I thought I’d try to buy more Christmas ornaments. Åhlens, big department store in the middle of Stockholm – surely they will have something.

They had matte, ugly plastic balls. They had ornaments shaped like packages of French fries.

Oh, look, felted bullfinches! Except when I got closer, they looked like diseased, dying bullfinches. Eyes on top of their heads like snails, eyes askew, eyes nearly falling off. Not exactly Christmas vibes. Photos don’t do their ugliness justice, even.