Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Hiking towards a New Year

@brittarnhild

We have come to the last day of this year, anno 2024. When I am writing this we have less than three hours till we reach 2025. We were supposed to be with friends tonight, but illness (not us) had other plans, and all of a sudden we find ourselves home alone. The two of us. Well, give me a choice to whom I would spend New Years Eve with if I could chose just one, and I would go for Terje.

We have had the most wonderful winter day here today. Minus 8 degrees Celsius, sun from an ice blue sky, no wind which meant the snow which fell yesterday were still in the trees and no icy roads. We HAD to do a hike today. You might remember that we, for the third year in a row, has set ourselves the goal to hike 100 hikes à 5km+ together during the year. Two days ago we hiked the 99th, and YES, today we made the 100th.

Our goal was the farm you see in the above picture. 2,7kms from where we parked the car, the same distance back again of course. The farm is open to public, with a cafe, where we bought vafler with rømme/sour cream and strawberry jam.

And hot chocolate with cream.
A perfect way to celebrate :-)

 

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

@brittarnhild

Last night it started to snow.
It snowed all through the night.
And it looks like it will continue for a long time.

Snowplows are out everywhere, but it takes time to reach a tiny rode like ours.

While I am cosy indoors with my books, the birds are having a hard time.

Isn't the yellowhammer beautiful.
Like a sun in the snow.

A group of pigeons sharing a meal.

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

@brittarnhild

Christmas and children go together. And lucky us, we have four grandchildren, all of them living close.
I have collected children´s books all my life, and love to read for the kids.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of many favourites, and I was so happy when I, just days before Christmas found a board game in a thrift store. We have played it with Vida 4 now, and she loved it, all smile.

Having a full house is great.
Waving them good bye also.

 

More family pictures

@brittarnhild

After I had written yesterday's post here, I went over to my Norwegian journal blog to write about the family gathering. Then I remembered that I had a few images saved on my computer of grandma Ragna and grandpa Johannes, and illustrated the post with three of them. I cherish them so much, now I want to share them with you as well.

The one above is of grandma Ragna Josefine, grandpa Johannes and their seven children. My dad is the boy in the middle, the one with all the white curls. Isn't he a true cutie :-)

Here grandma and grandpa are with me on my baptism day, July 6th, 1958.

And here a few years later, on May 17th, Norway´s Constitutional Day.

 

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The memory in my minnebok written by bestemor and bestefar, grandma and grandpa.
What do you call a minnebok in English? You know, the book you had as a child where you had all your friends write down a few lines to you?

 

Family Tales

@brittarnhild

My grandparents Ragna Josefine and Johannes had seven children. Four of them moved south near Oslo when they stated a family, my father and two of his sisters stayed here, near Trondheim. Every year in romjula, the week between Christmas Eva and New Years Eve, we cousins and spouses (and some of our children and grandchildren) meet for a Christmas party. 

Tonight was the day, and we are just back from hours with family, sharing food, laughter and most of all family tales. We talk about our children and grandchildren, we do not talk much about ourselves, but then more of our parents, my father and mother, one uncle and one aunt still alive, and of course Ragna Josefine and Johannes. Tales we all know form before, but even more interesting tales told by the others, new to me.

Like Mary, I keep them in my heart (and try the best I can, to write them down)

     

Photos from my basement flower studio.

 

A Hike on Boxing Day

@brittarnhild

After a busy period we've had a lovely, relaxing day today. Reading books, hiking, eating leftovers for dinner.
For the third year in a row now we have set ourselves a goal to do at least 100 hikes together,  á 5 kilometers, during the year. Today was our hike 98 for 2024, just two more and we've made it.

We are in the deep winter, still, with quite a lot of ice along the paths. But with the correct shoes we could hike without problems.

I am not a winter person, preferring spring, summer and autumn, but every season has its beauty, and today was a lovely day.

Short days, which makes it even more essential to get out while we have some daylight.

 

 

A Christmas Lunch Celebration

@brittarnhild

My mother has an old family Bible. Huge, heavy and richly illustrated. Unfortunately my mother cannot remember if it came from her parents or my father´s parents. Nothing is written in it to solve this clue. The Bible has been in my life for as long as I remember, and when our children were small and we celebrated Christmas Eve in our home with them, I often took the old Bible home for the holiday to read the second chapter of Luke, the tale of the birth of Jesus, from the old Bible.

My mother came home from the hospital two days ago, and yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we went over to her place, made lunch and ate together. I was really hoping that she would play the piano, but she did not feel fit enough for that. 

     

After we had finished our rømmegrøt, I went into the hall, when she has har library, and picked up the Bible, carried into the living room and read about what happened in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas from me to you

@brittarnhild

 

December 21st. Happy Winter Solstice

@brittarnhild

Winter Solstice and we had our "gang" here for rice porridge and then sweet vanilla buns with yellow icing.
From now every day will be a tiny little bit lighter.

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I'm sorry for being quiet for a few days.
Due to family issues, but we are keeping on, walking the road of life.

 

December 17th. Morning in my flower studio

@brittarnhild

I had such a nice morning down in my basement flower studio
I took some of Terjes Christmas cookies with me, and a book with Christmas hymn.