Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Cloudberries, the gold of the mountain

Text Britt-Arnhild, photos brother Børge and Britt-Arnhild

Terje, my father and brother Børge have been out digging for gold. The gold of the Norwegian mountians. Cloudberries.

The last days we've heard that there are a lot of berries this year, this varies from year to year, still you never know if you will be able to find the berries. My father knows a mountain where he has found "gold" ever since his childhood. Some years a long hike for a few berries only. Other years full buckets.

Yesterday was one of those lucky days. Full buckets.

Three men, a father with a son and a son-in-law had a day to remember. Hiking, digging gold, coffee and bread with brown cheese, Norwegian nature at its best.

In the afternoon we sat out in the garden, cleaning the berries from leaves and a few ants. Several glasses of jam is now in the freezer.

Cloudberry cream, the queen of the dessert table.

We always have cloudberry cream on Christmas Eve.

Cloudberry jam. For everyday feasting. On bread. On ice cream, on vafler.

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A friend has told me that he makes cloudberry liquor. He has now given me his recipe and I will make cloudberry liquor for Christmas.

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Lanny, will you be back for a taste?

Food of the season

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

Farmer's Market in town. Not only the market which we have on Saturdays all through the summer. For a few days there is a food festival, with local food as well.

The marketplace, a street, a park..... all filled with stalls selling fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, meat, chocolate, local brewed beer, juices, cheese.

Proud farmers sell their products. My mouth waters as I start dreaming of meals to cook.

I walk through the stalls several times. I meet Torgeir and we have lunch together. Local food. A feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.

I buy Torgeir a "mixer" (what is the English word for stavmikser....a kind of stick you use to make soups, sauces, mayonaisse.....), we browse a few bookstores.....

and then I go back to the food market to do my shopping.

Tonight's menu in The Blue Cafe:

juniper smoked salmon

homebaked flatbread

rømme (sour cream)

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a vegetable soup of an earth palette from the farmer's market

warm homebaked focaccia with extra virgin olive oil and maldon salt

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fresh tapped water

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a bottle of font sante sainte-victoire, cotes de provence, rosé (a house gift from Linda & Maurice)

What is on your menu tonight?

The Greenhouse

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
The greenhouse. My greenhouse. The tiny little house which was so hard to put together. Do you remember?

Now it stands in a corner of our garden. A daily source of pleasure.

 
If it rains there is room inside for one. Just perfect for me.

In the sun I can sit outside. With my diary. A mug of tea. A book.

 
A greenhouse has been a dream of mine for so long.

Now it stands there, and though it is small it is perfect for me.

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The first tomatoes will soon start to ripen. Do you have any good recipes to share?

Reflections from a garden

Text and image Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
I sat out in the garden last night. My diary in my lap, with no energy to write.

a small earthworm gliding over a stone

white roses

the comforting sound of Terje's old handmower

my dear old neighbour weeding, humming as she goes

ripe raspberries

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memories from Venezia

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Words came, and after a while I put away the diary and picked up my book;

Peter Ackroyd's Venice, Pure City

 

A White Rose

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
Roses, the main weapon in Norway right now. I have a white rose from the Blue Garden on our table. A white rose to symbolise peace, compassion, love.

Life must go on.

Though it is hard.

 
Life goes on but the days are different. I go to sleep with the victims on my mind, I dream of Oslo and Utøya, I wake up with my heart filled with tears.

I don't have much energy for everyday life. At night I do very little. A walk in the garden to pick a few berries, to check the tomatoes in the greenhouse, I check my computer and read your comments and messages......but again and again I turn on the television to check the last news.

 

Marta is doing some practical work at my job this week. She goes with me downtown in the mornings, back home again in the afternoons. In between she check the news like the rest of us, she meets friends to be together and to discuss the tragedy.

Last night she decided we needed some comfort food "Mamma, can I make pancakes for supper?" Then she invited her siblings home (Øystein came, Ingrid and Torgeir were busy)

 

We turned the news off. We enjoyed Marta's pancakes. We chatted. We laughed.

Then we played Rummy.

 

Everyday blessings.

Marching in silence and grief

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
Last night the people of Norway met to grieve together.

 
In Oslo 150.000 people were gathered. Much less in Trondheim, but 20.000-30.000 at the market in pouring rain....it felt like we were all there!

 
Our tears mixed with the raindrops.

A whole country grieving together.

 
What one man did is not going to destroy us.

 
A country grieving.

A whole world supporting us.

 
Survivors are telling us their stories now. About the mad hour at Utøya.

They will need our prayers for a long, long time.

 
The whys and hows will follow us.

The madman will also need our prayers.

 
Norway will return to her everyday life.

"One man can kill the roses, but never the sping"

Let us continue to pray for love and compassion.

Vacation finished. Life continues

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
Four weeks of vacation is over.

Wonderful days. Wonderful travels.

A tragic ending with Oslo and Utøya 22/7

 
On Sunday we woke to a beautiful, sunny cabin day. In strong contrast to the news from Oslo and Utøya which reached us on and off all day.

We decided to spend the day hiking.

Being together. Being in God's beautiful creation. Loving Norway.

 
I am back to work now.

Back to everyday living.

Norway has woke up after a tragic week-end. Norway is such a small country. The names of the dead will soon be released and we will all know someone.

 

A young Norwegian politician interviewed by CNN found the words which will follow us the coming days, weeks, months, years:

IF ONE MAN CAN SHOW SO MUCH HATE, THINK OF HOW MUCH LOVE WE CAN SHOW, TOGETHER!

 

Thank you for your love. For your prayers.

 

Fishing, together................

text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

Being together.

Listening to the news.Questions and tears.

Why?

How?

Being together is most important right now.

I, Terje, Ingrid and Marta here at the cabin. Speaking with my parents, with the boys on the phone.

The close family.

Then there is the sympathy from the word. To know that you care. To know that you pray.

Emails, facebook messages, blog comments...........they keep on filling my mailbox. They give comfort. They tell that the world still believe, in love, in beauty.

No one mention revenge. I am thankful for that!

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One of the emails which came into my mailbox last night when I was sitting out on the cabin terrace, wrapping myself in the last light of the Nordic summer night was from a person I knew 15 years ago....when computer and www was still completely new to me:

I am not sure I have the right person or not,did you belong to the best friends quilt group?

             I remember you speaking of Norway are you from there and how are you after everything

             that just happened?

This email is one of so many.

THANK YOU!

More than 80 young people brutally shot.

Others killed by a bomb in the center of Oslo.

Thank you for keeping Norway and its people close to your heart these days.

Together

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

We were expecting friends to our cabin. Together we would go out to one of the islands to watch an outdoor historical play.

In the car, driving to meet our friends, we turned on the radio to listen to the last news....

.............and our world changed.

Completely.

What is going on in little Norway?

It was good to be with friends last night, to take a long walk with them today. Good to talk about the tragedy. Good to talk about life in general.

Smiles, tears, laughter, cries.

Silence.

Questions, but no answers.

The girls have come out to the cabin now. We have spoken with both the boys. It is important to be together. To tell that we love each other.

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Thank you friends around the world for the hundreds of blog comments, facebook messages and emails where you share your concert, your prayers, your love.

We need to be together in times like this. We need to show that we care, that we love. Hatred and revenge is never ever the answer.

I am proud to be part of this world. I will fight evil and my weapon is love and care.

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Let us join hands and fight together!

No Words

Thank you for your concern and your prayers for the people of Norway

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We are at our cabin with friends. Listening to the news on radio. Our kids are in Trondheim. All safe.