Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Advent starts tomorrow, finally

@brittarnhild

Tomorrow is December 1st, which means that Advent is here.
I have started to make my Advent posts for Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods, the first one will be out at 7AM (Norwegian time) Will I see you there?

 

To add good things

@brittarnhild

"Here was the authentic voice of the Slav. These people hold that the way to make life better is to add good things to it, whereas in the West we hold that to make life better is to take bad things away from it".     Rebecca West in her book Black Lamb and Grey Falcon

I am reading Rebecca West's book for the moment. An great book, 1150 pages, published in 1942. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. A Journey Through Yugoslavia. I am not going into the book here, I just wanted the share with you this amazing quote. "To add good things to it!" How important it is. Well, we shall also do what we can to take bad things away, but how often don't we forget to add good things. Or to reflect upon what good things are.

Like today's full moon. I did not actually add it, of course I did not. But I looked at it, I saw the beauty of the full moon shining down on our House in the Woods, and I added it as a good thing in my life. Here and now.

 

 

First thing in the morning

@brittarnhild

The first thing in the morning.......well, not exactly. First I have a shower, then Terje and I have breakfast. Then we move over to our favourite armchairs with our teacups and some more tea and I read aloud from the novel we are currently reading.......

.......but then, after brushing my teeth, I climb doen the stairs to my new flower studio in the basement.

It is icy cold down there, so I can't stay long. But I lit some candles, rearrange a few things, shoot some pictures, let the charm and beauty of the flowers in the depth of winter fill my soul and my heart.......

.......and then, only then, can my day continue.

 

My new flower studio

@brittarnhild

For a long time, a couple of years I believe, I have been dreaming of my own flower room. A kind of studio where I can keep plants all year round. And especially during winter when everything is frozen in my greenhouse. I have put on my thinking cap and played with quite a few ideas, but never got any further. Until a few weeks ago when I started to think.......what if I try to do something with the cold room down in the basement, where we let all outdoor plants which have to be kept away from frost stay during the winter.

I went down there to look several times, and slowly a more concrete idea started to take form.

And this morning I knew the day had come.......to transform the quite messy cold-

room. 

And what happened? It did not take long at all, some tidying, some cleaning, some playing with ideas and.......

.......voila! Now I have my very own flower studio.
And I love it.

By the way, the big portrait you see back there is of my dear grandma Olga and my grandpa Benjamin. Grandpa Benjamin died of cancer when I was just two months old. I have been told that he met me once only, and then he put his hand on my head and blessed me. Grandma Olga lived till she was 95 and I loved her dearly. My parents and I lived with her my first year. I moved in with her when I first moved out from my childhood home. Terje and I lived in the same house as her during our first years of marriage. Our oldest son, Torgeir, was born during those years and he also loved his great grandmother.

 

This and that

@brittarnhild

How are you today?
Here in the House in the Woods I'm having a day filled with creativity.

I am following an online course on art history for the moment, with the theme the renaissance . As you can see on my computer screen, one of the paintings I learned more about today was The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. He was a monk living in Florence, and back in June, during the knitting retreat I ran, we went in to Florence one day and visited Museo San Marco, where this painting hang. I bought a book about Fra Angelica's frescoes, and to go deeper into my studies, I read this book now.

I have been out in the garden enjoying the fresh snow, I have fed the birds and I also did a hike together with Terje.

And now I am up in my studio, making preparations for my Advent videos, and also the advent posts I plan to share with you here.

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.......

@brittarnhild

Every Thursday we pick up our granddaughter Vida (3 years old) in kindergarten, bring her home with us, have dinner and then Vida and I go to our church to sing with the church's children choir. Sometimes grandson Milian (soon to be 5) come with us as well.

Yesterday's snow came during the night and then melted away when daylight came.
This afternoon it started to show quite heavy, and when we parked the car outside the church and I opened the door where Vida sat, she looked up into the sky and I saw her eyes widen. "Bestemor, what is this white step falling down from the sky?"

To see the world through the eyes of a child.
Pure bliss!

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I took no photos today, so the photo shown is from another time, another place, another year.

The First Snow

@brittarnhild

I always take a look out the window when I am up during the night (to go to the loo.......), and guess what I saw tonight. Yes! The first snow. The next time I woke it was morning and it had already started to rain, heavy rain and a strong wind. So There was no way to do like I always does when the first snow falls.......run outdoors with my tongue out as long as can get it, to taste the virgin snow flakes.

I made a new episode on YouTube today. In Norwegian, unfortunately for you, but as always there is quite a lot of footage to enjoy. This was my last video before I start the Advent episodes. I am spending time planning them now. On YouTube they will be in Norwegian only, but as always I have a goal to be able to make posts here in my House in the Woods (thanks for reminding me Ardi)

 

First day of November

@brittarnhild

November, the first winter month, and winter is waving to us from several directions. No snow here with us yet, but icy cold. And at the same time this amazing November light. I used to dread November. The dark month, before we start burning advent lights everywhere in December. Then, years ago, I started to look for November light, and to my surprise it was so easy to find, and slowly November became a month to look forward to.

Terje and I are spending a few days at our cabin. Came here on Sunday, and will head back home tomorrow, Thursday, so it is not a long cabin break. But we have been so lucky with the weather. A bright, very low sun shining for hours every day. And we have made the most of it, going to several of our favourite places for hiking.

Today came with what felt like a gale wind, so we decided to stay at the cabin. Which for me meant mugs of hot tea, knitting, enjoying the view, reading and making some Christmas/Advent preparations.

What does  November look like over at your place?