Sunday’s worship had several wonderful moments with an emphasis on families with children. The four-year-olds received Bibles from the church. There was a special children’s sermon where the kids walked around the church pulling down helium balloons at various places representing Jesus coming down to meet us in different ways on Earth. With communion, there was an opportunity for lighting candles.
I lit a candle in memory of Juliana with prayers for the Stubbs family. Continue to keep them in your prayers after a great tragedy.
After the service, I was introduced to a New Testament professor from the University of Uppsala who is from the USA. So, there is a disproportionate of Americans teaching Bible in Uppsala with this guy at the university as well as Jim and me at Johannelund!
Then one of the church members introduced himself and his wife. We got talking and found out — small world — we are both alumni of Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah! Ok, Jean, remember Emmanuel E. from the mid-80’s!?! We had a good time talking about LBI folk (especially you, Jean!). Fun!
The afternoon was cooking for the week while listening to TED Talks developed into an NPR radio program. I’m trying to make several meals at once to streamline food preparation and to have some good meals for Anya between school and pole vaulting practice. Today (Monday), I realized that the Persian soup looses something with the soup base prepared in advance. I kept the couscous and fresh mint for quick preparation just before serving, but the dried apricots lost their sweetness overnight.
My Monday is somehow a holiday at Johannelund, but I filled the morning with some online banking, figuring out the Swedish homeowners insurance, making an application for disability insurance, and other chores. In comparison to the USA, it seems that the insurance coverage is more generous and significantly less expensive. The homeowners insurance includes theft of things outside the home and travel insurance! Wow!
I headed out to the Språk Cafe’ after lunch, biking carefully in the inch of snow on the paths.
I had two of my previous Swedish conversation partners join me, Barbaro and Hans 1. I think it goes best with just Barbaro, but it also continues to strengthen my hearing and listening with the two of them. They are both gracious, and it is sometimes fun to hear them figure things out between the two of them.
On my way home, I picked up a few things I needed to finish one of my apple baking recipes. I only had 200 grams of almond paste for the first part of the recipe. I didn’t see the 400 grams that I needed later!
It is a bit awkward baking a classic Swedish dessert that I have never eaten. I just had a recipe and a picture, but I have no sense on how it really should taste!
I had to make two attempts at the glaze. Here is attempt #1! I knew this was wrong!
Here’s the final version with a proper glaze.
Just to have a comparison with the picture, here they are viewed together.
I have to get the Swedish definitions of glaze, frosting, and icing. I remember fun conversations in Tanzanian between our American crew and our Australian/New Zealand friend, Amazing Sarah, on this sweet topic!
While baking, I listened to a news podcast in easy Swedish. So, Donald Trump was in the news this year in Sweden more than the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven! The Swedes are a bit unsettled over some over-stepping of the Russian military in the recent past. There was some recent perceived aggressive moves in or near Swedish airspace and a Russian submarine in the waters of the Stockholm archipelago, which has resulted in Sweden beefing up its military. So, the Swedes are very interested in the outcome of the election tomorrow.
With blessings,
Beth
Wow, yes, I have a faint recollection of Emma’, as I think he was called by his friends. His original heritage is not Swedish nor American, eh? What was his surname? Glad to give you another LBI connection.
The dessert looked great to me!! With or without icing/glaze or whatever the word. You shall be a chef of the sweet sort before you are finished.