Today is
Lucia in Sweden, St. Lucy's day. That's the 'exotic' tradition I was saving up, remember. Here's
this year's Lucia of Stockholm being crowned by Ernst Billgren, one of our most renowned painters/sculptors.
If you want to know more about the Lucia tradition, try
this Wikipedia article. And if you want to see Lucia's ripped out eyes, try
this one (have no fear, it isn't gross.)
The Nobel Prize winners are always awakened at their hotels by a Lucia procession, and I do believe 'exotic' is the word they use to describe it, or 'dreamlike, unreal.' I wanted to find a video clip for you with a Lucia procession singing the Italian song, but there haven't been so many posted yet, no good ones, so I'll get back on that.
Jude expressed a kind hope the other night that I was looking forward to Christmas, but I sorta dodged the issue, for to tell you the truth I'm not. I'm moving back to my place after having been evacuated for a long time due to don't-know-the-noun, but you know: when they change all the plumbing. And in this case also electricity, et cetera. In itself that is good, of course, but it also means I'll be spending Christmas and New Year packing and alone instead of going away to see some friends, which I would otherwise have done. Healthwise I've seen better days, so it's a great strain.
Shaney, are you done packing at your brother's...?