Several readers guessed that Blix was supposed to be my mother' story.
I can tell you that my mother went to America. A new friend took my mother along to see a friend on Long Island. The name of this friend was Hilda and Hilda's home was in Viken.
Hilda was older than Blenda and had left Sweden late in the 1800 hundreds. But she was excited to meet another Viken-bo. And Hilda said, My brother is coming in a couple of weeks. Let me know how to reach you so you can come and meet him.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Remembering
Blix felt so lonely. She did not understand herself. She had been offered a great gift and she was not sure she could accept it. I think I will go down to the grave yard and see if I can somehow reach Mother's spirit. It always made her cry when she visited the grave site. It was dalways cold and stormy near the grave yard where her Mother and all other dead relatives were burried. There were grave markers from 1500, so she could not blame the situation on any living person. Probably, the early people who chose so foolishly were Danes during one of their captures of our province. They wanted their dead beloved to be as near Denmark as possible.
When she arrived at Mother's grave, she was thankful for the bench Father had placed directly behind the large grave stone of the adjoining space. It was a large expensive stone that was also a good wind breaker. She thought of her Mother and cried. She thought of the kitten she lost when she was little and cried. And then she sat up, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She would go to see the Blacksmith.
Malte's father had been sdo kind to her; He tried to save the kitten and when that failed he had burried the kitten out on the heath. Andd then he gave her work so she could repay him. She weeded and watered all the flowers in front of his house. And he always went next door to the bakery{the owners called it Konditory and got her a drink of water and a cakelet with whipped cream. It took her all summer to repay him and since then He was always very friendly when they met on the street' Since father retired and the family moved to Viken that happened quite often. Maybe he could help her decide.
When she arrived at Mother's grave, she was thankful for the bench Father had placed directly behind the large grave stone of the adjoining space. It was a large expensive stone that was also a good wind breaker. She thought of her Mother and cried. She thought of the kitten she lost when she was little and cried. And then she sat up, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She would go to see the Blacksmith.
Malte's father had been sdo kind to her; He tried to save the kitten and when that failed he had burried the kitten out on the heath. Andd then he gave her work so she could repay him. She weeded and watered all the flowers in front of his house. And he always went next door to the bakery{the owners called it Konditory and got her a drink of water and a cakelet with whipped cream. It took her all summer to repay him and since then He was always very friendly when they met on the street' Since father retired and the family moved to Viken that happened quite often. Maybe he could help her decide.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Should she?
Blix was not sure that she wanted to become an immigrant. She loved her Aunts who always were so kind and friendly when they came home for a visit. But on the other hand, they seemed a little odd when they spoke Swedish.
When her Uncle and Aunts had returned to Sweden in the past, their language was no longer really Swedish. Their consonants were so much heavier, the constant use of little American words, such as OK and YOU SEE, often mispronounced YA SEE became irritating.
Aunt Alma was the worst offender. She threw in You see every time she was trying to explain something and every other word was OK. If she left for America she would make a huge effort to to keep her English English and her Swedish Swedish.
Aunt Alma had false teeth and when she came to visit at supper time, she would join us at the table, but not to eat. Instead she would read the evening paper. Suddenly she would fall asleep and her head would roll back and her teeth would fall forward. And Mother would say, Why don't you go in and lie down on one the children's bed? And Aunt Alma would say, "I wasn't asleep, I was just closing my eyes!"
And then there was the smell. Would she have to smell of Moth balls? She owned several garments made of wool. An ankle long skirt and an ankle length overcoat. Both she had inherited from Ida when she gor too tall. And she knew that the weather in New York was too hot for using these clothes in the summer. And then they had to be packed away for the summer, and that must be when the moths created havoc with wool clothes.
Blix wished she could ask her Mother for advice.
When her Uncle and Aunts had returned to Sweden in the past, their language was no longer really Swedish. Their consonants were so much heavier, the constant use of little American words, such as OK and YOU SEE, often mispronounced YA SEE became irritating.
Aunt Alma was the worst offender. She threw in You see every time she was trying to explain something and every other word was OK. If she left for America she would make a huge effort to to keep her English English and her Swedish Swedish.
Aunt Alma had false teeth and when she came to visit at supper time, she would join us at the table, but not to eat. Instead she would read the evening paper. Suddenly she would fall asleep and her head would roll back and her teeth would fall forward. And Mother would say, Why don't you go in and lie down on one the children's bed? And Aunt Alma would say, "I wasn't asleep, I was just closing my eyes!"
And then there was the smell. Would she have to smell of Moth balls? She owned several garments made of wool. An ankle long skirt and an ankle length overcoat. Both she had inherited from Ida when she gor too tall. And she knew that the weather in New York was too hot for using these clothes in the summer. And then they had to be packed away for the summer, and that must be when the moths created havoc with wool clothes.
Blix wished she could ask her Mother for advice.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Blix's plan for her future
Blix was seventeen years old when her mother died. Everyone in the house missed her. It was such a surprise when it became evident how much of a peace maker the mother had been. Nils, the father,the teacher, the tyrant, no longer had anyone who could tame him. He suffered his loss in silence and if he cried. there was no evidence of it. Ida, the eldest child still at home, was his closest friend. I have to tell you Ida's sad story here.
When Ida was a late teenager, eighteen or nineteen, she and a young fisherman fell in love. Ida wanted to get married but her love had other plans. He wanted to go to America, to join the hordes of men who had gold fever. He bought her an engagement ring, swore her to remain virginal and sailed away. Ida's heart ached with longing and she searched for mail. She saved all his notes and they were a small raunchy mess. When he and Ida were both 51, he returned to Sweden, married her and they sailed for America. Colorado was going to be their new home, Ida was too old for child bearing. She was still a handsome woman. He was a wreck of his former self. He had built a house for them in Colorado. Ida had lost the dream man of her youth, she loved the ocean and she could no longer see any water. But she loved the view ov the mountains.
Now Nils had four of his children living in America. He had Blix to help him run the household and Olof who was still in school. Blix and her father seldom agreed on anything and when a letter arrived from Karin and dAlma telling her that she should begin thinking of going with them when they returned to New York. Blix saw an escape for her and agreed to the plan.
When Ida was a late teenager, eighteen or nineteen, she and a young fisherman fell in love. Ida wanted to get married but her love had other plans. He wanted to go to America, to join the hordes of men who had gold fever. He bought her an engagement ring, swore her to remain virginal and sailed away. Ida's heart ached with longing and she searched for mail. She saved all his notes and they were a small raunchy mess. When he and Ida were both 51, he returned to Sweden, married her and they sailed for America. Colorado was going to be their new home, Ida was too old for child bearing. She was still a handsome woman. He was a wreck of his former self. He had built a house for them in Colorado. Ida had lost the dream man of her youth, she loved the ocean and she could no longer see any water. But she loved the view ov the mountains.
Now Nils had four of his children living in America. He had Blix to help him run the household and Olof who was still in school. Blix and her father seldom agreed on anything and when a letter arrived from Karin and dAlma telling her that she should begin thinking of going with them when they returned to New York. Blix saw an escape for her and agreed to the plan.
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