Day 6: Proekt 365
Who doesn’t love the Swedish Chef?

To know my husband is to know that he has a silly streak. He also loves the Swedish Chef and can do a fairly perfect impersonation of that most incomprehensible of Muppets.

Several years ago when I was in Amsterdam on business, the local supermarkets were running a special deal on Muppet hand puppets. Upon discovering that one particular hand puppet available to patrons for a mere €1 was indeed the Swedish Chef, I made damn sure I picked one up for him before heading back to Helsinki.

Since then, whenever our friends’ children are around, he can be seen entertaining both them and the adults with his perfect re-enactments of ‘you put de chicken in de pot’ and flinging food or pots and kitchen utensils around carelessly whilst muttering the various ‘bork bork borks’ and whatnot. It’s lovely and sweet and unbelievably silly.

Imagine our delight when The Cuban received the gift above from three of his adoring fans. Friends of ours were visiting the US and stumbled across this precious ornament, and of course, snagged it for the one person they can count on to do a perfect impression of the Swedish Chef.

The perfect gift from folks (big and small) who get him.

This year, every gift we received was like that. (Ginormous coffee cups, anyone?) Meaningful because of some ‘thing’ we share with the gift-givers and a little indication that we are loved and appreciated for who we are by those in our lives.

Absolutely perfect.

(Y’all know who you are and we love and thank you!)