Report on the Hoisting of the Glänsa

This photo of the glänsa, hoisted, was actually taken this morning -- since then we've secured it and rearranged to more evenly distribute the baubles. The custom (which we invented last night) is that each guest, as they enter, chooses an ornament and puts it on the light ring. And then at the end of the evening, we hoist it from its lowered, reachable, position, to the ceiling.

The party was very good. We had three parties, in essence. The first started around 5 p.m. It had lots of people and bonhomie and noise and excitement. Towards the end of it, as people with smaller children were leaving, around 8:00, another family arrived. It was pretty obvious to HemKarl (HomoDomi in googleswedish) and HemKvinna (the woman of the house) that they were planning to just make an appearance (I didn't pick up on that attitude), but then they started having a good time -- so they, and collateral people who still were around, got things livened up again, and were there until about 10:00 p.m. This party was also pleasant and filled with bonhomie, but a little quieter. (HemKarl's favorite of the three.)

The third and final party came later. We had about a 20 minute break after Party #2. HemKarl finally scarfed down some food (he had been Hosting, not eating) and the HemDammen (the Texan and I) made a dent in the dishes. HemKvinna had gotten the kids upstairs but not yet to bed, when another group of 4 showed up (they had warned us they couldn't come until about 9, after an office party -- they arrived at 10:15 -- but said they'd do a drive-by to check in). They intended to leave right away, but they, HemKarl and we HemDammen pulled out the grappas and liquers and a cheese and fruitbread plate, and we all sat around the table until after midnight.

The Quarante-Quatre Liqueur was pretty well finished off, only two weeks old, and our liqueur cabinet hard hit, the akvavit cleaned out. I will have to make more 44 immediately.

I have some rather nice photos showing the decorations around the house (many of them quite witty) and the stages of preparing the glänsa, so perhaps at a later date I will post those.