I am currently sitting in my room procrastinating... I should be packing all the glass I am going to try to take back to the states, doing laundry and in general organizing my life. I am doing none of those things... I am eating pepparkakor and making mix CDs. I should also be showering and eating something good for me... but where is the Christmas spirit in that? So, I decided to further procrastinate, but try to do something productive in that time... so here I am posting! Lucky for you all I am such a good procrastinator!
So, yesterday was Friday... who doesn't love Fridays? Someone who doesn't enjoy getting up at 7 to go to school? Well, they must not be going to glass school! I got to school and got to work with Sigrid, she is Vegard's wife and is in the second year class. She is really good and super nice but I haven't spent that much time with her since she is more advanced and has kids so doesn't hangout much. Unfortunately she did not feel well and so had a hard time blowing, it is amazing what that heat can do to you when you are congested or feverish feeling already. We made a few good things and then decided that in the afternoon maybe we should just go to the cold shop... it was one of those days. She also pointed out that I have been using a pipe that is not round on then end. Normally pipes are nice and round, which I assume helps you keep the piece round... mine was much more of a long oval I would say. I had found it to be a good size and not bent which is the problem with most of the pipes and so Vegard had set it off to the side so I could get it everyday... apparently neither of us noticed the glaring problem is the oval shape. Whoops.
Here is what I did on Thursday:
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The one on the right is an awesome purple color and kind of looks like a volcano. The punty was too cold to work with it so it had to stay that shape... which is a pretty cool shape luckily.
During the morning we had a very nice "fika" (coffee) where Marianne and Micke gave us coffee cake (home made), fruits (clementines and figs), and chocolates! Normally this takes place on cleaning day which was the day before but we got it a day late because it was harder to organize with lactose and glutton free and vegans in the class. It was really nice and gave us all a bit of a sugar high for the rest of the morning. Needless to say when it was time for lunch, at 11 (super early on Fridays) I wasn't hungry at all!
In the afternoon I went to the cold shop and worked on a tea pot I am doing some flower cutting in. I finished the design but I need to grind down the top and for some reason the tea pot felt very fragile so I decided it might be best to put it down for the day. Instead I helped Rosanne who was putting together a glass box. Tiffany style, with the silver holding the pieces together. I didn't do much but help apply copper tape to the glass for the silver stuff to stick to when she heats (what is the word I am looking for? Soder? that doesn't look right... but sounds right... anyway something like that) the metal to hold the pieces together. I want to do that one day too, maybe make a Christmas Star for the window? I don't know... maybe I can come up with something really cool while on break!
After school I took a much needed nap and then went to the riding stables. This would be my last time for a while since I will be away for so long for Christmas so I was super happy when I saw that I got to ride Poseidon and it was a jumping lesson! He was happy to see me too I think, he instantly searched me all over for treats and happily stood with his head hanging out his door while I groomed him. Everyone always ties the horses up in their stalls to groom them and Poseidon is so good at standing still that I let him look out and he really seems to enjoy it. We jumped a combination (three bounces, where the horse only puts their feet down and then jumps again instantly over the next jump) to a large oxer on a bend. So, it was 3 bounce to a 3 stride right turn to an oxer and then the next time you did the 3 bounce to a left turn, huge 4 stride to a super wide oxer. If you remember Poseidon is a great jumper but a bit of a scared-y-cat when it comes to new jumps, so the oxers were a little interesting the first time. He leapt over them with a good 2 feet to spare the first few times. Pia kept making them higher and higher which I loved and Poseidon wasn't too sure about. Finally, at the end of the lesson I was allowed to jump the two oxers one last time in a figure 8 instead of with the bounce and she jacked them up from 3 feet to about 3'6"! I knew Poseidon might look but hoped he would be fine, NO! He stopped to the first one once but I got him over it the second time... but he had to jump like a deer he thought and Pia said he could have jumped the top of the standard he jumped so high! I nearly got jumped off the horse and of course cursed as we were flying through the air! We kept going to the next one and he stopped again (super frustrated with myself!!!) and then jumped on the second attempt (this is the wide one) just like the first one but I was holding on better and he was so proud of himself he bucked and snorted around the corner. Pia let me go one more time to make them a little more, well, sane and Poseidon was much better but could have easily cleared a 4'6" jump with his enthusiasm. Pia again pointed out that good breeding (father and grandfather were WEG competitors) doesn't always do much for the brain. It reminded me of Justin having that much power and ability in a horse. Always brings a HUGE smile to my face. I can't wait to see Justin when I am home!!
After riding I hurried to dinner (nearly late as usual). Jukke had heard that the pizza place in Orrefors had opened back up! His wife is also in town for Christmas so he wanted us all to meet her! Jukke is so obviously in love with his wife, he talks of her so fondly and sweetly, he face lights up when he says "my wife" and he smiles like a loon when he talks of their future together. Everyone we ran into over the course of the evening he rushed her up them and said "have you met my wife? Itu this is..." She was a little tired (27 hours of traveling) and there were a lot of people at dinner so I didn't get to meet her much but I hope to talk to her more over the next few days. They are an adorable couple and it is nice to finally have a face to go with "my wife."
After dinner a few us went to Bosse's for a while to hangout and have a few drinks. We played some Bullshit and in general made fun of each other. After a while Thomas and I noticed a strange wax sculpture or sort of voodoo contraption in the shelf. We finally got Bosse to tell us what it was and show us. He makes these sculptures or towers entirely out of candle wax and has a competition with his friends where he grew up I think on who can make the tallest one with the least amount of candles. He started to show us the technique and Bjorn and Nick got really into it:
You have to blow on the drips just right to get them to make long chains...
don't burn each other...
Or accidentally heat up an existing part with your candle and melt it away.
Finally, sit back and admire your smokin' masterpiece.
And, in case you forgot what it looks like here...
It is dark and snowy and the lakes are freezing over.
There is even snow under roofs. This is that cute gazebo I took a picture of last week maybe. There is maybe 2 feet of snow on the floor of it. Not so cozy and romantic any more...
Now, I am going to try to organize... or maybe just go to bed with a movie and some chocolate... we will see.
Those candle wax pictures are really cool! And I kind of loooove the gazebo, even covered in snow. Can't wait to see you soon!
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