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Home Again!

2011-07-24T23:33:00.000+02:00

A month in America goes by so quickly! Now we're home again. We're nearly done unpacking, and concentrating on real-life things like dentist appointments and mowing the grass.

One of the things I brought back with me was some really pretty yarn, and it didn't take too many days for me to get started on crocheting a blanket/throw. The urge to play with paper remains strong, though. It should be noted that the following story is pure fiction; our family simply does not do the camping thing. Obviously this little detail doesn't keep a boy from dreaming up a great outdoor adventure.

Inspired by Another Blogger

2011-06-10T21:27:00.000+02:00

I'm always so inspired when I go to Beatriz Guzman's Blog . She packs a lot of energy and color into a scrapbook page so that you keep seeing little details you didn't notice at first. Today I decided to try to put more than usual into a page with this result:

Thanks for the inspiration, Beatriz!

What's in Your Pocket? (And a Walk in the Park Scrapbook Page)

2011-06-09T20:59:00.003+02:00

I could have written an essay when I was twelve years old entitled "Confessions of a Pre-Teen Pack Rat". I didn't, though. My mother could have written it from her perspective and called it, "Where Does She Find All This Stuff??" One day while I was at school, Mom went through my winter coat pockets. But instead of writing the essay for me (I never got off that easy), she just took notes on what she found in my coat pockets that day.

I wasn't very grateful. Mortified, more like it. Pockets are meant to hide things, Mom! Not only did she write it all down, she also let my dad keep the list. And in true Dad-style, he gave it to me after I grew up.

1 broken hair brush
1 whole hair brush
a turkey thermometer
15 pieces of wadded-up paper
a padlock
11 pieces of folded-up paper
3 envelopes
3 Christmas cards
a watch
a folded handkerchief
a crumpled handkerchief
a locket
a scrap of denim material
a calendar
1 barrette
2 small keys
3 bobby pins
a pie container
4 stubby pencils
a broken pen
3 buttons
2 nickels
1 dime
3 pennies
5 keychains
2 pictures
1 plastic rabbit
1 pin
1 gum wrapper
a piece of Christmas ribbon
1 marshmallow
cookie crumbs

I've learned a lot since then. For example, I always go through all my pockets before donating my old coats to Fretex (Salvation Army).

Anyway, I don't fill up my pockets like that anymore. I now carry a handbag! Here's one I bought in Düsseldorf a couple of months ago.

Now for the walk in the park. The scrapbook page below pretty much sums it all up. Sunny day, springtime, picking flowers for a bouquet with a few left over to put in her hair.

50th Anniversary

2011-06-07T23:20:00.002+02:00

My parents will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary later this month! How can this be? I can remember them when they were just youngsters in their twenties. The announcement came in the mail the other day, made by my sister, Krystal. Didn't she do a nice job? And aren't my parents just too cute?

Why doesn't anyone sit on their cars anymore? Oh, wait; the other day we saw a guy sitting on the trunk of his car. He was wearing sun glasses and a suit, had a shaved head, and looked very suspicious to me. I guessed that he was a mafia hit man and was sitting on the trunk of the car to keep the person inside (possibly still alive) from getting out. He looked very calm, so this is a sure sign he was a hit man.

I'm not saying anything more, just in case it's true and I become the next target. (Except that perhaps I have an overactive imagination.)

50 years. That's quite an accomplishment. Of course, I've been teasing them for over a year now, that they might not make it to their fiftieth anniversary. That usually makes them giggle.

Two Days in a Row??

2011-06-06T20:20:00.001+02:00

Maybe I'm back to blogging for real...

Today the weather report changed all the plans I had so carefully made for a class field trip. We were going to take the train to a park and spend the afternoon having a picnic and playing before the forecast called for thunder storms in the area. I had to make some decisions quickly, and so I decided we could still ride the train but we would go back to the school for the rest of the party--safely indoors, picnic and all!

In Norway, you have to have a good Plan B any time you plan outdoor activities. The train ride was fun, especially when a train at the station blasted its horn really loudly and made all of us jump.

You'd think that in a country with all kinds of stormy weather there would be some kind of scrapbooking supplies with raindrops or something. Right? Wrong. The last time I checked, there was nothing remotely related to stormy weather except a couple of stamps which I didn't really like. So here's a rainy-day page from scratch instead.

Testing

2011-06-05T22:57:00.002+02:00

Testing to see if my blog still works. Maybe I'll even come back sometime. Hah!

How about a photo. Even if I've been having one of the busiest school years of my entire career, I have still found time to take the occasional photo here and there.

So there you are, a photo of my son's hand while he's using his first-ever real power tool, an electric screwdriver. It was either that or a skateboard. I figure you break fewer wrist bones with an electric screwdriver. As a person who has never, ever broken a bone, in spite of all kinds of accidents (it's also nearly impossible to pull my teeth--just ask a dentist who has tried), I am not ready, will never BE ready, to have a child with a broken bone.

Obviously, I have a large stock of cotton wool for wrapping my children tightly.

Anyway, if he got a skateboard I'd be tempted to try it out. And then my previous record of no broken bones might be broken.

Here's another picture...

The above photo was taken on the 17th of May, Norway's Constitution Day. Everyone loves a parade, right?

Status Updates 2010

2011-01-03T12:58:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year! 2011 Finally got here...!

And what better way to look back on the old year than by taking a look at some of the status updates on facebook? Here are some of the highlights of my year in 2010:

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2011-01-03T12:56:00.003+01:00

Double post....Sorry

First Sunday of Advent

2010-11-28T17:01:00.000+01:00

Nå tenner vi det første lys,
alene må det stå.
Vi venter på det lille barn,
som i en krybbe lå.

Now we light the first candle,
Alone it must stand.
We're waiting for the little child,
Who laid in a manger.

Nisser and Scarf on Day Five

2010-11-19T20:39:00.000+01:00

My daughter was in the mood to do something crafty, so with the help of a kit and some assistance from me, she made three cute little Christmas nisser (elves). She also photographed the her fun project, as well as today's scarf photo!

Here are the cute little nisser:

And here is my scarf of the day. Both the sweater and scarf are from Vero Moda, and the black T is from Kapp Ahl.

Scarves, Day Four

2010-11-18T20:24:00.001+01:00

I'm back to purple again today (a slightly plummy purple). The scarf and top are both from Vero Moda; which, incidentally, is the shop my fashion-conscious sister loves. According to her, anything from this shop is chic. If you're reading this, Sis, I just bought your Christmas present at Vero Moda this afternoon!

Wednesday: Pink, Green, and Lavender

2010-11-17T20:21:00.000+01:00

First of all, the sweater is cotton, not wool. If it were wool, I'd be using it to dress a scarecrow because I'm just not a happy itcher! The scarf is from Cubus, and the sweater and top are from Kapp Ahl.

Wednesday's Scarf Photo:

Scarves for a Week

2010-11-16T21:40:00.000+01:00

It seems like just about all I have time to do lately is think about which scarf to wear. It's definitely winter, and that means--for me--a scarf is more than a fashion statement. Scarves keep my lungs warm, and happy lungs are much less likely to act up.

Sooo...A quick photo of my scarves for a week, that's my goal for this blog. For now.

First, Monday in shades of purple. The sweater vest is from Lene V, the top is from Kapp Ahl, and I found the scarf in a drawer.

Tuesday in earth tones. The cardigan, top, and scarf are all from Kapp Ahl.

A Sock Bunny

2010-10-11T19:54:00.007+02:00

We kicked off this week of Fall Break by going to the library, and came home 17 books, 2 DVDs, and 1 tuba CD richer--all the way until November 8th.

Continuing on with our theme of the day--fun without using money--I attacked a pair of my daughter's outgrown tights.

It was supposed to be a sock monkey project, but partway through it morphed into a bunny.

This is the point where I began to see bunny ears instead of monkey legs. You had to be there...

Look! The heel of the sock is a perfect bunny face.

My little helper looked through my buttons to find a nose and some eyes.

Yay for recycled tights and pink, stripey sock bunnies!

Total cost in new materials: 0 kroner (that's the same as 0 dollars, 0 won, 0 pounds, 0 euros, etc.)

Gratitude: Breathing

2010-10-03T14:28:00.002+02:00

How many times would I wake up in the morning with gratitude for the gift of breathing if I didn’t have to struggle to fill my lungs with air? Could I remember to be grateful for the few months of the year when my nose isn’t bleeding or I'm not coughing up bloody mucous if I never had a bleeding nose and never choked on the thick discharge coming from my throat?

Would I consider the gift of breathing to be a blessing if I didn’t listen to the whistling of my windpipes as air filters through a maze of buildup in the quiet of the night? How much gratitude would I feel if I could not climb a gentle slope without my lungs reminding me that their capacity is limited because of the chronic buildup of mucous within? Even the memory of a time when drawing a full breath of air was possible is a memory to be grateful for, just as one easier breath in a thousand is appreciated, and a single day of not having a sore throat is enough to make my heart fill with gratitude.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of illness; for underneath the layers of pain and struggling is a fine kernel which, when planted, produces an awareness of the blessings in choosing gratitude, even when wrapped in pain.

Same Kind of Different as Me (a review)

2010-09-25T10:29:00.000+02:00

Same Kind of Different As Me is a nonfiction book about two men from very different backgrounds. One man is a white Texan named Ron who handles expensive art for a living; the other is a black homeless man named for a city he never thought he'd see, Denver. Then there's Deborah, who brought the two men together.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I honestly thought I'd be so bored I'd have to force myself to finish it. Quite the opposite happened, though; I found myself wanting to find out more about what happened to both men, especially Denver. And as often happens in nonfiction books, the ending is what it is. Deborah, through her life and even in dying, has so much to teach both men as each makes a journey in understanding that we're all the same kind of different in spite of it all.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishers for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Let's See if I Remember How to Do This...

2010-09-25T10:09:00.000+02:00

It's been a while. A lot longer than I'd planned. Getting into a new school year is always a lot of work; and maybe I'm too much in the middle of it all to make an accurate assessment, but it seems like first grade is the most demanding of all! (I think I have a little past experience to weigh in on this subject, since I've also taught grades two, three, five, and six, as well as EAL.)

Since school, school, and more school has been keeping me away from my blog, I may as well make the best of it and post some photos from my classroom.


Book boxes


Antonio, my guitar


It's Autumn!

Soft cushions for reading time

What's a classroom without a globe?

And a word wall, of course!

'Tis the season for...apples!

Time is already flying by quickly

So much to learn...!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Girly Album

2010-08-27T02:34:00.000+02:00

A handmade gift, whether it's a card or something else, is a way of giving part of yourself. I made this album for our teenaged niece's birthday last year. Now that my workspace for scrapping and paper crafts is nearly ready--the area is only missing better lighting--I'm hoping to be able to make more of this type of thing to give away.

And here are some matching ribbons and papers I included with the album.

Back Again Soon! (I hope...)

2010-08-23T21:47:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since I posted...Sometimes life just grabs you and gives you a little spin. Nothing serious by any means. (whew)

The dog has been sick all summer long, and visiting the vet for the umpteenth time this afternoon might have given us a better idea how to treat her. After lots of treatments and even a blood test, the vet is now prescribing a non-allergenic dog food, absolutely no people food, and a look at eliminating indoor causes of allergies for our dog. We've had her outside most of the summer, and it may be part of the reason she's starting to improve.

School started. After working for twelve days straight, I finally decided to take a day off yesterday. My own children are also back to school, and that means filliing out forms, getting used to new teacher expectations, and all of that.

We're nearly done with the redecorating, and I'm happy to say that the new office solution for our office/hobby room is nearly done. A countertop was installed along the length of one wall. Yay! Room to scrap and make cards (and origami, of course).

Lots of distractions, but I'll be back once the dust clears!

Here's a photo of my very clean classroom desk, taken the day before school started. It will never be this clean again. In fact, it took all of about five minutes with my new class before it was messy. (No, I will not be posting photos of my messy desk on here.)

Supply Box

2010-08-04T21:53:00.004+02:00

It's nearly back to school time. That means gathering supplies like pencils, crayons, and rulers. My daughter is supposed to bring a supply box, so I got just a little creative with an ice cream box.

First of all, YES! Norwegian ice cream is really good. Margaret Thatcher would give it full points. (Did you know that the former prime minister of the United Kingdom was a chemist who investigated the amount of air in ice cream?)

Sorry, I cannot ship any samples. You'll just have to believe me when I say this is good stuff!

Designing a box for my daughter is pretty easy, since she has consistently liked the same colors forever. While I may soon keel over from overexposure to pink and lavender, I'm just glad it's not all about black and purple yet. Lots of glitter, pearls, stickers, ribbons, and many more doodads later, the box is now ready for her to cart off to school. (Okay, I might have gotten a little carried away...)

Yes, she loves it. I haven't been able to tear her away from her school supplies, and I'm afraid she'll try to sleep with her new box.

Thank You!

2010-07-31T14:55:00.001+02:00

Blogging can be a lonely pursuit without the support of those who take time to comment. Thanks to everyone who stops by here to read and leave a response. Your comments are very much appreciated!

In another week, I'll be back in the classroom for a new school year. Knowing my time will be limited, I'm shifting over to a new schedule: blog a few times a week, and give feedback and comments on other people's blogs on the other days. I've enjoyed all the inspiration I've gleaned from so many others, and commenting is the best way I know to say thank you!

I'll keep on scrapping and making cards to include in my blogs. I may not be able to keep up with the ones who are already making their Christmas cards and scrapping photos taken only yesterday, but I'll be cheering you on!

Thanks for playing along again this week with "where in the world?". The photo was taken in Burgos, Spain, during the summer we lived there in 1994.

This is a random photo I took of a Siberian Tiger in Norway's Dyreparken (Animal Park), looking very much like Shere Khan asking for the man-cub.

Playing With Ink, Plus This Week's "Guess Where" Photo

2010-07-29T17:37:00.002+02:00

My mom gave this box of inks to me several years ago. As you can tell, I've been a bit careless about keeping the colors where they belong. It's probably a good thing I'm not into painting.

The inks were very useful in making this card. I only had one flower (the white one), and didn't want to get out any others, so I made the blue petals and the leaves, adding extra color with the ink. I also used some silver glitter glue, and topped off the flower with something I've had lying around for a while.

I don't know about anyone else, but I find corner punches incredibly difficult to use. Is there a secret to getting it lined up right? I wasted a lot of paper trying to punch corners correctly. The scalloped edges on the main part of the card were premade, so no worries there!

Here is this week's "Guess Where" Photo. Post your guesses in the comments, and I'll be back with the answer in my next blog post. The people in the photo are hubby and I. The year was 1994.

Truthful Observations

2010-07-27T17:01:00.002+02:00

I've been absent from my blog for the past few days. I'm glad I got out some papers and materials today, though. I've found it actually relieves the pain of living with a chronic illness to make cards and other things from paper. That's truthful observation number one.

Truthful observation number two: I'm a messy scrapper. The photo at the top shows what my work area looked like after making just one card. It should be noted that there was nothing on the table except for a vase of wilted weeds before I got everything out.

All that mess for just one little card. I don't think I'll try to make Christmas cards this year. Santa would refuse to come to our house because of the mess!

Maybe I should just send this card to Santa to butter him up a bit...

Truthful observation number three: it's all but impossible to predict the weather here. This is not an original thought coming from me. It is the humble admission from a meteorologist on the radio today.

They went on to say that the weather just changes too quickly to be able to give accurate forecasts. I can agree with that. In one single day here, it's been known to be sunny, rainy, and windy, with a dose of snow and/or hail. Actually, this is likely to be the case in a single short afternoon!

Today is "Dog Day"

2010-07-23T20:05:00.002+02:00

Today is Dog Day! To celebrate, here's a partially finished page featuring the special bond between boy and dog.

According to a local radio station, it's not possible to make whipped cream today. "Hundedagene" in Norwegian....the dog days, from July 23-August 23.

So what did I do? I got out some whipping cream and put the theory to the test. Bear in mind that it's cool enough outside for jackets. And speaking of jackets makes me think of yellow jackets. Besides making dogs go crazy, today and for the next 30 days the wasps are supposed to be more irritable than usual.

Four minutes later...not looking much like whipped cream...

Six minutes of whipping and I got...Butter
Somebody pass the crackers, we've got fresh butter to eat!

(Maybe it's just my mixer...)

Pink Encounters, Good Books, and Roaring Twenties Hiking Women

2010-07-21T23:31:00.002+02:00

It was time to give my blog another facelift. You'd think that being the mother of a little girl who adores pink, I'd choose another color, but this one was so fun I couldn't resist it! I found it at Dotty Dot Dot Backgrounds.

I know I've been slacking on my blog lately, but believe me, I'm finding plenty to do! Summer vacation is slipping by, and my list is still long. Plus, I'm trying to find time each day to read. Right now I'm reading Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer. It's historical fiction with a setting in the Spanish Civil War.

Since I always try to post a photo on each blog post, here's one for today. Can anyone guess what this is and where the photo was taken? I have a book about this place, written by three women named Edith Fetz, Ruth Hunsicker, and Ruth Erickson. They and one other woman took a hiking trip to this place in 1922! I made the trip myself in 2004.

Not Cupcakes, and Not Muffins, Either!

2010-07-19T19:06:00.000+02:00

Has anyone written a book yet about the many uses for muffin tins? If not, they should. I've used them for rice crispie treats, for sorting activities with a toddler, and of course for both cupcakes and muffins. I'm sure you've heard about some of the clever ways these can be used, and tried out some great ideas, so share one of your favorites here!

I love all the pretty patterns cupcake papers come in, too! When I was a child, we had the pastel colors, but I don't remember anything else. One thing that always happens is that the colors and patterns change once you add a batter to be baked. I'm always a little disappointed about that, aren't you? For dinner this evening, I baked quiche in a muffin tin, then transferred the individual miniature pies into cupcake papers before putting them on the table. The papers were fresh and bright that way.

And when I made cheesecake this weekend, I pressed the cookie-crumb crust right into some butterfly papers before adding the cheesecake filling and cherry topping. So how about sharing some of your favorite uses for muffin tins!

Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge

2010-07-19T15:46:00.000+02:00

Captivating comes with a very nice cover that has a layer of vellum acting as a book jacket, but also acting as a veil for the photo of a beautiful woman underneath. The copy I received was an updated version of the original book with the same title.

The authors of this book repeat their main point several times throughout: as a woman, you are created to be beautiful from the inside out. There are several key points which the authors say will keep a woman from showing her true inner beauty, including fear and wounds from others.

This book includes several ancedotes taken from the lives of real women, and if it weren't for these being inserted throughout the book, it would have been much too dry to get through. There were also numerous references to movies, but I haven't watched most of them so the references were pretty meaningless.

There were things about this book which made me feel uncomfortable. I would recommend that if you are going to read this book, you have your Bible open to check the authors' interpretations of the scriptures against what the verses actually say. I cannot actually fully recommend this book to anyone for this reason.

It was also a bit confusing to read this co-authored book because at times I didn't know which of them was doing the writing--and knowing would have been helpful. Perhaps two different colors of ink, or two different fonts, would have solved the problem.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free copy of this book for review.

Jumble-Jamble Gift Tag

2010-07-16T20:27:00.001+02:00

What else can you call this wildly busy tag? I pulled out buttons, ribbons, markers, stamps, and other fun bits and bobs to make this. And now that it's posted, I see that I forgot to add one more thing I was planning on doing. Hey, some days I just feel like mixing everything up for a big jumble of color and fun!

Edited to add the changes...As if it weren't busy enough already!

Here--That's Where I Am

2010-07-15T17:23:00.010+02:00

The Mona Lisa was here a few days ago, and begged to be photographed. I obliged. She is a stranger in a foreign land, and it should be noted that she was here.

It has been exactly 18 years since I moved to Norway. We came over with 13 suitcases, my flute, and my guitar. Yes, back then we could get away with that many suitcases, especially when there were so many who came over to the USA for the wedding and who kindly took back one of our suitcases with them.

I nearly lost my guitar in the Vancouver BC airport, barely managing to get past security and reclaim it from where it had been left without being pulled into an interrogation room. Then we got slowed down at the last security checkpoint while they checked my flute for drugs. Haha. Who knew that playing the flute was so suspicious!

We also came over with dozens of pieces of glass and crystal in our suitcases, and all but one made it without breaking. That's good packing, I'd say!

The day after we arrived, I saw my new home for the first time. My new husband had bought a house for us to start out in. The carpet in the hallway and on the stairs was PINK! Some of the walls were pink, too. Just because pink and white were our wedding colors, it was assumed that I would be delighted.

The truth is, I like most any color, but in the right place; pink is no more my favorite color than yellow or blue or purple or black. In fact, I don't have a favorite color. I certainly didn't feel drawn to the dusty pink featured by the previous owner. Thankfully, there is always paint, and eventually the carpet was replaced.

I loved that little house, in spite of the decor. There was an atrocious fireplace in the living room, with lots of copper-colored metal on it and embossed images of viking ships along the sides. One of the bedrooms had been "artistically" decorated with pale brown "paint drips" flowing down one wall. The other walls had two different kinds of wallpaper, variations of brown and white stripes. A bathroom was papered in wallpaper straight out of 1970, with huge brown, yellow, and orange flowers. The bathtub, sink, and toilet were all burnt yellow-orange.

But for me the worst room was the kitchen. The tiles on the walls looked like they were drawn by the same artist who designs funeral programs. Throughout the house was the heavy smell of stale cigarette smoke which gradually faded over time. But it was our first home together, and for that reason I loved it.

I spent the next two years in constant illness. The climate change from a dry inland valley to a very humid, windy, coastal climate, along with asthma and another disease that I didn't even know I had, was very hard on me. Even in the summertime I had to wear a scarf around my throat or be sick.

It would be two more years from the day I arrived here until the day I saw any of my American family and friends again. Travel was out of the question. We could barely make ends meet, since I had only a part time job that first year and we were struggling to realize our dream of being homeowners. The year after that I got a full time job, and we spent that year recovering financially.

Then my husband's job sent him to Spain, during the school year so that I couldn't go. By that time, we had rescued a beautiful black labrador, Anja, from a local shelter. She was especially attached to me, and so the two of us made it through that lonely time. I learned to cope. Anja slept just outside the doorway of my bedroom, watching over me.

The company agreed to fly Jorma home home once a month to visit, and I took a day off to make a special trek up the mountain to Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock. Then, when June came, I flew with the wind to Spain and joined him there.

We took a taxi from the airport to the bus station in Madrid and settled on a bench next to a young man who ate nuts and spit the shells on the floor while we waited for our bus. No car, so we had to take the stinky public bus from Madrid to Burgos, about three hours north. Stinky because the tobacco smoke in Spain is just that much stronger and smoking was a given everywhere.

We were together again for the summer, in another country. A warmer country. My health improved during that summer. Along the bus route between Madrid and Burgos, we passed fields of melons, sunflowers, and other crops, many to be shipped to faraway places like Norway.

I brought my guitar to Burgos and played in the long hours of the daytime in our little apartment on Avenida Palencia when trying to make sense of the all-Spanish television stations became too tedious. When my fingers got tired, I took walks to the nearby monastery where the air was cooler, or down across the bridge and into the older area of town, in and out of shops, along the tree-lined streets, wandering aimlessly, killing time.

Everything was closed down during siesta, so I sat in the apartment and played more guitar or went the park with my Spanish textbook, trying to relearn the Spanish I had forgotten when I learned Norwegian. One day as I sat on a park bench near the sculptures of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, a man came and tried to physically overpower me. Suddenly, even though his strength was too much for me, his face registered something like shock, then he took off running. Nobody else was around. Or were they? Maybe my guardian angel...

Midway through the summer, after enjoying the evening promenades together and many visits to the man we called "Miko Amigo" because he sold Italian Miko ice cream to us from a little cart on a street corner, we took the bus back to Madrid and flew to Norway for a night. The next morning we were on a plane to America. At last, a chance to see my family and friends again! To taste the air of home through my nostrils, feel the sounds of American voices, smell the shopping places once so mundane, and gather with friends in common fellowship.

After a few weeks, we took off again, this time for Boston where I had a seminar to attend at Harvard. Harvard was not home. Sick of the pompous strutting and guru worship, we flew out a day early with the excuse of a storm over the Atlantic to speed us on our way. Then one more day in Norway and back to Spain again for the rest of the summer.

More quiet days in the apartment at the end of a long, marbled hallway, waiting for togetherness again at the end of the day. Because I'd forgotten how to speak Spanish, my social options were very limited, but one weekend my husband's new friend at work took us to the Northern Spanish mountains, Fuente de. We had a picnic there, Spanish style, sitting atop a high mountain peak after riding the teleferico, or cable car, through the clouds to the top. It was a beautiful respite, over too soon.

Another new friend gave us a ride to Madrid, where we spent the weekend being proper tourists at the palace and the zoo and anywhere else our feet could take us. We were spared being there the day another bomb went off.

Back in the quiet and nearly medieval Burgos, we toured the centuries-old cathedral properly. Days of knights in armour seemed less distant while looking at their empty shells. Dead monarchs were entombed in shadowy recesses. Outside, workers scaled the high walls on scaffolding, working to erase the disease which had found its way into the stones.

It was a good summer, a chance to heal physically and to sample new things from green olives in bologna to shopping in little nooks and crannies and coming away with delightful little owl nicknacks.

While strolling through the streets one evening, I realized something. It would be another few years before I recognized who I had become: a foreigner wherever I went because living in another country eventually changed me so much I would never quite be the same back in America, but not enough to keep me from always being a foreigner here.

At that point in the summer of 1994, I was still fully American, with my body in Spain and my habits and thoughts and mannerisms profoundly American, and a home waiting to go back to at the end of the summer in Norway. As we walked along the treelined street, I exclaimed, "I'm here!" Another step, and I added, "I've always been here! No matter where I go, I can never say "I'm there". I'm always here. This is where I am. In Spain, In Norway, in America, wherever I find myself, I'm free to say I'm HERE."

And here I am, 18 years later. Here. No matter how many countries I've visited or lived in since then.

Patriotic Page

2010-07-14T22:11:00.000+02:00

My children are Norwegian, so Norway's national day on May 17th is a special day for them. For this page, I took some photos from previous years and added some flags and patriotic ribbon along with some leaves since birch twigs are a big part of the day. The ladybug stamp added an extra feeling of springtime to the page. In Norwegian, months of the year are not capitalized and the day of the month is always written first, so properly written out the date is "17. mai".

Honey, I'm Home!!

2010-07-12T15:21:00.000+02:00

Actually, we never left home. For the past week I've been here, but each day has been so busy with other things, I ended up taking a week off from blogging. A respite is a good thing.

Besides my daughter's birthday (she's now seven, and I'm still in shock!), we have been turning our house upside down. The piano has been moved to another wall, and we decided to put the aquarium where the piano had been. However, when we moved the aquarium, we discovered a leak. I mentioned putting the fish in the bathtub. They're not my fish, can you tell?? The bathtub idea was vetoed. Now the new aquarium is standing against the wall where the piano used to be.

Not to be outdone by all this drama over the piano and the fishy home, our living room furniture and dining table got in the spirit of things and insisted they should also be moved. So our dining table went to the living room. The larger sofa from the living room came to the kitchen area where the dining table had been. The loveseat and armchair moved to where the aquarium and sofa had been. In the space of about three weeks, our home has changed so much I feel like a visitor!

Is moving furniture around a female thing? My mom says it is, and she also says it runs in our family. Her aunt moved furniture around so much, you needed a tour guide to get through her living room. One night my uncle came home (he worked the night shift) and couldn't get into his own front door. My aunt decided that since nobody used that door much, she could put the piano right in front of it!

As you can guess, all the energy spent on the house left little time for other things. I did get a chance to use some new stamps when I wrapped gifts for my daughter, though. I love my pumpkin-colored staz-on ink, and used some floral stamps to dress up some plain yellow wrapping paper. Instead of a traditonal card, I made a card from an oversized tag.

My daughter loves to make things, too, so I gave her a glittery unicorn suncatcher painting kit for her birthday. Here is her finished project!

Little Boys and a Worthy Preface

2010-07-02T21:23:00.000+02:00

"Boys are made of...." I used to love to taunt my brother with all the sugar and spice we girls got to claim in that old childhood chant. Now that I'm a mom of a boy, I'm discovering their endearing side. For my son, it's not only snips and snails and puppy dog tails, it's also sharks and "pie-rats" and then, just when it seems he's embracing the grimmest and meanest monsters out there, he turns on his charming grin.

*******************************

If I ever write a book, I think I'll borrow C.S.Lewis' words for my preface. You know you're in for a treat when you read a disclaimer by the author like this one:

"The story is, I fear, suffocatingly subjective; the kind of thing I have never written before and shall probably never write again. I have tried so to write the first chapter that those who can't bear such a story will see at once what they are in for and close the book with the least waste of time."

C.S.Lewis, Surprised by Joy

Wish Big

2010-07-01T17:26:00.000+02:00

Decorating Progress

2010-06-30T23:57:00.001+02:00

Things are happening! First, check out that today is a "double post" day. You won't want to miss the blog candy giveaway hosted by fellow blogger Andrea.

A package arrived from my sister all the way over in America today. Does she know me or not?? I got a papercraft magazine, a blogging magazine, and some lovelies to use on my paper crafting. Take a look at these cool brads and cutouts! Thanks, Sis!

I'm looking for tips on easy ways to cover shapes like these. I'm sure I'm doing it wrong when I use a glue stick and craft knife.

The decorating project at our house is also coming along. A week or so ago I posted a photo indicating there would be textile changes ahead. Lots of fuschia pink and white lace. Did I mention the new paint color on the walls, too? Well, the project isn't done yet, but it's getting there. Here's a tiny peek at one of the corners of the room in question.

Does anyone else get temperamental when it comes to paint colors? While I was painting, all kinds of doubts were building about the color. After I got done, I was threatening to ban all visitors from our house for the next ten years (because I'm not planning to paint this room again until ten years from now). Now that the furniture and textiles are being added to the picture, I'm starting to relax. I don't know how professional interior designers manage stress, but before I start another project, I will be looking for any stress-reduction advice.

And finally, just because, here's another page from my scrapbook. Thanks for reading today!

Check Out This Blog Candy!

2010-06-30T16:34:00.002+02:00

Andrea, from Impressions Are Made, is giving away some great blog candy. Everything in the photograph is up for grabs! Here's a list:

-3 Belles 'n Whistles stamps, 2 of which are from the new release

-3 Alota Rubber Stamps backgrounds which are perfect for all of their little people they sell as well as Magnolias
-Round and heart shaped paper doilies
-Lots of ribbon
-Tons of charms and metal pieces
-Several bunches of flowers from WOC
-Cridgeware Plaques for decorating
-2 packages of adhesive pearls
-2 6 x 6 paper packs and MANY 6 x 6 misc. papers from all of my favorite companies -1 handmade box that fits all of this candy in it except the paper and cridgeware!!

Here is what Andrea says you need to do to win this candy:

1. Become a follower of Andrea's blog
2. Post about this candy on your blog to spread the word. Please add a link to my candy with the post. PRETTY PLEASE!! :) I would so greatly appreciate it. This candy is open to everyone who becomes a follower of my blog everywhere, worldwide! ;)
3. Leave a comment here on this post so that I can keep track of ya and chose the winner from the comments! Only one comment per person, please.

Still On Hold

2010-06-28T22:51:00.000+02:00

I finished painting a room today, but I have neither the time nor energy to be crafty. Here's another page from my scrapbook for today. Christmas is only six months away!

Survival

2010-06-26T04:46:00.001+02:00

Birds remind me of my grandma. She loved birds. This is a true story. My mother found it among my grandma's things shortly after she passed away. My mom asked me to share this on my blog, so I did so a few months ago. I'm sharing it again now.

Survival

Sunday afternoon. The four children and I sit on the front steps of our modest farm home. Quiet, sad, alone. So alone. What a vast emptiness.

We sit with long silences and our thoughts. And our loneliness. Oh, God, how will I ever survive? I don't think I can. I must.

I had depended on him so much. Content. Happy just to be wife and mother.

We sit silently. Such an emptiness surrounds us. We've lost daddy, husband, pal, friend, and lover. He had been all these and more. Now I must cope, alone. The weight of the responsibility of four children hangs heavy over me. How can I survive?

A small breeze springs up to help make the July heat a little more bearable.

How I have appreciated the concern and help of family and friends this past week, but just now, momentarily, it is a relief to have the house empty of visitors.

At last I get up. The children must be fed. They follow me into the kitchen. We all work together preparing the meal and setting the table. Dear Lord, where do I sit? He'd always sat at the head of the table and I sat on his right hand as he'd always wanted me close to him. I hesitate, then place my plate in its usual place. We all sit down. The empty place at the head of the table is physically empty.

I tuck the children into their beds. Pausing beside each child for a last good night kiss and yearningly wishing I could somehow take away their hurt.

I can't sleep. The long night hours stretch out. Finally at last I hear the first early morning crowing of the roosters and a faint light begins to lighten the sky. I slip on my robe and walk up the country lane to the brow of the hill and face the morning sun. I stand alone in the quiet dawn and watch the sun come up and fingers of pink and red stain the sky.

Each day merges into another, slowly creeping by. Work, work, don't think. I fight to keep from crying. If I start, I'll never stop.

I must learn to drive. I never have. I venture out slowly, uncertainly, accepting help from anyone kind enough to offer. Listen to any advice anyone gives me.

Today I must try for my driver's license. A big day. I fail. Too inexperienced. But I have to drive. It's a necessity.

Creeping slowly along the roads I venture into town, staying on the back streets.

I pep myself up with an "O.K. Kid, try again". Glory be! I passed. Now we aren't completely housebound and isolated.

I try taking the children to the mountains on an outing. On the steep mountain roads my little car overheats. I pull over for a while and let it cool but it doesn't. We wait and wait. The gauge still shows hot, it should be cool by now. What will I do up here in the mountains with the little ones? Finally I realize with the switch off the gauge will stay on high. How dumb can you be?

Experience and knowledge come slowly and costly. Costly as far as time and mistakes go.

The kitchen faucet starts leaking. Make it do or do without. We are not going to do without. How do you fix a faucet? Like everything else. By trial and error. Oh, how many errors.

I get the tool box from the shed and a new washer for the faucet. The kids gather around to help. Suddenly a geyser shoots to the ceiling. We frantically grab towels and finally find the shutoff valve.

Green as grass. But I'm learning.

Each day out at the field. Today is irrigation day. My most hateful day of all. I slip out early with shovel and hoe. Carefully get the water running evenly down the rows of vegetables. Dry parched earth thirstily consuming the water. Hot, hot, searing sun, blistered hands. I must hurry back to the house to check on the children and prepare breakfast, then back to the field. My heart sinks. I'd thought I'd had all the gopher holes plugged and the vegetables were being watered, and instead the gopher tunnels were gulping the water. The gophers are my enemies this summer, but it seems as if many things are.

The calves are growing out of their pens. They must have shelter for the winter. He had planned on building a new barn, and in preparation had torn the old one down. The accident had come first. Now something must be done. The calves must have a barn, but how? I'd never operated a circular saw but it must be done, so get started.

We all troop out to the field, carefully looking it over. We'll build on the same spot as the old one. We step it off carefully, confer, agree. It must be so long and so wide. Now the tape measure. That was the easy part.

Back to the porch where the sawing must be done, because of course there is no electrical in the field. Measure and mark the boards, hold firmly, then fearfully press the trigger. "Back, kids, way back!" I don't want any of them close in case it jumps. Jumps? That's when you don't hold a true straight line and the blade gets in a bind and kicks out. And, yes, to begin with the saw started to jump a few times. I quickly let up on the trigger. As I make each cut I gain a little more confidence and make a surer cut. Soon I am zipping along quite skillfully.

The girls haul the boards to the field in their wagon, and son starts hammering. Before it is finished we all try our hand at driving a nail straight. There are a lot of bent nails, some splinters. A week later we stand back and proudly look at what we have accomplished. Me, who'd never held a saw in hand or driven a nail. We had a real barn.

The calves will be dry and warm this winter.

School starts. The apple trees are good to us this year and produce bountifully. Thank goodness the children like applesauce. I make it by the kettleful. Good, cheap, nutritous food.

A farmer advertises potatoes by the hundred pound sack. We had none in the garden, so after the children left for school I drive out and buy two sacks, then home. The farmer had put them in the trunk for me but when I get home I'm on my own. I eye the distance from the trunk to the fruit room. Each sack weighs more than I do. I bend and grab a sack firmly around the middle, cling tight, and stagger a few steps, rest. Then repeat. I made it and all to do over again. What a struggle. I lean against the fruit house panting. After resting a few moments I stand back and admire. Enough potatoes for all winter, and row after row of home canned fruits and vegetables on the shelves.

Winter coming. That means cold weather, rain and snow, which means the huge heater in the living room will voraciously devour wood, which means much splitting and chopping and armloads of wood to be carried to the back porch, each and every day.

The weather turns colder and colder. We haven't had a winter like this in years.

Each morning I drag out of bed shivering, eyeing the ice on the inside of my bedroom windows. Hurry to build a fire before I call the children to get dressed for school.

I prepare breakfast while they get dressed for school, and we huddle around the heater to eat. A small circle of warmth begins to spread out from it.

Little Sue is sick, really sick. I call our doctor, who is in reality our dear friend. She isn't responding to the medicine. Her old auntie comes trudging up the lane and sits with me. Helping to stoke the fire, tries to comfort us all. How I wish he were here to lean on.

Morning comes, I must take her to the hospital. Get blankets and wrap her warmly, she mustn't get chilled. Slowly, cautiously, back out the icy driveway. I pull into the hospital, and as I enter the hallway, I quaver, "Will someone help me?"

I sit by her till the midnight hours, then drive home. As late as it is, the lights are on. I see the children framed in the window, peering out. Reassuring them with hugs that our baby of the family will be all right.

Today Sue comes home. As we arrive home, what a good feeling. Sue's little dog races around us all and into her lap, excited and yapping happily. How good it is to be able to tuck them all into their beds.

Christmas coming. Load the kids into the car and take off for the mountains to cut our own Christmas tree.

I try as much as I can to give them any little happiness to make up for the loss of their daddy.

Looking at first one tree and then another, wanting the very best one for our own. Finally, after much tramping through the wood, we agree, "Yes, this one!" We chop it down and load it so very carefully in the trunk. We don't want to break even one of its branches.

As we head for home in the evening dusk, large, lazy flakes of snow come floating earthward. All at once, for the first time in six months I really open my eyes and see the beauty of the world. Breathtaking. Tall, stately firs covered with a dusting of new snow. Down below the river winding through the canyon. The children smiling. All of us smiling. All of us still with that huge ache of loneliness for him, but smiling and laughing, planning our Christmas.

For the first time since that hot July day when they'd come to my door to tell me there had been an accident and he'd been killed, I thought, "I think we'll make it. Six months now, and we've survived."

All rights reserved. By Hazel Ragan Fairchild

More Scrapbook Pages

2010-06-25T17:57:00.001+02:00

I've been having a couple of "not-so-good-physically-speaking" days, probably because I'm trying to do too many things on my summer vacation...and probably also because I'm not being a good girl about taking all the things I should be taking to stay healthy. Bad me. So today I'll share two scrapbook pages not yet shared on this blog.

This is one of my all-time favorites, and the reason why is because of my son's artwork. Doesn't it look like that firetruck is speeding to a fire, ladder flapping in the wind?

Scrapping for a boy definitely requires me to think outside the box. If you've been reading my blog for long, you might have already guessed that I LOVE flowers! My son is more of a "bug-man". He caught this butterfly in our garden, and tamed it on the spot. He didn't have as much luck with the bee he tried to catch with his bare hands a short while after. (Lesson learned...I hope.)

Thanks for looking and humoring me while I'm taking a health break.

Book Review: A Girl's Guide to Life

2010-06-24T20:53:00.000+02:00

A Girl's Guide to Life, by Katie Meier, addresses questions which girls may be too afraid/shy/embarrassed to ask out loud. The author appears to be someone who is just a little older than the girls she's addressing in this book, giving the book an "older sister-friend" kind of feeling. The material is up to date with references to modern technology such as using facebook and the internet wisely and safely, while addressing issues girls have had to face all through time. The author also makes it clear that the answers aren't always what a person wants to hear, but they need to hear them anyway.

The book is divided into three sections: body, mind, and soul. It's written from a Christian perspective with respect to all people of all cultures, races, and religions. A common theme throughout the book is respect--to yourself and to others. Several common myths are corrected and replaced by the "real deal". When reading this book, you don't have to start at the beginning since each section can stand alone.

References to support groups are listed to help girls reach out to get help when they need it, as well as some organizations girls might wish to contact to reach out to help others less fortunate than themselves.

Overall, this is a good resource for girls.

Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.

A Lot (With a House on It)

2010-06-24T18:34:00.002+02:00

An elderly lady once wrote, "Thanks a lot! (with a house on it)" in a thank you card. I thought that was so charming! She lived during the time of the flappers, when everyone had a special way of saying even the most ordinary things. Today I have lots to talk about, including the little remodelling project we have going on. This photo from my workspace will get us started.

A trip to the music shop scored a new capo for my guitar. It also left me feeling a bit of despair when the young man behind the counter didn't know who Peter, Paul and Mary are. He did manage to find one of their CDs, however.

We went to find summer sandals for one of the kids after that, but I didn't make it all the way to the shoe shop. A scrapbook store I'd never seen before kind of distracted me. And better yet, there were some good sales inside. Familie Skatter is a place I'll definitely be visiting again! Several of the items in the photo are from that shop. (Obviously not the capo or CD.) Check out their website!

I asked about copic markers, and got the answer I've been suspecting I would get: it's not legal to ship them to Norway from the USA, and that's why I've never been able to find them here. It's the alcohol in them. Bummer. I did get a lead on perhaps finding something similar called promarkers, so that's the next step in my search for finding a marker to use with rubber stamps.

And about the house, or rather the mini redecorating project. The walls are in need of a paint job, so I decided to go with a color instead of the ivory white they have right now. This project is no longer "mini".

Finally, a couple of older pages from my scrapbooks. Since I posted about my new guitar capo, I'll go ahead and include a page featuring my guitar. The second page has a photo from my parents' garden.

Minimal Ribbon, Lots of Boy, and a Special Day Today!

2010-06-23T22:56:00.002+02:00

The castle book is now ready for the photos of my son. Wow, that went quickly! I only worked on it a bit here and there, while the project seemed to throw itself together. No flowers, only a bit of ribbon, and very much ready for my son's personality to shine through on every page. He is nine years old, and his interests include roller blading, cooking, and life in the middle ages. (His class did a big unit on the middle ages this past year.)

I used the hinges along with some star-shaped brads to make two "shields" for this castle book. I also used a product I've never tried before, Pearl Maker, by Waco, to make the green designs on the front of the book, as well as here and there inside.

You'll probably notice that my lilacs are just now blooming. That's how far along our garden season has come. Today we celebrated 18 years of marriage at the garden center, choosing more perennials and some herbs and veggies to plant in our garden. Happy Anniversary to US!! We were married on this day in 1992. Here in Norway, it's also a holiday called St. Hans. St. Hans is celebrated because June 23rd is the longest day of the year. (I took these photos outside at about 10:30 pm.)

A New Project! (My Inspiration is Back)

2010-06-22T15:13:00.001+02:00

I'm feeling inspired again! My friend Shelby gave me some good ideas for making an album for a boy. With her advice in mind, I went to Biltema, a "man store" that sells everything from spark plugs to bicycle chains. What a good place to go for scrapbooking with a boy or man in mind!

My last stop was at Kreative Hender, my favorite scrapbooking and hobby store. That's where I bought the castle-shaped book. Now I can begin making an album featuring my son to go with the one I made for my daughter.

When clicking on the links above, remember that you can use google translator to change the text from Norwegian to English. Be sure to check out Shelby's site, which is already in English. She has some amazing ideas.

Having a Bleagh Streak

2010-06-21T23:37:00.001+02:00

Do you ever get to a place where you feel uninspired? I'm there right now. I think this poor horse is, too. Look at the horse. See that face? Mine looks exactly the same. Except the horse has a nicer hairstyle. I like the wind-blown look, but I'm afraid I wouldn't look good with two-toned hair.

Okay, now I've convinced myself that the horse looks better than I feel. How bad is that?

If that isn't enough complaining for you, I've got more. Do you hear that whining sound? It's the mosquito who has decided I'm her personal human. Even lighting a citrusy candle isn't keeping her away. This candle is from Åhléns.

The good news is that I did feel inspired enough to put together this card over the weekend. I'm also reading an old classic, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Those Dashwood girls had more to worry about than bleagh days and pesky mosquitos, so it's putting things into perspective.

What Do YOU Want??

2010-06-20T00:35:00.006+02:00

Quick! Name the first three people who came to mind when you saw the attitude in this pose! We just got home from a trip to the zoo, and the animals were feeling pretty good if their photos are any indication. Here are some more...

What about the naturally gorgeous eye on this zebra? Beautiful!

Presenting the sweetest little red panda. Ever.

Have you ever noticed that if you stare at the top of a person's head, it makes them very nervous? Cats know this.

Nice kitty...(Freeze...don't move...)

A Jumble of Textiles and More Scrap Cards

2010-06-17T23:08:00.002+02:00

I've been assembling a jumble of textiles for a mini redecorating project at our house. As always, I'm taking my daily patience pills while waiting for all the pieces to come together. While I'm waiting, I'll show a photo featuring some of the key pieces. I'm going for violent color, varied textures, and a plethora of patterns.

On a side note, I should probably start sleeping outside once everything is in place. I've been told by a doctor that I should NOT, under any circumstances, allow too many textiles to take over my home . She also recommended that I iron my sheets to minimize allergies to dust. Um-hmmmm....

Yes, this same doctor actually recommended that I sleep outdoors to avoid indoor allergens. (Is that the right word, "allergens"? It sounds right, anyway.)

Does anyone know if paper is considered a textile? I'm just going to assume that it's not and keep on playing with it. Today I used more scraps to make some cards. They are photographed on a richly textured blanket to go along with my current obsession with the forbidden world of textiles.

I keep telling myself that I'm going to get started printing stamps off the internet like all the clever bloggers are doing nowadays, but I still haven't addressed the question of what kind of paper to use, what happens when the ink from the printer bleeds into my careful coloring, etc. Then there are more questions concerning copics, watercolor pencils, watercolor markers, and the stubby crayons I find around the house.

Hearts, Stick Pins, Glimmer Mist, and Three Cups of Tea

2010-06-16T15:00:00.001+02:00

Lots to blog about today. First of all, I'm reading a book called Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. This book tells about an American who builds schools in the high altitudes of Northern Pakistan. Reading about the cultural differences is only part of the charm of this book. The amazing landscape of some of the highest mountain peaks in the world, the ancient silk route and caravan stops, and more make this a great book to read.

Next, the heart-shaped book I started for my daughter is now finished! It was a long project, but very satisfying. The album is stuffed full of girly, flowery things, including a couple of stick pins and some experiments with a product called glimmer mist. I still have a few details to finish off, like the journaling bits on the tags, but otherwise it's DONE! You can click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

For my next project...an album for my son. I'm thinking about doing a castle-shaped book.

Using Some Scraps

2010-06-15T21:44:00.000+02:00

What do you consider too small to save? I keep saving little bits of paper after projects, thinking I'll get around to using them sometime--and I actually do! Here are a couple of little cards I've made from scraps.

Here's another question: do you make your own envelopes? I find that most of my cards are an odd size and don't fit commercial envelopes. Maybe I should start trying to make "standard-sized" cards?

Out To Lunch, Back Soon (I'm Just Freezing Some Candlesticks)

2010-06-15T01:05:00.001+02:00

Or maybe not really out to lunch, but I've been taking a few days to figure out that I really am on vacation.

What did I do this weekend? The first weekend of summer vacation, no less? I sat down and did a floor plan for my classroom so I can make some improvements for the new school year coming up. Is that a sign of someone who really doesn't know the true meaning of vacation or what?

Today I tried to get into the vacation thing by rearranging the books in our ~~library~~ living room. I also did a test to see if what they say about freezing candlesticks to remove the wax is correct. Then I forgot about the candlesticks being in the freezer. My husband asked me why there were candlesticks in the freezer when he got home from work this afternoon. I can't be the first person to leave the candlesticks in the freezer, can I? Well?

Between the bookshelves and the candlesticks, I didn't do anything creative today. Here's a photo from my files instead. It's the creative work of my son when he was in the first grade, and my favorite "family portrait" to date. Aren't we beautiful? I think I should wear red and white gingham more often.

Pink Thoughts

2010-06-11T20:45:00.004+02:00

What colors do you think are classic together? I think that pink and brown are a classic pair. I'm crazy about the soft brown fuzzy ball trim I ran along the bottom of this card. I added some less "busy" pink and brown ribbon along the sides, liquid stitching, and a pink button for accents.

And...it's official! I handed in my keys for the summer this afternoon. School's out, summer vacation has begun! I'm going to take on a personal challenge to post a photo each day during the summer. Here's the first one. We passed by these miniature horses the other morning, munching away in a field of dandelions. I only had my fixed focal lens (no zoom), so this is as close as I could get. You can click on the thumbnails in this post to see a larger image.

Father's Day Card

2010-06-09T22:37:00.002+02:00

I love this car! It's an honest car; old, rusty, and not pretending to be anything else. Did you notice there's no windshield or window glass? My dad installed an ooga horn to blast away on with one hand while gripping the door with the other hand to keep from falling out. This is not a ride for the feeble-hearted.

And can you see that building in the background? That's a woodshed that my dad built recently. My dad makes me think of old cars, ice cream, and things built out of wood.

Last year I didn't give my dad a card for Father's Day. If you've ever lived outside the USA for longer than a few years, you will understand the feeling of "cultural re-entry shock". If you have no idea what I'm talking about, humor me. Please. It had been 17 years since I moved away from the USA, and five years since the last time I had been back to visit.

When it's Father's Day here, we go to the bookstore or grocery store and find the little cardboard stand they've put out for Father's Day cards. It's big enough to hold about 12-15 cards. To choose a card you stand in one place, pick up any three cards that look promising, and within about 30 seconds you've chosen your card. So easy. Fewer choices means less time spent thinking about a solution.

In the USA last June, I found myself staring at a row of cards that stretched from San Diego to St. Louis--or at least it felt that way. I'm sure I gaped. (If you were in a Target store in San Diego last summer and saw a gaping woman standing in front of the card rack, it was me.) I'm talking about yards and yards and yards of shelf space devoted to Father's Day cards.

I didn't even know there were that many cards on the face of the entire earth, and these were just for dads! Dads in San Diego. Are there even that many dads in San Diego? I was completely overwhelmed. And what was on the other side of the aisle? Another entire continent of more Father's Day cards!

I couldn't choose one. I just couldn't. It was impossible. I couldn't focus on anything. Stepping away didn't help. Circling the area was futile. I finally gave up when I felt my eyeballs spinning and my breath coming in short gasps. By the time we paid for our other things I had been reduced to a mumbling mess.

I do not exaggerate. This is what cultural re-entry shock is like.

I apologized to my dad for not getting him a card. I think he was fine. Ice cream cake is a good substitute for a card.

This year I have a card for my dad. It's one I made, and it's a card that reflects who he is, from the colors to the theme. I'm beginning to see definite advantages to this card-making hobby. Like not having to stand in front of a card rack and choose a card made by someone else, even if there are only a dozen options.

Creative Writer Award

2010-06-08T23:47:00.001+02:00

Maria of Crafty Creations named me as a recipient of the "creative writer award". It's not what you think, though. This award come with an obligation to be, ummm....creative in another way. Now I must find others to pass the award on to, but first I will have to come up with some true and false statements about myself and ask others to decide which is which.
I've been given instructions for this award, and whoever I nominate will be asked to do the same.

1) Express gratitude to the blogger that bestowed the award unto you. Maria, thank you for the award, and I accept!

2) Display this picture proudly on your blog. Isn't the little liar guy a character?

3) Be nice and provide a link to the person who gave it to you....Here is Maria's creative and inspiring BLOG.
4) Tell 6 outrageous lies about yourself and one truth, or 6 truths and one lie.

5) Nominate 6 "creative writers" who might be into doing this

6) Post links to the 6 you nominate and let them know.

So here are my truths & lies - can you tell which ones are lies/truths?

1. I don't like green bathtubs.
2. I have a zebra finch named Thor.
3. I've never had a traffic ticket.
4. I've lived in more than two countries.
5. I'm married to a pharmicist.
6. I love to read.
7. I'm related to the Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Here are my six nominations:
1. Christy at Christy Gets Crafty
2. Karin at With an i For Paper
3. Sandy at Scrappin-Squirrely
4. Amanda at Stamp Me
5. Andrea at Impressions Are Made
6. Nancy at Life With Our Three

And here's a photo with a background story to round out today's post.

That's me back in 1994. I had just climbed to the top of Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) and was sitting on the edge. In case you're wondering if you should be impressed, here are the facts:

(No lies here)
-The fjord lies 604 meters straight down from where I was sitting.
-It takes at least two hours to hike to the plateau where I was sitting in this photo.
-In all the years I've lived in Norway--nearly two decades--I've only made the hike once. Once was enough for me.

To see what pulpit rock actually looks like, click HERE. If it doesn't make your tummy do a flip, let me know. I literally crawled to the edge (closer than the photo shows) on my stomach because I was too sissy to walk over on my two wobbly-kneed legs.

Congratulations, Sonja!

2010-06-07T23:32:00.004+02:00

I've already posted today, but wanted to also give my congratulations to a special young lady who has just won a stipend for her music. You can read all about it here (I used google translator to change the text to English, but I'm not sure if it will stick in the link.):
http://sandeavis.no/kultur/apnet-kulturskoleuka-1.5358216

You can also listen to her song on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1V4CNq_LE

Congratulations, Sonja!

Caramel Corn and More!

2010-06-07T21:32:00.004+02:00

I'm munching on (homemade) caramel corn as I write this. The parents of my students surprised me with an awesome (does anyone use the word awesome anymore?) gift basket this afternoon. I'm seriously spoiled. Take a look:

Do these parents know me well or not? I love scrapping/photography, cooking, and books. See that bit of blue paper just behind the dotted envelope? It's a gift card to amazon! What book have you read recently that you think I should order from amazon? I always want to know what other people are reading, especially since I live across the ocean from Barnes & Noble and can't go through the shelves on my own.

I also drink tea. Take a look at the tin box. It's a teabag box! (I thought it was a lunch box at first, which would have also been really cool.) I love the tea bags hanging from the tree.

The little object nestled inside white satin is a bookmark with handmade Norwegian glass, and the little ladybug stapler couldn't be more "me" if it tried. The cup is also 100% my style.

And of course there's caramel corn. The mom who made it promised to give me the recipe. Yay! One can never have too many caramel corn recipes.

I finished writing all the thank you cards and handed them out. Yesterday I shared some with flower pots. Here are some more of the cards I made for the parent volunteers in my classroom this year. You're awesome, ladies! (Yes, someone still uses the word awesome: me.)

Thanks for leaving so many nice comments on my blog. Every one of them is appreciated!

Flower Pots

2010-06-06T22:30:00.002+02:00

I've been making thank you cards for the parents of my students who have been volunteering in my classroom this year. I don't know what I would have done without such willing and fantastic helpers. Some of them spent literally hours and hours of their own time in helping with the jobs a first grade teacher needs done--reading with students, cutting and assembling things, time at the copy machine, and more.

I've made over a dozen cards all together, but today I want to share these cards with flowers in pots. I was using a lot of scraps to make these cards, and it really surprised me that even little strips of paper could be used for something.

Hotel Room Studio

2010-06-05T22:44:00.002+02:00

We were out of town overnight and halfway through the day today. I took along a little box of papers, photos, and supplies for making things.

The lighting was great, so I could even work when the rest of the room was dark.

I found this little candy tin in my handbag and decided to alter it into a box to hold my paper fasteners.

And using a photo of daffodils with some paper and lace for the rims of the box, this is the altered project.

I'll be around to see what you other bloggers have been up to as soon as possible. Thanks to all who have been stopping by here to take a look and leave comments. They are greatly appreciated!

True Confessions of a Doodling, Word-Obsessed Paper Junkie

2010-06-03T21:38:00.000+02:00

Have you ever been really sick and had to stay in bed for days or even weeks at a time? When I was in elementary school, I had the mumps at least twice. Maybe three times. If you've ever had the mumps, you know they can take you down pretty hard. I was only able to lie quietly when I wasn't sleeping off the illness.

That got boring pretty fast. Being bored was a novel experience for me. My mom once said, that of all her children (she had three), I was the only one who never seemed to get bored.

I think she forgot about those times when I had the mumps.

One mump-filled day my dad came home from work with a get-well present for me. It was called "Play-A-Bed Book". Looking back, I wonder if that was the beginning of my fascination with all things paper. I found hours of entertainment and ideas inside, including the novel idea of publishing my own newspaper--in miniature form! I began to develop ideas for using paper and words together, and suddenly having the mumps for two weeks at a time wasn't so bad after all.

I got over the mumps eventually, but I never recovered from my fascination with paper and words. Origami? Yep, I tried that. Quilling? Sure thing! Scrapbooking? I was scrapping decades before it became a fad. I also made snowflakes, coin rubbings, flexa hexagons, paper fans...

Last year I taught journaling to my middle school EAL students. By example. And that's how the journal in today's post got started. Both the boys and the girls became very involved with their journals, and getting them to write was easier through the open-ended project of designing a journal. We used colored pencils, ink, glitter glue, stickers, and imagination.

I thought that posting photos would help to illustrate my personal profile of a doodling, word-obsessed paper junkie. My guess is that there are several people out there who discovered the same thing I did when I was a mump-kid all those years ago: paper crafting of all kinds is cool!

Creative Club

2010-06-02T20:53:00.005+02:00

Do the people in your life know how much you like to play with paper? Is this a source of amusement to them, or is it something that is tolerated? Or maybe something in between?

I think it's "somewhere in between" for my husband. He likes it that I have something I enjoy so much. He knows me so well, after nearly 18 years of marriage, that he tells me I have this way of whistling under my breath whenever I'm doing something fun and relaxing. But when my paper and supplies start to take over the kitchen table, I can feel his patient tolerance for my hobby. That's when I know it's just about time to clear everything away for a while.

He's a good guy, though. Several months ago, he surprised me by ordering a subscription to a scrapbooking club. It's called "Creative Club", and although it's shipped from within Norway, their website address suggests it's a club in several European countries.

Anyway, I'm going to share the latest package which arrived in the mail today. I sometimes ignore the special "project" they outline for their customers to do, with examples in photos, but this time I fell in love with the project and decided to reproduce it fairly closely to their model.

It's a heart-shaped scrapbook, and what I really like about this is the way all kinds of lovely things spill out of the sides once it's completed. It's also going to be bulky, and I LOVE bulky! (See my post from last week featuring my travel journal here: http://nordicblogger.blogspot.com/2010/05/postcards-plane-tickets-road-trips-what.html )

I've done the front cover so far, which is pictured at the top of this post. I'll come back with the rest of the pages as I complete them. I work full time, so please be patient with me for being so slow!

Here are the rest of the pages for the heart-shaped scrapbook, unfinished, so you can get an idea where this is going. Here is the website address to the Creative Club for anyone who wants to see what kinds of things are happening over here:
http://www.creativeclub.eu/

Read and Share DVD Bible

2010-06-02T20:30:00.003+02:00

Read and Share DVD Bible, Life and Miracles. Tommy Nelson.

I asked my children to watch this DVD with me so that I could have their perspective for this review. My son just turned nine, and my daughter's seventh birthday is this summer.

The DVD began with Jesus and his parents coming back from Egypt, then quickly moved forward to his ministry. I found it disconcerting that there were so many pauses in the dialogue while characters with limited facial expressions simply stared at each other.

There was a lot of focus on Judas, more than on any of the other disciples. When Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit of the Lord came down like a dove, but no voice was heard. This was a detail I think should have been important enough to include.

My children were excited when they saw familiar Bible stories in this 30-minute feature on the miracles of Jesus, but it was difficult to follow along from story to story since the events of three years were all mashed together.

As a parent, and as a teacher with many years' of experience, including several years with preschool children, I was disappointed with this children's Bible DVD.

Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this DVD for this review.

Birthday Blueday

2010-06-01T19:06:00.001+02:00

I'm not feeling blue, just wanted to try some things with the color blue. Here are the results!

You can click on the image for a larger picture.

Speaking of birthdays, we just had one at our house yesterday. If there are moms out there who are never thrown into a state of mini-shock when they realize their babies are growing up too fast, please tell me how you do it! My oldest is now nine. The old cliche "time flies" is an understatement for me.

Two More Cards and Personal Favorites From Eurovision 2010

2010-05-29T23:44:00.004+02:00

The Eurovision Song Contest is being held in Norway this year, thanks to last year's winner from Norway, Alexander Rybak.

Congratulations to Germany, the Eurovision winners for 2010. Here are my favorites from this year.

Spain. The security could have done a better job in keeping out the nutcase during the performance, but the group kept on singing and performing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uWCTeIv-Tc
Norway. I found this one a bit boring, but his voice is nice, and he is our Norwegian entry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5nCcY4Vcwc&feature=PlayList&p=D528EE38B2049B7C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7

Cyprus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwuaxlNBJgo

Belarus. Watch the whole thing to see the special effect towards the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BJ-4D0vc1o

Ireland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMDszSBuppA

The Last Thing I Remember

2010-05-29T03:54:00.000+02:00

I have a book review and a card to share today. First, the book review.

The Last Thing I Remember, by Andrew Klavan, is a YA action thriller. Believe it or not, I have a hard time putting down the books in this series. It seems like the suspense and action never slow down for long. You know you have found a series worth following when you're on the second-to-last page and still on the edge of your seat.

Charlie is a young man on the run. The cops want him, and the bad guys want him, too. To complicate matters, he can't remember the entire last year of his life. Unfortunately, during that year he was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison for 25 years to life.

Charlie knows about a terrorist plan to blow up a bridge, but when he tries to tell the police they don't believe him. No one helps him until a stranger strips the lock of the handcuffs he's wearing as he is shoved into a police cruiser, and then later when he meets a strange woman on the street at night after saving her life.

And here is the card I made this evening. I'm not sure if I'm done with it. Part of me wants to have some words on the gray part. The other part of me says it's finished, and adding any more would ruin it. What would you do?

Friendship

2010-05-28T04:59:00.001+02:00

I work in a very nomadic community. My students come and go, and colleagues do as well. This year I'm saying goodbye to two of the nicest colleagues I've ever worked with, and I want to wish them all the best.

This is the card I've just made for one of them. The best thing about cardmaking, I'm finding, is that you can design a card with someone in mind, and that's something you can't always find when you buy cards at the store. I used some colors she likes with a clean and simple design. The written sentiment and ribbon are from my Mary Engelbreit box.

Mozart's Sister, My Driver's License, and Another Journal

2010-05-27T00:20:00.004+02:00

First, a brief review of the book Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser, and my honest impressions of Mozart's sister outside the reading of the book.

While it was interesting to read about Mozart's family, and I think the author did a good job, I can't say that I really liked this book. It was depressing. Nannerl, Mozart's sister, was depressing. She was constantly denied the things she wanted because she was a woman. A musical career, the husband of her choice, travelling when and where she wanted--all of these were left in the hands of the men in her life.

And her hair! If those men could rule everything else she did, why couldn't they convince her that hair which is piled two stories above the head is very unattractive. Her musical compositions were apparently not saved, but there are several paintings of Nannerl, and every single portrait features that ridiculous stack of hair. What were they thinking?

That was my honest opinion.

''''''''''

Next, a warning to the general populace, especially those who are yet to be born: My Norwegian driver's license expires on my hundredth birthday. Knowing me, if I'm still around when I'm a hundred, I'll be as stubborn as Nannerl was about her hair when it comes to giving up my license to drive.

''''''''''

And last, a journal. Do any of you have a thing about journals? Yesterday I shared my travel journal from last summer. Today I'm going to share another journal, also created from a plain chipboard album. A friend asked me how I make these journals. I told her to just gather materials that make you smile and start decorating.

How do you go about designing things? Do you find it easier to have a plan in mind before you begin?

Today's share is one of my writing journals. It's not for scribbled notes, but rather for short pieces that have already been written and edited.

I like the way this journal came with tabbed sections. I used some Mary Engelbreit designs for part of this journal, and the rest is made up of bits and ribbons and papers from here and there.

I like to add extra pages and flaps to my journals. The page on the left in the photo above opens to a second and then a third page. All of them are bound together on the left side of the page. Experimenting with alphabet stickers is also fun.

Although I haven't filled this journal with writing just yet, most of the pages are at least partiallly set up and ready to go. I liked this tag which nests inside a little envelope and knew right away that it just had to be included in my journal. I'll figure out what to write on it sometime.

The poem I wrote on the page below doesn't make a lot of sense without the explanation that I wrote it to fit a particular book, Havah, by Tosca Lee. I've never actually read the book, but had a vague idea what it was about and went from there. (And no, I don't normally go around writing poems for books I've never read, but this particular challenge was one I couldn't resist. It's a writer thing, I guess...)

Since journaling and scrapping and cardmaking are interwoven at times, I know there have got to be a lot of other people out there who make their own journals or design albums from chipboard. I'm looking forward to hearing about them and hopefully finding other bloggers who can't resist taking a chipboard album or old book and transforming it into something new and personal. Thanks for looking here today!

Postcards, Plane Tickets, Road Trips: What to Do With it All Afterwards?

2010-05-26T01:33:00.010+02:00

I have a fantastically creative colleague who showed me her travel journal last year, and I knew immediately that I'd not only found a kindred spirit, I'd also found a perfectly delicious way to preserve travel memories "outside the box". Yes, I still came home and scrapped several pages from our vacation, but take a look at this journal created from a blank chipboard album. It's filled to overflowing!

I borrowed another one of her ideas, too. She is an artist, and everywhere she goes she makes a "color swatch" page to record the colors of the places she visits. Brilliant! All I needed to pack was the journal, some colored pencils, and a few basic supplies including tape and a glue stick. I did the rest of the layout of the pages before we left and after we came home.

Thanks, Emma, for your inspiration which led to me keeping my own travel journal last summer! To see larger images, click on each of the photos.

Look at how thick it is! I can barely tie the ribbon!

Adding a piece of driftwood from the Northern California coast may be one of the reasons it's so thick...On the yellow page below, I glued a mini journal and put photos from our time at the beach inside.

What do you do with the maps, tickets to special events, and postcards after a trip? I usually put them somewhere with good intentions. Using Emma's journal as a model this time, I added a folded-up map, tickets, and a postcard from our trip to Sea World. The post card is taped on the top side so that it can be flipped open to view the journaling underneath. I've partially opened the sea world map for this photo to show you where I attached the tickets.

If you've ever driven through the California Redwoods, you know that it's an unforgettable experience. Here is an example of how I used Emma's technique to remember the colors of the redwoods. A couple of our own photos, a clipped out section from a tourist brochure, and a ticket stub for when we paid to drive our car through the center of a standing redwood tree finish out the page. The ticket and car-in-the-tree photo are on the back of a postcard which flips back down again.

What kinds of travel journals do you make? I'm always ready to be inspired by the ideas of other artists and crafters!

Expanding Paper Horizons

2010-05-25T00:01:00.000+02:00

I may become so addicted to this particular creative outlet that I can stop buying cards from the store! I'm talking about making cards, like this one:

A three-day weekend (Pentecost is still a holiday in Norway) allowed me some extra time for one of my favorite pursuits: playing with paper. I love the challenge of looking through my paper supplies for inspiration, then adding the "bits and bobs" of ribbons, paper fasteners, flowers, and more.

Here are some more cards which I also made this weekend:

My next step: figure out all the stamping I see on so many blogs now. Any tips for getting started on a shoestring?

Chocolate Rice Krispie Pinwheels

2010-05-24T02:25:00.010+02:00

I'm sure you know what these three ingredients will make when you put them all together. Did you know that rice krispie treats were invented by a Kellogg's employee back in the early 40s, and they're still popular today? I think the first time I tasted them was when I was in elementary school. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my mom who made them, though. They were probably the dessert that came with the school lunch one day.

After I made some for a party back in March, I promised to tell how I make these. I start with the regular recipe you can easily find online, except I add a little more butter and a little less cereal.

4 tablespoons butter
4 cups marshmallows
5 cups rice krispies cereal

Melt the butter in a kettle on med-high heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the marshmallows over med-low heat. Next, remove from the heat and stir in the cereal. The traditional recipe then asks you to spread the mixture into a cake pan, to about 1-2 inches thick. I used an oven pan and spread it as thin as possible, then covered it and left it to harden.

Instead of stopping there, I started making a second layer. Begin by melting about four-six tablespoons of butter, then add a bar of baking chocolate and about a half of a cup of peanut butter. Keep stirring over med-low heat until it's all blended in. If you can get some of this Norwegian baking chocolate, it will make it even richer. I ended up adding more than just this one bar since I was using so much butter. Might as well make it with lots of calories if you're going to do this at all, right?

After that, add about a dozen more large marshmallows and keep stirring over med-low heat until they're melted into the mixture. Finally, remove from the heat and stir in about four more cups of cereal. Once everything is melted and stirred together, spread it over the first layer in the oven pan. I didn't make quite enough of the chocolate layer, so next time I'll add more of everything.

The chocolatey layer of rice krispies sets quickly. The next step is to lift one end and start rolling it like a jelly roll. Once it's all rolled together, you can slice it like bread, and this is what you get:

If you don't slice the whole roll at once, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. It should last for several days.

These are really sweet, so I don't plan to make them more than about once a year. Otherwise, our teeth will probably all fall out of our heads and the kids will turn into sugar addicts. They'd be great for parties, though. I love the peanut butter mixed with chocolate in the second layer of this treat.

Enjoy!

Being Crafty (With Chocolate)

2010-05-23T01:21:00.019+02:00

I always admire people who can line up all the supplies they'll need for a project before they get started. Then they take photos and post them on their blogs, showing how they used each item in the photo. I'm not like that. Here is a photo to prove it, with lace, ribbons, letters, and several different papers. I'll never be able to use all of it!

Helping me out today is a Troika candy bar. Eating chocolate and doing crafts is probably a terrible idea, but I decided to risk it anyway. More about the rich filling in a Troika bar in a minute.

The brown square in the photo is a journal with a blank cover. I decided to focus on the front cover and leave the back cover blank. All I knew when I got out my supplies was that I wanted to use some greens, reds, and pinks. The red butterfly that's partially hidden to the left in the photo was my inspiration for both color and theme.

Experience has taught me to put everything together before applying to the intended surface. This is mostly because once the background paper is glued on, you can't use a paper fastener without it poking through to the other side.

I decided to use this green, pink, and white paper for the background. I found a package of these cutout circles in the local craft store, and used one for the first time today. To form the inner circle, I cut a pink circle to fit the space, then added a second circle, slightly smaller, in the same paper as the background.

I love my two-sided tape, as you can clearly see.

To make sure I wasn't losing any creativity, I stopped to take a bite of my Troika bar from time to time. Mmmm! It's coated with dark chocolate, and inside is a wonderful jelly filling layered over some marzipan. If you were here, I'd give you a bite!

Moving on. The butterfly is attached with sticky foam tape so that it stands out from the paper, and I chose four flowers and a bright red paper fastener for a multi-layered flower. I tried to use the colorful letters (pictured above) across the bottom, but they were way too distracting, so I clicked out the letters for "my journal" on one of those tape-clicker-machines (I forgot what they're called).

I've added a checked ribbon to one side. I try to stop before I add too much and ruin a project, but those little red dots were too cute to put away today. I decided to add two of them to the wings of the butterfly, shown in the photo below.

Nidar chocolates did not pay me to eat their candy bar for this blog, and my opinions about chocolate are my own.

Roots

2010-05-22T13:09:00.007+02:00

Roots. We all have them. My roots are in the countryside of southern Oregon. It's a place where children grow up holding grasshoppers, baby chicks, and tree frogs in their hands. Here, they climb trees and lie on their tummies on a little footbridge to watch the creek go by and gently tease a mudpuppy with a stick. Their feet are likely bare, and their legs are used to exploring their forest habitat. When thirsty, their dry tongues lap water from a garden hose.

In these woods, the sight of a deer or squirrel is as common as the spring beauties and buttercups of springtime. The background noises in this setting come from a woodpecker, the sprinkler shptt-shptt-shptt-ing in the garden, the quick thwack of a mosquito being slapped. Noses lean close to breathe in the sunny essence of a fully ripe tomato on the vine, the earthy smell of newly plowed ground, and soft pine needles underfoot.

The days of my youth included wild rides through dry creek beds in my dad's Model T Ford. Hours of tilling, planting, weeding, and harvesting fresh produce from our garden. Our games were crafted with imagination and the natural resources at our disposal. A madrone tree forked near the ground became a bank teller's window, the green leaves were our currency. A path through the woods could easily transport me in my fantasy to a far-off place just around the next corner. Our bikes found paths where only animals had travelled before, and our hands carved shelves into the creek bank to hold cups and utensils for our fort near the water.

When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town

2010-05-20T13:29:00.007+02:00

Book Review

When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town
By Thorbjørn Egner

This is the English version of a Norwegian classic children's book. Probably every Norwegian child knows this story, and what's really cool is that many Norwegian children have actually visited the town of "Kardemomme by". In fact, my own children have been there more than once, since the town which is modeled after the book is located in the Animal Park in Kristiansand.

During the summer months, actors play the part of the fictional characters from this book. The last time we were there, Aunt Sophia had just been "stolen" by the robbers and was refusing to come back home again once she found out how horribly messy and unkempt the robbers were. She decided to stay and bring things to order, much to their eventual sorrow. We've also taken a ride on the tram with Puddleson the singing tram driver. The tram runs back and forth through the town, and what the book says is true: everyone gets a free cookie when they come on board!

Even if you can't come to Norway and visit Cardamom Town in person, this book will be popular with any young children in your life. I just finished reading it to my class of first graders, and I lost track of the number of times they begged me to read "Just one more chapter, pleeeeease!!" When the last chapter was done, they were obviously let down that the story didn't keep going.

Everything makes perfect sense in Cardamom Town, beginning with the law which says everyone must be nice. made by Police Inspector Bastian who really does not want to arrest anyone--especially not the lion which the three robbers keep at their house! Unfortunately, the robbers must be arrested, but what happens afterwards changes the whole town--for the better.

Then again, at times it seems that nothing makes sense in Cardamom Town, especially not when Old Tobias recommends an unusual solution when a donkey refuses to budge and is blocking traffic in the town, or when the entire town is entertained by a singing camel.

I'm a First Grade Teacher

2010-05-19T21:37:00.017+02:00

It's hard to believe the school year is nearly over. This year has flown by so fast! While I'm looking forward to summer vacation and some down time, I'm really going to miss my students once they graduate on to the next grade level in June.

Sooo...all those years ago (it was in the mid-80s!) when I decided I wanted to be a teacher, the grade level I had in mind was first grade. How is it that I never got to teach first graders until this year, then? I've taught and worked with kids from three-month-old infants all the way up to high school seniors and beyond, but somehow that dream of teaching first grade never happened for me until this school year.

Maybe I had to sample all those other ages before I could finally settle down to my original dream of being a first grade teacher. While I've enjoyed all the other teaching experiences along the way, this year has helped me remember why teaching the first grade was what I really wanted to do from the beginning.

Perhaps you have memories of being a first grader. I do. It was such an exciting time in my life. As far as I was concerned, the only thing that could be better than carrying a lunch box and some new crayons to school would be if I could also grow up to be a teenager. And have straight hair. More than just about anything, I wanted straight hair.

Was your first grade year a good one? I can't say that mine was awful, but I do remember a few things that made me want to create a more positive experience for my own students when I started teaching.

One of the things that stands out in my mind was my box of crayons. On the first day of school, they were perfect, and all the colors were still there. But sometime during the school year I lost the gray crayon. It didn't worry me, since I'm not really a gray crayon sort of person, until the day my teacher passed out pictures of elephants and told us to think very carefully about what color an elephant should be.

When I couldn't find a gray crayon, I knew I would be in trouble. I considered not coloring the elephant at all, but the teacher was patrolling the rows of desks, reminding us how important it was to color that elephant using the right crayon color. Looking through my crayon box, I didn't have a lot of options without the gray crayon. The black was too black. I couldn't use my pencil, since the teacher was adamant about the elephant being colored with our crayons.

Brown. An elephant was sort of brown, wasn't it? I hesitated, looking again in case I might have a gray crayon I'd overlooked, before I finally plucked the brown crayon out of my box and began to color that elephant, all the while hoping that the teacher wouldn't look at my picture when she passed by my desk. Besides, I reasoned to myself, an elephant is a color that's sort of somewhere between gray and brown.

I probably wouldn't remember any of this if she had happened to pass by my desk without noticing my brown elephant. Or if she had noticed but said nothing. Instead, I was shamed in front of all my classmates. "What is this? You can't color an elephant brown! Don't you know what color an elephant is? Class, what color is an elephant?"

Gray. I knew that.

Numbers were a mystery to me. I didn't associate them with having any value. Reading wasn't any clearer. How was I supposed to memorize all the words in my book when the teacher kept showing us more new words every day? Words seemed like randomly placed letters to me. I was singled out for speech therapy, taken to a little room where a lady with a clicker counted how many times I could say /s/. I never could say the sound fast enough.

My parents were called in. They had quiet conversations at home when they thought I couldn't hear. I was told I should just do my best. I began to develop "stomach aches" during math time. During reading, I was amazed at how well the other children could memorize all those words.

Then our teacher made an announcement. She was going to the hospital to have an operation. Looking back, I think that school year must have been a hard one for her. Teachers are human, just like everyone else. They have good days, and good years, but they also have bad days and bad years. The next day, a very young teacher stood at the front of the class and told us she would be substituting while our teacher was away.

For the first time, I learned that letters have sounds, and when you put the sounds together they make words. I learned that numbers have value. The substitute teacher brought me to the table and explained these things to me, then guided my first attempts at applying what I'd just learned. And that afternoon she went a step further and sent the book home with me.

At home, I didn't really believe it was possible that it could be that easy, so I resisted opening the book. My parents insisted, though, and my brother got in on the action and encouraged me. I had come home from school that day a non-reader. I went to bed that night a reader. I read page after page after page, a miraculous thing! In one night I was given entrance into the mysterious world of print! Then it wasn't too much longer before I started wearing out my library card.

This year I've had some challenges to meet as a first grade teacher. Right now I have seventeen students with twelve languages. Some began the school year with only a couple of words in their English vocabularies. Not all of them could say or even recognize the letters of the English alphabet. Others entered my room in August as readers. But all I've asked of any of them is that they do their best.

We're learning about the animals of Kenya right now in the first grade. I walked past a student's desk today and noticed that she didn't use a gray crayon to color her picture of an elephant.

I kept on walking, but only because the student wasn't at her desk for me to make a comment. I think she might have been in our classroom library sharing a book with a friend.

Altered Boxes--A Vintage Example

2010-05-18T18:11:00.003+02:00

I've noticed lots of altered projects on crafter's blogs lately, and I love reading about them and seeing photos of the finished projects. I'm eager to jump on board and start altering things myself once school is out and summer vacation begins.

Altering things is about inventing a new use for a common object, and ideally it's about recycling. Over the years, I've seen some really creatively altered things, from tuna cans to cigar boxes. I can still remember my mom going to the grocery store and asking an employee if she could have their empty cigar boxes. In fact, the sewing box I use today is one my mother made from a cigar box when I was in about the second grade.

Using the colors and patterns of the time, she hand-stitched and glued fabric to the cigar box. I loved it! And even though I've sewed for years and could have graduated to a bigger sewing box long ago, I still use this cigar box converted into a sewing box. It doesn't hold all my sewing things, but it serves very well as the basic tool kit for any sewing or mending projects.

My mom used a sturdy cotton fabric for the outside of the box. She repeated the floral pattern in velour and fur for the flowers on the lid, with the center of the flowers doubling as pin cushions. The button that used to hold the box closed is long gone, but you can still see the elastic loop that originally held the button closed.

For the inside, she used the green velour fabric for a lining, as well as a little pocket to hold small bits like buttons and snaps. Over the years, the contents have varied. I've used the box for crochet hooks, embroidery projects, bead work, and quilting. A second pin cushion divided in the center gives lots of space for a variety of needles and extra pins.

Gratulerer Med Dagen, Norge!

2010-05-17T18:19:00.007+02:00

Today is Norway's Constitution Day, which is celebrated with parades throughout the entire country. The patriotism here is hard to beat. Instead of fancy and elaborate floats, the Norwegian flag is the main feature.

The first parade of the day is the children's parade, or barnetog, with children waving flags and singing happy songs. Bands provide additional music. At today's barnetog, some of the teenagers performed traditional dances in their national costumes, or bunads, as the parade progressed through the streets of the city.

Click on the link below to listen to Norway's national song and view beautiful images of Norway.

Ja, vi elsker dette landet

English translation:
Yes, we love this country,
as it rises forth,
wrinkled, weather-beaten over the water,
with the thousand homes,
loving it, loving it and thinking,
of our father and mother,
of the saga night that lowers,
dreams upon our earth,
of the saga night that lowers,
lowers dreams upon our earth.
(translation source: wikipedia)

Happily Ever Laughter

2010-05-16T00:59:00.000+02:00

Happily Ever Laughter is a compilation of real-life stories from real-life marriages. General Editor Ken Davis reminds readers in the first chapter to "Make sure you welcome laughter in your marriage." Several contributors share their own humorous moments of married life. Among the writers are Ken Davis, Chonda Pierce, Kendra Smiley, and Bob Stromberg.

Although some of the authors seemed to be trying to force humor too much, it was an enjoyable book to read overall. The first few chapters are told from the perspective of engaged couples, wedding day blunders, and newlyweds learning to know each other better. Next, there are stories about couples with babies, then raising children, milestones in marriages, and owning a home. The book is rounded out with some selections about couples in the golden years of marriage.

If you have been having a hard time finding something to laugh about, this book should get you started. Beyond the humor, the message is clear that couples who stay together are those who learn to accept their partners' flaws while choosing to focus on the good things in each other.

For me, having the little "laugh lesson" pointed out and explained at the end of each chapter seemed to be an insult to the author who had already clearly made their point. However, this is coming from someone who thinks the "Questions for discussion/book club groups" at the end of novels are condescending to both the reader and the author.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

What's Newsworthy?

2010-05-15T23:24:00.006+02:00

I told my husband after watching the news tonight that I'm not in favor of bank robberies, but at least it would liven things up around here. This is a summary of the highlights from tonight's news. Let me know if you think I'm overreacting.

--A woman earnestly claimed she has rocks from Iceland's volcano, blown over in the clouds of ash. The experts believe she got them from a gardening shop.

--Some people have been getting away with riding the ferry without paying. One woman had particularly shifty eyes when she was asked on camera if she was one of those cheaters.

--Too many people are watching tv nowadays instead of entering rowing competitions. We saw heartening footage of some very devoted women training for a rowing competition, so all is not lost.

--School children have now subjected over 40 animals to their oral reading skills, and they believe the animals are benefiting. I was concerned when one of the animals, a cat, started climbing the walls and clawing to get out of the room, but I'm sure more reading sessions will work wonders.

--We were allowed to see the tongue of a local dentist (more than once), then a demonstration of how a special mouth device can keep the tongues of Norway's one million snorers from flapping against whatever it is that tongues flap against when one snores. This sparked a mini debate between my husband and I on which of us should be the first to try this new technology.

--A German artist is delighted that Norwegian homes are made of wood, not brick. This makes his artistic brain so happy, because he can now cut away sections of old Norwegian houses for "art". He especially likes the way so many electrical cords are exposed in Norwegian homes, instead of buried inside walls.

--Norwegian farmers are going back to child labor, but they're trying to convince the public it's all good fun for the kids. Little ones are especially good at planting potatoes.

--We watched some archived footage of a Norwegian band, in which one of them had an outdated hairstyle and was dancing with a child-sized piano keyboard cradled lovingly in his arms. I didn't think it could get any better than that, but then the next clip showed one of them earnestly playing an accordion.

--We also learned more about the rises and falls in the ice cream industry. It seems that with two national holidays--Ascension Day and Constitution Day--falling so close together, the demand has risen but is being met. Go cows!

Book Review: I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby

2010-05-13T15:27:00.009+02:00

I am Hutterite, by Mary-Ann Kirkby is a memoir. As a reader, I often find myself bored when reading memoirs, but this book was an exception. I had a hard time putting it down, and read it through from start to finish with only one short break when twilight made the room I was reading in too dark to continue. Once I settled in again at the kitchen table with better light, I continued on to the end.

What was it about this book that kept me turning pages? It begins with a man martyred for his religious beliefs back in 1536. Those beliefs were taken from the second chapter of Acts in the Bible, where it says, "All that believed were together, and had all things in common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need".

Although Jacob Hutter, the founder of the Hutterite Church, was marytered, along with many others, those who survived carried on. From its roots in Austria, the group eventually found refuge in the Russian Ukraine, then fled from there to the United States. Many left the United States and moved to Canada during World War I because of their pacifist beliefs, and it is in Canada that Mary-Ann's story begins.

Growing up in a Hutterite colony, Mary-Ann (then called Ann-Marie), enjoyed abundance, security, and safety. While she knew the "English" (non-Hutterites) were different, everything she wanted was within the colony. However, her father and uncle were at odds with each other, and this eventually led to her family leaving the colony.

Outside the colony, Mary-Ann and her family were lonely, and the children were shunned at school because of their differences. Even making sandwiches and packing a lunch for school was a new experience for Mary-Ann and her mother.

Mary-Ann had to find her place in the English world at a time when she was also coming of age. For her parents, finding a way to feed a family of nine was a bigger challenge. Mary-Ann's father had an eight grade education and nothing but an old truck and camper when they left the colony.

Finding forgiveness for wrongs done by Mary-Ann's uncle is as important to the family's survival as finding a way to feed everyone. Mary-Ann's parents do find forgiveness through their faith in God.

Rather than drawing critical conclusions about the way she was raised, Mary-Ann is able to show respect and honor for her roots, while finding a way to fit in with the ways of the English outside the colony. This book does not have a trace of bitterness in it. It's an inspirational and thoughtful book from beginning to end.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers, for providing me with a free copy of this book.

Sunday, May 9

2010-05-09T22:52:00.011+02:00

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mom Is...
a follower of Christ
a talented musician
a wonderful cook
a gardener
a hunter
a fisherwoman
a hiker
a survivor of loss
a gracious hostess
an accomplished seamstress
a tea drinker
a quilter
a spinner of wool into yarn
a cancer survivor
a fast driver
a quick wit
a fun grandma
a loyal friend
a telephone call away

***************************************************

Springtime in Norway

Mountain Pasture

Looking for Spring Wildflowers in the Newly Green Grass

Spring Day at the Harbor

Quiet Fjord Moment

With Paper, Of Course!

2010-05-05T20:25:00.001+02:00

How do you relax and unwind? For me, it's all about paper and ribbons and things. However, after a full day at work, I'm not energetic enough to get involved in a big project. I usually save those things for vacation time. Sometimes I just want to do a little bit, so tonight I made a bookmark. You can't find a project much easier than that!

I started with the selection of papers, ribbons, flowers, and paper fasteners you see in the picture at the top of this post. Using a plain package tag for a base, I added some green paper. Then I tore some pink paper and added that in a diagonal line across the tag. Ever since I discovered double-sided tape, I've all but stopped buying glue sticks. It's so easy to apply, and there's no sticky mess to deal with. I also went around the edges of the paper with a gold stamp pad.

Once the torn paper and ribbon were attached with the tape, I added a flower made from three separate petals and a red jewel paper fastener. I wanted it to stay on, and I wasn't sure that glue or tape would do the trick, so I poked the brad through to the other side, then put a contrasting paper on the back, running the gold stamp pad around the edges of that side as well. Finally, I used sticker letters to write the word "read" along the diagonal edge of the torn paper. A bit of ribbon threaded through the hole in the top finishes off this quick project.

Book Review: An Eye for an Eye

2010-05-04T22:23:00.001+02:00

An Eye for an Eye is the second in a series of three romantic suspense novels by Irene Hannon. Each one features one of the "heroes of Quantico". The plot in this one moves at a quick and steady pace, while the first book in the series, "Against all Odds" moved a bit slower. It's interesting to note that "An Eye for an Eye" was actually written first.

When a sniper fires off two shots in a quiet park one morning, a team is quickly formed to find out who did it, and why. With Mark Sanders' background in the FBI, it's assumed that the shots were meant for him, but the patients of Dr. Emily Lawson might have a past grudge, too.

While this book reads a lot like other romantic suspense novels, the author brings an original twist to the story through a summer romance between Mark and Emily from two decades before. Emily doesn't look like she wants a relationship, though; she lost her firefighter husband just five years before and isn't ready to take on the uncertain qualities of dating another man in a high-risk occupation.

An Eye for an Eye was a quick read. The two main characters were well-developed, but most of the other characters made little impression on me. The exception was in the antagonist, whose character was detailed and believable, yet somehow he turned out to be more human than I first expected.

Awareness

2010-05-01T18:57:00.001+02:00

It's springtime at last. Birds will soon appear from the south. For us here in Norway, this means birds will be arriving from Africa. In our area, there are hundreds of bird species, and I always feel like I should know more about them. What are their names, how far do they actually migrate, what brings them to the far north?

One day I'd like to sit down with a bird manual, as nerdy as that sounds, and learn more about these winged creatures who travel far and see so much. Many birds travel hundreds of miles in their yearly migrations. Are they travelling north because of the hot summers, or is it because they need to eat and must go where there is food? Or maybe both?

Jesus reminded us that we are worth more than a sparrow which falls. He also showed by example just how important children are to him. Some of the older students at my school have been involved in an awareness campaign this week, called "Africa's Invisible Children". It's easy to become busy just living day to day, meeting the challenges of life while acknowledging how blessed we are, so I appreciate being asked to stop and be more aware.

After watching a documentary a few years ago, I responded by writing this:

I saw you today.

Your eyes are as hungry as your stomachs.
You have beautiful faces
In spite of the pain in your hearts.

Statistics follow you.
In just one hour,
Over two hundred more of you will be orphaned
By the deadly virus which claims
One of five adults in your country.

I saw your mother,
Dying in her hospital bed.
No medication to treat her illness,
No hope for a miracle.
She’s only twenty-nine,
Another victim of the deadly virus
Waiting to die.

I saw your feet.
They’ve never worn shoes,
Never touched the floor of a gymnasium.
The paths they tread lead to tiny shacks
Lined with cardboard for insulation.

We learn from Animal Planet
That your native land has beautiful wildlife.
We learn from our geography teacher
That your capital is Pretoria.

You learn from your doctors
That an entire generation is being wiped out by Aids.
From your neighbors you learn to feel shame
Because one of your own is infected.

We buy our children Happy Meals.
We take them to the zoo.
We squeeze them tight when they skin their knees
And we fret over their fevers and snifflings.
Their little toes have shoes with blinking lights,
Their feet skip and hop alongside ours,
Going home to security and warmth.

I saw your faces
When strangers brought you food.
Tears streamed from your eyes
When you opened a gift
Addressed to you.
Someone gently laced up a new pair of shoes on your feet,
Gave you some beautiful clothes to wear,
Offered open arms for a hug.

You took your new things home to your little huts.
I saw your faces as they reflected back
The kindness of today.
It's something you'll never forget,
Even though tomorrow's promise
Is no better than yesterday's.

No child should ever have to live the way you do.
How many more of you are there?

Belinda, 2005

Little Boys and Sandboxes, Grown Men and Road Construction

2010-04-29T21:25:00.003+02:00

For over a year now, crews working to expand the width of the motorway have kept us entertained on our daily drive to and from school.

With Norway's annual harvest of rocks as a natural resource, this is road work done the Norwegian way. Massive walls of large, heavy stones have been constructed along the sides of the road. Similar to castle construction, there's an inner layer and an outer layer of stones, each one chosen to fit perfectly against the surrounding stones. Rubble fills the space in between the two layers. In some places, the walls reach nearly as high as the house in the above photo, several meters above the ground at road level.

As traffic crawls along and we observe the progress from inside our car, it looks like the operators of the heavy machines which are used to move stones and dirt are having lots of fun and living out their boyhood dreams of playing in the sandbox all day long when they grow up.

Book Review: The Long Way Home

2010-04-24T12:29:00.000+02:00

The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan
I stepped out of my usual reading genre when I requested a copy of this young adult novel to review. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, and I was surprised to find that I wanted to read more when I was done with the book.

Charlie West is a patriotic American teenager who somehow becomes a fugitive from the law, as well as the target of a terrorist organization. To complicate matters further, he can't remember an entire year of his life. During that year, he was convicted for the murder of his friend, fell in love, and he somehow became involved in an anti-American underground group of terrorists.

From the beginning of the book, when he outwits the terrorists and is nearly caught by the police, it's obvious that Charlie is intelligent. However, Klavan allows him to make enough mistakes throughout the book to keep the plot jumping. In this book, which is the second in a series of three, Charlie meets the real killer and finds out part of the reason why he was framed.

With so much and so many against him, Charlie needs all the help he can get. He has a small but loyal group of friends who risk their own safety to help him, and although the book isn't preachy, Charlie is a Christian who believes God hears him when he prays. He also has a black belt in karate, and uses his skills several times when he's pitted one-on-one against his enemies.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Call Out the Fire Brigade!

2010-04-23T19:10:00.003+02:00

If a person is going to get older, there may as well be an all-out effort on the day of celebration. Yes, I counted the candles down to the exact number for my birthday cake today. By the time I'd lit all of them and snapped a few quick pictures, they were melting all over the cake. Oh, well. What's a little wax on a birthday cake? Here's the best part: I managed to blow them all out in one breath!

I forgot to make a wish, though...

Here are a few more pictures from my birthday.

This one was taken in a traffic jam on the way home today. Snow with daffodils. You can't get much crazier than that!

The Man Who was Thursday: A Nightmare

2010-04-22T17:08:00.005+02:00

The Man Who was Thursday by G.K.Chesterton

This is not going to be a thorough book review, simply because I'm only halfway through the book at this point. But since today is Thursday, I thought it'd be a good day to begin writing about it anyway. Besides, I was born on a Thursday, which is as good of a reason as any.

The book started off in a dark setting, then began picking up amusing threads along the way, until I began to laugh out loud on page 91 when the old professor explained how he managed to impersonate the character of a German anarchist to the point of a head-on duel with the very character he was impersonating. To summarize the plot to this point, I need to back up a bit and explain that there is a ring of seven anarchists who have code names. These names are the days of the week, and the main character is the man who was Thursday. He is not an anarchist, however, but an undercover police detective from Scotland Yard.

By page 91, two other members of the group have been exposed as undercover detectives as well, and the one who is impersonating the German professor is one of them. Although each of the other six members are interesting, it's Sunday who has captured the attention of both myself and Thursday (whose real name is Gabriel Syme). So now there are three undercover detectives, one of which was ousted by Sunday at the time it was revealed that he was a policeman.

If you've read this book, please don't give away the ending. I'm halfway there, and enjoying the journey very much. For those who are looking for a book that is off the well-worn trail of more contemporary novels, I recommend this spy thriller novel.

A Busy Mom's Secret to Fresh-Baked Cookies, Anytime!

2010-04-21T19:31:00.001+02:00

Once upon a time I thought it would never be possible to enjoy warm-from-the-oven cookies after a busy day at work. I'm just too worn out to come home and bake up an after-school snack at the end of a full day of teaching. That was before I problem-solved and came up with a way to make it happen. A few other factors contributed along the way.

First, I noticed that the cafeteria at school had delicious warm cookies every day at morning break. That was when I discovered that they had premade cookie balls in their freezer. All they had to do was pop some into the oven in time to be ready for all the hungry students and teachers.

A second factor is acknowledging that there are certain things which inevitably happen whenever I bake cookies. For example, I nearly always overbake the last batch. Does anyone else do that, too?

And, as much as we all like munching down on homemade cookies, we don't need the entire batch all at once.

Baking and freezing the cookies is a good option, but why not bake one tray, then roll the rest into balls and freeze them? I decided to try this one day. Using a plastic container with a lid, I placed raw cookie balls inside between layers of baking parchment, then wrote the baking directions on the lid using a permanent marker.

My husband liked this idea right away. Being able to pull a few cookie balls from the freezer and, using the directions on the lid, bake up a batch of cookies, was a hit with him. Better yet, there weren't any mixing bowls and baking utensils to wash up afterwards!

It looks like I'll have to start some new dough, since I took the last ones from the freezer just now. Not too bad, since the last time I mixed cookie dough was back in February!

Midnight Snack

2010-04-21T01:15:00.003+02:00

Rooibos tea and mackerel in tomato sauce on bread made with spelt: a bedtime snack with a boost to my immune system and some necessary protein.

Around Our Own Table

2010-04-20T22:41:00.001+02:00

"Too many people just eat to consume calories. Try dining for a change."
~John Walters

Do you dine together as a family at home? I like to sit down at the table to eat our daily meals together, enjoying conversations with our children and with each other as we empty our minds of the pocketed memories of the day.

At our house, even though dining together is something we all enjoy doing, there are two seasons for dining from my point of view. One is ten months long, lasting throughout the school year. The other lasts eight weeks, throughout the summer vacation. During the longer season, I'm often too tired to put a lot of effort into the table where we eat. When summer comes, though, most of my domestic leanings are poured into the one event in the day when we all sit down together to dine.

Our dining table was made in India from a wood called "sesamtre" in Norwegian. I'm not sure what that is in English, but it's very heavy, dark, and grainy. Because it's so dark, I often cover it with a light-colored table cloth during the dark winter months. The sole reason for this is that it's more difficult to photograph food without natural light against the dark wood; and even though it's pushed straight up against the window in our kitchen, we often eat our evening meal after the outside world is completely darkened and the only light at the table comes from within.

It's getting closer to the summer season again. I'm looking forward to dining in the light of full daylight which lasts far into the night, lighting up our table and pulling out the natural textures of the wood grain and the rich color contrasts brought forth by the food we eat.

Another Cooking Adventure

2010-04-18T17:20:00.002+02:00

Today's exciting dinner dish started out as ratatouille, then morphed into something more like a stirfry: red onion, grated carrot, tomatoes, sweet red pepper, mushrooms, cashews, chicken, rice, and ground black pepper for seasoning. It tasted really good, and with some sweet chili sauce it was even better!

...And Yet Some of the Ice Still Remains

2010-04-14T00:59:00.000+02:00

Spring may be here, but there are still traces of ice on the lakes around here.

Spring is Here!

2010-04-12T20:52:00.000+02:00

Unless you're here every day, you probably haven't noticed that I haven't been posting much during the last couple of weeks. Well, it's not that springtime is distracting me--although it has the potential to do so. I've just been falling behind on all things personal. It's that time of year when report cards were due, a student moved away, a new unit is starting in science...

I can't believe we're down to the last eight weeks of school already! I'm not ready for it to be over so quickly. Really. I've been thoroughly enjoying the first grade experience like I never imagined I would. So...during the next few weeks I'll try to come here and post as much as possible, but I can't promise more than that.

While I'm in this sort of rush to get through the last weeks of school, now would be a good time for my readers to speak up and tell me what kinds of posts you would like to see continued on here. I'll definitely be doing more book reviews, since I "blog for books". But what else? Recipes? Photos? Random bits? Let me know!

The Treasure of Life

2010-04-06T01:24:00.002+02:00

The following is a poem written by Chinese emperor Kang Xi (1662 - 1723)

The treasure of heaven is comprised of Sun, Moon and Stars;
The treasure of earth consists of crops, gold and silver.
The treasure of a kingdom is to have righteous officials;
The treasure of a family is to have descendents with piety.
Yet, Gold, silver and jade are not as precious as one's life.
Hundred years of age is nothing compared to eternity.
Coming and going in life is like a dream.
The best food and clothing don't mean a thing.
It's no exception for someone born in a royal family.
The most important thing in the world is life.
Something that white jade, gold and silver can't buy.
Even plain porridge can be satisfying;
No cloth is fit to wear for a thousand years.
The heaven's gate was closed due to the first man's sin;
The path to salvation is through the Son only.
I would like to accept God, the Son and the Holy Spirit;
And receive from thee my free gift of eternity.

You Look Different!

2010-03-30T22:16:00.004+02:00

Blog Post #2 for Tuesday, March 30:

As anyone who has ever gotten a new hairstyle or started to wear glasses knows, the comments will follow quickly. My son is finding this out now that he is wearing glasses. A neighbor girl has already commented on how different he looks.

In the days ahead, we expect to see lots of friends and family as we gather together for Easter. I've talked to him about how people will notice his glasses, and they will be making comments about his glasses. It's just human nature.

One of the most common comments is, "You look different!" I've heard that many times over the years, usually whenever I get a new pair of glasses. My favorite comeback to that is, "So do you!" It's a literal response which often takes the other person a minute to comprehend. Each time I get a new pair of glasses, the world looks sharper again.

I suppose a thick skin is another way to handle observations from others. And just being excited about the fact that you can see things clearly might help that thicker skin to form a little quicker. Several times during the last 24 hours, Kai has exclaimed, "I can read that sign...and THAT one, too!...everything looks so different!"

Yes, everything looks different. Pretty soon both the greater clarity of vision and Kai's altered appearance will seem more normal, but for now it's all new.

See below for today's other blog post, a review of the newest Adventures in Odyssey, Take it From the Top!

Media Review: Take it From the Top (Adventures in Odyssey #51)

2010-03-30T17:23:00.004+02:00

When I received Take it From the Top, Adventures in Odyssey #51, I had no idea what to expect. This is my first Adventures in Odyssey experience. As a newby to the series, I found the leaflet with character sketches very helpful. I was also pleased to read that Take it From the Top was designed for people like us who know nothing about the series.

Take it From the Top deals with several topics families will face together, from storing up treasures in Heaven through learning the value of giving and sharing here on earth, to accepting responsibility and learning the pitfalls of procrastination.

Since it's an audio book, the most logical place to listen to it was in the car. Our family spends a lot of time commuting, so everyone was soon involved with the characters. Even my husband was laughing out loud at the funny moments and following carefully when the plot began to build.

The only problem we had was trying to figure out which voice belonged to which character. The voice of Abuelita was distinct and easy to pick out, but many of the female voices were more difficult to place.

The final segment on the tape, about the Jubliee Singers of Fisk University, was the only one where my children, ages eight and six, tuned out. Otherwise, they were completely engaged in the stories. My husband and I were both very interested in the history of the Jubilee Singers, and I was especially impressed with the vocalization and orchestration.

As newcomers to Adventures in Odyssey, we are definitely going to be listening to more from this series. We've enjoyed meeting the Parker family, along with Whit and Connie and the Joneses.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of Take it From the Top, Adventures in Odyssey # 51.

The Better to See You With?

2010-03-29T20:39:00.004+02:00

What I originally meant to be a post announcing new glasses for my son, has turned out to be a post that also informs you that the photos on this blog seem to be disappearing. I fixed the banner, but most of the rest of the photos were appearing as a red X, so I removed them for now.

I'll try to see if I can do something to restore the images on this blog. In the meantime, my son is walking around with glasses, "The better to see you with, my dear!"

The Chronicles of Narnia

2010-03-27T20:00:00.010+01:00

Our family journeyed through Narnia last night. The movie version, that is. Family movie night at our house took a turn into fantasy when we watched the movie inspired by C.S.Lewis' book The Chronicles of Narnia. Our more concrete-minded six-year old-daughter had to adjust her thoughts to include a world of made-up creatures, but our eight-year-old son was engaged in the plot from start to finish.

With Easter coming soon, choosing Narnia was deliberate on my part. Both of our children were able to make connections between Aslan and Jesus, with reflective discussions after the movie. Of course, it was also exciting to see the four siblings crowned kings and queens, to admire the medieval-style tents and armor, and to despise the white witch with her evil entourage.

Hearing the white witch say that all traitors belong to her when Edmond betrayed his siblings, then watching as Aslan offered himself for Edmond, was a reminder for me of the sacrifice Jesus made when He died on the cross. Jorma noticed that the old professor resembled a lion, something I'd never thought of before.

Now our family is listening to Adventures in Odyssey, Take it From the Top (#51) I'll be writing a review as soon as I've listened to all the episodes, so....stay tuned!

Thank you to Palisade Grand Valley Video for a complimentary copy of Chronicles of Narnia on DVD.

Not Quick Enough

2010-03-25T22:58:00.000+01:00

I meant to take a photo of my latest experiment, but I wasn't quick enough! A colleague had a birthday today, so last night I turned to one of the easiest recipes ever: rice krispie treats. For most of you, it's probably not a big deal, but for me these are rare treats even though they're a snap to make. The reason is because of the ingredients, which aren't always accessible in Norway and when they are, they tend to be expensive. Marshmallows, rice krispies...and this time, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and cupcake papers, since that's where the creativity came in.

As I brought forth the ingredients I've been hoarding and was melting the gooey stuff, I came up with the plan to do something a little different. And it started growing once it took off. When I was done, I had twenty-four treats in cupcake papers with a chocolate-peanut butter topping, plus enough left over to spread nearly to the edges of a round cake pan.

The treats were so popular at the party, I thought there wouldn't be any left for me to photograph. There were just a few. Whew! But when I was ready to take a picture at home, none were left!

So...I'll have to take a picture another time. And when I do, I'll post the recipe for the fudgy topping, too.

In the meantime, what is your favorite recipe for rice krispie treats?

Easter's Coming Soon!

2010-03-21T21:17:00.007+01:00

In Norway, the Easter Bunny is nearly unknown to children. Instead, there are chickens. The above photo is a chicken that my son made in during his "norsk time", or Norwegian lesson.

When my children were younger, they learned a song at barnehage about an Easter chick who wanted to peck its way out of its egg.

En liten kylling i egget lå.
A little chicken was inside its egg.
Den banket, banket og banket på.
It knocked, knocked, and knocked to get out.
Her er så trangt, jeg vil ut og gå.
It's crowded in here, I want to get out and walk.
Pep den og ynket seg der den lå.
It peeped and cried there where it lay.
Hakk, hakke hakk.
Peck, pecka, peck.
Egget det sprakk.
The egg cracked.
Og et lite hode, utav det stakk.
And a little head poked out of the egg.

Swedish Traffic Rules?

2010-03-18T23:11:00.006+01:00

This is yet another random photo, but at least what I'm going to write about today is related to cars and driving.

There's a law in Sweden, or so the joke goes, that you can only drive around the roundabouts a maximum of three times before you have to exit. For those who don't know, Norwegians tell "Swedish" jokes, and the Swedes tell "Norwegian" jokes. Either way, the object is to prove that the other nationality is not very intelligent.

We accidentally tested the Swedish roundabout law today. I had agreed to follow behind Jorma after a few errands in town. We took off from an area we don't usually visit, so I was happy to let him take the lead.

Things were going well when I followed him into a roundabout. When we had circled one time, I began to wonder which exit he was planning to take. Other cars slipped in between us, and soon I was leading and Jorma was following behind.

Another turn around the circle, and by then I was laughing so hard at being the leader without a clue where we were going, that I couldn't focus on the rear view mirror. After round three, he finally decided which exit he wanted, but I was left to circle one more time before I could also exit.

I'm glad no Swedish police were poking around just then. Who knows? Maybe there really is a law in Sweden that you can't drive more than three times around a roundabout before exiting! If so, the joke was on me.

Hold On a Little Longer

2010-03-17T23:05:00.004+01:00

I read a story once about a man who was given a magic ball of string. He was told to be very careful with the string, since it represented his life. However, if he wished that time would go faster in order for him to more quickly enjoy something he was looking forward to, he could tug on the string a little while wishing to be transported to a moment in the future, and he'd instantly be there.

He was a young man at the time, with all of life ahead of him, but he was like many young people who become impatient when things don't happen as quickly as they like.

When the young man fell in love, he couldn't wait to get married. The wedding day loomed too far in the distance for his liking. So he tugged gently on the string, and he was instantly pulled forward into the future to his wedding day.

What a fantastic gift this ball of string is, he thought. Still, he intended to be very careful, as he'd been advised.

It wasn't long before his wife was expecting their first child. Nine months seemed to be going by way too slowly, so he pulled out his ball of string, tugged a little, and his wife was in labor the very next minute.

And so it went. He tugged a little when he was anxious about selling his house so he could build a bigger one. His children became difficult as teenagers, so he tugged extra hard, and they were suddenly grown and married. He was a grandfather before he knew it, and soon he was looking forward to retirement. A quick tug on the string, and he could enjoy the leisure of retirement in a comfortable chair on his front porch.

One day he went to his closet where he kept the ball of string hidden. He had been meaning to pull it just a little because he was looking forward to a potluck dinner. His wife had mentioned she would be baking an apple pie, his favorite. He couldn't wait to taste it. Picking up the ball of string, he tried to tug, but it wouldn't budge. He'd run out of string.

Only then did he realize how much he'd missed by wishing his life away for what he now saw as little rewards along the way.

Here I sit, thinking about things I wish would hurry and happen. Then I remember the story of the man who wished his life away. So I tell myself to hold on a little longer. Spring can't hide forever underneath the snow. Easter vacation will soon be here, creating a welcome break from work and a time to meet with friends and rest.

Hold on a little longer. That's really all we can do. None of us has a magic ball of string...and I know that even if I could have one, I don't want to wish my life away. There's plenty of good to be found in waiting patiently.

You Learned Me!

2010-03-16T21:11:00.015+01:00

Well, what can I say tonight? I've been skipping days and giving short and random posts at best lately. Sometimes my body just slows me down, that's all...

I gave in shortly after dinner last night and slept through eleven hours. I paid for it in pain (sciatic and muscle stiffness) this morning, but sometimes you just have to sleep. The muscle stiffness was so intense that I couldn't bend at all at the waist, and it normally takes several hours for my muscles to loosen up each day anyway.

This morning's routine was accomplished through prayer and much gritting of teeth--along with some foot acrobatics, since I am becoming quite adept at grasping things with my toes from the floor and flinging them onto a higher surface with a quick sideways motion at the knee. I'm sure I would be very amusing to watch on candid camera.

It would be a pity if I ever caught the person who got away with getting it all on film, however.

One person likened the muscles of a person with this disease to the difference between a regular car and a cement truck. Normal cars go zipping down the road, while cement trucks lumber along with the cylinder constantly turning around to keep the cement from hardening like a rock. When I stop moving to sleep at night, my muscles are no longer in that "spinning cylinder", so they are hardened to a rock-like state when I wake up. The longer I sleep, the harder they get. Add to that the nerve pain of sciatica--another thing by itself--and you can imagine that even a simple task like putting on shoes is impossible in the mornings.

If you've seen me walking around with my winter boots unzipped, now you know why! I can't bend over to zip them.

Back to last night. Even my newest book, about the literary and potato peel pie society of Guernsey, was not sufficient temptation to keep my eyes open last night. Still, the rest I got was worth it all. Endless exhaustion is another part of this disease.

It rained today, a happy event for my personal calendar. We still have piles of snow outside, but at least there's no new snow coming out of the sky. The local media made the announcement on Sunday night that winter was over for the year. At about the same time, it was snowing at our house. Some spring, eh? We've now gone over 90 days with snow on the ground.

In spite of these rough spots, there is still good to be enjoyed. Today a student exclaimed, when I complimented him on how well he's reading, "Because you LEARNED me!" There is no greater joy in the career of a teacher than hearing those words, grammar notwithstanding. His beaming smile was the cherry on top.

The sea lion photo at the top of this post is completely random.

Haircut?

2010-03-14T18:27:00.003+01:00

You may have noticed that my posts for the past several days have been very short and random. I'm not doing well physically, and I'm in a lot of pain. So here is yet another random photograph to stand in for my regular writing today.