Turning Darkness into Day

This is the shortest day of the year...Winter Solstice.  Technically there was to be 7 hours and 1 minute of daylight, but that doesn't take into account the looooong dawn, the very gray skies and the loooong twilight.  It rained on and off throughout the day, and there is a breeze...well more like a gale and the temperatures are staying in the 40s.  I love it....even the rain.  I have my Mary Poppins umbrella and I am good to go.

And go we did.  We went to the place where there is light....beautiful light.  We went to the temple.  When you step in the front door you immediately feel a glow of warmth and peace.  There is a little room off to the side to hang coats and leave your shoes.  I am growing more familiar with this....we have a coat rack right by the front door and make good use of it daily.

Coats?  I had one in Arizona that has been moldering in the back of the closet for 20 years.  I wear my coat every day here and give thanks for it each time I put it on.

It is a small temple, but feels spacious.  Colors are muted grays and gentle pale blues.  The artwork is beautiful.  I think Wayne Brickey was the artist who did all the murals.  One mural is a beautiful scene of a Danish forest with reindeer and even a swan (any portrayal of Denmark must have a swan...not only because there are a lot of them around here, but I am sure because of H.C. Andersen's fairytale "The Ugly Duckling."

After we went through a session, another worker took us down to the baptistry and explained the murals there.  It made me cry it was so moving.  The artist does a self-portrait in the crowd observing the baptism of Jesus.  He paints himself as blind....and the cloth that covers his eyes is being pulled away by Carl Bloch and C.C. Christiansen.....in deference to their ability to portray the Savior.

Many in the crowd are people in Carl Bloch paintings.  Do you remember the one by Carl Bloch where the Lord is teaching the people on the hillside?  There is a little girl there looking at a butterfly.  It is in the mural at the temple.  Christina...a sculpture of a pioneer girl which has been mentioned in general conference is in the painting as well.

I didn't want to keep the worker, so I drank it up and we left.  But I long to go back and sit in front of it.  I guess we are just going to have to go to the castle where most of Carl Bloch's works are, and the rest of you better go to BYU Museum of Art and see the magnificent Danish works there.

For the next two weeks the center will be closed.  So this evening we are scheduling appointments with missionary companionships to inspect their apartments before the end of the year.  We are going to do half of them next week and the other half the following week.  I'm thinking of taking a pair of white gloves....what do you think?  No....I'm looking forward to visiting all of them.  They are so cute!
I am trying to think of something I can take to them as just a little fun gift....sponges, scrub brushes or something like that attached to a piece of chocolate.  What do you think?

Since coming home (it has been dark now for hours...it is 8 p.m.) we have been listening to Christmas music.  We have our little Christmas tree lit up and candles burning.  Ah...the warmth and light of Christmas.  Isn't it beautiful?



By the way.... a bit of trivia....which haircut do you think cost more?

My hair was shampooed, cut, blown-dry and styled.  199 Krone.    SK's hair was cut.  200 Krone.
In case you are wondering, that is roughly $40