Mitt Liv - Written from 2023,

For those who may be interested of the time I lived from 17 Dec 1940 in the USA and Sweden. These are my memories and some of my sisters, Shirley's and Nancy's, memories of my life.  By way of DNA testing my sisters and I are of 89% Swedish, 9% Finnish, and 2% other European genes.  I don't want to seem racist with these DNA percentages; I'm just stating facts,  Being Swedish is not necessarily something to be proud of because Sweden, when looking at its known history from about 750 A.D., has done many horrible things to its own people and other human beings all over the world. But Sweden has changed for the better and now I rather live here than in the USA:

th

This is an ongoing blogg, and I will continue to edit it and add additional information, I hope, for a long time to come! I am going to include many things that I hope are correct and not so embarassing, and yet are interesting.  But, it is difficult to write things about yourself that are only flattering (aggrandisement: bringing attention to my own importance), and not to write about things that I tried and failed.  My intent is just to leave a record of my life for future generations as I remembered it. For those who may think that my blogg is too boring or simplistic or too detailed or irrelevant, there just might be one thing that I've written that is of interest to you. I've written down things that I have been interested in. It is not meant to be intellectual or scientific or absolutely correct.
The Beginning:

I have done research on my ancestry beginning  

with my parents and going back in time.  I and Shirley have done DNA Testing and have confirmed that our families history goes back to an ancestor who lived during Gustaf Vasa's reign when he ruled Sweden from 1523 (500 years ago) to his death in 1560. Just to set the record straight, only about the last 210 years (when Sweden has not been at war) have we set a new standard for a peaceful civilization. Even after Gustaf Vasa's time for 300 years Sweden was in turmoil with wars and kings killing leaders of uprisings in both Småland and Dalarna. The beginning of our civilized country is celebrated when Gustav Vasa was elected king on 6 Jun 1523 and when Sweden seceded from the Kalmar Union. When Gustav Vasa was crowned king of Sweden the Kalmar Union was finished.  The Kalmar Union was a personal union of the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden and Norway that agreed at Kalmar in 1397. There were many uprisings against the Danish king and the beginning of the end of the Union was when Christian II invited guests, including Erik Johansson Vasa (Gustav Vasa's father), to his crowning in 1520 at Stockholm's Tre Kronor castle and promising amnesty. He then arrested and killed 100 of them including his father in three days in the Stockholm Bloodbath. Gustav Vasa (Eriksson, 1496 - 1560) suspected trickery and traveled on skis 90 kilometers in Dalarna from Mora to Sälen to gather recruits for an army opposing Christian II. 

My ancestors:

The reason for this story is that I am the end of the line for our original Scandinavian lineage.  Both of my sons, Erik and Stefan, have a Finnish mother, but Stefan has recently married an American and Erik has chosen not to marry a woman.  Interesting enough, Pirkko, my wife, had a Finnish/Swedish farfar and farmor (paternal grandparents) and were married in Virginia.  Nancy and Shirley married Americans.  I have done research via ancestry.com since 2009.  What is remarkable and incredible is how I discovered a connection to my father's real father. My dad knew that his father's name was Gustaf/Gustave Modin/Modine/Modeen. My father was born in 1905 in a "soldatorp" (soldier's stuga) in the countryside at Tingby near Tomtebyholm on the road between Smedby and Trekanten near the highway between Kalmar and Nybro. The place was called Skruvslätt of which earlier consisted of 3 houses. His house was built about 1850 by his grandmother's (Anna Sofia Danielsdotter born 1853 and died 1947) father. Her parents were Daniel (Snurbocka) Pehrsson/Petersson and Johanna Jönsdotter. The stuga had 2 rooms, one room with an open fire-place and a kitchen with an iron stove. Anna Sofia's father was a reserved soldier. After my father was born, his mother, Ida Mathilda Johansson (born 1882 and died 1966), had an ongoing relationship with Gustaf and he fathered my dad's brother, Karl Sture Hjalmar, 1907.  This relationship would not have been known if a friend of mine, Gerd Celsing, from Stockholm had not stumbled upon a old church cemetery, Mortorp, very near Kalmar, where she found the Modin family gravesite. That summer, 2009, I came to Sweden and we researched the Modin family further at the Emigrants' House (Utvandrarnas Hus) in Växjö, Sverige, (Kronoberg län) where we discovered that Gustav Modine (Gustaf Modin) had emigrated with his sister, Sigrid, to Manchester, Connecticut, USA in 1907 abandoning Erik and Ida (pregnant with Karl Sture Hjalmar). 

Both Anna Sofia and her daughter Ida Mathilda had tough lives without much help from their men. Of Anna Sofia's man whose name was Johan, I have no record. Ann Sofia had to survive on her own and was well known in the area. She was known as Risfia because she hand made chopped spruce twigs by fastening them together to make whisks and brooms. In the summer she picked berries including the well known wild strawberries and blue berries. On Saturdays in winter and summer she would load a cart with the whisks and brooms and pull it 10 kilometer to sell on the market square in Kalmar. On Wednesdays in the summer she would take the berries into Kalmar in baskets that hung from her shoulders in front and in back. It took about 2 1/2 hours each way by foot. Her daughter (my dad's mother) Ida Mathilda also worked hard to survive. She had a laundry facility without machinery or electricity at home and would wash blankets for a few women in Kalmar. Each week she would take a horse load of white wash from and back to Kalmar. This information came from a book "By och bygd i Dörby-Kläckeberga" authored by Gunnar E. Franzen in1977. I also borrowedinformation from Axel's daughter's, Lotti, memoir "Om mitt liv", written beginning 2001 and revised about 2020.

At the time Erik and his brothers, Hjälmar and Gunnar, lived at Skruvslätt, Karl (Kalle) Rosenqvist from Ljungby would come and go even though he was married to another women. It is assumed that he was father to Rut, born in 1914, who took his name Rosenqvist. Also he was the father to Greta Rosenqvist born in 1916 when he finally married Ida. Later he was the father to Sven born 1920 and Axel born 1925.

My dad had another brother, Gunnar (born in 1909) whose father is unknown; Gunnar moved to Stockholm as a young man and worked with an oil and coal importing firm.  We can not criticize Ida for having children to men outside of marriage because this was very common when men  controlled women's fate.

Recent Arrival:

Since coming to Sweden and planning on staying here for the rest of my life, a few Swedes have asked me what the "American Dream" is or was.  Living in USA as a typical American, I never thought much about the "dream". I was just living a normal life; but, perhaps my family, also, was part of the "dream" that many foreigners think is possible in the USA. My dad and mom came to USA, perhaps, hoping for a better life. My parents formal education ended when they were 14, and I don't think they thought much of getting a more advanced education. I'm not sure how the job situation was in the 1920's in Sweden, but I'm sure that they thought they could have a better secure work situation in America. I believe that perhaps my sisters and I are also part of the "dream". I'm not sure, but I believe that Nancy, being the oldest, was the first of all the relatives on both dad's side and mom's side to get a University degree in 1963.

Dad's Arrival: 

My earliest memories are few and far between.  But, I was the second born of my parents, Erik Gösta Johansson and Eva Sofia Johansson (incidently, they had the same family name); I have two sisters: Nancy Marie (b. 1938) and Shirley Ann (b. 1942).  My dad traveled to USA in April 1930 from Tingby (near the village church of Dörby which is near Kalmar) to Gary, Indiana where he lived with a Swedish family who originally lived near Kalmar.  At this time, the Great Depression started and their was very little work available.  So my dad walked the streets in Gary until he was able to get a job in the blacksmith shop of the United Steel Works in Gary.  My dad was a skilled carpenter and had worked in Sweden for many years, but there was no building going on until 1932 when President Franklin Roosevelt created work to bring back a strong economy.

My Mom and Grandmother (Mormor):

He met my mom at a Swedish Club on the Southside of Chicago.  After her two sisters, Sara and Svea, went to work in the USA she also emigrated in 1927 with her cousin  to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then Chicago.  She worked as a house maid for various wealthy families.  My parents were married in Chicago's City Hall in 1936, and her parents came all the way from Sweden to the wedding. I was born in December 1940 before the USA entered WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Mom actually went back to Sweden in 1932 to visit her parents.

Mormor and morfar actually came to our parents wedding in 1936 and I have photos of my parents in a wedding studio. Also I have a photo of the wedding guests outside Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park on the lakeside. My mormor, Kristina W(V)ilhelmina, came again to the United States after her husband died in 1947, but stayed only a short time. She stayed at her home in Kvarnsveden/Borlänge until after our visit in 1956. Sometime thereafter, she moved  to USA and stayed at the homes of her three daughters (Sara, Svea, and Eva) for intervals of about 4 months, each. My dad, being a skilled carpenter, actually made a loom (vävstol) for weaving/making rag rugs (trasmattor) that my mormor, used quite often.  I believe he sent  for plans and construction details on how to built it. He was also able to get various metal parts from places in the states. I'm sure that my mormor also had experience and knowledge of the construction. So the two of them were able to design and build it. They placed it in the basement of our house which we built in 1955/1956 where my dad also built a floor to ceiling, vertical, revolving threading frame for the loom. When my parents moved to their retirement home in Chesterton, Indiana, I designed a space where my mother could weave on the loom. On mormors 90th birthday (1961) we had a family reunion at Svea's house in Poland, Ohio, where we had a family photo taken. She died in 1969 at Svea's house.

Early Memories:

I don't remember anything about those days and the war was over in 1945.  Shirley remembers a day when she was probably 4 years old. Nancy and I were in school and Shirley was home alone with mormor.  My mother had to take a bus downtown and when she left Shirley cried until mormor pointed to her fingernails. Then Shirley understood immediately and painted 88 year old mormor's fingernails bright pink; this calmed down Shirley.

Memories I have was when I had to start Kindergarten in September 1945 when I was only 4 years and 9 months old which was way to young to start school; so it was very traumatic for me. In the USA everyone started school in the year when they were 5; since I was born in December I was always the youngest in my class. In those days there was no pre-school or day-care experience for children to get comfortable with other children.  The age discrepancy was a disadvantage for me in grammar school and after high school (gymnasium) when I was only 17. (In Sweden today, after gymnasium many students are 19.)  I and two of my closest friends from my neighborhood were considered average students; neither nerds nor athletes.  Two of us went on to college and our third friend went on to become an electrician in the steel industry South of Chicago. 

High School Days:

I had an excellent drafting (drawing with pencil, triangle, and t-square) instructor in high-school and I followed my older sister's lead in taking his course.  Her drawings were slightly better than mine.  But I did well and got an "A grade" each year which brought up my grade point average over the 4 years of high-school. This was my first introduction to architecture.  Another influence was my Dad who as a carpenter gave me an interest in building.  As a teenager I actually worked with him during my free time from school and summers as a carpenter apprentice.  I helped a little bit when he built 2 houses in the early 50's which he then sold. Later, I helped him build our family home in 1955. 

Nancy, too, was very interested in architecture and I followed her in taking drafting, and we both took it as an elective 4 years in high school. I thought she was better than me especially at free-hand drawing. She was the only girl in her drafting class in the last year of her high school. She also was good at math and science. What I didn't remember is that she was very good at math and actually did well in calculus in which I was poor. She graduated the second best, Salutatorian; and, I was only 13th in my Class.  Shirley also was Salutatorian of her class. Nancy also told me that she had to convince both of our parents that she wanted to go to college; at that time, it was more common for boys to go to college. In the end, she opted for a Bachelors Degree in Nursing which took 2 years of college + 3 years of in hospital training. She went to Augustana College in Rock Island, Il, and Augustana Hospital in Chicago. We were all proud of her graduating in 1961!

Shirley on the other hand went straight to college; first, one or two years at Indiana University, Gary branch. Then she went to the University of Indiana Campus in Bloomington, Indiana, and graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Education  in 1964.  Shirley told me that few kids at Tolleston High School went to college. Most of the boys went to work in the Gary steel mills and the girls worked in retail or as secretaries. Most of those jobs are fine except, today, they are few and far between in the "Rust Belt" of the USA. More of this later!

My drafting instructor brought my attention to a lecture by Frank Lloyd Wright which I attended at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago designed by Mies Van der Rohe.  Recently, when I "googled" Mies Van der Rohe on the internet I discovered that Wright had actually introduced van der Rohe as the new head of Architecture at the Institute in 1938.  They were two completely different architects.  Wright was a genius and original thinker who created unusual designs before the introduction of the computer. Mies was one of the founders of the International Style at the Bauhaus School in Germany that usually pared down designs, stripped them of all ornamentation down to basic geometric shapes. This lecture was my  first introduction to the real world of Architecture.   

University Training:

In college, students can specialize or get a general education. I, as a young immature boy, had no real idea of what a building (other than a house) consisted of until I started architectural school but at least I had a goal. As a architect one has to have curiosity and an interest in mathematics, physics, and technology. This is where I had an above average interest.  I was not brilliant in mathematics, but I did like algebra, trigonometry, analytical geometry in both high-school and college.  But I stumbled when it came to calculus because it was theoretical and I barely passed.  Thinking that it may have been a bad teacher, I took the same course a second time, but I had the same poor results. At the same time I was struggling with physics and chemistry courses.  So I dropped out of architectural school and joined the US Navy. 

My Navy Education:

I thought that I could get more training as a draftsman.  Instead because I scored well on basic knowledge tests they sent me to an aviation electronics school where I learned about airborne radar systems. When enlisting in the US Navy the service period is 4 years. I made the best of it and actually moved up in rating to 2nd Class Petty Officer, E5. which is equivalent to a sergeant in the army.  Since I was an airman in the Navy, I worked on airborne radar in planes which flew off of aircraft carrier ships.  I also became an operator of the electronic search equipment on the twin engine propeller airplanes.  The plane seated four: a pilot, co-pilot, and two crewmen.  The plane was designed to search, track, and (in war) to bomb submarines. This was exciting, interesting work for a young man, and we traveled to interesting places on the Atlantic coast side.  When I was in the Navy from 1961 to 1965, I traveled to Montreal, Canada, New York City, Norfolk, Virginia, Key West, Florida, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Caribbean Islands, Panama, and Bermuda.  The best part of flying was the thrill of being catapulted off the carrier and captured by arresting cables while landing onto the carrier deck. I received an additional 75 dollars a month for this service.  Since luckily I served the entire 4 year service during the cold war period there was no hot war. The closest I came to a shooting war was during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1961 when we flew around the clock to blockade Russian ships from sailing to Cuba. In January 1965 when I got out of the Navy, I went back to architectural school and picked up where I left off. 

Finishing Architectural School:

I had earned two years credit at the University of Illinois in Chicago before enlisting in the US Navy. This time I was more mature at 24 years and ready to seriously study architecture as a real income earning career. I finished the school after 2 1/2 years and graduated in June 1967. Coincidentally in 1965 the Vietnam War erupted and the reserve forces were called up. Now, I was a veteran and had already served my military duty so there was no danger that I would be called up unless it was an extreme emergency.

First Work as an Architectural Apprentice:

After graduation I worked as an apprentice architect in a registered architect's office.  Graduate architects must work a minimum of 3 years in an office under an architect's supervision before one is eligible to even take the state architect's examination.  It is a very tough exam consisting of many disciplines: design, structural engineering knowledge, technical knowledge, office administration. I passed all sections on my second attempt and became a registered architect in the State of Illinois in March 1970. 

Architectural Career:

Thereafter, I worked in several small offices before finding my niche in a medium sized office: Loebl, Schlossman, and Hackl in 1977 where I worked under a partner who worked with hospitals in the Chicago area.  The partner was Jewish and he had several contacts with hospitals which had Jewish administrations. He and I got along fine and I worked with him for 3 years. At around that time, late 70's and early 80's, there was a great demand for suburban shopping centers (malls) and several architectural firms were commissioned to design and build mega-malls.  Because a good friend left L.S. & H. to work for a competitor firm, I decided to join him.  But after a few years the interest was over and the competition was fierce. So I decided to go back to L.S.H. because it had a more diverse clientele.  Housing projects, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, police stations, office towers were some of the projects that L.S.H. had designed. I stayed there over 30 years and I became an Associate Architect in the firm. 

Construction:

Finally, I ended my work career in the construction industry. In 2003 I starting working for Walsh Construction who built a major hospital, Cook County (Illinois), later named John H. Stroger Hospital which was designed by L.S.H.  During the construction process while still working with L.S.H. I was the Field Architect because I had an interest in construction details.  I got along well with Walsh and I was very helpful to them in interpreting the construction documents.  So when I quit L.S.H. I was hired immediately by Walsh and worked there for 8 years retiring in 2021 at the age if 70.

Purchasing My House:

When I turned 40, I decided that it was time to invest in my future. Most people after securing a stable job, finding a mate, getting married, building a good life together, and having children. Since I did not meet my soulmate until later, I had to do it alone.  So I borrowed $1,000 from a good friend of mine and with the few thousand dollars I had already saved bought an old 2-story frame (wood construction) house with 2 apartments in an upcoming (gentrificating) neighborhood of Chicago's Northside near Lake Michigan and Chicago Cubs baseball park.  I then started renovating the house.  I removed all the plaster and lath non-bearing partitions and added new partitions making larger rooms and extending the building to the rear with new construction where I added 2 kitchens and 2 dining areas.  My intention was to live in the upper unit which was larger and rent out the lower one-bedroom unit. This took about 20 years to accomplish, but the building increased in value over ten times.  

Marriage:

Meanwhile at age 43 I found what I believed was my soulmate, Pirkko Katarina Laitinen from Tampere, Finland, who was 35. We met when I was working in a small architectural office in 1983. Our secretary mentioned that her girl friend was Finnish; so naturally I was interested. The secretary and I had lunch together with Pirkko and this was the start of a long relationship. She was a dream that came true; Pirkko was a typical blond, blue-eyed, slim Scandinavian that I had been looking for almost all my life. We had two children, boys: Erik Petteri, born 1985,  and Stefan Topias, born 1988.  She died in 2006; we had 23 years together before she died from Lupus Erythematosus. Her ashes were buried at her parents gravesite in Tampere where I hope to be buried also. At Pirkko's remembrance ceremony at our Lutheran church in Chicago I gave a short talk about her life and two of her close friends sang the famous "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf who was Pirkko's favorite singer. 

But, life goes on for the living and for me it has been interesting. In 2011 on one of my semi-annual crossings of the Atlantic, I met Gunilla Margareta Rune, a twice divorced cute, calm, green eyed, dark haired, and non-typical looking, conservative lady from Lidingö (near Stockholm). She has DNA from Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Her father was a typical  Swede from Västra Götaland and Gävleborg län, and, her mother was from Göteborg with ancestors from Malmö, Skåne, and a male relative who had roots in Italy.  When we met at a cafe on 29 April 2011 on Dalagatan in Stockholm it was love at first sight.  In life, one is never sure how things will work out, but in our case we had very similar wants, wishes, desires. After meeting Gunilla, I got to know her 3 grown-up sons and former husband, Lars Rune.  I discovered that I was not an intrusion for the Rune family and that they accepted the present arrangement of me as the "significant other"; a harsh terminology in English, but simple "sambo" (living together) in Swedish. Lars Rune (Johan's, Erik's, and Magnus's father) and I get along fine and he is like a brother to me.  We meet often at Björnbo for the holidays and at birthday parties for their sons and children.  I have learned a social trait from Gunilla that is not common in the USA. In Sweden, after getting to know each other there is the usual hugging and kissing on the cheek when meeting the next time and when you part. I believe it is a form of "Swedish kindness" which is foreign to an American.  I not sure when or where it originated, but I don't think it was common in my parents generation,  Among young people in USA you see it  more often, today., but it was unknown when I grew up.  With Gunilla, it ("Swedish kindness") is genuine; we hug even when she leaves the apartment  to go shopping at the local grocery store and when she returns. 

Back to Discovering My Swedish Roots:

After Pirkko died and before meeting Gunilla, I met a nurse from Stockholm six months later and I thought we would be a match, but we did not love each other.  In the next 5 years I met several women in Chicago and even in Manchester, England, but none of these were lasting relationships. In year 2009,  I met Gerd Celsing another Swede, I thought that this relationship would work out. I'm very grateful to her, since she definitely helped me in finding my roots on my father's side. We researched together my dad's family in the Kalmar area of which I mentioned earlier. But even this relationship terminated. Things got much better after meeting Gunilla. I've had an interesting life, so far. I've had a long life and look to more years and future adventures with Gunilla. 

Building Projects: 

Kvegerö Bastu (Sauna):

After surviving the COVID pandemic of 2021 and 2022,  I concentrated on building a sauna (bastu) building at Gunilla's "fri-tids huset" in Kvegerö, southwest of Stockholm in Södermanland about an hour's drive from Lidingö.  Originally I wanted to build a glass roofed garden house (greenhouse, "växthus"), but Gunilla was not interested.  In Sweden, a green house makes a lot of sense because it extends the growing season which is very short. So she suggested  a sauna and I immediately jumped on the idea even though I did not have a clear idea of how to design and build it.  Luckily the Swedish Wood Association had a detailed pamphlet on just how to do so using modern construction techniques.  I had never designed nor built a sauna, but I was familiar with a couple of wood burning saunas at Pirkko's summer house in Finland and at the Rune summer home on Maderö in Stockholm's archipelago.  My idea was to have two major rooms: one being the sauna and the other being the undressing room with shelving and wood storage and a single sleeping space with storage above. Directly outside is a deck with a shower and sitting and sunning space.  We wanted the building to look about the same as the two existing buildings, the main 2-story house and the guest-house with work shop, on the site.  The construction is different than the so-called "Western Framing" which is typical of USA houses where you build a platform first and then build the exterior walls on the edge of the platform. In my design I placed the exterior walls outside the platform which is typical of curtain-wall construction on multistory buildings. The plan was based on a 1.2 meter (1200 millimeters) module which allowed for a 600 millimeter spacing of the skeletal system. So the interior base/footprint (plan) was 2400 m wide by 4800 m long. The saddle shaped roof was 1200 m high with a 12/12 pitch. The rafters were approximately 2000 m long. After the base was framed and the decking installed most all the elements were made using 2400 m framing studs and joists (reglar in Swedish). This standardization of elements reduced waste and made the project economical. Our sauna house has vertical Falu-red painted siding with white painted corner boards. The saddle-shaped roof has orange-red single kupiga (wave-shaped) terra-cotta roofing tiles. The "bastu" ceiling, walls, and floor is well insulated with 95 millmeters "stenull" (stone wool insulation) plus 25 millimeter air-space. The building is raised off the ground and wrapped with a plastic membrane wind-barrier over the wood roof, walls, and under the wood floor framing.  I also built a south-west facing deck to match the decks around the other buildings. Inside the sauna, I have built stepped "lavar" seating and the top level was wider so that one could lay down. The material is Asp and I bought 2 Asp headrests and 1 Asp back support. The walls and ceiling are finished with typical "bastu-paneling" of pine "tongue and groove". We have experimented with the "Harvia" wood burning stove and are satisfied. I usually start the fire 1 hour before we are ready to use the sauna/bastu. When the temperature reaches 60 degrees centigrade the sauna is ready and typically we can stay in it to 70 degrees warm.  The sauna temperature will hold steady even if no wood is added and no more water is tossed on the stones which are placed on top of the stove. 

Bastu Invigning (Inauguration): 

We inaugurated (invigt) the sauna on 2 Sep 2023 the day after Gunillas 78th birthday. All the Runes and their families were at the "invigning". And I gave a short invitation for all to use the sauna/bastu:  "Några av er har säkert hört mig sägg att jag har haft mycket tur att jag träffat Gunilla några år efter min fru dog.  Gunilla är en snäll och skicklig kvinna som alla förstår och uppskatta.  Så min  gåvå i år är min arbets kraft utan äganderätt för denna friggebbod och bastu med en utomhus dusch som familjen kan dela på.  Varsågod!" (Some of you have heard me say that I have been very lucky that I met Gunilla a few years after my wife died. Gunilla is a good and clever woman that we all know and appreciate.  So my birthday gift this year is my free labor without ownership for this small house with sauna and outside shower that the family can use.)  Everyone was happy with the finished product.  This fall (2023) we have "bastubad" (sauna bathe) at least 1 day every other weekend despite the cold snowy weather.  It took about 1 year to build mostly on 4 day weekends and the 2 months during the summer when we move to live there full-time. Gunilla and I have shared the cost of construction and my labor was my gift to her on her birthday; it cost about 175,000 SEK or +/- $16,000 to build. I don't want any compensation nor ownership; hopefully it will be used by the Rune family for many years to come.

Stefan's and Serena's Konst Etelje' (Art Studio): 

So after Stefan finished his Master's Degree in Art Design at Lennaeius University in Växjö. Kronoberg län, Sverige, in 2021-June. He got married to Serena "on-line" via a marriage judge in Chicago and they moved to Stockholm.  They then moved to a top floor apartment in 10-story condominium which has a vacant commercial space on the ground level which they also bought and want to convert to an artist studio/workshop/gallery/photo design area/graphics area. They asked me to help with the architectural design of the space and act as consultant. So from the first of January 2024, I've tried to help to keep the construction costs reasonable.  It has been a challenge so far, but it has been interesting.

Kvegerö:

I really enjoy the country house, year around; even though the conditions may not be up to modern amenities that we are used to having in the city like Chicago or Stockholm. The natural beauty of the Northern landscape with its woods and fields in the countryside of Södermanland which is typical over all of Sweden with its many lakes, rivers, rolling hills with many spruce, pine, birch, asp, and even oak trees. This is what makes it special for a city boy like me.

Travels Outside of Sweden:

Gunilla and I have traveled together to several interesting countries starting with St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2012 via boat, and train trough Finland and Western Russia.  Then in 2013 we took a long flight to Vietnam; then the Catskills and New York city in 2014, Berlin in 2015, San Francisco, Phoenix, Arizona, and  Vancouver, Canada in 2016, Venice/Verona, Italy in 2017, and London/Paris in 2019. Since the Covid Pendemic in 2020 - 2021, we have not traveled much except by car to Gunillas country house in Kvegerö.

My Health:

Like everyone the body seems to slow down as you age, and I noticed it more this past year. When working on the sauna, I typically worked only about 6 hours each day when I was in Kvegerö, but I was still tired. I ate well, but I still lost about 5 kilos (11 pounds) in weight. Also, I noticed my vision and peripheral was weaker and my strength was less. So, I had to be especially careful when working alone. But, in the end it was worth it, and I am quite satisfied with the result. 

On 13 Oct (Friday) 2023, I visited my urologist, 2 weeks after my last blood test; she told me that my PSA reading had gone up to 11 from 9.9 on my last test in February.  This put me on the borderline of Stage 2 Cancer.  I have been visiting the same urolgist since coming to Stockholm in 2012. About 6 years ago in 2018 I had my first Cath-Scan or MRI and a small cancer was detected in the prostate gland. It was very small, but definitely cancer. I like every other man over 60 has an enlarged prostate and I have to go up every night 3 or 4 times to urinate. Luckily the cancer grows very slowly and many men survive 10 to 20 years after detection.  Nothing much can be done except to exercise and eat healthy meals, reducing the amount of meat eaten. Fish and nuts are recommended plus brown bread, fruits, vegetables, and salads which the Björnbo dining room always has available. 

My first Urologist, Dr. Katarina Nelson, that I have had since arriving in Stockholm over 12 years ago has retired. So on12 March 2024; I went to visit my newest urologist, Dr. Rafaele Ahlman, at his office in Stockholm for an examination, and he felt that the small cancer is still in the prostate gland. On 4 April this year I had my third MRI to see if it has grown larger. Today, 15 May 2024, I got good news from my new urologist, Dr. Ahlman, the cancer has changed very little.  By comparing today's test of the prostate by physical and x-ray means with the earlier reports from 6 years ago (2018) when my PSA was about 5.5 and and 2 years ago (2022) when my PSA was about 11 when I had an x-ray (röntgen) and an MRI/magnetic resonance imaging examination  done respectively there was little change in the detected cancer even though the PSA is 16.

Other Early Memories:

I have more memories of my time as a young boy, but they are later as a teenager. My dad, of course, was an inspiration to me and I enjoyed working with him even though I could not accomplish much. We lived in a corner house at 10th Avenue and Baker Street in Gary, Indiana.  Even though Gary as a city was 50 years old and the streets were paved, not all the  lots had concrete curbs to control the rain water flow, and ours didn't. So my dad  built a wood curb form so that he could make his own concrete curbs to match the other curbs that were built.  Also, he self-built a couple of houses on our side street, Baker Street, adjacent to our address at 4330 W. 10th Avenue.  The two houses were around the corner on Baker Street. My dad bought the two adjacent lots and built the first house in 1951 and the second in 1953.  He built both by taking the summers off from his regular job working for housing contractors. He would frame up and enclose with wood roofing and sheathing and windows and a temporary entrance doors. Then finish the inside and outside during weekends. His income during that time was not until he sold the finished properties. I was too young to help, but I remember one of the hardest jobs that I did was removing the wood forms for the concrete sidewalks. Other work that I remember was stapling the exterior wall insulation and sweeping the floors. After those two houses were finished, My dad planned on building a new house for us. Our existing was a small one-story house with three bedrooms, but with a combined dining/kitchen area. After  those two houses on Baker Street were finished, my dad started planning a new house for our family. It was a large 2 story house with 3 bedrooms on a large 75 foot (23 meter) which was 2 blocks from our old house.

Planning a Trip to Sweden:

In 1955, I remember my parents planning on traveling back to Sweden to visit their mothers.  He said that if we were to go to Sweden, it should be soon before the kids start college. In those days only the wealthy would travel by airplane across the Atlantic. So the idea was to travel by automobile to New York and by ship to Sweden and by car to Borlänge, Stockholm and Kalmar. But the 1955 plan had to be cancelled because they applied to late and Swedish American Line (ship company) was fully booked; so the trip was planned for the summer of 1956.  Nancy graduated from Tolleston High School in June as a Salutatorian (2nd in her class); she was 18 in July.  I was 15 and 1/2, and Shirley was 14. Our trip started the 2nd week in June and we came back in the third week of August. It was a big sacrifice for dad because the busiest time for work was during the summer months. Even though my dad was a full time employed union carpenter his income did not allow us to save enough money for our planned trip to Sweden. I believe our "mormor" (mom's mother) loaned us money. Even though there was concern about the possibility of war with Russia and the escalating nuclear bomb threat, the war in Korea had reached an armistice in 1953; so he thought it was time to return to Sweden. The economy in the USA was strong and my dad was confident in future growth. For me and my sisters this trip was a "big event" in our lives. On the boat (ship), Shirley remembers meeting a girlfriend within 5 minutes on board and that they rode the elevator many times because there was a cute elevator operator controlling it. At age 15, I remember it well; It was an exciting venture for a boy. I remember the many sunny, warm days (especially when in the Gulf Stream) and the dolphins. On the return trip, I remember that my sisters and I were on the deck very excited on returning to NYC and our parents looking frantically for us because everyone had to gather together for a preview of our passports before customs. Our trip to Sweden was a return trip for my father after 26 years and for my mother, however it was not so long. She had returned  at least once after leaving 29 years ago. On our return trip after getting our car off the ship Nancy remembers that we stopped at a restaurant on the New Jersey Turnpike (express highway) and getting hamburgers which we missed while in Sweden. McDonalds had not arrived in Sweden yet. And Shirley was so glad to be back in the USA because she missed her friends so much while in Sweden. When we returned Nancy started school at Augustana College an expensive private Lutheran college. 

Our Car and the Ship:

We drove our 1949 Buick all the way from Gary, Indiana, to New York City, then from Göteborg to Borlänge and to Stockholm and to Kalmar and back to Göteborg and then from New York back to Gary.  That we were able to take our car to Europe via our ship, M.S. Kungsholm, was  a bit unusual for a middle-class family from mid-America.  But for the time, it was not unusual for shipping; the cars were loaded by crane into the storage holds and unloaded by crane after crossing the ocean.  I remember the huge rolling cranes on the docksides and very unusual for a landlocked boy from the Mid-West. The crossing took a week and for our family it was a luxury.  The ship was only 3 years old and built in Holland especially for the S.A.L. It had a a swimming pool and a movie theater and of course a dining room and an entertainment and dancing room and bars. I remember the wonderful meals and that we had our own waiter, who normally worked at Dagens Nyheter (The Day's News) and (I think) worked on the ship during the summer vacations. The ship had an outdoor promenade deck and seating areas and the usual shuffle board game area.  I remember seeing some good, first showing movies such as Giant with Rock Hudson, James Dean, and Elizabeth Taylor. That same summer there was a ship collision near New York City between the M.S. Stockholm (Kungsholm's sister ship) and Andrea Doria, an Italian passenger ship; the Andrea Doria sank, but 1660 passengers and crew of the 1706 were rescued. Before we crossed the Atlantic on the U.S. side we drove on the newly paved Federal Interstate Highway System which is made of concrete and the section from Chicago to New York City was one of the first sections built under the plan inaugurated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in June of 1956.  My dad actually worked on many of these concrete and steel bridges for the highway system. On the Swedish side there were few paved roads outside of the cities.  We drove our Buick with steering and driving controls on the left-side on roads with left-side right-of-way rules which was just the opposite side of driving in the U.S.A. Shirley remembers that Nancy sat in front on the passenger side to help my dad see the roadway. In Sweden the typical type of road was the Macadam design made-up of layers of crushed stone with a bituminous top binder. The total thickness is 20 cm (about 8 inches); the lowest layer is 8 cm of stones 7.5 cm (about 3 inches) in diameter and the top 5 cm layer was made of stones no larger then 2 cm (about 3/4 inches). The 9 meter wide road has a crown of 7.6 cm (about 3 inches at the center to insure rain runoff to ditches on the sides.  

Sweden:

We stayed in Borlänge about 5 weeks with our mormor who lived in Kvarnsveden, a suburb of Börlange; while there we became friends with a neighbor who just received a television. The neighbor had two boys one of which Nancy liked. I liked them because they had an air rifle and we would take turns shooting at birds. Nancy remembered that we would go down to a neighborhood grocery store to purchase milk every day where they would fill our metal pitcher. Also there, we visited a paper producing mill which used the logs which were transported down by floating on the Dalälven (river). I also remember going to Folketspark on the weekend evening where a dance band played. Another thing in which I thought was exciting were motorbikes (mopeds) and  I believe I went to a dirt track where they raced. My dad's mother (farmor) actually came up from Kalmar for a short stay to meet dad before we drove down to Småland. When we got to the Kalmar area we stayed with dad's sister Rut in a house in Trekanten, near Dörby church. There we met all of dad's brothers, sisters and their children; we also met one of his aunts and a one of his uncles. I remember going fishing on a small lake and catching a pike (gädda) in a very short time, and I was thrilled.

Carpentry:

My dad was a skilled and respected carpenter and had no problem getting hired by contractors who built housing, bridges, and industrial buildings. At that time there were no battery powered tools and very few electric powered tooIs. I remember when he bought the first electric powered circular saw and later an electric powered bench saw during the early 1950's.  I worked with him during summers first when I was only 16 years old before my senior year in high-school and before I enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  He was a carpenter foreman on a brick making factory and I was a carpenter apprentice getting a laborer's pay. The only experience I had was working with my dad on our family home in 1955. After graduating from high-school in June 1958, I went to college in Chicago to study architecture.  I was only 17 years old and very immature, but I started anyway and commuted daily on the South Shore Railway into the city for 2 years.  At first I did o.k.; but, as I mentioned earlier, I started doing poorly and I would have been put on probation the next semester, anyway; so I decided to join the U.S. Navy.

Maturity:

When I became aware of world events during the 1950's, 60's, 70's, 80's, I started to develop my own opinions and learn what I could and try to be openminded. As I mentioned earlier, I am not the smartest, but I can determine who is the smartest. But even the smartest are not always right. In the world of politics, I've seen this truth many times.  More about this later. I always considered myself as a "B" student. I'm open to learning more, but it has never been easy for me. For me, it has always been a way  of learning by "trial and error" and then "remembering".  Why is it that I bother with a blogg? It's just that when I am gone, you (whoever) will not have to ask why didn't I ask him?  By chance, I've  anticipated your questions.  Of course, there will always something that you wished you knew about my past and background that I failed to record. In the  past one had to rely on the written word, but since 1900 one has also audio recordings, radio, television, tape recording, film, computers, and smart phones. So, there are many sources that you can investigate to confirm or verify what I have written.

Religion:

As mentioned before, I have lived a relative long life and I have seen and experienced many changes, over time, that not all people living today have seen.  For those who are younger and who might read this history, the concept of religion may seem quaint.  But the history of the Lutheran church in Sweden over the last 500 years since Gustaf Vasa's time has changed dramatically. In 2000 the Swedish state (country of) separated from the Lutheran church.  All Swedes born before 2000 were automatically Lutheran after baptism and confirmation unless they chose to be excluded from the church.  Now only about 53% are members of the Lutheran church; the rest are members of small Christian sects or other religions, and 2% are Islam. And 38% have no religion. I cling to my Lutheran religion, but I am not a strong member because it is very hard to believe.  Some may say that I'm agnostic.  My dad was a true believer and my sisters and I were reared in a family that attended church regularly as long as we lived at home.  My sister was married in the chapel of Augustana's Lutheran Hospital in Chicago in 1963.  Shirley was married in a Catholic Church in Gary in 1964; and, I was married in the Old (wooden) Lutheran Church in the Center of Tampere (Tammerfors), Finland in 1984.  Finland being historically a part of Sweden is also a Lutheran country.  Erik and Stefan were baptised and confirmed in a Swedish/American church in Chicago. Gunilla and I seldom attend service; but we are not atheists and we recently went to a service at Lidingö's oldest Lutheran church celebrating the 400 year it was built in 1623 after the initiative of Svante Gustafsson Baner, a member of the king's council. Today, for many USA born young people, religion is not part of their lives.  

War History:

The last war in which Sweden was involved was the Swedish-Norwegian War of 1812/1814 which was about 210 years ago. The result was that Norway was forced into a union with Sweden.  This conclusion marked the beginning of Sweden's neutrality.  Neutrality has been the the government's policy during WW1 and WW2; but, this did not stop Sweden from trading iron ore and steel products with Germany during WW2.  Also, after joining the European Union in 1995, Sweden technically broke its neutrality status and has made several defense agreements with Finland, Norway, Denmark, and recently with the United States. One benefit of neutrality during WW2 was that it was a refuge for 70,000 Finnish children who were placed with Swedish families in Sweden. Pirkko, and her three brothers were born after the war; so they were not directly involved.  However, her father and his brother were fighting in the war from the beginning in 1939 to 1944. Also, Sweden was a refuge for many of the Danish Jews and many refugees escaping the Baltic countries. Sweden's neutrality will end, hopefully soon, when it becomes a member of NATO.  Finland became a member of NATO in April 2023. Now, in March 2024, the final two NATO countries, Turkey and Hungary have approved Sweden's entry into NATO and the Swedish flag was raised at NATO Headquarters ín Brussels, Belgium on 12 Mar 2024.

Socialism:

Now is the time to compare Sweden's Socialism with USA's Capitalism.  To me the biggest difference is higher taxes; but, what Swedes get more of is good free schools, free after school programs, long paid vacations, health care, child support, parent support with newborn children, unemployment support, low cost for cultural events (symphony concerts, ballet, theater), and even low cost for sporting events.  The modern social welfare system started in 1891 regulating and subsidizing sick benefits.  In 1913, the National Pension (retirement) Act provided security for the aged.  These systems were up-dated in 1935, 1956, and 1961. The Swedish healthcare system is financed through taxes and the entire population has equal access to public healthcare services.  The Swedish Social Insurance Agency gives the following benefits: monetary support for children to age 16, support for parents to stay home to care of newborns up to 480 days, housing allowance for those who can't afford housing, and, of course, support for those who are sick or handicapped and can't work, and monetary support for those unemployed, and for the pensioners (retirees).  When I compare the Swedish Social Security with the USA Social Security system, I see similarities. The income taxes are about 40% for middle-class Swedes and about 24% for Americans.  However, the benefits are much more and give Swedes more comfort and security. I think, the best thing about Sweden is the free education system from pre-school (at about age two) through the university level (at the average age of 23). One of the problems with the Swedish Welfare System is that the pension (retirement) and unemployment funds are low. Those retirees who who did not contribute more to their retirement or who do not have a supplementary private retirement fund or did not have a high income are struggling because of inflation. Also refugees who have arrived since 2015 have had a hard time finding work and can barely survive on government payments.

Swedish Culture:

Recently Sweden has become a multi-ethnic society.  Sweden prides itself on championing human rights and equality which is based on the  social welfare system.  Concepts such as "lagom" (the middle way) and modesty are the cornerstones of Swedish culture which is contrary to the "American" way where the "best way" and "pushing forward" beyond others is the standard. Because of seasonal extremes and differences in daylight Swedes tend to to appreciate nature and sunlight which is most noticeable in the summer.  Sweden's landscape is especially appreciated and accessible because of "all-mans-right" to walk on respectfully almost all private property to access fields, forests, lakes and beaches.

Historically, the country was homogeneous, but included other Nordic countries of similar ethnic composition of Norwegians, Danes and Finns. Recently, Sweden has accepted many newcomers of refugees and immigrants which has created a new national identity and now most Swedes view putting any member of society down as unacceptable.

The Swedish traditions that are still prevalent and were celebrated by my parents (immigrants to USA) and experienced by myself and my sisters are Lucia's day, Christmas, and Easter.  But in Sweden there are many more celebrations such as Midsummer, Kräftskiva (crayfish party). Other holiday traditions, especially for children because they usually get time-off from  school, are "Allhelgonsdag" (All Saints Day, first weekend in November), "Trettondagsafton", (the Friday, when the Three Wisemen arrived in Jerusalem after the birth of Christ), "Sportlov" (sport vacation),  "Påsklov" (Easter vacation), and "Höstlov" (fall vacation) which actually was the time of the potato harvest when families needed the help of children to dig-up the potatoes. Parents continue to appreciate these times-off from their regular work routines and many take advantage of this time to travel abroad. Another custom that is typically Swedish  is "Fika" where Swedes take a coffee break together in order to relax/socialize and converse with each other.

Etiquette (rules of social behavior) is very important in Swedish Society. Most important is personal space by avoiding too close to someone which I may have learned from my parents; as I mentioned earlier, this trait seems to have disappeared. To me hugging and kissing which is prevalent today seems like overkill. (Is this a modern concept?) I think that everyone you meet can't possibly be a close friend.  But other customs like removing your shoes while entering someone's house, being punctual, embracing "fika", and being environmentally conscious by conserving and recycling are very good.

Schooling in USA:

What seems to work in the USA is the incentive of home ownership through the banking system.  If you have a job, you can easily get money loans for education, after high-school (gymnasium), and loans (mortgages) to purchase housing. When you get a mortgage (money loan) you get a tax deduction from your income taxes.  I took advantage of a home mortgage with a fixed-rate interest payment on my house in Chicago and over the years I could re-finance (borrow more money) as long as the real estate increased in value. Because I purchased a property in a escalating neighborhood my house increased in value many times. When I sold my property I was able to pay-off my boys' university loans and my house mortgage loan. When Erik and Stefan followed me to Sweden and because they had dual citizenships (Finland/USA) they were able to get free Master Degree educations at universities in Sweden because Sweden is part of the European Union where schools are internationally connected and free. My situation was and is different. I did not have a lot of money remaining, after paying-off my loan debts, from the sale of my Chicago property; but, after arriving in Sweden and getting (permanent) resident status in August 2014, I had a safety net with access to the Swedish Welfare System. After obtaining Swedish Citizenship in 2017, I felt secure.  My income has has been a monthly Social Security retirement payment from the USA and private monetary benefits from a 401(k) private investment fund and a small Walsh Construction retirement fund.  These monetary benefits are taxed as income and I pay an annual Federal Income Tax to USA; I do not get a monetary benefit from Sweden and I pay no taxes to Sweden.

Politics:

Now, at the start of the new year, 2024, I must talk about one of the most notorious persons alive, Donald Trump, former President. This year's (2024) election for the USA Presidency will be watched by the whole world. The primary voting starting in Iowa in January and the national election in November will affect the direction of democracy in the future. I think this will be a determining year for the continuation of democracy in the USA and the European Union.  I've never been so worried about the outcome because there has never been a candidate like former President, Donald Trump. I've never hated anyone as much as Donald Trump because I know what he is and what he believes. He is the least qualified man to ever be President. That he became President in 2017 was the most shocking event to occur for many Americans and many Europeans. That he has so many followers besides his base including Republicans in Congress even worries Republicans. Liz Chaney/Dick Chaney (Liz, who led the the indictment committee of the House of Representatives in 2022) have now (as of 9 Sept) said they will vote for Kamala.  I think Trump represents the "dumbing down" of America and the loss of "moral standards".  What also worries me is that even college educated people voted for Trump in the last two Presidential Elections. The Democratic candidate, President Joe Biden/Kamala Harris, has to make people understand that he/she, Biden, knows the needs of working class people and wants of left leaning (progressive) people who believe that all civilian economic levels should have equal rights and represented in government. An example of what Biden tried to show that he understands was a non-sensible college loan forgiveness plan. What I can't understand is how a twice indicted (by the House of Representatives) President, insurrectionist, sexual offender, and corrupt business owner could still run for the leader of the most powerful country in the democratic world. Many of his "base" supporters are supposedly "religious righteous" believers or "right wing populists" and yet still support him. They believe that there is something evil about an elite person who has an education beyond high school. This indicates that they are hypocritical or stupid and don't know the difference between "right and wrong". Using the Swedish phrase they are "dum-i-huvud" which for Swedes these words are the same as a swear word and indicates stupidity.  I think and even his niece, a psychologist (Mary Trump), has said that he is a sociopath ("one who has disregard for others, a lack of empathy, and dishonest behavior"). I keep asking: how can anyone vote for such a person? Again, I think that the USA has lost its "moral compass" which maybe a part of the lack of education. Recently, a respected senator, Mitt Romney, was asked if he would vote for Trump and he said no; not because of his politics, but because of his lack of "character" (a collection of qualities, such as: moral or ethical strength, honesty). This is what every American should be asking; do they want someone without "character" to lead the nation of values that most every past President supported and respected. This is what every other knowledgeable person believes about USA and why they want to emigrate to the USA. There is a problem in America where we live under "Capitalism" and where money is the major factor that determines quality of life.  I believe that any able minded person should  be able to get an unbiased education beyond high-school ("gymnasium") in other adult education programs and not necessarily college level programs. I believe that knowledge is being stunted in America and many adults and young people give up and believe that there is no other way to better themselves. So they become frustrated and believe in Trump's demented reasoning that it is the immigrant who is creating their problem.

So now we have the Republican National Convention, 15 -18 July; just 2 days after the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He sustained a shot to his head hitting his ear just an inch from his brain which would have been fatal. At the convention his running mate, J. D. (James David) Vance, a 39 year old Republican Senator from Ohio was introduced. He is a former marine who came from a unstable family, but received a law degree from Yale University.  A few years ago, he was a "Never Trumper"; but, sensing the wind direction, became a "MAGA Trump follower". Nicki Haley also dropped her opposition to Trump and endorsed him. Now, on 21July 2024, President Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race (in the competition) for President of the United States and will retire on the 20th of January 2025. This opened the door for Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign and Biden immediately endorsed her for President in the election to be held on 5 November 2024. This was a complete surprise and many Democrats (I included) were relieved! She immediately got an additional 55 million dollars from supporters (I and Erik included) for her campaign. And now on Tuesday, 6 Aug, Kamala Harris chose Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota to be her Vice President running mate. More; this week, 19 Aug to 22 Aug, in Chicago is the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris was nominated as the Democratic candidate for USA President and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the Vice President candidate. The next major event is the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on 10 Sep 2024.. The debate went well for Harris; she was not intimidated by Trump and she clearly won the debate while Trump  lied and was so flustered. Then on 2 October, J.D.Vance debated with Tim Walz and again the Democratic canditate for Vice President, Tim Walz scored more points than Vance. Vance would not admit that Trump lost the last campaign for President and that Trump was responsible for inciting the mob that stormed the U:S. capitol on 6 January 2020, two weeks before the inauguration of President Biden. Now it is 6 October 2024, 30 days before the next Presidential election.  1 week before the vote count begins in the most important election day, 5 Nov 2024, of my time: Harris vs Trump! Now, it is one week since the defeat of Kamala, and  I am just getting over the shock.

Israel:

This past month, April 2024, I have read Ilan Pappe's book "Ten Myths about Israel" (2017) which has cleared up my understanding of the politics of Israel. What is surprising to me and to probably USA's Presidents and politicians for the past 75 years is our miss-understanding of Israel. Ilan Pappe was born in Haifa (1954) and is a professor at the University of Exeter, England. He has written 6 books about Israel including this one; the others: "The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian Dynasty" (2017), "The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine" (2015), "Israel and South Africa: The Many Faces of Apartheid" (2015), "The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict" (2015), "The Idea of Israel"(2014). The book "Ten Myths:"  describes all the things that went wrong with the beginning of the nation in 1948. He clearly researched and explained all the untruths; so, its a wonder that after the past 7 years we still support Israel. The current Israel/Palestine war is a result of Palestine's hatred/frustration of Israel and the world's misunderstanding. Things which I learned is that prior to 1948, there was no Israel. The idea of a homeland for Jews came from the "Zionist Movement" and a promise in 1917 of the "Balfour Declaration", of Great Britain, which had control of the Palestine area after WW1, to create a Jewish homeland.  

The population in 1948 was: Palestinians, 1.400 million and Jews, 630,000; today, 2024, the population of Israel is about 9.3 million, 6.1 million being Jewish. But the land control today is only about 20% for Palestinians and 80% for Jews. Some Arabs and other ethnic groups are Israel citizens.

However, what I've learned is that from Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Jews have never accepted the idea of sharing the land with  the Palestinians. Whether stated or not the concept has always been one "large Israel" of Jews with a minority area for Palestinians. After the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan when Israel occupied the West Bank, Greater Jerusalem and Gaza and for 57 years it was hoped that Israel would withdraw from the occupied lands and settle for a two state solution of Palestine and Israel. However, it is now known that Israel has had no intention of giving up these conquered areas. 

Now, after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 Oct 2023 killing over 1,200 people Israel lead by Netanyahu has retaliated by attacking Gaza and over 40,000 Palestinians, and President Biden and Harris are trying to get a armistice (Cease Fire). After more than 11 months of war the fighting has not stopped

Tomorrow, 7 October, it will be 1 year after the Hamas invasion of Israel, and there is still no armistice in the battle between Israel and Hamas. And besides this Israel is fighting a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon which, this week, has been intensive and now Israel forces have invaded Lebanon.

More on Trump:

In this important Presidential Election Year, 2024, I have more thoughts. So after the 8th February review by the Supreme Court on whether the State of Colorado has the right to remove Donald Trump from their Presidential ballot, it seems as if Colorado has lost its decision.  The reason is that House of Representative's indictment where Trump was guilty of disrupting the finalization of the delegate votes of the 2020 Presidential election was never confirmed by the Senate. In the Senate, the members did not get the required 66% vote count. Even though it was determined by the majority that he definitely tried, the insurrection failed. So in other words its acceptable to try to overthrow democracy by violence (storming and breaking into the Capitol, beating the Capitol police, forcing the congressional members to leave the chamber and hide in a secure place, keeping the ballots safe) as long as you are unsuccessful. This attempted revolt is so much like all the successful historical revolts around the world. To not be punished is so unheard of in a democracy and should be shameful for all Americans.

But there are four (4) more indictments where he could be found guilty. They are: 1. the Federal Election Interference Case, 2. the Georgia Election Interference Case, 3. the Classified Documents Case, 4. the Hush Money Case. So, he can be determined and confirmed a criminal.  Since the Constitution does not deny a criminal to be President, it is possible for him to serve as President from a jail room. If you have any sense of rightness, it should not be acceptable for a criminal to serve as President. So for voters, there is still hope for trust in democracy for the United States. The best way to stop Trump is for President Biden/Vice President Kamala Harris, to win again via the ballot box on 5 November 2024.

More: 

President Biden decided to have 2 debates with Trump; one on 27 June and two in 24 Sept after the Democratic convention in August.  The first debate was a disaster for Biden since he had a cold which gave him a weak rasping voice.  He also made a few blunders with names and losing his train of thoughts. The critics thought he appeared as a frail old man who couldn't win against Trump; even though he won the debate with only 9 misstatements versus Trump's 30 lies and false statements, Three weeks after this debate, 11 Jul, Biden had a news conference at the end of the 32 nation NATO alliance.  He demonstrated with a forceful clear mind his ability to lead after a dozen reporters questions including a few about his health, Before this news conference several Democratic leaders were suggesting he drop out of the race.  I believe it is up to Biden to determine if  he should continue and wait for the Democratic Convention in Chicago in August to make the final decision. Then about 3 weeks after the 27 June debate, Biden dropped out and passed the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Other Schooling:

Sweden has a system called "Folkuniversitetet" (peoples university) where adults can take courses in many subjects such as: health, language/speech, art courses and work, handicrafts, vocational training, dance, music, etc. I took a course about  Bob Dylan's music which many may think is frivolous; but, in such courses, you can learn more to improve your life and to understand the life of others.  I think that Americans in general do not have a clear understanding of other cultures and countries. The problem is that many American people are insular and don't care about others besides themselves. That is why Trump's slogan "America First" is so appealing. They don't spend any time or money for schooling; they rather spend it on automatic rifles and pick-up trucks.  Unless you are from upper middle class income families who don't need to borrow money, it is harder to afford college where you can learn more about life and other cultures and get a better paying job.  Even so, about 64% of all high school graduates attend college, but they have to borrow money and have very large loans to payback. Of those who start college, only, about 40% finish with a Bachelor's degree. However, getting a college education allows you to learn and understand the world better besides being able to earn more money. What is worrying to me is even some college educated people voted for Trump and will again vote for him because I believe they were looking for more favorable tax or other favors/incentives for them. This is terribly disturbing to me; is it o.k. to commit a crime and still become President of a democratic country?  This is, also, Biden's question. Where is USA's feeling of guilt?  Biden, on the other hand, understands the needs of the working class and favors worker unions which will make their lives better. Biden, also, tried to pass a non-sensible college loan forgiveness plan which, at least, shows that he understands their needs.

Politics in 2024:

I believe this is a critical year for democracy.  When one looks at world governments, there are only a few countries that support democracy and or socialism or the Swedish system of "social democracy". Other countries are either communist ruled by dictators or anarchies ruled by strong leaders.  Most European countries are democracies where their leaders are elected by the people. But like the USA there is a threat from "right wing populists" who are leaning toward communism. These politicians like Trump lead movements where "the people" are opposed to the "elite". The "elite" are considered the "bad guys" of established government who are typically well-educated and wealthy. The "common people" are frustrated because they lack certain privileges and cannot do what the elites do. This implies that there is something wrong with those in power who are withholding certain rights. This "people movement" is sometimes the "dissident right" and favors nationalism and social conservatism. In the USA, this movement has followers from the conservative religious right who do not accept "outsiders" and believe that foreigners, refugees, non-Christian believers, sexual liberals are a threat to their way-of-life. What is ironic is that everyone in America has roots which are foreign.  In Europe, the populists are against the many refugees that are attracted to a better way-of-life. Some of these foreigners are not equipped to adapt to European culture/society and become a problem. These people (foreigners and refugees) are who the "populists" see as a threat to their way-of-life.  However, the established governments cannot reverse this trend of foreigners seeking a better life in the USA and/or  Europe. The reason they are coming is because they see the USA and Europe as a place for a better life. This upward movement is a given and many foreigners who have arrived during the past 100 years have adapted to the "new" world, become established, learned the language, and contributed to their new societies.  In the USA, the "populist movement" fears the unknown represented by foreigners who they believe will take their jobs and or depreciate their lives. This is what Trump preaches and many of his followers are stupid and/or racists. 

Today (29 Jan 2023) we have a Republican candidate, Nikki Halley, who is chasing Trump in the Republican Primaries. She was born in 1972 of Indian immigrants to the USA. She is a viable candidate and is making Trump very nervous. Surprise: she is smart; she graduated from Clemson University with a BS in accounting and finance and served as governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. Her problem is she is a bit naive when it comes to the history of the USA and cultures of minorities. She needs to pull African Americans (who are not Democrats) to vote, hopefully, for her. When she was governor she nominated Tim Scott (African American) to be Republican senator of South Carolina who, sadly, endorsed Trump. Now, May 2024. Nikki Haley has reversed herself and has endorsed Donald Trump which is so typical of politicians. The public doesn't know who to believe or who to trust; this could be the main reason so many Americans have no interest in politics. As mentioned earlier, Liz Chaney, the Republican, who lead the House of Representatives Committee on impeaching Trump for leading the 6 Jan 2021 riot of Congress has also stated the facts about Donald Trump and has not changed her opinion. What I like best about both of these women is that they are not afraid to speak the truth about Trump.  However, as of today: 6 March 2024, following Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley dropped out as a Republican candidate for President. Now until 5 November, it is a campaign only between Trump and President Biden. On June 27 Biden and Trump debated and it was a disaster for Biden. He was sick and had a weak rasping voice. Also Biden was forgetful and lost his train of thought. It was obvious that he would not succeed at winning the Presidency, even though his answers were good enough compared to Trump's. Three weeks later he dropped out of the race, and Kamala Harris took-up the banor. The best thing to happen so far in this important year is after the Kamala Harris/Trump debate on 10 September where she totally demolished Trump, she was endorsed by Taylor Swift, who is one of the most important female pop music singers of all time. I'm sure that this one factor is driving the vain Trump crazy; I hope so! Now in October, several celebrities Including Swift, Beyounce, Jennifer Lopez, Rito Mareno and others have come out in support of Harris!

Now Trump's criminal "Hush Money Trial" begins: 22 April 2024.  The jury of 12 members and 6 alternates was chosen last week.  If found guilty, he will be in jail for at least 1 year and maximum of 4 years. After the Memorial Day, 27 May, weekend we will hear final arguments for and against Trump. On 30 May 2024, Trump was found guilty of all 34 crimes of hiding illegal business transactions.  And on 11 July (4 days before the Republican Convention) he will be sentenced. Now his sentencing has been delayed till 26 Nov. But, even that he is a convicted felon, he can still be the President of the USA because the Constitution doesn't exclude felons from serving in the office of Presidency. These crimes go back to 2015/2016 when Trump was first began making illegal payments to "hush-up" his alliances with porn stars. At that time, he was campaigning against Hillary Clinton for the Presidency of the USA; now, after 8 years, Hillary got her revenge!

Ukraine:

After Russia invaded the Krim Peninsula of Ukraine in 2014, and after the 24 Feb 2022 invasion from Belarus in the North the USA has been a supporter of Ukraine. Now most recently, 20 April 2024, the US Congress has voted an additional 61 billion aid bill for military supplies for Ukraine. Recently Russia has made more advances in the Westerly direction, and it is time for Sweden and other European countries to donate the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine to stop the Russian missiles to hitting urban/civilian targets all over Ukraine. As of late May things are not going well for Ukraine, especially near Kharkiv, Ukraine's 2nd largest City, which is near the Russian border. Now, 12 Nov, it is believed that a combined force of 50,000 Russians and Noth Koreans will attack and push the Ukrainien forces from the Kursk region of Russia which the Ukrainians invaded in August, 2024.

Music:

The earliest music that I remember that I liked or at least heard during the last decade of the fifties (1950s) in the USA was "Only You" by the Platters in 1956, "Heartbreak" by Elvis Presley in 1956, "Earth Angels" by The Penguins in 1959, "Diana" by Paul Anka in 1959, "Please, Please" by James Brown, 1958, "What,d I Say" by Ray Charles in 1959, and "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins in 1957. In those days TV shows were very popular even for adults, but teens like me and my sisters American Bandstand was very popular. It was televised live from 1956 through the 80s. Teens would  dance to the latest hit music and popular musicians would perform. After moving to California in 1964, the show was noted for desegregation and diversity featuring minorities. The program director was Dick Clark.

I started listening to folk music while I was in the US Navy because I could hear and understand the words without the loud, fast banging musical sounds in the background. Probably, the first music that I liked was the melodic sound of "All I Have To Do Is To Dream" by the Everly Brothers (1958), followed by Bob Dylan's music such as: "Blowing in the Wind" (1963) and "Times They Are Changing" (1964), and "Like A Rolling Stone" (1965). I was much more attracted to the sound of Peter, Paul, and Mary who later sang Dylan's music. I also liked Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell. At the time of release, Dylan's music was different and political; even though Dylan would not admit that. The middle 6o's were the beginning of the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King, and the the Civil Rights Movement. The Beatles and later the Rolling Stones were just then coming to the USA with a lighter sound, but with much more interesting lyrics that young people could relate to and avoid the turmoil of the Vietnam war.  I thought some of the Beatle songs were kind of silly, but at least I could understand what they were singing.  At that time, I especially liked the Rolling Stone song: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965) because I could relate to it. Then came the 70's with Disco Music which I didn't care for; so, I then started listening and enjoying Jazz music with the music of  Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Ahmad Jamal, Nat King Cole, Ramsey Lewis, and George Shearing, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles. Interesting enough is that Swedes of my generation have never left enjoying jazz, especially songs from "The Great American Song Book". The reason I believe is that in Sweden and Europe during the 50's American jazz music was very popular for the older generation who had no taste for Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and others. So the music in Sweden of my generation were kids in those days who only heard jazz at home. Songs still being played and sung at Björnbo are: "Georgia On My Mind", "It Don't Mean A Thing, (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Just One Of Those Things", "Some Enchanted Evening", "Stardust", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Take The 'A' Train", "My Way",  "When The Saints Go Marching In", "Mack The Knife", "Star Dust", "Porgy And Bess", and others. So I grew up in the USA where I went through various different phases in music. On 13 May 2024 we at Björnbo were lucky to hear Viktoria Tolstoy, a Swedish jazz singer, accompanied by a great piano player and composer, a bass player, and our own drummer, Ronnie Gardiner, play mostly American songs about love such as "Lover Man" famous for being sung by Billie Holiday. Ronnie's regular Quartet is made of Karl Oleandersson, trumpet, Matthias Algotsson, pianist, Hans Larsson, bassist, and Ronnie on drums. Other musicians who have come to Björnbo on the monthly Jazz nights are: LaGaylia Frazier.

Then into the 80's, 90's,and the 2000's I switched to classical music because now into my 40's plus age, I was tired of all the rest. I liked the comforting if not quiet sound of the various classical composers who wrote for orchestras and chamber groups such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, Debussey, Elgar, Schubert, Stravinsky, Bizet, Haydn, Vivaldi. 

At Björnbo, 27 feb, 2024, we heard a wonderful soprano, Caroline Gentele, accompanied by consert pianist Eric Skarby, sing songs from operas Norma, Carmen, Figaro. Entry fee was only 200 SEK (about $20).  This low cost is an example and another benefit of living in a Democratic Socialist country where everyone has access to culture. I never imagined that I would be able to attend so many affordable cultural events when I lived in USA. Caroline is with an opera group called Divine Opera which  has a slogan. "Opera to all, overallt" and Eric is a skilled pianist and accordian (player). The accordian (dragspel) has lost interest in USA and is seldom heard, but in Sweden it is part of the culture. However, in today's youth it is probably forgotten. However instruments such as the saxophone and bass are still played by some in jazz groups. Last month young musicians from Lidingös Musik Skola came to Björnbo to play for us retired folks and they were quite good.