the stuff of weekends

(the inside of a school playground shed)


On Fridays I travel to different schools to give extra English lessons to children who have at least one English-speaking parent. I normally take the bus to to get to "Gamla Uppsala Skola," but on Friday you couldn't have paid me $100 to ride the bus. The sun was shining and I was in knickers and a shirt with no sleeves. bliss. I rode my bike way out of town (a good 45 min) to teach my final time to dear 8yr-old Eira Mooney, whose Irish father has given her an adorable accent. She spent the last 15 min. of class drawing an Easter egg for me as a going-away-present. :) On the bike ride home I took the long way past the viking burial mounds. On Sunday afternoon I enjoyed some reading in my hammock in my "new favorite" forest spot. I'm always finding a new favorite. One which somehow rises up above the rest and distinguishes itself from the other 1 million mossy, tall pine spots. And in case you're thinking geez, what a life of luxury and free time! I realize that right now is a special time in my life...if in my future I become a wife and mother these quiet moments of free time and thinking will be less frequent, i know. And I look forward to that time, sometimes too much, at the risk of wishing away the present. But mostly I feel content, and thankful for the freedom and opportunities present in the place in life I am at now. My weekends more often than not include some yeast, some kneading, and some flour-covered shirts beacuse i forget to put on my apron. I made (i think) the best homebaked bread to date yet for me. The key (thanks to Ed, my friend who is a former famous chef!) is lots of water in the oven to keep it steamy, allowing for a hard crust and chewy inside. And on a whim I decided to make a cardommon braid to go with....well, those moments when you want a little something yummy with your tea or coffee. Oh yes, I'm embracing these domestic skills. They are way under-valued in my opinon.