It’s the day before the day before the day before (as Karin put it, earlier today). There’s nothing much doing this week and I’m managing to be just fine with that (beyond checking email a little too often). We’ve had my cousin Cate and her family over for dinner one night and an AWC event cancelled and mostly have spent the days sleeping in, reading, relaxing, watching movies and TV and eating too much. January is soon enough to get motivated and I shall. It’s a promise to myself, not just a resolution. Time to get a grip and get moving.
It’s so cold here and so much snow on the ground, but when the sun shines, as it did today in a harrowing blue sky, there’s no end to the beauty: it goes on as far as the eye can see. The snow plows have done a thorough job in our village but much less so in the cities. We had to help push a red sportscar out of a parking lot spot today (in order to take it afterwards) and we’ve had to push our OWN car out of several stuck spots in Malmö (the Saab, not the Audi), but mostly the driving has been fine, apart from some icy spots.
Liz: maybe we should go mellandags* shopping.
Martin:mmmm
Liz: Mellandags. Where are the mellancats?
Martin: mmmm
Liz: If there ARE mellandogs, maybe they’re mellancollies.
Liz & Martin: *giggle madly*
Martin: That was actually kinda funny
Karin and Martin and I made some desultory forays into the “between-days sales” both in Malmö and Lund, though we didn’t actually end up buying much of anything. A new soap dish to replace a broken one, new (very fancy) snowboots for Karin, a game for Martin, and Shrek 4 which we watched last night and very much enjoyed.
I made dinner tonight and charged the kids with coming up with a name for the dish I made up: cornbread squares topped with taco meat mixed with corn, topped with sliced avocado and a dollop of crème fraîche (mmmmmmmmm crème fraîche!). Martin finally came up with Taco Hill, and for lack of any better ideas, Taco Hill it is.
We’ve got friends coming for dinner on New Year’s Eve and Anders has already planned a delicious-sounding menu, though it’s full of things I’m not so sure are kid-friendly (fresh beets, goat cheese, chopped hazelnuts, among others). He’s had to work the past couple of days and will go in again tomorrow with Karin in tow as they’re going to grocery shop for the dinner and for fireworks as well. Both couples are bringing their dogs, and then we’re dogsitting a few days later for a week for berchshill so it will be a very doggy start to the year!
Karin and Anders are playing Wii NHL Slapshot (his Christmas present) and Martin is SMSing a girl/friend and watching The Simpsons. I think I shall go sit in the massage chair, turn on the shoulders and full back function along with the heat and bury myself back in my book!
The only other thing on my to-do list for the forseeable future, besides a quick swipe of the house with the vacuum before our guests arrive on the 31st is to send out the family tree/address update and that can surely wait another day.
Oh! One other thing, how many of you Swedish-speakers knew that the word for sale—rea—is actually an abbreviation? It’s short for realisation! I had no idea! And even now that I know, am not sure WHY.
*literally “between-days” (the week between Christmas and New Years)
Bright & Bonny Birthday Wishes to courtesy!