Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year 2012!!

It´s already time for saying Good-Bye to 2011!!
Each year disappears faster and faster,
and I get older and older.....
Well I know everyone get one year older each year,
it´s not just me!!

Wish all of you a Happy New Year!!

Christmas is here!!

Now the Christmas is here again!! I don´t think the last Christmas is far away!!
Sorry I haven´t translated the song that Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA) is singing,
but it´s about when the Christmas comes and knock on our doors and asks us if it may come into
our house and be there. It brings a tree from the wood ans lighting candles, and it will not forget
the poor man. It brings gifts in the basket and it will comfort those who are sad.
The best thing it brings is the Baby of Jesus who is the light of the world and who wants to be
our guest in our house and in our heart. Do you want that??

In Sweden we give one another Christmas presents and eat perhaps some Christmas food today on Christmas Eve. Tonight 23.00 (11.00 pm I think) I´m going to the church to sing Christmas songs
in the choir. Merry Christmas!! God Jul!!

The Christmas ham appertains to Christmas here.

And Janssons Frestelse ( "The Temptation of Jansson"?)
It´s potatoes, onion and anchovy.

Oranges with cloves in it hanging in the windows smells great!!



And of course you have to set up a Santa Claus (Tomte)!!

Tonight we´ll sing O Holy Night (by Adolphe Adam) in the choir.



Lucia!!

Today is Lucia in the calendar in Sweden! Since I was a child, it has been Lucia celebrations around the dates, but especially today of course. When the kids were small, I remember that I thought it was a tough day with several appears of the children in school, church and grandparents! But now when the kids are grown up, it feels really empty, not to go and watch them when they sing in their fine Lucia dresses and the lights in their hands! I miss it! I looked tonight on replay from the morning, when they showed a Lucia celebration of the Cathedral in Gothenburg! Very nice!

http://svtplay.se/t/123386/luciafirande_i_svt

This is from 1970 when I was Lucia in our church.
I remember I was so nervous when I should read:
"Jag hälsar er alla som förr mången gång
med ljus i min krona och stämningsfull sång.

Jag kommer när mörkast det är här i Norden, när allt synes dött och förfruset på jorden.

När ofta vi även i hjärtat förnimma, som vore där ej en endaste strimma.

Av strålande ljus och av levande hopp, som om isiga kylan där hejdat dess lopp.

Lucia symbol för det ljuset vill vara, som kommer från ovan, det evigt klara.

Som skingra vill dunklet i var mänskosjäl, som lysa och värma och allt göra väl.

Jag hälsar er alla som förr mången gång, med ljus i min krona och stämningsfull sång."

 



Helena was Lucia in the school 1997.



It´s Helena who is singing:

"När det lider mot jul."

(Soon it´s Christmas.)

Statue of Liberty as gingerbread.



The first snow this Winter.



At last the sun is shining again! A little easier now when I´m looking on the ground outside that has turned white with snow. The sun is not here many hours in December so you have to be quick to take out the camera if you want to take a picture of it! Soon the sun will be shining higher in the sky again.
Today in the afternoon it smelt wonderful in the house! Could not keep to bake some gingerbreads. There are so many tasty gingerbreads to buy in the stores, but there is always something special about gingerbread scent! Anyhow, there were three baking plates. Actually I bought a ready-made dough to bake with. The dough was good to eat too....



The sun is shining a little while.



Statue of Liberty as gingerbread....
Can´t help my thoughts are to you over there!!

Wish you felt the smell now!!

Violas in December.



Violas outside now.



It´s not so often there are violas outside in December here. Compared to last year with lots of snow

it´s a big difference!!

I´m so glad when there´s no snow at all!! It´s much easier to walk without the snow. I understand

that the kids perhaps want to have snow to play in when they are outside….

It´s early dark in the evenings now and when you have many lights in the windows you nearly feel like it´s cosy without the snow!!



The violas beside the twigs and the plastic
branches.



Not so easy to be a little viola in December!!



Five Santa Claus and they each have their light.