Honestly, I have not forgotten you or my blog. I have been so busy with Christmas preparation and a few other things that blogging time this week has been non-existent. I've also managed to damage the ligaments in my left knee for the second time this year, so I've been hobbling about the place, high as the proverbial kite on painkillers, which doesn't help matters. Can I just say right here that my timing sucks!

On a brighter note, isn't this card cool? My friend Carolyn sent it from London and it made me laugh for the longest time. We all need to laugh at this time of the year.




My goodness Christmas is only "two sleeps away" as my gran used to say. Though here in Sweden we celebrate the Eve, so it's only ONE sleep for me! Where on earth has the year gone? Perhaps because I started the year with a significant milestone in the shape of my birthday, I have been more aware of time passing quickly or maybe it’s just because this year has been insanely busy and somewhat traumatic, but it truly seems only yesterday I was preparing for Christmas and now here it is again.

I’m pleased to say that apart from a bit of last minute making of knäck, I am all organised. I've been chained to the stove for days, but now I'm done. Presents are wrapped although not all are under the tree - that will happen tomorrow to stop certain people peeking. Not even I’m allowed to have a sneaky feel of my Christmas presents, which quite frankly, I think is pretty unfair.




My dear husband put up our tree today and it sits in the corner of the living room, twinkling away happily. I really wish it were a real tree, but it is an artificial one, though my smart husband made the suggestion of popping down to the square where they are selling live trees and picking up some of the trimmings and use them at the base of the tree, so we still will have that wonderful outdoors, woody, pine aroma.

In Sweden, the tree of choice at Christmas is the Norway spruce, which can seem a bit spindly to those who are used to the lush, full look of firs. But the spruce's spare look perfectly matches austere Lutheran traditions of this country and I've come to love it.




That austerity is further evident in the traditional ornaments on the tree: white, candle shaped lights, small hearts, angels and circles made of twisted straw. From pagan times, straw was used in midwinter rituals to appease the gods and ensure a good harvest in the coming year. With the arrival of Christianity, straw took on an added religious association with the manger that cradled the infant Jesus.




A straw goat, made from thick yellow straw bound by lengths of red ribbon, stands guard over the presents under the tree. In olden days, Christmas presents were brought to each household by a person wearing a straw mask of a goat -- one of the oldest symbols in Sweden. The arrival of the "Christmas goat" is depicted memorably in the classic 1947 Swedish children's book, "Petter and Lotta's Christmas," by Elsa Beskow.

Tonight is traditionally "Little Christmas" in Sweden, which involves a blizzard of last minute preparations for the celebrations tomorrow - baking, wrapping and spending hours (especially if Swedish is not your native tongue!) writing little, witty rhymes to attach to each gift, suggesting its contents, or teasing the recipient. I'm pretty sure that my rhymes are a bit grammatically incorrect, but I'm sure I'll be forgiven, after all, it's the thought that counts.

So tomorrow we pack up the car early and head to Stockholm to celebrate the day with the family at my brother-in-law's lovely home. It will be the first Christmas without L-G's mum, so I wonder how that will be - a little sad, I guess.

I know we don't all celebrate Christmas, but for those who do, I am sure you are all really busy getting ready. Hope you find lots of time to stop and hug the ones you love. Over and over again.