Holiday Happenings

Maya's newest job...candle snuffer!Dad's tradition....PISCO SOURS! (a Peruvian delicious drink!)
Maya has learned at school how to give massages! She is quite good at them! Swedish studies have shown that children who touch each other in kindness are less likely to touch each other in meaness! A couple of times a week they sit in pairs and massage each other for about 5 minutes. She has learned many different hand motions for this almost like a little story (jumping dolphins, waterfall, spider crawl, etc). The head massage is the best!
My Dad's favorite present! "Feed the birds" says the squirrel in disguise!
My mom has been busy since she arrived making 4 of these little cross stitches! She's amazingly fast!

Happy NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
This will be my last post until next year!
Wishing you a safe and fun evening with family and friends!

Christmas Day & Leif's 45th

Santa Claus (American) came in the night of the 24th....he ate the cookies, gave the reindeer the carrots we had left them and left a pile of gifts with a card for Maya. He thanked her for all the ways in which she has been "good" this past year! Maya was so pleased!

The stockings were knitted by my mom over the years...one of each of us. They stay in Sweden now and we use others when we are in Florida for the holidays. Unfortunately, we have to be careful hanging the stockings to close to our fireplace because we use it and it gets extremely HOT! After a morning of opening Santa's gifts and our "American" gifts...we went to Malmö to celebrate Leif's birthday. Maya is ready to go....but Mom was not feeling well and stayed home to rest. She looks pretty good for not feeling well, eh?
See...you can still be GOOFY at 45 years old! Leif is Bo's youngest brother!
Why is Maya standing at the table? She's singing Happy Birthday to Leif Swedish style! Everyone stands up to sing to the honored person and children often stand on the chairs to be just as tall. "Vi gratulerar lille Leif idag!"
My mother-in-law is just as goofy as her sons at times...I appreciate it so much because in her infinite experience as a mother of 3 boys, grandmother to 5, and a professional "fritids" (after school teacher) she knows just when to employ the goofiness to the adults' advantage to get a task accomplished! In this case, get Maya's jacket on to go home after the exciting party at Leif's place!

Swedish Christmas on December 24

Maya could hardly wait to open the last of the advent calendar gifts! Up early to see what was in the top of the tree! Later in the morning, she and Uncle Tom made gingerbread cookies to serve with the glögg in the afternoon. Messy fun!
Bo's parents and brother, Leif, arrived before "Calle Anka" (Donald Duck) Disney shows started. It's a tradition in Sweden to watch about an hour of Disney at 3:00pm on Christmas Eve. I think this tradition started back when there was only one channel available and the staff was not there at the station on Christmas Eve so that they just played a film with continuous Disney all afternoon. (Giving parents a moment to prepare food, etc) Well, that's my theory anyway. Some day I'll find the truth as to why most Swedes watch these condensed versions of Disney shows on the 24th. (Maybe my Swedish friends could tell me?)

So here we are after the Disney, drinking glögg and eating cookies! Yes, my husband is wearing our cat, Basil, as a scarf around his neck! Later we ate the traditional JulBord food....(herring, potatoes, rye bread, eggs, meatballs, prince's sausages, cabbage, beets, snaps, Christmas beer & soda) YUMMY! (Now that I"m used to it!)
This year Maya was so excited about making and giving gifts! We all loved the things she made us! Here she gives Farfar a window ornament she made.
Later in the evening we heard a knock at the door....who could it be? It was the JULTOMTE! And he asked if there were any good children in the house! Maya, a bit shy, piped right up and said "YES, ME!" He handed her 3 gifts and then he left as quickly as he came! He was having a busy night!

Fun Ornaments

Each year we are in Sweden for Christmas we have a real tree in our living room. As we unpack the ornaments, I am reunited with memories of our travels, family, family and even my former students. Each ornament tells a story about a person or place. Some day , I keep saying to myself, I will document them into a little book for Maya to have after I'm gone so she will know how many of the ornaments were acquired. This one is from Köln, Germany (Cologne in English). Isn't the angel semtress cute? I got this one and the next two during our trip to visit Bo's brother, Ulf, who lives outside of Köln.
Can you believe it? An ornament of fabric stash!
And a little Santa wood worker in honor of my husband's hobby!
Some of my favorite ornaments are these handpainted wooden figures from Russia. I purchased them in 1997 while visiting my dearest Peruvian friend, Giannina when she lived in Moscow. The details on them are incredible! I have a whole set with men and women holding food, instruments, toys and animals. (The glass ball behind her is from Bo's mother...she gave it to him when he moved out of their house when he was a young man.)
My good friend, Justinian, made these for us a few years ago. What's so amazing is that he stitched them entirely by hand...no machine, just glue and thread. It took him a long time!

Later I'll post more about what's been happening over the holiday.

My brother left for Florida yesterday so we're a little sad, especially Maya. She loves him so...her favorite uncle! But now it's back to reality! Time to put the presents away...and get ready for New Year's Eve! My parents will be here a few more days but will leave before we return to school so that will give us some time to readjust our schedules again to more normal hours. We've been rather upside down for a week or so...going to bed very late and sleeping very late. Easy to do when the days are so dark anyway!

Hope your holidays have been relaxing and healthy!

Merry Christmas & GOD JUL & Feliz Navidad!

Have things to post...no time to load up photos....but wanted to wish you....

Merry Christmas to all my BLOGGER FRIENDS!
God Jul till Er!
Feliz Navidad!

I hope you are warm, healthy and filled with HOLIDAY CHEER!

Quilting Cheer

Haven't been sewing much lately but I should....have one big present to finish! But I still have some days....I'll show you some of my Christmas projects from the past that are adorning my walls now thanks to my handy husband who cut and sanded dowels for me to use! This little wall hanging I started in Long Beach during a "coffee sew" with good ol' Betsy! I just finished it last year at one of my AWC crafty days (with Kelly Sue and Neitha).I just did a simple "stitch in the ditch" quilting. It's FINALLY hanging up! The pattern is from ...(when I find it I'll tell you..it was just here ;-)
I took a class in Manhattan Beach a LLLLLOOOONNNNGGGG time ago to learn to make this stained glass window technique. The black fabric is ALL ONE PIECE and required nerves of steel to finish...I'll NEVER do that technique again. The tracing freezer paper,cutting, ironing, folding under and eventually sewing all around the edges nearly killed my enthusiasm for sewing. But with Betsy's perserverence and reminder that "We paid for this class!" I stuck it out and I'm so glad I did because it really is a lovely piece. This is the first time it's hung up properly!
This is my tribute to all the multi-cultural Santas* that exist in the world! I got the pattern from a magazine my dear colleague, Ella, gave me while I was in Los Angeles. I started work on it when I spent a 'crafty weekend' in Copenhagen with my Peruvian/Danish friend, Anna Maria. Many of the faces are made with various shades of brown silk...and red silk caps. I love the affect of the silk to make it shiny and lushy in places. This fall I finally finished it during another 'crafty weekend' but I absolutely hate how I machine quilted it...I think I ruined all that hard work. Taking the stitching out is an impossiblity as I did it on the tightest of stitches. (not smart!) Perhaps after the holidays I will embellish it with bells, buttons and other things to hide the ugly quilting. This mistake, however, inspired me to get a walking foot at last!
Here's my little red elf! Maya has been such a good helper this holiday! She loves to decorate and create her own presents! I can't wait to see what she's been hiding in her room! Today is shopping with her grandparents in Helsingborg! She'll come home tomorrow...leaving me time to do my secretative things! Hope you all are enjoying the few days before Christmas in a crafty sort of way!

* I find Christmas time to be a big festival to worship the "white men". Although I do love the white men in my life...sometimes it just seems wrong that all the little children of the world are praying and idolizing white men. Couldn't Santa look like they do? So whenever I can I like to buy and create Santas that have different skin tones from the normal, stereotypical Santas. My collection is growing....I have a lot of ornaments and Christmas cards. But I'm still looking.....

Uncle Tom visits

My "little" brother is visiting us for 2 weeks....and it's so nice to have him here! Maya just LOVES him!
Tom and Dad went into the forest with Maya to cut down a "Charlie Brown" tree for her bedroom. She was thrilled and carefully decorated it with unbreakable ornaments and easy to turn on (not plug in) lights. She also made a sign that says "Don't forget to water the tree" since I told her it would be her responsibility to keep it wet! The star Maya made herself...it took some cardboard, paint, scissors and some patience to get it just right!
Tom is willing to be put to work doing about anything! Helpful guy! Here he is doing something very Swedish...putting together IKEA furniture! But his visit is not all work....he spends a lot of time with his favorite neice! Much to her delight! Shouts of "Uncle Tom, Uncle Tom" can be heard all day long! And I've been replaced as the bednight story reader...first by my mom and now by Tom! We have to make up for all the times we aren't together!
Last night we played a good game of Pictionary with Maya...she's such a good drawer and our team won! (Mom read her the card that said what she was supposed to draw and we skipped the really hard ones like "lurch" and "bargain".) Another game tonight....

Surprise Gifts from Generous Gail

Look what the postman left in our Florida Room yesterday....only I didn't see it until today!
A very surprise gift from a blogger friend, Gail , in Canada! Thank you so much Gail! That was totally unnecessary but very very sweet of you! The torn paper is from the presents she sent to lucky Maya! Both things were IMMEDIATELY loved, Gail. You know your Princess stuff! A princess placemat and a Barbie ballerina stamp...wait until you see all the tree ornaments she has made with that stamp! (I'll try to post tomorrow!) I got a bundle of beautiful 'moda' fabrics! Crayons to make my embrodiery projects and pretty magnets! Thanks Gail! While I create and look through my magazine I will be thinking of you in winterwonderland! (or in Barbados!...lucky lady!)
Unfortunately, Gail doesn't have a blog...although she ought to and I've been pleading with her to start one...just for the quilting stuff if nothing else! Maybe in the new year we'll welcome her into blogland for 'real'!

"Happy for Christmas! "

Each year a Jultomte (Santa Claus) comes around to all the classrooms to give out candy and fruit to the kids...even my Grade 4 and Grade 5 students! After the visit this time around on Tuesday the kids were quietly working on the art projects and two of my 5th graders said to me "Carol, you should have been the Jultomten this year." (I immediately thought negatively that they were referring to my size especially since this year's Tomte was quite skinny. ) Obviously another student thought the same and he said "Yes, because you're soooo big!" But the other two boys looked startled and quickly said "NO, that's not what we mean!" Then they spoke to each other with bowed heads and both looked up and said at the same time..."We mean because you are SO HAPPY for Christmas!" Then they proceeded to point out all the things I have been wearing or saying or singing and even the feelings I have been projecting to my classes these last 2 weeks of school. (Just as a side comment...both of these boys are Muslims.) At the end they agreed that I would have made a far better Jultomten than the one that came to visit us this year. I was so touched by their observations and kind words to me! That was the best present any student could have given me! Affectionate recognition!

And that leads me to another kind recognition... I got this from Suzie at littlebuzybee.....Thank you Suzie!

The Award is for Christmas Spirit!

Here are the rules for Christmas award.
You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award.
The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.
You must link back to the person who gave you the award.
You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas.
If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space!
Pass the award along to as many people as you like.
That can be 1 or 45; it's up to you. But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going!
Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

5 things I love about Christmas:

1. The "buzz" of excitement in the air everywhere!
2. Fun secrets between friends and family...presents bought and wrapped secretly!
3. Cozy house decorations...some are new, some I've made, some I've had a long, long time!
4. FOOD...cookies, gingerbread, glögg, eggnog, gingerbread yogurt for breakfast, pickled herring, Jonsson's, ham, turkey, pumpkin pie, rice pudding...cranberries! (not to be eaten all together though!)
5. FAMILY TOGETHER....doesn't matter where...Sweden or America or Mexico...but just together!
6. Smells...cinnamon, pine, snow, candles a glow!

Now I must pass this along to some others! Hum.....Visit these fine blogs for more Christmas Spirit!
Vanessa
G'Gma
Maya Luna

I felt the earth move under my bed......

We had a 4.7 level earthquake today in Skåne! The last strong one in Sweden was in 1904! I knew it was an earthquake as soon as I felt the whole bed shake and the house walls creeaak...I jumped out of bed along with the dog who was already up and the cat! I screamed "Earthquake" to Bo but he only replied by saying "jord...." (the word in Sweden which I've already forgotten since I've never used in a practical way before). Then Bo went back to sleep but the animals and I stayed up and checked things out. The centre was much further south of us near Malmö so they must have felt it quite strongly. (Read about it here.) Some of my colleagues reported that their dogs started to bark just before it happened.

So I was thankful that there were no earthquakes in Sweden....but now I know otherwise! Should I prepare an "earthquake kit" like I had ready all the time in Los Angeles? If the next one happens in another 104 years I don't think I have to worry too much! I should still be thankful!