Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Christmas brunch and a fantastic travel

@brittarnhild

Up in my little den, under the pitched roof, I have hug a map of the world. Today, after a late brunch, I had to stand under the map for a long time, letting my index finger point from New Mexico, to California, to Ohio, Michigan, The Pacific South West, to several places in Canada, to Minesota and South Dakota, then to New Zealand and over to Great Britain and Oxfordshire. All places where one or more of you, my readers live. Thank you for giving me all these great wishes on yesterdays post, and a special thanks for adding where you live.

We are in the middle of the festive Christmas season, with The House in the Woods filled with family and friends, and in the middle of all this I find you, my dear readers. Thanks for the comments left.

I wish I could invite all of you to sit down around our table, to have a meal with us. A few of you say that you will be coming to Trondheim in 2017. Please let me know when you came, and I will see what I can do.

 

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Great grandpa Torgrim and his shrine

@brittarnhild

Terje´s great-grandfather, Torgrim Olsen from Grimstad, was a sailor in the days of the sailing ships. Away months at a time. If the wind was good they were busy, but when the wind died down there could be days, even weeks, with nothing to do. Great-grandpa Torgrim was never idle, he did not let the days pass with nothing to do,  and over the years me made many treasures.

On a place of honor in our livingroom, we have a little treasure he made during one of the no wind periods, a house made out of tiny little puzzle pieces which he cut from old cigar boxes.  For Christmas it has become the manger for Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, and as you can see the star there, the manger had room for them.

 

The first photo shows Torgrim and Terje´s mother Ingrid. The photo must be from 1922.

 

Merry Christmas

@brittarnhild

Christmas time. Only just started. Still we have days and days ahead of us with long, late breakfasts, with days together with family and friends, with all the traditional Christmas dinners and with long nights with games, books, talks near the sparkling Christmas tree.

Our oldest son, Torgeir, is in Japan for the holidays this year, you can follow him on TravelTorgeir.  Øystein has been here for a few days but went home last night after dinner. Marta is still here but will go up in the mountains tomorrow for a few days of skiing with her boyfriend and his family. Ingrid´s mother in law, Leander´s farmor, who lives in Lofoten, is still here. She came a few days before Christmas with her car filled with the most delicious fish from the Lofoten islands, and is a wonderful chef in the kitchen. And the new little family, Leander, Ingrid and Marius are celebrating Christmas with us. What a wonderful blessing to have them with us for the holidays. The best Christmas present. My parents came here on julaften, Christmas Eve to celebrate with us, and yesterday we were invited to their house. And tonight my brother Børge and his family are coming from Iceland. They will stay in Torgeir´s apartment.

Sure, it is a merry time, filled with family and love.

Thank you very much for following me though advent, opening the doors with me. It has been a lot of fun doing it with you.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you

 

ps, the red and white heart in the first picture was made by Terje when he was a boy. It has hung on his parents´Christmaa tree for half a cantury, now it is brightening our tree.

 

Time for friends

@brittarnhild

While it continues to snow, we are enjoying indoor life. Christmas time is perfect time to catch up with friends, perfect time for cosy fires, long meals, sharing tales. I have a best friend who is queen of christmases, and yesterday we were invited there for lunch, before we all went to a concert in the cathedral.

Friendship. I have a friend. My best friend. 
It makes me reflect on how blessed I am. A few very good friend. A lot of good friends. There can be long periods when we do not meet, though we keep contact through calls and emails. Then, when we meet, we know we are there for each other. We have a shared past. We have a strong bond there and then. We are looking forward to a future together. Best of all, we know, in the deepest of our hearts, that we are important to each other. Our lives are richer, more blessed because I am here and you are there, and we are something together.

 

Before lunch I walked though my best friend´s house, with my camera, but even more with my heart, being fully aware that ever since the first time we met, both of us teenagers, she has been on of the main inspirer in my life. She still is.

Lately we have had a lot of time together. I wrap myself in it and bring it into the new year as a special gem. The gem of deep friendship.

 

A Box of Christmas Ornaments

@brittarnhild

I have a box filled with some very special Christmas ornaments.

Every year for eleven years now, since Christmas 2004, I have got one in the mail.

All the way from Seattle to Trondheim.

All put in a hand decorated envelope,
together with a handmade card.

To Britt Arnhild from Ardi.

Ardi Butler.
A penpal.
An ingternet friend.
A blog reader.

Ardi and I have never met in person yet.
But one day I know we will.

Merry Christmas

@brittarnhild

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers

and as always - my Christmas wish from you is a "hi" in the comment section.

 

The day before the day

@brittarnhild

Yesterday, lillejulaften, little Christmas Eve, a day filled with activities to prepare for the day, the big day, julaften, Christmas Eve.

We had a long list of things to day, but also enough time to do it and a lot of loving, helping hands.

Marta and Terje started with cookie decorations. The small cookies, a gingerbread house, and new this year, a ginger bread nativity.

Marta´s hands and fingers have all the patience needed. All the love needed. 

And so has Terje´s.

  

Marta and Martin helping decorate the Christmas tree.

 

Last night we again filled the dininroom table with friends for the traditional lutefisk dinner. This year we were people from Norway, Italy and California...

...but then I was too busy to take any photos.

 

 

Dirty Sunday

@brittarnhild

It is the last Sunday before Christmas Eve. Skittensøndag, or Dirty Sunday. It has got its name because even though it is Sunday and a day when you were supposed to do no work, you are allowed today, to get everything ready for Christmas.

Looking out my window all I can see is snow, so Dirty Sunday kind of feels like a wrong name, but ever since I woke up early this morning, I have been having a lot of house fun  (read: cleaning, dusting, tinying, changing og bed clothes and so on) As I work my way around the house, accompanied with Christmas music, I put up some of the Christmas decorations.

I used to love snowglobes when I was a child, and when all these beautiful glass ones started to appear in the shops many years ago, I knew it was time to start a collection. Now they fill a side table in the living room, giving joy all through the season.

 

Now into Christmas

@brittarnhild

I am packing my suitcase again. But this time it is to go home for Christmas.
We have done almost no preparations for Christmas so far this year. But starting tonight I will hang my angels, set up my nativities, play Christmas music, bake a few cookies, wrap gifts, and as the coming days unfold we will set up and decorate the Christmas tree, we will set the table, prepare food, set the table again..... and so it will continue for a couple of weeks.

Monday our Californian friends Jane and Lanny, with whom we spent the weekend in Berlin, arrive in Trondheim. Tuesday, lillejulaften/little Christmas Eve we will have our traditional lutefisk party. Wednesday, julaften, Christmas Eve, we will deck the halls and have a rice porridge lunch, with a hidden almond in the porridge and a marzipan pig for the one who finds the almond.......

........but now I am too fast.

........the coming days I will take you along on all this. 
And more so.

 

See you then.

 

Give us this day

@brittarnhild

 

On the wall in my mother´s kitchen this plate hang. Just as it did in grandma Olga´s kitchen. Give us this day our daily bread.

This prayer, part of The Lord´s prayer which Jesus told us, has been following me lately. We travelled to Ethiopia with these worlds as our headline, I blogged about daily bread in Bodji, and I am working on a series of world wide daily bread tales.

Christmas traditions is alot about food. We went to the cathedral yesterday and had communion, the body of Jesus, the blood of Jesus offered us. Then we went to my parents´home for the annual halibut dinner. 13 around the table. Food, talking, piano and viola music, singing, more food, more talk.

Norwegian homes are filled with food these days, and most of it is home made.
We make from scratch, we have to use our fingers, our hands, our hearts. We share. We sit down around the table enjoying the food and each other. We give thanks. By the way, did you know that the Norwegian way of fiving thanks is to sing a prayer before, and after the meal. 

Food is an important part of Christmas celebrations.
Give us this day our daily bread.

There are different times throughout the year.
Christmas is for feasting. There are other period for fasting.

Give us this day our daily bread God.
Help us appreciate what we have been given.
And keep our minds open never to forget the rest of the world.
Make us willing to share.