Needles(s) to say..

My other blog

2009-06-23T17:15:00.001+02:00

MY OHTER BLOG IS VERY ACTIVE, I' POSTING PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. HTTP://LISBETH58BULA.WORDPRESS.COM

My new blog is very active

2008-08-17T12:55:00.002+02:00

I haven't taken the time to check how it works on this blog when you don't keep it "alive with new postings. Am going to roam around in here now to see...
Just to remind you, if you come visiting-: my new blog is very active!!! I post often.

New blog adress

2008-07-14T14:36:00.002+02:00

I have opened a new account on wordpress. Here is my new blog: http//:lisbeth58bula.wordpress.com
I have to come up with a name, but no good ideas have popped into my head yet.

2008-07-13T10:28:00.003+02:00

There's nothing like a slow morning with coffee.. and some bloghopping!
I'd like to show you a sculpture my niece made: Grapes made of little wooden blocks that she spray painted. Isn't it great?!

2008-07-12T21:09:00.011+02:00

The girls and I went to my sister's for two days.. like I mentioned in the previous post. Got back home around 11:30 last night, the girls both asleep i the car for the last part of the drive( which took place in heavy rainshowers)
The first day we went to Oslo to take a walk along a part of the Aker River.My oldest took this photo of the rest of us, my sister, niece and my youngest.

Wonderful weather, good temperature, lovely scenery and a couple of blisters on my toes (which were tended to by a footbath in the evening accompanied by lots of good white wine)
Here are some pictures from the walk.

An old factory building made into an apartment building

old English style houses buildt for some of the factory workers around the 1900.

One of the factories.

A little lucnh break outside one of the buildings that the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) use for their soap series "Hotel Cæsar" My sister in the middle and my niece in front (and my oldest in the back of course)

I played a lot with my new camera on this walk....

This was made to remember the hardworking factory women

more playing with my camera by a little waterfall

of course we crossed severa small bridges. On one of the- a hanging bridge - this was found on the post ("I can hold 100 men, but not if they march across to the same beat")

we saw a lot of nice houses- some also made for birds..

I will post some more from our walk around the botanical garden by the Munch museum, too- but not until tomorrow..
Today I have bee doinga little bit of cleaning; vaccuming, cleaning floors, dusting.. None of it a fun activity- but rewarding afterwards.

No knitting done at all. Sooooooo tired of cotton- I loooooong for wool!

2008-07-09T23:24:00.002+02:00

Tomorrow the girls and I are getting up early to go to my sister's for a couple of days. We are doing a walk along a part of Akerselva (the Aker river) in Oslo, then we will visit the Munch museum and the botanical garden. The weather is supposed to be good tomorrow. Friday is not planned yet, the weather might be of the more moody kind so we'll see what happens.. We will either go home late on Friday og very early on Saturday. My sister and family are going to Italy that day, my oldest is starting rehearsals for the outdoor "Marispel" (the play) at noon.
Hubby and I have invited a couple over for dinner either Saturday or Sunday night. I'm not planning a BBQ since the weather might not be ideal for that- so I'm opting for indoor cooking if they can come.

This afternoon the oldest and I went for a fast walk/run with the dog. I had the colour of a ripe tomatoe for half an hour after!

2008-07-08T20:33:00.003+02:00

Not a "porch-day" exactly..
So it was a good day for doing something we should've done before we moved here. But today we got around to it, and that was marvellous:
ORGANIZING THE STORAGE ROOM IN THE BASEMENT; PART ONE.
That is; sort out Barbie stuff and other little toys that are to be saved for coming generations or thrown out. Man there was a lot of it!Everything you see on the floor is garbage- and we are only halfway through at this point.

The girls enjoyed seeing it all again and remembering things around the different dolls and other items as we sorted and chose what to keep.
I forgot, however , to take a photo when we had finished, but then I thought i could do a before/after photo series from the whole room eventually... Some day.(Hopefully this summer!)

2008-07-07T15:41:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I got this impulse to make "Sugo" (italian: sauce) for spaghetti, but we didn't have red wine in the house and it is just not the same wihtout red wine in it.It's a tomato sauce.. This recipe my Hubby found and tried out the first time- and we thought we had died and gone to heaven.Today we both got into the cutting and cooking. This sauce needs AT LEAST two hours of slow cooking so we'll have a later supper than usual.
So what- I'm on holiday and truly enjoying it! Today I have done some laundry and shopping and I went to my mother's for a coffee and some knitting time.
The weather is not the best today either but at least it isn't raining non-stop.
While adding some broth to the slow cooking sauce I got my crocheting out and settled at the kitchen table.

My daughter was already there with her computer and Emma is "Yours Truly" while these heavenly smells are tickling her nostrils.

2008-07-06T19:27:00.008+02:00

Definetely not a sunny day today.....

Boy, that was a wet walk! Umbrella and raincoat to ward off the worst- Emma soaked to the bone! Here is an old fire hydrant in the rain.. I could only bring my smallest digital camera since i had dog, umbrella, digi book and camera to handle... Pictures not as good then.
We are back and the Emma wants to get inside and rub herself against the wallpaper. (right inside the door I'm always armed with towels- and the door is carefully closed between the hallway and the rest of the house!)

Anyway- this is what I am going to be doing tonight: K N I T T I N G.
But I've been thinking: i think this single project knitting I am trying to stick to is AGAINST MY VERY NATURE.I'm starting to wonder if it would make me go even more at it now that I'm having a creative spurt if I had another new project... (maybe I'm kidding myself- I could work more one the twoold ones..)
Maybe it's just all this blogging that steals the time??? And the fun site Ravelry???(see sidebar)

2008-07-06T18:23:00.000+02:00

You Are An INFP

The Idealist

You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.

Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.

It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.

But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.

In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.

You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings.

At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.

You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What's Your Personality Type?

2008-07-06T17:35:00.007+02:00

I went away on Friday. Us three grown up girls in the car, all going to visit a friend (and her new boyfriend) in her Camping trailor at the coast.
we were met with sangria by the trailor.Nice boyfriend!He helped serving and filling up glasses all evening. He should have had a medal!
Later a cold beer and then they had prepared a meal down by the boats at the shore. They had moved their outdoor table and chairs and set the table there for a great meal of ham, potato salad, green salad and red wine. But first we got avocado and shrimp.And white wine.

Dessert was ice cream and strawberries. And liquieur. After a while the Irish Coffee was served. That's when I sort of stopped.. if you know what I mean..

Here is the lovely view from the table and out towards the sea.

Here is the view from the same spot and up towards the trailor park.

Two of us went back home the next day. I was fine during the three hour drive, but boy was I tired last night. Not enough sleep on Friday night. But that's part of a party sometimes. But I still enjoyed our BBQ dinner in the evening and a good curl-up with the newspapers and a coffee after that.

Today I have just tried to organize the house a little, some clutter from all four of us (the girls had friend sleep over on Friday) and I was set on cleaning a couple of windows but the heavy rains saved me! I putup new curtains anyway! (the neighbour across the street is makin a porch...)

I gotta go. Doggie bugging to go outside- and it's POURING RAIN!

2008-07-03T21:53:00.005+02:00

Another goregeous summer day- really hot. We spent it at home, I was for the most part in the back yard.
Went to the store for fresh rolls for lunch

..and then I discovered that this was already in the stores! On with the coffee after the lunch had been cleared from the table.

We are being banned from one of our best shady spots in the yard- it's the Hubby that is on a mission for getting good grass there, so we had to move the garden swing a little closer to where the laundry is hanging.
Here's a tip if you're too close to your underwear drying: Find a suitable, big tablecloth from your drawer and hang it decoratively in front of the rest of the clothes. Gives a feeling of romantic Shabby chic style!

2008-07-02T22:23:00.003+02:00

It gets monotonous for me to only stick to one knitting project.. Last night I had to pull out the crocheted curtain (long-term project) and the needlepoint just to have something else in my hands for a little while.
See how that put a smile on my face?

Today we had great summer weather so we packed some lunch,books and as for me: knitting; and drove down to the lake. It's a 20 min. drive from our house to this beach/camp site. The water is FREEZING cold- but my youngest gets into the water no matter what, seemingly. Nice views from here isn't it?

2008-07-01T14:57:00.004+02:00

Hubby went to work early this morning( works at Geithus- a two hour drive from here, and he is at the office from Tuesday to Thursday. Home offive Monday and Friday.)
The girls and I had decided to go to the beach by our (freezing cold) lake if it was a sunny day. But the sun is not our that much today so we stayed at home. But the temperature is good, so the porch is a great place to be.
But first we went uptown to buy this:

And then we had a luxurious lunch- with bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good-cakes afterwards while we spread all our Roma books out and studied away. We are not going there until October, but it's now the days are floating by so slowly and comfortably and we can sit there in peace and quiet and plan. Half the fun is planning and dreaming...

18 years!

2008-06-30T21:10:00.003+02:00

It was our wedding anniversary on Sunday- 18 years! And our oldest went into the garden and made this flower boquet for us as she has done before. Isn't it gorgeous. Have to mention that she is also the one who took the picture!
We have already done our little "something" to celebrate: this year we went to Storefjell hotel resort at Gol, we also went out on Friday night in town..

And this is how far I've gotten on the knitting project.. It's not like me to stick to only one knitting project at a time, but I'm really trying to stick with it....

I have also worked on my Ravelry notebook today trying to get some finished projects uploaded. It's time consuming since I haven't done it sucessively..
But I gotta say- wow what a great site Ravelry is!

2008-06-29T12:49:00.002+02:00

finished the bottom pattern on the jacket last night, have now started on the rest of the sweater that has a repeating, simple pattern. Go, me, go!!

Antikk og samlermesse i Stavern

2008-06-29T08:38:00.011+02:00

Yesterday I drove to Stavern to attend the Antique and Collectors' fair. My youngest came with me which was nice! It takes three hours to get there from where we live but it was nice driving weather, some sun, some clouds, and we had a light breakfast while driving.
I had my eye on some cool zink items for the garden, some enamel jugs and some old wooden boxes that would have been perfect by the entrance- but I thought it unnecessary, really.Can you believe it! I can't. But when there is enamel mugs that would be pefect for wild flowers on the table - but they cost 450,00 NOK (80 USD)the thought "do I HAVE to have this" strike your mind...........
(I'm more in a wool mood these days, fighting the urge to buy yarn and stash it!)
A couple of booths were run by ladies specializing in the shabby chic style, too. Lovely all of it.

My daughter however, found three pairs of sunglasses, 30 NOK each and threw herself over them right away.

On our walk from the parking to the fair we passed to really beautiful old houses and I couldn't resist taking some shots. I love MY house, but these were gorgeous too!!

Here is the one; the flowers are so beautiful.

Here is the other, don't you love these windows!?

we had a hot dog for lunch at the fair but didn't stop for supper until almost 6PM on our way back.. we were really hungry by then! Here C is waiting for her meal.

But once we had eaten everything was good in the world and we felt refreshed after having had a glimpse of the sea (shot taken by C on our way out of Stavern at the end of the day)

2008-06-27T13:52:00.003+02:00

A really slow day here in the family. It's raining outside and my only goal is to do some laundry and knit/read/do whatever pleases me.
I've been down at Mom's for a little visit, brought her some samples from last nights' baking.
The morning was really nice since Hubby came home last night- after we all had gone to bed.

He is still on Asia time so he got up before me and made coffee. We had coffee and muffins together- and then he brought me a present: another digital camera!

He had been annoyed about the quality of the one he bought for my birthday- so he bought a much better one this time. I'm thrilled! We spent some time getting to know the functions. Now I just need to practice a lot!

First "lesson": This is how far I've gotten!

2008-06-26T21:15:00.003+02:00

I spent the morning on the porch knitting while the sun was out.
Then there was a bit of tidying up to do before we went shopping for some baking ingredients. The youngest suggested baking muffins today and before we knew it there was two more things added to the list.. Pizza rolls and cinnamon buns.
Before we started I tool my mother to the hairdresser.
Now we are done- at nine in the evening- and finally I could open the window and get some air. Had to keep it shut since we had yeast dough rising.
Here is the results:
Bleuberry muffins, pizza rolls and cinnamon buns.

2008-06-25T21:32:00.002+02:00

Now the knitting ladies have left. We were only five, but I had a nice time and three of them had new projects in their hands- which of course triggered the "oohhs" and "aahhs" from the rest of us.
We all had several cups of coffee so now I bet I'm ready for a late evening wihtout getting sleepy until past midnight!

2008-06-25T18:34:00.002+02:00

Tonight is the last knitting cafe before we take a break for the summer. But the facilities we have used is the local volunteer centre and they are now moving.So I offered to have it here at my house.
I'm looking forward to be a part of a knitting group after some nights knitting by myself now.

2008-06-24T23:28:00.004+02:00

Intense knitting for a couple of hours brings me A FEW rounds farther. Man- good thing I'm on holiday...
When I got home the girls wanted to rent a "Chick-flick" and came back from the movie rental place with a friend. I went upstairs to the other TV set and watched Barnaby- and knitted.
It's almost midnight. I better go to bed soon. Got up early this morning...

I've been down at the place where I go weaving today. We met for the last time this summer- we won't meet till the end of August now.. We vacuumed, dusted and cleaned the floors. It sure gets dusty from rags and wool flying in and out of the looms every Tuesday night!

2008-06-24T11:26:00.003+02:00

It's sunny today but cool wind so the indoor life is more tempting than the outdoors. At least for spending time in a chair knitting. I have struggled with two rounds on this jacket yesterday and this morning but now I got it right and can keep going...
I got up early this morning and had almost two hours to myself before the youngest got up. Two cups of good coffee, knitting and "Reiseradioen" on the radio.... holiday life is good!

Yesterday the girls and I went to the library and got books about Rome, both for sightseeing planning and about Roman history. We are going for four days in October and are going to plan carefully to get the most out of it.
We are also planning to buy sketch books for visual journaling while we are there.

MIDSUMMER celebration

2008-06-23T21:20:00.006+02:00

It's Midsummer celebration/St. Johns day in Norway.A day where many people go to a beach and have a bonfire, or settle in on the porch to spend the evening wiht friends, family, good food- maybe barbequed- and that sort of thing.
Hardly ever is it a day of good weather so some suffering is required- and lots of wool must be worn.
And here you see some of the clouds we've been offered this evening.

BUT: the girls and I prepared a great BBQ meal and started out with low music in the background and candles on the table.

Then there was coffee and cookies and some blankets around the butts!

Now the girls have gone inside to watch a show on TV and i've been out with the dog- and all we want to do is stay inside....
PLUS I've made a mistake in my knitting two rounds ago!!! GRRRRR....

But I discovered something: I have been permanently scarred from this knitting hobby: Look closely at my fingertip on this (somewhat blurry)photo. See the little white mark of hard skin where I push the needle for every stich I make?

2008-06-23T09:42:00.002+02:00

OH???? you don't think I have gotten any further than last time I showed this piece of knitting?
Just to let you know, I am pointing at where I was last time. Just to prove to you that I'm working away at it. It's just that it's such damned long rounds on this thing!

2008-06-23T09:10:00.007+02:00

Sometimes the morning coffee tastes more than good- today it's exceptional! I woke up with a regular headache- have to call it that since I am "The Proud Owner" of a rare one too.. But after a walk with the dog around the block and this out-of-the-body-experience- of a-coffee I'm almost as good as new.
Since I gave you a little
"tour" around my town last night I'll follow up with this:Starting in the back street behind my house...

But first I should mention in passing:
I was born in this town, I lived here until I finished high school,

then I moved to Hamar and lived there for 4 years until I had finished my education.

Then I moved back and worked for two years.

Then I was gone again for 3 years- 2 of them I spent in South America

Then I was back and worked for 4 years

- but I had met a Canadian while on holiday in Spain- and so I moved to Canada, North America, got married an had two girls, three step children and a dog. We lived there for eight years.
("These boots are made for walking..? By the way- what the heck am I wearing in this phto.. looks like nothing else I've seen)

Then we moved to my home town thinking this would be the starting point until we found a place in Norway where we both could find work. Turned out we both got jobs here. So here I am.
Why am I telling this tale now??
Because as I walk the dog in the mornings this is what I pass:

And this is where I lived the first six years of my life, in an apartment on the second floor. the whole block is buildings like this and they named it Sing- Sing after it was built. I had happy six years there though! (notice the mountain behind it? This is a very unique town nature wise- and in other ways too..)

I have lived three other places in this town in my life, but now i live here- in a house that is nicely upgraded but is soon to be 100 years old. And we love it! We might be rooted now. Althoug who knows???

2008-06-22T21:05:00.012+02:00

I have indeed cleaned the house today! Dusted and sneezed, vacuumed, swung the floor rag into every corner of the main floor, got the upstairs bathroom looking decent and smelling good. After all that and some putting away (not ot forget) I just stopped dead and had a shower. The upstairs vacuuming and downstairs toilet and shower just have to wait until another rainy day- most likely that'll be Monday!
Mom came over around 3:00 PM and we had a great salmon dinner and coffee and some knittin'time after.
I have taken Emma out for a walk in pouring rain- and of all days we walked for about an hour! She needed two big towels to get dried off when we came home!
The commune has made a new walkway along the river from the old church (built in the 1914!) Here you can see the tower of it through the trees.

This is the church from the other side:

Then we turned onto the walkway from the main road.

This girl was happy to get out, despite the rain!

Along the way they have made little places for sitting down - on sunnier days that is....

Then we approached the old suspension bridge that has been there since before I was born. I used to go there with my grandmother bringing stale bread to give to the ducks. I have taken my girls there too for the same reason when they were little.

Someone has put up a little bird house there...

It must have been a good trip for my dog- she has now jumped up on the couch and fallen asleep after a dry piece of bread and some petting...
And me: I'm ready for some KNITTING!

2008-06-22T10:00:00.002+02:00

I knitted through most of the DVD of Narnia last night, my daughter and I watched it again knowing no 2 is coming to the movie theatres soon.. Felt like it took forever doing a round.Shiny cotton thread is not the easiest to knit with- I have already unravelled two sleeve- attempts. This morning I sat down to do a little more and discovered that my last round was wrong, so I have to unravel it..
Have promised myself to clean house today- so I better get to it. My mother is coming for dinner today, and I'd like to present a fairly decent house..Things have been a bit hapazardly attended to these last two weeks of school.

2008-06-21T19:20:00.002+02:00

It's windy today and I usually dislike wind, but when I took the dog for a walk an hour ago I decided to change my attitude and enjoy the wind and the sun. It worked- my attitude changed. I picked my favourite weed in the ditch and you must admit they're beautiful, eh?
I'm looking forward to an evening with knitting!

2008-06-21T11:38:00.005+02:00

Right outside my one living room window at this moment:

A little cool and windy this morning, partly cloudy. WHO CARES! I'm on holiday!! Had a lazy morning, seen the good report cards my daughters brought home last night, had two big cups of coffee, put some school bags away for the summer, put on some laundry and will soon head out for my usual Saturday grocery shopping and a visit to my Mom's.
But first a photo of something cool my youngest made at school recently:

And this is how far the knitting has come:

2008-06-20T21:12:00.006+02:00

Last weekend hubby and I went away for the weekend, we went to this hotel: Storefjell hotell in Hallingdal
we brought the dog, the girls stayed at home by themselves the first night, the second night they stayed at my Mom's.
We enjoyed good meals, good wine, good company (went with two other couples) and a swim in the pool and a glass of wine in the outdoor jacuzzi (with hail in our hair!!!!)There was absolutely every kind of weather many times a day while we were there and on our way home it was wet practically the whole time

But going off together like that is always nice no matter what weather.. Our anniversary is at the end of June and we usually do something special around that time.
Hubby is now in Vietnam and Chorea, talked to him on the phone tonight- he had eaten some bad shellfish and was travelling by plane with an upset stomach! Not good, but during the weekend he has no business meetings so he can lounge in his hotel room all day.Close to a wash room...

The last few days at school was filled with setting up displays of art products, rehearsing little plays we were to show parents, cleaning up in the classrooms and carrying books from here to there... We have however had an entrepeneurship task during this school year; a cafeteria we have run every Thursday where a lot of senior citizens have showed up for coffee, sandwiches, cake and a chat. This has given the school an income. We gave away a third of it to charities, some of them local ones, a third is in the bank and the last third took the kids and us teachers to Bø Sommarland, Scandinavia's biggest waterpark for a day

We didn't have the best weather but the kids got in the water- and stayed there most of the day!
On Wednesday the school personell went for an outing -only one of us knew where She planned it and the rest of us didn't know anything.
We got picked up at school in the early evening by a mini bus (there were ten of us)that drove us up to an area of a neary valley where I've never been before. Halfway we were met by her husband who waited with rose wine and tapas at a place with the most amazing view.

Afterwards the bus took us to a place higher up in th mountains where they keep the cows and sheep grazing for the summer in order to get good milk, cheese and sour creme, a so- called "seter" where we were served a great meal of traditional food, beer and aquavit. I was home at midnight; it was a great evening!

Holiday!

2008-06-20T20:51:00.003+02:00

My holiday has officially started and I am delighted by the thought.
Definetly there will be more of this:

An indoor evening..

2008-06-08T22:32:00.005+02:00

It got chilly in the afternoon today, the clouds and the wind came upon us and we are spending the evening indoors.It's been days since last time!

Earlier today we trimmed hedges and pulled weeds in the flower beds- that is; The Hubby did most of it, I was more like a (useless?) assistant.
We got guests for coffee in the shade in our back yard too, my sister and brother-in-law came (they had spent the weekend at the cottage) and my mother also joined us. They brought buns and we made coffee and provided some ice cream.
I have had some pains in my jaw/teeth despite the medication today but apart from
that it has been a great day.
It is now also settled that the Hubby and I will go away for a weekend at Gol next weekend. I'm looking forward to it!
Here are some shots from the garden. Notice the golf course lawn the Hubby has made in the course of the last two summers.it was full of weeds before, but you can hardly find one now!!

Lovely Sunday morning

2008-06-08T07:54:00.007+02:00

I'm up before anyone else in this house today. The birds are busy, the sun is out and I'm having a quiet moment to myself. We spent all day yesterday outside in the sun or halfway in the shade.
First, Hubby and I went to shere the fleamarket was last Sunday. I had regretted all week that I hadn't picked up a teak coffee table I saw there and when I called the people in charge I was told the furniture was still outside and I could pick up anything I wanted. So off we went and the table was still there. Just the right size! Haven't made up my mind if I should paint it or not yet...
Most likely everything will be sort of "drawn" together if I paint this table and both side table - or just the side tables -white. My dining room table and hutch are also teak so this "new" table goes with that, unpainted. Have to live with it for a while and see. (and I hate painting, but love the result)

After the "post-fleamarket-find" I went to the grocery store, hoping there wouldn't be too many people there. This weekend is the Rjukan Rock Festival, you see, and my daughters went with their drama group to participate in the family event yesterday around noon.(and got good reviews my neighbour told me) I visited mom after shopping as I usually do on Saturdays.
When I came home, Hubby had cut the grass, ferilized it and was busy watering it while he had placed himself in the middle of the sun wiht a beer. I joined him and we spent the afternoon chatting and working on a somewhat sunburnt colour!
The only thing is I get kinda desperate from the sun after a while, so in the end I put on my bathing suit and ran through the sprinkler a few times! (Did I hear someone reminding me I'm 50? Let me add: our garden is now enclosed by tall green and dense hedges!)
The girls came home from town for a barbeque supper; chicken wings, corn on the cob and some potatoes called "Røsti potatoes", followed by ice cream; all enjoyed in the back yard where we have now moved the BBQ into the shade where the garden swing is placed.
Hubby and I moved up on the porch after supper and spent the evening there until midnight, only followed by a walk with Emma - our oldest came along, too.

We walked down to the pond/park where Emma likes dipping her belly (and as the water dog she is; that's how far she'll go in, would you believe it!)

On the one side of the pond is an alley old threes and a pavillion. Earlier in the day I drove by and saw the park filled with children who enjoyed the water (which is by the way FREEZING)

Emma was sad to see that her friend Keyla was not in her yard. They always play for a few minutes if she is there...
Even so, she was content coming home- and as usual she places herself smack in the middle of where we walk in and out of the porch door.

Right and wrong foods

2008-06-06T21:14:00.012+02:00

This is definetly the right food- both for our bodies and in this sunny weather.

However- both the dog and I are craving something salty - the cupboard contained some wrong -but yummy chips. And for me -also - a cold beer from the fridge.

These buds are making me very interested in cathcing up on their development every night. There are going to be exeptionally many peones this year. May it not rain when they bloom!!!!The poppies in my garden is slower than in many other gardens in town, for some reason.. And the climbing rose bushes will soon be full of pink and red flowers peeking in my living room windows. I always cut them so that they can be seen from the livingroom too.The last picture of already blooming flowers has an unknown name to me.

Most of my time is spent in this garden swing. Of course i have to go to work in the morning ,but during my workday I LONG for this spot!

However,some work around the house needs to be done too. Believe me it's at a minimum inside, but I have now planted some flowers in the boxes on my balcony and by the garage. First time I have had a table outdoors to do it on!

No reason to go indoors

2008-06-04T21:59:00.007+02:00

The weather is wonderful every day and I get home from work extremely relieved that I can stay outdoors for the rest of the day. Today I just picked up som ready made lasagna from the deli counter at the grocer's and have barely been inside since then..

We eat in the back yard, spend time on the lawn beds (here my daughter's legs...)

Myself I had a long nap in the garden swing after supper and a coffee. I feel very sleepy and drained these days, most likely due to the headache pains that are -for the most part-masked by my medication but nevertheless leaves me tired and a bit out of sorts. But despite all this I feel HAPPY that the weather permits the garden life that I love so much after a long winter.

I move up on the porch in the evening, after the sun sets.

Here are some of my new finds of moulded glass together with some I already had in my cupboards arranged on my dining room table.

My daughter's flea market find

2008-06-01T22:48:00.003+02:00

Forgot to show the flea market find the youngest found for herself today. Cool retro alarm clock with fluorecent number option!!

A particularily good Sunday.

2008-06-01T22:14:00.010+02:00

Yes' it's been extraordinarily good. My daughters and I went to the flea market/auction and here are my finds.

I collect moulded glass and carafes

I like using tablecloths outside when we are in the garden or on the porch, so these were to my liking..

This is a big tableccloth that will fit my dining room table. I wasn't able to take a photo of it completely folded out tonight. Some other time..

and....I know it's not the season but I liked these old fashioned christmas ornaments.

Last, I found some dish towels and a little strainer.

After the fleamarket we went home, picking up my mother on the way and spent the afternoon and evening in the back yard. We had coffee back there and we ate a late dinner there before we finally went indoors at 9.00.We must have had in at 30 degrees celcius today.
my oldest picked these for our table..
I hope there'll be many more days like this over the summer.

2008-05-31T21:29:00.007+02:00

My husband left tonight to go to the airport so now I have walked the dog by myself and put on some more laundry. It's an extraordinarily warm evening and right before the sun set the breeze played with the curtain by my porch door. I have planted some flowers in a pot to take to my father's grave tomorrow. I am not at all interested in sitting inside watching TV so after this post I'll go back out on the porch, maybe I'll bring my knitting...

Here's a photo of my entrance...

Since my husband spends so much time trying to have the best lawn in town, I took my shoes off this evening and walked around the house to feel the grass under my feet.

Got to admit: it was heavenly... and not weed in sight. In the flower beds however: I need to clean them up a bit..

But not tomorrow- I'm looking forward to go to the flea market. Maybe I'll find some interesting furniture or vintage fabrics. This vintage table cloth comes from my grandmother, however. Cute, isn't it. The coasters sitting there was picked up at last year's fleamarket!

Paroxysmal hemicrania

2008-05-31T16:38:00.008+02:00

So I went to se the neurologist and he was pretty certain I had a rare form of headache called paroxysmal hemicrania and I had to be put on a certain medication that will take my symptoms away. So now I have started taking them and they seem to work. I will see him again in six weeks. I'm relieved in a way that it's nothing serious that will debilitate me for life since there is medication for it, on the other hand it may become more or less cronical and that is a grim thought since all anti-inflammatory medication has side effects in the long run. So I'm hoping I'll have long periods of no symptoms- or none at all in the future... I'm choosing to stay optimistic.

The previous post showed some of the presents I got. I tried to take a photo of the pearl earrings I got from my sister and her family, but it did't come out well--- so I'll just have to show my best one....I'm not good with close-ups yet.

Here are the flower arrangements my oldest made for the tables, though:

It's a very warm day today- getting close to 30 degrees Celcius.. We are about to have some barbequed chicken wings and corn on the cob here

Afterwards we are having some cake and cookies with our coffee; it was my husbands birthday last week.

He is going to Greece on a business trip and his flight leaves tomorrow morning. That means he have to leave home tonight, to sleep at the airport hotel tonight. He has spent the day cutting and watering the lawn, ironing his clothes and packing his suitcase.

I've been at my mother's for a while helping wiht the floors in the basement; she had clogged drains and had a plumber come in and open them yesterday afternoon.

Rerun of trip today

2008-05-27T10:13:00.005+02:00

I am again making a trip to the neurologist today, it's a two and a half hour drive from here- this time I got the right time and date!!!! Have been pretty much pain free the last 5-6 days but last night I had to take a pain pill. This morning is good however.
I have hung some laundry this morning. Dew in the grass, sunshine and appletrees in full bloom. Can't get much better!
Concerning knitting:
I have not been very happy with the beginning of the first sleeve, so now I went down one size in needles and started again- now one size up on the pattern. Mom also wanted to help me knit which I appreciated. She knits so evenly you would think she used a knitting machine! BUT: I have to knit something too, so I cast on on the circular needle to start the "body" itself

A good weekend- and it is still not quite over

2008-05-25T20:14:00.013+02:00

It's been a good Sunday with warm, sunny weather and we have enjoyed it at home for the most part.
Yesterday I had my birthday party with family and one friend from childhood.
So here's some of the stuff I brought home from the store on Friday afternoon.

And here's how it ended up being served on Saturday:
Buffet with chicken wings, baked pork sirloin,roast beef with avocado, onion, olives and feta cheese,a potato salad, a pasta salad, green salad, scramled eggs with smoked salmon/cured ham,cheeses with grapes and nuts.

The dessert table: Merengue nests with berries and whipped cream or ice cream, brownies (from my sister's kitchen), carrotcake and the Norwegian "lefse".

Here are some gifts and flowers I got:

Am looking forward to this one! A thousand splendid suns is the title in English.My good friend gave it to me (she is herself an avid reader), together with a big flower pot with flowers she has grown from seeds. They are not flowering yet- will take a photo once it starts! Her biggest hobby in the spring/summer is her garden (and it shows!)

Here's the other book a got, a GEM for any knitter. Will beon the couch/in the garden swing enjoying this again and again in the course of the summer!
My sister got me this together with a knitted item of course; she knitted this bowl and felted it.

My niece- who is graduating from hogh school this month painted this and gave it to me yesterday. I have bugged her for a painting for my fiftieth birthday since last year! I have to posess one from before she becomes famous, I always told her..

My aunt and uncle knows a man who manipulates photoes on his computer, mixes photoes and changes the context,(if that's a way to say it in English...?) and in that way makes a new expression in form of a picture. They gave me this one:

Birthday

2008-05-22T21:28:00.007+02:00

It was my birthday yesterday and I turned 50. I can't believe it. But it is true.
Here are some flowers that I got that day:

At work they gave me this since they know I love these plants and had to throw out the ones I had kept in my basement all winter because I obviously fetilized them too much when I brought them up in to the livingroom in March.

My husband gave me a new digital camera a while ago since I said that's what I would like for my birthday. I'm getting better at taking photos with it don't you think? My mom bought me the spring coat I wanted ; i've used it for a while now- just love it.
In the morning I was woken up by my two girls who came to my bed with a tray with a coffee, a card, a tulip in a vase, singing loudly -and in a rock-and-roll-way the birthday song! Hilarious and lovely! Lucky me!!!

I have a ferocious cold that makes me sneeze all the time,and I really don't have much energy right now. I have however cleaned the bathroom tonight. Now my nose is stuffed up- yet it runs once in a while. Have no idea how it's possible to be unable to breath and have a runny nose at the same time, but that's me right now.

A trip to no avail

2008-05-20T20:57:00.006+02:00

I'm glad I had an MRI taken of my head- and that it's already established that there's nothing wrong with it because today I took the aforementioned long drive in order to see the neurologist and turned out it was the WRONG TUESDAY!! I 'm supposed to show up next Tuesday.
Pretttttty embarrassing since I had to get a sub for me at work and everything.

On my way back- and after I had sort of gotten over that fact that I must be somewhat stupid- I tooks some photoes along the lake and a shot of the mountain towering over our town and surrounding area. Nice, eh?

Slow morning

2008-05-20T08:39:00.007+02:00

I'm having a slow, quiet morning by myself after the girls went to school. I have to take the day off work because I have to see a neurologist in a town 2 1/2 hour drive from here. My appointment is at a time that gives me the opportunity to have a slow mornig before I get in the car.
The MR photoes I went for last Tuesday showed nothing wrong in my head- thank God- but a jaw problem that has to be explored further- hence the appointment today. I have experienced enormous pain in my jaw, teeth and head for months now, for a while fysiotherapy seemed to help, but i'm currently on fairly strong pain killers in order to function in my daily life.. I hope something comes out of today's appointment!
Anyway; my slow morning consists of these lovely activities:

Breakfast with bread out of the oven (half baked from the store I must add!!)

.

Good coffee in a favourite cup
...

my new knitting project. It will be nice this jacket I think. only wish I knitted more eavenly than I do.

My favourite interior decorating magazine.

And the last daisy from the garden in the window.
When I get in the car I will enjoy the drive alone with the radio on- something I kind of like at times...
HAVE A GOOD MORNING!

new project starting soon

2008-05-18T12:54:00.006+02:00

Yes , I do have my needle point to keep working on- and I do. While watching Tv (half heartedly) at night. This is how far I've gotten:
The colours on this picture got really DULL for some reason- I'm still a long ways from understanding my new digital camera! But this is how far I am on the craft anyway!
I'm planning a new one: got some yarn samples to take home on Friday: My daughter is going to wear this patterned jacket with a long skirt in the same fabric as we use for our national costumes- this will be for her confirmation next spring- I will sew the skirt and hopefully find some matching velvet ribbons to add to the bottom of the skirt. This is to replace waring a national costume since she doesn't have one or can borrow one that fits well, and a lot of people wear knitted short jackets with traditional brooches (om has several that are from my great grandmother) and long skirts with or without ribbons near the hem.
This is the pattern:

..and I think we have agreed- my youngest and I - that this colour combination will look good on her:

Can't wait to start. You know - if you visited me here before- how I loooove starting new projects.. I'm also very ready for a bigger knittig project instead of little hats, scarves, sitting pads and other stuff along those lines.
Today I have to figure out the gauge and how much you can knit from one ball. This is not the suggested yarn in the pattern, you see, and I better know so I can buy the right amount of the same colouring batch.

2008-05-18T12:26:00.004+02:00

We have had good spring days the last week, nice, sunny and fairly warm days spent outside. Here are some tulips from my garden,facing the mains street

Yesterday was National Day in Norway, flags out, school children and marching bands in parades, the kids graduating from high school partying all night and disrupting people's sleep on purpose, dressing in red, acting goofy- and being accepted for it this one day in their young lives. Ice cream and hot dogs and national costumes. And another sunny day would have been good- instead we woke up to snow laying halfway down the side of the mountains surrounding this village, cold air and rain on and off. What can you do...?
You can bring in some of the tulips and the flowering hedge and make the best of it anyway!

My oldest simply loves special occations, national costumes and traditions that are to be heeded and followed. So she wore my mother's national costume from the western part of Telemark:

Over to crafting (although if you click on the photo of the national costume you could see some real excellent needlework)
See these tiny scissors? I bought them for cutting pictures out of magazines to use in my collages.. in itself a very soothing activity that enables me to mentally float away from the humdrum of a busy day.

"Pinse" weekend

2008-05-11T19:50:00.007+02:00

It's a long weekend now, Monday is off as well (pentecost). Yesterday was gorgeous, sunny and warm. I spent a good part of the day on our own porch or my mother's. I'm working eagerly on my crochet curtain these days. Have also seirously started reading "Love in the times of the Cholera". Had already read about a hundred pages, but my priority was the digital book I mentioned earlier, so reading was put on the back burner for a bit.
Here's how far I am on the curtain today:

The pattern doesn't show very well because my bedspread is the same colour more or less, but there are earlier posts on my blog showing that..
I figured I needed to repeat the pattern 11-12 times before it is finished and now I am at the sixth, so I'm only half way.
This morning I washed the floor on the upstairs balcony and got it ready for the summer. A lovely place to spend time with a book, a craft and the radio at hand!
I access it through the master bedroom. The weather has been fairly good today too although there were a few clouds and not quite as warm as yesterday, but I've been outdoors most of the day.

I do have a knitting project in my basket too, but it's been laying there unattended for a while, it's a neck warmer (definetely one that can wait till fall...)

Next Saturday is Norway's National Day which means I won't get any preparations done for my birthday party the following Saturday. I have already made a carrot cake out of these ingredients: It's in the freezer. I made a roast beef too, and cut it on my mother's slicer. I am also going to make a filet of pork with sundried tomatoes and cured around it but that has to be done the same day. Potato salat, waldorf salad, pasta salad, a cheese tray and other little dishes will be prepared the day before.. Tomorrow however I'm going to make little merengue nests (like mini pavlovas) to put whipped cream and a mix of berries in. When you make merengues, you're left wiht a lot of egg yolks that is excellent for making home made ice cream. I am also planning on gettin some more windows cleaned tomorrow.
Today I only spent a few minutes in the kitchen making supper; a wok with thinly sliced pork and lots of veggies. Yummie and healthy. Unfortunately the photo didn't do much justice to the colours! I'm still figuring my new camera out..

On Tuesday I'm going for an MR. Luckily the hubbie is coming with me. it's a two and a half hour drive to the hospital where they do it,and I might have to take pain pills; it is NOT a good idea to drive when you take them, so I'm really glad he is coming.

2008-05-07T18:25:00.002+02:00

Here's the teddy after I finished it.

I'm listening to the digital book no.3 in the trilogy by Stieg Larsson. What a great invention the digi-book is! I can walk and listen to a book at the same time!

2008-05-05T21:40:00.004+02:00

I can't seem to get into a regular habit of postings once or twice a week.

We've been really busy with our own garden as well as my mother's,

also my jaw has caused me a lot of pain lately and I'm finally going in for an MR next week

and I have an appointment with the neurologist the following week.

I am now on pain killers. I don't like them but it is absolutely necessary at times.

I'll have days in a row with no pain- and then all of a sudden I start a series of really bad painful attacks along the upper and lower part of the right side of my jaw

as well as up along the ear and the side of my head. It completely incapasitates me...

Due to this problem I haven't done much as far as crafts go. But I do have the teddy all finished (photo later), i am almost finished with my first half of a crocheted curtain and I pick up my needlepoint every now and then.

I'm still in a drawing/colouring mood, here's a photo of a little art session at the kitchen table a while ago

2008-04-10T21:22:00.014+02:00

Recently I got this sewing box.
Mom inherited it from an aunt years ago- with its content and all and she hasn't really touched it since. I love old stuff like that, it's a treasure.

I found everything in a jumble inside,

took it all out,

sorted it, washed the box
and put things neatly back.

journal pages

2008-04-09T19:22:00.006+02:00

I have started pages for a 2008 journal.

The above is the page from Easter. Below is a page about the Sun Festival this town always has in March when the sun returns to the valley after a winter of no sun.

and this one is made in April. I'm turning 50 in May and that is a traumatic thought for me... for some reason. Never felt like that about turning 30 and 40.

CRAFT UPDATE

2008-04-07T22:26:00.003+02:00

I haven't spent much time with the knitting needles since my jaw and head needed regular attention the physio therapist over the last couple of months. I was told I could end the treatment and just stick to my excercises as of Easter, but I have had some serious spells of pain practically every day since then. Have tried to get a hold of the physio. since last week but to no avail. will try again tomorrow.

Here are photoes of knitting done since last time I showed anything of the sort.. And how far I've gotten on the needle point.

I made this hairband and neck warmer from the yarn my sister bought on sale for me.

It's quite heavy in my hands when I knit , so the few balls of yarn I have left is reserved for this sitting pad that I am going to felt after finishing the knitting.

The needlepoint is my own design. I just drew on the fabric with my crayons and I had a lot of left over yarn from some earlier project- and some that I was given- and Kristin Nicholas designs kind of inspired me.

I finished a dead boring washcloth that has been in my knitting basket for ages... Shadowknitting it's called, don't think I'll go for that technique very often. But the washcloth is absorbent and good.

Easter = snow + shovel

2008-03-30T21:29:00.004+02:00

We had to do a lot of digging this Easter. I wrote about it in the previous post, but here are some photoes to prove it!

First, the snowmobile - and the sled -had to be dug out. I skied (in bad skiing conditions; two step forward one step back... pluss a gruelling windshield ) about 5 km to the cottage with our dog before Bill got the snow mobile dug out and loaded with stuff.

This is the shed seen from the cottage. The snow bank was higher than the roof in some spots- one of those spots was in front of the door. And in the shed there are fire wood and an outhouse!! (we had been smart enough to bring lots of wood onto the cottage last time we were up there so that we can start warming up the cottage right away. A fireplace, a wood stove, a propane tank and two electric heaters got started as soon sas I got there!)

This is our "mining project" . 3 metres down to get the door free of snow. In the end we had put the snow we dug in a big plastic bag and carry it to the top to be emptied. If you look closely you'll see the wall we built out of snow blocks since the winds were strong!
And guess what- when the mining project was over we had a very good nights sleep- and the next day the winds came from the excact opposite direction and started filling the "mining Shaft" with snow!! I was out there pretty quick and a wall built on the other side too.
The next day there were no winds- BUT IT SNOWED! "##¤%%&&
Here's a photo from our living room window at the cottage. The snow mobile is Bills garage project for the last year and a half. Picked apart completely, refinished and put together again!

We had a couple of sunny days in the end, though. We had dug another area half free of snow so we could spend a couple of midday hours outside, made a fire in a little barbecue pot and put hot dogs on a stick to roast! Yummy.

I could tell you a lot of funny stories from that week- some of the best one including our vintage snow mobile, but I will spare you the lengthy descriptions.
But one thing I gotta say: that little thing carried all four of us up a steep hill( and we are not miniature people that's for sure!!), carried all our luggage in, and if something didn't work- all Bill had to do was pull out a screw driver and fiddle for a couple of minutes- and off we went our jolly way again! Good job, hubby!

YES, I HAVE KNITTED AND DONE SOME NEEDLEPOINT BUT I HAVE TO BORROW A CAMERA BEFORE I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT'S BEEN DONE....

Easter holiday

2008-03-21T14:27:00.002+01:00

The family is up at the cottage. We have been here since Monday and have mainly been busying ourselves with shovelling!! The winds and the snowing is endless and we fight the elements as soon as we stick our noses out the door. I tried to upload some photoes of the snowmobile barely visible before we got the luggage on in order to go to the cottage and the "miner's tunnel" we had to dig in order to get to the firewood and the outhouse when we arrived at the cottage but am experiencing some problems right now. Will try again tomrrow or Sunday.
I have knitting, croheting and needlepoint in my basket, I've got cross word puzzles and a digital book s well as an old fashioned book to read with me- but I don't do all that much of any of it. Digging is taking up a lot of my time...
But: Holiday means doing something else than what we usually do -some idiot said once. Yeah right. If that's the true definition of a holiday- we're sure having one!
(I will admit however that we are having a good time in between- when we have been to the outhouse, the wood is in the fireplace burning and the freshly baked buns are served...)

Spring rain - in February

2008-02-22T16:13:00.005+01:00

The weather forecast is so bad that we decided not to go to the cottage. They called for strong wind and maybe even rain in the mountains. If we end up spending most of the day inside, mignt as well do it at home...

Today I dragged the sewing machine out and got my circular knitting needles organized! YES!!! I have to buy a thingy for the top so i can hang it on the wall downstairs in the basement where I keep some of my supplies, but it'll be nice not having to tug them all apart in order to find the right one.

At the knitting cafe on Wednesday I finished this hat that I had started a while ago- and then I had tucked it away- and the scarf to go with it was finished before Christmas and displayed in this blog at the time.. Both the girls wore it once already!

I have used Hubro yarn and the pattern can be found here:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/no/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=102&d_id=31&lang=no

After I finished the hat I started on a teddy bear. I knit one like this right before Christmas and gave it to my youngest nephew- but forgot to take a picture of it. This was as far as I got on the knitting cafe that night:

Last night I finished all the pieces that makes the head. This is a pattern that was featured in a Norwegian weekly magazine years ago. At the time I didn't even notice the name of the designer, but this time around I noticed it was DEBBIE BLISS- a well known designer name in the English speaking knitting community. Ain't he cute!? I have now started the body and I'm opting to finish it tonight. Because:.........

Friday is usually a good TV night. The last show of the evening as far as I'm conserned is this:

http://www.itv.com/Drama/copsandcrime/morseweekend/default.html

2008-02-20T16:07:00.003+01:00

Knitting Cafe tonight. That means I have to drag myself away from the fireplace at home. But once I'm there it's always nice and I get a lot done usually.

Don't exactly know what to bring though... Can always bring the everlasting crocheted curtain I'm working on... maybe i should bring yarn for a teddy like the one I made before Christmas (and forgot to take a photo of!!). I have promised someone to make one..

Since we're on holiday this week I've had the opportunity to walk the dog in the early afternoon. We went to my mom's for a coffee... that is, the dog got her regular treat of goat cheese when she arrived. She knows my mom will give it to her, so she races into the kitchen to see her as soon as I open the door.

This is Emma with my oldest daughter up at the cottage.

2008-02-19T15:07:00.006+01:00

I metioned last time that I had ordered yarn. Here it is. The colours are not that good on the photoes. My daughters' camera obviously doesn't do the yarn justice.

Here I am halfway on the first one.....

..and here the pair of socks are done. I definetly would knit more socks with this yarn.

As you knit, the pattern appear ! Magic!!!

I am also proud to announce that my last item of a stash of UFO (Unfinished Objects) is now done. I opted for finishing it before 2008, but that was too ambitious...obviously. But this is from some yarn I got really cheap due to discontinuing the colours. It is NOT a pretty thing, but warm without the bulkyness of heavy wool. (it's a blend) The yarn is a tweed yarn called Sisik. I intended to have it up at the cottage, so I bought it with me this weekend and finished it while we were up there.

We went in with Bills' snow mobile- which worked fine- but he will do some adjustments on the steering: not quite good enough. We were looking forward to sun and snow for skiing, and I did indeed ski halfway in to the cottage while the dog got a run, before Bill came and got us. It was late in the afternoon and minus 16 so I was glad he came. So was the dog, she kenpt lifting up one foot or the other- i think her paws got really cold..

Bill and I had to shovel in front of the outhouse in order to get to the toilet and get more firewood. It was hard work. Afterwards there was skiing on TV. We all enjoy the biathlon, my sister brought her knitting and my brother in law also came over and we all watched it. I must admit there was quite a bit of coffee and a little too much chocolate cake that weekend..

The next day was nothing but strong winds- not at all fun weather- and this continued all weekend. I skied over to my sister's for a great brunch but nobody really cared for the outdoors. I did however shovel quite a bit of the area where we usually sit outside along the one cottage wall. I managed to get one bench an d the table free of snow. Our plan is to go up there again Friday morning, and if the weather is good I'll continue the shovelling. It's been lots of wind and very mild weather so lot of the snow might have melted. *There sure was enough of it! They say it hasn't been this much snow since -93

book talk

2008-02-08T14:20:00.000+01:00

my camera is most likely not to be rescued. That means I have to beg my daughters to use their phones with Bluetooth in the mean time. Next posting I will go for that..
Since I'm off sick I can blog more- so this camera accident sure happened at a bad time.

But in I can tell you what books I'm reading! Both books have been made into movies, one is old and one is new- and I intend to watch both after I finish reading.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoj

and Atonement by Ian McEwan

I have now knitted altogether ( blocks for the LIZARD RIDGE blanket, the 9th is on the needles now.

Today I received 2 balls of Opal Crazy yarn from Mauds garn. I did it because it was on sale and i thought I'd put it away for my mother's birthday in May. But you know how it is: I might just try out one of the balls myself! When you knit with this yarn it makes a pattern on the socks. Magic!!!

FOUR this 'n thats....

2008-02-06T11:54:00.000+01:00

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

nurses aid
served in a donutshop
teaching flute
being a teacher (stuck with that, now!)

Four movies I could watch over and over again.

1 Annie Hall
2. the Birdcage
3. Fairies
4.The Santa Clause (sorry, i’m really a kid at heart!)

Four places I have lived.

Rjukan, Norway
Atyra, Paraguay
Trondheim, Norway
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Four TV shows I love to watch.

Friends

Everybody loves Raymond
I love Lucy (just had to bring in a classic)
any show on books and authors

(this wasn't easy- i get bored with series fast..)

Four of my favourite foods:

Norwegian traditional barley soup with salted meat and dumpling
polish kielbassa
Cesar salad
empanadas (trying to show off an international blend here!)

Four places I’d rather be right now.

Somewhere where I don’t have to shovel snow!
Florence, Italy
at an open air market in London, England (and pretend it is summer)
In a very deep, old fashioned bath tub with a good book and a glass of red wine. And lots of hot water, of course!

Four places I’ve been on vacation:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (sounds cool, but we got mugged!)
Spain (yes, cool. Met a canadian there-ended up marrying the guy)
Legoland, Denmark (that’s what happens when you marry and have children)
Croatia (that’s what happens when your husband does a lot of businesstrips; you tag along at some point)

Four bloggers you’ll be tagging:
... Consider yourself tagged if you bothered reading this.

I don't seem to have a fan club consisting of other bloggers. People randomly pop in here I suspect.

I think i am having a camera crisis!

2008-02-06T11:06:00.000+01:00

I grabbed my camera from the kitchen counter and was going to take a photo of my last block for the Liszard Ridge blanket- and dropped my camera on to the tiled floor! So now I don't have the opportunity to take any photoes with it. Either I have to see if it can be repaired or wish for a new one for my 50th birthday. But that's not until May!

A craft blog without photoes is no good!!

Maybe i can use one of my kids cell phones instead (mine is too basic i think... Gee, I am not that updated on technology am i)

Right before I dropped the camera, I took this photo. I'm baking a syrup cake, recipie handed down for three generations. It has spices in it like in gingerbread cookies and is delicious, freezes well- and we always bring this cake up to the cottage in the wintertime. Our "March break" is in February this year- we call it Winter Vacation here. It's a week off school and we usually spend it at the cottage. This year my husband has his own snow mobile. He bought an old vintage skidoo, picked it apart completely- and has now put it together again. it's all set for a trial run next weekend. We will have our permit in hand by the end of the week. He has a blog about this project, ELAN 76

- although I don't know a lot of knitters that also take an interest in skidoo parts.... IF YOU ARE A KNITTER WITH A PASSION FOR VINTAGE SKIDOOS , LET ME KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU ARE RARE... and I take an interest in "rare".

I'm still off sick, but I got in with the dentis yesterday, and he concluded with muscle pain in my jaw, just like the doctor had said. He checked every possible thing there is to check- and ended up making me a little moulded thing to put on my front teeth at night when going to sleep, as well as using in any other setting where I'm not involved in conversations. Used it last night and my front teeth are a little tender until they get used to it, but I didn't have a headache upon wakening. And when Iknit or watch TV I wear it. THAT WOULD BE WORTH A PHOTO! I look like that beaver in the Narnia movie when I use it!

The physiotherapist might be able to fit me in on Friday...

I might have a few more photoes sitting in my computer from the last few days, that I can put on my blog later this week..

Anyway- my cake is done! Gotta go.

off sick for a while

2008-02-04T11:58:00.000+01:00

I was at the doctor's last week due to long lasting pain in my teeth, jaw and headaches to go with it. This has been going on for so long now that I can't function at work without chewing pills constantly.
He took some blood tests and stuck a long thingy up my nose and into my sinuses,pinched me in the face, by the jaws with his fingers, sent a letter to the physiotherapist and concluded temporarily with it being tight muscles. That's what I thought he would. The pain is wandering around in my head. I was at the dentis's a while before Christmas, thinking he had to do something with a tooth, but he couldn't find anything. And even at that point I suspected it could be a headache that sort of took hold in my teeth...

So now I'm off work this week. Trying not to chew pills. Yesterday was good, except one bout of pain in the late afternoon. managed through that one without any pills. Today I just had to take some almost right away.. Try to lie down after breakfast so that i would go away, but to no avail.

We'll have to see how this goes as the week progresses. Havenæt heard a word from the physiotherapist yet..

This is something that is going to take me forever finishing.Thin alpacca wool. Scarf to go with my hat and gloves.

I made this one out of shere boredom the day after being at the doctor's. It's a little bowl ...for....whatever... I crocheted it. Material: Bast (raffia)

Yesterday was the first day of lent and Norwegians bring twigs in, decorate them with feather's (do NOT ask why. Feathers and twigs !?!?) and bake buns. The buns are usually filled with whipped cream (another completely crazy combination.. Cream and sweet buns!?!?)

We skipped the feathers on twigs now that the kids are too old to care that much. We baked buns however! (not too old for that evidently)

I also felt so good yesterday that i started another block on my Lizard Ridge blanket. This is the fifth block. This ball of yarn was not as colourful as the previous ones... Yo'll see my other ones if you go on to my November 07 postings.

The fifth one finished, and the sixth one started today.. Doesn't look like the sixth is going to be that colourful either. Will let you see result as soon as it is finished.

2008-01-27T15:28:00.000+01:00

My weekend is consumed by cutting rags for my upcoming start-up of weaving this coming Tuesday. My hand is greatly suffering from handling the scissors for hours!

Wanted to show you the latest my mom gave me from her cupboards: These liqueur glasses were bought in Italy 50 years ago and they are decorated in silver as you can see. there used to be six glasses and a bottle to go with it, but these are all that are left. I thought they looked nice on my silver tray.

I am sticking to my already shown knitting and crocheting projects, so I cannot contribute much in that department today.

However I have now opened a Flickr account and will try my best at adding the link to it in my sidebar.....................

Shovelling month!

2008-01-20T16:43:00.000+01:00

They should change January's name to Shovelling Month. We have snow, snow, snow. Then it melts into ice, ice, ice... and then more snow...

Have barely been on the internet so far this month, too busy. Hardly had time for crafts either, besides I'm suffering from some kind of muscle tension that gives me headaches/toothaches. I will call the doctor's office tomorrow to get in and check this out. I had that cold at Christmas time also- the one that never culminated in the usual runny nose- and maybe I have some sinus problem after that... who knows.

Anyway: Today I have explored Ravelry for a while. I was invited in and haven't had much time to check it out.. Realized I would need Flikr so I've been working on that far too long today.

my next headache will be how to get a link to my Flikr account in the side bar of this blog (oh, God I cannot bear thinking of that now!Let me just update with a posting her, notify Hobbyboden- and be happy with that- or we'll never get to supper in this house!)

On the photo above you can see my wonderful crayons. The box containing neocolour I we've had and used for more that a year now. both the girls and myself enjoy using them. The NoecolourII - they are water soluble- i bought after Christmas- and they are marvellous too. If you like journalling of drawing/colouring you should run and get some! Expensive but GREAT! And then in the evening I sometimes take some magazines in my lap and cut some pictures that I put in a box for use in later collaging projects like cards or for journal pages

I am soon to embark on the weaving adventure. I was given a loom, table size with a stand to put on the floor- and hooked up with 4 other experienced weaving ladies in this communtity. They rent an apartment where they meet once every week. They were kind enough to take me in and they will help me learn. i am going to start with a table runner made of finely cut rags. Hence this:

Yes i know: I already have enough projects on the go! But isn't it a good thing to always learn something?!
Just so that you know I haven't abandoned my other projects: still working now and then on this:

2008 beginning

2008-01-01T11:38:00.000+01:00

Time flies! Happy new Year all you bloggers, crafters and friends who visit my blog every now and then.

Here is the marvellous lamp my husband got me for Christmas. It has a daylight bulb, a clip for the pattern, a box for floss and needles and a great magnifying glass. I use it for needlepoint, knittig and reading. He paid through his nose and I'm ever so grateful!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T08:49:00.000+01:00

I have neglected my blog all of December but I cannot show any of the crafts I have been doing since they were gifts..

Here are some photos to show my Christmas house.

May you all have a peaceful Christmas with people you love.

Here is my hallway Christmas tree. (A very bad photo)

This is our real tree in the living room. Not a good photo either, but it shows the one and only gift underneath (so far that day) and that is for me!!!!! I promise to post on Christmas Day to show you what's inside. (and i have a feeling it is something you knitters/chrocheters/"needlepointers" will envy me! My husband had to wrap it in newspaper- we didn't have wrapping paper big enough.

For the first time we were able to get some misteltoe. my daughter found it in a flower shop in Oslo.

..and we have snow and a temperature of around -10 Celcius

My one kitchen window with gingerbread hearts we made.

Stomach flu de lux

2007-11-22T11:29:00.000+01:00

.... is upon me this week. Started Monday at work with cramps and I have been home from work since Tuesday. Can't eat anything without getting in trouble.

Sometimes there is at least one good thing about staying at home sick; you can knit the time away.. This time I couldn't even do that on Tuesday. Spent the whole day in bed or horizontally on the couch. Slept alot. Visisted the bathroom...

Wednesday I was mostly in an upright position, and I did knit some- but not much.

Today I had to get myself into half decent clothes and go to the pharmacy to buy some remedies that might help me. My kids are home sick too, so not much help there. (On Tuesday and Wednesday my oldest stepped in and helped with the dog and some shopping)

However; this is something I have also done over the past two weeks: Noro kureyon blocks for the Lizard Ridge blanket

By the way: It started snowing -for real- for the first time this year, last night. This is the view from one of my living room windows this morning. The birdies like my feeder full of sunflower seeds and the balls hanging from the tree.

These are some christmas issues of different interior decorating magazines form my embarrasingly big stack of such magazines. Dug them out yesterday so I could comfort myself with leafing through them while having my pity party. Good for getting some inspiration.

UFOs

2007-11-12T21:28:00.000+01:00

Working on my last UFO- for this time.. working on the buttonholes. Just had to prove there are things going on in the knitting department.... While candles are lit and coffee is being greatly enjoyed. My scarf is still in progress too.

I haved worked on one more thing but I have to turn on the TV and watch Berlinerpoplene!!!

UFOs

2007-11-07T20:22:00.000+01:00

I have blocked my big shawl for out door use (This one, remember?)

That was the first UFO to get finished.

Yesterday I finished this one: UFO no. 2

number 3 is this one that I should put together... I doubt it will be tonight; i think I'm coming down with a cold. Just talked to my hubbie on the phone, he's all stuffed up, both the girls have been home from school this week due to a bad cold.. so no wonder I'm starting too. I'm so busy I can hardly breathe.. I better crawl into bed early tonight. Have read Doris Lessing "Jane Somer's diaries" no 1 and just started no.2 two nights ago so that is -most likely- alluring enough to get me into bed. (I'm one of those people who looooooves to stay up after everyone else is asleep...)

Just wanna pop in on some favorite blogs first. Goodnight!

Halloween over. UFO's will be taken care of (slowly!)

2007-11-04T19:46:00.000+01:00

I was in on the norwegian forum " Hobbyboden" the other day (am there everyday almost..) and comitted myself - in public- to finish some UFOs (unfinished objects) in the future. Therefore: I started a new scarf to celebrate my decicive mood, namely this one: scarf in "Hubro" yarn.

From that sale stash my sister got me. It will take at least 12 balls of yarn to finish- my oh my!!!

But - UFOs we were talking about:

I committed myself this morning to spend a good part of Sunday night knitting eagerly on this shawl for my oldest. Should be able to finish in the near future...
I have passed the middle it as you can see.

My couple of other UFOs must wait for this one to be finished first.

I'm not so crazily working on Christmas presents this year. Have already finished one little one, and the rest is sort of up in the air so far... or let me put it this way: I'm "brewing" ideas at the moment..
Halloween came and went- we had quite a few little ghosts and witches visiting- and we were armed to our teeth. The girls and I spent Tuesday night carving pumpkins and putting candy in our dish at the door so that we could just get to it after supper on Wednesday.

My youngest has her birthday the day after, and this year was special- she turned 13- so now we have two teenagers in the house.

I made her the card on the photo underneath and we gave her money for a mirror for her room- and probably there will be money left over for some more stuff to put in there, it has recently been painted so she is eager to decorate..

GAAA- one down

2007-10-29T20:36:00.000+01:00

Ta-da! I've finished the first block of the Great American Aran Afghan and after a few rows I sort of got the hang of it and needed only to look at the work itself to know what do do.

Now i'm thinking maybe I should knit two similar blocks, one right after the other while it is still fresh in my memory- and I could work simultateously on two afghans (one for each daughter to own). But the yarn probably should be from the same colouring batch (that is probably the wrong expression, but I don't know the proper English term), and that is quite a bit of yarn to pay for!!!! I'll have to ponder that one for a little while....

It's almost time for Hallowe'en, and this year I have bought 4 pumpkins that is waiting to be carved- I really want to attract children! Here in Norway the tradition is quite new so people don't even seem to know what date it is on ...

This felted pumpkin basket I made last year and today I brought it up from the basement.

I got this gorgeous hallowe'en quilt from my sister two years ago. I bring it out every year to keep on the wall in October.

Here are some printing stamps I made recently. The onion i've used on some wrapping paper for presents and the houses I am going to use on wrapping paper for Christmas gifts- as gingerbread house prints... More to follow as Christmas approaches..

Weather forecast for Sunday: Knitting weather

2007-10-28T12:30:00.000+01:00

It's definetly not a day for outdoor activities. It's been insanely windy and rainy since last night- we had a hard time sleeping because of the wind howling during the night..

But for me that is just fine because I have been battling some back problems for more than a week now. First I started getting stiff in my lower back muscles, which has happened before- although not as bad- then it just got so bad on Tuesday morning that my husband had to help me get my pants and socks on. He flew to China /Chorea on Wednesday (business trip) but I was not quite as bad then, and Thurday was the same. I went to work and it seems to help when I kept myself moving about often.

Friday I had very few teaching hours and ended up sitting at my desk for most of the day- not good! But the dog walking at night din't seem to do the trick as usual. Saturday I had a rock hard knot on the right side of the spine and last night I could go to sleep due to the pain/ the wind. Walking the dog just left me in worse pain than ever. So tuoday I decided to keep myself from too much activity to see if that helps. Hence the Knitting Day on my part. And I have gotten far enough on my GAAA's first motif to be able to just look at what I have knitted so far and by doing that be able to see what I'm supposed to do next. I am sooooo impressed with my own impatient-knitting-self! But let me tell you:I have struggled to get here!

Earlier in the week I started this for my oldest: Kitten Mohair is the yarn. A shawl it will be. I can knit and watch TV with this.

She is knitting herself some alpacca wristwarmers with bead on (I'm impressed with you girl!) in the same pale pink colour, but these days she has no inspiration she says, so i started knitting this hoping I could get her started again. But she is definetly one of those girls that goes in and out of knitting -bouts. Either she knits and makes us tea every night or she doesn't touch it! That's ok.

I am also working on this cross stich project and it will be a Christmas runner. Got it for 50 NKR at a sale this summer. Don't know if it will be ready for christmas, but we'll see...

Something I wrote about in my last posting was the Knitty pattern I had started- but I never showed the photo of my three blocks so far. Here they are:

I found this link on You Tube that helped me understand the pattern in English: it's Cat Bordhi's instruction video on wrapping and turning. And it was the forum, Hobbyboden, I'm a member of that led med to that link. Thank you forum people! Getting hooked up with other knitters on the internet is a great thing!

Fall posting

2007-10-21T21:39:00.001+02:00

I'm starting to appear like a blog that only has postings quarterly! Bad me!

But here I am, alive and kicking.... alive and knitting, I should say. And starting this post by putting a photo in the wrong way! But what the heck,,, it's a photo of the facket I'm about to start putting together for myself. I bought this yarn soooo long ago, and it was discontinued colours and super cheap. I just started knitting away, thinking it would be a warm but lightweight woolen sweater to have up at the cottage. And - a very good point this is: it is POR MOI!

Not the most beautiful pattern but I wasn't sure how much yarn I needed- had to make sure it lasted to cover all of me (which is quite a bit!!)
I have also finished a UFO (UnFinished Object) that has been in my basket unattended for months. I made a shawl for my sister more two years ago, a bit bigger than this one and then I started one more from the leftover yarn. That is why the pattern is a-symmetric. I think I might have enough for a hat to go with it.... It is not blocked yet on this photo. I will do it next week.

My newest project is this: blocks from Noro Kureyon yarn. It will end up as a blanket consisting of 24 blocks, all from different colours of kureyon. Here is the link to the pattern - in the wonderful online knitting magazine Knitty .com

This Noro yarn is so expensive that I can only buy a few balls at a time, but that's fine because each block is from a different colour. And i have no deadline since it is not intended as a Christmas present!

I am also about to start another long lasting project and that is going to drive me crazy, probably, but I am dead set on challenging myself in the knitting department: The Great American Aran Afghan. Here is the booklet with the patterns to the 24 blocks that together will make a beatiful blanket consisting of all different aran patterns! I have never used an English pattern before so I am going to be challenged in more than one way, but I do have a web based forum where I can post desperate cries for help when I have used up my wee bit of patience and my extensive vocabulary suited for frustrating moments (but not for delicate listeners).

News on our personal lives:

My daughters are now both at Junior High, the youngest in the first year (grade 8), the oldest in the last (grade 10), I'm still teaching at the same school but are now back with the oldest grades, 5., 6. and 7. grade. I like it!

My husband is back to work (he injured himself badly in an accident exactly a year ago now) , he works out of town, but with home office Mondays and Fridays. The two nights he sleeps over by the office the rest of us are so busy anyways that the days just fly by. Besides, I talk to him on the phone at night usually. He has no TV in his room there so he usually eats his supper, talks to me, watches a movie on his computer, goes to bed early... He works long hours when he is there.. Starts at 7, finishes around 5. That way he is home around 3-4 on Thursday even though it is a two hour drive.

Next week he is going on a two week business trip to Asia and I myself have two insanely busy weeks ahead. Meetings, preparing written comments on all my English students (30) for their teachers to present for their parents, preparing parent teacher interviews in my own class , attending my one daughter's parent teacher interview.... The list is a bit overwhelming.. And on top of it all: Halloween demands attention, and the following day is my youngest's 13th birthday.

Our dog has suffered from a really bad urinary tract infection and had to be taken to a clinic for an ultrasound and blood tests- and the whole ordeal amounted to A LOT OF MONEY! But we have insured her so we get away with paying only 1/5 of it ourselves. She is now all better- and must be guided back to her normal way of life and away from us pampering her with love and goodies!

Here is a photo of the view from our cottage now that late fall is here.

My painting niece

2007-08-19T19:39:00.000+02:00

Today I'd like to show you a couple of paintings that my niece has painted. She's taking art in high school and she is really good! I haven't been very good at avoiding the flash from the camera when i took these photoes, but I'll show them anyway...

The first one is a garlic, the second is a torso..

I have been reminding her- on numerous occations that I'm turning 50 next year and that I'd looove to get a painting as a gift.

I'd also like to show you the boquet that my daughter made for us for our wedding anniversary this summer. She works at the local flower shop on Saturdays and during vacations. For this one she picked roses and som big leafy plants in our garden and when my husband and I came home late in the evening after dinner and movie she had put this on the table with a card. Wasn't that wonderfully thoughtful?

Today I have been so busy you wouldn't think it possible to cram that many activities into a Sunday that even started late.. (I had morning coffees until after ten before I started anything!)

I baked 40 rolls, I slow cooked a spaghetti sauce that I made from scratch. I painted in my youngest daughters bedroom ( it's a slow process, have had too many other things on the go lately, to be able to concentrate on it, but now we are getting somewhere...) and I cooked some more because my husband now works out of town and needs to bring a couple of suppers with him when he leaves here Monday or Tuesday morning... He has a microwave in his room where he sleeps over so that he can reheat his meals)

I still have two pairs of pants to hem for my friend's mother.. And I do not particularily enjoy that kind of sewing machine work, but it isn't a big job -so no reason to complain...

But first I have to visit a few blogs to see how their weekend has been like.

100 posts so far!

2007-08-13T21:13:00.000+02:00

I have -with this posting, reached 100 posts on this blog.

I started working at home today (have to go to work as of Wednesday, but I had some things to do before that even... just to tell you folks out there that YES! Teachers work more than you know!!!) At first it was a nice day for sitting on the porch with the computer, but as the day progressed it got somewhat cool in the shade, and then the wind picked up and my papers were hard to keep in place. In the end I had to surrender and place myself at the kitchen table. Worked form 10 to 3 (as you can see on the photo the craft basket was right there- but I got too wrapped up to take a brake..)

Early this morning my husband got up to go to his new job. it's a two hour drive, this is his second week and he will -as of tomorrow- get installed in a room where he will stay overnight from Tuesday to Thursdays during weeks that do not involve businesstrips abroad -there will be quite a few, a bit more that in his previous job). I woke up a bit too much so I turned on the light and read my book for an hour before I went back to sleep untill 8. Then my oldest had to get ready for work (summer /weekend job at the florist's)

Any of you as big a fan of Harry Potter as I am?

I have about four - five books sitting in my book shelf waiting for me to finish this one so I can read them... Don't know how that will work out now that i go back to work.. But who knows- I might get into a reading frenzy. it has happened before.

Baking in the making!

2007-08-09T20:23:00.000+02:00

I'm going to have a couple of friends for lunch tomorrow so I am baking rolls and an apple cake. My oldest is appointed best roll baker in the family so she did most of the work with that dough.

Now we are just sitting back waiting for marvellous results.

...... and I am sweating like a pig. I must be going through menopause galore! I've already showered once this afternoon, now I am drenched again. Worst: I sweat from a bit above the hairline and it makes my hair wet, I look flushed and I feel like screaming with despair!

Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about...

I better stay in my recliner for the rest of the evening just moving the crochet hook in order to finish my niece's 18th birthday present( she has wished for one..I would never have guessed that she wanted something like this from an old aunt!):

I have actually completeted a few more motifs since I took this photo... the middle of it has five motifs (here you see one missing from the middle row..) and I have now started the decreasing, leaving me five more motifs to do before I am done.

August here- and we've had no summer!

2007-08-05T21:03:00.000+02:00

...But what can we do about that? Nothing. Moving on and not thinking about it too much is what I need to do. August might get nice...

I haven't posted since may 28th. Got a little tired of it. keep thinking that I should change to another blog service, but don't give myself any time to explore the options...

I was planning on doing a lot of painting this summer, had several pieces of furniture that I wanted to paint on the porch.. But when everything was wet all the time I moved ito the garage with a couple of pieces- and the rest is still not painted. ( I don't enjoy painting enough to go at it eagerly when it's so wet my glossy white oil based paint doesn't even dry within the 24 hours promised on the can! Here is the bench I painted anyways..: I started in the living room, but it stunk and it was too cold to keep the door and windows open. It will be used for more plants when my outdoor plants move in towards September. here are some of my surviving plants from last summer- not doing too bad this year.. I'm proud as a button!

So how did I spend the month of June?
-I sorted all my wool needlepoint yarn.

Got my hobby cabinets in order, and started a new crochet project : It will be a tablecloth in the end.

Also bought a new tackle box to keep my sewing supplies in.

And for my mother's birthday I sewed this apron that she can fill with stuff when she goes out on the porch (she needs her hands to hold on to the door)The fabric is old, she remembered we had it for a kitchen curtain at the cottage at one time.

I got lots more to tell, but I'll do some more posts in the next few days...

Will only add that my husband is now back to work after having been off since he had the bad car accident in october last year. And he is in fact starting a new job tomorrow! it's with a different company- but the same job, selling valves for maritime use on the international market, but his base will be out of town for three days and home office for two. He used to travel quite a bit, now it will involve a bit more travelling, about 100 days a year. But that's okay we are used to him coming and going like that(- and I don't have a long driveway to shovel in the winter anymore! )

counter in place in sidebar.

2007-05-28T16:16:00.000+02:00

Finally got myself a hit counter. About time- after two years.

My next goal should be to get more on the case of putting in links to other cool blogs that I frequently visit..

Here are by the way some kits that I bought at the norwegian QXL site (auction site) Cool. But it's gonna be a tedious work doing them; one thread and tiny, tiny cross stitches.... Will this really match my personality???? (I'm impatient enough to work on many types of crafts at the same time)

Month of May

2007-05-28T13:59:00.000+02:00

....was a busy month for me. it isn't quite over yet, but almost.

I'm not doing any knitting these days, got a little tired of it. But I do crochet in between work and chores and sleeping. Have made six coasters for the girl we know who sometimes sleep over to be with our girls if we parents go away for the night. I don't have a photo of them, made them with cotton, beige. But I started on a new set for another friend, on this photo you see the first one and it is similar to the set I already made, except in white.

In between I make some more squares for the blanket I already posted a photo of in April. I'd like three more rows on it, then it is done.

Wanted to put a photo here of a duck I made a few years ago. I gave it to my mother for Christmas- now she gave me the duck back! (Don't ask why...) I like it. I found the pattern in a Kaffe Fassett book. It took me forever to do it because it has so many colours and shades of the same colour that it was first and foremost a do-on-the-porch-in- broad- daylight- kind of work. I do have the pattern for the other duck to go with it- but that'll have to be sewn in another few years- when I have completely forgotten how much work it was! It is a cushion by the way.

Granny squares

2007-04-30T09:49:00.000+02:00

Almost a month since I posted! I'm in shock myself! Knew it was a while, but that long!

B tried to go back to work half day but it didn't work very well. His boss is new, hasn't had time to start anything, out on travels with management, in his department the one and only co worker started new and fresh in the field of work right before B's accident, hence- he dowsn't quite know what to do by himself. Seemed like every customer yelled on the phone about nothing being done. After six months off recuperating that was too much of an overload- so his sick leave has been extended. Going for his appointment with the specialist in Oslo this week.

I haven't done all that much knitting or crocheting lately- I'm wrapped up in preparation for the oldest's big confirmation day. A Lutheran tradition that often is as big as a High School graduation would be in North America. We are celebrating it a t home so we are working away at the garden, have cooked and baked, cleaned and planned.... Luckily I have today off and tomorrow is May 1. so a long weekend like this really helps!

I knitted one sleeve almost to the end on the sweater, but found the sleeve too wide so I have unravelled the whole thing.

I have however put all the squares I have (so far) together on the blanket of granny squares. Here is the result: It is in cotton. I crocheted the pillowcase to go with it earlier. I'm very happy with the result. Will make it a lot bigger though.... Just nice to join the squares as I go along because of all th loose ends that must be sewed up. I spent a whole evening on sewing loose ends at the knitting cafe- and another evening at home when I first started, so after that I have done a row at a time!

For the confirmation party I made:

greek meatballs, "

karbonader" (hamburgers sort of),

roastbeef,

smoked ham,

chilean empanadas,

Bill made Ukrainian perogies,

I bought smoked salmon to go with scrambled eggs,

will prepare potato salad

and green salad,

chicken strips with two dipping sauces

and my sister is making a dish also..

I baked carrot cake,

my sister is baking a chocolate mousse cake,

I ordered a marzipan covered cream cake,

we'll have "lefse"( thin potato "pancakes" with butter and sugar),

"kransekake" (almond paste rings),

cloudberries / whipped cream

and ice cream.

Hpefully it will be a sunny day so that we can use the porch a little, too...

HAPPY EASTER

2007-04-01T15:31:00.000+02:00

I have done a lot of cleaning today; washed several windows, washed floors, done laundry...

We are more or less set to go up to the cabin in the mountains for Easter. We are probably leaving on Tuesday morning.I cooked a big pot of chili con carne and froze it for bringing with me, the hubby cooked a big pot of spaghetti sauce (sugo) for freezing and bringing. I shopped groceries till i practically dropped yesterday, and I baked three different cakes to bring as well. Hope there will be a lot of sunny days, if not I got plenty of knitting/ crochet projects and books to read. Besides I plan on writing a speech and a song for my daughters' confirmation party on may 6th. while I'm up there.

Here is a glimpse of my one window- and two of my cakes...(apple and chocolate...before frosting is applied)

I have made two pairs of grey mouse slippers after my failed attempt at pink ones - using yarn that couldn't be felted.. They are big enough to be given to my one cousin's boy twins. I am almost done with the third pair of pink ones now- AND WITH YARN THAT CAN BE FELTED- but there will probably not be a photo till after Easter since they need felting and ears/nose attached after the knitting is done today...

Springtime!

2007-03-25T21:14:00.000+02:00

What a lovely spring day we've had here today! I had my mind set on taking my plants out from down in the basement and giving them new dirt and put them in the windows in the living room. 27 PLANTS I HAD!!!! AND I DID IT ALL. But who knows if they are alive. My window sills are packed with plants that look dead or almost dead...!! I sure hope some of them will show off a few leaves by the time we have our confirmation party for my oldest , may 6th or our guests will surely demand an explanation!

Look at this one (actually one of the more promising samples!) Is there hope??? Please leave a comment if you are knowledgeable about these things.

DET ER EN PELARGONIA, ALTSÅ!)

had to leave a little Norwegian name of the plant there..

When I finally had some time to sit down and relax I had my mind on anything else but taking pictures, so this will have to do showing that I took the lawn furniture out and had a coffee out on the porch. But OH WAS THAT GREAT!

I am now going to tell you about a mistake I made that no experienced knitter/felter should do: I bought yarn- sweet and pink. Got the needles out and started knitting what I imagined would be cute slippers -in the end - looking like pink mice- felted, of course. I would send them off to my cousin who just had twin girls.

MISTAKE: DIDN'T NOTICE THAT I HAD BOUGHT SUPERWASH YARN!!!!

So now I'm left with these.....

Good ideas for what to do with these two useless pairs will surely be welcomed by me- the idiot!

So now I'm in a hurry, I'm insecure about my capabilities and i'm working on new pairs, this time with some mousie-grey yarn that I had in my stash- and that I KNOW WILL FELT 'CAUSE i'VE DONE IT WITH THIS YARN BEFORE!!!!

New plants

2007-03-21T21:38:00.000+01:00

New plants for my window, the two to the left I bought today, the white one to the left is my pride and joy since I was able to get flowers on it for the second time (I'm one of those people who usually say they're able to kill most plants..)

In my back yard these little spring signs are showing up!

("snowbells" and "crocus)

My sister sent me this in the mail today:

(now I have to put my -hopefully- greener-than-before fingers to the test..)

My clever daughter..

2007-03-21T21:34:00.000+01:00

...made this stick puppet at school in her arts and crafts classes. Isn't it an amazing doll! She got the highest mark for it, too!

..and I thought I was hooked on surfing hobbyforums on the web..

2007-03-21T21:08:00.000+01:00

Here is the great hubby with whom I have some interests in common with due to many years together..: For example:He likes old stuff, such as old cameras....

(here is his collection.He thinks it is as big as it gets. At least that's what he says NOW..)

I like old stuff,too, such as my collection of molded glass

(here is my little collection so far..)

In many other ways we are on different planets: He loves fishing, I like knitting/crocheting/ needlepoint. I used to be the only one a little obsessed with surfing the hobbyforums on the web, though.

But now he has moved in on my territory: he bought himself a vintage Elan snow mobile and then he discovered a forum for these old vehicles- and he hardly lifts his eyes from the computer! My surfing blogs and forums is nothing compared to this! If there are any magazines for vintage snow mobiles out there- and he were to discover it- he would swiftly move in on this other territory of mine I'm sure: interior decorating magazines is my other passion... And he is still off work due to his accident in fall, so he has ample time to cultivate his new interest. In between he cooks us good suppers, I have to add.

All these years together I have spent in charge of most meals, but these days I'm getting served supper after work quite often. I'm liking it! Maybe he is about to really get into this too. Wouldn't that be great for the rest of us?

crochet is my thing right now

2007-03-21T20:52:00.000+01:00

I recently bought this book on the internet. I have bought a few books at Tanum's web store and I gotta say: wow, the service is great!

I found this book to have quite simplistic patterns, but I still like it and find it a great inspiration .

In my stash of "stuff" I have some old fabric that I'd like to use for crocheting once I have taken the job of turning it all into strips. Who knows when I'll find the time for that...

Maybe this summer?

I'm on a roll as far as crocheting goes these days. Working on my granny square cotton blanket. Finished the pillowcase to go with it and at night I make a square every now and then while watching TV.
I have done some knitting too, some pink baby slippers that are now in the washing machine for felting. My cousin had twin girls recently and the slippers are a gift. I'll post a picture once I have finished them..

These little crocheted coasters I made years and years ago. I found them in a drawer the other day. As you can see they are stained, so I put them in the washing machine, but unfortunately they seem to be permanently stained. I'll keep them and make a few similar ones, they shouldn't be too difficult to copy even though I don't have the pattern anymore.

Thrifting

2007-03-17T10:46:00.000+01:00

We have been doing some thrifting lately... A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to a nearby town where there was an Antique and Used show. B is collecting box cameras and got a couple there. I just left with two of these plates (that was the start of a little pink collection...)

At the volunteer place we have our knitting cafe every week they opened up a little store in the basement. I found these things to take home:

I also bought this hen for keeping eggs inside. This hen was the reason I went there, but then I got thinking about the plates I got and about the wallpaper in the living room that has a pinkish hue to it when the sun shines- and I bought the two bowls.

AAAND... on Thursday I went to get dog food, but in that store they have a used and antique department in the back and I had seen a set of three tables in the window a while ago.. When I asked about the price there was no doubt: 150,00 kr. B got all excited about my "steal" when I got home.

Not too much crafting to show for...

2007-03-09T18:18:00.000+01:00

.. But I have done some new purchases as of late, I can show them off..

Bought new curtains for the big window in the one section of our living room. My favourite interior decorating colours. I love beige, off white, white..
Then I stumbled upon these lamps that I think go nicely with the curtains.I don't often do an

impulse purchase, but this time I did!

Then I sewed (finally!!!) the curtains for the other section of our living room.

A little while ago I organized the cupboard where most of my yarn stash is .Here it is. I am enjoying it while it lasts!

Last night I organized my crafting shelf and my inspiration board. On the board is my three gift card. My oldest gave them to me for Christmas. one is for coffee in bed (have used it), the second is for cooking( have used it!) and the third is for flower arranging (she works at a florist's on Saturdays and some holidays) They are all of indefinite use. Am I a lucky girl!

B is doing good. Still going to physio and swimming and are still off work, but he now walks around with one cruch. He cooked polish perogues yesterday and today he stuck a glass of red wine in my hand after work and made us steak and baked potato, corn, asparagus, mushrooms and onion. My youngest cleanedup after supper and my oldest is vacuumingthe main floor before heading over to the youth club for the evening. All I have to do is walk the dog and drink coffee, more wine, knit and enjoy my Friday night!

Winter vacation

2007-02-21T21:03:00.000+01:00

I'm enjoying my winter vacation week so much!

We have done a little trip to the neighbouring town, found a newer car to trade in for our older one and will pick up the new one on Friday. We also went to see my aunt and her husband who lives about an hour and a half away from here. Had dinner and coffee there. It was nice to take a little trip out of town.

We are usually at our cottage for winter vacation but Bill needs a few more weeks to be restored enough physically.He is now on the quest for buying a snow mobile by the way. Spending a lot of time on the snow mobile forums on the internet among other things... worse than me with my craft blogs and hobbyforums!

I am trying to get these curtains sewn while I'm off work. Got the fabric on sale and finally got around to buying curtain rods om Monday. Now all I need is to find some matching tassels to tie them back with...When the job is completed I will take another picture of them... I'm not a confident and fast sewing machine- person - and with the winter skiing due on tv from tomorrow and lasting all weekend I cannot guarantee when it will be finished...

Talking about curtains..; I dug up a project I started this passed summer: Crocheted curtains. Have worked on them a little this week since my arms started telling me to slow down my sweater knitting.

I got twenty red roses from my hubby for Valentine's! But I was too late getting a good photo, they had started to wither by the time I thought about it. You're just gonna have to trust me on it!

Last Sunday was "Fastelavn" here in Norway. we had a roast beef that day. Here is a photo of it in the making.

It is customary to bring some twigs from trees into the house, put coloured feathers on them and bake buns and fill them with whipped cream and sprinkle with icing sugar.

We had no feathered twigs in this house but I baked buns. Don't care too much for the whipped cream combination either so we put icing on the buns

As you may have noticed if you come here occationally, I have taken an interest in seeing if I can get better with flowers.. Here is a shot of my orchid that I got to bloom again!! I was proud as a button until I visited my aunt yesterday: She had several- and they had tons of flowers on them. I asked her if she gets them to bloom repeatedly and she said 'of course'! .... well- I'm still proud of mine. I'm sure it's the beginning of a new passion!

Not enough with three UFO's in the basket????

2007-02-11T21:02:00.000+01:00

No! That's waaaay too little. Now I have started this:

It is a new pair of mitten/gloves like the red and white ones that I finished not long ago. I use those every day , almost, walking the dog. They are so wam!

But that is not enough....

I thought I should try and figure out this technique called "shadow knitting". Bought a book a long time ago, but it has been sitting on my shelf for all this time. I have done one face cloth /hand towel (?)so far... It's okay ,but maybe not the most interesting knitting in the world. (or I am a little impatient....? That's nothing new) I bought some cotton yarn in these two colours on sale a while back; maybe I should make some of these and keep for gifts.

I have started this sweater in Sisik yarn, discontinued colours that I also bought on sale a year ago or so. Don't know yet if it will be a sweater for B or I'll cut it open as a jacket after and keep it for myself. In any case it is damn far to do a round - we're not exactly petite! But the yarn is really light weight and it is perfect for watching TV. I liked knitting on it while The world championship in skiing was on TV this week.

I should mention that it is Mother's Day Sunday today.

I was given coffee and toast in bed by my girls today, and later my oldest made french toast for us all for breakfast. The sweeties; they made me cards with the sweetest words, too.

I am really looking forward to my winter holiday week this year. I am completely at the bottom of the energy bottle, so to speak. One more week and the girls and I are off. I'm planning to hop in the car and get out of town at least once during that week. If the weather is nice we'll do some skiing, bringing the dog, but that all depends on the temperature. Right now it is FREEZING out there and sitting by the fireplace is a lot more tempting.

Both my oldest and B have colds, my youngest is getting over it, and I'm really just tired of chores, work and my everyday hustle and bustle.. Not running by the clock all day long will be nice!

If it wasn't for knitting as a meditative activity I would've gone bonkers by now!

As a reminder of how important it is to get a timeout now and then: here is my dog- who has her own blanket on "her own" couch! That's a girl who knows how to relax!

I'M A SLOW LEARNER- BUT I LEARN!

2007-02-03T11:08:00.000+01:00

I managed to put links into my sidebar!!!

I'm so excited that I finally managed to do it- and took the time to make an effort to find out how! So far I have linked to my favourite knitting author; Stephanie McPhee and a norwegian blog that "Virtuella" hosts and the Spanish blog that "Sally" owns. They both have a link to my blog in theirs.

vintage sewing basket

2007-02-03T10:31:00.000+01:00

Here is a sweing basket my friend gave me after cleaning out her mother's house a few weeks ago. I love it!

I like old stuff and wish I had time to go to flea markets and antique sales more. But we live in a rather remote part of the Telemark region and you would have to get in the car and drive for at least an hour to go anywhere- and when the weekends arrive I'm usually pretty beat... But when we get closer to summer and B is in shape again we will see if there is a market not too far from here that we can go to just for the fun of it..

Saturday today. My oldest is working as usual but we are planning on going to the pool, all of us, as soon as she is done at two o'clock. Gotta do a little shopping for my mum first, and I might go uptwon to get some more yarn( what a surprise!!)but I'm planning for a slow day otherwise.. B is going to the pool every day now, to excercice in water. He is eager to get better after the accident and the surgeon in Oslo told him the X-rays looked great and he can just go,go,go as far as physio is concerned. Good news!

Kitchen windows

2007-01-28T19:11:00.000+01:00

My friend did some major clean up and organizing in her mother's house (the mother is now in an old age home) and found these curtains that I liked for my kitchen. I don't like to cover my windows with too much curtain, I like as much daylight as possible in my house. And these had the old fashioned look that I like..

I need to find some lace or something that I can use for tying them to the side. For now I did some improvization..

Mittens almost done

2007-01-28T17:56:00.000+01:00

Here are some (not very good ) shots of the one mitten. The two mitts I have worked on for a while are basically done. Next pair I will try a different pattern and in one colour only

the second mitten is also done, but has to be unravelled at the thumb, i didn't do a good job on it. But otherwise it is almost a done deal...

Am looking forward to early spring when i can take my geraniums up from the basement and into the livingroom. In the meantime I am quite impressed with this:

It might not impress you much but for someone who has been exeptionally bad at keeping plants alive I'm doing pretty good right now.
Here is another one I have managed to keep alive for more than two weeks!

New furniture

2007-01-20T18:36:00.000+01:00

We are quite content that we bought new living room furniture before Christmas.The old couch and chairs from the 40/50's are still here, but we have it in the other section of the living room.

Showing off another marvellous Cristmas present from my sister: She made a wool blanket to snooze under on cold evenings, matching my old furniture (..and boy did she get scared when we said we were going to buy new furniture. She thought we were throwing the green set out!) I must admit I have been underneath this blanket MANY times after supper already! Imagine all the hours spent making a blanket like this. And it covers all of BIG me!You can see it on the black leather couch on the photo above, too.

My friend who usually lives in Japan is home for most of December and January, too. I take great pleasure in her company, we go way back. She gave me this coffee pot and milk steamer for Christmas - and boy am I having good LATTE with it!

I am still a little under the weather. Today we had A LOT of snow coming down while the winds were high, so I shovelled, drove my daughter to work, picked her up again, visited my mother, shopped for groceries,had my friend over for lunch, made supper and put on a load of laundry... now I have a headache and my throat is thick. But I'll take the dog for a walk and then I'll do NOTHING (on second thought I might knit!!)
Have a good weekend!

Stuffy head- season

2007-01-18T22:27:00.000+01:00

I've been home from work today. Achy, head ache,weird stomac,sore throat...Tried to get some knitting done, but couldn't get things moving well enough: The mitten is causing me trouble for two reasons. I'm not THAT good and the pattern isn't quite to my liking. It doesn't explain things well enough for knitting idiots like me- so I have to use my brains. And that works,too, but there is always little details I haven't thought of along the way so I have to go back some stitches- or NOT- and settle for a lower level of quality to my craft..
Haven't taken a photo of todays fiddling. Instead I'll show you an improvised needlepoint I've started, meant for putting on a purse I have planned to make out of velvet. I took some scraps of wool from other stitching I've done, found a pattern that I can draw inspiration from and here is the result so far...

Speaking of purses!!! Look what MY SISTER MADE me for Christmas: Am I proud of her or what. Isn't it just the loveliest "Shabby Chic" purse you've ever seen!?

New Year- new crafts

2007-01-15T22:41:00.000+01:00

It's been a while.... I just don't have much excess energy these days. It's been so busy since Bills accident, my mother was in the hospital again for a while, then Christmas and when I went back to work I noticed that it felt like I couldn't relax even if I wanted to... I better try and take care of myself the next few weeks and see if I can get in tune wiht myself so to speak..
But nevertheless; I have started some new projects:
These mittens are good for me right now; I have to consentrate entirely on the pattern- blocking everything out:

The pattern itself isn't that complicated but the mitten can be opened and flipped back and inside you have gloves with open fingertips. It takes about 7 needles to keep stitches waiting while you knit each finger. A pain in the neck.

I am a member of this web based craft forum "Hobbyboden" in Norway and i asked if anyone had patterns for similar gloves/mittens, so now I have several patterns I can try out.. But first the mitten number one must be finished..
Havve gone back to the knitting cafe after New Years too, nice to be able to pack my knitting and head out one night a week again. Just didn't have time/the energy while Bill were in the hospital.
He's doing good by the way, slowly but surely he is getting more mobile. He is going into the hospital in Oslo for a 12 week post operative consultation on the 25 of this month.
Have also started a couple of more small projects but it's my bedtime and I'll have to show you later. I also would like to presents some Christmas gifts I got - AND LOVE!!- but that will have to wait for later this week too.
I am almost falling asleep sitting here.... oh okay ; this is the "mindless knitting" that will turn into a mitten for scraping the car window; i made three before Christmas, feltet them and gave them away for gifts. This one is for :MOI!!

Merry Christmas to you all!

2006-12-23T22:00:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, that's when we celebrate here in Norway. The ribs are in the fridge, I salted them two days ago, the sausauge and pork meatballs are thawed and the presents are under the tree...
The presents I made can now be shown since the ones that might visit this blog are now in places where blogg-hopping is not goig to happen!

I made some of these (felted) to keep your hand warm while scraping the car windows on a cold and frosty morning!

My youngest painted the one broom,I painted the other.

I've worked on this for a while. It is ment for a tree skirt, but can of course be used on the table if one likes that better.. It is needlepoint. My dog is a little curious....

Two of my windows are decorated like this.. Weird? I saw it in a home decorating magazine.I liked it... Sorry about the flash and the lamp in the background.

Third Sunday of Advent

2006-12-18T20:57:00.000+01:00

B is finally home from the hospital for good. He is able to handle the stairs with a crutch and the handrail.We are all happy to have him at home after almost two months in the hospital. He is the most happy of course!

There are a few photoes i cannot show until Christmas is over because it is Christmas presents to people who may see it here.
But I do have some pics...

I have stamped paper for the gifts

...and what do you know! I think we might have some homemade marzipan this Christmas after all.

The Cristmas tree was put up this Sunday, so was the outdoor lighting.

I bought a wreath of twigs for the entrance at the local outdoor Christmas market, too. I might put some dried orange slices on it later... Haven't dried the slices yet..

Second Sunday of Advent

2006-12-04T22:35:00.000+01:00

Here is our little Santa Village. We set it up for the 1. Sunday in Advent, but I am so busy I have no time to blog even though I love doing it. I will post some of the pictures I've taken over the past two weeks tonight, though! But some of them will have to wait until Christmas is over because it is presents in the making here! Not by far as many as i had planned, mind you. I had to lower my ambitions A LOT since B's accident.
B is home from the hospital on the weekends now, we all love it and we expect him to come home for good next weekend...
He can get up and down the stairs now so it's all getting better.

I was able to make some merengues for Christmas yesterday. Finally some baking around here....

And here are some Christmas ornaments I made for the tree on Saturday night in front of the television.. I had some wall paper books that was given to us at school from the paint store a loooong time ago. Brought a few sheets home and made these..

My Christmas decorated window in the dining room section:

I bought almonds to make marzipan about three weeks ago... still hasn't gotten around to peel and dry them... Well, Christmas will come wether I've done it or not.
My friend who lives in Japan usually are coming home tomorrow. i'm so looking forward to see her!
Tuesday my school has "Julebord" for all the students and teachers. We all dress up nicely, eat good food (we have hired a chef and grade 7 will help him), one of the kids will be the toastmaster, grade 1 -3 have made a speech for the girls and one for the boys and also a speech to say thanks to the cooks..
We will have games afterwards and the last hour will be a dance for the oldest students (gr. 5 -7)
Wednesday we are attending a thing at my youngest daughter's school: All the 350 students gather in the gym, each class presents something that has to do with Christmas and the gym is usually crowded with parents and siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents. A nice tradition.
Thursday I take my grade 1 and 2 to the cafe nearby to dress up as Lucias and carry candles and hand out the buns called "lussekatter"and sing the Lucia song. The cafe is run by our students in gr 5 -7.