Midsummer?
And now I'm feeling all disjointed like something out of a Katherine Kerr novel or a Doctor Who episode, as I'm here wanting to further extol the virtues of a software program that I haven't actually praised yet. Well I have, just that the post itself took a lot more work than originally thought and so...
Oh yes, Midsummer, that's why you're here, yes...
Well you know, today was the first Midsummer I've been involved in as an official Swede (papers came through in November and the council celebrated it early June) and you'd think I might have gotten the hang of the whole thing, you know it's only the second most popular Swedish holiday after Christmas (and if you speak to some Swedes, they even rate it higher).
So gone are the days of painting my father-in-law's house, clearing off to another country and the like. Now is time for real celebrations, you know I have my children to think of, my own Swedishness - these things have gotten a whole lot more serious!
(Not helped here by the fact the wife, who has been here considerably longer than I, is away in Madrid for five days, starting yesterday.)
Started the day then with a late breakfast of cheese and bread (70% of Swedes start their day this way) and so all going well so far before sitting down with the kids to give them their first ever viewing of Ice Age (Sweden was part of the ice age you know...). I know I should maybe have gone for Pippi but...
So semi-failure ignored, I made sure to get the laundry out the machine (argh, laundry at Midsummer - no wonder the room was free, it's like going down to wash at Christmas you numpty...) and got the kids ready for the Midsummer dance around the maypole at the in-laws' (major Swede points coming up here!).
Upon arrival at the maypole, the kids express an interest in getting on the swings and playing in the den house within sight of the jumping, singing, clapping Swedes, leaving me taking photos of English/Assyrian children on swings, rather than the obligatory round the maypole shot...
(real Swedes showing us how it’s done)
Never mind, off we go back to the allotment to get stuck into some sill and potatoes pasta and mushroom omelette...oh god the point drop, the point drop.
What was that father-in-law, you want me to help you put up the small marquee tent you've bought for the allotment? Why ever not, I can't think of a better day to do that.
And so readying for home, under the protests of the youngest, happy as she is at the allotment, we leave her there and the heir and I return home, where tucking into bread and jam (think we might be giving up here) we settle down to watch Ice Age 2 (I think we have given up now).
The boy, sated and excited about big fish and sabre-tooth tigers, journeys to bed and I settle down to a bout of Talking Heads (why couldn't I have gone for Stina Nordenstam?) and plan to watch either Sucker Punch or a couple of episodes of Band of Brothers later on.
I'm not Swedified yet am I?
So honourary Swedes and real Swedes and Swede wannabees, what have you been up to today?