Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Under my local Tuscan Sun

@brittarnhild

Summer has finally arrived, and we spend many weekends at our cabin. In this week's video on YouTube I sit in our freshly started rhododendron garden at the cabin, dreaming back to my visit at Frances Mayes´ Bramasole, two years ago.

 

 

The birth of a rhododendron garden

@brittarnhild

Not far from the cabin is a rhododendron nursery which we visit every year. Slowly a dream of our own rhododendron garden has stated to grow inside me, and today it happened.

So far with only two plants, but everything has to start somewhere :-)

Now we cross our green fingers that the deer will not eat the new plants and that the sky will give enough sun, enough rain.

 

Birds seen through a cabin window

@brittarnhild

We have the most amazing view of fjord and mountains, but we also see birds. I was up in the wee hours this morning, made myself a mug of tea, picked up my knitting needles, and sat there, watching the birds.

A pure morning, serene, quiet.

Can you name these birds?
In Norwegian they are dompap, rødstrupe and svafrthvitfluesnapper :-)

 

By the way, I do all my YouTube videos bilingual now. First in Norwegian, then in English. Here is the most recent one:

 

 

 

A Virtual Prayer

@brittarnhild

This is the beauty of my world for the moment. Every morning we wake up to new snow, during the day some of it, may be even most of it, melts, the next morning it is there again.

I can't say I am not longing for warmer days, for the vibrant colourful feast of spring, and the same time I rejoice in the beauty of every day.

The beauty and strength of the creation,

the stubbornness of new life.

 

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Very long time readers of this blog have gone with me to Turvey Abbey a few times, a Benedictine monastery in England, just about an hour north of London. During my stays at Turvey Abbey, walking through the garden has been a balm for my soul. One of the nuns at Turvey, Sr. Miriam, has now made a video where she takes us on a virtual walk and prayer though the garden, with Psalm 103 as our walking stick ands our binoculars.

 

Thank you Sr. Miriam for taking us along.

 

 

Winter in May

@brittarnhild

This is what I saw when I looked out the window this morning.

May 11th, and the garden is like this!

Can you believe it.

Almost no spring so far. The garden is slowly starting to grow, under the snow, but it feels like winter, and with the snow it looks like winter.

I long for spring, for summer, for sun, for warmth, for flowers and tea out in the garden.

 

Meanwhile I read and I knit.......

.......and I make new episodes on Britt Arnhild on YouTube: