are all feeling well and happy in your part of the world and wish you a Happy Cinco de Mayo!  We think of you all often and wish you the best!  May you have a great MAY!

Love John & Linda – Gramma & Grampa – Elder & Sister Richardson