Hildegard offers me another cup of lemon verbena, the leaves straight from her front steps. I wish I had the capacity to download all of the photos I've shot of this incredible place.. H's computer is a low voltage machine that she has specifically ordered due to her high sensitivity to electricity. All lights in the house are on only at absolutely necessary hours, and her lamp above the kitchen table is candle lit. We sit there in the bright morning (though it was bright at 4am) and discuss her travels in India and her move from Germany about twenty years ago. I look down at the apple sauce (one of the thousands of apple derivatives we've consumed during the beginning days of the apple season), yogurt and cracker mixture, a slurry piqued with the occasional vinebär or fresh currant. Everything we consume, save a few dairy products is straight from the garden. A strict, but fairly complex vegetarian diet that leaves me dreaming of north carolina bbq.
We leave the table, and I snag the dishes hoping to win some merit with my highly demanding boss making sure that the water is not on too hard for too long, or too hot (all things I've learned through trial and error). She restricts soap usage for only the toughest grease which is rare considering how little cheese and meat they cook with.. We leave outside, and I don her eldest son's boots-and while I've always been known to wear a small 42, I squeeze happily into a size 40, tuck Denise's jeans into the tops and head out to collect apples. Today she has me chopping down the field formerly known as "The Butterfly Sanctuary". There is nothind sacred about this large patch of grass which these long handled shears are no match for.. The dull blades pull pathetically at the grass and it takes several attempts at finding the best way to grab at the grass rather than attempt to use the tool for its original purpose. Hildegard drops by after tending to her tomatoes in the greenhouse to survey the progress, "Dat's eet?" She says, surprised at the lack of ground I've covered. Hildegard works diligently beside me gathering up the grass with a rake and piling it into her wheelbarrow to take to the side of a long gravel path to add to the compost. Several of the piles of discarded apples I collected earlier are slowly hidden by the mounting grass shards. I'm thankful for this, because I don't feel my taste for acceptible apples is as leniant as hers, and the thought of wasting anything in this household means a scolding I don't care to enjoy.
Hildegard and I attempt a conversation, which is always more tedious than expected. I knew there was a language barrier, but I didn't know it would be because I didn's speak english..
Me; Is that your car?
H: Vhat?
Me: Your car?
H: Eh?
Me: Car, Auto! (pointing to her car)
H: Oohh.. Car!
Me:...
Hildegard does not actually have a farm but an incredible garden filled with a variety of herbs, vegetables, flowers and fruits which she implements in some adult classes she teaches in the winter time about alternative medicine (her main source of livelihood) her five children, some at the house now, and others away are very shy around me.. though my hulking 5'11" frame has been widdled down to some 8 pounds slimmer in the short 4 days I've spent in this vegetarian household. Meals consist of a variety of items from the garden and involve several flowers I've rarely seen in salads. Only one big meal a day is served, and the rest are a small assortment of yogurt, crackers and cheese. Lots of tea is drank, and rarely straight water (save me).
I walked 30 minutes to the local store yesterday to buy some peaches to accompany her son Silas' 13th birthday celebration. Her daughter Hjordis (pronounced Yoris) of 24 years, baked a plum cake from scratch with her visiting friend Seidon (a refugee from Iraq who arrived 15 years ago with his two parents, and now attends university with Hjordis in Uppsala- a town about 2 hours north of Rimsforsa where I am currently staying). Hjordis rarely cracks a recipe book and instead draws on years of practice and providing for her younger siblings. Linnea has just returned from a traditional Swedish dance competition and is beaming with her 15th place--commendable since most of the competitors are highly practiced and much older than she (of 18 years only). The place was packed for the celebration, and H's ex husband Ryner accompanied the celebration. They are still close though they've been divorced for several years. The celebration starts with a tradition of tossing the honored party up and down on a chair and chanting something.. I don't really understand. Then we dig into the plum cake. My lemon thyme (straight from the garden) and sugar peaches are a sort of success, but I'm really only gauging by Hildegard's positive response. We then open presents. I had the foresight to bring a few things from Oregon that are appropriate for kids, and decide to wrap up a carved bunny shaped puzzle made from Oregon wood for Silas. The puzzle is actually very easy, and so we all conclude that he must attempt it blindfolded! We all take a turn and laugh at the ridiculous measures we take to go faster and beat the previous person's record. I marvel at the time and attentiveness everyone shows to this activity. We are all happy in eachother's company...
I retire early to my room, at around 9pm (when it is just getting dark) and write in my journal til 10:30pm. I hope there will be enough warm water in the morning for a shower...
Today, Seidon, Hjordis' friend offered to give me a lift to Hodebo, the small town just outside of the forest I'll be working in for two weeks with Viktor and his partner and a few other WWOOFers. I've been in contact with them for several weeks now and the lift is an extremely fortuitous! Hodebo, just outside of Hjortkvarn is impossible to get to by bus (an 8 hour journey) but by car it takes an easy 1 1/2 hours :) Seidon and I talk politics on the way and differences between both Swedish and USA culture and Iraqi and Swedish culture. He is incredible polite (as is everyone I've met in Sweden) and is encouraging of my travels. I'm not entirely sure if my experience in Hildegard's farm was very authentically Swedish as my reactions and interactions from other natives here happen to feel different, regardless I've learned an incredible amount in only a short time..
Posting has been very difficult since I have not had easy access to a computer and the next two weeks will be no different. I will have access only once a week for two weeks and then I am planning on visiting my relatives a few hours away for a few days before trekking to Stockholm for the week. I will be able to access email easier by that time.
I have kept everyone in my thoughts this last week, and hope you all are well!
