My Danish neighbors continue to bless me with lessons in hygge–the ultimate kind of coziness. I love these neighbors! This time two years ago, the Danish Grandmother taught me that there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. Yesterday, my friends deliver me the most wonderful, precious little gift:

A Christmas Gnome. The Danes love gnomes, and they leave sweet rice porridge out on Christmas Eve for the gnome to eat so the next year would be sweet.

I grew up loving gnomes, especially the Gnome book illustrated by Rien Poortvliet.

Now, I have a Danish little gnome by my Christmas tree. And I miss that book that I read over and over again as a child.