Blissfully mild this morning. No need for a hat and scarf. Sophie stands and watches the sunrise. Her coat turns orange, then red, then back to orange in the dawn light. Back at The Rickety Old Farmhouse Angus retrieves the wreaths from the cellar and puts them up on the half landing. Every year we wonder why we empty nesters go through this rigmarole. Every year we vow not to do it again but then we do. An unspoken understanding of how important it is to keep one day 'special'.
The PONs monitor this activity with scarcely concealed impatience. Bob is told that he'll be going to the rugby this afternoon. The good news is that bar the holly round the front door and a Monday morning trip to the flower market the house is now decorated.
Finally, we're off in the car. Bob and Sophie fly into the back without anyone getting into the wrong spot. This morning we park by the river and walk into the market town. Taking the PONs into town is an adventure that is best done with 'The Font' in attendance. This helps avoid 'tangled leads' syndrome.
The cafe we go to is a rather hip place which shows never ending music videos on screens above the bar. We are the only customers so it presumably caters to a younger crowd later in the day. The cafe has a rather wonderful painted 19th century ceiling.
The woman behind the bar doesn't have any croissants but she returns a few minutes later with one in a paper bag. She's popped next door to the bakers to buy one. Bob sits and watches the woman bring the croissant over with his ' I love you ' expression etched on his face.
Back to Sweden for a reflective Christmas song # 19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDwIa4e4JJE
4 comments:
Hari OM
Soothing sounds... and what good service, to source a croissant! YAM xx
Oh, don't give up on the year-end rituals -- your quirky nativity figures alone are worth it. I spent some time the other day trying to find a link to give me the proper pronunciation of "Dostadning", because I'm pretty sure that Swedish doesn't sound the same as phonetic English, so I followed the subtitles in that lovely video with close attention. Charming children, too.
I agree with Emm - the nativity figures are wonderful. I might especially like the rather severe looking lady in blue. So glad to learn that the mayor "only" has kidney stones, painful as they may be, rather than something more dire. Angus, I'm wishing all at the ROF the merriest Christmas! And hello to you, too Bailey Bob!
So much to enjoy in that video, from the opening piano notes to the chandelier with real candles (!!) to the young girl feeling the music at the one minute mark (and the one at the very end who seemed relieved that the song was finished). That song seemed so familiar to me and after some research, I found it was on an album I had (thanks youtube) back in the late 70s, an English translation, sung by a Scandinavian named Evie. Thank you Angus for your musical contributions to my enjoyment of Christmas. I hope all at the ROF enjoy the happiness and peace of the season.
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