Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

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.

December 16th. Colour me red

@brittarnhild

This post is a repost from Advent 2006

When I was  girl my mother had a red and black dress. Her Christmas dress.

It was a fasionable dress when she bought it, but after a few years she felt it was time to buy something new. The red and black one was so old fashioned.

We kids protested. We couldn't imagine Christmas Eve without mum in her beautiful, though worn red and black dress. The dress and mother wearing it was Christmas!

It was Christmas lunch at work yesterday. I wore a 7 year old red dress. I though about buying something new and more modern for Christmas, but them my mother's old Christmas dress came to my mind. Old clothes filled with sweet memories, scents of parfumes gone, are often much better than a new, chich one without the taste of history.

The photo is the cheesecake with cherries Marta and I shared when having our traditional Christmas shopping night yesterday. I felt tired before going downtown, the weather was terrible with the outdoor Christmas market stalls almost blowing away, long queues in the shops. But a 10 year old girl filled with anticipation and Christmas spirit. And when I opened my purse and bought some "oh Mum, they are lovely, and so expensive, and you are the best Mum ever"-decorations for her room, she was in Christmas heaven.

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Thank you for your comment on yesterday's post.
My mother is doing fine and is back home from hospital now.

Here is a picture I took of her a couple of weeks ago. We had coffee and pastries at the cafe close to the care home where my father now lives.

December 15th. Angels watching

@brittarnhild

Some days turns out different.
My mother had a fall this morning and I spent all day in the hospital with her, doing all kinds of checks. It seems like she might be doing fine, but she has to stay in hospital over night for more tests.

I pray and believe that angels are watching her.
Please join my prayers.

 

I finished the angel wrist warmers the other day, and wore them all day in the hospital.
The 100 years old book is about angels. I inherited it from my grandfather Benjamin, my mother's father. He died when I was two months old Of cancer. He met me only one time and I have always been told that he laid his hands on my head then and blessed me.

Remind me that one day I will tell you the tale when Benjamin met the angel watching the gates to paradise.

December 14th. Books trough Advent

@brittarnhild

I am a reader. Have been one all my life, ever since I discovered letters and learned to put them together when I was five. Both my paternal grandparents were teachers, and readers. I can still remember grandpa Johannes reading bedtime stories to me, and every birthday and Christmas I got a new book. Grandpa Johannes and grandma Ragna Josefine ended up with 21 grandchildren, still they manage to give us books meant especially for each one of us. I still have many of the books I got, my favourite a flora I was given to my 8th birthday.

I have been a reader for more than 60 years now, and as a senior I read more than 100 books every year. And I love it.

This advent I am doing a literary advent calendar on instagram, where I each day talk about a favourite Advent or Christmas book. Today the book is The Life of Our Lord (you see it in a Norwegian translation in the picture above) handwritten by Charles Dickens to be read for his own children to teach them about Jesus. What a treat for his children, to have their own bible story book made especially for them.

How I would love to do something similar.......
.......and then I remember that's what I do, in a much smaller scale though. But some years ago I wrote a tale about a small angel and her way to Bethlehem to sing in the angels choir 2000 years ago. The tale has 24 small chapters and I have meant to make it into a book to give to the grandchildren. I have even crocheted angels to illustrate the book

Next year I will make sure to finish it in time for Advent!

December 13th. Santa Lucia

@brittarnhild

It is early morning on Santa Lucia Day. We are in the kindergarten to watch the parade. Grandson Milian is one of the kids, our daughter Marta one of the teachers.

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A new episode is up on YouTube today: