All is calm, all is bright

Efter en ekspedition ud på nogle ganske snedækkede veje (sikke et held, man kører i Lille Blå - verdens, i al beskedenhed, bedste bil som kan kontrastyre sig igennem nærmest hvad som helst, og også uden om Audi'er der med betænkelig hast er på vej over i dens bane) har Julefreden for alvor sænket sig over det lille hus.

Dette var således udsigten fra min sofa i eftermiddags, hvor jeg slængede mig med rødvin, jødekager og Julefilm (i dag var der dobbeltforestilling: The Polar Express og Fred Claus). Aaaah!

@ N ~ as per usual, your especially-for-you-translation at the end of the blogpost - but also under most of the pictures. (I know you wouldn't just scroll past them, lovely as they are, but just wanted to mention it :-)

Tines opskrift på det Perfekte Juletræ:

Gå ud i skoven/plantagen/planteskolen og find et træ med sus og brus i skørterne. Det skal gerne være sådan, at der skal hele to Juletræssælgere til at få det igennem den der net-anordning, og hvis de mumler om at det måske er nødvendigt at få traktoren i gang, er det rigtig godt. Konsulter evt. dette indlæg for anvisninger på rette magiske måde at udvælge rette træ på.  

Konstater, at Lille Blå har eminent lastekapacitet. Hjembring træ i triumf. Indled pynteseance (kan godt strække sig over adskillige dage).

Decorating the tree, step one.

The red thing on top is not a star, as you

can plainly see. Nor is it, as a facebook friend

suggested, a red clown nose.

It is a spire, and that's what we've always had in

my family (possibly a Norwegian thing; could also

just be a family thing. I ask no questions, 

I just *heart*)

Now you add fairy lights. 

Lots and lots of fairy lights (on this one  -

ehm.....between 250 and 300 *embarrassed smiley*)

And then, the ornaments...

You're allowed to go a little mad. Use over

100 of those little s-hooks that you hang the

ornaments with. Go to town a bit.

Juletræ, åh Juletræ.

Jeg sværger ved alt, hvad der er helligt: Når Juletræet er i hus, og er det eneste, der lyser stuen op - så kan man kun være lykkelig.

Late at night - the Christmas Tree is the

only thing that lights up the room.

My heart leaps with joy.

Synes I muligvis, jeg kammer en anelse over?  Meget, meget muligt - men ved I hvad, det kan anbefales. Man skal dyrke det gode og det glade, når som helst man får chancen. Da især her i den mørke vintertid. Med lidt held kan Juleeuforien endda strækkes lidt ind i Januar, som mange synes er en lidt trist måned (det synes jeg nu ikke, men mørk er den - trods det at dagene fra nu af bliver længere og længere).

Hvis man hænger peberkagemænd foran nøglehullerne, kan der hverken komme spøgelser eller Juleufred ind i stuen - det er skam helt sandt :-)   Malou, kan du genkende dem her? De holder skam endnu!

Gingerbread men guard the keyholes, so no

ghosts or grinches can get in

The Candy Cane Forest

Decking the halls - though not, sadly,

with boughs of holly. A bit of artificiciality is allowed.

Oh, baby, it's cold outside

Jeg ønsker jer alle sammen en skøn og dejlig Jul, fyldt med varme og glæde og dem I holder allermest af (ikke nødvendigvis i fysisk nærhed). Tusind tak, fordi I læser med -både jer jeg kender, jer der lægger kommentarer, og jer der bare smuglæser. 

Det er så dejligt, at I er her :-)

@ N ~ tonight is (with a slightly inelegant, literal translation) Little Christmas Eve. It is also the 4th Sunday of Advent.

(PS - Kong Mor, kan du genkende stjernen i forgrunden? :-)  

I've had the loveliest start to my Christmas vacation. First, I had Friday - Winter Solstice - off work.  Had a mini X-mas dinner and the stars were in my favour - the best duck I've ever had the good fortune of cooking, and to boot, one of the tastiest sauces that ever came out of my kitchen. Win+win.  For dessert, risalamande - a rice pudding with almonds, topped with warm cherry sauce and a kick-ass sweet dessert wine, very similar to port in taste, but amber in colour and originating from the opposite corner of Europe. Yum!

Today I had to brave the weather and go out in LBC (the most awesomest car that ever lived), and when I came home it was time for comfy socks, Linie Aquavit, visits from friends and lazing on the couch. Am not planning on leaving home for the next three days.

Yes, the road had been cleared

My little house!! Love Love Love

When my Dad shovels the snow, he means business.

I won't be blogging (much) tomorrow - the 24th being the Big Day over here.  But hopefully/probably on the 25th. My plans for that day, apart from blogging, is spending as much of it as possible in my pajamas. Going for a walk if the weather is nice (in this case, not just wearing pajamas). Having a nice Christmas lunch with my family. Watch a Christmas movie or two. Be happy.

@ A - is it snowing where you are?

To all my English / American / international friends: I wish you all a Merry Christmas. I thank you for reading; every one of you makes this blogging thing so much funnier, and you make my world a brighter place.  May the Season bring heaps of joy to you and your family.