Saturday

 Saturday, June 25th. The day summer arrived and it got hot!

After our usual, sort of slow start, we were geared up in our summer weight Sounders garb and off to the light rail station to go to the stadium for a 12:00 noon Sounders match. We planned on getting some light early lunch at the Starbucks at the station near the stadium, but they were closed. They were on strike in sympathy for the workers of three other Starbucks stores nearby that dismissed all of their workers without much notice and then hired back only a few. Some of these stores have been working to unionize and this was probably pay back, but of course the company had other stated reasons. Starbucks used to be a great company to work for. Times change. 

So we had to settle for eating pizza in the air conditioned Club section of the stadium. :-)

Seattle Soccer fans are very socially aware. Pride flags were flying along with the usual Emerald City Supporter statements. 

I didn't join in singing the National Anthem today. I didn't feel much like celebrating our nation right now. 

It was a good match and we beat Kansas City 3-0.

We were glad we had seats in the shade - that was a big consideration when we bought our season tickets - because now it was hot. We got home about 3:15. The downstairs of the house was cool and I stayed there for about an hour, catching up with your blogs, working today's Wordle,  and keeping up with an on going Facebook "discussion" I was having, first with my sister yesterday, and then continuing over two days with a former student who is a lawyer and likes to tell us all how federal law is different than state law, that's just how the constitution and our country work, and overturning Roe was the right legal thing to do. I object!

Eventually I came outside, cleaned up the patio a bit, and Tom had been busy putting up the sun umbrellas and bringing out the patio rockers. 

We both spent a little time here.

Eventually we went inside and had a light dinner. Then we came back outside. 

The sun was off the yard now, set behind the tall houses, and it was still warm but green and pleasant.

Tom got the lawn mowed.

I settled at the patio table to finish reading the paper. Charlie/Mewdini came to visit me. 

Now I've spent a long time going through all the photos I took while we were on Whidbey Island this week - that's another post or two- and getting this post put together. Now it's time to hit Publish and go find some ice cream. It's 77 outside and 77 inside here in our upstairs office. I'm going back downstairs. 

Summer Solstice in Sweden

 When we toured Scandinavia in the spring of 2006, we spent three weeks in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. This was a self guided tour. We rented a car and followed the itinerary we had spent months researching. We were going to be finding some of our ancestral homelands, for both of us, both in Norway and Sweden.

In Sweden, using his skill in genealogy research, Tom located some cousins of mine in the ancestral village of Skamhed.  We met my 4th cousin Yvonne and her son Fredrik, who showed us around the village, including the location of the farm of Nils Person and Stina Olsdatter, parents of Kristina, who is the mother of my paternal grandfather Olaf Norquist. Olaf and his parents immigrated to the US when he was an infant.  We also met my cousins on Olaf's father's side. It was a wonderful day of connection. 

As we were driving through this northwest region of Sweden we saw what appeared to be May Poles in every village. I asked Yvonne about them. She explained that they were Solstice Poles, for Midsummer, which was widely celebrated in Sweden. Since we were there in early June, she sent us photographs of the actual celebration as it occurred later that month.

This is Yvonne, ready for the day.

Flowers and greens have to be gathered and made into garlands, circles, and crowns. 

On the day of celebration, usually the Saturday closest to the Solstice, the villagers, wearing their national and local costumes, carry the garlands in procession to the pole.

That's Fredrik, third in line. 

The yellow and blue dress is the National "Sverige" dress. The black and red one is the local "Jarna" dress. 

The pole stays up all year. I wondered how they decorated it, but the pole is lashed to "flag stones" and can be lowered to remove the old garlands, and then raised with the new. As you see it takes a village. 

Then of course there is celebrating long into the night in the land of the almost midnight sun. 

It all makes me want to be there. 

I hope you are all enjoying your first day of summer. Happy Solstice!

A Good Weekend

 

By Saturday we stopped fretting as much about the old freezer. BTW, we recalculated that it was closer to 50 years old, and as of now is doing what it's supposed to be doing, freezing! I almost hate to part with it now, but the new one should arrive next Sunday. The new one will never last 50 years. I think they say 8 to 10 now. 

On Saturday we went into the city early for a 12:00 noon Sounders match. We played the team at the top of the league right now. It was an intense, well played match which ended in a draw, probably a worthy result but not one we liked much. 

Then we were off with Jill and Irene to attend another HS graduation party, this one in Olympia.  We arrived about 4:00, were well fed, and had good visits with my sister again, nephews and spouses, and people we were just meeting. The graduate, my grandnephew, was occupied with friends, but I "forced" him to land a minute while I interviewed him. I found out what his plans were and why he chose Montana as his university choice. Then I freed him to go to his friends. Sometimes you just have demand a bit. I think he actually liked that I was interested. 

On Sunday, Father's Day, Tom had a Zoom meeting in the morning and then he just wanted to work in his yard for the day. I eventually got my hour of PT done and then in the afternoon I worked in the yard too, getting another job crossed off my list. The weather is still cool, but has dried off, just right for working outside. 

In the evening we had a date. Jill was taking us to see Top Gun: Maverick at a theater with reserved seats that reclined. We were very comfy, and we loved the movie. All of the engines roaring and planes zooming about were great, kind of like Star Wars on Earth. They were actually in the North Cascades and flying out of the Naval Base on Whidbey Island for part of it. The plot was more mature and balanced than the first Top Gun movie, and I thought a more mature Tom Cruise was more handsome than that kid he was in the first one. Then we went out for dessert at Applebee's, since they stay open late on Sundays. Yum. It was a good Father's Day treat.

Now we are past mid day on Monday. The laundry and house work are done. We'll spend some time outside this afternoon, and get a few more projects crossed off the list. 

Life is good. 

Projects and Plans

 

On Wednesday Jill asked us if we wanted to see the new Top Gun movie. We do. She told us to watch the old one first and she would set something up. On Wednesday evening we watched the original Top Gun. By Thursday Jill had arranged for us along with her and Irene to see the new movie on Sunday evening in a theater with recliners. We'll go out for dessert afterwards. We all agreed  that was a better plan than cooking on Father's Day. 

I skipped Tuesday. I think we worked outside some that day. Then in the evening we rode the light rail to the stadium for a Sounders soccer match. We won! It's not easy for me to get around but we go early, eat there in the club section, and don't have many steps to our seats. I manage. I'll go as long as I can.  

We have had yard projects every day. On Wednesday We trimmed the plants on the wall along the driveway. It took about three hours, divided up between morning and afternoon. I used the electric hedge trimmer and did all of the trimming. Tom did the picking up and weed pulling. It looks tidy and that's another annual project done.

On Thursday it was time for me to defrost the old freezer in the garage while Tom went after binder weed along the fence row.  I got the freezer emptied, put in pans of hot water, and went to do my PT. An hour later the freezer was free of ice, and the process went smoothly until I turned the freezer back on. Oh no. Long story short, we got the freezer to work well enough to keep our food frozen, but in the mean time we were off to Lowes to order one of the few freezers they had in stock, which will be delivered in a week and a half. It was time for our 42 year old freezer to be retired. We just hope it has another 10 days left in it. 

Today, Friday, I went off to breakfast while To supervised the crew we hired to trim our holly hedge. Yes, we are old, and it was time to hire out some hard jobs. As I type now, Tom has just come in to get the check book. They are done already and it's only 1:00!

I did check in with them when I got home from breakfast. 

New freezers and yard help are expensive, but what a relief to be done with two annual jobs we no longer want to or are able to do ourselves. No more defrosting with a new freezer, and the hedge trimming will be hired out from now on. 

And of course I had to appreciate my garden while I was outside in the cool, gentle drizzle. 

Columbine plant themselves wherever they want. I guess these thought those fake flowers needed some competition. Accidental garden combinations are sometimes the best. 

The Luck of the Draw

New table flowers this morning. I have a lot of flowers in my garden but most are not good for cutting. I bought purple chrysanthemums at the grocery store and added Lady's Mantle from the garden. 

 It's high school graduation season and this June our families have a bunch of them. Fortunately we don't have to go to the graduation ceremonies, they are limited ticket only, but we do go to some of the parties. On Saturday we attended Sophie's party. She is the granddaughter of Tom's cousin Martha, and they are all part of the Whidbey Island "Phosie-Gertie" bunch. It was a mostly sunny day with mild temps and we sat outside and visited. We had a good time and the graduate and her family were very pleased that we showed up.

Showing up is important. When you get old it's easy to think HS graduation isn't a big deal, but then you remember back to your own and then your own kids, and you realize that it is a big milestone in one's life. 

On Sunday we attended my great nephew's grad party. The day was chilly and drizzly, but fortunately the two families  hosting had booked a lovely indoor/outdoor venue. Again we heard "I'm so glad you came!" Both parties involved quite a bit of driving, but as I said, showing up is important.

My niece Katie, the grad's mother , took photos.

The graduate Hans with his grandma Laurie, my sister.

Hans with us.

Isaac and Irene were there too for their cousin. That's Katie, taking the selfie. 

Jill wasn't there because she was up in the mountains. She was in charge of the "Experience Field Trip for the Mountaineers Alpine Scrambling Course." On Saturday, that warm, sunny day, Irene was with her and taking the course, which she passed. This event had been rained out the weekend before and the Saturday group lucked out this time. Jill joined the climb with Irene.

Yes, there are people just nearing the top. This is what "scrambling" looks like. It's not for the old or the faint of heart. The leaders got their students to the top.

Tom loved this pic of Jill helping the guys cross the swiftly flowing stream. 

I loved this photo of Jill and Irene at the top. They are mountain women!

Of course Sunday wasn't quite so pleasant. Irene came home to go to the party, but Jill had more students to guide. Even in the drizzle she had fun though. Mountaineers are tough. 

It's cloudy, chilly, and blustery today, but it's housework and laundry day so it's OK. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunnier and milder. We have a Sounders match at the stadium in the evening. Looks like we'll get the luck of the draw. 

June Things

 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..

Well, no kitties today. It's too wet.

But no need for warm woolen mittens either. It's a June rain. Although I'm hoping the weight of the steady rain and some wind forecast for later don't flatten my newly bloomed delphiniums and foxgloves.

June flowers. 

I took these photos this morning before the rain got heavy. I went out to get the newspaper and the mail and lingered. I was getting the mail in the morning because I was prevented from getting it yesterday evening. There was a fledgling crow on the driveway, not able to fly, just flutter, and when I tried to pass it it just kept running farther away. Meanwhile the crow parents were squawking and dive bombing me. I abandoned the mail getting. I hope the baby made it to safety. Baby birds - June things. 

Since we are inside today we are taking care of business. Tom has made calls to the lawn mower guy and the water system back flow inspector. I have returned a call to my neurosurgeon's office and scheduled a consultation appointment for August 17, the earliest available. So I'll just enjoy June and July and try to forget about it for now. Summer is to be enjoyed.

We have two high school graduation parties to attend this weekend and one next weekend. Two more just got cards and cash. Graduation - a June thing. 

We got lots of work done in the yard this week, mostly cleaning out early spring spent plants and bulbs, cleaning up for summer. The tulips are all gone. Hostas we planted last June are coming along, some faster that others. Transition gardening - a June thing. 

And the rain falls. Flowers abound. June has busted out all over. 

The Korean dogwood trees are blooming. 

Spanish lavender

Glass flowers filling in until the day lilies and clematis bloom. 

Roses growing and budding, and beginning to bloom.

The other Korean Dogwood. 

June Abundance!

I hope your June is being good to you too.