Midsommer Celebration

With enough strawberries in my belly for a whole pie and more fun than one can handle in a single party, I just returned home from an afternoon of partying the old Swedish style. In Sweden, Midsommer is as big as Christmas, if not more so, and they make the most of it (18 hours of daylight during this time of the year). It's a national holiday so people get the last Friday of June off from work so they can visit their lake cabins and participate in the festivities of the day.

The Downey family took my to Sigtuna, one of the oldest towns in Sweden, where we participated in the local and folk traditions. A short parade of people dressed in folk dancing costumes carried a Maypole through the main street, the same street that the Vikings trekked over 1500 years ago. In the Center Square and park, they erected the Maypole and began the many silly dances. Children abounded, some in traditional dress and many with a halo of flowers on their heads. The colors were as bright as a Christmas tree.

The meal followed with an assortment of sil (a specially prepared herring dish), other fish dishes, Swedish meatballs, potatoes and salad. We ate to our heart content only to realize that the Swedish cakes were on their way. The youth of our group prepared layered cakes of whipped cream, cake and strawberries. A Swedish man who had joined our party made pecan pie so the Americans also enjoyed a taste of home.

The evening continued with games such as Kubb and dancing on Wii. Kubb is a Swedish game similar to horseshoes, but involves teams and is much more fun and harder than it looks. Wii Dance made us all laugh as all of us, youth and adults, swung our hips and tried to stay in step with the rhythms.

I give thanks for the collection of countries represented (Australia, America, Sweden, England, Switzerland, and Canada) that can fellowship in celebration for a new season, delicious food, universal interactive game, and life. This in my mind is as good of a national holiday as I can imagine.

Uppsala and down

A few plans fell through here in there with plans to ferry to Finland or ride the train to Gothenburg, Sweden, but in hindsight our flexibility offered us the best plan we could make. Tuesday morning, early for some ☺ but right on time for others, Mac and I jumped on a regional train to Uppsala. This quaint but lively city 40 minutes north of Stockholm is the home to a university from the 15th century and citizens from times as early as 600 A.D. The streets are bustling with fruit stands, mothers pushing their kids in heavy duty strollers (these strollers are made for commuting through blizzards), shops of every bit of fabric, book, second hand nik-naks or pastry you could want.

We climbed off the train in search of our guesthouse and went the wrong way. (My fault.) And then we came upon Wayne’s Coffee. It’s the closest thing to an American coffee shop around so my companion was thrilled. (Also my fault.) Armed with a cool, caffeinated drink we turned around and found Eva at the Samaritan Guesthouse.

Formerly used to house and train deacons from the Church of Sweden, it now hosts guests and conferences all year round. We had a simple but accommodating room with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities down the hall. Couldn’t have asked for anything better especially since we could check in at 9:30am, drop our extra stuff and head out. After a leisurely morning reading and resting, we went to the park along the river to eat our homemade pizza packed for lunch. We promenaded through the park where we found a small amphitheater (though, Daniel, it looked like a baseball diamond on the map) where an ABBA sing-along would take place at the end of June. Bummer- just missed it. Walking through the seats, however, I’m a little concerned for anyone coming in go-go boots; the aisles are big or smooth enough to dance. We found a track in the park, and, yes, they’re the same everywhere…they all make me smile.

Highlights of the afternoon:
Gustavo Museum: Anatomical theatre where surgeries occurred towered up into the top of the dome.

Uppsala Cathedral: Gothic church with amazing stain glass windows. It was the first time Mac had experienced a church like that so seeing an old church with new eyes was particularly special.

Lemon Creperie: We needed a little snack late in the afternoon but when one stumbles on a place that lists over 20 different types of delicious crepes made to order, dinner becomes the name of the meal. We had a crepe with tomato, ham and cheese and another with Nutella, coconut and ice cream on top. Heaven seemed a little bit closer with the tastes in my mouth and sun warming my back.

Ergonomic benches: Rather than an upright backed seat, we found a row of lounge benches along the river.

Movie Theater: Though we decided not to pay $30 to see an old movie such as True Grit, it was interesting to experience the atmosphere. All movies are shown in the original language with Swedish subtitles added.

Wednesday morning, after a great night’s sleep despite it being the longest day, we went to the complimentary breakfast. True to the European form, we had our choice to a lot of bread, meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs and yogurt, plus tea or coffee of course. Completely full we hopped on a bus toward Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) where large hills/mounds cover the remains of buried royalty/chiefs from back in 600A.D. Some of the mounds have been excavated, but archeologists are still uncovering entire houses and burial sites along the ridges of Gamla Uppsala. While it looks like a serene area of rolling hills, there is much history and legends buried within the landscape.

We finished our trip as we started, with sweets treats and a train ride. On our Wednesday wanderings we discovered Landings, a bakery with yummy pastries and cute marzipan figures. Promising to stop before leaving Uppsala, we descended upon the store with wide eyes and great indecision. Or at least that’s how I felt. Couldn’t I have a little taste of each one? Finally, we (I) decided and with three tantalizing treats, went outside in the sun to enjoy them. Oh the crème. Oh the richness. Oh the surprises. Oh how I wish could indulge all the time. Satisfied beyond belief we boarded the train back home where I now sit with a cup of tea, smiling on the many upps of our trip.

hope a la mode

My housemate walked in the door this afternoon, dropped her bags and pulled out a bowl that she filled with frozen berries. She proceeded to make a full dinner with broccoli and all…oh and of course the berry crisp! Unless starvation has ensued, neither of us are that commandeering of the kitchen. But she had another mission. It wasn’t just dinner. Or food. Or a new recipe. It was a gift for her friends. Lately her friends have been dealing with the troubles and worries of a complicated pregnancy, one with a lot of questions and few reassuring answers. So my housemate made dinner for the couple and enjoyed a meal and time with them.

A friend from church emailed a bunch of ladies, looking for help. Another church member was undergoing emergency surgery. With boys at home, food had to be provided. So without hesitation, I made dinner for the family. An easy recipe made complete with a warm loaf of French bread was the offering I could deliver in the midst of this precarious time.

A family I love moves to Mississippi in about a month. The couple needed a chance to go out for a “unique” dinner and some time together before packing up their young daughter and heading south. So my sis and I gladly offered to babysit. I brought dinner for us all and then we played with Sesame Street finger puppets.

All these circumstances could have happier parts. My housemate could have gone over to celebrate a couple as they get ready for a new life in their midst. Instead, she just needed to be with them in this less than carefree moment in time. Likewise, surgery or moving don’t wrap me up in warm fuzzies. They are parts of life, kinda the gloomy parts, that have to be lived along with the rainbows and butterflies.

On my way home from babysitting, I thought of how Jesus ate dinner with people who had terrible diseases, women who were shunned from society, and friends who grieved. He could have and often did relieve these people of the heartaches of life, but actually promised to do more. He promised to share a meal, a dinner, with everyone; it was a meal that would help them remember him. This dinner also showed them how life, in all its circumstances, can be endured with perseverance and hope. As the Apostle Paul said, “Hope does not disappoint.”

I realized no amount of ice cream or cards or hugs or petitions to the people in charge can fix a circumstance. I’m good at doing those things. But Jesus didn’t want us to rely on such distractions. He wanted us to remember him because he gives life, and he gives peace unlike any that the world could give. He’s also helps us with perspective which I think is a huge part of persevering. Tomorrow is another day with new possibilities and no mistakes. And when the gloom recedes behind the sun, I’ll take that circumstance in stride, celebrating with a dinner and hope.