Swedish Politics

If anyone's interested in the current state of the Swedish political scene, Donald sent me this link today:

"Sweden: the new Donald Duck government"

Just one highlight (of many):
Sweden's newly appointed Minister for the Interior, Ardalan Shekarabi, was an illegal immigrant from Iran.  He stayed hidden in the country until a government was elected that would grant him amnesty.  He was convicted of embezzlement from a political youth organization-- and this year the Swedish government has accused him of cheating on his income taxes. 

What a wonderful, upstanding citizen!

New Pix (From Nearly a Year Ago)

I recently discovered a large file of digital photos taken in Sweden last year that I never processed or posted.  I'd forgotten all about them!

There are more to come, at some point, but here are the ones I've uploaded so far...

You can see most of them by arrowing back (to the left), but there are a few to the right in the photostream, too. Or if you'd rather, they're on our Flickr photostream page, too, of course. :o)

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon Post

I'm slowly but surely editing and uploading (to Flickr) photos from our July trip to Sweden.  Still not done, but getting there...

One of the latest is this photo of Donald standing next to a huge ant hill by the side of the long driveway down to his parents' place:

It's not a very good photo (for some reason, Donald is underexposed, so it looks like a not-very-well-done cut-and-paste job), but I promise that I didn't do anything to the photo except sharpen it and adjust the colors a little (to make him look a little less like a ghost (g)).  The ant hill really is that big.  There were lots of ants going up and down the road.  ~shudder~ 

Donald says that in Sweden, ant hills can stay in the same place (though under constant repair, I would imagine) for years.  There was another, smaller hill down closer to the lake, and Donald says he remembers that one being there when he was a kid-- so 30 to 40 years ago-- and it's still in the same general spot.  That's just amazing.  I don't think ants would do that, around here.  Maybe if they live out in the middle of nowhere, with no people trying to get rid of them, they'll stay in one location longer, but I get the impression that "our" ants don't settle down in one spot for decades.  Even if they get a really big "bed" established, sooner or later, a storm will wash them out (or maybe an animal will disturb them)-- something happens, and they'll move on to another place. 

There are more (and I hope better) photos in my Flickr photostream (link in the sidebar).  :o) And more still to come!

Link: Another Reason

Another reason to care about what's happening in Sweden (and England, and France, and...) is that it should stand as a warning to the U.S.:  "I Think They're Trying to Tell Us Something".

More about the situation in Stockholm: 

Riots in Stockholm

"Riots in Stockholm Spread to More Suburbs":

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Groups of youth have smashed shop windows, set cars ablaze and burnt down a cultural center as the riots that started in one Stockholm suburb after a fatal police shooting spread to other low-income areas of the Swedish capital.

 . . .

 [Police spokesman] Lindgren says 30 vehicles were set ablaze in six suburbs where mainly immigrants live. Gangs of up to 60 youths also set fire to a school and a nursery and hurled rocks at police and fire fighters.

The unrest began Sunday in response to the May 13 shooting, in which police killed a 69-year-old, knife-wielding man in a northwestern suburb.

"Groups of youth", huh?  A story at TheLocal.se identifies them also only as "youths".  Good try, you guys, but at this point, is there anyone who doesn't know what "youths" is code for, in stories of riots, violence, etc.?

(Incidentally, one thing I will never, ever understand is why these types of gangs always seem to destroy their own neighborhoods.  Um, you live there.  It might not be the best part of town to begin with, but how is trashing the place going to improve your situation?  Come next week, chances are you and your family will still be living and working in the same community-- which you have just further degraded.  Of course, the kind of people who do these things aren't exactly the brainy bunch...)


From TheLocal.se:

"You have to see what happened from a wider point of view. It's not the first time something like this has happened, and it's not the last. This is the kind of reaction when there isn't equality between people, which is the case in Sweden," Rami al-Khamisi, a law student and founder of local youth organization Megafonen, told The Local.

On Monday, local newspaper editor Rouzbeh Djalaie said the shooting probably provided the spark.

"There's frustration in Husby and it risks spiralling out of control. People want long-term solutions to social problems instead of an increased police presence," Djalaie told The Local. 

Yes, of course; it's all Sweden's fault. (...For letting these hooligans into the country to begin with, you mean, right...?)  After all, Sweden is so well known for its inequality.  It's not like Sweden makes itself ridiculous by bending over backward to avoid even the appearance of inequality.  Nuh-uh.  Nope.  They just revel in a veritable orgy of inequality, in Sweden.  Known for it around the world! (Ouch! Concentrated sarcasm burns...) 


From the same article:

Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt commented on the matter in a press conference at the Riksdag on Tuesday afternoon.

"We've had two nights with great unrest, damage, and an intimidating atmosphere in Husby and there is a risk it will continue," he said.

"We have groups of young men who think that that they can and should change society with violence. Let's be clear: This is not OK. We cannot be ruled by violence."

Well, good luck, because I have a strong feeling you're going to need it. It might help if more people spoke up against the political correctness on steroids that currently has a stranglehold on the nation.  

And this shooting that supposedly started the rioting?  Yeah, sounds like it was a terrible loss to the community.  I'm sure the woman the police were trying to protect when they shot the innocent individual knife/machete-wielding lunatic would also call it a use of excessive force.


ETA: 
'Multiculturalism failing': Swedish PM pleas for order as riots engulf Stockholm suburbs
The headline makes it look (to me) like the Swedish PM says multiculturalism is failing, which is not accurate.  It's actually a quote from the chairman of the Swedish National Democrats Party.  Still, there's some interesting material that the other articles I linked didn't include.

Al Jazeera, on the other hand, covers the story this way:

Police in Sweden have arrested six people after a second night of escalating riots in a Stockholm suburb.

On Monday night, aboout 200 people took part in demonstrations following the fatal police shooting of a 69-year-old man.

The unrest is shining a spotlight on how Sweden treats immigrants.

Completely unbiased-- just as you'd expect from Al Jazeera.   Ha!  "Shining a spotlight on how Sweden treats immigrants"!   (!!!) 

Some of you (out there in my vast audience of... two? three? ;o)) are probably wondering why I'm getting all het up about this.  I hope I'm not coming across as an obnoxious American trying to teach Sweden how to "do better", because the U.S. is sitting pretty and has it all figured out.  (I wish.  Goodness knows we have our own problems.  Too many to enumerate, too close to home.)  I'm well aware that I'm no expert-- yet from what I hear from Donald about current events in Sweden, I feel safe wagering that I know more about Sweden than the average American... and this story just makes me mad. 

If you knew how completely, painfully PC the media is in Sweden!  You think it's bad here?  Ha ha ha... We're getting there, but (on certain subjects, at least) they have it worse.  If you heard the ridiculous stories of the "child refugees" who are obviously grown men-- the shameful waste of resources on people who should be taking care of themselves-- the stubborn unwillingness to admit that there might possibly be a problem.  And then people have the gall to say that Sweden hasn't done enough for them?  That there is inequality?  That it's time to shine a spotlight on "how Sweden treats immigrants"?  Good ga-rief!  Sweden seems to treat its immigrants better than it treats its natives!  It. Makes. Me. Furious.  And I don't even live there!! 

...So.  Anyway.  That's why I was stirred past my usual "post nothing but the occasional flurry of photos" filter, today.  Outrage.  Now back to our regularly scheduled photos of plants and drywall.  ;o)

Those Crazy Swedes! ;o)

This is what happens when you put a Volvo 240 turbo engine in an old tractor...


(Video from Gotland, Sweden.)

Baffled Again

Sweden was a trending topic on Twitter, so I had to check it out (of course).  Turns out it's trending in relation to some new development in the Assange case.  It's baffling how many defenders that guy has-- and how obsessed they are.  People really can become obsessed with anything, can't they?

Sad State of Affairs

Here's a blog (in English) for anyone interested in the increasing problems Sweden faces-- the politically incorrect news that is often ignored even in Sweden itself.

Caution: May cause feelings of impotent outrage and disgust with politicians and "journalists" who seek to obfuscate rather than elucidate.

Sweden in the News, Today...

"Wave of shootings baffle Swedish police."

Look, I don't even live in Sweden, yet it's not that baffling to me-- not once you consider that these execution-style shootings are happening in Malmö.  (And I guess that's all I'll say about that...)

Every now and then, Donald tells me about something he reads in the Swedish news (or the oftentimes more reliable independent news blogs), and what I hear is troubling, if not downright infuriating.  I think I'm more upset on behalf of Sweden than many Swedes are, themselves, because it's not politically correct to be outraged at the abuse of the Swedish welfare system and the impending destruction of Swedish culture as we know it. 

Political correctness run amok.  

Snow, Vicariously

While we were snubbed by the Snow Fairy (or whatever it is that brings snow ;o)), Donald's family in Sweden have been dealing with lots of it.

Check out the snow in Ingela's photos on her blog and at Flickr. 

...Wow.  Can you just imagine all the snowmen you could make... all the snowball fights you could have?  (Not to mention the headache of traveling from Point A to Point B!)

When Donald spoke with Jocke a few days ago, he said that on the road from town to Donald's parents' place-- not just their private driveway-road, as I first thought, but the main road-- the snow was piled up five feet high on both sides.  Probably not a good time or place to have car problems.

The Closest Thing. . .

Here's the closest thing we'll get to seeing snow this Christmas. . . ;o) 

Ingela posted some photos of beautiful snowy landscapes around Säffle-- and yummy homemade Swedish Christmas treats, as well! 

At least we can enjoy the snow vicariously (and not even have to deal with messy roads)!

"Finding skeletons is such fun!"

This morning, a blog I read linked to The Local, which bills itself as "Sweden's News in English". (I've been to the site before-- but I haven't been a regular reader for quite some time.) I read the linked article and was about to navigate away from the page when something near the top caught my eye:

"A body is discovered, followed by two skeletons." True, the quote's attributed to "The Swedish Book Blog", which clears up the mystery pretty quickly, but in juxtaposition with that happy, smiling face (a photo of the journalist/book blogger, I assume), the grisly quotation just struck me as bizarre and amusing.

I thought this was probably just a fluke-- but after refreshing the page and getting new "headline quotations", I began to think that they do this kind of thing on purpose. (Not necessarily always by pairing creepy quotations with smiling photos, however. Sometimes they just choose an eye-grabbingly odd line for the quotation.)

Next up, there was a surgical masked statue announcing, "Hello. My name is Peter and I have had the swine flu."


(Um. Dude? You might want to pull the mask up so that it covers your nose, too. . . Just a thought.)

Then there's this gem:

"How many insects do you need to make a hamburger?"

(. . . Remind me to skip the burgers, next time I'm in Sweden.)

And here's one more dose of the absurd:

"Ladies, send me some pictures of your shaved heads."

I had to click that one just to see what in the world that was all about. Apparently, the female shaven head is some sort of new trendy look, and the columnist is seeking more photos of women who have shaven their heads for fashion. . . . No, seriously.

Ah, the Internet. You never know what you'll find next!

The Unbiased Media: "Help Obama!"

Last night Donald was chuckling in amazement over a story he found on Aftonbladet, a Swedish newspaper/magazine he regularly checks online.

Before I go further, perhaps I should mention that I've seen some people refer to Aftonbladet as yellow journalism. Donald says that it's simply an "evening newspaper". Apparently, the Swedish evening papers are less hard news and more geared toward entertainment than are the morning papers. (It may be that way here, too. I probably ought to know that, but I don't. Count me among the horrible masses bringing print newspapers steadily toward extinction. Sorry!) Oh, and Donald also points out that this is the most widely circulated evening newspaper in Sweden-- so it's not like it's something that only a handful of people ever read.

After explaining what was so amusing in the article, he translated it into English for me. I thought some of you might also be interested in reading it. We already knew it, but here's more proof that the European media is just as unbiased as the American media.

Here's the story in Swedish:

Hjälp Obama!

President Barack Obamas ambition att reformera det amerikanska sjukvårdssystemet (dyrast i världen, på 37:e plats mätt i kvalitet och med 40 miljoner medborgare oförsäkrade) stöter som bekant på patrull. Förslaget att en statlig sjukförsäkring som är öppen för alla ska få konkurrera med de privata försäkringsbolagen har utlöst en förtalskampanj från den privata industrin. Fejkade gräsrotsrörelser larmar om att reformen förvandlar USA till Sovjetunionen, och högermedierna ger eldunderstöd. Kampanjen fungerar, stödet för sjukvårdsreformen sjunker och aktierna i försäkringsindustrin stiger. Hela reformen är allvarligt hotad.

Nu uppmanar Avaaz.org oss européer att slå näven i bordet. Via ett innovativt upprop har vi chansen att berätta för amerikanerna att våra offentligt finansierade sjukvårdssystem faktiskt fungerar bra. Kampanjen hade bara tre dagar efter starten samlat 100 000 namn. Skriv under och sprid ordet.

Dan Josefsson

And here's Donald's translation:

Help Obama!

President Barack Obama's ambition to reform the American health care system (most expensive in the world, ranked 37th in terms of quality, and with 40 million citizens uninsured) is as you know meeting some resistance. The proposal that a governmental health insurance that is open for everyone will be allowed to compete with the private insurance companies has triggered a campaign of slander from the private industry. Fake grassroots campaigns are making outcries that the reform will turn the U.S. into the Soviet Union, and the right-wing media gives fire support. The campaign is working; the support for the health care reform is sinking and insurance industry stocks are raising. The whole reform is under serious threat.

Now avaaz.org is urging us Europeans to put our foot down. Through an innovative appeal we now have the chance to tell the Americans that our publicly financed health care system actually works well. The campaign had collected 100,000 names after only three days. Sign it and spread the word.

Dan Josefsson

I think Donald was amazed by the fact that this article was trying to pass as an unbiased representation of facts, while the journalist clearly supported one side over the other and failed to give both sides of the story. (Heck, the guy even urges his readers to join a campaign supporting one side over the other!) It is pretty unbelievable. The way it's written, this is editorial material-- not news material.

Personally, as an American, I don't particularly care for the idea that some Europeans think they should have diddly-squat to say about our health care system. Give your opinion? Sure. But "put our foot down"? That language is a bit strong. (It reminds me of the 2004 presidential election, when some people who didn't even live in the U.S.-- much less claim citizenship-- were blogging about the fact that they felt the whole world should have a say in the election. Oh really? How'd they feel if Americans wanted to have a say in their elections? No answer necessary.)

Anyway-- why should Swedes or Europeans in general care how health care in the U.S. is run? Frankly, it's none of their business. A generous appraisal of their motivation might be that some people are genuinely happy with their health care system and think it could work in the U.S., too. It might alleviate the suffering of the supposed millions going without. (Of course, if they're basing their opinion of American health care on articles like the one above, they're not getting the full picture-- at all.) I may be lacking in generosity, though, because I suspect that many of the 100,000 who had already given their names did so for less noble reasons. (You know what they say about misery loving company. . .)

To those who point to success stories in European-style nationalized health care, I say this: Not all countries are the same. Just because something works in one place, for one group of people, doesn't mean it will work everywhere for everyone. It also doesn't mean that it's what the American people want for themselves. There's no single right way to handle these things. The United States is not a European nation, and most of us like it that way. No offense. It's just. . . is diversity only wonderful when it comes to our physical appearances and cultural heritage? What's wrong with diverse nations with diverse ways of taking care of things like health care?

- - - - - - -

And while we're on the subject of politics:

White House spokesman Bill Burton, defending Obama's plan to take a weekend trip to Camp David at the beginning of September, said, "As I recall, the previous president [took] quite a bit of vacation himself, and I don't think anyone bemoaned that."

*SNORT* Funny, I seem to recall people complaining about that exact thing! Or "bemoaning" it, if you will. I don't have a problem with any of our presidents taking some vacation time. They need to unwind every now and then, just like any other human being. However, it was surprising to hear the media reporting the vacation in Martha's Vineyard as his first vacation as president. I guess the recent tours of national parks and the non-official-business things he and his family did abroad didn't count as recreation? (And we won't even bring up the infamous Date Night excursion to NYC. Oops. Guess I just did.)

Edited to add:
The Prez is just lucky Donald's not in charge. He doesn't think world leaders should even be allowed to drink alcohol, since they (theoretically, at least) have to be ready to make major decisions at all hours of the day and night. It does kind of make sense. I mean, do we really want someone who's flat-out drunk or hungover-- or even just buzzed-- making critical decisions that could affect the fate of the world?

This subject comes up between us every time we hear about things like Obama inviting people to have a beer with him or the Great Beer Summit of 2009. Meanwhile, I'm just rolling my eyes and gagging on the staginess of it all. "Hey, folks! Did you catch that? I'm just like you! I drink Bud Light!"

Videos, Music, Sports, & Saplings

Do not adjust your monitors. ;o) Or in other words, yes, I changed the background color. I was getting tired of acid green. Time for a soothing pale blue! I've also adjusted a few other little things in the setup of this blog. For instance, there's now a Vimeo widget in the sidebar, so that you can see at a glance if I've put up any new videos (on Vimeo, at least).

And as a matter of fact. . .

- - - - - - -

I've put a few more new videos on Vimeo. (g)

One is a short clip Donald filmed at the frozen lake at Glaskogen (Sweden). I realized I hadn't included any close-ups of how that ice looked, and I thought it was pretty enough that it required sharing.

One is just a (probably boring) experiment with saturation-- nothing but pine trees and a sky full of windy clouds.

Then there's another quick one of Trixie. (Yes, I know. I'm now undeniably one of those people who inflict upon others their endless videos of vacations and pets. It can't be helped. At least you don't have to watch them, since I'll never know if you did or not. (g))

This is an older piece of film-- before Donald's trip, I think, and definitely before the rubber chicken toy lost its head:


Slo-Mo Trixie from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

- - - - - - -

I mentioned, an entry or two ago, being disappointed by the unavailability of certain soundtracks. Well, this isn't quite as good as a soundtrack on CD (mainly because the conversations and sound effects are still present and can be distracting), but if you're desperate to have the music from North & South to listen to, try this site. A word of warning to those who haven't seen the program (or read the book)-- listening to these tracks (or, indeed, even reading their titles) might give away some of the storyline. (I used tiny, dialogue-free snippets from the soundtrack in the two non-Trixie videos I linked to above.)

- - - - - - -

An entry on a blog I read linked back to some previous blog entries and a number of heated comments-- all related to the fact that a Swedish wrestler threw down his bronze medal during an Olympic award ceremony. (Actually, from what I recall, he went and set it down rather carefully on the floor. I don't remember any violent hurling. (g)) Some people feel it was a display of righteous indignation after an obviously unfair call by a corrupt system of judging. Others think that he should have respected the dignity of the occasion and saved his protests for later. Then there are those, like myself, who are amazed that enough people care about wrestling for there to be a corrupt system of judges. (Admittedly, I'm not a particularly sporty gal-- Don't fall out of your seat in shock, now! ;o)-- but of all sports, wrestling seems just about the least appealing to watch or participate in. Yuck.) More proof that no matter what hobby or interest you take up, if you're there long enough-- if you look deeply enough-- you'll find people who take things way too far. Passion, you say? Passion schmassion! In all things, moderation! ;o)

- - - - - - -

This morning, Mom and I went to a local Arbor Day event and picked up a variety of free saplings. Now to decide where ours should go. . .

Not another video. . . ?! (yes.)

Sorry for all the not-a-real-blog-post blog-posts, lately. (g)

Here's another video of clips Donald filmed in Sweden, for anyone who may be interested. :o)


Lake Vänern, Sweden from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

Equal Health Care for All?

Maybe I am a mean, horrible person for writing this, but I'm doing it anyway.

I was reading comments on a blog-- one I've mentioned here before, which is written by someone who is half Swedish, half American, raised in the US, but now living in Sweden. He'd written about his recent experience with the Swedish health care system, and it generated a number of responses.

Now, normally, I wouldn't have much to say about health care in another country. Leave it to those citizens to decide how they want things to be run. However, these days, with our own system in such a mess and the very real threat of having it changed to something that will probably be even messier, I find this subject has become a sore spot for me. Some want us to believe that people in Canada-- Sweden-- wherever-- have it made, as far as health care is concerned. Based on what I've heard and read, I can't agree.

Then I read this particular comment on the blog. Here's an excerpt:

There are definitely positive things to say about the Swedish health care system, as well, though. One being the fact that you don't need to have an expensive health insurance to get good health care, meaning that people from all social classes are entitled to the same health care.

If I was more opposed to the Swedish health care than I already am and had a proneness to being sarcastic I would probably describe the Swedish health care with the following sentence: "The waiting lines may be long but at least we're all standing in the same line!"

Sadly enough, though, I guess that's what you get when you have equal health care for everybody.

(This is the part where some of you may hate me forever. (g))

Is that such a positive thing, that everyone gets (supposedly) the same care-- even if that means many are getting care of inferior quality to what they'd get in our current system?

I mean, sure, if I could wave my magic wand (what? don't you have one, too?) and make it so that everyone everywhere would receive top-notch medical care, that would be wonderful. But that's not how it works.

If everyone gets the same level of medical care, that implies taking an average of their previous care. Yes, some people's care will improve, but many will receive less efficient or effective care than if they were to just pay their own way. Instead of paying ridiculous fees for insurance, they're forced to pay for their health care through ridiculously increased taxes. What they get is probably worse medical care than if they had just paid their own way. So where does the rest of the money go? (Probably partly just sucked down the drain of government waste! As for the rest:) To help pay for the health care of the "less fortunate". Why are some people entitled to the money of others? (Because health care, like any service, is money.)

Gosh, this life thing is complicated! It'd be so much easier if people would get over this insidious sense of entitlement. (Fat chance!) Yes, there are some people who truly need help, and it is the responsibility of any civilized people to help provide for their needy. But I, for one, don't like it when the government tries to force my hand.

Is it "fair", if someone works hard to earn a higher standard of living, that he shouldn't be able to buy better care than someone who does the bare minimum?

Consider: You've worked hard and saved your pennies your whole life. You've managed to accumulate a little money. You won't be buying a mansion or hiring a chef to prepare your meals, but you've earned some financial security. Now, you're getting older, and the time comes that you decide you need some type of elective surgery. It would vastly improve the quality of your life-- maybe even prolong your life, as it would help you stay physically and mentally active-- but it is elective. Now that we've put the government firmly in control of health care, it's up to them to decide who gets surgeries and when. Because people believe that health care is now free (never mind the fact that someone's paying for it), the demand for all types of medical care has sky-rocketed. People who would've just made do, before, are now quick to say, "Heck yeah! Sign me up for this, and that, and that, too!" This means longer lines. It also means that there are government workers reviewing each case to decide if a procedure is warranted. (The doctors and surgeons can only do so much every day, after all, and there may be less incentive for people to become doctors, working under these new guidelines and conditions.) The health care doler-outer looks at you, an aging person, and decides that it'd be a better investment to let someone younger have the surgery, instead. You'll probably only live another 10-20 years, and that 40-year-old guy whose file is right below yours in the stack might have 30-40 years left in him. Tough luck! Even though you have the money to pay for the procedure directly out of pocket-- on top of all the taxes you've paid across the years-- you are denied. (Well, that's one prediction I've heard, and I doesn't seem too far-fetched, if you ask me. . .)

*sigh* Why can't people see the simplest things? If you take away most of the incentives of hard work, there's no reason for anyone to bother putting in the extra effort that creates success and wealth.

Glaskogens Naturreservat

While Donald was in Sweden, he, Ingela, and Jocke went to Glaskogen (a nature reserve), where they roasted hot dogs on the shore of a frozen lake.

This is the same nature reserve (but not the same lake, I think) where we ate a late lunch, one afternoon, during our last trip to Sweden. However, "our" lake-- Sitjärn-- didn't look much like this when we were there. ;o)


Icy Glaskogen from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

I tried something new (to me) when editing this video-- stretching out the clip to make it cover more time than it does in regular play-back. Actually, I also did this on the second part of the video of Trixie catching the frisbee, but that was somewhat different. In that case, you could definitely tell it was "slo-mo" (because that was the whole point). This time, I did it more to just make the clip last longer and to counteract the slight dizzy, blurry effect of panning too much, too fast. I'm not sure how well it worked, but it's at least watchable. I probably should've tried lightening it, too, as the trees are too dark-- but that's probably just a reflection of the weather that day. . .

Snow at Sandmon

Snow at Sandmon from Michael Johansson on Vimeo.

Above is a video I made with a few of Donald's recordings of snow in Sweden, taken in January.

We're still learning the basic ins and outs of videoing-- not to mention video editing. Apologies for the blurriness caused by too much panning...

The video starts out with a detail shot of some snow-laced branches.

The view then shifts to a pan from Donald's parents' carport/garage, past his maternal grandmother's house, and onward to a large pile of tree limbs that will eventually be taken away by the company that harvested some of their trees.

Finally, we get a peek at Lake Vänern's icy shores.

I think there are some more snowy video clips to share, too-- maybe later today or tomorrow. :o)

Donald's Coming Home!!, &tc.

I'm a bundle of nerves, today, mainly because Donald's flying home from Sweden, and I just can't make myself really believe that he's safer in those planes than behind the wheel of a car. He's still on the transatlantic leg of his journey-- by far the worst part of the trip, at over ten hours of tedium. I'll breathe a little easier when that flight's safely landed, but then there's still one more flight to go. My stomach gets tied up in knots over airplanes...

I've been able to track Donald's flights on the airline's website-- whether they've been delayed and why, exactly when they depart and arrive-- that sort of thing. Thanks to that nifty feature, I saw that his transatlantic flight (the other way over) was "delayed due to accommodating passengers", though I wasn't exactly certain what that meant. It sounded a little ominous to me, but fortunately it wasn't a very long delay, and they actually landed in Amsterdam a bit ahead of schedule.

When I spoke to him the next day (after he finally reached his parents' home), he explained that, as he understood it, a few people had smuggled alcohol aboard the plane and were kicked off the flight, and the delay was due to finding and removing their luggage. Pretty weird! On that same flight, someone came in over the intercom asking for anyone with medical knowledge to go to the back of the plane! (I'm glad I wasn't on that flight!)

___________________

Over the weekend (and yesterday), I gave my parents and maternal grandparents a little help planting pine seedlings (saplings? not sure what the difference is...) on the property where they'll eventually be building. The trees are tiny, but this type (slash pine) usually grow amazingly fast.

___________________

Trixie is systematically attacking every bit of "decor" around the yard. She finds things that I haven't noticed in months (if not years)-- and then proceeds to destroy them. Her latest acquisitions: a plastic, bird-shaped garden stake (the type with the wings that twirl in the wind) and a metal, dolphin-shaped medallion attached to some wind chimes (the weight/wind-catcher part). I'm thinking she focused on these because it's been so windy the past few days, but she's previously directed her attentions toward harmless, non-moving, non-noise-making items. She's a terror to lawn ornaments, that dog.

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One of my parents' Shelties, Mandy, had a run-in with a skunk, last night. (The crazy thing-- the skunk, not the dog ;o)-- even chased her right up to the steps of the house!) Before anyone knew that she'd been sprayed, she was taken to a bathroom, and though she was only inside for a few minutes, Mom's had a job getting the smell out of the house. And of course poor Mandy will have to undergo some destinkification processes, too. In the meantime, she has to stay in an out-building (shed/barn). What a lot of trouble from a chance encounter with the dreaded "polecat"!

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I started cutting squares for a denim rag quilt back in November 2007. Rag quilts are just about the simplest quilt you can make, I guess, and yet it has taken me a bit over a year to finally finish my first one! (And it's still not technically finished, since I have lots of snipping to do-- not to mention putting it through the wash a couple of times to get it really raggedy.)

In my defense, once I started sewing at it in earnest, it didn't take me long to do. I ran into a problem-- a broken needle on my sewing machine-- early in the project (probably back in 2007). After that, I set it aside and was hesitant to pick it back up again, wondering if my machine (and I) could handle all those layers of fabric. It turns out I needn't have worried, though. I went through the rest of the project without breaking any needles.

All in all, the process went very smoothly. It's certainly not the work of an expert. There are many places where the blocks don't line up perfectly-- and I got careless (tired?) at the end, so the final seam around the whole quilt is not a uniform distance from the edge of the fabric-- but I told myself at the time that it's supposed to look somewhat haphazard-- and it'll definitely work as a lap quilt, despite cosmetic flaws. I'm satisfied, and since I'm the one who'll be using it, that's good enough.

Here's the quilt, pre-snipping and not yet thoroughly "ragged":

I'll have to photograph the back, too. I went to a fair deal of trouble making sure my three colors of flannel backing fell into a specific pattern. It's nothing fancy-- just diagonal lines-- but still, after putting in the effort, I want people to notice it. ;o) I thought it would show more from the front (in the exposed seams), and maybe it will, once it's ragged out. Right now, though, it looks pretty random.

Anyway-- that's one craft project nearly completed! Soon I can move on to another sewing project, and with the knowledge that I can finish sewing a quilt, even if it takes me more than a year.

Sweden, circa 1890

Flickr Blog has a bit today about "Norway, Sweden, and Denmark-- then and now". The main purpose of the entry is to announce that the Library of Congress has added 169 photochroms of (you guessed it) Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to their collection at Flickr.

I'll definitely be giving them a good look-through. They're very crisp, colorful images, considering they were made around 1890!

Edited to add:
Hm. Not many of them were of Sweden, and the few that were seemed to focus on Stockholm. Well, not too surprising, I guess. Fjords, mountains, waterfalls and glaciers are hard to beat, from a photographer's perspective.