A Visit from Family: Kosta Boda Glassworks

Our first stop in the kingdom of crystal was the Kosta Boda factory in Kosta, Sweden. We had arranged for a tour and a time to try our hands at glass-blowing. While we waited for the tour time, we explored the Exhibition Hall, a couple of rooms filled with all sorts of artistic glass pieces.



Detail of a glass hammock



Detail of another glass hammock



The glass hammocks.




Looking through another piece that reminded me of an eye.





A brilliant orange piece.




One of the fun glass violins.




Another fun violin. I really would love one of these.




A glass bird flying in a bottle.





The kids found their own entertainment picking flowers in the courtyard.



 The tour started by a lady explaining how glass is made, and what tools are used. I tried to follow what she was saying by keeping my youngest munchkin distracted with food. Of course, then my other munchkins decided they were hungry, too.

After learning about the process, we moved into the glass-making area. They were making some goblets that day, a process that combined hand-blowing and machinery.



The machine




A man about to blow the glass into a mold



A man working the first portion of glass for the goblets

These girls were making something else

When the tour was over, we took a break for a picnic lunch. Then we waited for our turn to blow glass.


My ticket to a unique experience



Of course, I didn't take any pictures of my blowing glass. Fortunately, my bro-in-law, Richard, took some shots.  Oh, what fun that was! They accidentally broke my first glass, so I had to blow another one. When I was done, I went outside to where Jaime was watching my kiddos.

They have a small playground at the Kosta factory, which is truly a blessing. My kids were happy, which made me happy.



H swinging.




K in the play fort




AJ hanging out in the play fort.




Edith taking H for a ride

 When everyone was done, we decided to head to the small cafe for some ice cream. Well, H doesn't like ice cream, so just K and AJ got some.

Two happy campers

 After shopping, we picked up our glasses. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to tell them apart, but once we opened them all, I realized that confusing them was impossible.



Our glasses. Clockwise from far left: Jaime, Ellie, me, Edith, Richard

After dinner, we decided to go for a walk to a nearby park. Jaime brought some leftover bread, and the kids enjoyed feeding the ducks and ducklings swimming around. They ran around the playground like they hadn't been outside in weeks. I was hoping it would help them fall asleep earlier, but I was mostly wrong. I guess it is always difficult to unwind in an unfamiliar place.

It was a busy, but wonderful day. Glassblowing was amazing, shopping was fun, and I have a unique souvenir to remind me of this experience.

A Visit from Family: Some down time

The day after H's birthday, we relaxed at home and participated in no planned activities. The kids really needed some down-time, and so did I. We played games, did puzzles, read books, and caught up on laundry.

The following day, we packed up our car and headed to church. Afterwards, we drove south toward the part of Sweden known as the "Kingdom of Crystal," named such for the plethora of glass factories located in that area of the country. Our hotel was almost deserted because of the holiday weekend, but we enjoyed the solitude as we ate our dinner that first night. Then, we went to bed to rest up for the following day's activities.

A Visit from Family: Midsommar and H's Second Birthday

Midsommar eve and H's birthday fell on the same day this year. This meant squeezing two very different activities into one day. In hindsight, perhaps I should have celebrated his birthday a day later.

The morning started out busy. I had baked the cake the night before, but I needed to get the icing made and the cakes decorated. H had chosen some car cakes, and I didn't have a lot of time. One nice thing about buttercream is that there are two beaters to lick when it is all done. H sure enjoyed his mid-morning snack.




H licking the icing off the beater.



Once the icing was made, I dyed it and started carving the cakes. I felt a little rushed, and it shows. I only finished one before it was time to leave, so stuck them in the fridge until later.

My wonderful sister and her daughters took charge of making our picnic lunch while I was busy with the cakes, so we all packed up around 11:30am and headed out to our final midsommar celebration while living in Sweden.

We arrived and set up our blankets and chairs, enjoying the rain-free weather. It was still a little chilly until the sun came out, but it was nice to sit outside in the fresh air. After we ate our lunch, we waited a little while  for them to start the dancing.



H relaxing in his chair.





Richard and Jaime enjoying their lunch



 Timo and Richard were good sports and documented the event on film while the rest of us danced all the fun dances. I had to interpret some of the directions so they would know what was going on, but it is easy to just watch what everyone else is doing and follow along. 

Edith, me, and K. AJ was between Edith and me, but he isn't really visible.



K and I dancing




Edith, Jaime, and I are all visible in this shot.




AJ, Edith, Jaime, and K




Jaime and K



After we danced around the Maypole, they had some people dressed in traditional costumes doing a variety of dances. Then, there were a couple of performances by kids. Finally, they called up all the kids who wanted to sing some traditional Swedish melodies. K and AJ were willing participants, and they sang with gusto.



Starting a dance with old farming implements



Another dance

The midsommar pole.



Edith and Jaime watching the performance



Ellie hanging out



They're still dancing



The cutest performers of all



My sweet kiddos



After the kids' performance, Timo took the kiddos home. I stayed with Jaime and family to look around the manor. I thought they were giving tours, but we found several locked doors and no tour guides. We decided to explore what we could before heading home.



A candle-making room



Some old looms



A sitting room.



A hall of sorts. The frescos on the wall are extremely faded, but the paint on the ceiling still offers an idea of what it once looked like.



Detail of the ceiling





The kitchen




A bedroom. The bed was extremely short, so I am not sure who would fit in it.




A sitting area




Informal dining room

 Once we left the manor, we hurried home so I could make dinner and finish the birthday cakes for my sweet H.


The final products -- very messy, but H was happy.



From the back.

My bro-in-law took some picture of H blowing out the candles and opening presents, but I didn't get any. We were filming while he took pictures. H was very happy with all his presents, and he loved his cake. A happy boy = a happy mama.

A Visit from Family: Closer to Home

After returning from Stockholm, we stayed closer to home to do some laundry, allow the kids some down time, and visit my wonderful hubby's workplace. We had arranged for a personal tour of the facilities, and we all enjoyed it.

While the parents were on the tour, the kids stayed home with their cousins and enjoyed some good old-fashioned play-time.



K and Ellie dancing



H playing his guitar