Frightening Days and Other Stuff

Ralle is on the mend! Bosse too.  We say Thank You to all those who have "helped us worry" all of you who sent good wishes, kept your fingers crossed, held your thumbs, talked to the Higher Power and all such.  After being CAT scanned, tested for cerebral damage, had his spinal fluid tested, anesthetized several times, poked, prodded and generally "tortured" several days in a row, spending nights in hospitals in both Helsingborg and Goteborg, scaring his "parents" half to death, we seem to be back on an even keel.  The veterinarians and David or I have still not figured out what caused his condition, but with talk of lose bone fragments and disc fractures, things did not look good there for a while. Now we know what it is NOT.  Maybe Ralle took a tumble and pulled a muscle in his neck and pinched a nerve. Maybe that is all it was.  That would be good news.

Ralle as well as Bosse received absolutely excellent care, at three different hospitals!  Are we ever glad we have had these guys insured, something we never did in America.  Must say we had moments when we wished we had Eileen closer though.

Helsingborg celebrated its 925th birthday last week.

200 years ago crown prince Karl August fell off his horse in Kvidinge, possibly poisoned.  Napoleon was in full out war in Europe.  One of his generals, Jean Bernadotte was chosen to become the adopted son of then king Karl XIII.  One can wonder how different Swedish history would be if Karl August had not died that day.  Making room for Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, who would be given the name Karl XIV Johan.  He arrived in Helsingborg in October 200 years ago.  Sweden has  had seven generations of Bernadottes on the throne since then, crown princess Victoria will be the eighth.

Johan Wissman a Swedish sprinter is back on the track after a period of rest due to an injury.  He ran a 200 meter race and a 400 meter race this last week end with times of  21,20 and 46,64 respectively. Ryan, our grandson,  can do better than that!  Go Ryan Go!!

There was a fascinating article in The Huffington Post yesterday regarding vitamin D3.  Few of us have enough vitamin D in our systems tests show.  It is a vitamin we do not easily get from food as we would have to ingest tons of salmon, take gallons of cod liver oil etc.  Read the article here, get some D3 and feel better!!!

We have received an Ordination Invitation to the Sacred Order of Deacons at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral by the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real.  Our friend Stephenie Rose is being ordained in early June.  Congratulations to her!  It should be a beautiful colorful event, with all the visiting clergy dressed in RED.

While David, in his spear time, ponders the question of "where does space and time come from?" along with Nathan Myhrvold a scientist who we just saw on a Charlie Rose program I try to keep up with the war on weeds!  About as interesting and fun as vacuuming!  You can see Nathan Myhrvoid here.  Very interesting.  About 50 minutes long.

Our son John called.  Had just returned from yet another business trip to Asia. Thailand one of the places he went, where the feeling of trouble was palpable. While he was here last summer he, Garrison and Kevin erected these stones at the edge of the grass.  I planted bulbs.  Today we so enjoy the flowers and remember their visit with such pleasure.

Ending with a verse enclosed in Stephenie's ordination invitation.  Beautiful words I thought.

"Hope is like a road in the country, where there never was a road, but when many people walked on it, the road came into existence."  by Lyn Yutang.