Monday put things in perspective

I know everyone knows that we are fine after the 'shootings' in Copenhagen.  Poor Pernille came in today and I could tell she was spooked.  She looked awful and ordinarily does not come in on Monday but works from home.  Today she was there over an hour earlier than her usual time.  She lives by the synagogue that was attacked and spent all day yesterday afraid to leave her apartment.  I hugged her and told her things were going to be fine - but when you have gone through that ordeal it does take time to get over the shock. 

Stefan came in very forlorn.  His girlfriend dumped him on Valentine's day.  He said that this break-up was unexpected and harder than his split and subsequent divorce from his wife.  I was a bit surprised that he confided in me but I think he knows I care about him and would be sympathetic.

Lars started getting chills this afternoon.  He came to tell me that he was sick.  I told him to stay away from me!  He said all of his friends are either sick, have been sick or about to be sick.  I told him to quit running with a sickly crowd.  He smiled and then packed up and went home. 

This weekend was 'fastelavn' in Danish or 'fasching' in German.  It is basically the Lutheran festival to get ready for Lent.  Jeppe won a contest yesterday for best costume.  He was a pirate.  Here you hit a barrel and candy falls out once you bash it up good.  150 years ago the barrel held cats and you would pull the cat tails and swing the barrel around.  Then you would hit the barrel and kill the cats.  No one knows the purpose of the sick ritual but they think it goes back to plague times when they thought the cats were the ones that carried disease not the rodents.

We got 7 books done today - two big ones and 5 small ones.  It was a good day.  Tomorrow I have to stay home so they utility company can come and read the meters.