Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

The Letter Writing Hour.

It is my letter writing hour. The hour of the day when I am especially in contact with my circle of friends from around the world. The hours when I sit down at my special secretaire where I keep my stationary, my collection of feltpens, of cards, stamps and small items for envelope stuffing.

The first letter today will go to The Netherlands, and it will travel there together with a book of Norwegian Folktales (a thank you gift for valuable help with my next book), then I'll write a letter to Germany and mail it together with a small birthday gift. I bought the small gift today and loved browsing a special store here in Trondheim with my friend in mind.

My third letter today will go to........well, I haven't quite decided. May be to Eritrea and a dear friend there, or to India, or USA, it might go to a garden friend here in Norway and the envelope might be filled with seeds, or.......My list is long, and that's okay. In my calendar every day has its letter writing hour.

Photos: an envelope broche given to me by one of my panpals.

Reflections from the blue table - gardening

The blue furniture has got a fresh layer of blue paint and has found its place out in the garden. Arctic winds are teasing the sun, and don't let me sit long out in the garden, but the temperatures are perfect for garden fun (read work).

I dig my nails far into the dark brown soil and breath deeply. In another life I mist have been a gardener, and the urge to help life grow has not left me.

It is good to be back at the blue table, reflecting. The blue table which has given name to The Blue Garden and The Blue Cafe.

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Circle this place by day and by night.

Keep far from it all that harms,

bring to it all that is good.

May this place be fragrant with the presence of the Lord,

God's peace be always here

and in those who dwell here. (Celtic prayer)

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Blog of the week: Heaven & Earth

Come, celebrate with us.......Photos through the day.

 

The night before the Day!

It is the night of May 16 (when I write this), and like Norwegian women now and in the past, my working table tonight is the ironing board. Tomorrow is May 17, Norway's birthday, the day we got our Constitution, and The Bunads, the regional costumes, must be made ready for the celebrations.

May 17 is a holiday in Norway with celebrations from early morning. For us it starts at Marta's school at 8am with the raising of the flag and singing of the national anthem. Then all the children march in parades with brass bands in the lead. The celebration continues for us with games, plays and cafeterias at Marta's school, the children are allowed to eat as many ice creams as they want.

At 1pm the huge city parade starts downtown, with thousands of people taking part in the parade, even more thousands along the route, watching, and more brass bands than you can imagine.

In the afternoon a family dinner is a tradition in our family. Usually we are at my parents, but this time we will all gather at The House in the Woods. The menu is Sodd, a special meat soup - I will blog about it in The Blue Café soon. And icecake and "eggedosis" for dessert.

The photos are of Ingrid's bunad from the area/county of Rogaland, where Terje's family lives. I have a bunad from Trøndelag, and Marta has none for the moment. She has had several children's style bunads when she was younger, and will get her "real" one in four years, for her confirmation. It is soon time for her to decide from which region she wants it (it must be from a region where we have a family connection).

You can read more about May 17 here, and listen to our national anthem here. Ingrid and I in our bunads can be seen here, parts of my bunad here, and a few more bunadphotos here.

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This post is from last year. My best news is that Ingrid now LOVES her bunad and can't think of not wearing it tomorrow (you must follow the links to understand what I am talking about)

Concerning dinner - same prosedure as last year. Sodd here in The House in the Woods for family and friends.

Creations miracles

Bread, cheese, tomatoes, tea and water.........

My eyes rests at what I see, my mind lingers on my thoughts. My feelings are troubling me but I find peace in creation.

The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it at all times it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change, yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly allright as it is.

God, help me to live my life like the rose.

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Thanks Leslie for sending me the rose words from Paolo Coelho's blog

Photos: from cabin.....of course

Bread Baking Night

After a period of perfect spring weather and long days out in the garden, here in The Blue Garden or over at our cabin. The temperatures have dropped drastically, and fresh snow can be seen at the mountains not far from us. Rain, which have been long waited for, is falling heavily, but why does it have to se so icy cold! A big part of my mind is busy planning what to do next in the garden these days, and I have been out every single day, untill today. Now even the viking in me say that enough is enough, and I am giving gardening a break. A long needed housecleaning is being done, and in between I warm mind and fingers with bread baking. Is there any better way to warm your hands than kneeding soft, lukewarm dough........knowing than in a couple of hours you can gather around the table with fresh bread.

I am enjoying a mug of hot chocolate and the latest Food and Travel.

Sunny spring, though the nights are chilly

Red cheeked from long days out in the sun we meet the chilly nights. "Don't forget Mom, you have promised to play cards tonight"

"I remember, and anyway, you will never let me forget, will you?" I meet Marta's smiling face.

"You are the best Mom. Just finish you letter or whatever you are writing. I will make the cabin cosy for us"

Terje finishes his nap, I write a couple of letters, and when the grayness of a Nordic spring night starts to creep into the cabin, we light a few candles and make the big table ready for the nights activity - cards or boardgames.

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Photos: Marta at cabin.

Information: The cabin is not near a lake, but situated along the North Sea. Salt water makes our viking skin glow :-)

Outdoor food preparations.

The Slow Life - The Green Life

The slow life - the green life. When we arrive at the cabin there is always one bag we never unpack; the bag filled with our busy everyday life. I never plan to pack this bag, but somehow it still tend to follow us. I try to forget it in the car when we carry our stuff up to the cabin, but often it makes itself invisible for periods, and find its way somehow.

But I never, never unpack this bag.

What I do bring with me, and always unpack, is long, slow days, sunshine and rain, silence, time for talking, time for games, preparing meals, eating, open ears for the birdsong, open eyes for nature's beauty.

At Easter our kids wondered why we didn't sell the cabin to buy a flat in Italy instead. With our love for Italy that would be the perfect thing to do.......

But our cabin is my sanctuary, the place to go to enjoy.........this place can never be changed with anywhere else in the world........

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Photos: the tulips which started to open last week-end offered us full bloom this time.

Through a glass window

I came to Oslo early, with the night train. And before my meeting I had some extra time. I walked down to the new opera house, and to get the best of the sun I sat with my back to the fjord, facing the glass wall.

Oslo houses at the harbour played "guess who we are" with me. My mind wandered between my book and my dreams.

I am back from Oslo, and we are on our way to the cabin for Whitsun. The blog will have a few day's break.

Treasure Hunting

"Sense of beauty is the gift of God, for which those who have received it in good measure can never be thankful enough" Gertrude Jekyll

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Photo: from my garden

_________________NEW BLOG OF THE WEEK____________

Somepinkflowers. It is well worth a visit.......