Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

"Til seters, til seters"

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Do you know what a "seter" is? When using google translate I found several words, like mountain farm or shieling.

In old times the farmers needed to let the grass arouns their farms grow for winter use. So cattles, goats, sheep were sent up to "setra" together with at least one of the young maids at the farm, a so called "budeie" (milkmaid), for the summer months.

 

Usually seters were build together, like a tiny little village. Budeiene did not have to stay alone, and it was easier for the menfolks when they came up to gather milk and cheese.

The seter is not in use any more as a dairy summer mountain farm. Too many of the old houses are not taken care of, and are falling down. But luckily many are still loved and used as a place to retreat, a place for solitude, for memories.

Synøve, who has the blog Tingstuo, has a tiny little seter in the middle of a setergrend, a mountain farm village.  
For several weeks now Synøve has invited me to her seter, and finally, yesterday we found the time and possibility to go there.

We had planned to hike up, but too much rain made us use Synøve's car instead.

Synøve had baked fresh pastries, she brought limonade, ham, cheese and homemade rhuburb jam.

She made coffee.....

....she made a fire in the old oven....

.....and we sat down to talk, and talk and talk.

 

I met Synøve through blogging this winter.
Now, a few months later, a deep friendship is developing.

Cherry tree in morning light

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I took a photo with my cell phone this morning and sent it to Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods......at least that's what I thopught I did......sent it to my blog I mean.

We have been away all day (may be a tale for tomorrow), we are back in the cabin and I open my computer to check your comment.....

What do I find?

No cherry tree photo.
No comments, or, well, very few comments on yesterday's post........

 

I don't miss my blog post.....as you see I have already made another one. With more photos of my dear cherry tree.

But I miss you, my always so sweet and supporting readers and commenters?

Where are you?
How can I get you back?

A writer, a singer,a blogger. A world

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From one world to another........or rather from one beautiful place to life goes on.

I came back to The House in the Woods around midnight, and after a few weeks sleep, Terje and I were out running together. 
Whitsuntime, Monday a red calendar day and perfect for a cabin weekend. Double perfect as our sister in law, Fabula, or Stina as she is for us, is in Norway at a festival in Surnadal, on our way to Rastarbo (if we drive a detour.......which we glad ly do to meet Stina).

Fabula performen at an outdoor concert last night, which we were unable to attend, as I was on the plane somewhere over the Atlantic......but today, as she would be singing at a booktalk with Mette Karsvik, nothing could stop us.

Mette Karslvik, a young Norwegian writer, her first novel gave her the Tarjei Vesaas debutant award, her fourth and  most recent novel, shortlisted her for Brageprisen, a Norwwgian litterary prize that is awarded annually by the Norwegian Book Prize Foundation.

Her lastest book, Bli Bjørk (Become Bjørk), is a three dimentioanl book about the history of the state of Iceland, the history of Bjørk's father, and about Bjørk herself. I have not read the book, and it was not on sale at the booktalk, but no doubt, I know what my next book buying will be!

Stina sang two songs, one with text by a famouse late Icelandic poet about an angel hidden in a stone. One by herself about a stone so sad because his most beautiful side is faced down to the soil and there are no one there to turn him around......we all want to show our most beautiful and to be seen, don't we?

Fabula and Mette Karlsvik. Two women with a message to the world.

Their messages hit me, stay within me, will makr their impact. Will free the angle in me, help me to turn my stone around........for the world, for those close to my heart, to see.

 

After the booktalk and some worlds and huds with Stina, Terje and I continued. A drive, a ferry ride, a slideshow of beautiful Western Coast of Norway......

 

Spring is Norway.
Nothing can compare.........

Promises of a good harvest to come.

An apple tree, a cherry tree, a friend with wildflowers and a tiny cabin. What more do you need?

 Well, what about a boathouse, and may be a boat?

Yesterday was great.
I love today.
I wonder what tomorrow migbht bring.

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Bli Bjørk

Fabula

The first photo is today's post is by Kalla Skrøvset, a late painter from Surnadal. I love her paintings, especially the one which used to be grandma Olga's which now hangs in my parent's home

The most beautiful......

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When spring finally arrives, she brings with her all her beauty, all her colours. We woke up to a blue, blue sky, a sparkling sun, a symphony of birds' song, a nature jubilant.

We packed a backpack with coffee and some snacks and walked out to breath it all inn.

Aure, Nord-Møre, western coast of Norway.
The most beautiful part of the world.

There can be no doubt about that.

I do agree though that the world has many most beautiful places.
When I travel I find them, again and again.
Rivers, lakes, laguna, small villages, huge cities, old, new, colours, greyness, mountains, plains, trees, stones, sky.

I have so many "most beautiful" places.

Up The Brenta River from Venice to Padova, down Mekong River in Laos, hiking the hills above Terracina, a village with a very special farm in Austria, Central Park in sparkling autumn, afternoon in a small town in Eritrea watching the street sellers wash their feet after a long, dusty day, my summer village, a botanical garden on Tenerife, morning mist in Tuscany, a hill filled with irises in Florence, Easter in Budapest, ruins in Rome, catching vongole in the laguna.........

But today, here, now.....

.......the most beautiful place is Aure, and its sea, sky, mountains, colours and air.

So tell me, where is your The Most Beautiful place right now?

The angel came and left.....in a hurry

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The kids were on their way, well, at least three of them, the forth is celebrating Easter in Amsterdam (and Marius, Ingrid's boyfriend is working). Terje and I drove to the village for grocery shopping. A lot of food is needed when the cabin fills up..

Coming back we met a challenge, the steep slope where we park our car was completely covered in deep snow. Terje's first attempt was to drive up the hill, then he backed down, turned the car and tried to back up. All in vain.

The process made me a bit nervous, I left the car to see if I could be of any help from outside, instead of sitting in the passenger seat with all my oh no, this is never going to work....... Then, from out of the blue, a snow plow came down on the main road. He saw us, he came, he showelled away the snow, he made parking space for two cars and then drove again in the blink of an eye.

Through it all I stood completely still, I didn't even remember to take a photo.........how strange, this is the first time in my life I have seen a real angel, he drove a snow plow, he made the way for us, and he knew, of course he knew, that we needed parking space for two cars in the middle of the steep hill. And I forgot to take a photo of the snow plow driving angel.......

 

Well, an angle know about this, of course an angel knows, that we needed space for two cars I mean......

........and I, I had been praying all day for a safe travel over the snowy mountain for Øystein, Ingrid and Marta, had't I? And though I had forgotten to play for a parking space, the angel knew.

With thankful smiles we carried our purchases up through the steep forest to Rastarbo.

I started to prepare a salad for lunch while Terje walked back to the car to greet the kids when they arrived.

Over the brook....

....up through the snow.

Winter in April has its challenges, and its charm.

 

Afterwaord - new challenges came when we were climbing the path up to the cabin. The snow in the trees were so heavy, several trees snapped and fell under the  weight of the snow.

 

Brocanting, the Norwegian way

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Back in October I blogged about an art exhibition at Aure, where we have our cabin. Through that blog post I met Synøve and her blog Tingstuo. Synøve lives not far from our cabin, in a tiny, remote village, Todal, with only 17 inhabitants, two of these are my second cousins.

In a small room in the old school house at Todal, Synøve has opened a thrift shop, or call it a brocante. 

She blogs about her shop in her charming blog, Tingstuo. Synøve blogs in Norwegian, if you don´t understand the language I have two suggestions - learn to speak and read norsk, or just look at the wonderful photos.

Ever since I started to read Synøve´s blog, I have dreamed about visiting Tingstuo. The shop is not open every day. Far from. With 17 villagers and a loooooong way to drive to Aure, even further to other villages or small towns, it is open mostly on Saturdays during the summer months.

Can you imagine I was thrilled when I read on Synøve´s blog it would be open last Saturday! ........I like to believe that part of the reason it was open, was because I had told Synøve we would be at Rastarbo (our cabin) and wanted to come.

Walking into Tingstuo was like walking into a fairy tale.

Already in the small hallway I could sense Terje´s broad smile; he could smell coffee, and hot, fresh pastries.

Synøve knows the trick. With Terje sitting safely with coffee and a basket filled with warm, homemade cinnamon rolls, I could walk freely around in the tiny room, picking out this and that, a small bowl with a green border, an Egersund fajanse coffee cup with the most beautiful rose, two bright yellow polka dotted egg cups, a travel memoire, two white and blue handwoven napkins.

When I looked over to the tabel where Terje sat, he had just discovered a dish with chocolate eggs.
His smile broadened.

And when more women walked in, one of them another blogger, (you find her at Tovepia), Terje never watched my buyings any more.

Though Tingstuo is small, I could never see all the treasures in one visit.

And as Synøve and I had so much to talk about, and I had to keep my eyes on the hidden tresures, my ears and my mouth on our chatting, my heart everywhere.........I know I missed A LOT!

I will need to come back.

Again

and again........

....to see more of Tingstuo

 

but even more to develop a new friendship.

And if you want to see the photo Synøve took, you find it here, the second one :-)

 

An Exhibition. An Artist. Anna Vik from Aure, Norway

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As so often on a cabin Saturday, we stopped at the small café for coffee and a piece of homemade cake. In the room next door in The Old Municipality house at Aure, an exhibition had just opened. We were on our way hiking in the mountains, but had time for some art. And never will I regret that.

Anna Vik, 1906-1997 was born on a small farm in Aure. She married a local farmer and spent her life rising a family, working on the farm. In the middle of this her life as an artist was born. Inspired by her sister, by Hanna Ryggen, by nature and by scraps of left over fabrics, she started to make textile wall hangings.

Everyday life, wool, fabric scraps, applique, embraodery stiches.

So simple.

So rich.

Anna´s art has never made it to the big galleries of our world. This exhibition as actually the first time the wall hangings are shown.

Her eyes for colours, her stiches, her compositions made it right to my heart though. It was as she spoke directly to me through her quilts - everyday life is art, everyday life is for preserving, for keeping, for cheerishing.......and Anna continues - just like I share my life in fabric and stiches, you can share your life with letters and words.

Thank you Anna for your inspiration.

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For many years I have collected the annual books written by Aure Historical Society. In an old one I found and article about Anna, with page after page of photos.

If I don´t respond to your comments and your emails you know the reason......my nose is deep into the article, my heart is deep into dreaming.

 

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Here is a link to another blog where Anna Vik is the theme

A Forest with Chanterelles

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I stopped at the marketplace on my way home from work yesterday. All summer you find vendors selling fruits, vegetables and berries there. Yesterday there were also small baskets of fungis among the berries, I was tempted and bought one with chanterelles.....to make a starter for our late Friday night cabin dinner.

I was dreaming about our dinner while we drove out here, and wondered if I was still dreaming when we were met by a carpet of chanterelles along the steep path from where we park our car up to the cabin.

We had our chanterelle starter last night, and we've had a chanterelle lunch today. Still the forest is full. I plan to bring a full basket home tomorrow, fry the chanterelles in butter and olive oil, add salt and pepper.........and fill the freezer.

Long winter meals, get yourself ready!

Being a duck or a human........shared meals are the best.

Change of season

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The first migrant birds passed over the cabin this week-end. First we could hear a few one by one, then the first plough flew elegantly over, with a lot of ducky noise. The first sign of a change of season. The week-end has been warm, sunfilled, with long, late meals out on the terrace, in the middle of our fantastic view, but autumn is there, somewhere around the corner.

I woke up during the night by pouring rain falling down on the thin cabin roof. A sound I love. In the morning the wind was blowing hard, and the terrace was covered with dry pine needles. The birds song like crazy, like they were telling the world that they still have so much summer to praise.

The change of season. Next time we come out here autumn has arrived.

Monday morning. Work day. An extra day off work to praise the seasons. It feels sad to say goodbye to summer, and hopefully there will still be several warm, sunny days the coming week. But brother autumn is sending me his first kiss.

We did a long hike yesterday. I was reluctant at first when Terje suggested Høvikfjellet, afraid that my knees still remembered Kjærag. Never did I regret the hike.

It is soon time to start packing. Busy days are waiting ahead. Summer will transform to autumn. I open my memory chest and look at summer moments. Rome, Venice, Brenta River with Antonella, The House in the Woods busy with visitors and house guests, three weeks with Jane and Lanny, Paris memories shared with Linda and Maurice, a most perfect week in Venice with Mauro and Barbara, a day on the road with Preben, family parties, friends, work, the St.Olav Festival, morning walks in Trondheim, laughter and tears, prayers, blessings.

 

A change in the air. Autumn...........and also thoughts born at Munkeby Monastery the other day. Change of direction........Living life.

A summer coming to her end.

I am ready to walk ahead.......

Lord, show me the road and make me willing to walk it

Shower Time

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Shower time at the cabin. So what to do without a bathroom?

The solution is easy.

A Camp Shower

Fill the shower bag with cold water

Leave in the sun for a few hours.

Sit down to watch the boat. With a book or five.

Drink coffee (coffee post will come tomorrow)

Ask your man to hang the water bag in a suitable tree.

Bring out a towel, soap and crooks,

and you are ready :-)

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My campshower with the world's best view