Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Father's Day

@brittarnhild

Today is Father's Day in Norway.
We usually celebrate with as many of the family as possible gathered. But this year Terje and I are at our cabin, just the two of us.

This year must be the first year ever that I have not spoken to my father on Father's Day. Back in the beginning of January my dear father got dementia, and he is now in a care home not far from where my mom lives. He still has his phone and most days he manage to call at least my mother and also one or more of us four siblings. But today he hasn't called.

He has been in my thoughts though, and I am having a good time trying to remember as many happy childhood memories as possible. A blessed thing to do.

I have no memories of the fishing trip when this picture was taken though. My mother tells me she can remember the cute apron I wear over my dress. I have no idea, lol.

HAPPY FATHER´S DAY DEAR DAD, AND THANKS FOR GIVING ME SUCH A RICHED, BLESSED LIFE.

 

To let November be November

@brittarnhild

A rain storm was passing over our cabin during the night. I could hear the rain drumming on the roof, the wind bloom with gale force outside. But then we woke to the morning light, with clouds traveling the sky, light coming and going. We went for one of our 5kms hikes, and with warm, windproof clothing it was pure bliss.

I think I am starting to love November. No other month has this changing light, this unpredictable weather.

What I do NOT like though, is that we seem to make November a Christmas month. WHICH IT IS NOT.

November is November.
Advent (December 1st till December 24th) is Advent.
.......and then.......
Christmas finally comes, and Christmas is Christmas.

 

Starting to celebrate Christmas already now, actually steals the anticipation, the joy of looking forward to, to glede seg til as we say in Norway. Staring to celebrate Christmas in November, even early in November, makes our year a poorer year.

Yes, I love November, I love Advent and I love Christmas. And I want November to be November, Advent to be Advent, Christmas to be Christmas. 

I want a full live, not only the sparkling tops.

 

November light, as seen from our cabin this morning.

 

A Friday hike

@brittarnhild

I think I have mentioned it before, Terje and I are planning to do 100 different 5kms + hikes this year. We started on January 1st, and will continue till New Year's Eve. We have been in doubt this fall, will we really reach the goal, but we have never actually given up, and today, on our way to a weekend at the cabin, we stopped in a small town along the way to do hike no 84.

The town, Orkanger, is only about a 40 minutes drive from our home, and we often stop there for grocery shopping, for a cup of coffee or other errands, and back in early spring/late winter we did a hike along the river there. But we have never actually walked to where we did today, the old wooden house town.

The wooden house town has a long history, and along the way we passed several signposts telling the history. 
I love the colours of these old houses, and also the way they are restored to keep the old look.

This house is not among the old houses, more like a vintage one I would say :-)
The colour is very uncommon for a Norwegian wooden house, and I love it.

Light in November

@brittarnhild

For a few weeks every winter there is no sun reaching our house. It is not because we are north of the Artic Circle (we are not), but because there is a hill just south of us, and the sun is too low to make it over the hilltops during these shortest days of the year. The older I get, the more I dread these dark weeks, and a way to better cope is to drink as much light as possible during this 11th month. I know December is darker than November, but December is filled with candles and Christmas lights, so it doesn't feel nearly as dark. And then January and a New Year come and every new day brings more light than the day before. November is the darkest month, no doubt.

I know that a lot of people find November a hard month to cope with, but making November my month of seeking light, has been of great help.

And there is another reason which has almost made November one of my favourite months. Our garden has gone to sleep, I can rest from the tasks of gardening. Nights are long and dark and cosy and give me hours and hours for reading, knitting, and blogging (!). All the busy pre-Christmas preparations have not started yet, I can wrap myself in a coat of hibernating, hide away all the long lists of things which need to be done, and just be.

Thinking of it, it seems like I have come to love November!

 

When big plans fail

@brittarnhild

I had big plans to post from our travels in Sweden and Denmark this summer. And failed.

I had big plans to post about our travels in France in October, and the retreat where I taught knitting. And failed.

Now I am challenging myself to come back here in my House in the Woods, if not on a daily basis, at least more regular.
I ah crossing my fingers and hope you cross yours :-)

 

The pictures today are from yesterday's playing in the garden, making moss trees.

 

Crépes under the sycamore maples

@brittarnhild

It was still early in the day, just a couple of hours after breakfast. We were not hungry, but wanted coffee, and when we found this charming place just outside the old church, with tables under the sycamore maples, we decided the perfect time for morning coffee had come. Another couple sat at the table next to us, and just as the waiter came out to take our orders he put two plates with thin French crèpes in front of them. Terje and I looked at each other, and both knew that coffee was not enough this morning. We needed, we craved, crèpes.

Pancakes just after breakfast is not for every day, but it is really the perfect thing where you are in France, when life is smiling and you find a place like this.

While we had our crèpes a farmer couple came with a tractor and a hanger loaded with dry wood, they backed up the tractor almost into the cafe, and I sat there imagining the logs were used to make the perfect fire for baking the crèpes, yes, I could even feel the very special delicate taste the fire had made to them. 

The were probably made on a gas oven, or on electricity, but who can prevent me from playing with my imagination, it makes life quite a lot funnier.

We had our coffee, our crèpes and our imaginations and walked on to explore more of this charming Saint Jean de Côle, a village honoured with a mentioning in the list of the most beautiful villages in France. The waiter stayed back to do what he had to do.

Looks like we have found paradise

@brittarnhild

We had a long travel yesterday and everything was completely dark when we arrived at Les Trois Fontaines. But Karina heard us coming and came out on the stairs to welcome us, leading us inside to her and Vincent's living room where a tasty tomato pie and a bottle of wine was waiting.

How exciting it was the next morning to start exploring.

Les Trois Fontaines is situated on the main square in the tiny little village St. Paul la Roche in Dordogne in France, Dordogne, the area of 1001 castles. It is said that Dordogne has more than 1000 castle, therefor 1001 :-)

We have already visited one, seen several more, but today just a few glimpses from where we will be staying the coming two weeks.

The house seen from the garden just as the sun sets.

Turn around, and this is what you see.

 

Preparing for a travel to France

@brittarnhild

Back in the spring I was asked by Danish Karina, who lives in France, if I would like to come to her place to teach at a knitting retreat.

Of course I said yes,

and the last few weeks I've been busy making preparations for my teaching.

Today I am on my way.
Terje is coming with me. We will fly to Paris, rent a car there and drive down to Dordogne. The first week we will have a holiday, exploring the area, then, next Sunday, the retreat will start, with participants from Norway and Denmark.

I hope to be able to blog along the road.