Now is the month of maying

Goodevening!!

This month holds so many different activities that I lost count before I even got halfway. If we turn just an inch outside our own sphere even more things take place.  The boats are starting to turn up along the italian coast again, due to the new treaty for refugees. This means that people are seeking other means to reach their goal; a hidingplace and a safehaven. A few days ago some hundred drowned again, before reaching the italian coast, so we are back to where we started. 

The most peculiar news we heard today was the symphonyorchestra that was seated in the amphitheatre of Palmyra, recently retrieved from the IS and saved for the afterworld. Only the orchestra was playing on the  same stage where several killings had taken place not so long ago. And only some hundred miles away from that orchestra ,bombs continued to fall over new hospitalwings and refugeecamps. This is indeed strange days we are facing.

Holding these troublesome events in mind and heart, along with the worries about Donald Trump and the partycongress taking place in North Korea, I will return to the brighter part of spring.

This wednesday was International Star Wars Day ( did you actually know we had one) and I got messages saying: May the force be with you.   Being a Mel Brooksfan, I sent instead to my daughter:

May the schwartz be with you ( Space Balls)

The pictures in my post today speak of the glorious and bright Valborg we celebrated. In Sweden we have this old tradition of celebrating Valborg, when sun is setting people gather round great fires and sing springsongs from older days. Our churchchoir sings on two different beaches, you can see the efforts being made to produce a good fire, without hedgehogs, old tires or spraycans exploding.

In one village the fire is lit on the beach, in the other its set out in the harbour, just a small one as you can see. This strange tradition seeks to bannish darkness and summon the light, we really were heathens up here . 

I added a short clip from Lund University where the famous studentsingers ( various ages, mind you) are welcomming spring, in a traditional fashion. We love choirs in Sweden!

This night the rest of the family is away for the Danceshow, this year its just the oldest dancing, otherwise both dance. Tomorrow it will be my turn if I can only get rid of this awful cough!!

The Danceshow is based on Alice in Wonderland this term, in december we had a wonderful show with the Gringe. Almost two hours with a coffeebreak. The danceleaders always have a good story and plenty of costumes to go with it. 

Here I sadly have to add: That menace of a cough actually grew worse and I missed the first danceshow in eight years!!!! OOH agony!!!

Yesterday we celebrated Christs Ascension. In our church we start early with chorals from the churchtower and then the service continues in the church.

Next weekend will be Pentecoast and we gather two choirs, more than 50 singers, and celebrate together with our neighbouring parish. On the eve before we have a peaceful and serene service in the churchyard, close to a place we refer to as Memory Grove, where there are no graves or markings on those who are buried there, just a well, a lawn, flowers and a large wooden cross. 

Oh yes, and we have the Eurovision song contest, far more holy to the average swede than ever so many pentecoastalgatherings.

The weekend after that we are setting sails for a weekendonourown!!!! Husbands 50th birthday present was never used and was about to expire so we booked a hotelroom, tickets for Billy Elliot and a lobbydinner to go with that.  I know some of you have seen the show and loved it and we've seen the film and loved it so......This will be the first time in years we do something like this!

And just a week later, I'll meet some of the people that was ordained for ministry as priest in our church, twenty years ago !! That event will have a post of its own.

Oh, month of maying, where merry lads are playing,,,,

The villagers are working hard to get the fire burning

while the ocean is rolling peacefully

and finally, at sunset, the fire is sparkling

In our village they set the fire at safe distance.....

The clear springskye gives a nice background to the giants reaching the heavens