Weekly Photo Challenge: Treat

This week’s photo challenge is: Treat. Such an appropriate topic, because I planned to treat myself that very day! On Friday, Oct. 30, my husband and I went to the Lyric Opera in Chicago for the first time in a few years, to see Cinderella by Rossini. Afterward, we went to have dinner at the […]

My 5K, October 26, 2015

I joined Automattic’s Worldwide WP 5K 2015! I took a route I use often, which I know is a bit over 3 miles (5K). Here’s my story: It’s 4:30 on a late October afternoon – the perfect time to go for a walk on this beautiful fall day! The colors are gorgeous, further enhanced by […]

Sigtuna, Sweden: Runic stones, a church, and Lake Malaren

August 14, 2015 (continued): Sigtuna, Sweden Sigtuna, the oldest town in Sweden (founded 980 AD), is not far from the airport. It has a renowned boarding school and is often a destination for church retreats. The name of Sigtuna comes from an old English word for town (tuna), which was originally a Viking word. Its […]

Gamla Stan: Stockholm’s “most amazing” statue, old-fashioned “Big Brother” and leaning houses

August 14, 2015 – Stockholm, Sweden (Day 1) We met our guide, Britt, at our bus and proceeded to Gamla Stan, which means “Old Town” in Swedish, stopping briefly at a lookout point first, with a view of the harbor. Stockholm doesn’t get a lot of cargo ships (perhaps because there is a larger cargo […]

Photo Essay: October trees

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year! Lately the weather has been pleasant so I am taking advantage of it to take long walks. Today I took a variety of tree pictures, which I am sharing with you here. All the pictures were taken with my cell phone camera. Solo Duo Mini-duet in red […]

Porvoo, Finland

Aug. 13, 2015 Our last destination on this, our only day in Finland, was in Porvoo, a town of about 50,000 inhabitants. First we drove past a pretty cemetery, which our guide told us was a “hero cemetery” for those killed in wars – this well-maintained cemetery contained gravestones uniform in size and shape. Boxes […]

WPC: (Extra)ordinary – discoveries of ordinary life in Finland

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Extra) Ordinary: I like to notice small things or everyday things when I’m traveling that most people don’t notice in their quest to take a picture of that majestic cathedral or beautiful scenery. For example, in Porvoo, Finland (a town of about 50,000 inhabitants), we were walking on the main shopping street, […]

Finland: Savijarvi Farm

August 13, 2015 Savijarvi Farm We turned off the highway onto a windy, hilly road reminiscent of those in northern Wisconsin that lead from main highways to peaceful places among trees and lakes. This led us to Savijarvi Farm. On the farm, we were greeted by Agnetha (pronounced “Ahn-yeh-ta”), a white-haired, very slim elderly woman […]

Cee’s Share Your World Challenge

These are my answers to Cee’s “Share Your World” Challenge. (2015 Week 40) If you have been to a foreign country name those you have been to? Here’s a list of all the countries I’ve been to. The countries with an * next to them I have been to more than once. They are listed […]

Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries

THREE BOUNDARIES: In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Boundaries.” Kitty TV: On a snowy day in January, my cat, Hazel, gazes out into the white wilderness from a favorite window. Both the window and the icicles provide the boundaries which keep her inside, safe and warm from the cold winter outside, while […]