You will envy me...

I had the idea of writing something about the light that arrives with spring and how different spring light looks in different parts of the world. The sunlight in South Africa is warm, reflected by the red sand and gives all colors a warm glow. The spring light in Sweden is cool, not harsh but definitely not warm. Looking at Scandinavian design and the color scheme we use you see the connection. However, this idea died this morning when I woke up at 6.15 am. to a sound that I recognized but that felt all wrong.

We have had several days of warm spring winds, almost all snow has melted away, the city trucks have been collecting the tons of sand they spread on icy streets all winter and I have started using my spring coats. From my bed I heard something really weird. I heard something that sounded like snow shoveling? And, looking out the window I saw a winter wonderland and asked myself what I have done to deserve this. So, the rest of my family loves winter. Fine, I can admit that a white Christmas is wonderful. Snow is better than grey rain so I have not been missing Welsh or Dutch winters but we got snow already in November and I had already moved on to spring. Jochem is obviously abroad so first I spent half an hour shoveling snow before work this morning and as soon as I got home from work I had to do another hour.

I am not very good at it. My neighbors have slick driveways and on the path passing their houses not a spot of snow. If you want to drive up our driveway you have to watch out for the large pile of snow on the right side and in front of the garage. To me it is still a mystery where people put their snow. I push it to different corners, get tired, sweaty, grumpy and the driveway is full of white “left over’s” (snow that did not stay on the shovel). Maybe it is my southern Swedish genes. I did not grow up with snow so I can’t handle it very well. We never had a lecture at school in how to shovel and I can’t remember doing it as a child. But, it is probably an attitude problem. I feel discontent just thinking about it and know that if I start out shoveling snow with a negative attitude it won’t make the experience any better. So, I try to convince myself that this is good exercise and that my arms will look fab this summer (if we ever get to summer…).

You will all look at my arms and at my J Lo butt this summer and wonder – where did she get that and I will tell you – this is what you get when you live in Ulricehamn!!

Lots of light spring kisses to all off you (now envious) people!