Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Travel dreams

Three weeks ago I came home from Venice and Austria. On Monday I fly south again, to Rome. I will spend two weeks in Terracina, 1 1/2 hours south of Rome, where I hope to be able to work hard on my book. And drink a cup or two of cappucino. And walk in the hills, visit churches, meet friends, explore new and old places. Enjoy life.

A pencil in God's hand

"We are alle pencils in the hand of a writing God" These words are Mother Teresa's, but I also want to make them mine. How blessed to be a pencil, used by God to write his creation, to write life.

I wonder what colour I am. Am I a white bleak one, one you can't see now matter how close you look? Am I a bright yellow to shine up the paths of my fellow wanderers, am I a deep red who brings both joy and sorrows or am I the blue which sends back the colour of the sky? I believe and hope that I have all the colours of the rainbow, the rainbow which God set in the sky to give humankind hope and beauty. In God's hand I can be used as any colour, green to give growth, purple and lillac to bring the pleasue of art, black when God want me to stand up on behalf of him, white when whispers and comfort is needed. The colours are created by God, the God who know and love his creation, the God who can bear all our feelings; happy joy, wonderful love, deep sorrow, quiet reflections, mad anger. We are all pencils in the hand of a writing God and God use us every day, every minute to write his creation.

Squirrel Sunday

From our living room window I am enjoying one of the squirrels who visits us every day during the winter. It is so quiet both indoors and outdoors. A good time for relaxing.

We have been out skiing again today, three generations. My parents, my brother with his two kids, Terje, Marta and I. My mother is 76, but still fit and fast in the cross country ski track. We went to the same place as yesterday, and again Terje made a fire for grilling sausages.

After a couple of hours the others went back home but I decided to take some time on my own. There are miles and miles of tracks behind our house, but I must confess that there are still so many of them I never have skiied - mostly because there are always at least one small kids with us when we are out. So getting a couple of hours totally by myself today felt like heaven. The sun was shining and it was good to feel that I really used my body and my strength.

Now I have had my shower and my nap on the sofa - we were at a 50th anniversary last night, came home very late and was up early this morning so a rest was good. I feel refreshed and look forward to an afternoon and night at home - writing on my book, writing a few letters, listening to some music, reading, be with my family. My squirrel Sunday is a very good Sunday. Thanks to all of you who have welcomed me back home:-) I have one week at home now before my next trip to Italy.

Glorious winter Saturday

I have been away for my studies this week. Took the early plane down to Oslo on Monday morning and came home with the train last night. The train ride is almost 7 hours, perfect for reading.

Today we woke to the most glorious winter morning. Marta had two friends staying over for a pyjamas party. After breakfast one of them had to go home, but the other one went with ou out for a day with cross country skiing.

We packed our backpack with food, hot cocoa and logs for a fire. The first stop was a cabin, Rønningen,  where we stopped for coffee and fresh pastry. Sat out for some time in the snow there.

http://www.tt.no/index.php?fo_id=3234

But we wanted to ski more, and after a while we stopped for the fire and the griiling of sausages. Life has been perfect today. And the weather forecast is promising us more good weather tomorrow - which means more skiing, more black burnt sausages, more oranges and more sun.

Knitting my way around the world.

When I travel I always get inspiration for new knits. While I was in Venice a couple of weeks ago I had put two sheins of off white Regia tweed yarn in my suitcase for a pair of socks. And when coming there I immideately know that the yarn would be perfect for a pair of Venice socks and Venice wrist warmers. The socks were finished during my week in Venice and the wrist warmers knitted the next week while I was in Austria. During my Venice week I spent one day at the glass blower's island Murano and there I found the glass beads to decorate the wrist warmers.

  You find glass and glass products everywhere in Venice, not only at Murano. When I visit Venice I stay in the region Cannaregio, and in a tiny little workshop on Fondamenta degli Ormesini I found an artist making the most beautiful small pieces of glass. He calles them "Fantasy Glass". Of course I couldn't resist, and bought a piece of fantasy glass from him. Not to use as a bracelet, as it is meant to, but to have on my writing desk as a piece of decoration and a piece of inspiration.

Life must go on.

It is almost two weeks since my mother in law died and one week since the funeral. Life goes on, and we remember all the good times we've had with grandma.

Friends are sending cards and flowers and they are calling. It is a blessing to be surrounded by family and good friends. This decoration came from some our best friends and brings alot of joy and comfort.

Creative fingers

In connection with the death of my mother in law, Marta and grandpa made several cakes. This one with the pink marzipane roses you can see Marta is creating, was given to the nursing home where grandma (my mother in law) spent her last three years. My father in law has loved to cook and to bake since he was a boy and helped his own grandmother in the kitchen, now my kids are the lucky and blessed students of him, learning to bring his skills to further generations.

Several cakes were also made for the memorial after the funeral.

Welcome to the world, baby boy

Internet is a wonderful thing. How could I know many years ago, when we had our first computer and got connected to the net, that it should change my life. Suddenly a whole new world opened, and in this world there were new friends around every corner. I soon discovered yahoo groups, or e-groups as I think the name was then, and after some time as a member in several groups, friendship links developed. There is one special group I have been member of for many, many years. We are just a small, closed group, and over the years we have shared joys and sorrows, deaths and births, trivialities and the deepest secrets of our hearts. With all the traveling I am doing I have met several of the group members, but there are still many I have never met face to face. They are all among my best friends though, friends with whom I can share almost everything.

Our husbands and kids have also become "family members" of this very special group, and a few weeks ago our group got a new little member. Welcome to the world baby Joseph! Though you live across the ocean for me, I feel like your Norwegian aunt, and what an aunt does when a baby is born is to run out and buy yarn for a baby sweather. So did I the day I heard you were born. The sweather is not finished yet, but as you are still a very tiny little baby, and the sweather is made to fit you next winter, there is still time. I know that you love to look at colours and patterns already, so here you can have a first look of your new Norwegian sweather. God bless you and your parents and all your siblings.

Busy fingers.

My fingers are always busy. I never go anywhere without my knitting needles, a quilt to work on, some cross striching or my notebook and a pen. Often I also bring my sketch book and my pencils.

Before going to visit Dagmar in Austria I knitted her a pair of wristwarmers and a scarf. I always have alot of projects going on, and will show you more in days to come.

My foundamenta

I am back from my travel to the sad news that my mother in law passed away yesterday. She live far from here, my husband is there already and the kids and I are driving down on Wednesday. The funeral will be on Friday.

This means of course that my blogging time is a bit limited for the moment. But Venice is in my dreams all the time, and I wanted to share with you an image of "my" foundamenta, in the area of Cannaregio. The flat where I stayed is at the and of this foundamenta. Here is a link to the flat:

http://www.archirent.it/SanGirolamo/S.anGirolamo_p/Sito_ENG_SanGirolamo/index_p.html#Anchor