Ever since I discovered the church St. Martin in the Fields, many London trips ago, I have made sure to give it a visit. Down in the crypt for tea, home made cakes and a stroll in the book store, up in the church for peace and quiet, and for music.
Yesterday I was lucky, I arrived in the church half past twelve, which gave me just enough time for tea and cake down in the crypt, before the lunch concert at 1pm. A concert with Gabriella Jones playing harp. The church was slowly filling up while I sat there, clearing my mind for all the noice, hustling and bustling from the busy London streets.
Gabriella Jones came in, and her long, dark hair, shining eyes and bright smile filled the church. I closed my eyes, focused on the music, not on the coughing harking of the man behind me while Scarlatti´s Sonata in A started to flow. My whole body relaxed, and behind my eyelids colours appeared. Blue at first. The dark blue of the sky just after the sun has set. Then a little red, some orange, glimpses of pink. I not often see colours when I hear music, but when it happens it feels like a special blessing.
The sonata and the following applause ended and Gabriella started to talk about the next piece she was to play, and its composer, Canadian Caroline Lizotte. I wanted to stay in my colour land, but opened my eyes when I heard Gabriella say: "Caroline Lizotte draws every colour she can from her harp......."
I continued to stay in heaven for the rest of the concert. Gabriella Jones´lovely music (angels play harps, don´t they), the colours drawn by Caroline Lizotte, and also the knowledge that Lizotte writes all her music by hand, not on the computer.
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You know what? Advent is soon here :-) I had my morning tea at Fortnum&Mason yesterday, and while enjoying their special Christmas blend tea, I started to plan my advent blogging.
I do have some surprises coming up this year.......like, doing something in my vlog (on YouTube).......hopefully. So do not hesitate, come over to my YouTube chanel and subscribe, to be sure not to miss anything :-)
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Do not forget to watch my latest knitting vlog (pssst, in the advent vlogs I hope to speak a mixture of Norwegian and English)
This autumn I have been watching all the seasons of Mr Selfridges on Netflix. The fascinating tale of a man and his dream. When coming here I had one thing very high up on my list - to visit Selfridges.
I know that Selfrides has new owners now, have had several since Mr. Selfridges created the work of his life. I also understand that the Netflix series only tell parts of the truth. But still!
Coming there on the Saturday after Black Friday was of course crazy. It felt like the rest of the world was there together with us.
I had no plans to buy anything, I did not buy anything, instead I enjoyed walking around, and I even more enjoyed listening to my friend Fran when she talked about her coming up to London as a child, with her parents and her two sister, so see the Christmas decorations. A visit to Selfridges was always on their list, before finishing the visit to see the lights on the Norwegian Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
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I am knitting in the hotel room in the early mornings and at nights. And I have made another YouTube video, having a hard time with the uploading through the hotel´s wifi. But I made it!
After two flights and long delays due to the weather, I arrived in London late this afternoon.
I checked in at the hotel and went out to get some food. I am not staying in my cozy, family run hotel this time, but in a big, busy one, a stone´s throw from Charing Cross. Right in the middle of chaos.
What a shock to come from my peaceful and quiet house in the woods.
Most of all I wanted to run back to the hotel, grab my suitcase and take the Heathrow Express back to the airport to fly home.......which was not an option of course.
So instead I started to look around,
to see if I could paint some colours into the black day.
To my delight,
colours, light, warmth, love were not at all hard to find.
I am in London for a week. Partly pleasure, partly work.......which can also be pleasure.
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I met an American couple in the hotel elevator. "Why, tell me why have you you adapted our crazy Black Friday tradition in Europe?" I had no answer to give.
From a picture on @garnmagasinet on instagram, I got the idea to knit 24 miniature mittens as an advent calendar. It did not take me long to find paper and pencils, and draw the first pattern. As I knit I discover a few mistakes, but correct as I go, and mitten number 2 will be perfect.......I hope :-)
A new episode in my knitting pod today. The book I read from is The Borrowers by Mary Norton. I got the book for my birthday when I was eight and got so fascinated when I read that the wool was winded up to be shaped like eggs :-)
A Sunday in November. Short days, but bright as a few hours of sun can make it. We are spending the weekend with Øystein and Silje and Silje´s family, and Sunday morning is a perfect opportunity for a hike along the fjord.
All the leaves have fallen, the land is awaiting winter. Meanwhile I enjoy the warm, fading yellow and orange of autumn.
We walk. We talk, We play. We talk some more. We walk some more.
And then I find the perfect little house for a fairytale.
Two things are on my mind today. First - information about the coming Spring Retreat at Santa Maria Ferrano, in Tuscany. The retreat will be in both Norwegian and English so it is a pleasure for us to open up for those of you who don´t speak/understand Norwegian.
Second - knitting is taking up so much of my free time for the moment. Maskerade has several updates, and here is the latest post in my knitting podcast:
Maskerade is in Norwegian now, but I also add an English translation for of my English speaking friends. In the knitting pod I speak Norwegian, but hopefully, if this pod continues to develop as I hope, I will start texting it.......in a while. So make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel :-)
By the way, on instagram I have a knitting account: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok
An autumn is walking into winter here in my corner of the world. An autumn with a lot of rain, but with bright, shining days in between. Today was one of the bright, shiny ones, and as I had the day off work, I ended up doing one of my favourite hikes in the countryside which surrounds Trondheim. A couple of weeks ago the hills up here were covered in snow, but then mild weather came and melted it all. Still there can be frost during the night and the paths were slippery. I had studs under my shoes though, and would walk safely. Most of the leaves have fallen, a few stubborn ones still hanging on, eager to show their beauty as long as possible.
I had my binoculars with me, wanting to look for birds. The lake had a thin film of frost though, so all the ducks and other birds which usually swim on the lake, had gone. On my way over the little wooden bridge I frightened up a dipper, but that was the only bird I saw.
Fresh air, exercise, fit feet, coffee, bread with brown cheese.......and I even brought my knitting. But that´s a tale for maskerade, my knitting blog :-)
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In my blog world today:
maskerade, my knitting blog, which is my most active blog for the moment
All texts and photos by Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland
About me
About me
I am living in a red house surrounded by a blue garden near Trondheim, Norway. I love everydays and post about my steps through life. Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods is open to everybody. Welcome over!
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