SUNSHINE comes back to Sweden

This morning it is 41 beautiful degrees, and the sun is shining!!! I can feel my body wanting to turn toward it, and soak up the the light and heat like a plant that has been left in a dark room too long. I have missed it like a long lost relative. If I had a fattened calf, his days would be numbered. I understand why the ancient Swedes had celebrations to welcome back the sun.

Until I had to live without the sun, I can't say I thought much about it. In Arkansas, I cursed it in the summer as I sat down in a hot car to burn whatever part of me wasn't covered. One summer, I sat down on a quarter, and had the imprint of George Washington on my thigh for several hours.

We moved to Sweden in November of 2005. The fourth day we were here, I decided to try to make dinner with what we had in the house. Since Mike didn't speak Swedish then, he had tried to go to the store, and stock the house with items he could either find in the dictionary or knew by sight. Milk was something he knew by sight, the problem was, he didn't know it came in SOUR milk. What a wonderful surprise for poor Scarlett when she had cereal the next morning.

ANYWAY, The sun started to go down, and I went into the kitchen. Jet lag was still a problem, so I don't remember what I cooked, but I was so proud of myself. (Herding a four year old and seven year old half way around the world by yourself, is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. My children did beautifully, I was a wreck!) I had to call my husband to see what temperature 350F was in C, but other than that, I did a great job. The problem? The sun went down around 2:30, so dinner was ready at 3:30, and Mike arrived home from work at 5:30. It was a little dry, but Mike never said a word.

My biggest problem with the lack of sun is depression. I'm not sure if depression is the correct term. I don't feel hopeless or sad, I just don't want to do ANYTHING. I don't want to get dressed...ok, to be more correct, I don't want to get out of bed. I mean after all, it's still DARK. (It's still dark until around 9:30, then the sun goes down again around 2 at the worst of it) I will be so happy to leave Sweden before next winter. The friendships, I will miss terribly, but the winters are something I hope to never experience again!
Dixie

I am blessed

I begin my blog with thankful words. I am finally living my dream. I am making a modest living using my meager talents http://www.daisiecompany.com/ . I am living my dream of a loving marriage and stay at home mom to two beautiful children. I am thankful for the wonderful friends in my life, that lend color and texture to it. I could not, and would not want to live without them. I miss my extended family, but I am thankful that my husband, children and I could live outside the United States for a short period. It makes me proud to be American, and much more sympathetic to those who give up everything to come to its shores with only a dream in their hearts. I have come to see that most people want the same things for their children and themselves. I am well aware of this now, and am so thankful to my host country for making my time here so easy. Swedish people have to be some of the warmest and most caring people on the planet. This is my first post, but far from the last. I am excited to start this new chapter.
Dixie