A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Seven

 Thank you so much Dear Friends for joining me for this 'Week of Winter Poetry'! For the last poem of the week I have saved a special favorite, one that involves cake! As I have shared before, winter is my favorite time of year to bake and try out new recipes. It makes the Barn smell amazing and makes it feel extra cozy.


Snow Sugar Cake
From my poetry notebook

On a soggy winter's day
My dearest friend came by to play.
We thought it best to make a cake
For when it's dreary it's time to bake.
Flour and sugar all crystal white
Sparkled in the candle light.
In to the oven nice and hot,
Meanwhile the icing - let's make a lot!
Now stack the cakes all nice and high -
"How pretty it looks" we both will sigh.
A piece for you, a piece for me,
We'll be as happy as two friends can be!
And a glance out the window will bring a surprise -
The world, like a cake, lies before our eyes.
For Mother Nature worked as we worked too,
To frost the landscape in silvery hues.


I do hope my poems brought you some joy this week! I was rather nervous to share so much of my poetry with you, but I know you are a Dear Friend and wouldn't mind if a poem wasn't all that great, haha! I don't often share my poetry, but I hope to share more of it with you if you have liked it. Thank you once again for joining me this week! Until next time Dear Friend!

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Six

Goodness, here we are on day six of a 'Week of Winter Poetry' already. Our week of poetry is almost over, but please - if you enjoyed my poems - tell me below and I may do this again! Today I am sharing two shorter poems once again - and even though these are shorter, they are two of my favorites! I hope you will see why...

A March Day
From my poetry notebook

The days they pass from one to two,
And so the New Year creeps away.
And March is here before we knew,
For Winter said he'd like to stay.
The birds have started coming home,
The sun returns to shine her bliss.
My friends compel me up to roam -
But who would miss a March like this?

Spring Bulbs

From my poetry notebook

The snow that falls

Each little flake

Bares forth a call:

"Spring will be late!"

But in the bed,

All safe and warm,

Comes Crocus heads

Against the storm.

The photo below is from several years ago as my garden is still buried deep under a foot of snow. Just looking at the picture makes me excited for spring! Please share with me below in the comments, has your garden started growing yet? I will be envious if you say yes, haha! I doubt mine will be waking up before the end of April. But thankfully I have pretty pictures like this one to get me by till then!

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Five

There is simply nothing better than finding a letter or parcel awaiting you in your mailbox. It's one of my favorite things! I am blessed to have penpals all over the United States and beyond who I am friends with - some now for over five years, before I was even married! The poem for today is all about the joy I find in writing and receiving letters. Do share with me below - Do you have any penpals? Do you make a practice of writing letters or cards often? I would love to hear!

Letter From a Friend
From my poetry notebook

I received a letter on a snowy day
   in my post box by the road.
It was from a friend quite far away,
   that's what the postmark showed.
I got some biscuits, made some tea,
   and sat down to read her news -
The sight of her handwriting filled me with glee!
   Yes the letter I quickly perused.
"I'm very well and how are you?
   Yes things 'round here are fine.
As I write I'm cooking stew
   and I've got the wash out on the line.
How's the winter been up there?
   Ours has been warm and mild."
Reading of her little joys and cares
   simply made me smile.
And so with paper, pen,
   I sat down to make reply.
One page quickly turned to ten,
   as my thoughts just flew on by.
"Tell me of your plans for spring.
   Have you been writing much?
The birds outside have started to sing,
   they twitter about twigs and such."
I always find it wonderful
   to hear from a friend so dear.
Letters? I have a drawer full!
   To my heart they're very dear.

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Four

Hello again Dear Friends! I do hope you have been enjoying this week so far, and I pray my poems have brought a smile to your face each day. Today I am sharing two shorter poems - the first one I wrote after seeing the morning sun turn the mountains orange and pink. We have not been getting a lot of sun this winter so it was an amazing sight to behold! The second poem talks about the coming of light - something all Alaskans look forward to after our long, dark winters.

Morning on the Mountains
From my poetry notebook

The sun comes up, up over the brink -
It glazes the mountains in a tangerine pink.
The frost it sparkles, the wind is still -
Yet in the stillness hangs winter's chill.
The sun won't rise high above the peak -
Though faces turn in search of heat.
But warmth won't be found until home once again -
When in the presence of tea and a good friend.

New Year's Winter

From my poetry notebook

Pink noses and rosy cheeks,

Counting down the New Year's weeks.

And with each passing darkened day,

A little more light is here to stay.

And so all bundled, safe and warm,

I'll make my way into the storm

Of frosty flakes, of cutting ice -

To see the winter's magic sights!

Several times this winter I have had trouble bundling up for the elements outside my door. Not because I don't own enough scarves (I probably have too many to be truthful), but because the cold just seeps right into your bones, no matter how many layers you put on! It doesn't help that I work in an office that is constantly flooded with cold air as people move in and out from outside. Perhaps I should start wearing puffy snow gear to work like Quinn does? Haha!

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Three

Hello again Friends! Thank you for joining me on day three of my 'Week of Winter Poetry'. Today's poem was a lot of fun to write and talks about all the seasons of the year - I love the idea of all the seasons being sisters. Of course there are quarrels between them every so often: Winter creates a late hard frost just as Spring has her daffodils blooming, Autumn comes early with cold rains and brings a chill in the air to Summer's last golden days. These quarrels sound a bit more poetic than the fights my sisters and I would have, but you get the idea, haha!

Now do tell, what is your favorite season and why? Has it always been your favorite or has it changed? When I was a young girl living in Texas, dreaming of the home I had left in Alaska, my favorite season was winter because there was hardly a winter to speak of! Now that I'm back in my beloved Alaska my favorite season is autumn, just because it's so fleeting here. One day we have gorgeous colors and the next day the wind and rain carry them away. Oh well, it makes it all the more special since it lasts only a little while.

But without further ado, I hope you enjoy today's poem!

The Season's Banquet
From my poetry notebook

One fine day in April
The Seasons gathered for tea.
And this was quite unusual,
To have four and not just three.
For one must always be busy
It was their duty after all.
But Spring was taking a break
And letting Jack Frost cover it all.

This was a big occasion,
As all the sisters knew -
Everything must be perfect
From the first "hello" to the last "audeu"!
Everyone helped decorate
With icicles and flowers,
And Spring covered all the table
With a veil of silver showers.
Summer brought a salad,
Winter brought hot tea,
Autumn brought preserves and scones
and Spring sandwiches a plenty!

While they sat they chatted
about love and about the weather
(For Winter had eyes for Mr. Frost
Who was handsome and quite clever)
Autumn mentioned last year's early freeze -
Winter had to blush -
Spring gave a merry laugh,
While Summer talked in a rush.

And before the day was over,
They'd made plans to meet again,
As all said goodbye to each other
To each sister and dearest friend.
Yes one fine day in April
The Seasons gathered for tea.
And it sounds like they had such a lovely time
I wish they'd invited me!


Last night I actually had two friends over for a tea party, as well as my youngest sister who is visiting! We had a lovely time, just like the four Seasons in the poem, so I don't feel so left out now that I have had my own fancy tea party. Haha!

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day Two

Here we are on day two of my 'Week of Winter Poetry'! The following poem I wrote on a really slow day up at work(when I get most of my inspiration, haha!). At the moment Quinn and I are both working up at Eaglecrest, our local ski area. He as a ski/snowboard instructor, and I myself as a member of the Ski School office, sending all the students out to him. It's been fun working up there, though I'm not sure how much longer I can hide from learning how to ski...(Quinn has been trying to get me on the slopes since we were dating).

The Ski School office is the location of our 'lost & found', which holds everything from ski poles to missing lunch boxes. I was inspired by the large tub of lost gloves we always have to write this following poem. I hope you enjoy it!

Lost Mittens
From my poetry notebook

My favorite pair of gloves - but a warm corgi is always nice too!

I have lost my mittens
I don't know where they've gone
I know I had them yesterday
When I was playing on the lawn.
And I know I had them after
When I went down by the sea -
I took them off to throw some rocks
But I brought them back with me.
I used them to defeat the neighbors
in an epic snowball fight,
and I thought I brought them back inside
when I came home for the night.
But now I can't seem to find them
They're not by my hat or coat
And my mom didn't say she moved them
Nor did she leave me a note.
So I guess I'll stay inside
What else is there to do?
You don't know where my mittens hide
or where they are, do you?

My mother had my mittens,
Yes she had them the whole time
Hidden in the highest spot
Hung up on a line.
Right above the wood stove
To get them warm and dry
Just ready to give me toasty hands
Under winter's snowy sky.
So if you've lost your mittens
And you've searched both near and far
Just ask your mom, I promise
She knows right where they are!

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A Week of Winter Poetry - Day One

Hello Dear Friend! Welcome to the first installment in my 'Week of Winter Poetry'. I so enjoy writing poetry in my free time, and although someday I hope to publish my poems in book-form, this week I will just be sharing them here with you. I think these will be the perfect posts to read with a cup of tea and perhaps some biscuits - so please get cozy! I hope you have a delightful time reading these poems for I had a wonderful time writing them. And now to our first one:

Winter's Day Reading
From my poetry notebook

It's true I like to go for walks 

In Winter's whitest snow

For I find that nature seems to talk

In the stillness as I go.

But there are days (much like today)

When staying cooped up is better.

For all the snow has melted away

And been replaced with rainy weather.

So what is one to do you ask

When kept holed up at home?

My favorite thing it to grab a book

for in my head I can roam.

Suddenly I'm in Paris

With the Eiffel tower shining bright.

And I'm standing on a terrace

In a gown as black as night.

Or now I'm traveling east to west

With a sword strapped to my side

Clothed in armor on a magic quest

To make a princess my bride.

And now I'm a desperate maiden 

Wandering over the moor

With fears and hopes heavy-laden

To find the truth behind the lore.

And when it's time for dinner, well

I'll leave those worlds behind

But they stay with me - like a spell

Yes they're always in my mind.

And so perhaps, next day it rains

I'll find a book to lend

For after reading it, one thing remains:

To share it with a friend!

Are you doing any winter reading? This is the time of year I find time to read, since it can be so cold and unfriendly outside my door. Right now I am reading a book I got for Christmas: "I Will Repay" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy - a sequel to her famous "The Scarlet Pimpernel". I fell in love with this book last year and have since read it three times, so it's wonderful to move on now to the second book. What are you reading Friend? Please share below in the comments! I am always looking for a good book recommendation!

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An Alaskan's Guide to Toughing Out the Rest of Winter

We’ve come to that dreaded time of year here in Juneau, Alaska. Christmas and New Years are both long past, as well as the excitement and joy that come with them. The snow that seemed absolutely magical in December is now cold, icey and devoid of excitement. It’s dark, wet, and it won’t be getting much better until the end of April. What is one to do? In case you’re suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), or just got a case of the winter blues and (like me) are longing for spring - here is a list of ways I combat Alaska’s long, dark winter months:

1.) Light - I have lamps and candles all over Blueberry Barn! Soft lighting makes me feel relaxed and the flicker of candles or oil lamps is such a nice soothing way to light your home. I would so much rather have lamps and candles burning than have my overhead lights on! It can also be very romantic having soft lighting, and it helps disguise a messy home or dirty floors (just kidding!).

A lot of Alaskans (including my father-in-law) live for their ‘Happy Lights’ - lamps that mimic the sun and help reduce the effects of SAD. Earlier this winter, Quinn and I would wake up every morning and shuffle down the stairs only to turn the corner into the kitchen to be blinded by dad’s happy light! He often practices his guitar in the morning in a certain spot, and he would point the happy light right at himself (and right out the window, across the yard and into our kitchen!). After a while we finally had to ask him to turn it away from the window, it was such a shocking way to wake up every morning, haha! 

2.) Pretty Decorations - I don’t know about your house, but Blueberry Barn looks rather plain once all the glittering Christmas decorations are taken down and put away. The way my home looks has a big impact on me - if things are messy I find it hard to create, and likewise if things are orderly and neat I feel at ease and ready to be inspired! Since you’ll be spending a lot of time inside over the winter, it’s so important to keep your home cozy and a haven of rest for yourself and those you love.

So after all the pretty Christmas bobbles are tucked safely away, it’s nice to decorate the Barn in a way to excite me and bring me joy. Often times that means bringing out the Valentine’s Day things a bit early, or perhaps putting up some brightly colored spring decor! Bright and cheerful things are best since it’s still dark out the window and the world appears to be an old black and white photograph.

3.) Cozy Cooking - It’s safe to say winter is the best time of year to make soups, stews, and baked goods. Not only will your tummy be happy, but your house will smell amazing, making it even cozier. In winter it’s even harder for me to make sure I’m getting the exercise I need (no summer hikes to keep me in tip-top shape!), so healthy soups are my favorite go-to meal - bonus points if the recipe uses my crock-pot (then the Barn smells wonderful all day long!).

Cookies are also a fun easy way to brighten up a dark day - just make sure you’re not baking them every day. I like to make a batch of cookie dough, bake a pan, and leave the rest of the dough in the  fridge or freezer until the next time I feel the need for a cookie with my tea (or perhaps when an unexpected friend comes over). A cookie is always a welcome treat, but a cookie straight out of the oven is perfection!

4.) Start a Ritual - Instead of sitting on the couch all evening and binge watching a show, why not think of a better way to spend your time? Something you can look forward to everyday! Perhaps you could have a cup of tea to relax as soon as you get home from work. Maybe you create a fun before-bed routine where you put on your favorite jammies and use a face-mask! Oh perhaps it's sitting quietly in a cozy corner and reading your Bible or spending some time in prayer. It doesn't have to be everyday, but it should be often enough that you look forward to it and have a set time to do it.

For me, a favorite ritual is checking the mailbox when I get home from work. It's so fun to see what little parcel or letter has been tucked inside, and its such a fun time reading news from friends far away. Likewise, the time I spend writing letters to friends is so peaceful, and it fills me with a quiet joy I miss when I'm too busy to sit at my little desk. With how busy our world is it's so precious to have moments of peacefulness in our lives. I hope you carve out a time and space to do this for yourself!

5.) Get Outside! - We have a saying here in Juneau - "If you wait for the weather to be nice, you'll never get out at all." How true it is! Juneau gets on average 71 inches of rain and 80 inches of snow per year. If you wait to take that walk or go on that run you'll be spending all your time shut up inside. It's so important - especially when it's dark for most of the day - to get outside when there's a little bit of light.

I try to take Greta out on a walk at least once a day - not only does she like it, but I benefit from being out of the house! This has been hard as both Quinn and I are working this winter, but even still we try to get outside. When it's dark when we get home we'll go on 'lantern walks' - we'll go below the Barn to the tidal flats, a place we know very well, with kerosene lanterns! It's a fun and magical way to get outside even if the sunset has passed us by.

6.) Plan for Spring - I promise even though it seems far away, it will be here before you know it. If you are hoping to plant a garden, now is the time to begin preparing! Starting seedlings, planning out flower beds, buying seeds - all wonderful ways to keep your mind off of the cold ice creeping up your windowpanes. Or perhaps you have some other project planned for spring, like a party to plan or a special place you hope to visit. It's never too early to make a spring bucket list!

I enjoy looking back through my garden journal for inspiration (this year will be the third year I'm recording!). It's fun to see all the photos from spring and summer! They help to remind me that warmer days are ahead.

7.) Hobbies - It's true, some days it's just too cold and stormy to venture beyond the front door (no matter how many coats and scarves you put on). Those days are the perfect opportunity to work on some fun hobbies - or maybe start a new one. I am always busy during the summer being outside as much as possible, so these long winter days are perfect for sewing, writing, reading, and crafting.

What sorts of hobbies do you have, Friend? I often find myself behind my sewing machine or in a comfy chair with a good book. The only thing is (with the whole day being dark), I find myself accidentally staying up too late working on a project, or reading too long! "I thought for sure it was only nine! How can it be so late already?" Are you the same way? Once I start something and I'm working well at it...time seems to fly on by!

8.) Enjoy the Moment - Even though it seems to drag on, winter isn't here to stay so we need to remember to enjoy it! It's always nice to look toward the future and dream, but don't forget to find peace and contentment in the present. Winter has it's own magic - even after the sparkle from the holidays has worn off - and I hope you, Dear Friend, find that magic today!

I wish you a long, cozy winter Dear Friend!

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A Kulokk

A year or two ago, Abigail and I became entranced by kulning, Swedish herding calls sung to bring the cows in from the mountains. The videos of Jonna Jinton really inspired us, and soon we were trying to teach ourselves the lovely melodies that Jonna sung.

This last July, while visiting my parents in Seattle, I found a book entitled "Sing 'til the Cows Come Home" by Peggy Larson, so of course I picked it up immediately and brought it home! The book centers more around kulokk, the Norwegian form of kulning, though there are several Swedish cow calls in it as well. Not only did the book explain the history of this lovely art form, it included tips and sheet music (even a CD!) so I could learn the cow calls myself!

I've already learned several of the calls in the book, and I'm having such a fun time practicing in the mountains above the Barn (the volume needed for these calls is such that you wouldn't want to practice inside, haha!). Greta loves it too because this means she gets to go on more walks!

With Quinn's help I put together a little video of one of the kulokks I've learned - I hope you like it! This particular call is called 'Kulokk Bushann' and it was originally sung by Eli Storbekken.

I don't have any cows to call, but there were a few eagles in the trees when I sang. And please do let me know if you would like to hear more cow calls - it was so much fun making this video I already have ideas for another! And tell me, had you heard of kulning or kulokk before?

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A Valentine's Day Party

My goodness has it been a busy time around Blueberry Barn! You see the Alaska String Band is getting ready for it's Spring Tour, and Quinn and I have been all abuzz preparing and practicing. I started packing last night, and how I am hoping for some warm weather along the journey - as it has been quite cold here in Juneau these past days!

Amid all the hustle and bustle of singing songs and mapping out a show, we were all ready for a break when Valentine's Day rolled around. Of course I had already been planing a few surprises in the form of Valentines and poems, and with Melissa's help a menu was planned and a date was set! We would be celebrating not only the day of love and friendship, but also Paul's, Laura's and Quinn's birthdays! You see Paul was gone for his birthday early in January, and we were gone in Seattle for Quinn's, and Laura's is at the end of February while we are on tour, so we decided to throw a big party and celebrate them all!

On Melissa's menu were: Hamburgers, fries, lemonade, baked beans, chips, roasted veggies, deviled eggs, and a plethora of baked cookies and desserts! I agreed to do the lemonade and the fries (as I had found a recipe for fries made in a Dutch oven that I really wanted to try) and a dessert that had captured my imagination for a long while: Swedish Princess Cake.

You know that I love everything Scandinavian, and specifically anything from Sweden in particular, so when I saw pretty photos of this dessert I was captured. It was just so lovely! I figured a Valentine's Day/Birthday Party would be the perfect time to try to attempt this grand dessert, and so I spent hours the night before the party preparing the separate components of the cake.

I found a very detailed recipe for the cake here on this website. The night before the party I was able to get a large portion of this dessert complete, which proved very handy since I would be so busy the next day. I was able to make the white cake, the pastry cream (which I don't think turned out quite right, but more on that later), and the marzipan (something else I had never made before!). The marzipan would cover the cake much like fondant does on fancy wedding cakes, and I was rather terrified of it. I had never used anything like marzipan or fondant before! Swedish Princess cakes are usually a light green color, but I saw on Pinterest that some were also colored a lovely pink, and so I chose that color for my cake to go with the Valentine's Day theme. As I kneaded the food coloring into the marzipan I prayed that the cake would turn out alright, or else Paul, Laura, and Quinn would have to blow out candles in a cookie rather than a real cake!

The next morning Quinn made the lemonade and the whipped cream for the cake while I started to put the layers together. Between each of the three layers of cake went some of the pastry cream along with a thin layer of raspberry jam. When the whipped cream was all done we added the pastry cream to it and I started the process of covering the whole cake in a dome of cream! Meanwhile, Quinn helped roll out the marzipan (I had started this before putting the layers of cake together, but I found that my frail little arms weren't going at a very fast rate! Thank you honey!).

In the photo above you can see that some of the pastry cream turned out rather lumpy, but Quinn told me it would taste wonderful all the same. As we got ready to put the marzipan on the cake I triumphantly told Quinn that "I've fried chicken before! This should be a piece of cake!" Unfortunately, it was not a piece of cake...

In times like this it is important to take a step back, understand that the end of the world has not yet come, and laugh at yourself. That's why I didn't mind Quinn taking this photo of my ruined marzipan (it tore right down the middle as we put it on) and me still with curlers in my hair. Oh well, perhaps I will be able to laugh at it in a year or so. Haha!

In order to fix the broken marzipan I scraped the whipped cream that had stuck to it from the cake and Quinn re-rolled it into a large piece that we sort of just threw on and hoped for the best. I didn't want to try to cover the large seam that ran through the center of the cake, so I just decided to live with it - after all, hopefully the taste would cover up the patchy exterior. After spending hours upon hours on this cake I was (though it's silly to admit) tired of looking at it, so we put it in the fridge and I prayed that the marzipan would't fall off the cake altogether! To the main house we went, Quinn carrying potatoes and our Dutch Oven and myself with a basket full of Valentines!

Quinn started right away on the fries, while I helped Melissa set the table. We wouldn't be putting out Valentines yet, they would have to wait till after lunch! Greta looked mournfully out the back door, for Paul was grilling out there...

Inside the table was all set and ready, and Laura had set out deviled eggs that she had made. Oh, but wait...it seems someone has already gotten to them!

All the cookies and treats were set out on Melissa's favorite Christmas present: a new cast-iron stove! It seems the ovens had been busy with all of these sweet looking cookies, and who do you suppose those boxes of chocolates are for, hmmm?

One of the other stoves was even more covered than this one, but in brightly wrapped packages!

In the kitchen Quinn called that the fries were done and a group of hungry people crowded around to watch him pull them out of the Dutch oven, looking (and tasting!) fantastic! Paul came in with a plate full of burgers and it was time for the party to begin! As we sat down to eat, someone remarked "Burgers and fries and parties, one could almost believe that it's summer!" and we all agreed!

I think we all must have been hungry because not much was said during lunch, but I think everyone agreed afterward that Quinn's fries stole the show. Before we knew it it was time for presents and Valentines! Everyone retrieved things from hidden spots and carefully set beautiful surprises at each persons place at the table. It was such a joy to see all the colorful things awaiting you!

 As I promised, I'll share with you a few of the poems I wrote for everyone in their Valentine cards. I think everyone liked them, and I hope you like them as well!

For Melissa:
I'm not a flower, nor a dish or a shoe,
I may not be an oven, but I'm in love with you.
And though I'm not a flower, a dish or fancy shoe,
Perhaps you could find it in your heart to love me too?

For Abigail:
Coffee and chocolate are both lovely things,
And boys are alright with their speeches and rings.
So what could I do to win all your love?
I'll kill all the spiders! (And give you all things above.)

For Paul:
I know the doctors have you eating right,
But it won't hurt to take just one bite.
And if you feel bad just remember your kin,
For you come from a long line of Chocoslovakians!

In case you didn't guess, Abigail does not like spiders whatsoever, haha! And the silly Czechoslovakian joke in Paul's poem is all thanks to Abby: One day the band was playing up at the Mount Roberts Tramway here in Juneau. Abigail was quite young then, and someone asked her where her family came from. She replied that they were "Chocoslovakians" which is very close for a young girl!

I think it is safe to say that everyone enjoyed their poems, though I did sign them 

"-Anonymous" so they were a bit baffled at the beginning - but isn't that part of the fun of Valentine's Day? I also gave everyone another Valentine, this one cut from an old road atlas and decorated with confetti from my friend Jaclyn's stationery store, "Leaving a Paper Trail" (which I talked about in the Valentines making post here). Here are some photos of the one I made for Quinn - though each one had a different saying typed out on the front:

I have to say, I felt quite special after opening all the pretty cards and marveling at all the yummy chocolates and candy set before me. It's so nice to feel loved, especially through the giving of silly cards and Valentines! Please tell me about your Valentine's Day celebrations below in the comments, Dear Reader, I would love to hear about them! Did you make some homemade Valentine's this year? Did you make any special treats?

Speaking of which, it was time to reveal the Swedish Princess Cake, oh dear! Quinn again assured me that all would be well, and together we went back to the Barn to retrieve it from the fridge. To my relief the marzipan had mostly stayed on the cake, and it only needed a little moving about to get back where it was supposed to be. Before we went back inside I had him take a photo for me:

Of course I'm trying to hold it so the large seam that goes down the middle isn't visible, but believe me, it was there! Haha! I also read that a lot of bakers will put a pretty ribbon around the base of the cake to cover up the seam of the marzipan, so I did that as well with a bit of lace that I had lying around. I decorated the top of it with mini roses and rose buds that I made out of extra marzipan. 

Everyone was very surprised when I brought it in. It looks so different from what we in the US think of when we think of a cake. It doesn't have straight sides and it has a big dome on top, nothing like what usual fancy cakes are like here. Melissa wasn't sure if we would "ruin" it if we put candles in it, but I said it would be fine, so Paul, Laura and Quinn got to blow out candles after all!

No, none of them are turning 108. Melissa just added up all of their ages, and they each got a candle, haha!

Quinn was super nervous after the marzipan fiasco, so he blatantly told me that I would have to cut the cake, he wasn't going to mess it up again. He's so silly, isn't he? I didn't mind at all, I just hoped it would taste good!

Dear Reader, I'm not quite sure how to say this but believe me that it was worth all of the hours and all of the failure with the marzipan. Yes, it was that good. So if you ever have a spare two days or if you're just swinging through Sweden someday, I heartily recommend getting a slice (or probably two or three) of this cake, because it was fantastic! And the best part, everyone agreed with me! They all loved it as well!


And though Valentine's Day is now passed, the idea of love is still on my mind as I ponder a cherished verse from 1 John:

"We love because He first loved us."

1 John 4:19

I pray your Valentine's Day was filled with love from family, friends, and the One who started it all, our Lord Jesus Christ. It turns out that I'll be gone from Blueberry Barn for Easter, one of my favorite holidays, as the band will still be on tour, but I hope to celebrate (and decorate the Barn) later in the month of April. Please also know Dear Reader that I plan to keep you updated on the happenings while I am on the road, perhaps in the style of a travel journal, so I won't be dropping off the face of the earth for six weeks, I promise! I would also love to have your prayers as I am away, for a tour is an exhausting experience in nature, though it is filled with new sites and adventures as well. Until next time friend!

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