Christmas passed again quietly. We, my mother and I, had a tiny plastic Christmas tree, I had bought a present for each of us, and most of the traditional foods, bought ready-made, got eaten in the course of the holidays, except lutefisk, my favourite. Sauna was on Saturday, and on Christmas Eve we took a candle to my father's grave.

I spent most of the week reading, playing patience, and sleeping, 11-13 hours a night.

On Christmas Day and New Year's Eve I raked leaves, the very leaves I had thought in November would soon be covered by snow.

The year 2007 dawned foggy.

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