Elisabeth and Tommie

Today the plan is to go to Elisabeths at 2 pm.

We need to get Karli to the library in Söderhamn so she can work on her paper. She mistakenly turned in the Selma Lagerlöff book so we check out the bookstore and they do not have it. The clock store is closed for the holidays so we cannot get a watch battery either. Hmmm. Hope we have better luck with the rest of the day. We leave Karli at the library. We go get flowers to bring to Elisabeth. At least the flower shop is open. It is minus 7 degrees C. It is clear and beautiful. On the walking street there is this large barrel looking thing by the sidewalk. It is lit and offers some warmth for the hands. There are more candles outside shops. We go have coffee and soon Karli comes out of the library. The library and the coffee shop are connected.

We get to Elisabeths and it is all warm and wonderful. They live in an old farmhouse I guess you would say. We meet Niklas and Sabine. Niklas is Tommies son and Sabine is his girlfriend. Sabine has read the book that Karli is doing the paper on and in fact, wrote a paper on it herself at the university. That is amazing. Karli is so worried about the paper.

Sabine and Karli go into another room so Karli can work in peace. She and Sabine talk and discuss the book. She has a well developed outline and in trying to fine tune it. The structure for papers is different in Sweden than it is in the U.S. Sabine is so helpful.

We have glögg in the living room. Then go to the dining room. The dinner is wonderful. Solveig, Birger, Hans and Albin are there too. She has ham prepared 2 ways. One with cheese and cream sauce and one with a pineapple cream sauce. Tommie has made his special rice too. There is also applesauce, potatoes, bröd, cabbage salad, mango chutney, etc.

Tommie copies and article that Solveig has that interviews Arvids parents when they were here in 1952. We stay longer that Solveig, Albin, Birger and Hans. We want to give Karli a long time to work on her paper.

We leave and get to Solveigs just in time to see a T.V. special program on Selma Lagerlöff. It is in Swedish but we manage to understand it anyway. This is part 1, part 2 is tomorrow. Solveig sets out dates, figs, chocolate, and mandarin oranges on the table in the living room.

We had a wonderful day. We plan on going back to Elisabeths to let Karli work so more tomorrow. Thank you for everything Elisabeth and Tommie. We call home again. It is hard. Only bad news on the snow there. Arvid is very worried about it.