Xmas letter 2024

(click on pictures for larger size)

   We embraced new year 2024 with a resolution to move from our home for fifteen years. You know you are getting older when people tell you how young you look. We have been getting plenty of the compliment. We are proudly sending this greeting from our new home in Sigtuna, only a stone throw from our old house.
   After welcoming the new year in Sweden, we left for our annual trip to Botswana. A visit to Masunga to see relatives was a must. There we celebrated Julia's niece's wedding. We also had time for Hash runs; visit to our favourite wilderness place, Khutse--where we saw lots of elephants (from the two that surprised us in 2017); and hosted our street's neighbourhood get-together in Gaborone, before returning home.
   End-May we packed our bags and left for Iceland, where we met with Glenda Booth, a former neighbour during our days living in the USA. We greatly enjoyed visiting the dramatic geysers and hot springs, had looked forward to visiting Blue Lagoon--which was, unfortunately, closed--due to the volcanic eruptions that shook the country from November 2023. On return, we tested positive for Covid--the second attack--but, luckily a milder variant.
   Midsummer took us to Sundborn (Falun), the home of painter Carl Larsson, where we met with our Åkalongo friends. Great celebration with a beautiful array of traditionally dressed adults and children. Also visited the home of music composer and painter, Hugo Alfven, (Tibble in Leksand). All very inspirational.
   The year's "hemliga resa" (secret trip) by MFG, Per's folk-dance group, took us to Forsbacka near Gävle. Of note was the annual reduction in the number of participants. From around forty when we first travelled with the group in 2009, there were only 20 of us. Age is catching up with most of us ...
   Julia has had an interest in writing short stories and has battled with the idea of a memoir since leaving her job with the International Monetary Fund. In October, she attended a writing retreat with eight American writers in Bordeaux (France). She came back determined to live her dream of completing a publishable story. Her 2025 new year's resolution :)
   Apart from planning and finally moving to our new home, we played minigolf, boule, took "stavgång" (pole walks) with PRO members, visited friends and relatives (Annelie and Roger on beautiful Gotland), Per's niece, Kicki and her husband Kalle and friends Kersti and Ingmar in Härnösand.
   Former BOTSFA and the Embassy of Botswana provided the opportunity and pleasure of meeting the new Botswana Ambassador to Sweden, Juliana Gobotswang-Dube.
   The best joy was, as usual, spending time with our children and grandchildren.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025

Per and Julia


	(click on pictures for larger size) We embraced new year 2024 with a resolution to move from our home for fifteen years. You know you are getting older when people tell you how young you look. We have been getting plenty of the compliment. We are proudly sending this greeting from our new home in Sigtuna, only a stone throw from our old house. After welcoming the new year in Sweden, we left for our annual trip to Botswana. A visit to Masunga to see relatives was a must. There we celebrated Julia's niece's wedding. We also had time for Hash runs; visit to our favourite wilderness place, Khutse--where we saw lots of elephants (from the two that surprised us in 2017); and hosted our street's neighbourhood get-together in Gaborone, before returning home. End-May we packed our bags and left for Iceland, where we met with Glenda Booth, a former neighbour during our days living in the USA. We greatly enjoyed visiting the dramatic geysers and hot springs, had looked forward to visiting Blue Lagoon--which was, unfortunately, closed--due to the volcanic eruptions that shook the country from November 2023. On return, we tested positive for Covid--the second attack--but, luckily a milder variant. Midsummer took us to Sundborn (Falun), the home of painter Carl Larsson, where we met with our Åkalongo friends. Great celebration with a beautiful array of traditionally dressed adults and children. Also visited the home of music composer and painter, Hugo Alfven, (Tibble in Leksand). All very inspirational. The year's "hemliga resa" (secret trip) by MFG, Per's folk-dance group, took us to Forsbacka near Gävle. Of note was the annual reduction in the number of participants. From around forty when we first travelled with the group in 2009, there were only 20 of us. Age is catching up with most of us ... Julia has had an interest in writing short stories and has battled with the idea of a memoir since leaving her job with the International Monetary Fund. In October, she attended a writing retreat with eight American writers in Bordeaux (France). She came back determined to live her dream of completing a publishable story. Her 2025 new year's resolution :) Apart from planning and finally moving to our new home, we played minigolf, boule, took "stavgång" (pole walks) with PRO members, visited friends and relatives (Annelie and Roger on beautiful Gotland), Per's niece, Kicki and her husband Kalle and friends Kersti and Ingmar in Härnösand. Former BOTSFA and the Embassy of Botswana provided the opportunity and pleasure of meeting the new Botswana Ambassador to Sweden, Juliana Gobotswang-Dube. The best joy was, as usual, spending time with our children and grandchildren. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025 Per and Julia