there will be one more yule Lads post tomorrow....

But tonite we went out and had supper at the Pickwick and for an Xmas dinner.....

It was really nice....

Life is good.

Day thirteen of the Yule Lads - Welcome Candle Stealer.

And here is the final Lad... Must mean it's Christmas Day tomorrow.

Kertasníkir (Candle Stealer)

Candle Stealer is the 13th and final Yule Lad for this year. Even though he steals candles to eat them, (YES! he eats them) he seems to be the most generous of the Lads. This might have something to do with him arriving last, on the morning of Christmas Eve.

In days of old candles were very expensive, and strictly controlled in an Icelandic household. For that reason, it would have been very uncommon for children to have been given one. Around Christmas time however, there is very little daylight in Iceland each day, so it was necessary to give candles to the children at that time. Candle Stealer was known to sneak around in the dark behind children with candles, waiting for his chance to steal them. At that time, candles were made from animal fats, and were edible, therefore Candle Stealer would quickly gobble them up!

Chasing the children
On dark dreary nights....
They ran round the farm
Under bright candle lights.

What if he nabbed one?
Would he gaze at it's glow?
Or just eat up the tallow....
Does anyone know?

Merry Christmas to all... 

Life is Good.

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Day twelve of the Yule Lads - Welcome Meat Hook

Ketkrókur (Meat Hook)

Second to last  of the Yule Lads to arrive is Meat Hook.  In days of old he would lower a hook down the kitchen chimney to pull up a leg of lamb or whatever other choice morsels which were being smoked in the pan.

These days Meat Hook will use his hook to snatch meat from anywhere, but since his pole is very short, often has little success.

Meat hook attempts to snag his meal

A meat of any sort

Unfortunately he would soon discover 

His hook was much too short.

His hunger pains began at once

And he began to sob.

"Don't worry son"  We'll bring a ham

Came a note from Tom and Bob.

Life is Good....

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Day eleven of the Yule Lads - Welcome Doorway Sniffer.

I think Doorway Sniffer is my favourite.  I just might go to Iceland next winter and join up with him on his pre-Christmas run.. sounds like fun.. whoops... rhymes!

Gáttaþefur (Doorway Sniffer)

The eleventh Lad is Doorway Sniffer, a long mustachioed and big-nosed fellow. Now, instead of developing a nasal complex and turning to rhinoplasty, Door Sniffer used his big old snozzola  to his own advantage, seeking out freshly baked goods.  The nose knows!

Icelandic laufabread was the scent

and Doorway Sniffer was just the man

To follow his nose and track down a loaf

Baked freshly in a pan.

To doorway sniffer there was no choice

This bread was the absolute tops

Now if only he could steal a few loaves,

And avoid a meeting up with the cops.

Yes,  Life is Good

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Day ten of the Yule Lads - Welcome Window Peeper

Hey... hitting double digits today... Lad number 10 visits today.. 3 left (I think I'm going to make it!!!)

Gluggagægir (Window Peeper)

The tenth Yule Lad is Window Peeper. Although this lad is not as greedy as the others, he will  still stand outside the home peering through the windows. Yes he does appreciate a warm meal, but his main motive is looking for any toys that have been left lying about. If he happens to see something he likes the look of, he will break into the house and steal them.

You'll find that Window Peeper 

Is a rather silly twit

He steps up to the window - Peering into it.

Whatever toys are left about

To which his eyes are drawn

He makes a note to sneak inside,

And steal them later on.

yes...

Life is Good

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Day nine of the Yule Lads - Welcome Sausage Swiper.

Seems to be a re-occuring theme... the boys are obviously very hungry when they come down from the hills....

Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper)

The ninth Yule Lad is Sausage Swiper who is, for some reason, the most popular of the Lads. In days of old, he would sneak into the rafters of the house and steal any sausages that were being smoked there. This practice is very rare in most Icelandic households these days. Now if he can't find a brat, he will attempt to steal slices of pepperoni found on leftover pizzas.

Sausage swiper loved the taste
Sweet smoked sausage with a BBQ baste.
He climbed the rafters and raided from there
The sweet aroma around him
More than he could bear.

Sitting on the cross beam in soot, grease, and smoke
He gorged himself on sausage
Fit for Wisconsin folk.

Yes...Life is Good!

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Day Eight of the Skyr Lads - Welcome skyr gobbler.

Skyrgámur (Skyr Gobbler)

Skyr Gobbler is the eighth Yule Lad, who will attempt to sneak into the pantry and eat any tubs of Skyr that he could find. Skyr is a dairy product popular in Iceland that is made from milk cuds, It is quite similar to yoghurt. 

I have to stress that I could not find a Skyr container for my photo props... beer is nothing like skyr .... But when you actually sit down and give it some thought.. maybe "Skyeer Beer" would work?? It almost rhymes!

Skyr Gobbler is a rather slow bloke
He would pound on the skyr tub
Until the lid broke.

He'd then sit there gorging
His appetite well known
He'd eat till he burst
Then lay down and moan.

Life is good

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Day Seven of the Yule Lads - welcome Door Slammer.

Been looking forward to this post.. Love the photo of Jewels hiding under the covers.  Six more Lads to welcome before we're done for this Christmas.

Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer)

Yule Lad number seven is Door Slammer.  He enjoys nothing more than sneaking into peoples' homes and disrupts the families' sleep by making noises in the middle of the night. He often does this by by slamming doors. Of course this awakens the little old ladies and scares the crap out of them.

Door slammer prowled the house at night

Slamming doors in sheer delight

You sometimes ask yourself - why?

Such a boring game could excite this guy.

With people trying to have a sleep

He kept slamming doors - miserable creep!

Life is Good!


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Day six of the Yul Lads - welcome Bowl Licker

Half way through the story of the Yul Lads... Fun Fun Funnnnnn!

Askasleikir (Bowl Licker)

The sixth Yule Lad is Bowl Licker.  He is considered to be the ugliest of the Lads - not that there's anything wrong with that. He will break into your house and hide under the bed waiting for bowls of food to be laid out for the household pets. He will then eat up the doggie treats and lick the bowls clean.

Bowl Licker hides beneath the bed

And awaits his favourite treat

A ground up mix of suet and rind

Which the dogs refused to eat.

He never could quite understand

Why the pets would casually pass.

A chance o lick their bowls shiny clean

Perhaps it gave them gas.

Ah Yes.. Life is Good

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Day five of the Yule Lads - welcome Pot Scraper.

Almost half way through the posts of my friends, the Yule lads.  Here is number five.

Pottaskefill (Pot Scraper)

The fifth Yule Lad is Pot Scraper, who will break into the house and steal any unwashed cooking pots, to snarf down any remnants of food from the insides.

Pot Scraper had to be aware

Of the high temps on the pot

The spices and morsels of crispy beef

Were always very hot.

To bad it's only once a year

That he can find this taste

Of crusty left overs in a pot

That would usually go to waste.

So much fun.... Life is Good.

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Day four of the Yule Lads - Welcome Spoon Licker

Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker)

The fourth Yule Lad, Spoon Licker is extremely thin and malnourished, but can also be considered to be fashionably thin. He will try to steal dirty Þvörur, a type of wooden ladle, and lick any food found on them.

Spoon Licker always was amazed

By the variety of taste

From the moment he applied his tongue

To the spices that he faced.

Nothing better than a spoon

That had stirred the family's meal

Which simmered in a cast-iron pot

Especially mixed with veal.

Jewels and I have had fun doing up the pics for the Yule Lads story. We finished up to the candle guy yesterday so all 13 are done and ready to post.

Life is Good....

Day three of the Yule Lads - welcome Stubby.

Day three of the Yule Lads features Stubby.  Gonna have to take a bunch more pics today as I'm running out of actors. This is the third year that I've done "exposure" of the Lads and with our own pics, it's been more fun to be part of...

Welcome Stúfur (Stubby

Stubby is the third Yule Lad, and is also the smallest. He is also known as Pan Scraper as he will try to steal small bits of food left in the fat at the bottom of a dirty pans.

Stubby - short and very fat

Steals pans to eat the crust

He likes to eat all kinds of meat

And pork is an absolute must.

He sometimes muses about how he got

So wide around the hips

Maybe he should recognize

The taste of bacon on his lips.

Life is Good....

A neatO visiter the other day.

Had a Pileated woodpecker stop by yesterday.  Fun to watch him hammering away at my tree stump. He didn't go much for the suet - must be some dormant bugs in the log that appeals to him.

Love my birds.

Life is Good.