So busy!

 Wow! How time flys. So I left the farm on Tuesday, but haven't had a chance to post, I've just been so busy enjoying my time with Clara and the Family. Today was Clara's Graduation day, studentdag in swedish, and I started to post this morning but we were so busy with preparing for the reception for the friends and family of Clara at the house that I kind of didn't have the time... So here is a bit of an overview of what's been going on with me. 

I left Lotta's on Tuesday which was bitter sweet. I was really enjoying my time there with the family and working on farm projects, but then again, it's so lovely to finally be with my Swedish Family that I originally came to sweden to be with. I just happened upon another lovely group of people on my way. I'm headed back to stay at Lotta and Gunnar's in the begining of August for another two weeks, so I will see them again before I leave the country.

Here's a picture of Lovely Lotta enjoying some sweet treat!

 The evening before I left I was at the house with the kids while Lotta and Gunnar where out in the woods doing some logging and work on the electic fencing. Love and the girls found the patch of Rhubarb, Rabarber in swedish, and immediatly Love had the idea to make a pie. After Saying it in swedish 4 times I understood what he wanted to do. So out we went with a basket, harvested the Rubarber and headed into the kitchen. He worked with the girls the cut the rhubarb while I found a simple recipe and prepared the dough. Thank goodness Love knows how to properly use a knife because I had a difficult time explaining to the young girls how to use the knives, so I gestured to him what I wanted him to do and he showed the young girls how to use the knives without getting their little fingers under the blade. And thank goodness, 2 hours laters we had a large lovely pie and everyone still had all 10 fingers.

On Tuesday I was fortunate enough to get a ride from Gunnar into stockholm, where he was headed for work anways. By car it took about an hour and a half. By public transport it would have taken the same amount of time, possibly more, but I avoided two things-having to lug my big bag around on and off the bus, train, another train, then on the subway. So the ride into the city was very much appreciated. I still had to ride the subway to Clara's neighborhood with my bag then walk to her house, but it was not nearly as long and exhausting as it could have been.Very greatful to have gotten the ride.

 Since I've been at Clara's, she has still had some school to go to during the days, and at home I've been participating in preperation for the Party that went on yesterday. (I'll write about that more at the end of the weekend.) Above is Clara and Gabriella getting some cloth for the tables at Ikea. By the way this was my first ever trip to an Ikea, and wow. I really wish my mom could have been there. We could have spent all day just looking around at the different rooms and layouts of the furnature. It's pretty impressive what they do with their merchandise in the displays. Very detailed, down to the clothes in the closet and the books on the shelf.

 

 On Wednesday Clara and I went into the Stockholm to meet up with our friend Vince and his friend Inza from Germany. They are taking a trip to see Sweden. We know Vince because he was also an exchange student in Randolph the same year as Clara. He was hoping to stay in stockholm for a couple of days but the timing wasn't great because Clara had a full house hosting family for the graduation this week and we didn't have much time to spare. I'm so glad we got a chance to meet up with them for a couple of hours between all the pre-graduation madness! We took a nice walk through the Old part of Stockholm. Since they had their large bags we didn't go to crazy with going into stores and things, but we did grab some ice cream and sat by the water for a while. It was also National Swedish day so the city was crawling with tourists. I connected Vince with Lotta so him and his friend headed there to do some WWOOFing. They had never heard of it and were really into the whole idea. I really hope it all worked out for them and the rest of their Sweden tour goes smoothly. Hopefully we'll get to meet up again, either in Sweden or Germany. Otherwise Vince will be in Vermont for a year starting in Augusts, so I'll be seeing him again soon. It's so funny where we end up meeting with old friends. 

 Clara's been going to school the last week during the days so I've stayed home with Gabriella and Nora, Clara's mother and sister, helping prepare for the party. It's been really fun to be so much a part of such a tradition.  I'll keep this post short and post again about the Day of the graduation. I meant to post this the morning of the graduation, but things where so hectic that I ran out of time.

Clara had to leave at 7 in the morning, and since her house was full of guests her and I shared her bed. We woke at 6 and I joined her downstairs for breakfast. Everyone else was asleep still, so it was nice to have some time just the two of us before the day got busy.

Here she is before she headed off to the school, all dressed for the celebration! Hope you all are enjoying the pictures and I'll try to post more often so these entries don't end up as long. Hope you're all well and the weather is beautiful!