Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The most asked question on my blog is, how is the weather there? Our first week was spectacular! Sixty five to seventy five with bright blue skies everyday. I thought I was in heaven. It was hard to make yourself go inside. We took full advantage of our park across the street and had trouble walking past any sidewalk cafe. However, like life, things change, and you have to flow with them. And that is exactly what Gunnar and I are doing. Instead of our walk in the park, we swim it, OK, he really takes his little row boat Tom made for him. The rain began our second week, temperatures dropped to the fifties, and I am afraid winter coats are now out for the season! But my neighbor has told me we have about another month of good weather, OK. He must like rain, because it hasn't stopped for two weeks. No problem, umbrellas came in our air freight and we enjoy falling asleep to the sound of rain on our rooftop!
We have good news-we have been given our personal numbers! This opens horizons for us here in Sweden. Today will be special, not only because the boys are coming by to clean the ventilation system, but also because we will head to our bank this afternoon to set up electronic banking! I never thought I would get so excited about paying bills, but the alternative is facing us and I really don't want our electricity turned off.
My new stove is working like a gem, and again I have seen great growth in my domestic side, I look forward to planning and making dinners! Why do I hear some of you laughing, it is true. Today will also be special, because my imaginary housekeeper, Olga comes. And what a great job she does! Here in Sweden, no one has housekeepers, lawn people, tree trimmers, or staff to help them. they do it all themselves. Because of this landscaping and lawns are not kept to US standards, but are let to grow naturally. All people work full time, except when a child is born. Then, husband and wife have one year of fully paid time off to care for the child. This means the wife might take off nine months and then the husband three. Or they could split it, six months and six months. But, the husband must take at least three of the months off , or the family loses those months. It is wonderful to see so many Dads in the parks and with strollers, Swedes share child raising, on the whole, more evenly. After one year, the child must go to day care or a relative, both parents must return to full time work. There is no choice. The social benefits that each family is given, requires all citizens to work full time, for the government to afford it. Some of these benefits are subsidized health care, fully paid education through your masters if you qualify with good grades, and a pension. You can fully retire at sixty five or you can work half time from age sixty two to sixty seven and then fully retire.
Oh, excuse me, I'll leave you to your retirement planning. Olga just arrived, so we must get to work! That means , I've finished my third cup of coffee, and it is now or never for those bath rooms. have a great week, we are!