I am fascinated by the Swedish fäbod.

The best translation for a fäbod that I know is a summer pasture…

…but it’s more than just a pasture.

In the province of Dalarna, where Anna Lena came from, it wasn’t easy to eek out a living on the small farms.

Most of the farms were near small villages in the valleys.

In the summer, you couldn’t turn your animals out into the fields around the farm because you needed the grass to grow up so you could cut it for hay.  That way you’d have something to feed the animals in the winter.

So in the summer, the animals were taken high up into the forest to forage.

Each farm had grazing rights in certain areas of the forest.

Small cabins and barns were built and the old grandmas and young women would spend the summers there, tending to the cows and goats.

It was a big day in the spring when nearly the entire village would drive the animals up to the summer pastures.

The men helped ready things, then left the women there for the summer.

The work was hard, beginning at 4:00 in the morning.  The women milked the cows then let then out into the forests.  While the animals grazed, the women made cheese and butter.

In the evening they would bring the cows back in from the forest.  It was a big responsibility, and many things could go wrong.

My grandma always told me that her mother, Anna Lena, left Sweden because she didn’t like taking care of the cows.  The first time I visited relatives there in 1981, I told this story and they told me about the fäbods. Perhaps it was life at the fäbod that Anna Lena didn’t like.

The fäbod system died out decades ago, but some of the old buildings still exist in some areas.

This summer we were lucky enough to visit one near the village of Äppelbo.

Our host, John, told us that many of the old buildings were taken down in the 1930’s and the logs were sent to Stockholm to be used as firewood!

 

We fed the calves hard bread!  Who knew calves liked hard bread!?!

 

We also took turns blowing the horn to call the cows.

 

No cows came, but we all got some sound out of the horn!

 

It was a wonderful day.

About a year and a half ago I bought a signature quilt on Ebay.

I bought it because I was intrigued by the design–and I love signature quilts.

When I was trying to determine the block pattern I first saw the blue pinwheel in the design, but then the rest of the pattern didn’t really make sense

Finally I realized that it’s a variation of a Rail Fence with three rails sewn around a red center.

The seller knew nothing about the quilt.  She had purchased it at an estate sale in California.  I surmised it was a World War II raffle quilt—members of a group like a Ladies Air or Auxiliary solicited people to pay a dime or a quarter to have their name embroidered on the quilt, then the quilt was raffled off.  You could tell by the different writing that many women had participated in creating the embroidered blocks.

I felt so sad that I didn’t know where this quilt had been made.  BUT, here’s the best part of the story.  My friend Jodi was visiting and I showed her the quilt.  Like me, she loves history and quilts, and she’s a geneologist!  She asked if she could take the quilt home for a bit and do some research, perhaps discover where this quilt was from.

A few weeks later we met for lunch and so she could return the quilt.  Well, you’ll never believe this.  Not only did she find out where the quilt was from, she had found a book on the history of the area–Pulaski County, Illinois!  She presented me with the quilt and the book.  She had transcribed all the names–all 505 of them!  She had found references to several of the people from the quilt in the history book.  What a treasure.  My first thought was that I should see if there’s a historical museum in the county and send the quilt there, but I remember saying to Jodi, “I’d rather the quilt went to an individual who has a connection with this quilt.”  And that was the end of the story—for awhile.

                             Photo from Pleasant Home

Jodi blogged about the quilt and eventually that blog came to the attention of a someone in Pulaski County!  When he read the post, he saw the names of his maternal grandmother and grandfather, his mother, an uncle, a great aunt and uncle, a cousin of his mother’s and his great-grandmother in one of the photos!  What were the chances!?!  Oh, and are you ready for this?  He’s a quilt collector!  I knew this quilt had found it’s home.

Last week I sent it off and this quilt is now back where it belongs.

I was cleaning up some photo files today and came across these photos of my shop.  It was a fun trip down memory lane!

Inmarsspelen is a play that has been performed in Nås every summer since 1959.  It’s presented in a beautiful setting along the river.

It’s based on a true story and adapted from the book Jerusalem by Selma Lagerlöf.

The story focuses on Ingmar Ingmasson and the Ingmar farm.  The farm is one of the largest and most respected in the village.  There has always been an Ingmar Ingmarsson on the farm.  But young Ingmar wasn’t oldest enough to inherit the farm when his father died, so the farm has passed to his sister, Karin and her husband, Halvar.

Ingmar is in love with Gertrude, and he wants to buy the farm back.  Halvar agrees to sell the farm to him if he can earn the money, so he goes into the forest to start a sawmill to make the money he needs.

While he is gone a preacher comes to the village preaching fire and brimstone.  Many people in the village become followers of Helgum, including Halvar.

Karin isn’t convinced, but a strange affliction has caused her to lose her ability to walk, until one day when her little girl almost drops her doll into the well and and Karin runs to save her.  She converts after that.

Even Gertrude becomes a follower of Helgum.

One day Helgum says that the world will end and the only place that will be saved is Jerusalem.  He wants his followers to sell their farms and belongings and follow him to Jerusalem.  He asks them all to listen for the God to call them.

When Ingmar returns from the forest and learns that his brother-in-law is going to sell the farm before he has enough money, and the Gertrude is planning to go to Jerusalem, he is angry and heartbroken.

Eventually, Gertrude decides to stay with Ingmar and marry him, even though he won’t have the farm.

The farm goods are auctioned off and plans are made to sell the farm.

But Ingmar is approached by a wealthy merchant who says he would like to buy the Ingmar Farm and give it Ingmar as a betrothal gift–if he will marry his daughter.

Ingmar has a dilemma.  In the end, he chooses the farm and marries the merchant’s daughter.

Gertrude goes to Jerusalem.

Footnote: In 1896, 38 farmers sold their farms for a pittance and moved to Jerusalem and join the American Colony there.  Families and friends were torn apart.  They day they left the skies grew dark and thundered rolled across the heavens as their wagons rolled out of town. You can read more here.

Some photos were taken from the Ingmarsspelen website.

 

In Swedish travelogues, I often see images from Millesgården, the sculpture garden created by the artist Carl Milles.

This trip  it was a priority to see it.  Sven-Eric accompanied Bob and me on a beautiful, sunny day.

We wandered the terraced grounds, enjoying the statues.

The movement of the figures is amazing.

Many of them have their necks arched, which I found very interesting.

The self guided tour starts out on a terrace where the artist’s home sits.

There are many sculptures there, and fabulous views of that hint of more to come.

The lower terrace is the most amazing, with this large Poseidon statue.

And pedestals…

…with sprites playing instruments.

The delicate balance of the sculptures is incredible.

To me, the most fascinating is The Hand of God.

An amazing day.

Skansen is the fabulous historic outdoor museum in Stockholm.  When we were there in June, we happened into one of the old buildings where two women were making thin bread.

There were beautiful soft rounds of dough resting in the window.

The dough was first rolled with the grooved pin on the right then got a final pass with the nubby one.

Once it was rolled paper thin, it was lifted onto a “paddle.”

The baker used a soft brush to reposition the dough.

The oven was full of glowing coals.

It cooked in about 30 seconds!

The bread in the front of the basket is the finished thin bread.  It was quite tasty!

 

Bob and I returned to Sweden again this summer!  Instead of staying in Stockholm for our “city” part of the visit, we stayed about an hour away in Uppsala.

Two things dominate the skyline in Uppsala.  First is the cathedral with its twin spires.

The other is the Uppsala castle, perched high on a hill.

Uppsala is a charming city.

There are many flower lined bridges crossing the river that runs through the center of town.

I love the architecture, and how the river runs right through this building!

Uppsala is also home to one of Sweden’s major universities and medical school.  This anatomical theater was built in 1663.

Students stood in the tiered theater while a professor dissected a cadaver on the table!

This is one sign we always look for when we’re in Sweden.  It means bakery!

The pastries are amazing—as tasty as they are beautiful!

My favorite is the Princess Cake!

Every bakery makes them.

While green is traditional, you sometimes see blue and pink.

The strawberry whipped cream cakes are pretty wonderful, too.

Of course we always look for this guy, who advertises a brand of ice cream called GB Glace.

We visited a museum that had two of my favorite things—a kakelugn (ceramic stove) and…

…a Mora clock.

In the children’s area there were these cute embroideries.

 

In one of the shops I fell in love with this post box.  It reminds me of my Swedish birdhouse.

We went out to Gamla Uppsala, where there are Viking burial mounds and centuries old buildings.

Even here they are painted with the Falu Röd paint.

I love the log construction.

Sweet!  Don’t you love the sod roof?

The woven sides of this bed fascinated me.

The old stone church sits on a site where pagan sacrifices once took place!

The day we were there a christening or wedding was about to happen.  It would have been fun to crash the party, but I refrained!

Everything we heard and read recommended we take something called “The Golden Circle Tour” when we were in Iceland—so we did!  It was a great way to expose ourselves to the beautiful, natural wonders of the country.

You probably know that Iceland is a place of fire and ice.  There is a ton of geothermal activity on the island.

We had a darling guide who was very proud of her Viking roots!  She did a great job of sharing the natural history as well as the history of the settlement of Iceland.  Here we are at Pingvellir National Park.

Did you know that Iceland lies above the tectonic plates that separate North America and Europe?  AND, the movement of the plates is causing the land beneath Iceland to drift apart a few centimeters a year!?!  What you see below is one side of drift area.  The other side is a few kilometers away!  But, that natural gap you see here, is a very significant place.

The early Vikings gathered here once a year to meet and make laws—the first parliament of Iceland!  Those wanting to make speeches stood where our guide is standing, and everyone could hear as the sounds would echo off the natural stone walls of the place!

We walked through the park and enjoyed the beauty of the rough landscape.

Our next stop was Gullfoss—the Golden Waterfall.  Now, I have to tell you, I’ve been to some pretty windy places in my life, but this was by far the windiest!  It was an effort just to stay upright.  But, the falls was definitely worth it.  This is just a peek,  As you approach, it looks as though it disappears into the ground.

Here’s a broader view of the falls.  At one time there was a threat of turning the falls into a hydroelectric facility, but, luckily, that didn’t happen and now it is protected.

Skaholt was the seat of religion in Iceland for centuries.  There have been six churches on this site, the first built in 1056.  The current church dates from 1963.

It has beautiful stained glass windows and this Jesus mural behind the altar.

Geysir is the name of this geyser, and the origin of the word “geyser!”  It erupted three times in the short time we were there.

This last photo was just for fun.  One of my favorite children’s stories is The Old Woman and the Pig.  In it, she buys a pig and must cross a stile to get back home, but the pig won’t cross the stile.  She solicits help from a number of animals and objects, and as your reading, the sentences get longer and longer (similar to the House That Jack Built) ending with, …”doggy, doggy, bite piggy.  Piggy won’t go over the stile and I shan’t get home tonight!”  I love to recite it for my grandchildren, who, I’m sure, have no idea what a stile is!  Now I can show them.

 

So, if you want to know how the story ends, here it is!  “The cat started to chase the rat, the rat started to gnaw the rope, the rope started to hang the butcher, the butcher started to kill the ox, the ox started to drink the water, the water started to quench the fire, the fire started to burn the stick, the stick started to beat the doggy, the doggy bit the piggy, the piggy went over the stile and the old woman finally got home that night!

 

We recently flew Iceland Air to Sweden.  To break up the long flight, we decided to spend a few days in Iceland on our way.

We stayed in the capital, Reykjavik. The church, with its amazing architecture, dominated the downtown area.

The amazing architecture was replicated inside.

The pipe organ was incredible.

We went to the top and took in the view.  This part of Iceland was very flat, but it’s not all like that.

Just in front of the church is this statue of the famous viking, Leif Erikson.

We walked up and down the shopping street many times.  Our hotel was at one end and the harbor at the other.  This made me chuckle.

We enjoyed wonderful pastries every morning…

…and ate at “the most famous restaurant” in Reykjavik.

We were told over and over again that the most popular restaurant in town was this hot dog stand.  The menu simple–hot dogs and pop!

In the Icelandic Air flight magazine I read about a fun comedy show called How To Become Icelandic in Sixty inutes, so we decided to go.

It was very good, but best of all was that it was in Harpa, the wonderful new performing arts center.

The walls are all honeycombed glass.

We wandered all around…

…and marveled at the structure.

We really enjoyed our time in Reykjavik!

We’re recently started a new session of Secret Pal at our guild.  We’re into our second month and I’ve already gotten six blocks!

The blocks are sooooo charming!  And Sue is so industrious.

She spends a lot of time working on her needlework. I love that there’s a little bit of thread hanging loose!

But when Sue needs a break, you can see she takes her Anna Lena shopping bag and heads to the store!

The blocks are so beautifully done.  Thank you, Secret Pal!