Half way mark 9/16/12

It is now a few days past our half-way mark and it is going by way too fast! As our time is running out so is the Swedish summer. The weather is getting colder, the wind crisper, the daylight shorter, the leaves are turning color, and the emotions are getting more sensitive.

In fact, I would like to honor the moment by saying a few things about some of the faithful saints and the temple. As I was sitting at the recommend desk last night, a brother stopped and talked. He had been here a week with the Norwegian group and was heading back that night by bus. He would leave at 10:30 last night and after two bus changes would be home outside of Oslso at 12:00 p.m, today - a 13.5 hour trip. Other Norwegians were also packing up either to bus, fly, or drive home. They had been here for the week with their families, including young children. Adults trade off taking care of the young children. This is how it has been all summer - faithful saints coming with their familes for entire weeks. They have their own sessions staffed by their own people.

Today, Saturday, our High Priest group will have their own session (or maybe two - the rooms only hold 31 people each). The temple President is keeping the temple open after hours just for them. Then they will have a meeting in the nearby chapel afterwards.

Either next week or sometime soon, the Gävle ward (about 2.5 hours away and Kari's dad's parents are buried in Gävle) have scheduled the temple on their own to attend. The President is so happy that they are taking the initiative on their own without being given a time to attend. The ward has already made arrangements and made plans to accomdate entire families. They told the temple President that they are bringing the children's Sunday clothes with them so that they can all walk up to the Temple in their Sunday best.

This is a Church for families. Last week mom sat next to two women that were non-members at sacrament meeting for the first time. (One was born in a small outside of Dala-Foda were mom spent her summers so they had a good bond and talked and talked.) The other woman had a pad and pencil and was taking notes. It was a primary sacrament meeting with all the beautiful children. One of the ladies asked if our Church always had that many children attending. Mom said that our Church was for families. The Sister misionaries were so cute as they came over and took the ladies under their wings. (Sister Briton has a brother in our ward in P.G.. Her parents are mission presidents in Siberia, and the other Sister - has a fake name because her's is too difficult to say in Swedish - is also from Pleasant Grove.)  After the meeting, mom heard one of the ladies ask the Sister missionaries if they could ask some questions. The Sisters had to make an appointment because they had about a 4-5 hour car drive to Goteborg for a music recital they were giving that night for the Mission.

This has got to be one of the greatest ways to celebrate life and to honor our Father in Heaven and His children on both sides of the veil!

Paris Attractions, 8/29-31/12

Versailles
Well, after getting to bed at 11:30 the night before, we didn't quite get out of the Hotel by 7:30 the next morning. So we didn't get to Versailles until about 10:30 where we encountered a long line of about three football fields long or about a 1.5 hour wait. (We had decided in advance not to buy a $125 ticket each to get in free to certain museums, skip the lines, and pay for all transportation. For us, it was a good decision because we got along with a lot less cost. This was our only long line.) We stood in line with a grandmother, her friend, and two grandchildren of about 8 and 11 years. We talked in French and I played slap-the-hands with the 8-year old boy.

 

The Palais de Versailles has huge acres of gardens. So we wisely rented a golf cart and tore around the gardens at a very slow speed.  I drove because I have guessed for a long time that mom has this strong latent desire to speed recklessly.

 



Sacre Coeur
Mom's best-liked site was the Sacre Coeur built on the highest hill overlooking Paris. It is very striking and peaceful.

 

We sat peacefully at a sidewalk cafe, had dinner, looked up at the beautiful sight. I think that we may have sat peacefully because it hurt to walk.  The metro station is at the bottom of the hill and I don't know if we didn't see escalators or if there weren't any. Anyway, the flights and flights of stairs that we took and took and took, took their toll on our poor old knees.

 

La Sorbonne

I have also been intrigued by the Sorbonne, the University of Paris. So I had to see it. It is a large building the length of the entire block and half as wide. It has a monitored entrance so not just anyone can enter (I didn't get in). Because of the fountain in front, we loved the water sound and ate there twice at side-walk restaurants.

 

 

 

Our eating consisted of buying yogourt and bananas the night before at a small neighborhood grocery store and putting over our mult-grain cereal that we brought with us for breakfast. Then we bought a fancy lunch at the sites that we visited at about 2:30 p.m. to save time and to enjoy the ambiance. Then we had snacks at night. Incidentally, mom liked french crepes with sugar and cinnamon so much that she had to buy them at side-walk vendores about once or twice a day.

 

Eiffel Tower

We spent about two hours walking the garden, sitting at the opposite end of the garden, and taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower through dusk and night.

 

 

 

 

Arc de Triomphe

I had better put in a picture of mom at the Arc de Triomphe. We walked the famous Champs de L'Elysees twice. The second time mom wanted to look at fashions in several of the stores. I stayed outside and at one point I made a fashion statement of my own by probably being the first person to pull out my ipad and reading a Louis L'Amour (french right?) short story right on the fashionable Champs de L'Elysees.

 

 

Interesting Pictures

I like two rather impressionistic pictures that we took at the Seine at night without stabilizing my camera -- so the pictures are blurred. But, I like the "aura" of a mystical and romantic Paris that the blurriness creates. One sees the Seine, boats, Notre Dame, and a beautiful full moon.

 

 

 

 

 

We loved our stay in PARIS!

(Yes we loved our stay in Paris!!  Mom)

 







First Day in Paris, 8/28/12

August sure went by quickly. Starting on Saturday the 18th, the Temple was closed for the rest of the month. The next Tuesday mom and I borrowed tennis rackets and balls and went to a private club outside court at a beautiful beach and played tennis for an hour. We would have gone other days also but the weather was "wet." Instead mom got her hair cut in a nearby town and visited a museum in Stockholm on her own while I stayed at home, researched, and planned our trip to Paris.

We left for Paris on Tuesday the 28th via Air France. We arrived in Paris at 5 p.m. and were supposed to be at our hotel at about 7 p.m. for a peaceful exploratory walk around the neighborhood. I know that the "supposed to be" gives way to intrique. So, we went to buy our train tickets for a clear one-way trip to the hotel. We we told that there would be at least a two-hour wait because there had just been an accident on the tracks and someone had been killed. We were told, along with "hundreds" of other people, tours, etc. to take a bus. So everyone "runs" across several terminals in shuttles to catch the bus for a detour around the wreck. As many people as possible were shoved into the bus. Of course, we weren't one of them. Suddenly, a worker yells that one could catch a train. You must realize that most of the people are tourist just arriving at the Charles de Gaulle airport and have absolutely no idea of what is happening. We all run over to the train platform. At this point, no one has tickets or knows where the train is coming from or going to. There are multitudes of people asking other people who also have no clue.  Finally, a train comes and everyone blindly piles in. The train goes, stops, and everyone piles out onto a platform of who-knows-where. We wonder about for about 15 minutes while asking other people what to do who answered back that they don't know either.

Finally, I go down in the subway and ask and we are directed (with another unknowing women trailing we unknowing two) to take another train to who-knows-where. Fortunately, as we are riding the train, I still have courage to ask another person the same question about how to get to the St. Michel metro stop. This time we hit a mother load of all paydirt. His last name was Viega, Spanish and born in Paris.  It was the first time that he had taken this train, but he was going to one stop before St. Michel and if we would follow him, he would take us that far. One once-was swede and one american followed him like two puppy dogs -- so close that one couldn't have put a thin piece of French cheese between us.

How great it felt to come out of a metro tunnel, smell fresh air, and see a sign that says Fontaine de St. Michel.  All my best planning had not prepared us for what had just happened. Then to have mom basically say that President Monson says that nothing is a coincidence.  I didn't see wings on Mr. Viega or any harp, but I do know that angels don't need to have either one.

After, checking in, we headed out of the hotel a little after 9 p.m. The hotel Severin was perfectly located -- about two walking minutes from the central metro, five minutes from Notre Dame, five minutes from a Seine boat cruise, ten minutes from La Sorbonne, fifteen minutes from Le Louvre, and smack dab right in the middle of one of the best tourist areas of the Latin Quarter. It was time to party!

We walked some streets, went to the Seine, ate dinner at a side-walk cafe, and fell into bed about 11:30 knowing that we should get out of the hotel about 7:30 am the next morning to go to the Louvre to miss the long tourist line.

Christer and Karin 8/7/12

A couple of weeks ago, on a Friday, we had another wonderful experience. (It seems that our time here in Sweden has been filled with fantastic experiences with great people.) So much happened with so much to say about the people and the activities in this story that I have delayed this writing until now.

Two of the main characters in this story are Christer Österlund and his wife Karin. Karin was Jannicke's mission companion in Northern Sweden where it really gets cold. Christer was born in Northern Sweden and moved on his own to Stockholm when he was 18 after he had been baptized. He was the only one in his family to be baptized.



Christer and Karin Österlund

When he moved to Stockholm, he became an integral part of the Church's youth group. Mom was there with him for one summer before leaving for America. The group did things together on Sunday nights and Mom's parents invited him to their home.

Eventually Karin and he were married (I don't know the details, but there must be a story there also) because they were both living in Canada.) They returned to Sweden, were married, and had four children - two girls and two boys. They developed a close friendship with Erik and Anna who loved to invite them over to eat and to spend time with their children. Anna and Christer then worked together in the translation department. Christer says that he heard all the stories about Anna's daughters and their families. In fact, he recounted some of the stories to us which were pretty accurate. Christer then went back to school and became a physical therapist from which he is now retired. Karin taught school and is now retired also. She is a very accomplished musician.

Now for the present story. Christer and Karin invited Mom and I, Bengt and Inger Höglund (whom we talked about in an earlier post when we were invited to dinner at their home), and two member sisters whose husbands were working out of the country to have lunch and to spend the evening playing games with them at their home. Below is a picture of Bengt and Inger Höglund.

The Österlunds took us for lunch in a private art museum called Artipelag. It was just opened this Spring on a beautiful spot in pine trees overlooking the Baltic Sea. It was a buffet with seating outside under the trees and sculptures around. We talked and enjoyed the setting. We then went through the art museum which had the theme of Life in Points of Time (this isn't a quote, but my interpretation). The paintings and art were interesting but the greatest "art" was the current and present beautiful nature that you could see through the large floor-to-ceiling large glass windows interspersing the art. My thinking was that there can be nothing as beautiful as our own current lives that God has given us right now. And, we are so thankful for all our children, grand children, wonderful people that Mom has been able to renew relationships with here because of her parents, etc., and the marvelous temple work that we are experiencing.

We then walked along the water's edge and later went back to Christer and Karin's apartment where we had wonderful strawberry, cake, and other fantastic desserts. We played dominos and a card game with true friends. How much better can that be! I can think of some, but this rates among the top as decades of relationships were reunited.

Nynashamn and Caj-Aage 8/6/12

It is Monday, a catch up and shopping day. We have been shopping so now it is catch up.

For some time we have wanted to take the train to the end of the line that goes south past our town, Vasterhaninge. So, Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, we jumped on the train and went about 40 minutes through beautiful country (all of Sweden is beautiful country) to Nynashamn. Other than being at the end of a train line, Nynashamn is one of hundreds of towns and cities along Sweden's coast. We didn't see any beaches but it is a boating town. Some excursion boats dock there, it has a major ferry to a major island called Gottland, and there are hundreds of sailboats.

So we bought a loaf of bread, smoked salmon, marinated octupus, and marinated oysters. We then sat on the dock, ate, and watched the waves and boats. A huge ferry from Gottland came in right at us then smoothly turned, docked, and let passengers, cars, trucks, and excursion buses off. There was a huge line of the same to get on but we didn't wait to watch those. Mom has put going and staying over night in Gottland on her to-do list.

Now back to Kari's Sunday School teacher mentioned in the last post. His name is Caj-Aage Johansson. Two weeks ago a temple worker from his ward gave us detailed instructions on exactly what trains and metros to take to get to his ward. The ward is north east of Stockholm. It took us about an hour and a half to get there. He was there and was sure glade to see mom. They talked and talked even in the hallway while I was in the Sunday School class listening to Swedish. We took several pictures of him and mom together. He will always be a great influence and memory in mom's life.

He was the only Sunday School teacher that she ever had. Each year they moved up together. She says that not only was he a very good teacher, but he was so humble even though he was one of the top people in Sweden's aviation and was a consultant to Canada and other countries when he retired from Sweden. One summer, he took the Sunday School class on a ten-day bike ride on Gottland (the island mentioned above). He is now 93 (very active physically). His wife is 97 and is mentally great but not too well physically. He invited mom to his 100th anniversay. He has had (and still does have) a very great influence on mom's life. (I guess I said that twice, but the emphasis is appropriate.)

Old Faces, 7/25/12

So much has happened that hasn't been recounted. Rather than starting some time ago, I'll just go back to yesterday with two events and then go back from there on subsequent blogs.

As one knows, as people get older their faces, hair color, and even women's last name change to the point that we no longer recognize them after a period of time. Well, mom was in the temple and was talking to a sister Swedish temple worker. After awhile the sister's face lit up and she threw her arms around mom. She is from southern Sweden and had known mom through regular Church activities and especially from youth conferences. Her name now is Gunilla Carlsson (mom thinks it was Ekelund back then). 

The even better part is that she now lives in Stockholm in the ward where mom's most favorite Sunday School teacher (and only one) now lives and whom mom has wanted to find in Sweden and to visit. He is now 93 or 95 years old. She gave mom times and directions and we'll go to his Ward next Sunday. He had taken their sunday school class on a 10-day bicycling trip to Gottland - a big beautiful island.

The other event was that as we were working in the Temple, a former Swedish missionary came in with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and a wheel-chair bound member that they had reactivated. The former missionary's last name was Jeffs. When he was a missionary, Kari's family had him and his companion over many times to their home. When Anna went to America, she lived close enough to the Jeffs that they had her over to their home many times and did many other kind things for her. Also, Anna was able to provide companionship for his aging mother. He and his wife are now back in northern Sweden in the Branch Presidency and helping with Home Teaching and reactivation.

His wife told us that the member that they reactivated (she told us the details which I don't remember well like towns and time periods so I'll say generalities so as not to be incorrect). This member was away from his home town when he had a severe stroke. The doctors induced a coma which he was in for sometime. He hadn't recovered but they medically flew him home. He was given a priesthood blessing. The amazing thing to everyone was that the following Sunday he was in church.

His right side was paralyzed, but Sister Jeffs taught him how to use Family Search, etc. He can use his left hand. He is doing work for his family of which he could only remember his mother's birthdate. He didn't know anything else about her nor about his father. He is now doing their work for them.

How great is the work of our Father in Heaven!  ...on earth and on the other side!

7/8/12, Family Visits

Four families visited Sweden this past week. I will write this from the perspective of someone not familiar with the account.

The weather before their week-long visit has been rainy and cool all Spring. There was no rain during the week of their stay. It rained on Saturday and Sunday following their departure. We visited and did all the normal tourist things -- visited museums, took tours, and ate marvelous food. Now for the really good parts -- the extraordinary parts.

On Monday, we were visiting the apartments where mom lived as a child. We couldn't get into the building to see the stairway or courtyard, but as we were leaving, a tenant couple walked up, mom introduced us and asked if they would let us in. They were so kind and let us in. We saw the inside and courtyard which was more interesting than just the outside. Mom saw the name on an apartment of one of their neighbors. They were not home but mom and I will call them return later in the summer.

On Thursday and Friday, we travelled to Gavle (home of mom's dad and his parents), then to Dala-Floda where he and his parents spent summers and later where he built a cabin and spent summers with his wife and children (Kari and Jannicke).

Mom wanted to see some friends that she had spent the summers with (of course they would be a little older now). Well, the first "coincidence" happened when we drove up and mom went to a little souvenir shop to ask some questions. There inside was the first friend that she would meet. The extraordinary thing was the the lady was asked to cover for the owner for just that afternoon -- she had done so in the past but very rarely.

The second "event" happened when mom wanted to find another friend but only knew her maiden name. Mom and I decided Thurday evening to leave the "kids" and walk around. There was no one on the streets, but there was a family having a barbeque in their back yard. We walked up to them and described to them what we were trying to do. The young lady said that she thought that the friend was a singer and would be in the city church at a celebration. We went into the Church and finally identified her. When the celebration was over and Kari introduced herself, there was certainly a huge exclamation and big hugs.

We stayed in the hotel where her dad stayed as a child during summers with his family (they also stayed with different families during the summers as well). Mom swam in "her lake" and rowed a rowboat across it to the cabin that they had built across the lake.

The last day we wanted to take pictures of the cabin and decided to drive around the lake. However, there is no road directly to the cabin and we didn't know where to stop the car to try to find the cabin. So, here is the next astonishing event. You must remember that the cabin is in an isolated location with few neighbors and fewer people passing by. Well, as we where trying to decide where to stop and which hill and forest to walk over and through, a car stops and asks if they could help. You can guess, the woman was another friend that mom grew up with. More exclamations, hugs, and happy tears.

Last and certainly far from the least, Amy is now a certified Swede and a full-fledged member of the Kerr/Lindback Swedish clan. She found a grave stone with "Tillman" on it. (Also the name of one of mom's childhood friends.)  As you might suspect, Tony, Casey, and Nate all have declared their Swedish lineage. Of course Aaron claims his Norwegian heritage which mom's mom may say is the better half. Now we need to hear from Jim. Mom says that Hansen is Norwegian. What a GROUP!

One more memorable thing! How proud mom and I were as we stood on the train platform and said good bye to such marvelous people, and to know that there were still more of them back home.

We love all of you. Mom and Dad