![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
min femte midsommar i Sverige
Jun. 22nd, 2015 07:28 amMidsummer is a huge holiday in Sweden, and, since midsommarafton (midsummer-eve) fell on a Friday this year that meant a long weekend, since that day is always off of work if you don't work in a field that means working on holidays is necessary.
Therefore our weekend started Thursday afternoon, when![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
linda_linsefors and her new boyfriend walked home with me from work to spend the afternoon and evening with us. They were in town visiting his family for the holiday, and took advantage of the opportunity to go through her Larp and SCA stuff, which has been in storage at our place since she moved to France, to find things they want for the Robin Hood themed larp taking place later this month. While she was here she mentioned wanting to make a better carrying bag for her pair of recorders, so she and lord_kjar then spent the evening making her a smaller version of the bag he carries his flute and recorders in. They managed to get it cut out and the machine stitching done that evening, leaving her some hours of hand-sewing left to do before it is completely ready to use (but she was able to put the recorders into the pockets to take home with her straight away).
linda_linsefors and M went back to his parent's place a bit before midnight and we got some sleep before getting up and putting on folk costumes for the midsommarafton dance performances. As always we first joined the members of Luleå Hembygdsgille for an early lunch at the gillestuga, and, as always, I ate only the salad, potatoes, cheese, and flat bread, while everyone else feasted on multiple types of fish (both fresh and pickled), meatballs, ham, and various vinegar-containing sauces. Sometimes it isn't easy being a fussy eater. However, when desert came out I ate way more than my fair share of fresh strawberries and cream, so I got my moneys worth out of my free lunch.
Then, as always,lord_kjar took off for the park in town to set up the sound system, and the rest of us went across the street to do the traditional raising of the leaf-and flower covered cross with rings dangling from the arms, all of the traditional songs and dances around that pole, followed by the more formal folk dance performance on the stage, before hopping into cars and heading to town to repeat it all at the other park. It was nice to have C along with us this year, because that meant that I had someone to pair up with for the several traditional around the pole dances that need a partner, and I didn't have to dance with a random child in the circle.
After all that one of C's friends came over for dinner with us before heading down to Piteå for her family's midsummer celebration that evening (and/or the next day, I wasn't clear on that point, just that she had to get on the road at 19:00).
Saturday we had a lazy day a home, including exchanging proper massages, on the table, with oil and everything. It has been too long since we made time for that, and with three people it means that 45 minutes is enough for two sets of hands to work on the full body before switching whose turn it is on the table.
Sunday, much to my delight, we finally managed to start on the earth cellar project! First we tested the new concrete drill we bought earlier this week (we had been using his dad's, but decided it is time to invest in our own). We drilled a line of holes along a large rock that was nicely rectangular on five of six sides, such that the holes define that missing flat side. Then started using the sledgehammer to tap the steel spikes into four of the eight holes, in hopes that would be enough to split the stone. They weren't, so resolved to head to the store to buy more spikes, but then C pointed out that since it was hot (19 C, or about 68 F) we should also go swimming.
The store in question is over near a nice sand beach on the Luleå river, so we packed swimming stuff, went to the store, where we ran into a couple SCA friends also doing summer projects that needed more supplies, and then off to the river. I can report that the water is cold. Because my swimsuit is a wet suit my legs and torso were fine, but it is a sleeveless model, so my arms were covered only with a wool shirt, and they were cold enough that I wasn't able to stay in very long, though longer thanlord_kjar and C, both of whom have only modern nearly-no-fabric swimsuits.
So after only an hour at the beach (and not much in the water) we returned home, where we split the rock into a nice, use-able rectangle, and moved a set of large rocks into place ready to concrete as soon as we go concrete shopping.
Todaylinda_linsefors is planning on coming back over, to finish looking through the larp stuff, and perhaps I will finish reading aloud to her the last few chapters of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
Therefore our weekend started Thursday afternoon, when
linda_linsefors and her new boyfriend walked home with me from work to spend the afternoon and evening with us. They were in town visiting his family for the holiday, and took advantage of the opportunity to go through her Larp and SCA stuff, which has been in storage at our place since she moved to France, to find things they want for the Robin Hood themed larp taking place later this month. While she was here she mentioned wanting to make a better carrying bag for her pair of recorders, so she and lord_kjar then spent the evening making her a smaller version of the bag he carries his flute and recorders in. They managed to get it cut out and the machine stitching done that evening, leaving her some hours of hand-sewing left to do before it is completely ready to use (but she was able to put the recorders into the pockets to take home with her straight away). linda_linsefors and M went back to his parent's place a bit before midnight and we got some sleep before getting up and putting on folk costumes for the midsommarafton dance performances. As always we first joined the members of Luleå Hembygdsgille for an early lunch at the gillestuga, and, as always, I ate only the salad, potatoes, cheese, and flat bread, while everyone else feasted on multiple types of fish (both fresh and pickled), meatballs, ham, and various vinegar-containing sauces. Sometimes it isn't easy being a fussy eater. However, when desert came out I ate way more than my fair share of fresh strawberries and cream, so I got my moneys worth out of my free lunch.Then, as always,
lord_kjar took off for the park in town to set up the sound system, and the rest of us went across the street to do the traditional raising of the leaf-and flower covered cross with rings dangling from the arms, all of the traditional songs and dances around that pole, followed by the more formal folk dance performance on the stage, before hopping into cars and heading to town to repeat it all at the other park. It was nice to have C along with us this year, because that meant that I had someone to pair up with for the several traditional around the pole dances that need a partner, and I didn't have to dance with a random child in the circle.After all that one of C's friends came over for dinner with us before heading down to Piteå for her family's midsummer celebration that evening (and/or the next day, I wasn't clear on that point, just that she had to get on the road at 19:00).
Saturday we had a lazy day a home, including exchanging proper massages, on the table, with oil and everything. It has been too long since we made time for that, and with three people it means that 45 minutes is enough for two sets of hands to work on the full body before switching whose turn it is on the table.
Sunday, much to my delight, we finally managed to start on the earth cellar project! First we tested the new concrete drill we bought earlier this week (we had been using his dad's, but decided it is time to invest in our own). We drilled a line of holes along a large rock that was nicely rectangular on five of six sides, such that the holes define that missing flat side. Then started using the sledgehammer to tap the steel spikes into four of the eight holes, in hopes that would be enough to split the stone. They weren't, so resolved to head to the store to buy more spikes, but then C pointed out that since it was hot (19 C, or about 68 F) we should also go swimming.
The store in question is over near a nice sand beach on the Luleå river, so we packed swimming stuff, went to the store, where we ran into a couple SCA friends also doing summer projects that needed more supplies, and then off to the river. I can report that the water is cold. Because my swimsuit is a wet suit my legs and torso were fine, but it is a sleeveless model, so my arms were covered only with a wool shirt, and they were cold enough that I wasn't able to stay in very long, though longer than
lord_kjar and C, both of whom have only modern nearly-no-fabric swimsuits.So after only an hour at the beach (and not much in the water) we returned home, where we split the rock into a nice, use-able rectangle, and moved a set of large rocks into place ready to concrete as soon as we go concrete shopping.
Today
linda_linsefors is planning on coming back over, to finish looking through the larp stuff, and perhaps I will finish reading aloud to her the last few chapters of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
