This picture didn't scan in very well, but you get part of the idea of what winters in Sweden were like. Often everything would be draped in snow making the whole world a brilliant white. Imagine the Celestial room, just colder.
Then there was the back drop of beautiful European cities with their great architecture. Also they would all put little lights in the windows (which I some how never got a picture of) and during the long winter nights (the sun would go down at 2:30pm) these little lights would glisten across the snow covered ground. This picture was of me and my companion Elder Brandon Lake in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
The other thing about the late sunrises (this is ~9:45am in Eskilstuna) and early sunsets was that the sun would never rise very far into the sky, creating a sort of permo-sunrise/sunset. It always cast a wonderful light on everything. This was possibly my coldest day in Sweden at -24 degrees celsius, with steam rising off the frozen river.
But all the snow made for the most picturesque winter scenes ever. These were taken in some small village over looking the frozen lake Siljan in the heart of Sweden...in March. Sure winters were long, cold, and dark, but if you could bundle up and brave the cold then untold beauty awaited.
Well I tried to capture our own little Christmas here in Pasco. The other night the moon was supposed to be at its brightest and so I went out and took this picture. No snow, although the wind had a real bite to it, but it is one of the best treatments for my mission sickness.
The next remedy is some little Christmas villages that my dad paints for us. This year we had enough to line the shelf from our living room to our kitchen. These little houses help me pretend that we live in a little snow-globe. In case I don't post again before Christmas, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
4 comments:
Paul, I know exactly how you feel. Just last week I went to the Swedish embassy here in DC. They had a Lucia Tag and I got goose bumps when they sang Nu Tandas Tusen Julejus. And I make sure to bust out the Norwegian Sweater for the Sunday before Christmas.There something special about a Swedish Christmas. I have Jul Must in the fridge. My girl friend used to be a reporter for CBS in Pasco.
Thanks for sharing the memories Paul. I hope you are enjoying the snow now that we have it.
My sister in-law just got back from Denmark so we snakade lite svenska/danska and reminisced about life i norden (and wannabe norden). I too had some Jul Must. My parents just got an IKEA in Portland so now I can get my fix of marabou when I visit.
Vanessa only knows a little Swedish but it is the stuff you want to hear, like "jag alskar dej" or "puss puss".
Its great that you found our family blog. Keep in touch.
Those are great photos. I miss snowy winters too. Not like we ever had Sweden snow levels, but still.
Nice Christmas village, by the way! That's pretty awesome.
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