Today is our national day and it’s a holiday. We have actually not had a national day for especially long, before it was our Flag’s day. It has been a holiday for even a shorter time. None of us really cared but some in our parliament decided we should have it as a holiday and since we apparently can have too many holidays in this country they therefore removed another one. None of us liked that because the one they removed (Whit Monday) always came as the name says on a monday and we all got a long weekend.
Everyone, including the employers got a bit angry about that because June sixth can come on a weekend and therefore we would lose a day off, so the years when June sixth comes on a weekend we all get eight hours in our compensation bank that we can use whenever we want 🙂 The ones in our parliament should have seen that coming because Midsummer is no holiday here but few work because almost all of us get that day off with pay too 🙂
We really don’t know how to celebrate this day, it is either about a king being crowned, Gustav Vasa, a king who didn’t hesitate to slaughter people who had helped him just because they actually wanted what he had promised to give them and he got three sons all more or less insane who all became kings of Sweden for better or worse. The other reason is that we cot a new constitution this day 1809 I think it was. That is a good reason but it is sort of hard to say yippie about it 🙂 🙂
So most of us will just have a nice day off, especially since we’ll have mostly sunny weather today. It is a bit windy but I don’t mind especially since the forest flies have arrived. Still not too many but just as annoying as always 🙂 Some will go on a picnic, others to the countryside and others will mow their lawns,like I just heard a neighbor do. I mowed yesterday after work and I almost got it all mowed when the rain started to fall. I still have some to mow outside my garden so I might do that later today.
I have moved out almost all potted plants from my home, the last night with the risk of frost was the one we’ve just had and since it will be cloudy from tonight and onwards I doubt we’ll get any more frost until autumn arrives. I will repot some in bigger pots but mostly I’ll just relax today, tomorrow’s a working day so it’ll be an early night for me.
The Cottage by the Cranelake. Still We have hope. 
Hi Christer,
White skunk cabbage is very pretty. It looks like spathiphyllum. I checked out the yellow one, too.
I have lots of real skunk cabbage. Symplocarpus instead of Lysichiton. Much stinkier but much more interesting since it’s thermogenetic so more like a skunk than a plant. 🙂
I was reading the paragraph that started with having a nice day off with sunny weather but the forest flies were out. Then it said some would go on picnics or to the country. Well, yeah, I thought, flies usually go on picnics or to the country. Then I realized you were talking about people on holiday. 😀 It’s early, I need coffee. 😀
Here it is still raining or dripping. It goes back and forth. And it’s cold to boot. The dogs have had it. I put them outside for pee break and Piki Dog headed right under the arbor vitae, dug himself a cozy little depression in the fallen needles and curled up. The look he gave me clearly said he wasn’t participating in outdoor activities anymore.
How to celebrate Swedish National Day? I googled it. Yeah, Gustav Vasa was a tyrant. BUT, the more important thing is that, by his election as king, Sweden became an independent nation so that’s what you are celebrating, I guess. Have some prince sausages and pickles on knäckerbröd? Maybe stick a Swedish cocktail flag in the pickles. We would do that for 4th of July only it would be hot dogs in buns and an American cocktail flag. In the cocktails. 😀 😀 😀
Enjoy your day off.
LikeLike
Hi Caryn!
It is so I don’t mind it but since they say that the authorities take care of the nature reserve, instead of the previous land owners they really should take care of it and not let an unwanted plant spread all over the place. That never happened when the land was private owned 🙂 Your skunk cabbage is actually called Bear cabbage here 🙂 I wonder why because bears don’t smell bad from what I’ve heard 🙂
I guess bot humans and flies will go on picnic today 🙂 at least if the wind isn’t too strong as it is here. Still, as soon as one comes out of winds reach there they are those annoying forest flies.
Yes he is the founder of Sweden but we all always think Danes have a much better life and are so much happier than other people so 🙂 🙂 Too bad I don’t have any prince sausages at home, no pickles either to be honest 🙂 I do however have some beetroot salad so I can have that with ham on a sandwich instead 🙂 No Swedish cocktail flags either so You see how bewildered we are 🙂 I think that everyone who is at home today in this village has done some outdoor work. I’ve heard lots of lawnmowers (including my own) and someone has chopped wood I think 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
LikeLike
Loved your post…it’s kind of hard to say yippee about any government these days! Hope you have a good day.
LikeLike
Hi Sandy Keefe and welcome to my blog!
You are so right! Here we have a minority government who can’t do a thing unless they get some of the opposition to agree with them and they rarely manage that 🙂 🙂
Have a great day and welcome back 🙂
Christer.
LikeLike
Den där kaktusblomman var otroligt vacker, så en sån skulle passa mig perfekt. Dessutom; Glömma bort den över vintern och bara börja vattna lite på våren, passar mig perfekt! 🙂
Idag har jag “firat” med att klippa gräset eftersom det ska regna i ett par dagar och igår fick vi 9 mm, så det hade växt som ogräs. Eller rättare sagt, Bellisen hade växt så vi hade helt vita gräsmattor! 🙂 🙂 Rolle däremot fortsatte att rensa “stenhörnan” där man knappt såg stenarna längre – det var MASSOR av ogräs beroende på att jag inte gjort det nu i vår. Han gjorde 1/4 igår, plus 1/4 till idag. “Snart” är han klar….. 🙂 🙂 🙂
KRAM och TREVLIG NATIONALDAG
vi ska nog fira lite med grillade laxpaket och lite vin på altanen!
Susie
LikeLike
Hejsan Susie!
Visst är den fin! Men man skall akta sig för taggarna, de ser mest ut som fluff på kaktusen och är så små att de nästanm är omöjliga att få bort om de fastnar i en.
Jag klippte det sista av gräset idag av samma skäl. Det skulle bli alldeles för långt innan nästa gång och då skulle det ändå vara dyblött när jag klippte. Det blir ju samma väder här säger de. Dessutom har till och med jag rensat bort en del, mycket snärjmåra och gräs har växt upp i rabatterna och inemellan lite brännässlor så det svider lite i handflatorna nu 🙂
Inte illa av Rolle ändå med tanke på att han inte är sådär jätteförtjust i att göra det 🙂
Ha det gott!
Christer.
LikeLike
a day off is always a good thing! that skunk cabbage flower is pretty. we had skunk cabbage on our farm when i was little but i don’t remember it ever flowering. it is nice and cool here today but not for long. next week we are expecting almost 100 degrees. i will hate that!
LikeLike
Hi Joyce!
I agree 🙂 Any time away from that heat is a blessing 🙂
It is very pretty and spreads like wildfire 🙂 I guess that it once escaped from a garden and now we can see it everywhere 🙂
I would hate 100F too, I’ve never experienced such temperatures outside work and I don’t like it at work so I doubt that I would like it outside either! Now days I fully understand why You Americans have air conditioning everywhere 🙂
Have a great cool day!
Christer.
LikeLike
Christer,
Years ago many of our holidays were moved to Mondays so everyone has a long weekend. One of them, November 11, caused an uproar when changed as it was Armistice Day commemorating the end of the first world war: it was the 11th day of the 11th hour and the 11th month. It was decided to move it back to the actual day.
Saturday is when I can hear more lawn mowers. My landscaper does the whole neighborhood and they move from house to house. The grass has gotten pretty high from all the rain.
I thought it pretty funny that they had to figure out the reason for the holiday.
Have a great weekend.
LikeLike
Hi Kat!
I guess they think we have so much vacation here so no holidays are needed but they don’t seem to understand that both employers and employees actually do want them 🙂 I do understand why people didn’t think it was right to move Armistice Day, it sort of lose meaning if it is moved.
Most of us mow on Saturdays too but some seems to love to mow their lawns so much they can do it several times every week. I’m not one of them though 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
LikeLike