The sun rose
at 1108 and set at 1319. The length of the day was 2 hours and 11 minutes. Cloudy
and grey weather, some wet new snow. At the moment the darkness is an ever
present feature. You cannot escape it, it surrounds you all the time. Almost up
till now I have tried to do most of my important tasks during the daylight
hours, like driving - I hate driving when it is snowing and dark, but this week
I have realized that it is impossible, there just is not enough light any more.
We have a
bird feeder and it is very busy during the day light. I have often thought how
the animals cope in the darkness. During autumn, one has to be careful when
driving around sunrise or sunset, since all the moose are on foot during those
hours, but this does not seem to apply to reindeer, they seem to be on the go
even during the night.
Writing a
post every single night has become a habit by now. I never realized when I
started to write daily, that this would serve as a quiet spot to calm down
during this holiday craze. I don't think that there are very many better ways
to clear one's mind than staring at an empty, white page and trying to think what
has been worth mentioning today.
I was making
a list in my mind while walking.
This week
all the holiday food has to be shopped and prepared. I need to bake few items,
the most important will be a birthday cake for my Christmas girl. (She will be
22 this Christmas Eve.)
The gift
situation is quite good, the presents need to be wrapped and I will do that
tomorrow. There are few items to think about, but these are minor and I am not
going to stress over them.
Decorations
are up. Lots of candles have been bought, and there is plenty of dry firewood inside
for the fireplace that is not only a good heat source but also creates warm and
welcoming atmosphere. There is nothing that gathers people as well as fire in
the darkness.
The house is
as clean as it is going to be this Christmas. (Except sauna, will need to wash
it next week. Sauna is a part of our Christmas traditions.)
Special
treats for Tina, Ruusu and Kille have been taken care of.
Candles for
the cemetery visit have been bought, but I will need to gather some evergreens
yet. (Finns visit cemeteries and take candles there on Christmas Eve.)
My daughter has done the flower arrangements.
There is plenty of laundry, and plenty of ironing next week: tablecloths, napkins, etc.
Sometime ago
someone wondered how my children felt when Santa Claus was living almost next
door... Since his residence was so close by, we always visited him few weeks
before Christmas. The man who was playing Santa then, I am not sure if he is
still there, was huge (and also fat, which was appropriate for him) and very
nice. Since our visit was off tourist season, he always had time to chat with
the girls and he asked them to taste how his wife had done with the gingerbread
cookies (piparkakut) that year. He also had time to take them to see his
reindeer, so you can imagine, that they believed in Santa way too long.
Santa Claus
actually visits homes during Christmas Eve. Also this made sense to the girls,
he visits us and then he will fly over to the other places in the world and
delivers the presents during the night. None of our visiting Santas were never
as big as the guy at the Arctic Circle, but we as humans are good in believing
in what we want to and the girls never questioned about him. Of course I would
have been quick to respond that he has been so busy during Christmas, that he has
lost weight...
I am not
sure whether or not I have told you, how the last one in our family who believed in
Santa, finally realized, or was told, that there is no such good-doer in the
world. Two of the girls had figured it out but I told them that they will have
to let the third one find it out by herself and that we have to keep this
secret. That special year, my husband dressed up as Santa; we thought that this
would be the very last year and that since the two won't believe any more,
there will be no damage done if the secret is revealed, and they were all
so old already that it would be sort of embarrassing to believe much longer.
So my
husband walks in dressed as Santa (he had a beautiful beard and a costume), and
before he uttered a sound, this believer looked at me fiercely and eyes
burning, and then said out that "I wish that father would stop fooling
around and go away, so that the real Santa Claus can come."
We had plenty
of explaining to do as she was really unwilling to let go.
Wool, glögi
and strength for the coming week!
Lene
Your posts are like that fire, warm and wonderful to sit for a minute by to relax in this crazy time.
ReplyDeleteI am touched that you include those who have gone before in your Christmas celebrations. Unfortunately, those folks are too far away for me to include them. Americans move too much.
Happy Christmas, Lene. I look forward to the change to longer days with you.
Merry Christmas Lene! I love reading your posts about your Finland and wool!
ReplyDeleteAlice in Richmond VA, USA
Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions with us.
ReplyDeleteHere I am just below the 49th parallel (on southern Vancouver Island, BC, Canada) and complaining about how short our day is! Do you end up losing all daylight there or still hang onto a glimmer? :)
I have been enjoying your daily posts...
Susan
You talk how writing the blog serves as a quiet time for reflection in your day. For me, reading your words is my quiet time. Thank you for your thoughts & inspirations. I look forward to what you have to say each day.
ReplyDeleteLoved your post Lene. My birthday is on Christmas Day. My family always made it special for me and gave me attention on my birthday, so important to a child, so I love that you are making a cake for your daughter.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
When my oldest daughter realized Santa wasn't real, she looked at me and said, "You lied to me!" and questioned everything I said for quite awhile afterwards. It was traumatic for both of us.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are wonderful.
Lene, I always look forward to your words and always find joy in them. I'm so glad you are writing and sharing your days of December with us.
ReplyDeleteMelody
There is so many preparations for Christmas. There is a point when all looks hopeless but it always comes together in the end somehow.
ReplyDeleteThe mittens are beautiful - will you offer a pattern ?
I want mine to look exactly like yours !
I know Christmas is wonderful in Scandinavia (my father used to have business contacts with Finland during my whole childhood) and your posts bring back to me a lot of memories. Merry Christmas for you and your family, Lene, and keep writing your blog for our contentment!
ReplyDeleteI am also the youngest of three girls, but we spent a lot of time with another family of four girls (eight years between the oldest and me the youngest). I don't remember ever truly believing in Santa. I remember going to see him, but I think I overheard too much. But it was still fun to go.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
What a great Santa story! I loved it!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you in the far north! I ready your blog all the time but rarely comment - I'm reading from far south in Texas, USA. We panic when the temps drop below freezing and cancel school when we have a few inches of snow or ice. Thank you for sharing your life and your beautiful work. I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteOh, Lene, how we will miss your daily December blogs! When you go back to normal and only post occasionally, we look and click each day for when another treat will appear. Have a joyous Christmas. Your "lack of light" has not diminished the warm light you have presented us all during Advent.....a lovely heralding of the Light Who is to come.
ReplyDeleteLene, love your posts and sweet santa holiday story. also enjoyed hearing about visiting the cemetary with candles and greens. your country has some wonderful traditions.
ReplyDeletehave a wonderful chirstmas.
margaret from vermont
I, too, am thoroughly enjoying these delightful, peace-filled posts leading up to Christmas. You've shown us how winter can be such a special time in its own way. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your life, the holidays, and Finland with us.
ReplyDeleteMadeline (also in Vermont)