Flower Day

Skólavörðurstígur in Reykjavík

The Saturday before last was Flower Day in Reykjavik. I went for a stroll with Óðinn in his belly pack and noticed that just about every woman I passed on Skólavörðurstígur (the street leading up to the big church) held a rose in her hand. Valentína, who was holding a tombóla with Marsibil at the top of Skólavörðurstígur told me when I went to visit their enterprise (they made over $25 each that day!) that someone was handing out flowers to women downtown, though she didn't know who. I didn't make it far enough on my walk to find out, but I did see this charming group of people with their watering cans. It must have been an acting troupe....they were very cute and kind of pranced about watering things like parking meters and garbage cans. We definitely more of this type of urban attraction here in our little city!

Achievement

Achievement, originally uploaded by blue eyes.

This often overlooked bust of (aaack...I don't know her name!) on the campus of the University of Iceland is symbolic of womanly achievement in the realm of the scholastic arts. And speaking of achievement, I somehow managed to pass all my classes and will be presented with my teaching credential later this month. My daughter said, "Of course you passed everything, Mamma," and my mother asked, rhetorically, if I'd ever failed anything in my life, but honstly I was seriously doubting that I'd make it through the last month of essay writing and exams. I joke that I had to learn to type with one finger and a sleeping baby in the crook of my arm, but that's less of a joke than it sounds! I honestly have to thank my beautiful, patient Valentina for keeping me encouraged through the final haul. And of course little Óðinn for being such a sweet sweet baby. I should also mention my core instructor, Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir for totally believing in my potential as an English teacher. What a powerhouse that woman is!

Life here is good and sometimes sunny and everyone is buying new barbeques and people with summer houses are splurging on hot tubs and the young and free are getting out their shorts and sunglasses and drinking chilled summer beers. Political life is beyond my comprehension, with ministers switching seats in some bizzare grownup version of musical chairs, but no one seems to care. The krona is not so very strong these days and gas is over $6 a gallon, but that isn't stopping anyone from spending like money grows on trees. That's the start of summer for you...full of hope and life and endless days that anyone in a northern clime would be foolish to not take advantage of. Skál fyrir því!