Incredible the selection and variety that is available in the states! In this grocery store in MN, there was 8 different kinds of mini-wheat cereal (the 2 flavors of Little Bites boxes on the second shelf are also mini-wheats).
Been really enjoying the good food in America that we cannot easily find in Sweden. My mother-in-law made this Cornish Hen for us stuffed with dressing/stuffing and it tasted very good. My favorite cereal so far has to be the Frosted Mini-wheats. What a great mix of frosting and healthy wheat! The readily available English Toffee Cappaccinos at the local gas stations is fantastic! But I already promised myself I was going to lay off the funnel cakes and the deep-fried oreos this summer.
We noticed that our wood pile had fallen over. Neither we or our neighbors heard it happen. I am blaming the local cats around here. I always find bird feathers in our yard after they catch something. But actually it was probably just that I had done a lousy job stacking the first time. By the way, thanks to the generousity of one of our neighbors who had extra, we got this firewood for free. Tack så mycket, Frederick!
Since we have been learning Swedish, I have a lot more respect for immigrants who also struggle to learn another language. Growing up in the states, I was a bit narrow minded toward others who couldn’t speak English. I would often ask myself, why don’t they just learn English? Then I wouldn’t have to listen to Spanish on the automated machines, and read manuals in 5 languages when I purchase a new product. And I admit it is still annoying at times but the more I understand about the difficulties of learning another language, my appreciation grows for others who have tried to learn English or another language. It amazes me that most Europeans can speak a minimum of 2 languages and often more than that. Occassionally we bump into people that are fluent in 4 or 5 languages. A standard joke here is, “What do you call someone who can only speak one language? an American.” But that is really a cultural difference. Most Americans never have a need to learn another language as English is spoken across the world, and Americans can travel for a wide variety of vacations without ever crossing international borders.
I think I wrote too quickly in my first blog when I wrote about spring finally being here. Well, last week it was -5C again and these beautiful tulips froze. But today and this weekend it is supposed to be up to 16C. These are the first spring flowers, Dutch tulips. Time to get out the grill!
Our daughter Hannah enjoyed her first season of basketball. She became known for her tenacious defense and improved in her overall basketball skills steadily over the months. A couple times the coaches praised her in front of her teammates for her dedication and 100% effort during practices and games. Today was her last game and although they lost and now out of the end-of-the-year tournament, she leaves with many good memories. Great season Hannah!
Jedidiah last week sprained his ankle jumping on the trampoline. Not real wise but he was jumping with round balls on the trampoline. Oh well, at least we have a safety net… otherwise we would be at the doctor’s alot more. Then a few days ago, I sprained my ankle playing basketball. At least I made the shot as I was driving to the hoop. Actually it’s amazing that I actually jumped high enough to land on another guy’s foot considering I have a one inch vertical.
Jonas and I came across this cafe in Stockholm where we had a little fika between sessions during an apologetics conference. It caught my eye because Swedes usually spell my name as Jakob. The owner of the shop thought it was fun to meet another Jacob with the same spelling.
This week in Stockholm, we have finally had beautiful weather! In the warmest part of the day from noon to about 5pm, it has been 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). After a long and cold winter, it feels as if summer has come! We see people in short sleeves and kids are refusing to wear jackets. The truth is that when the sun is hiding behind clouds, the air feels chilly. But what a difference that sun makes as it is easy to get sun-burnt after just a couple hours.