Shopping and research

Monday was yet another shopping day with my mother. There are several outlet stores in Borås, many mail order companies are based there and have a place to sell last year's collections to a fraction of the original price. I got a pair of jeans for 60 SEK and a tunic for 50 SEK, for instance.

Tuesday my mother drove me to the train station (after checking out a second hand store first - bought a yellow bracelet). I had a heavy load to carry: a backpack, a suitcase, a large plastic bag and a handbag. After riding three different trains I arrived back home in the evening.

Wednesday I had a lot to catch up on. Lots of junk mail to sort, dead insects to dispose of, plants to water, clothes to unpack and e-mails to write.

Yesterday I went to the archive to do some research. I hadn't been there in quite a while. There are a few Americans (not related) coming here in a week and a half, and I wanted to add to the genealogy files before they arrive. Another thing I found was the address to a very distant relative in Ottumwa, Iowa. She was just referred to as Mrs F Nelson and I had no idea if she had any children. I know from earlier cases that there is a chance the younger generations keep the house (especially if it's a rural area). I entered the address in the most used search engine online and in seconds I understood the connections. It instantly solved a brick-wall case I had eight years ago. I keep all unsolved cases in a special file. I never, ever give up. In 2001 I visited a granddaughter of Selma and August Peterson (Maywood, IL). Among the family belongings was a letter written in the 1970s from a woman in Ottumwa, Iowa, stating that she was related to the Petersons - but didn't explain how. The letter writer turned out to be a second cousin to Selma's children. (Also a second cousin to my grandfather and his siblings, but none of them would ever have known this).

Today I went to Lund again. This time to get new glasses. There was a waiting time of three hours to get my eyes examined, so I went shopping first (is anyone surprised?). Not so many clothes this time, just a top on sale. I stocked up on medicine to ease flu symptoms (the most feared kind of flu has already spread at the university). I also got some plastic containers to keep the flour in so that bugs can't get into it. The eye exam went well, my eye sight has changed very little in the past five years. I will get my new glasses (two pairs) in a few weeks.