Christmas Crafts for The-not-so-Crafty

I got this playdough recipe from blog surfing, off Memories of Mine to Thine. This mama claimed to have perfected play dough, and since I am dedicated play dough buyer (WalMart $1.62 a four pack) now residing in a country that sells it for way more than a dollar a can, I thought I would try it out. This recipe involves cooking it, but I did not read that part and just did it in a bowl and it worked out fine. The best tips was if it is sticky, add more oil, not more water. Here is the recipe. She claims this version is the most efficient and uses the least of each ingredient that it can and still come out well. It came out great for us, and I have had playdough failures in the past with other recipes.

PLAY DOUGH

1 c All purpose flour

1 c Warm (not hot) water

2 tsp Cream of Tarter

1 Tbs Vegetable oil

1/4 c salt

(1 pkg Unsweetened KoolaidFood coloring as desired)

You may get the impression from the side bar, which is full of links to interesting places and activities, that I am a super creative stay at home mom who always has something fun up her sleeve. Well, really those things are reminders to me of what I could be doing, to give me inspiration!

I am no crafty whiz. I do not have a sewing machine, I was gifted some knitting needles but can't seem to get the yarn, instructions, and needles together in the same place at the right moment, and I have tried needle felting and think it's a cool craft I could get into here in this land of sheep and wool, but I need to buy some supplies to get going. I really enjoyed water color painting and had done some nice ones right about when I started midwife school, but I spent last decade on call for birth working 'round the clock as a midwife. That meant I cultivated few other interests or talents during that time. I do have some natural artistic ability, but I am out of practice. I can, however, draw a fairly good picture of the fetus at what ever gestational age it is at, in the current and correct position on your pregnant abdomen if you want me to. And there's only one thing I am really great at sewing, and you have to inject lidocaine first.

We rolled these out and then baked them up.

In my life right now, I am a pregnant tired person whose main recreations are napping and cooking things that involve hefty doses of protein. When my daughter is home from school, which is two days a week, we make an effort to do four things during the day- get outside, make a craft, take a nap, and cook something.

Now I am blogging, I am aware of the many really amazing creative mamas out there who are making felt advent calendars, quilts, and all manner of other beautiful creations. That is not me. It is fun to browse the blogs full of fabric stacks next to the vintage tea cups, but it always leaves me wondering where they get the time and energy! However, the craftiness is inspiring, and helps me get ideas of things to do that are more with in my scope. Reading all those blogs makes me want to do more crafts, but I tend default to the familiar old tried and true crafts of my childhood. For Christmas we made playdough ornaments, like we did in Brownies/Girl Scouts when my mom was the leader! It involved a rolling pin, and an apron, which was enough to satisfy my three year old. I do crafts for three year olds, and can blame the 'low quality output' on the fact that my daughter actually made the thing! Maybe someday I will catch back up on my artistic skills, but for now, this is the kinda thing we make around here. It's a fun start. Maybe in ten years time I will be quilting, too.

We use what we have, like we happen to have water colors, and while that is not the ideal paint for ornaments, it does work! Ditto on using rubber cement on these- we were out of regular glue, and I am sure it would have been better...
I also have as part of my art supplies a HUGE box of glitter my sister gave us, that had been left at her house when she moved in. It is AWESOME to be able to be free, and not skimpy, on the glitter.
The secret to using glitter with kids- play dough. Put trays, and paper, and all that under them, and supervise like a hawk...and rinse everything in the sink to wash away pieces so they do not escape from a trash can later. But then when the little magic dots get spread all over as they always do, roll playdough over it and it will suck it up, and you end up with nice glittery play dough and clean tables and floors.
We used a few non glittery ornaments for gift tags on the cookies we made for the teachers, and the rest of these are awaiting fixative glue so they can go on the little one's tree and not spread the sparkle everywhere.
Here was another skill less, crafty thing we did. We combined a nature walk with our craft activity. We went on a walk and found such lovely and interesting items as a feather, a few rocks, a huge rubber band, and a broken bike reflector (which was her favorite treasure). We came home and used finger paint to paint them, and then of course, used the Swedegirl's favorite- GLITTER- to make 'em special.

Finger painting rocks was FUN, thought SwedeGirl Paint is a lot like lotion

And the glitter was in the bag, so she shook, shook, shook it...

And then we had glittery rocks. She had me paint her name on one, and LOVE on the other. What a girl!

Farmor's Christmas Concert

SwedeDaddy's mom, known to the little one as Farmor, sang with her choir in a large Christmas concert.

She was honored for singing in the choir for Twenty years!

Congratulations were in order

It was lovely.

Winter Solstice
Solstice has a new meaning for me now that dusk comes at 3:15pm! It was a different story in Florida. Winter meant it was finally cool enough to walk with out breaking a sweat, and that you could have your doors open and not run the A/C.

The nights are long now in Sweden. I am looking forward to the return of the sun, and I know little by little the light it is returning. I am not used to these cycles of seasonal change yet. The darkness crept up so quickly. The visible turning of the wheel of the year here is helping me understand the mythology of Yule/Jul/Christmas in a new way. When the world around you dies so concretely- the green gives way to brown- and the days grow long and dark, you really do have a living metaphor for the cycle of death and the need to nourish the light within in dark times.

The darkness gives a greater appreciation of the light, the death in winter a deeper gratitude for the colors off spring. I have been spoiled living in Florida, where there is green and color all year long. It is no wonder, Florida, named for "flowers" was reported to be the home of the fountain of youth for Ponce de Leon and the Spanaird explorers. Maybe this eternal green is why the American retirees/ elders still are drawn to Florida in their old age. The 'endless summer' feeling can betray one into thinking death does not ever come.

But everything in nature cycles, and nothing is ever lost- there is always another season. Even past the deepest darkness that looks like it will destroy everything.

Here is a lovely little fairy tale that came to me from an email group, author unknown, sorry.

The Yule Faeries
A Winter Solstice Story

(author unknown)

A group of little Faeries huddled in their home deep under the roots of against oak tree. They were safe and snug in their tiny underground cave lined with dandelion fluff, bird feathers, and dried moss.

Outside, the wind blew cold and the snow fell softly down to cover the ground. I saw the Sun King today, the faerie named Rose said as she pulled her mossy cloak tighter about her. He looked so old and tired as he walked off through the forest. What is wrong with him?
"The great oak said he is dying" answered Daffodil. "Dying? Oh, what will we do now?" Little Meadow Grass started to cry, 'If the Sun King dies, our little plant friends will not grow. The Birds will not come and sing again. Everything will be winter for ever!" Lilac, Dandelion and Elder Blossom tried to comfort their friend, but they were all very sad. As they huddled together, there was a knock on the tiny door."Open up, Faeries," called out a loud voice. "Why are you hiding instead of joining us in our Solstice celebration?" Rose opened the door and the little gnome Brown Knobby pushed inside, shaking the glistening snowflakes off his brown coat and hat. 'We are too sad to celebrate,' Daffodil said wiping her eyes, "The Sun King is dying, haven't you heard?"

"Yes I had heard." Brown Knobby's round dark eyes sparkled with laughter.³Now hurry, or we¹ll be late for the celebration!" "How can you be happy and laughing?!" Elder Blossom stamped her little foot and frowned at the gnome. "If the Sun King IS dying, it will be winter always. We will never see the Sun again!

"Oh my little child-Faeries!" Brown Knobby grabbed Dandelion by the hand and pulled her to her feet. "There is a secret to the Winter Solstice. Don't you want to know what it is?" The Faeries looked at him in surprise. "Secret?" they all said. "What secret? We are only new little Faeries. We've never been to a Solstice celebration before." "Come and see. Come and see. Get your capes and come with me." Brown Knobby danced and jigged around the room. "Hurry, Hurry, don't be slow! To the Sacred Oak Grove through the snow!" He danced out of the door and disappeared.

"What did that gnome mean?" Rose asked as she gathered up her cloak of dried rose petals held together with cobwebs and lined with goose down."I don't know, but the Lady lives in the Sacred Grove." Meadow Grass pulled on her hat."Perhaps if we go to see the Goddess, She can explain what Brown Knobby was talking about".

The Faeries left their snug little home and trudged off through the snow toward the sacred oak grove. The forest was dark with only the light of the Moon shining down through the thick fir branches and bare limbs of maple and hawthorn. It was very difficult for them to get through the snow because they were very, very small.

As they waded through the wet snow and shivered in the cold wind, they met a fox. "Where are you going, Faeries?" the fox asked. "To the sacred grove," they answered, they were cold and shivering."Climb on my back and I will take you there swiftly." The fox knelt down so the Faeries could climb up. Then he raced off through the dark.

"Listen!" Lilac said as they neared the Grove of Sacred trees. "Someone is singing happy songs. A LOT of someones." The beautiful music carried over the cold, still, moon lit air. It was the most beautiful music the Faeries had ever heard. The fox carried the Faeries right to the edge of the stone altar in the center of the grove, then knelt down. "Look!" said Elder Blossom as they slid to the snow covered ground. "There is the Maiden and the Mother and the OLD Wise Crone, and many other Little People." "They are all smiling and happy," said Lilac as she looked around at all the creatures. "All the animals are here too," whispered Dandelion. "Why are they all looking at the Mother?" The Faeries moved closer to the three Ladies seated on the altar stone. The Mother held a bundle close in Her arms, smiling down at it. The Maiden reached down and took the Faeries gently in her Hands. She held them close to the Mother so they could see what She held. "A Baby!" the Faeries cried. " A new little Baby! Look how he glows!" "He is the newborn Sun King," said the Maiden smiling. "But Brown Knobby and the old oak tree said the Sun King was dying," the Faeries answered her. "How can this little baby be the Sun King?" "That is the great secret of the Winter Solstice." The Old Wise One touched the baby's cheek with her wrinkled hand. "Every year the Sun King must come to the sacred grove during the darkest days of winter where he dies. I take his spirit to the Mother who gives him new life again. This is the way for all creatures, not just the Sun King."

"You mean everything lives and dies and lives again?" the Faeries looked down in wonder at the baby Sun King, nestled in the arms of the Mother. "Yes, Little Ones," answered the Old Wise Crone. "There is never an end to life. This is the great mystical secret of the Winter Solstice." The Faeries laughed because they were so happy."I think the little Sun King should have gifts," said Rose. "I will show him where the wild roses bloom in the early summer." "And, I will teach him to call the birds and listen to the songs of the wind," exclaimed Dandelion. "When he is older and stronger, " said the Mother, "then the flowers will bloom at his touch, the birds will return to sing their songs, and the air will be warm from his breath, and winter will be gone for a time. Then the Sun King will run and play with you in the forest."

The little Faeries sang to the Baby Sun King, songs of the coming spring, the sweet smelling flowers, the bumbling bees, and all the secrets of the forest. And all the creatures within the sacred grove sang with them. Then the fox took them back to their snug home under the roots of the giant oak tree where they dreamed wonderful dreams, waiting for the warmth of spring and the fun they would have with the little Sun King.

What is this, California???

We had an earth quake this morning! At 6:20 AM or so...

I was sound asleep and felt a rumble, but I would have slept right through and not wondered much what it was, but my husband asked "What is that?? It shook the whole house!" He rose at the clatter, and jumped into a robe to see what was the matter....he went outside and saw neighbors who also came out to see what was going on, and confirmed they felt it too. I am glad he is cautious like that, if it was the chimney exploding or something, I would have barely cared, as I was still sleeping :)

Later, he found it was an earthquake- a 4.7- the epicenter was just a 20 minute drive from here.

I just put up Christmas decorations last night, and some fell and broke. I have letters that spell out "Peace", and the P and C fell from the shelf and broke...the earthquake distrupted our 'PEACE'.


Badly translated article from http://sydsvenskan.se/malmo/article399129/Jordskalv-skakade-stora-delar-av-Skane.html#kommentarer below:

Earthquakes shook large parts of Skåne
By Daniel Persson
First published: 16 Dec 2008 06:50

Twenty or more than six in the morning, shaken by an earthquake Scania with a magnitude of 4.7. IHT has received reports from across the Skåne and from Denmark and Småland. According to experts, are likely after the quake. Earthquake which felt across southern Sweden on Tuesday morning is the strongest in over 100 years. And now expect the experts to the quake.

But the people will come to harm is unlikely, "said Reynir Bödvarsson at the Seismic Institute in Uppsala. He was raised by a journalist five minutes after skalvet which had its epicenter near the Tomelilla according to preliminary data. According Reynir Bödvarsson, it is a quake with a magnitude of 4.7. -

It felt across Skåne, large parts of southern Sweden, to Stockholm, Denmark and certainly northern Germany. Usually occurring earthquakes around the continental plate boundaries and hollows, but there are also earthquakes inside the plates.

The quake, we know a little bit less about, but we research into this and all information we can get is very valuable, "said Reynir Bödvarsson. He argues that it is reasonable to expect after the quake - even if they do not learn to become as powerful as the morning.

- Most of them will probably not feel at all. But it is not unlikely that anything will be rejected. To find an earthquake is on par with the morning, we must go back to 1904 when an earthquake shook the Koster Islands off Strömstad.

The closest we come in recent years is Potchefstroom Skalvet 1986, but it was less than this, strikes Bödvarsson fixed. According to him, the public need not feel any concern for the injured in a quake, the probability is very small, he said.

and...Funny Things My Daughter Says...

This morning she is saying "Shut your eyes, and close your pants, and you will have a big surprise!!! Open your pants!"

Sankta Lucia

In Sweden December 13th is celebrated as Sankta Lucia Day. The day is celebrated at home, in schools, and in churches.

We prepared for it by reading "Lucia Morning in Sweden" by Ewa Rydåker, which we bought our daughter last year as a Christmas gift from the Scandinavian store in our Florida hometown. It has recipes for the food, lyrics for the song, and patterns for the Lucia gown. You can click on this link for a list of fun things to do for Lucia day, and on the picture of the book for more infomation about it.

We should have also made some homemade pepparkakor(thin hard gingerbread cookies) and lusskatt buns (yellow saffron buns) to get ready for Lucia, but baking was not in the cards the day before. Instead we purchased some good Anna's pepparkakor and a few gluten free ones for the SwedeDaddy. (Gotta love Sweden, where OF COURSE they sell gluten free pepparkakor) Pepparkakor is to Sweden what the chocolate chip cookie is to America- a national symbol. We did get to enjoy the homemade LussKatt buns my sister in law made!

For the home celebration of Lucia, the children wake before the adults, and the eldest girl dons the Lucia costume -a crown of lights, a white linen gown, and a red silk sash. The other children dress as attendants in white gowns or starboy outfits. They bring pepparkakor, Lussekatt buns, and a warm drink to the parents in bed, singing the Lucia song.

Our three and a half year old daughter was delighted to be Lucia this year. She insisted before bed we make "preparations" as she said, and had us put her clothing, crown, and cookies in reach.

I thought she would wake us to tell us it was time, but instead she dressed fairly completely, and snuck in and asked me to tie her sash "tie this mom, I do not know how to tie yet" and help her get the gluten free pepparkakor (only in Sweden!) package open "just open this package, then go RIGHT back to sleep." She came in proudly singing and carrying a tray of cookies. She did not take the outfit off all day!
At school, children gather and hold a performance of winter songs. Traditionally, there is only one Lucia and the other children wear attendant gowns, and boys dress as star boys. Now it is common for children to dress as tomtes (gnome, wearing Santa outfits), or gingerbread man outfits as well. In schools, it is common for there to many Lucias, so as to not create a competition.

The Littlest Lucia.

Our Swede nephew had a lovely Lucia performance at his school in the snow, followed by glogg and pepparkakor for all.
Towns do select a single Lucia by a vote, and that Lucia represents the town in the Church celebration. Swedish Lucia is celebrated in church with a procession and singing, but not always a service or mass. Sweden is overall a rather secular society, and Swedes hold a deep appreciation for winter time traditions, but symbols like Lucia, the advent candles, and Jul are not necessarily observed as religious celebrations as much as seasonal celebrations. The same mythology is observed as in Christianity- the return of the light and the renewal of spirit. The Swedes just do it with out talking much about Jesus, or doing so more metaphorically.

Lucia is called a Saint Day, and it is supposed to be about the martyred Italian Saint Lucy who lived in Italy in the 3rd century AD, who helped Christians escape in the catacombs, and is said to have worn a crown of candles on her head to keep her hands free. However, the association is more likely an intersection of pagan stories with Christians ones. Lux is the Latin word for light, and is the root of both Lussi and Lucy, and Lucifer, who is the fallen angel of light. Lussi Night in Scandinavia is an old tradition that fell on Winter solstice (which was about December 13th) before the Julian calendar came to be used in 1559 AD. Now, solstice has shifted but Lucia is still celebrated on December 13th. The association with St. Lucy is not actually much part of the celebration here, but is part of the official story.

(Click to get to a link to hear the whole song)

Sankta Lucia

Natten går tunga fjät, runt gård och stuga.
Kring jord som sol'n förlät, skuggorna ruva.
Då i vårt mörka hus, stiga med tända ljus,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Natten var stor och stum. Nu hör det svingar,
i alla tysta rum, sus som av vingar.
Se på vår tröskel står vitkläd, med ljus i hår,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Mörkret skall flykta snart ur jordens dalar.
Så hon ett underbart ord till oss talar.
Dagen skall åter ny, stiga ur rosig sky,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia

Santa Lucia Song

Hark! through the darksome night
Sounds come a winging:
Lo! 'tis the Queen of Light
Joyfully singing.
Clad in her garment white,
Wearing her crown of light,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Deep in the northern sky
Bright stars are beaming;
Christmas is drawing nigh
Candles are gleaming.
Welcome thou vision rare,
Lights glowing in thy hair.
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

If you were amused by the Nypon Soup/ Dog Soup, here is 'A Light Cat Bun', yes, these really are named for cats. These buns and their yellow color from saffron are a reminder of the return of the light, and I suspect the association with cats comes from Nordic goddess like Freya who were long associated with cats, and said to ride in the night with a harness of cats kinda of like Santa with his reindeer.

Lussekatter (St. Lucia Buns)
St. Lucy's day marks the opening of the Christmas season in Sweden. Lussekatter are their delicious saffron buns made in any number of figures: cats, "s" shapes, or figure eights.

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
8 ounces (1 cup) milk
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 beaten egg white for egg wash

DIRECTIONS
Using a mortar and pestle, pound saffron threads to break down strands.
In a small saucepan, heat milk to lukewarm. Mix yeast with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside. On low heat, melt butter in saucepan with milk. Add crushed saffron. Let cool.
In large bowl, mix together flour salt and remaining sugar. Stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Mix into dry ingredients, beating to mix well. Add beaten eggs. Knead in bowl for 5 - 7 minutes. Turn onto floured board and knead another 7 - 8 minutes. Put dough in lightly greased bowl, turn to coat all sides, cover and put in warm, draft-free place to rise for about 1 hour.
When dough has risen, knead lightly to push out air and divide into small pieces (about 10 - 12). Using the hands, roll each small piece into a strip about 8 - 10 inches long. Shape each strip into an 'S' or a figure 8. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheets. Cover with clean cloth and let rise again until double in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F. When dough has risen, brush lightly with egg white. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. Yield: 10 - 12 buns (recipe from http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/)

This is a GingerBread House we saw at The Swedish Embassy in Washington DC last year, but it is so great it bears shares again. It was a dome home tree house made of pepparkakor- tradition meets modernity, truly Swedish!

Swedish Pepparkakor

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture until combined.
Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies on wire racks. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pepparkakor-II/Detail.aspx)

We Had Serious Snow

I could not sleep Wednesday night, and very late I looked out the window and saw, much to my surprise, more snow! It was a full moon and I went out in the night and watched it come down, everything was glowing blue with the reflected moon light. In the morning, there was several inches on the ground!

Leaving for work and school meant shoveling a thick layer of snow off the car.

We are still new enough to snow, and it is rare enough in our region, that this is still a delight.

Even if you have to clean the car off to drive it.

There was a thick blanket of snow for the Lucia Day celebrations (post forthcoming!), which will have to hold us over. It soon melted away, and the forecast for Christmas Day is warm, so no White Christmas anticipated in these parts. But, oh how I wish... as this snow melted away all too fast.

Tomten= Santa
Armies of Gnomes Bringing Christmas Cheer

Sweden generally has a much more elegant christmas aesthetic than the States. There are white triangles of lights in windows instead of blinky colored light on rooftops. Stars hanging in windows instead of fan powered inflattable penguin snow domes in the yard. But then, there are the gnomes....

And Sweden it is not immune to American Christmas cheesiness. This Santa display, in what I call Swedish Wal-Mart- Bo Ohhlson's (it is the one store that sells a bit of everything- you can buy shoes, baby clothes, a mop, and lawn chairs in the same store, which is a diversity of merchandise not commonly found in Sweden) was singing Elvis when we first spied it. It then turned ol' Julio Iglasias' voice to wish me a Feliz Navid. It would have been the best if it was singing in Swedish...

The Santas were the familiar tribute to American style Santa, who are based on the images evoked in "A Visit from St. Nicholas/ The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore published in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 1823.

In Sweden, Santa is called Tomte. Generally speaking tomte are little gnomes who live on your farm, usually in the barn. They are often grumpy, and prone to retaliation if they or your animals are mistreated. They are valued helpers you work hard to keep satisfied, and appreciate it if you make an offering to them a good bowl of rice pudding every now and again. The more typical Swedish Christmas decorations reflect the idea of the farm tomten who looks like a bearded older man gnome, instead of the American looking Santa. The Swedish idea of Santa's appearance comes from the poem Santa published in 1881.

(You can thank google translation for the weird translation below! But welcome to my world- where total understanding is not likely and daily living requires a bit of imagination and extrapolation).

Tomten
Santa
Ursprungligen publicerad i Ny Illustrerad Tidning 1881.
Originally published in the New Illustrated Newspaper 1881.Midvinternattens köld är hård,
Midvinternattens cold weather is tough,
stjärnorna gnistra och glimma.
the stars sparkle and gleam.
Alla sova i enslig gård
All sleep in the secluded courtyard
djupt under midnattstimma.
deep in the midnight hour.
Månen vandrar sin tysta ban,
Moon hike its tacit ban,
snön lyser vit på fur och gran,
snow white lights on pine and spruce,
snön lyser vit på taken.
snow white lights on the ceilings.
Endast tomten är vaken.
Only the land is awake.

Står där så grå vid ladgårdsdörr,
It says so gray when ladgårdsdörr,
grå mot den vita driva,
gray against the white run,
tittar, som många vintrar förr,
look, as many winters before,
upp emot månens skiva,
up to Moon's disc,
tittar mot skogen, där gran och fur
looking towards the woods, where spruce and pine
drar kring gården sin dunkla mur,
draws on the farm his shadowy wall,
grubblar, fast ej det lär båta,
hews, but not the learning
ata, över en underlig gåta.
of a strange conundrum.

För sin hand genom skägg och hår,
For his hand through the beard and hair,
skakar huvud och hätta
--- shakes head and bonnet ---
»nej, den gåtan är alltför svår,
»No, the mystery is too difficult,
nej, jag gissar ej detta
» --- no, I guess not this "---
slår, som han plägar, inom kort
strikes, which he Plage, shortly
slika spörjande tankar bort,
slika ask minds,
går att ordna och pyssla,
can be arranged and tweaking,
går att sköta sin syssla.
going to go about their job.
Går till visthus och redskapshus,
Navigate to visthus and redskapshus,
känner på alla låsen
--- aware of all the locks ---
korna drömma vid månens ljus
cows dream at the Moon Light
sommardrömmar i båsen;
Summer dreams in the booths;
glömsk av sele och pisk och töm
forgetful of the harness and whipped and empty
Pålle i stallet har ock en dröm:
Podium in the house also has a dream:
krubban han lutar över
krubban he leans over
fylls av doftande klöver;
--- filled with fragrant clover; --- Går till stängslet för lamm och får,
Navigate to the fence for lamb and sheep;
ser, hur de sova där inne;
look, how they sleep in there;
går till hönsen, där tuppen står
go to the hens, which are cockerel
stolt på sin högsta pinne;
proud at their highest perch;
aro i hundbots halm mår gott,
Karo in the dog bots straw feel good,
vaknar och viftar svansen smått,
wake up and waves his tail small,
Karo sin tomte känner,
Karo's Santa know,
de äro gode vänner.
they are good friends.Tomten smyger sig sist att se
Santa creeping up finally to see
husbondfolket det kära,
husbondfolket the ladies,
änge och väl han märkt, att de
long and well, he noticed that the
hålla hans flit i ära;
keep his diligence in glory;
barnens kammar han sen på tå
children's combs his late on toes
nalkas att se de söta små,
approach to see the cute little,
ingen må det förtycka:
no one shall be the oppression:
det är hans största lycka.
it is his greatest happiness.
Så har han sett dem, far och son,
So he has seen them, father and son,
ren genom många leder
clean through many leads
slumra som barn; men varifrån
slumber as a child, but from where
kommo de väl hit neder?
coming to the well-hit Dutch?
Släkte följde på släkte snart,
Genus followed the race soon,
blomstrade, åldrades, gick --- men vart?
flourished, aging, went --- but where?
Gåtan, som icke låter Riddler,
which allows non -
gissa sig, kom så åter!
guess, came as re!

Tomten vandrar till ladans loft:
Santa will walk to the barn loft:
där har han bo och fäste
where he live and drew
högt på skullen i höets doft,
would be high on the höets fragrance,
nära vid svalans näste;
close at swallow nest;
nu är väl svalans boning tom,
now well swallow habitation empty,
men till våren med blad och blom
but the spring with leaves and flowers
kommer hon nog tillbaka,
she will probably back;
följd av sin näpna maka.
Following his näpna wife.
Då har hon alltid att kvittra om
Then she always chirp about
månget ett färdeminne,
event a journey of memory,
intet likväl om gåtan, som
Nevertheless, nothing about the riddle,
which rör sig i tomtens sinne.
move the plot in mind.
enom en springa i ladans vägg
Through a slot in the barn wall
lyser månen på gubbens skägg,
lit moon on the old man beard,
strimman på skägget blänker,
stripe on the beard shiny,
tomten grubblar och tänker.
santa chews and thinking.
Tyst är skogen och nejden all,
Quiet is the forest and Nejden all,
livet där ute är fruset,
life out there is frozen,
blott från fjärran av forsens
fall only from the remote proper case
höres helt sakta bruset.
Slowly höres quite noise.
Tomten lyssnar och, halvt i dröm,
Santa is listening and, half in a dream;
tycker sig höra tidens ström,
believe themselves to hear tomorrow's power,
undrar, varthän den skall fara,
wonder, whither it be a danger,
undrar, var källan må vara.
wonder, was the source may be.

Midvinternattens köld är hård,
Midvinternattens cold weather is tough,
stjärnorna gnistra och glimma.
the stars sparkle and gleam.
Alla sova i enslig gård
All sleep in the secluded courtyard
gott intill morgontimma.
good next morning hour.
Månen sänker sin tysta ban,
Luna lowers its tacit ban,
snön lyser vit på fur och gran,
snow white lights on pine and spruce,
snön lyser vit på taken.
snow white lights on the ceilings.
Endast tomten är vaken.
Only the land is awake.