Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

A writer takes a minute for a closer look

recent posts

  • Candle for the world

    A new thing in an old church: The Stockholm Cathedral —Storkyrkan — was built sometime before 1279, 746 years ago. Aside from being amazed at the age of the structure and its grace of design, I loved a relatively recent addition, the Candle Globe, a metal globe with small candle holders around and through it. Added to the church in 1972, it’s a place to light a candle to the world, to ponder and possibly pray about whatever the art evokes. The work was created by artist Torolf Engstrom.

    My photo doesn’t really do justice to this lovely piece of art/worship. I lit a candle and thought of peace.

  • Not available at IKEA

    To all my piano-playing family and friends: Wouldn’t it be fun to tickle these ivories?

    This piano was created for the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930 as part of “an exclusive show apartment.” That exhibition promoted a design ethic that became known as functionalism. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Exhibition_(1930) )

    We saw it at the National Museum: The explainer included this comment: “This unique handmade piano does not belong in a functional apartment furnished with mass-produced goods…”

    It was designed by Swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_Lewerentz)

    I wonder if this slick instrument ever gets played anymore….

  • Going wide, doing deep

    The last several days we’ve been getting the hang of public transportation in Stockholm, not just buses and trains , but ferries too. Here’s a view from the ferry of Djurgarden Island, its popular amusement park and its old sailing ships.

    And a quote that caught my attention recently, from American entrepreneur Naval Ravikant, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Ravikant

    “Think for yourself, not of yourself. Think of others, not for others.”

    A parting shot: the escalator up from a very deep subway track: