In Minnesota, we sing that line, "Silence like a hotdish."

Today the delivery people brought ten pounds of Hungarian sausage and four volumes of Chinese epic. This is well worth the annoyance they cause the small dogbeast.

I bought some Christmas presents today, and I was compelled to buy something for myself as well. I was lured. Sweden playing cards. (Not Swedish: these are marked with K, Q, J, not K, D, Kn. Sweden-themed.) Two decks. When I saw that Gustav Vasa was the King of Diamonds, I had to buy them (if only to find out who they had for the Knaves). Kings: Gustav Vasa (Diamonds), Gustav III (Hearts), Gustav II Adolf (Spades), Karl XIV Johan (Clubs). Queens: Hedvig Eleonora (Diamonds), Lovisa Ulrika (Hearts), Kristina (Spades), Desideria (Clubs). Knaves: Bellman (Hearts), Linnaeus (Diamonds), De La Gardie (Spades), Nobel (Clubs). The Spades in particular amuse me. I had expected politicians rather than Famous Swedes for the Knaves, but Famous Swedes is good, too. Now I want to play 500 when my grands are in town so I can inkle botany. Or explosives.

It's a better day than some other days I could mention. I do wish I could shake this cold, though.