Our new highway

I met this dinosaur when I went out to fetch wood. Our driveway needed face-lift (or should I say road-lift?) so I've asked this guy to come. My father and I used to fix it ourselves with a homebuilt roller, but it takes two to handle it so this was much more convenient.

before

after

I looked more picturesque before but I know that it won't take very long until it looks more inviting.

Today's window

Girl at the Piano, 1940, painting by Duncan Grant, 1885-1978

Today's window

The Kitchen, painting by Carl Larsson, 1853-1919

Today's window

La joie de vivre, 1887, painting by Ernst Josephson, (1851-1906)

Today's window

At the Window, 1872 painting by Winslow Homer, 1836-1910

A gorgeous day

Today's window

Melankoli, Laura painting by Edvard Munch, (1863-1944)

My darling is not only keeping me company in the garden — he is helping me! 000000
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I had planned to continue with the raspberry hedges today but realized that if I wanted more apples and pears I had to pick them today. And not only pick them I also had to take care of them, so I spent the afternoon slicing apples which now are drying.

Today's window

Mammas blomma (Mothers's Plant)

illustration by Einar Almgren.
From the songbook "Spela och sjung" from 1925

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Mammas blomma bor vid rutan, den skall dricka sol, minsann.

Solsken blir här ingen utan — fastän ingen är så grann.

Mammas blomma står och skiner, ingen blomma skiner så,

mot de finaste gardiner och en himmel sommarblå.

Today's window

Woman at a window c. 1912 painting by Vanessa Bell

Time to weave new curtains

Busy old fool, unruly sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run?
John Donne

I've washed the kitchen curtains many times — but this time the red yarn that has been exposed to the sun disappeared. I've been around long enough to know that it happens but I'm not happy about it.

When I started "Today's window" I knew that I had quite a few paintings and illustrations with windows — but I didn't know that I had so many. So I'll continue with this theme until I run out of windows.

Today's window

I gamla hemmet (In The Old Home) painting by Hanna Pauli, 1864-1940

A slooooooow day

Yesterday I weeded and trimmed a small part of the raspberry hedges. I meant to continue the work today but my body screamed and swore at me — obedient as I am I immediately abandoned the idea.
Unfortunately it is not only my body that is slow and stale today — my brain function (function?) like syrup that has been kept in the fridge. I read a page and wonder what I've read; I look at the screen and wonder what I'm supposed to do at the computer. After looking at several pages and staring at the screen for a while I put on a sweater and a jacket and a shawl and brought a blanket with me out on our tiny verandah.

Today's window

French Kitchen Interior painting by Asta Nørregaard, 1853-1933

Today's window

Suzanne och en ann' painting by Carl Larsson.

What a lovely bed

Maybe not so comfortable but I can't imagine anything more romantic than sleeping in a campanula.

Some brave plants are blooming for the second, or even third, time while most of them look as they are ready for winter. But I'm not ready for winter — not yet!

Found a few interesting books at Gutenberg. I couldn't resist "Up the Baltic or Young America in Norway, Sweden and Denmark" by William T. Adams (Oliver Optic) from 1875. And just back from my island cottage I simply had to look at "The Island House" by F. M Holmes. "Little Black Sambo" is a book I remember from my childhood — but the Swedish version had other illustrations and I think it disappeared from the shelves a few years after I read it as it was considered racist.

By now the sun had won over the clouds so I decided to store up on vitamin D and mow part of the lawns.

Dinner the day after a birthday often means yummy desserts — this year we had a chocolate pie with pears.

The main dish was as always on birthdays in our house raclette — and no leftovers unfortunately.

Today's window

The Maid in the Kitchen by Anna Ancher 1859-1935

Hugs

It's my mother's birthday.

Sending you plenty of hugs Barbro!

Today it also is two years since my father died.
How I miss not to be able to hug him.

Today's window

Young Woman Drawing, 1801 by Marie-Denise Villers

Resting

The trip home took more energy than I had — I'm not back to my normal level of dysfunction yet. Slightly Foxed (thank you Nan for writing about it on your blog!) waited at home — I'm looking forward to reading it when I'm more rested.

Today's window

Italian Village Hatters by P. S. Krøyer

Today's window

Ensam hemma (Alone at home), 1885 Maria Wiik 1853-1928

I can't find any information on-line in English about the Finnish painter Maria Wiik - but I'll keep looking.

A Little Window

“In good sooth, my masters this is no door, yet it is a little window that looketh upon a great world.”

From A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis StevensonI llustrator: Millicent Sowerby

ESCAPE

How simple life can be!

A cabin,

Mountains, afar and near,

A brook,

Deer, blowing at night.

Perchance,

Rain on the roof,

Then,The loved books,

A fire on the hearth,

And endless timeTo think.

How simple life is!
+++++++++++Jean M. Snyder

From If You're Going to Live in the Country by Thomas H. Ormsbee and Richmond HuntleyIllustrator: Frank Lieberman

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When looking through my Gutenberg files for more pictures of windows I found a book with the title "A Little Window" by Jean M. Snyder, of course it made me curious and I had to look at it even if I saw that it had no illustrations.
The taxi boat will pick us up at 10 tomorrow morning — we hope to arrive home between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, we have a little over 400 km to drive.