coffee in the rain

To all who read my humble blog, I hope you're enjoying the news from Sweden. I could write forever about all I am seeing and thinking, but I'll try to keep this succinct. My days here so far have been nothing but lovely. The weather has been in the 60s and 70s, with an open, sunny sky and huge, soft clouds. I adore the Swedish countryside and don't think i'll ever grow weary of drinking it in.

Erik lives in an ideal location. In one direction you can walk to the small grocery store in 5 minutes. (which we do almost every day to buy the ingredients for dinner:) In another you can hop on your bike and be in the beautiful city of Uppsala, and in another you can walk straight into fields of wheat and dark forests with endless paths. A car is only needed in rare circumstances. Everyone, from the elderly to children to the punkiest 20-something, rides a bike, complete with a large basket for your groceries and other items, and a little bell to ring when you want to pass another cycler.

We have been spending the days having slow breakfasts on the porch, taking walks in the beautiful forests (they really have a magical feel about them....i'm sure i'll spend a whole blog on them later), riding bikes to town, and we have even been swimming! yes, for about 30 seconds today I endured the cold northern waters, and I thought longingly of the lakes at home which have such a perfectly mild temperature. Erik, Siri, his Mamma, and I took the car to a little "beach" today, spread our blankets on the grass, and had a lovely time lying in the not-too-hot sun, reading and drinking the dark coffee we brought along. (because we were eager to get to our desination this morning, the coffee and mugs were tugged along with us:) I couldn't quit smiling at the beach today, just watching all the Swedish children, blond and half-naked, engrossed in their child's play; climbing trees, finding oysters, freezing in the water. Sweden is really a family-country. There are always places provided for children to be; little tables at the cafe, a spot in stores for playing, and plentiful playgrounds.

Yesterday Erik and I picked all the red currants from his mother's bushes, and after eating a delicious pie made with a few of the berries, we froze the rest for the winter. We have now picked and eaten wild strawberries, rasperries, blueberries, and currants. The blueberries here grow nearly on the ground, not at all like at home on large bushes, and they are smaller and more tart. Other food news: The Swedes do love their coffee, and I've enjoyed the daily after-dinner cup, though I'm not yet able to drink it black. The yogurt here is very delectable, and somewhat of a cross between a plain yogurt and a sweet one. With a little jam in it in the mornings it is perfect.

My Swedish is coming along, and I'm being patient for the day when it subconsciously flows out of my mouth. Every day I understand a little more of the conversations around me and I am saying what I can in Swedish. Soon I will move in with my au pair family and I would like to speak mostly Swedish with the children, so that will improve it a lot. It is a humbling thing to not understand every word spoken around you, and I think it can be healthy to be able to relate to how isolated so many people in America must feel (illegal immigrant or not) when they don't speak English.

One more bit of news...the other day Erik and I biked to the organic food/home store and I purchased lettuce, spinach, and radish seeds and am hoping to get a small harvest before the winter sets in. I planted them in pots and it feels good to again watch things grow. I miss our garden at home and the huge harvests we were getting just as I left.

More news later....hej då for now!

p.s. the picture is from Stockholm where we spent the day on sunday