My Uncle Sam died yesterday morning, before my mom could even get on the road. She called me at work and I couldn’t leave right away as I was waiting for Karin, so had to try really hard to stifle myself a bit so that people didn’t get concerned and make it worse by being nice to me. I’m so sad. This is the second time in the space of a year that a close relative has passed away and I can’t get home to be with my family. GAH.
It’s sunny and beautiful today, a bite in the air, but warming up, and huge fluffy clouds holding still in the sky. Posers. Martin is running a 5K race in Skryllegården right now. It’s the last thing he has to do for his CAS requirement for IB, apart from writing two reflections on his achievements to hand in this week. I’m so glad that part is over. We are going to dinner over at our friend’s Barbara & Paul tonight, so I need to try and put a cheerful face on.
Late Evening Conversation
Liz: What is killer whale in Swedish?
Martin: Späckhuggare*.
Liz: Späckhuggare? What? That makes no sense.
Martin: Well, why do they call them killer whales? They never kill anyone!
Liz: They kill lots of things! Just not people.
Martin: They don’t call us killer monkeys.
Liz: Well, they ought to.
We have baby lilacs coming behind the garage. Anders planted them last fall and we were a little unsure if we’d get flowers this year, but at least a couple of the bushes have buds. The bird cherry in the backyard exploded last week and every morning when I wake up, and look out the window I think it’s snowed overnight. The ground in the woods near the snail trail and in Kungsgård is carpeted with wood anenome so it looks like there’s snow on the ground as well. Only it’s not! It’s flowers!
*Späck in Swedish is “lard”. Huggare is “cutlass”. Don’t ask me.