Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

From ocean to mountain

@brittarnhild

The western part of Norway has so much to offer, and today we took our visitor, blog reader Ardi, from the ocean up to the mountains.

Starting with the Atlantic Ocean Road, the air still filled with the remnants of the stiff breeze which had followed us all though the night. Making me lay awake in bed enjoying the fact that I am alive.

From the ocean road we drove on, a ferry ride,  a long underwater tunnel under one of the thousands of Norwegian fjords, and then steep, steep up, up, up.

Watching out for trolls, over bridges, turning one hairpin bend after another.

And then we reach the top. And could look down at Trollstigen, the Troll Path, the serpentine mountain road with 11 hairpin bends which is  prohibited for buses longer than 12.4 meters (41ft). At one point, when we drove down again, Terje had to leave the car, going out to direct a driver who was almost in panic, with long lines of cars both ahead and behind.  Terje never panic, and soon the trafic flowed again.

If you ever come to Norway there are two musts: The Atlantic Ocean Road and the Troll Path.

And if you are lucky, you meet a juggler.......

.......or two.

 

Sightseeing with the American

@brittarnhild

Ardi loves clotheslines, so we take her to see clothelines :-)

 

Of course we also take her to see a lot of other things.

Like white houses with blue doors,

red houses with green doors,

and all ships decorations,

red peonies and more blue doors,

fishing boats,

and red fields of poppies.

I had my camera and Ardi had hers......

Lagre

The view on a grey day

@brittarnhild

Arrived at the cabin. The view is not the best today, with heavy rain clouds hanging over the mountains. Ardi is still enjoying it though, and tomorrow morning the sun is predicted to be back.

 

Christmas in June

@brittarnhild

Ardi has arrived. I picked her up at the airport. She had a jetlag nap when we came home. We had coffee in the garden. And she took part in my reading group tonight.

Then it was suddenly "Christmas time"

Ardi is alover of Christmads, just like I am, and look what she has made for me and Terje :-)
bestemor = grandmother
bestefar = grandfather

 

  

Thank you Ardi. These are the best gift you could have given us :-)

::::::::::::::::::

Tomorrow we are heading for the cabin.

 

I had not planned the blogging break.......

@brittarnhild

I started blogging in Januray 2005. First on blogspot, and in April that same year I moved over to typepad, where I have been ever since. In the beginning only a couple of posts a week, then, for many years, every day. Every single day year after year, almost up till now. Lately I have been slower again, some times blogging several days in a row, other periods there can be several days without a new post here on The House in the Woods.

This doesn´t mean I don´t post. I still post every day, but more and more on other blogs. For the moment the garden blog is the most busy. And my journal blog. Both of these in Norwegian.

Blogging is an important part of my life, and has been so for more than 12 years. It has given me new friends from all over the world. Many of them I have visited, many have come to Norway and The House in the Woods.

Tomorrow one of the first blog readers of The House in the Woods, Ardi,  is coming over from The States. Ardi was also among the first to leave a comment. Here you see the post where she first commented :-) 

 

Welcome to the real House in the Woods Ardi.......
.......and to all of you others, I will blog about our days together. Of course I will.

 

 

A new planting box

@brittarnhild

When Leander was born, I decided I wanted to plant a special fruit tree for him, and I wanted him to have his own planting box. The fruit tree is not planted yet, but it will be this summer. The planting box was made today.

This summer Leander will need help of course, and I have started most of his plants already, and will plant them in the box the coming days.

Next summer I guess he can do much of the planting himself.......with a little grandma help :-)

 

Small hands

@brittarnhild

My little garden apprentice.
He has been here for a few days. Sunny weather  spent out in the garden from early morning till late night.

To become a good gardener it is essential to start early and my apprentice has sown his first seeds, sukkererter/snowpeas. In a few weeks we will eat peas together.

 

When Leander came home he drowned the seeds, so eager to water them.
But there are no problems. I have more seeds sown, and will exchange the pots when he doesn´t see :-) That´s the advantage of being a grandmoter, isn´t it :-)

 

The rocking chair and the farm kitten

@brittarnhild

Our American relatives are still in town. Today Terje and I took them over the fjord, to the old farm where my great grandparents lived, where grandpa Benjamin was born and lived till he was old enough to move out. Grandma Serine died when I was nine. Grandpa Sefanias died when I was ten. I was allowed to come to their funerals, which was unusual for a child in the 60ies. I have not been to the farm since I was a girl. The farm has been completely renovated since then.

The first thing I saw, I mean really saw, with my heart, today, was the rocking chair.

"Oh, look at that chair. I remember great grandma Serine sitting in a rocking chair in this very room!" I smiled. "This is Serina´s chair" my mother´s cousin Sverre said. "The same old chair!"

50 years apart. Great grandma Serine. Me.

Me as a girl loved to play with the kittens on the farm.

Today another little girl plays with the kittens.
Thank you Annika for showing me little Pippi.

Lagre

Lagre

Lagre

A touch of blue

@brittarnhild

A garden along the road.

A touch of blue.

Lagre

Visitors from the Mid-West

@brittarnhild

We had visitors from Minnesota the other day, Kathi and Tim. Kathi is mother´s second cousin. Kathi and Tim came to Norway in 1978, and since then we have created a strong link between our two families with visites both here and there, and over the last years also on facebook. And new generations join us.

 

Friday my parents set their lunsj table.

As always a delicious table with my mother´s home made bread. And for coffee afterwards, her krumkake and fyrstekake.

Piano and viola by mother and my brother Torodd. And a lot of talk, led by my father and Tim.

 

  

Looking at old photos is a must when we gather like this. Here is one of my great grandparents Serina and Sefanias, with three of their kids. Grandpa Benjamin in the middle.

 

Lagre