Here is a big thought with Jesus speaking:
If you forgive others.
God ( your heavenly Father) forgives you.
If you don’t forgive others.
God doesn’t forgive you.
Matthew 6 : 14,15. ( Sandy’s summary. It has to be done to live life well! How difficult for children, adults , countries!)
Looking through my photographs taken in Northern Norland, I was interested to notice quite a few public play areas for children. I will put the name of the town and what I appreciate.
Kalix
I was walking from one of these well-built to scale houses when a middle-aged couple spoke to me in Swedish. They could see I didn’t understand and switched to English.
” You can come and play here tomorrow. All the cars will be out!”
A carefully cared for area with so much to make a child feel in control of their world.
Gammelstads Kyrkstad
An area where parents could enter with their children if needed, but most were playing independently. They had times up when children could help prepare bread and food using traditional ovens. Everything was of a size for easy handling by a child. This was an upstairs and downstairs home from times past.
Lulea
A play area under a bird’s wing.
Lavanger
Visiting Lavanger in the rain and wind proved to be worth it as although the museum and small church houses were closed, the church was open.
The pleasure of restful green with the warmth of pinkish – brown carpets made the church so welcoming. Neatly to one side hidden at first from view is a children’s church area. Appealing in every way size, colour; bright red and green, clothes for dressing up as the clergy.
At the third set of doors, there were activity bags for during the service. They were marked with the appropriate age with the eldest 6-8.
Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. ( Sandy says if only we could more often see our work as play, there is so much fun.)
Now, two different thoughts:
Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.
Robert Fulghum
Children begin by loving their parents, after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them. (That last bit is really sad. Forgiveness gives so much freedom.)
Oscar Wilde
Umia
The luppins were new and budding in May,
but now going to seed from lower down to the top.
It is the first week in July.
These flowers are everywhere.
I will miss them.
Now look at these metal containers.
My friend who went for a lesson in street art tells me that this is very difficult.
I personally think this is really special:
look at the white outline of leaves and the movement of shapes.
Our designated parking spot was next to these two well covered containers, a peaceful pleasant parking for our night in Umea.
The opening of a university in 1965 transformed Umea into a city. It is Norrlands’ only university. There are 40,000 students and lecturers. The Bildmuseet on the Art’s campus is a showcase for international contemporary art and design. Unfortunately it was closed when we visited.
Besides the university ,Umia is well known for planting silver birch trees along its roads. It is said there are 3,000 birch trees lining the streets.
In 1888, there was a major fire, and a new city was built with broad roads and parks to prevent fires from spreading.
Here are two videos: one road with mature trees, the other young trees with a photograph of the river that we were backed up against in a designated free parking spot.
Good bye to lappland and Northern Sweden.
Thank you for being with us you are more than welcome to view our posts.
Our Earth is lovely.
Take care,
Sandy 🙂
Beautiful. So very different from our world. Seems so sort of safe and calm compared to our rather rough and sometimes scary world. Glad you’re having a good time there.
Yes, there is a quiet, ordered peace. They have very few people and a lot of open countryside with many trees!