First, I’m pleased to report that the second issue of Mosaic Minds came out today, and if I do say so myself, it’s even better than the first one. No sophomore slump here!

Now, on to the news of the day, such as it is.

We had Olof’s parents over for dinner last night, and it was a nice evening despite what felt like one culinary mishap after another. In retrospect it wasn’t that bad, but I’m a perfectionist in the kitchen as well as everywhere else, and I always feel at least a little anxiety when cooking for anyone other than my kids. Anyway, I had planned to make potato gnocchi in tomato sauce, but it just didn’t turn out at all. I’m not even sure what the problem was, but the dough was way too sticky and there was no way it could be formed into gnocchi. I think it might have had something to do with my trying to triple a recipe that was intended to serve two people. Finally, about an hour before they were due to arrive, I admitted to myself that it was a lost cause and sent Olof to the store to buy fresh pasta. I have to confess that I was a bit ashamed to have invited over dinner guests only to greet them with a pot full of store-bought pasta and a rather ordinary tomato sauce, but there really wasn’t much else to do. I did end up confessing my gnocchi failure to my mother-in-law, because in the end, I could better stand to have her think I’m a less-than-stellar cook than that I had actually planned to serve such a boring meal. At least the blueberry buns I made for dessert turned out well. They were so delicious that they all disappeared within twenty-four hours.

I feel like I’m finally getting closer to Olof’s parents, especially to his mom, which makes me happy. I know I say this all the time, but she really is an amazingly wonderful, good-hearted person. When I was at the midwife a couple of weeks ago, the conversation got around to how I had ended up in northern Sweden. I told her that my husband is Swedish and that he grew up here. Suddenly she said, “wait, who’s your mother-in-law?” When I told her, she smiled warmly and nodded, then said, “well, you did end up in the right place then.” I think that’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever heard about someone else. Lucky for me, it’s true. Having Olof’s mom is the next best thing to having my own mom here. If I have my way, one day I’ll have both.

This evening Lydia has the two little girls from across the street spending the night. Funny how things change with time. When we first moved into our house, I wasn’t overly fond of either of them, but the longer we live here the better I like them. When Lydia asked me this morning if both of them could spend the night, I didn’t even hesitate before saying yes. Not only that, but I even went to the store to buy them snacks for their “pajamas party,” and made meatballs and mashed potatoes (instant, but still) for the littler one when she came to the kitchen and whispered to me that she hates tacos (Lydia’s request for dinner). I think I’m on the verge of becoming the neighborhood’s favorite mom. I’m the softest touch, anyway.