We had a whiz-bang thunderstorm yesterday evening that went on for HOURS. It lasted pretty much all night, rolling and booming and crashing with lightning strikes. The kids and I sat out on the porch for a long time watching, and going Ooooo! every time lightning split the sky and the big cracks of noise hit. Then it poured rain for hours, too. One of our neighbors measured it at 40 mm (1.6 inches-ish) but it sure seemed like more than that. The dog was anxious all night as well, so when we weren’t being woken up by crash-bangs, we were being woken up by a cold dog nose needing reassurance or the tickety-tack of her nails pacing around the house.
This morning there were rose petals scattered everywhere in the back yard, but we have so many roses it doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference. It’s really hot today…the warmest it’s been so far this summer. 30C, which is 86F. Humid, too, which I was hoping the thunderstorms would help with. I hate humidity. Barky is misbehaving: bad dog! Bad hair!
Anyway, it’s officially Swedish midsummer today and we have the day off along with the rest of the country. Even though the solstice was earlier this week it’s the Friday closest that matters to the Swedes. As I mentioned in my last post, we don’t have any plans. Karin is home for the day, but Martin is picnicking with friends. So, we’ll be having the traditional midsummer smörgåsbörd for dinner: herring (2 kinds), hard-boiled eggs, cucumber & tomatoes, smoked salmon (cold & warm) with caviar sauce, new potatoes with sour cream and chives, hard cheese, meatballs, mini sausages and then strawberries and cream for dessert.
I don’t think we’ll walk over to the village celebrations…we’ve been to plenty of midsummer poles with dancing and picnics in the past, when the kids were small. Karin is going to a party tonight and sleeping over at a friend’s house, so the late part of the evening will be spent picking up Martin, and Karin’s friend, then driving the girls to the party before coming home to stay up late reading or watching movies.
Elsewhere, my mind is a trifle occupied with what is happening in Great Britain, and what it, along with the horrid trends in my own country, and in others, will mean for us in the coming years. And closer to home, with trip planning, teenager motivating, dog walking, party planning, and list-making. A typical day, in other words. Happy midsummer!