HYGGE

                    "Hygge," puffed joyful purr, neath plush nest of comforter.

                    Head popped out.  Right arm followed, stretched bove unkempt sun lit auburn hair.  Eyes squinched tight, Tess yawn trailed off into nother purr, the near succumbing to nether cover.  Her arm collapsed... right across face of fellow nestee.

                    "Owwee," Ted head complained, pushed Tess arm from lips and nose.

                    "Not owwee, hygge," Tess stretched again, plopped arm back into place atop Ted face.

                    "Whut?" Ted lips mumbled neath Tess elbow.

                    "Hygge," Tess struggled to open eyes, "to us tourists pronounced as if it were spelled hue-guh." She shifted to snuggle, turned toward Ted, somehow replaced right elbow with left armpit astraddle Ted nose.  Tess slipped into snore.

                    Ted just wished he could breathe, pulled nose from armpit to atop Tess shoulder, took breath, squeaked, "Bouquet of roses with undertone of hazel nut, or as in this case, Tess nut." He chuckled, kissed Tess shoulder.

                    Eyes sleepy slits,Tess snuggled closer, purred, "Hygge," started to snuggle even closer, eyes popped wide, "Road trip!"

                    "But we are newlyweds," Ted whimpered, teased, "More warm hygge snuggles, less trip?"

                    "Oft soft dreams of night mirror... tucked away kisses of day..." Tess eyes danced.

                    "Well," Ted smiled, "if its an ice cream run, I'm in."

                    "Ice cream in Iceland?" Tess eyes reflected chocolate vanilla swirl in hygge a twirl.

                    "Well, we best get dressed. Although, "Ted lifted brow, "it is early June in Iceland. What hour of the twenty-one hours of sunlight is it and what is the weather up to?"

                    Ted strode to cabin door, opened, "Snowing, in June, but it's not sticking, but it is wet and chilly. So let the routine multi-layer Icelandic dressing begin."

                    Content neath warm covers, Tess watched her brand new husband meticulously lay out his and hers clothing on edge of bed.

                    Twenty minutes later, "Let's see, for our tops," Ted ran through checklist, "we have thermal non-cotton long sleeve under shirts, check; loose lambs wool sweaters, check; thick water repellent coats with hood, check; and lamb fleece head warmers, check. For our bottoms we got thermal non-cotton layer, check; non-cotton active pants, check; and outer layer rain proof pants, check. For feet we got thick wool socks, lamb of course, check; and insulated waterproof hiking boots, check. For hands we have warm gloves with outer waterproof shell and lambs wool liners, check. And of course the mandatory sun glasses for my Tess' pretty almond eyes."

                    Head propped up by hand and elbow, with lifted brow Tess voiced concern, "Which part of his obsessive compulsive disorder did my new hubby forget to tell me about and what's up with this non-cotton obsession?"

                    "Cotton kills!" Ted offhandedly replied, while surveying job well done.

                    "Cotton kills?" Tess eyes strained wide. "You suffer a cotton phobia too!"

                    "Naw," Ted smirked, "it is an old Icelandic adage belaying the fact that air pockets in cotton fabric fill up with sweat like a sponge and hold it. To stay warm clothing must trap air near the skin and wick away water."

                    "So you are not the least bit nuerotic?" Tess teased.

                    "Not at all." Ted eyed undershirt, smoothed out wrinkle. "Oh my, now I've got to go back over the entire checklist."

                    "What!" Tess mouth did not close.

                    Ted busted out laughing. Tess clobbered him with pillow. The giggling began. Those neatly arranged clothes got a few new wrinkles, til Tess pinned Ted down, demanded, "Road trip!"

                    Minutes later a sunglasses and multi-layer clad Tess and Ted paused just outside cabin door in the drifting down snow, and said this little prayer, "Thank you Father above for this beautiful hygge day. Help us be blessings all along the way, in Jesus name." And the newlywed Tess smiled and sighed, "So now we even pray in unison?"

                    And so on the way in that Volvo AWD the radio sang, "A leidinni aftur..."

                    "Now that's a lively tune," Tess giggled, "but I can only imagine what the lady is singing."

                    "A leidinni aftur," Ted flawlessly pronounced.

                    "So now Mr. Cotton Phobia speaks Icelandic? Because if you do, that is another OCD red flag, check." She only half kidded.

                    "A leidinni aftur means: on the way return," Ted matter of facted.

                    "I repeat, so now you speak Icelandic?"

                    "Well, no," Ted sorta wondered himself, "although why am I understanding every single word of this song on the radio? A leidinni aftur... on the way return."

                    Then in sync Tess and Ted felt the gentle and familiar warmth of Jesus' smile, and their mission for the day to share Christian joy all along the way, in that oh so very icy, icy Iceland.

                    Thus it came to pass in a certain grand ice cream parlor, that in line awaiting for ice cream order taking, the bouncy giggly, snuggly kissy newlyweds caught attention of every native and tourist; so every eye did see and their hearts infected be, by that old hygge. And soon round tiny parlor table Tess and Ted sat down, gathered hands together round snowy ice cream sundae peaked with chocolate cherry drizzle, and lifted up thanksgiving: "A leidinni aftur... on the way return, for our Jesus saith, 'I am the 'way', the truth, and the life; no person cometh unto the Father, but by me.' A leidinni aftur... on the way return..."

                    And every foreign and native ear did understand and hear, that their lips breathe and bear, "Amen."

                    And later that evening, returned to cozy cabin, after a hygge a wonder kind a day, midst warm comforter nest, twixt passionate embrace, Tess purred in Ted ear, "Oft soft dreams of night mirror... tucked away kisses of day."


To feel Jesus' smile: study his word, fellowship in his church, pray in his name, love God and love one another...

John 14:6... Johannes 14:6...