Midsommar

We set up a cross and decorated with flowers. We also tied small birch trees onto the entry way into the house. Midsommar welcomes summer and the sunshine. (It always rains and this year was no exception.)

 

Camilla spearheaded the gathering of flowers and we all made flower crowns. Here Yarrow and Julia put the finishing touches on their crowns.

Gustafsons celebrate midsummer at the cabin in Glava Glasbruk. The whole family eats together and most sleep over. It's crazier than when the whole family is at the Pichotta cabin!

The biggest flower Boy.

 

Glava Glasbruk hosts a midsommar celebration near the cabin. The maypole started in the 16th century and is modeled after the German celebration.

We started a short distance from the field and sang as children carried the two leaf entwined wreaths down to the field where the cross was waiting. After tying the wreathes on and standing the cross, we sang and danced some more.

Midsummer is an important holiday in Sweden. The towns shut down and everyone can be found in the country celebrating. The daytime celebration of dancing around the maypole is mostly celebrated by small children and their families. Numerous dances are held in the evening for the adults.

 

Julia wins at lottery! The money raised is used to support the restoration and operation of the old Glava Glasbruk glass factory museum .

Our midsummer celebration included the traditional new potatoes, sill (pickled fish) and schnapps. We also celebrated Karin's birthday.

We did a little hiking and swimming.

Noah, the littlest flower boy. But not for long! Patric and Anna announced that 5 will soon be 6. Made in the USA, (Florida) the newest little Gustafson is due in January. Whoopee!

Avslutningar : Endings

 

I am blogging at the beach, Kurt is off dragonflying and the girls are in the water.  The last two weeks have managed to wile themselves away without much to show for it.  A great deal of mental energy has gone into packing for home.  We have arrived at another ending; we will move out of our apartment on Saturday.   Sören will be moving in on Monday July 6th.  Yesterday we brought back Mia and Martins’s furniture and Thursday night we will be carting all of Jenny’s furniture over to storage.  Friday I clean and Saturday we move back into Camilla’s basement.  Right back where we started, full circle.  

Our endings began with a game at Lily’s school with her class and their parents.

 

Brännball at Gåteskolan with Lily's class.

 

Brännball reminds us a bit of whiffle ball, and could be played with the whiffle ball and bat. Typically the bat is flat like a cricket bat. There are four bases and different rules (you run the bases in the opposite direction!)

The rainy game ended with a picnic.

Lily’s class graduated at Parkhallen.  Gateskolan holds grades K-6, so the 6th graders were off to new schools.  Anna-Lena and Carolina have been with Lily’s class for three years so there was sadness in the goodbyes.  Anna-Lena will start with a new class of 1st graders next year. Anna and Patric are delighted that Simon will be in her class next year.  The two classes of third graders from Gateskolan combined with a 3rd grade class from another school to make three new 4th grade classes.

The two classrooms of third graders on stage at the Parkhallan.

Anna-Lena, Julia and Lily at the class meeting after the school graduation. The class parents arranged and bought the teachers a gift and ice cream for everyone

Yarrow’s school, Klässbols, had their school graduation at the church in the center of the town.  The students all walked in, led by several students playing the violin.  Many songs, a small sermon by a priest and a gathering of all staff in front for a thank you. Lars-Inge and Ulrika, founders and head of the school as well as famous celloists, performed and passed out roses to the 12th grade students.

Michela, Yarrow, Cecilia and Hannah outside of the church after the ceremony

 

My year 8 kids with Anna Pia, their mentor and teacher. They had an overnight together and were exhausted.

The girls from my year 9 class with Maude, the German teacher in the back. Nina, their teacher and mentor is not in the picture. The girls were sad as the 9th graders were all heading off into different directions, some to Karlstad to school. Only two 9th graders chose to continue on at Klässbols gymnasium (grades 10-12). I missed the boys, they had already scattered.

Klässbols treated all the staff to crayfish and bread, fruit and biscuits at Ollsons Brygga in Arvika. It was a good time. Mia and I were treated to flowers as we will not be at the school next year.

Graduation at the bigger schools, such as Solberga and Taserud, is different then at home.  Perhaps due to the lack of space, parents are not invited to the official graduation ceremony inside the school.   The students shake hands and exchange hugs with the teachers on their way out the door.  Parents and friends gather in the courtyard with flowers and signs, waiting for the students to be released from school.   A band plays, the students sing and then flood the courtyard looking for their family.   

Several weeks ago, Lily made hats, I made cupcakes and said goodbye to my Solberga students.

Graduation Day: The mass of parents. The students hung signs on the school, each line of study (technical, natural etc) with their own sign.

This sign says "Today we are drunk, tomorrow out of work. Another "We are not drunk, this is just a pollen allergy."

Therese, (center in hat) was in my class. Graduation was Thursday, and Friday was the prom. At prom, the guys wear a tie that matches the dress of their date. You had to be graduating in order to attend, no younger or older dates allowed. Promgoers met at the church and then all walked down to the Hotel together. The town gathers to watch them.

Starting a week before graduation, students decorated their cars with birch trees, wrote STUDENT on the side and started driving around town. The culmination of this was on Thursday night after graduation when they drive through town in the cars and in decorated tractors and old trucks. The town gathers in the square to wave and cheer.