She's back...

Strawberry has returned. Here she is leading Ammelie back to her stall.
She came back and said she has become a Muslim and can now only eat muesli...

Ski slope

We are very lucky to have a ski slope just a few minutes away, but some of us don't want to stop skiing to have our photograph taken!

Strawberry has left us for the night, again. She left yesterday evening and then rang this afternoon to ask if she could stay away another night because she was having so much fun.

Papa pepparkaka!

The last of the Swedish Christmas ginger biscuits got made and eaten last weekend, this one was made by Strawberry and represents her grandfather, and he was, of course, delicious, according to her.

Here is Strawberry with her horse, this is for you Lori. Its white head is just poking out of the pocket on the rucksack. Strawberry wishes it was bigger and real, but she does get to ride every Friday, so I don't feel too sorry for her. We are on our way to visit Aunty M.

We went last Saturday by train leaving at 11 am and returning at 7.30 pm . It was a bright cold day with temperatures of minus 20 C. Perfect for a brisk walk to the railway station.

Happy New Year!

In between unpacking boxes we try and get out for some sunshine in the middle of each day. I f we're lucky then the sun pops up just above the horizon between 11am and 2pm.

Strawberry's New Year's resolution, she called it her "New Year's revolution",

was not to do any washing up during 2009.

At least I'll be saving on the amount of washing up liquid that's used!

God jul, Merry Christmas...

I prefer this year's tree to last year's, which was blue, but in daylight it looks rather strange. I have no idea why, but it has been decorated, appart from the red and white lights, with houses, large flat ones.

This was taken at the Christmas market a few weeks ago, but the ski slope, lit up in the background, reminds me that I have promised to take the girls skiing just as soon as we have moved all our stuff over into the new appartment, hopefully in a couple of days.

I am going to have to move the computer next, so I thought I'd leave you with a few more shots of winter here in the dark north. This is Strawbs with her sledge. In Swedish it's called a "spark" which means "kick", because you stand on the runners at the back and kick it along...

...like this.
Back soon, provided I can reconnect everything correctly.

The third shepherd...

...acted her part perfectly at the school nativity play, appart from leaving her sheep(dog) on the stage and having to run back and fetch him. Big sister sang a medley of Christmas songs in English together with her class to finish off the end of term show on a high note.

Nobel Dinner

Miss T dressed herself up on Wednesday for the Nobel Dinner at school, while I struggled to get my grading done on time. I think she made a great job of it, and I managed to finish the grading before the deadline.
I was sent these beautiful bloomers on Tuesday as a thank you for finding and returning a purse. They really brighten up the new kitchen window.

More from the yuletide market

Lapland?

The snow's real and so is the reindeer, but it's not Lapland. We took some time off from packing, carrying and unpacking, to visit the Christmas market today in town and that's where these shots were taken. We're moving to the appartment next door, so we don't have to carry stuff so far, and the new place is nearly twice as big, so we can spread stuff out. For us it's a big change, the MOTH and I have lived in this two room appartment (= 1 bedroom, 1 sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and hall) for 17 years, the girls have lived here their whole lives, appart from weekends and holidays. The new appartment has four rooms, so we get a whole room each... well almost. Now I have to get on with some grading and then some more packing. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Clearing cupboards

We're moving in a week's time, not far, and I've got the whole of December to do it, but there's still a lot of clearing out to do. I didn't get far with my wardrobe, the silly hats were immediately adopted and the clothes that I have grown out of Miss T has grown into and wants to keep.

Hats and woolies

We've had to buy new thermal underwear for the girls; they're growing so fast. Miss T looks me straight in the eye at the moment. Any day soon, she'll be looking down on me.

Many Happy Returns

Happy 100th Birthday Gran!
My darling daughters made me this cake for my birthday last week and you're all welcome to a piece, especially Pat's TL who had a birthday yesterday. My daughters gave me a beautiful day, waking me up with a cup of tea in bed and a pile of presents: a pillow case in pale blue with little white ghosts on it, sewn by Miss. T, pictures of spiders and ghouls and even a lady vampire who moved her eyes from side to side, a skeleton that waggles arms and legs and a poem to treasure from Strawberry.

The cold sets in

The temperature has dropped to minus 15 C. and the stream is starting to freeze over, but still no snow.

Lax i laxask

It's good to have friends.

Rainbow behind Barn

Sunset snap

Rainbow behind the wires

Old bird?

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Now wasn't that a wise old bird?

Bear in mind?

Bear kisses?

Too many bear kisses and you'll get bear teeth.
Lots of bear hugs to the birthday boy.
Many Happy Returns Pa.
XXXX