Yes it is a rose, although more than one flower that seemed to be fighting for space on the stem.
Daily Archives: 03/03/2019
FOWC with Fandango: Reckoning
I suppose anyone that would be visiting our town, and many parts of the country, at the moment would reckon we had been invaded by a different species, but reckoning is always a lot of perhaps. In this case we are celebrating carnival time and we do not have people with green faces and the Martians have not landed – yet.
With my 72 years I have slowly stopped reckoning. I just bought a new car and I reckon to be able to drive at least 10 years with it. Is that wishful thinking? I did not reckon with the fact that I would now be qualified for a disabled persons parking space, be wheeling around in a chair to have some added comfort in my life, or be walking with a walker. I also did not reckon that when Mr Swiss became 80 years old (this year) that he would also need a stick for support when walking and that the days when I could lean on him for help would be no longer. We now lean on each other for help.
I have learned not to reckon but accept life’s twists and turns and be glad for every day when you can leave your bed, even if it gets more difficult. i am not imparting wisdom for life here, but it is a fact and 20 years ago, I had no idea what would be before me, but the only advice I can impart is carry on and do not give up. So forget reckoning, although you never know, you might even have a lotto win and then you can begin to reckon what to do with the money.
This year I celebrated 50 years of marriage with Mr. Swiss, the golden wedding anniversary. What does a pair of golden oldies do with gold? In 10 years it is the diamond wedding anniversary and we will be heaped with diamonds. Let us stop reckoning and live life as good as we can without the gold or diamonds,
RDP Sunday: Trial
On a square in our local town we have the official buildings, Amthaus I and II. The photo is Amthaus I and is now mainly local legal offices.
Amthaus 2 is the more modern building with a bus stop outside, although not new and where the action usually takes place for a trial, but it is a small market town. Note the fountains in the middle of the Amthausplatz.
The big stuff all happens in the larger towns. My son studied law and being bilingual with an english speaking mum (me) he sometimes acted as an official translator for a court case involving spoken english whilst attending the university. The victims were mainly asylum seekers from other continents whose mother tongue was usually some strange African or East European language. That was not an easy job and you really had to be careful how you translated.
This was many years ago and now No. 2 son is now a qualified media lawyer working for the Swiss government, so his field of action is no longer in this direction, but more in connection with news, TV and publications etc. and his english knowledge is now more in use at various international conferences.
But my dad had his experience with the British law courts. In England there is a jury system, and you can be chosen to sit on a jury if the rent book of the house where you live is in your name. So one day dad got his summons to sit on the jury. Actually he did not mind: a few days off work, paid for, and with food and drink included. All he had to do was to sit and listen to the evidence, and afterwards reach a decision with the others on the jury. He took it quite seriously. I remember him telling me of the various cases they had and explaining why this or the other guy was guilty or not in his eyes. OK this is naturally all very confidential, but dad passed away three years ago at the age of 100 years, so I assume that the cases he tried are now all over and done with, if the accused are still amongst the living.
Otherwise I am a law abiding citizen, with perhaps one or two fines for driving a little too fast, although this no longer happens, with speed limits of 30 kph you no longer push on the accelerator.
Good Morning
I really did not think it would be such a sunny greeting this morning as I looked out of the kitchen window, but it has returned. After a couple of dreary cloudy days, with even a little rain in between, our early Spring weather is back, although still cold.
I took a wheelie in my chair into town yesterday afternoon and the Jura mountains were shrouded in clouds at the summits. I decided to have a look yesterday afternoon to see if there were any carnival festivities in our town and I was not disappointed.
As I approached the town gate I could already hear the clangs of the Guggamusik. That is the name we call the music played during the carnival season, it is one of our traditions. The drum beat is the powerful part, with many sets of various constructions as they have to be mobile.
This group was the first to greet me as I entered town on the specially constructed stage. Note the three sousaphones in the background for a powerful brass sound. The music is popular tunes jazzed up a bit. Even the various carnival areas of Switerland have their own style. The biggest carnival here is in Basel, a town situated on the French-German-Swiss border-Their traditional music is piccolo and drums and their actual carnival is only three days from the Morning strike on Monday at 5.00 a.m. marching in the streets until Wednesday. The population there say they are the three best days of the year.
But back to our Solothurn. It seemed it was a day yesterday for our various music formations to perform in the town.
This band only have one sousaphone and they were from another part of Switzerland. Again a wonderful collection of colours.
As I turned a street corner I found another group ready to start their music. It was a smaller group and more in the folk music style, but quite amusing.
After an hour I decided to wheel my way home again. It was not exactly friendly warm weather for sitting around in a wheelchair. My No. 1 son was also in town having a look around and also saw some music groups. He said later on they all met on the stairs of our cathedral and gave a concert, which is also one of our traditions. After the second procession on Tuesday afternoon it is one of the highlights of the carnival when all the music groups taking place give a live concert.
I must say it makes a change to the usual walks I take. Today is the first big procession in town, it is repeated again on Tuesday, with various decorated vehicles, music and confetti throwing. They also throw sweets from the vehicles and hold ironic speeches about various well know people in town who are probably also in the audience. It is a tradition and as an outsider, I realise it is only the locals that really get the whole thing. In Mr. Swiss younger days he also had his enjoyment and rarely spent a night in his bed during the whole celebrations. I suppose when you are younger you have more stamina. Of course the kids have fun dressing up playing cowboys or in an animal costume, mixed with being witches or fairies.
And today will be another normal Sunday for me, no excursions into town, but cooking Sunday lunch and perhaps a Swiss apple tart in the afternoon. As I wheeled home yesterday I passed the grounds of the local castle and noticed they have new additions of a group of sheep outside: big special sheep, although their Winter coats have not yet been cut. I will make a point of taking a closer look next week. I only manageed a few photos from the other side of the road with the zoom lens.
Have a good Sunday everyone, take it easy, and if you cannot, then make the most of Monday.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 