Breakfast with Kerstin Ostwald and her husband, Richard Ploman was sumpteous, with bread, cheese, eggs, jams and jellies, coffee and tea. Richard is an attorney whose practice is most interesting. He does a variety of things however he told us that he gets the most reward when his work offers him the opportunity to be an advocate for young people who are caught in the middle of parental and legal issues. Kerstin is an acclaimed artist whose work is quite amazing. She has most recently been putting on canvas many of her feelings about her Jewish background. It is important to keep in touch with our roots and Kerstin is doing so in a most remarkable way. I feel very honored that she shared them with us prior to any public showing.
Anki Bäckstrand also joined us for breakfast. Anki is a friend and neighbor and teaches English. She once spent a summer in New Haven as an exchange student and we had fun trying to figure out if any of the places she visited then are still here. Anki is quite a naturalist and told us about the birds that are around at this time of year so that we can be on the lookout for them.
	Barbro Jöbeger is a journalist who makes her home on the island now. We visited her for a delicious lunch.  She also has an apartment in Stockholm so that she and Gisela keep in touch in both places. Near the little beach community where Barbro lives is another community of tiny cottages, right on the beach. These cottages were constructed by a mining company in Northern Sweden and during the summer the miners brought their families for a holiday in the sunshine and clear air of Gotland. There was a dining hall which was used for meals and recreation. This little community was built 50 years ago. Barbro has the assignment of writing an article for the 50th anniversary of the community.
Edit Herlitz is a friend who now lives in the Senior Housing Center. Sven managed all of the Senior Housing on Gotland until his retirement. We visited the one in Katthammarsvik where Edit lives. There is mandatory retirement in Sweden at 65. Some people, as it is in the U.S.A. are ready and looking forward to retirement at that time. Others find it difficult to be able to live well on pensions, and many would like to continue to work and remain active in their profession. Gisela explained many facets of the Swedish "Social Democracy" and it seems that in many ways, things work well to improve the lives of many. Other things made me appreciate our way of life here in America.
	We visited Monica and Gunnar Gerby at their home in Kräklingbo. Everyone remarked that this was an incredible year in Gotland for lilacs. They were unbelievable. Many years ago, Gunnar planted lilacs around the summer house that they enjoy so much. Monica and Gunnar also spend the winters in Stockholm and summers in Gotland.
We visited Anki and Jean Eric Blomqvist in their home in Larbro. Anki is active in the Swedish Seniornet. She has worked on several projects on their behalf.  She is now working from her home and she and Jean Eric have their computers "face to face" in their home office which looks like quite a busy and productive place.
	We visited Beata in her home and studio where she weaves and knits wonderful things. Beata has recently remodeled the wonderful farm house which she bought when she moved to Sweden from Germany. We had coffee and the wonderful Princess cake (a national treat) with her on Flag Day.

Music: I Have a Dream
by ABBA (one of Sweden's most famous exports)