No Cash

More snow! Not lot's, just enough to create a clean white landscape, powder the mill as if it is covered with sugar. The new snow creeks under your shoes and Ralle is in heaven. Rolls in it, eats it and just finds it delightful, just as Una and Rontu used to. The wind is still today and it is nice to not have those cold Siberian howling, screeching and ripping gusts. Minding the weather? What is it one can do, other than making sure you buckle your hat! And laugh! It does also make your senses more alive. You have great appreciation for the warmth indoors, that steaming cup of tea to wrap your hands around, the warm floors or a tub full of water to let yourself slide into. All that is somehow better when it is cold outside! So, since there is nothing one can do, since we have absolutely no control, it's good to make the best of it. It has been so cold in this region, long ago, that the water between Sweden and Denmark would freeze and you could walk from Helsingborg to Helsingor. Now that is COLD! Glad that was before my time!

On a totally different subject, we have been listening to the Bay Area news and understand that the banks are again hiking up fees and interest rates on credit cards, in the States. I can not but wonder what the difference is, or rather why the difference is so big, in regards to having a credit card there verses here? Using a credit card here is free of cost, no annual fee, no interest rate. Most people use the card that instantly takes funds out of your account like the debit cards in America. No one uses checks here, that is considered extremely old fashioned, funds and payments are made via the internet. The credit card is used for everything! No purchase is too small. One card, your banks card works anywhere, in any auto teller, at no cost! Withdraw cash, no cost and you get an accompanying statement for your last four or five transactions at no cost. Merchants prefer the use of credit cards, they then don't have to deal with so much cash, they gladly allow purchases "over" the amount, reducing the cash in their cash drawer. You can use your card to buy an ice cream cone or a hot dog, gas for your car and that ONE card

fits anyplace, anywhere. This rather than having a card for the Chevron Station, the Shell Station etc. etc..................So, I wonder.........what's the difference? Why do the American Banks and monetary institutions cost so much? And let us not talk about those bonuses for the bank presidents and those guys. It makes my hair stand up!