Merry Christmas! Natalie The Explorer takes a well deserved break from the Weekend Coffee Share for a couple weeks, but I figure if someone still wants to have nice warm cup you are more than welcome to my home. Can I get you some coffee? Or tea?
How are you? I hope the holidays are bringing peace and joy to you, and your loved ones. It is a happy week at our house. We’ve been making more gingerbreads, and another gingerbread house (don’t know exactly what kind of tornado the house was exposed to. LOL.)
We had our Christmas dinner last Sunday, before my son left for a week with his dad. The dinner was a success. We made a turkey in the oven with all the fixings, and some Swedish dishes as well. We’ve been enjoying leftover this week, and added some more yummy food every day. There have been lots of good food all week. In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, the 24th. My daughter wanted to do it the American way and asked Santa to come on the 25th, so he did..In the process of making our own Christmas tradition we are having Mexican food on the 25th. We’ve had that for a couple years, since it is my daughters favourite cuisine.
Luckily we are enjoying some wonderful time outdoors as well, considering all the good food, we better get some exercise this holiday season. I have a surprise adventure planned for my daughter for next week. To not spoil the surprise I will tell you next weekend. I can tell you this much, my hopes are high, and I am excited!
I received some very happy news earlier this week, I got accepted into the school I applied to for my Degree of Master of Science, Main Field of Study: Educational Work. I am starting in January, right after handing in my last assignment in the current class I am taking in Special Education and Social Emotional Difficulties. Adding new skills and knowledge makes my work more meaningful to me (makes me try harder to always do my best,) and hopefully it makes a difference to all the children I meet on a daily basis. I am super happy that I got accepted to this program, despite a smaller mishap leading me to handing in my application a few hours too late (totally out of character for me.) If I succeed keeping up with the pace of the school it is going to take me two years to get my degree, while I am working full time at my regular job. I have a permanent position at a job that I love, and I won’t give that up, I am only looking to add some knowledge.
However you decide to enjoy your holiday, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Love,
Maria
GreenDreams 
Merry Christmas, Maria! I love your photos, the ducks are so cute! Congratulations on your acceptance into the program you want! Best wishes in that for you. It’s amazing that there are trails you can take to get around town, that’s wonderful! Does anyone ride snowmobiles there? Be safe and well my friend! By the way 55F and sunny in Vegas today, the high will drop into the 40s soon, too cold!
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Thank you John! Merry Christmas! If we’ll get a little more snow lots of people will get their snowmobiles out. I use to enjoy snowmobiling a lot in my teens. Lots of fun memories! Enjoy the sunshine 🙂
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Congratulations on your entry into your degree program. I’m sure you will do well.
I hear you on food and treats, we do overindulge a bit at holiday time. Tamales seem to be the food of choice around Christmas, don’t ask me why. I would make some, but haven’t quite mastered the preparation. For some reason, it has been more difficult to obtain cornhusks to wrap the tamale this year. On my menu, it is guacomole for lunch and a chicken tortilla casserole for dinner. The casserole is prep intensive, so I don’t make it often.
We literally haven’t had any snow this winter, just a few flakes, here in Colorado. Same with the cold. Our days have been very mild. We’ll take the nice weather any time we can get it.
Hope you have had/having a wonderful Christmas. Best wishes for the coming new year.
Stay well,
David
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Thank you so much David! I hope all the food turned out fabulous! I haven’t made tamales in years, literally, but it is SO good! That should be on my list of things to reintroduce to our kitchen. Corn is not widely grown in Sweden, but in the summertime it is possible to get a hold of corncobs with the husk still attached.
Enjoy the rest of this magical holiday season.
//Maria
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Hope your Christmas was magical, Maria! Enjoy your vacation week ahead. ❤️ 🙏🏽
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Thank you so much Eliza! I hope your Christmas is magical ❤ Miss H and I are enjoying ourselves tremendously. Today I'll do some packing for our adventure, she still have no clue what we're going to do. Be safe ❤
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Can’t wait to read about it. 🙂
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Sounds like a wonderful Christmas – and I can’t wait to hear about your adventure! Congrats again on your acceptance, that is awesome news and I’m so excited for you! Love seeing all your snow pics, we had a few inches, now rain and warm temps. Hope all is well on your side of the pond! Merry Christmas..
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Thank you so much! Happy New Year! I hope you get to go snowmobiling a lot!
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What a lovely tree. I applaud you adding to your knowledge and skills in education, Here we have so many kids, including our Grandson , who have really suffered due to the pandemic lockdown school closures. He recently did an assessment for a private school that ourdaughter had applied to. They said they could see he was a bright kid but is so far behind. They said this is due to the Covid closures. In order to get him up to speed ,so he will not be behind his classmates, they have recommended a tutor. I am glad he will be able to catch up. The person who is the barn manager has two kids(Twins) the same age as our grandson and a daughter two years older. He has told me that all of his kids are very behind due to Covid closures. He says that the school is aware of this but there is little they can do about it, Sad really.
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Thank you Anne. That is so sad that your grand son and other children fall behind due to the pandemic. Very sad. I am happy that your grand son is blessed to be able to have a tutor, that is wonderful. I hope he catch up soon, and are able to attend a good school. Happy New Year!
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Hi Maria!
Merry Christmas weekend!! I’m so excited for you and your acceptance into the program you applied! So COOL!! 💞
I just Love all your photos, your Christmas tree is so pretty and festive. And your daughter has a way with animals as I think those ducks recognize her and that is so darn cute!! I can’t wait to here about your surprise adventure with your daughter. ❤️
I’m up North visiting my daughter this weekend Sunday thru Tuesday. I took a couple days off of work. We are getting soooo much rain (it’s needed) but it’s pretty wet at the stables. My horses have a nice dry place under their shelters thank goodness. It’s been unusually cold here too even though I can’t complain as it’s not near as cold as where you live! 🥰 I’m actually able to wear my sweatshirts! 😀 Have a wonderful week ahead!! 💖
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Thank you Diana! I’ve enjoyed seeing your photos from your visit with your daughter. ❤ We had a lovely time in Jämtland. It was wonderful to see my sister and my old town 🙂 We are back home catching up with things now. It's great to go on adventures, and great to come home again. Happy, Happy New Year!
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Beautiful Maria! Your tree is beautiful. What a lovely area you live in and how wonderful you get to spend such quality time with your family there! Oh and that gingerbread house is perfect! I love the memories you are making.
Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much Nancy! I feel blessed. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones ❤
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