This was today’s Treasure Hunt Walk list:
- someone smiling
- a 4-legged animal (not a dog)
- a man in a hat
- something purple
- flowers
- a truck
- a bicycle
- the letter X
- 2 triangles
Martin made me laugh before we’d even left the neighborhood by quickly drawing an X and 2 triangles on the page and then he grinned up at me and said “You’re smiling!” but I called him a Cheater Peter and squashed him good. He used house roofs for the triangles and the man in the hat was eventually supplied by a garden gnome with a bright red hood.
It seems hard to find new things to write about right now—the round of days is so familiar and worn; a cozy stretched-out sweater that’s shapeless and comfortable. There’s nothing new in being busy, in my little home projects, nothing exciting to report. Along the snail trail there were tiny green leaves showing above the leaf mulch on the little slope leading down to the diminished creek. Along Tulpanvägen there were tiny green shoots on the lilac bushes. On our street there was a glove stuck on top of a pole next to a tree—disembodied fingers waving desultorily in the breeze as we passed.
The sun keeps peeking out at intermittent intervals today, which is a welcome sight, though it’s chillier and windier than it appears. Apparently, this December has been one with the least amount of recorded sunshine hours in southern Swedish history. One town about 3 hours north of us had only 20 minutes of sun during the entire month. I think we only had 2 days worth, if that.
After surviving a Disco birthday party last night at the Scout house with 24 10-year-olds in various stages of boisterous party mode, hosted by my son and his friend Andreas, I am very glad that this weekend is one without any other plans. I’m quite happily noodling around on various projects, house-cleaning, laundry, etc. without having to think about having to be anywhere or do anything in particular. Work is busy enough as it is, without my personal life also going 100 miles a minute which is what it will be doing soon enough if past history is any indication.
I’m reading World Without End by Ken Follett, the “sequel” to his fantastic The Pillars of the Earth. My brother is, I think, reading it as well, and since he’s the one who not only introduced me to the first book, but got this one for me for Christmas, it will be interesting to hear his take on it when we are both finished, though given the size of this monster, that could take awhile. Anyway, so far, it’s living up to expectations.
Jokes from Martin that made me laugh out loud:
What do you call a cranberry that eats other cranberries?
A crannibal!
What do you call a car in the fall?
An autumnobile!