The white Christmas continues

The days between Christmas and New Years were all about snow and whether or not one was snowed in. There were a couple of times that snow drifts blocked the front door, so we had to send Lina out the window to go around and shovel the snow from the door. Unfortunately the snow was very heavy and she couldn't quite manage, so Erik had to jump out the window and help her.

Snow drifts also blocked the satellite dish which is mounted on the roof of the barn. We had to clear a lot of snow before the dish had a clear line of sight again. Quite a few buildings in the area had problems with roofs collapsing under the weight of the snow. Fortunately we have sturdy old fashioned construction with steep roofs, so it wasn't a problem for us.

My mother in law was supposed to come celebrate Christmas with us on Tuesday, but by the time she was done packing, she was no longer feeling up to it. She tried to come on Wednesday, but then her car died. We ended up bringing Christmas to her on Thursday.

We were all invited to a friend's house on New Year's Eve. We were there last year also, and I remember it being so cold out that the champagne froze in people's glasses as they made their toasts. This year, we must have run out of cold. The snow was melting and dripping off the roof, and the ground was covered in a good layer of ice with a good layer of water on top. It was also super windy, so drifts of heavy, wet snow blocked the roads. I baked a chocolate layer cake and a sherry bunt cake for the party. I also made some jello shooters. Our hosts are big fans of jello, but I don't think the other guests were so impressed. We shot off some fireworks at midnight, but fireworks really don't do so well when it's that windy. The rockets blew over the house and exploded lower than usual. Instead of cascading down, the sparks seemed to be blown out almost immediately. The wind chill also made it very cold, so most of us didn't mind the quicker than usual fireworks display.

January first was spent cleaning. January second was our annual neighborhood gift exchange party. Only four people came this year which I found quite disappointing. However, that meant there were lots of yummy things left over from my holiday baking.

As they say in Swedish, "Good continuation!" (of the holiday season).