The Lindahl News: Abroad Edition

It's 8:00 on a Tuesday morning and the SVF College Line is hopping on a coach bus for a day of six viewing and learning stops within 2 hours distance from the campus.  Lucky me to be able to join this group! Stop #1: Heda Medelina Kyrka The oldest parts of this medieval church were built in the early 1100s.  Late in the 13th century it was renovated.  Between 1855 and 1858, the church was enlarged. Today the church is still being used by its congregation. Also in this church:  its fine collection of wooden sculptures - the oldest being The Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven - being admired, still, after her 800 some years in existence.  It's possible this wooden Mary was in hiding in the 1500s after King Gustav Vasa removed the Catholic presence in Sweden. This tower is the oldest part of the building. Church interior #1   Church interior #2   Church interior #3 Here is the famous Heda Madonna: One last parting shot of ...

The Manuscript How I loved reading the Pippi Longstocking books as a girl!  She was a character like no one else I knew at the time...she lived by herself with a monkey and a horse, didn't choose to go to school, was a whiz at making pancakes, had a father who was away at sea, and had no  tolerance for silly rules and pompous people.  She lived next door to Tommy and Annika and rescued them from a life of boredom by her many antics and ideas. I sure would have liked to have been her neighbor, but she would have been my parent's nightmare. I think that might have been the author's intention...she wrote for kids, not their parents.  Over the weekend we visited Vimmerby, Sweden to check out the Astrid Lindgren (b. 1907, d. 2002) childhood home as well as the excellent museum at the same site. It was wonderful, informative and inspiring.   As much as I loved the work of this author, I confess to not knowing much of her personal life details...

It almost seems like apple trees - very full with apples - are in every yard in our neighborhood as well as in the countryside nearby. We were told there is an Apple Festival coming up soon in nearby Huskvarna, but NOT to go to it then as it's too crowded. (We are from Chicago and have seen our share of crowds and people, but advice is advice and we take it.) We didn't have an easy time finding this place due to some creative turns in the roads and our Swedish deciphering skills in need a bit of polish. A nice woman in a small grocery store pointed us in the right direction, and we set off again. (By the way, we have use of a vintage Volvo here and we are so grateful to have wheels.) It turns out this a well - known place with the locals, too. This was one busy shop and restaurant at their orchard site. Apples were for sale as well as rows and rows of cider and must.   What is must, you ask? It's freshly crushed juice that contains the sk...