Back in the Swing of Things

I finally feel like we are back on track today!  Over the jet lag and the general vacation mode and back on top of things.  Josh is off to work, the kids are full speed back in school and I am back to my activities!  Today, that involved my exercise class followed by fika with a friend, followed by a shower and a long walk with Coco, topped off with a big grocery store run.

If you look at the clock on the church below, you will see that this picture was taken at about 3:20 today while I was walking Coco.  The sun is setting already but with the snow on the ground and the "longer" days, it really feels brighter than it did before Christmas.  We are gaining 7 minutes of daylight every day.  That is pretty significant and definitely becoming noticeable!

It is all beautiful and with the right clothes (and a coat for Coco), running around in 19 degree temperatures is not bothering us too much at all!  I can't keep my floor clean to save our lives though, with people always coming in and out with snowy feet.  We do the Swedish thing and take our shoes off right away but the entryway has become a lost cause...

Semla have started appearing in the bakeries around here.  Semlor buns were traditionally eaten only on Fat Tuesday, just before Lent.  Now, apparently, they are consumed from Christmas to Easter.  I tried one for myself today.  Pretty yummy although not as sweet as I expected.  They are a bun filled with cardamom laced almond paste and whipped cream.... Not bad at all...