Martin’s last day of school was last Friday, Karin’s was Monday. Today was their first day home alone during Christmas vacation and because Tuesday isn’t a day either of them has computer time, they were bored. I knew before I left for work that they would be, if they didn’t go out in the snow, sledding or fort-building or snowman-making or something. Martin’s at that beginning teenager-stage…EVERYTHING is boring. He doesn’t want to go out and PLAY. Karin went out at some point, looking for friends to hang out with in the bright sunshine and snowscape but alas, no one was home. So I, very thoughtfully, gave them some chores to do during the day so that they couldn’t complain about having nothing to do.
They were both still sleeping when I left for work, so I wrote a note and put it on the kitchen table where they’d be sure to see it.
| KIDS! Empty the dishwasher Vacuum the kitchen & laundry room Water the trees XO Mama |
When I called at lunchtime to check in with them and see how things were going and whether they’d put something together to eat, Karin proudly announced that they had already done everything on the list. Except the 4th thing. “What fourth thing?” I said, puzzled, and remembering that I had only specified three jobs. “Kiss and hug Mama!” she exclaimed. Ha!
The moon greeted me this morning as I drove through the clear air toward Gårdstånga on my way to the office. All the trees are flocked with white pillowy puffs, every branch and limb outlined in white. The snowplows have been diligent and the streets are smooth and white with cliffs of towering snow lining every edge. It’s so much brighter and lighter and cheerier when there’s snow on the ground!
Anyway, the moon had a bit of a bite out of one side and I, thinking that the lunar eclipse had happened in the wee hours, excitedly called the kids to wake them up to go see “the end of the eclipse”. Karin had been wanting to stay up all night to see it, which we refused, not realizing that it wasn’t due to begin HERE until morning. As I drove toward the moon though, I saw the shadow of the earth was actually increasing. We hadn’t missed it at all! The moon was already tinged red, shining like a bright new penny in the pale blue sky. When I got to work, my colleague Sara and I went up to the top floor on a moon-hunt. It was about halfway eclipsed at that point, but we couldn’t stay and watch: work was calling; too much to do.
When I left the office, after a day spent wishing I was outside in the brilliant sunshine, despite the shockingly low temperature, it was clear and dark and the moon greeted me again, HUGE and white in a clear black sky. I could see every crevice and crater and the moon man’s O of surprise. It was huge and glowing as I came over the crest of the hill but shrank quickly as it moved up and I moved on. It’s shining up there now, high above us. And sending down the solstice message: longer days from now on out! Here comes the light again.
Current temperature: minus 20 Celsius (-4F). Forecast: Another foot of snow by Thursday. Whee!
Photo by Anders Ek