Rediscovering Norway

Verket - the old houses are being renovated

2011-07-16T23:51:00.002+02:00

Verket - the old houses are being renovated

2011-07-16T23:46:00.003+02:00

Lately I walked through this area a few times, and

decided I do not know enough about this part of Moss.

So this will definitely be a subject I will study closer

when autumn comes.

In the meantime some of the photos I have taken.

Another oil painting by Oddbjørn Ottesen

2011-07-16T23:44:00.001+02:00

Birthday cake for my mom

2011-07-16T23:42:00.000+02:00

Baked by my brother.

From this summer's tour of Torderoed Torderød

2011-07-16T23:28:00.002+02:00

If you have the opportunity to visit the Torderoed

Mansion here in Moss on a Sunday in the summer

at three o'clock in the afternoon, you can join a free

guided tour of the gardens and the building itself.

In Norwegian, though.

I enjoy seeing how this project gets better and better

each year. These photos were taken on my latest visit.

The Scottish Room off the Ballroom, once a room

only gentlemen would spend their time in.

The White Room on the opposite side of the Ballroom,

once a room where only the ladies would spend their

time.

A corner in the Ballroom. The planks covering

the floor, now mostly protected by the carpet,

are all 11 meters long!

The Chrystie family who built the house and owned it

till about one hundred years ago, exported wood, so

these long planks must have been a pretty good way

of showing off.

Another corner in the Ballroom.

It is definitely summer!

2011-07-16T23:26:00.000+02:00

The mistake

2011-04-25T11:18:00.004+02:00

What you see in this photo - whipped cream and

sourcream - reminded me of a childhood experience.

In our house we did not eat sourcream as far as

I remember. But we loved whipped cream!

One day I found a bowl with what I was convinced

was whipped cream, brought a big spoon, and took

a big mouthfull. What a disappointment!

I spitted it out. I hated it.

In fact it took me around twenty years and living in

my second country till I decided to one day to

use sourcream in a nobake cake recipee. "Concealed"

this way, I thought it tasted good.

Now, fifty years later and back in Norway, I find

myself buying different kinds of sourcream at

the supermarket. I love it. I do not need to conceal

it with berries or sugar.

On some festive occassion I also eat a little whipped

cream.....

Butter and margarine

2011-04-19T11:02:00.004+02:00

When I grew up in the fifties and sixties, we only used

margarine at home. My mother would buy 5 kilo boxes

with margarine.

We children even insisted we did not like the taste

of butter!

According to what I have been told, my paternal

grandmother in Oslo only ate butter while the rest

of the family ate margarine.

Economic reasons?

Problems with making decisions

2011-04-19T10:56:00.002+02:00

The other day I was told this family story:

A relative did not want to buy clothes and shoes

alone.

She always had to bring another relative along.

Then, sitting in the taxi with a relative,

going to the store to buy f.ex. shoes,

she would already worry about who would come

with her when she had to change those shoes

she hadn't bought yet.

The PC as my personal secretary

2011-03-27T08:37:00.003+02:00

This morning I woke up at 6.30, and went straight

to my PC to check email.

Imagine my surprise when the PC clock in that

right lower corner showed 7.30!

With snow still outside, my head had not registered

that from now we use summertime.

The blessing of the washing machine

2011-03-26T17:50:00.003+01:00

In some periods of my life I have lived without

a washing machine.

Having a young child and washing the clothes

by hand was probably the greatest challenge.

So on at least three occassions, as a grownup,

I have experienced the miracle of starting

a washing machine and sitting in the front,

watching the clothes as if it was a TV programm.

What a blessing to have a washing machine!

Looking through the TED talks I saw that Hans Rosling

had given a lecture about the importance of the

washing machine. Here it is

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing_machine.html

Leonardo de Vinci's face

2011-03-26T17:31:00.004+01:00

This little TED lecture was just what I enjoy

- learning something new and not necessarily

useful.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/siegfried_woldhek_shows_how_he_found_the_true_face_of_leonardo.html

But who decides what is useful?

If you have a little extra time, I suggest trying out one

the TED talks and find a subject that intrigues you.

http://www.ted.com/talks

March 24th: A report from the beach

2011-03-26T10:10:00.003+01:00

By now there were few iceblocks in the water.

Most were on the beach and in the process

of melting.

Had this little giraffe come from the sea or had it been

left on the beach last year?

Batteries that last

2011-03-23T22:21:00.002+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaF6FxmixJk&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiFQsxGUQOI&NR=1

Duracell or Energizer?

I don't know.

But I do know that I would like to feel like a strong battery.

So I hope that by July 1st I will feel that way.

I have decided to make that a project.

A little more than three months to recharge - in small doses.

My inherited troll

2011-03-23T22:04:00.007+01:00

You can find this souvenir in some of Norway's

touristshops.

My impression is that the average Norwegian find

this troll quite tacky.

As you can see, my troll is old and not in the best shape.

I keep my troll because I once inherited it from a

very special man I knew. He died back in 1999.

Why he had bought it, I don't know.

When I think about him and his life, this figure seems

so out of character.

But then again, perhaps it reminded him of

something else?

The beach - just now

2011-03-21T21:28:00.005+01:00

The iceblocks seem to enjoy "swimming" in the water.

In the background you see the ferry that goes from

Moss to Horten on the other side of the Oslofjord.

This one is the newest, called Bastö IV.

Lina and Julius: Their first meeting in 1908

2011-03-20T14:34:00.005+01:00

My son's greatgrandparents were Lina and Julius.

In 1908 they were both 27 years old and still single.

According to stories told in the family, on this very

day, 103 years ago, two trains set out from

opposite directions to arrive at the same railway station,

more or less at the same time.

Lina came with her father from their town,

and Julius with his father from their town.

They meet in this "neutral" town.

In my imagination all four go first to a restaurant

to eat together, and then - as the impression is that

Lina and Julius like each other - the two fathers

withdraw a little to let the couple find out how

much they like each other.

The result of this meeting:

Half a year later Lina and Julius married.

A little daily-life discovery

2011-03-20T14:23:00.002+01:00

This morning, while preparing my breakfast,

I saw this:

I took some photos and just enjoyed the

visual part.

A moon landscape?

Snow formations outside?

Paint?

No , the lid of my Greek yogurt, turned upside down!

Candied Orange Peel - Remembering S.

2011-03-13T15:24:00.005+01:00

S. was an elderly lady when I met her about forty

years ago. She lived in an agricultural village where

the inhabitants had chosen to live a simple life.

Despite her age (around 75 at the time?), she worked

long hours.

During the day she worked in the orchards.

In the evenings she repaired the picking equipment.

But she also had time for her children and grandchildren.

Occasionally she gave me candied orange peels that

she made herself.

A woman with a big heart, and creative.

In that little village there were oranges.

S. had sugar.

Out of these two simple ingredients she made

presents for her children, grandchildren and others.

Like me.

Today I remembered S. and decided to find how

I could make candied orange peel.

Using these instructions

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/candied-orange-recipe/index.html

the result can be seen above.

March 14th 1843

2011-03-10T21:29:00.004+01:00

My mother told me that in Sweden March 14th

was the date you bought a farm, according to

an old tradition.

There was another date for sellings farms in autumn,

but most farm were taken over on March 14th.

My mother thinks this tradition is probably

still kept for sale of active farms. Perhaps?

So the farm I wrote about in my last blog entry

became the farm of my greatgreatgreatgrandfather

Eric on March 14th 1843.

168 years ago now on Monday.

A family farm that is no longer a family farm

2011-03-08T15:41:00.004+01:00

Checking a box of photos today , these two popped up.

The one above was probably taken in the 1950's

before my grandparents moved away.

It was then "the family farm".

The second photo I took myself , probably in the 1980's.

It was then mentioned as "the family farm" but

it belonged to my grandfather's brother.

A lot of hurt feelings came up when you talked about

this subject.

Now in 2011, it belongs to people with money.

Not to anybody in my family.

Even so many years later, hurt feelings come up

when some family members talk about the farm.

I have wonderful childhood memories from here

that I keep in my heart, but personally I don't

feel the loss like the older generation does.

In my mind it is now "a farm that once belonged

to the family".

One day I hope to buy the wide black frame

2011-03-05T11:25:00.001+01:00

Just for a little smile: A "prayer" sent to me by a friend

2011-03-04T23:10:00.006+01:00

Dear God,

My prayer for 2011 is to have

a fat bank account

and a thin body.

Please do not mix the two,

like you did last year.

Amen

Ties

2011-03-03T17:29:00.003+01:00

This is the centre.

Red for love, if I understood right.

The "roads" leading from this centre, are of two

kinds, just like life.

Easy, straight forward.

More difficult, a little off balance.

In memory of my father

2011-03-03T16:55:00.004+01:00

When my father died , I felt that his old ties would

be one way of remembering him.

From my childhood I remember him in a white shirt

and a tie.

I never understood how he chose that day's tie from

his collection.

In addition, how did he made that knot???

As my father got older, he used more informal clothes,

and the ties would mostly stay in the closet.

But what do you do with a collection of old ties?

By themselves, they collected a lot of dust.

That I have tested. :-)

A patchwork seemed a good way to use the ties.

On the other hand, that seemed too an ambitious

project for me, both regarding design and execution.

After coming back to Norway, I once I bought

a patchwork that made me happy.

I contacted the artist Inger Kokkim to say thank you.

Suddenly it became clear to me who could help

me with my tie patchwork - Inger Kokkim!

Today she brought me the result.

I am very, very pleased.

Hope you can get some impression of her work

from these photos.

Moss Canal

2011-03-01T23:53:00.004+01:00

The crow - the symbol of Moss

2011-03-01T23:42:00.001+01:00

Kjelleroedgaarden = Kjellerødgården

2011-03-01T23:23:00.003+01:00

According to the sign on the yellow building

shown below, this building was built in the 1770's

by Just Gude.

The couple Holth lived there from 1817 to 1862 and

the house was then called Holthegaarden.

Later alcohol (brennevin) was sold here.

Then it became a grocery shop.

From 1978 it became a restaurant.

Lately Dolly Dimples had their pizza business here.

Now the building is up for sale.

The building is very charming, inside and outside.

In addition it is now more than 230 years old,

but what will any potential buyers use it for?

Icy branches

2011-03-01T23:15:00.005+01:00

This may look just like branches, but look closer

by clicking at the photo once or twice and see

how each branch is lined with ice.

This weather of colder-milder-colder-milder-colder

has created beautiful ice creations in nature.

But personally I am all for milder-milder-milder....

and then spring and summer.

The Opera in Oslo in February

2011-02-28T10:16:00.005+01:00

Last week I had an appointment in Oslo.

I took the train and had some spare time.

The Central Train Station is very close to

the new Opera House so I walked over to

enjoy the winter version.

Right outside the Opera House

in the Oslofjord there was a sculpture

I probably should learn more about.

Ice covering the fjord this close to shore.

Winter in Oslo.

The Opera in Oslo in February

2011-02-28T10:16:00.004+01:00

Last week I had an appointment in Oslo.

I took the train and had some spare time.

The Central Train Station is very close to

the new Opera House so I walked over to

enjoy the winter version.

Right outside the Opera House

in the Oslofjord itself was a sculpture

I probably should learn more about.

Ice covering the fjord this close to shore.

Winter in Oslo.

Moss Canal today

2011-02-27T21:58:00.004+01:00

In the background the ferry to Horten.

Along the shore some smaller boats.

Pieces of ice floating through the canal.

With around zero degrees Celsius today,

I am developing a hope of warmer weather.

Width 77 cm Height 93 cm

2011-02-27T21:32:00.003+01:00

Artist's suggestion for future frame:

Broad black frame.

A present

2011-02-27T20:17:00.006+01:00

About a week ago I was shown two oil paintings

made by Oddbjorn ( Oddbjørn) Ottesen

who lives here in Moss.

I am not an expert in this field, but

immediately was charmed by a painting

inspired by one of Rembrandt's self-portraits.

For me, even the technical part of creating

such an oil painting is a wonder.

At home, I searched the internet and

looked at some of Rembrandt's self portraits

from different museums around the world.

I was also reminded of my own visit to the

Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam around 35 years ago.

That night it felt like a wonderful surprise and

pleasure to have seen this painting here in Moss,

and to know who had painted it.

Imagine my surprise when I got a present today

- that same oil painting.

I like it very much.

I feel priviliged to own it.

Thank you!

PS. I took these photographs tonight, but will try again

in daylight to see what difference it makes in

the colors.

Some details from a teahouse in November 2010

2011-02-04T00:21:00.001+01:00

November 2010

2011-02-04T00:08:00.001+01:00

An old barn had been converted into a community

center, an oasis of peace, and on the top floor

there were several guestrooms.

I looked out and thought of events that took

place in that big house - one family's life,

but also events that took place during and

after WWI.

Moss December 2010

2011-02-04T00:03:00.001+01:00

November 2010

2011-02-04T00:00:00.005+01:00

Other persons have been sitting on these chairs

before.

What happened then?

Tomorrow my sitting there today will be a shadow

of the past.

In memoriam

2011-02-03T22:31:00.007+01:00

For many years he was my neighbour.

He was the devoted husband of my friend.

He was my age.

He died tonight.

A heart attack I was told.

He used to joke that we should either build a bridge

between our houses, or a tunnel under the street,

to make it easier to visit each other, as his wife

and I spent so much time together.

As a boy growing up in a big city, he had decided

at a young age to become a dairy farmer.

He fulfilled that dream.

This morning he sold a cow.

This evening he went to check out his cows.

It was at his work place he was found dead a

few hours ago.

It is so far away.

I will not be able to go to the funeral.

I will not be able to hug his wife and children.

On old gravestones the texts often describe

the deceased as a "righteous, honest, good man".

That fits N.

Taking a little break

2010-11-20T03:26:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I feel that writing my blog is a kind

of "meter".

Sometimes a "physical energymeter".

Sometimes a "mental energymeter".

Sometimes a meter for the importance of

withdrawing a little.

Sometimes I write more.

Sometimes I take a break.

Just now, I need a break.

First snow this year in Moss

2010-10-22T21:03:00.002+02:00

Last night around eight o'clock I came out of a meeting

in the centre of Moss, and despite the darkness,

saw that it was snowing, at least a little bit.

Today there was no trace of snow downtown,

but we will follow the situation..........

Which in my case means I hope there won't be very

much snow this winter, but then again, who am I?

A house that makes me smile

2010-10-08T18:45:00.003+02:00

I probably should learn more about this wooden house

because every time I walk by, it brings a smile to my

face.

I think it is mostly because of the cupola that looks

quite oriental for Norway and for Moss, but in particular

because I think that one day, so-and-so many years ago,

somebody designed and somebody (else?) approved

this building for this little town.

Daring souls?

Biggest? Tallest? It all depends how you look

2010-10-08T18:39:00.003+02:00

A colorful alarm clock

2010-10-08T18:30:00.002+02:00

In my other country there are just two seasons

(one with rain and one without) as far as I am

concerned.

Here there are definitely four seasons.

I love looking at the autumn colors.

But I know that in many ways the colors are

like a seasonal alarm clock:

Soon winter will be here!

Helpdesk in Medieval times

2010-10-01T16:58:00.003+02:00

I remember how stressful it was to start with the PC

around 12 years ago.

My son became my Helpdesk, solving big problems for

a newbeginner - problems that of course turned out

to be small problems.

The computer was back then (and sometimes now too)

a completely new and fairly scary world.

That is why I loved the following Norwegian sketch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ

Hope you will too!

Thank you to friends and family

2010-09-25T20:26:00.004+02:00

It was a nice and fairly quiet day, and it was just perfect

for me, here and now.

It is getting colder

2010-09-25T19:59:00.006+02:00

During the colder weather I strive for the temperature

in my apartment being around 20 degrees Celsius.

My philosophy:

I feel really miserable if it is much colder.

If it is much warmer, the electricity bill will be very

high, and too hot makes me drowsy.

Today it felt cold. Checking the thermometers in

the different rooms, I discovered it was now around

17 degrees Celsius.

I brought out one of my two radiators and officially

started the heating season.

Autumn rain

2010-09-20T23:01:00.005+02:00

Tonight it has been raining.

The sound coming in through my windows reminds

me of autumn rain back when I went to highschool

in Moss.

Back then I usually used my bicycle.

I dressed up in my Helly Hansen's rain suit - orange

pants and orange jacket, and I wore "sailor boots",

low Wellington boots, in such weather.

How did my schoolbooks get to school dry?

Was the rucksack enough?

I don't remember.

But I do remember the feeling of bicycling in the rain.

What should I do less of, and when?

2010-09-19T11:02:00.006+02:00

Yesterday I had a "thinking-about-my-life day".

Sometimes I do this as a Mindsweep , noting down

whatever comes into my head.

Yesterday I was just thinking and thinking.

It is a different challenge for somebody who likes

to get things down on paper right away.

I remembered something I worry about:

Somebody I know is still driving a car at the age of 80.

When family members talk about this with

the person concerned, he gets very defensive, pointing

to the MD's recent approval. He is of the firm

opinion that he is still capable of driving.

Driving of course gives this person the possibility

to get out and do what he has done a whole life.

Not driving would mean a great change in quality of

life.

Then I look at myself, and wonder in what fields of

life I myself am of the firm belief I am still fully capable,

but that in fact I may not be so.

What should I do less of?

Worth thinking about.

Remembering my friend G.

2010-09-12T12:47:00.002+02:00

Today I have been sitting here, going through my inbox

and checking the emails I got from G. since January 2010.

In one of his emails he refers to himself as "your friend

and informal career advisor". I like that description.

Most of the emails give me links to articles he had read

in the field of our common hobby, but now and then

other subjects would pop up.

Sometimes he wrote like a big brother, a mentor, trying

to give me more selfconfidence.

I made an eight page text listing the articles and some

of our comments, and sent it to his wife, who is now

a widow, and to some common friends.

I think the four hours I kept doing this, was a kind of

personal goodbye ceremony , a virtual funeral.

I miss him.

Email on Friday, dead on Sunday

2010-09-01T15:12:00.004+02:00

My friend G. sent me an email last Friday

with a link to an interesting article he had read

and that he thought would interest me.

On Saturday he was at home when he suddenly

called out to his wife, before losing consciousness.

On Sunday he was dead.

He was a good man.

Opening my inbox, I see there are hundreds of emails.

Many of them were just like the last ones -

links to interesting articles he had read.

We shared a hobby. Sometimes I have been able

to help him a little with his projects in that hobby.

His wife told me this morning that he liked to read

my blog, so I hope I gave something back to him too.

Every time I have visited my other country during

the last three and a half years, he and his wife made

the effort so that we could meet.

What made G. such a special person for me?

I will think more about that later.

For now, blessed be his memory.

Grandma! Grandma!

2010-08-30T18:14:00.002+02:00

Kate, soon twenty months old, was watching the old
movie about Pippi Longstocking, enjoying it very much.

Then enters the character of Mrs. Prysselius, the lady
who wants to reform Pippi . If I remember right, she
looked very stern, not smiling like on this photo.

In any case, Kate's father told me today on the phone,
as soon as Kate saw Mrs. Prysselius on the screen, she
called out: Grandma! Grandma!

In general, the report goes, ladies with glasses, may
be recognized as "grandma".

PS. This grandma would very much like to be as young
as this actress.....

Shampoo and something else....

2010-08-29T15:03:00.005+02:00

When I grew up in Norway, we washed our hair with

SJAMPO as we called it in Norwegian.

BALSAM was , at least for me back then,

a skin ointment.

When I grew up and moved to my other country,

I discovered you could , in addition to the shampoo,

also use a conditioner.

Forty years later I am back in Norway, looking for

shampoo and conditioner.

I easily found the shampoo, but the conditioner

was more diffcult.

It took me quite a long time to discover that in modern

Norwegian conditioner is called balsam.

Now it seems silly, but when I first saw balsam bottles

next to the shampoo bottles, I thought Norwegians

used some special ointment on their hair........

In the forest today

2010-08-29T14:47:00.002+02:00

My mother loves to go the forest and pick mushrooms.

So the following mushroom is one she keeps away from,

because it is POISONOUS.

I am not such a big fan of these trips, but when I can

bring my camera and pick what I want to

photograph , I don't even have to know what

mushrooms are edible.

I just leave them where they are.

Sometimes, the size of the mushroom becomes

irrelevant. You can imagine you are a little troll,

any size.

Perhaps even a tiny troll....

Jeloy Radio: Inside

2010-08-25T21:46:00.007+02:00

From the dining hall.

The food was excellent.

Tapas, a fishdish, dessert.

The lobby when we left to go home.

In Norwegian http://www.jeloyradio.no/

Their Photo Gallery

http://www.jeloyradio.no/hXGYynNljW5Z.8.idium

Jeloy Radio: Inside

2010-08-25T21:41:00.005+02:00

My sister had arranged for my mother and me

to do a pre-birthday celebration. It was a very nice

gesture of her, enabling me to see how this building

look inside.

In Norwegian http://www.jeloyradio.no/

Jeloy Radio: The Exterior

2010-08-25T21:25:00.004+02:00

This radio station, originally sending telegrams to

America, was built in 1930.

The style is popularly called "funkis" in Norway and

most buildings in this style were built between 1930

to 1940.

These days the building has become a conference hotel

where you also can eat at their restaurant if you contact

them beforehand.

In Norwegian http://www.jeloyradio.no/

Jeløy Radio : The Hotel and the Museum

2010-08-25T21:16:00.003+02:00

On the top floor of the barn, there is now a

Telegraph Museum I hope to visit one day.

I thought the stairs leading up to the museum looked

interesting.

The first floor of the barn now houses the hotel.

In Norwegian http://www.jeloyradio.no/

Dental clinics - then

2010-08-25T00:37:00.003+02:00

Dental clinics have come a long way since they

looked like this in my childhood. Thanks for that!

It was in a chair like this, with equipment like this,

that I started my fear of dentists. In Norway

back then, we had a dental clinic at school, and I was

near hysterical when I had to be dragged there at

least once a year.

But when I as a grownup finally understood that

I must go to the dentist at least twice a year to

prevent major problems with my teeth, by then

the drills, the possibility to get help against the pain and the

attitude of the dentists had changed so radically that

I find that for the last thirty years a visit to the dentist

is not traumatic any more.

I don't like it, but I feel the dentists I have used during

these thirty years have been very competent, had very

modern equipment and have been very considerate when

I tell them about my fear.

But seeing this old dental clinic at the local history

center in Horten, brought me straight back to such

a chair and such a fear - a long time ago.

The website for the local history center http://www.lhs.no/

Romatikk and Love

2010-08-25T00:17:00.003+02:00

Among a collection of old magazines at the local

history center in Horten, I saw this copy of a magazine

I read more than 45 years ago. "Romantikk" - romance -

is the name and a similiar magazine was called Love.

Of course this kind of litterature was considered real

thrash, so most of us did not get the money nor

the permission to buy these magazines.

But one girl in my class bought both Romantikk and

Love, and brought them to school so that her friends

could borrow them from her, secretly of course, during

the breaks.

She would hide the magazines under her sweater to

keep the patrolling teacher unaware of what was going

on.

But one day disaster struck! We had a very strict

head teacher who now and then would inspect the

pupils as we marched , two and two, class after class,

to our classrooms. As we passed this stern teacher,

we had to greet him, the boys by bowing their heads

and we girls by what we called "neiing".

Imagine our class walking in, my friend with a bunch

of romantic literature under her sweater, and there he

was , the head teacher. My friend instinctly put her

two hands to her side and folded her one knee slightly,

the correct way for girls to be politely greeting a grownup,

- and the magazines slid to the floor, just in front of the

head teacher!

What a scandal!

My recollection of her punishment may not be right,

because I was not there, but as I remember being told,

she had to take the magazines to the schoolyard and

burn them.

True or not true?

The website for the local history center http://www.lhs.no/

A chance meeting around a school table

2010-08-25T00:01:00.004+02:00

At the local history center in Horten, they also

have a little classroom where this table was

standing.

Two young boys, perhaps 13 or 14 years old,

were there talking to each other about what they

saw. "We had a table like this at school two years

ago", said one of them.

I could not resist asking them if the table they were

talking about also had the hole for the ink bottle

and the carved out part to put your pencils in.

They said yes, so I told them that I had used

tables like that in my school 50 years ago, and that we

now and then used the ink bottle, but not all the time.

Imagine our joint surprise when another visitor,

80 years old, told us he had had the same kind of table

when he went to school 70 years ago, though their

tables were double, for two pupils.

The website for the local history center http://www.lhs.no/

Learning how to sew by hand

2010-08-24T23:49:00.004+02:00

In fourth grade at my village school, the girls had

sewing classes. Imagine how strange it was for me

to see some of these exhibits at the local history center

in Horten - just the kind of projects we had to do

and in the same materials!

I still do not understand why, but we had to sew

everything by HAND!

Then the year after, in fifth grade, we started

cooking classes, only the girls.

But two years later a political decision had been made

and from then on both girls and boys took the

cooking classes.

The website for the local history center http://www.lhs.no/

Local history in Horten

2010-08-24T23:29:00.004+02:00

Last Sunday I went with the local history club in Moss

(Moss Historielag) to visit a local history center in

Horten, the town on the other side of the Oslofjord.

It is located near the Photo Museum and the Marine

Museum that I have visited a few times during the last

few years, though I had not even seen that this

center had opened in 2007.

Part of the exhibition are rooms furnished in the style

of my childhood.

Like this kitchen

and this livingroom.

I felt as if I was 50 years back.

First I thought : "There should be something like this

in Moss too", but then my second thought was :

"Good that Horten made this center, we can crosss

the fjord with the ferry and see their center."

The website for the local history center http://www.lhs.no/

So when in my life did interesting things happen?

2010-08-21T13:21:00.007+02:00

A friend in my other country brought up the idea

that I may have many more interesting things

happening in my life here in Norway than when

I lived in my other country.

I was thinking about this last night before falling

asleep, and feel very strongly that I have had very

interesting things happening all my life.

My life in my other country was a wonderful row

of meeting fascinating people, learning things, having

experiences I can only be very grateful for.

It was an incredible life.

BUT

in my other country I never wrote a blog like

this, so most of what happened to me is only in my

head and heart, if I still remember it consciously :-)

My friends only got to hear about some of it -

here and there.

My other country is a very special country,

with a mixed population hard to imagine,

with nature so different from Norway,

with a history hard to understand.

That country, my other country, has so many

private citizens who have opened their homes and

their hearts to me for so many decades.

I am, sorting out box after box of personal

documents, trying to keep some of my "paper life"

in chronological journals.

Just imagine if I one day tried to recreate 40 years

of living in my other country in blog form.....

Torderoed - a work in progress

2010-08-20T07:40:00.003+02:00

Last year our guide Arnulf Johannesen showed us the

White Room where the ladies would withdraw now

and then from the dancing and the entertainment.

He said that the expert Viktoria Brand had established

the original color scheme of the room and that she had

found part of some amazing old wallpapers with 18

different colors, printed in France, with an English tax

stamp. From this Viktoria Brand would now make

reprints to be put up in this room.

So this was my last visit in August 2010, more or

less of that same corner. Different colors - the right

colors - but the wallpapers will only be ready next year.

I find this exciting!

This year's visit at Torderød = Torderoed

2010-08-19T19:53:00.006+02:00

Every year I go to see what is new at Torderoed, the

mansion here in Moss.

These are the photos I took during my last visit.

If you are in Moss during the summer keep a

Sunday at 15.00 free and join the tour.

It is interesting and amusing, well worth the

around two hours you will spend there, and it is

even FREE.

This season's last tour will be the coming Sunday

August 22nd,

My earlier postings about Torderoed

http://rediscoveringnorway.blogspot.com/2007/07/moss-torderoed-gaard.html

http://rediscoveringnorway.blogspot.com/2009/07/dancing-in-ballroom-at-torderd.html

http://rediscoveringnorway.blogspot.com/2009/07/torderoed-torderd.html

http://rediscoveringnorway.blogspot.com/2009/07/torderd-collage-made-in-2007.html

http://rediscoveringnorway.blogspot.com/2009/07/little-bit-more-about-torderd.html

A minor major personal success

2010-08-19T11:22:00.002+02:00

It is probably ridiculous to most of those in the younger

generation, but for me it was really like a wall:

Every time I wanted to print something from my PC,

my bye-bye old printer came up as first choice.

It was very irritating, but I felt overwhelmed.

That was the kind of situation I would have let my son

solve if he was here, but he is not.

So last night I decided to try, and believe or not,

I succeeded.

There is always this old basic fear that if I do

"something wrong", the whole PC will collapse, but

then it didn't happen!

A tiny step for humanity, a major step for me.

Surprise meeting!

2010-08-14T14:11:00.003+02:00

Kate, in her thoughts at least: Hmmm.....

I have seen this family on TV!

Holding her newly acquired Sponge-Bob from the antique mall and looking at Daddy.

Sponge-Bob's eyes.....

Homer's eyes......

Maybe Sponge-Bob is a relative?

What fun it is to play in a tent!

2010-08-06T14:19:00.003+02:00

So what is a renaissance fair?

2010-08-06T00:13:00.003+02:00

When my son invited me to a renaissance fair in Bristol,

Wisconsin, I thought we were going to some antique mall.

Seeing all the cars parked in some huge fields, I slowly

understood that this was something else.

Some of those who parked their cars, then came out

dressed in costumes.

Not an antique mall, for sure!

The entrance looked like this, so I forgot I was in

Wisconsin and remembered visits to England and

even to Germany.

We had come to the Renaissance Faire in Bristol!

In many ways you are on a set, with buildings that

probably have no real backside, but I loved walking

along, looking at each building. There were shops of

every kind you could imagine for such a place.

As people needed cash, the ATM machine had been

built into a more timely little building. ;-)

There were performers of all kinds, and many dressed

up in costumes that may or may not, have been

typical for that time.

It was very funny to see some of those "historical"

persons talking on their cellphones!

I loved it, despite all the phoniness.

It was pure fun!

http://www.renfaire.com/

A old tunnel in a back garden in Spain

2010-08-06T00:01:00.004+02:00

Imagine coming in from the street to this inner court

and to the garden where I stood when I took this photo.

Then, in that back garden, you could walk down into

some really old tunnel/s.

A boy of around ten held a torch as we entered the

tunnel and walked inwards.

It was like being transferred to another time.

Spooky!

Then everything became pitch black, so I never saw

how far you could go.

Where had the tunnel/s originally led too?

Who had built them?

Had they been used in wars for hiding or escaping?

The kids and those of us with - perhaps -

a childish imagination and much fantasy,

loved it!

PS. One of the family members with connection to this

house wrote, after reading this:

They say that in the past the old tunnel of the back garden connected

the house with the castle of the village, but this is just a beautiful fairytale:

in my opinion the most probable use of the tunnel was simply to

keep wine bottles.

Yes, I stayed one night in Madrid

2010-08-05T23:51:00.003+02:00

This summer has been full of wonderful experiences.

I must nearly pinch myself to believe I stayed one night

in the home of a wonderful couple who live in central

Madrid.

I looked down on the streets and the houses, and felt

that this is a very special city and country.

In the evening my hosts took me for a walk.

Different light than these morning photos, but

still the same special atmosphere.

I really hope to be back in Spain again!

Thank you so much to my gracious hosts!

A Monsoon Shower

2010-08-05T23:39:00.002+02:00

This was one of the small details that made my stay at

the Yotel at Heathrow very successful.

I rented the cabin twice, once for ten hours, and then

for four hours.

In both cases taking a warm monsoon shower was

a wonderful experience. I had never even heard about

such big showerheads before.

Now I would like to find the seaweed-sage showersoap

they had there.

Any ideas?

Playing with her friends from Sesame Street

2010-08-05T23:25:00.002+02:00

In a corner by the porch window, Kate is playing

with two of her friends.

Kate and Elmo having a conversation.

The Cookie Monster, Elmo and Big Bird posing

for a group photo.

I one day called the first gentleman the Monster

Cookie, by mistake. :-)

Sometimes Kate lets her friends dance - in the air,

like here, or on the coach.

She loves music!

When you are just 81 cm tall, Big Bird really

becomes BIG bird.

The Banana Girl

2010-08-05T23:17:00.002+02:00

This girl loves bananas.

It made me remember my German lessons 45 years

ago:

"Essen" was to eat and "fressen" was more like

stuffing yourself.

Kate is definitely going for "fressen".

Chicago Botanic Garden

2010-08-05T23:08:00.003+02:00

Kate enjoyed the visit to the botanic garden very much.

I like water fountains.

Bonsai trees are fascinating.

Despite the many visitors, I still managed to take

some photos as if we were there all by ourselves.

Water, water, blessed water!

Kate's Adventure with Grandma: Day Four

2010-07-25T17:35:00.002+02:00

The last night Grandma and I were here alone, there
was a thunderstorm! The flashing lightenings and
the loud noices woke me up
at two.
Grandma thought I might be afraid, but I was not
afraid, just awake.
So after some time, Grandma put on a DVD with
Sesame Street, put me in the playpen, and I watched
Elmo, while Grandma fell asleep on the rug next to the
playpen.
In the end I also fell asleep.

So that morning, instead of getting up at six, we both
got up at eight!

Then five hours later - believe it or not - the two most
important persons in my life turned up - my Mom
and Dad! I was so happy to see them.

It had been great with Grandma, but there is nothing
as good as having your Mom and Dad around you!

Kate's Adventure with Grandma: Day Three

2010-07-22T22:02:00.003+02:00

Kate around three in the afternoon:
I think I must learn how to say the words
"technically challenged" in order to explain
to Mom and Dad that Grandma only managed to
vacuum the two rugs downstairs, and not the wooden
floor or the sofa and the armchair.

This morning someting good happened - it rained!
Grandma and I even stepped out on the porch
to feel some of the drops on our heads and to touch
the water on the garden table.

It doesn't rain now, but the weather is greyish and
I see on Grandma's face she likes this temperature
better than when it was very hot.

The last days I have loved to play with the Cookie-
monster and the Octipus. I like to let them dance to
the songs I hear. Sometimes they dance in the air.
Sometimes they dance on the sofa.

Today I was also sitting for a long time in the corner
playing with the McDonald farm, using the
Cookiemonster and the Octipus and a paper figure
in my play.
Grandma thinks I have a good imagination and
a long attention span ..... or something like that.
I just love to play!

Kate around six in the afternoon:

Grandma wasn't quite right about the temperature
outside today. When we went outside to play it was
actually still quite humid but it was windy, so we
said "wind, wind" many times.
Then I stared at the turtle, so Grandma took off the
cover and I could play in the sandbox.
I remember the first time I was there, quite puzzled
with the texture of sand, but now I am a pro,
and played with the sand for a long time.
I even tried to push sand through the bottom of
one of the buckets, but that did not work.

Then I was fascinated by the two bottles of magic
bubble liquid so Grandma brought the bubble machine
and a lot of bubbles flew around.
I think Grandma wants to buy one of those bubble
machines to bring back to Norway.

A secret: If the banana growers of America knew
how much I love to eat bananas, they would certainly
use me in a commercial, but I am not going to tell them.
Shhhh....

Kate's Adventure with Grandma: Day Two

2010-07-21T17:52:00.010+02:00

Kate before noon:
When I woke up this morning I found that the old
lady we call Grandma was the one who picked me up from
the bed, so I smiled.
Who else could I smile to?
My Mom and Dad were not there.

I have played.
I have of course eaten my breakfast.
I have studied my big library of books.
Grandma and I have been dancing and singing.

Now it is close to eleven and Grandma put me in
my bed for a nap, but after a minute or two of
protest crying, I now make happy noices,
while Grandma hopes I will soon fall asleep.

Kate at 7.30 at night:
This day was also OK.
Grandma and I played in the garden, inside the tent,
and Grandma spoke with the neighbor B.
This morning Grandma had watered the flowers on
the porch, but had wondered how to water the
vegetables - after all, she has a problematic back.
But B. had seen that the vegetables looked a little
distressed and had used her hose to water them.
She thought nobody was home.
Thanks B. !

All this water business reminded Grandma that
yesterday she did not give me a bath - so today I
got one! In addition, Grandma washed all my clothes,
so she looked rather pleased with herself :-).

But she still needs to figure out how to clean the floors.
I whispered to her there is a vacuum cleaner upstairs
but she looks a little worried if she will be able to
operate it.
Tomorrow she will just have to try!

The cats have decided that Grandma is OK too, so
in general we have now gotten through two of the
four days and one of the three nights very well.

Tomorrow Mom and Dad are going on a river cruise
on the Missisippi - water again.

PS. I do not like maccaroni with cheese very much,
to say the least.
But garden vegetables and pasta in tomato sauce
- so delicious!

Too much or too little water?

2010-07-20T19:59:00.003+02:00

An American seeing a Norwegian WC for the first time

would probably wonder if the hosts ran out of water

with so little water in the toilet bowl.

An Norwegian seeing an American WC for the first time

would probably wonder if the system was clogged

with so much water in the toilet bowl.

Different systems.

Phoning to talk or to send a SMS?

2010-07-20T18:11:00.005+02:00

A comment made yesterday, made me think about
what changes I have been making in my life after I
started to use SMS around two years ago.

If I phone to a regular home number, the person
I want to talk to may or may not be home.
It may or may not be convenient for that person to
take my phone call just then.

If I use her or his cell phone number, the chances of
reaching the person is very big, but again it may
or may not be a convenient time to talk.

So if I send a SMS, I know the receiver will look
at the message when it is convenient for them
(perhaps even straight away), but they will
respond either by writing a SMS or by phoning me
when it is convenient for them.

On Skype you click in your status:
Online
Away
Not Available
Do not Disturb
Invisible
Offline
Skype Me

What would happen if mobile phones and landlines
had similiar status signals/icons?

Kate's adventure with Grandma: Day One

2010-07-20T17:45:00.005+02:00

Kate:

Eight days ago an elderly lady turned up at our house.

Mom and Dad call her Grandma, so I have learnt to

say "Hi Grandma."

This morning my Mom and Dad went on a small

vacation , and guess what? I am here with Grandma!

ALL BY OURSELVES.

Report around seven thirty in the evening:
I have been in a happy mood the whole day.
I have played inside the house with my toys.
I have read in my books.
Grandma has read for me.
I watched Sesame Street.
I ate all my food.
I did my midday nap.
I walked around the garden.
I loved playing inside the tent my Dad put up there.

It has been a good day.
I still seem to have accepted that those two central
figures in my life - Mom and Dad - are not here.
I will think about that a little more tomorrow...

Now I am falling asleep.

Vocabulary at age 18 months

2010-07-20T01:28:00.002+02:00

PEOPLE:
Mommy, daddy, grandma

PHRASES:
Hi.
Bye, bye!
Bye, Grandma!
I love you.
I am sorry.
Thank you!
Please.
Go!
Go, go, go!

PARTS OF BODY:
Nose, eyes, ears

WEATHER:
Rain, wind

LETTERS:
ABC, O, W, Y, M, Z

FOOD:
Apple

NUMBERS:
One, two, three.
Recognizes seven as a written number.

FIGURES from TV and books and dolls she has:
Elmo, Abby, Ernie, Max, Wonderboy, Simpson

ANIMALS:
Piggy, cat or meow, dog, duck, giraffe, bear

OTHER WORDS:
Train or choo-choo, car, boat, tent , book, light,
swing, trip, shoes, singing, dancing, clap,
happy, chimney, nice.

WORDS THAT HAVE TO BE SPELT OUT BY THE
GROWNUPS BECAUSE OF KATE'S REACTION:
Milk and tapioka because she loves it.
Sleep, night and nap because she hates it.

Sleeping in a "box" at Terminal 4 at Heathrow

2010-07-14T20:36:00.003+02:00

Personal conclusion:
For me it worked out really well.
After taking a warm shower, entering a very
comfortable bed, adjusting the light, watching a
little bit of TV, I completely forgot I was staying in
a "box" at the airport, and fell asleep for eight hours
straight - a personal record.
The ten hours I had rented my Yotel room for, cost me
around 66 GBP, if I remember right.

I know that staying at the Yotel on another occassion,
will be a very good alternative for me.
For four hours of blissful sleep, I will pay 32 GBP.

Luggage

2010-07-08T22:48:00.002+02:00

I like this quote:

There are two kinds of luggage -

hand luggage and lost luggage.

It is an intellectual and interesting

challenge to travel with just your

handluggage.

But definitely worth it.

Red, White and Blue - in both cases

2010-07-06T23:49:00.001+02:00

May 17th

July 4th

Yesterday was Fourth of July

2010-07-05T23:28:00.001+02:00

Yotel at Heathrow

2010-07-04T17:49:00.002+02:00

One week from now, I will stay at the Yotel at

Heathrow for one night.

How will it be to sleep in a box?

The impressions of some of the other guests

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMziKFl4n6E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMr5Qcd5CeI&NR=1

How to locate the yotel at terminal 4 at Heathrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_ALnLfcxc

It will be interesting to see how this comes out,

when I actually get there. :-)

Naturkunnskap = Natural sciences

2010-07-04T17:32:00.003+02:00

The other day, in a secondhand shop, I found this

book we used in elementary school.

For the grand price of 10 kr (less than two dollars)

I brought it home to relive those lessons.

The subjects included animals, plants, physics and

chemistry and health.

The photos were all in black and white, but I remember

I liked the color drawings, like this one:

I think I have mentioned it before, but the most crazy

part about these lessons was that instead of walking

outside our classroom into the most fantastic nature

right behind our school to see the plants and animals

close up, we sat in the classroom, copying the texts

from this very book and making copies of the drawings.

What a waste!

Observing a young couple

2010-07-03T22:21:00.002+02:00

They obviously were in love.

The way they held hands.

The bounce in their steps.

The way they turned to each other as they talked.

I was on the other side of the street, behind them.

He was dressed like any other young man in Norway

would dress - Bermuda shorts, T-shirt.

Only his jet black hair hinted his parents may have

been born in another country.

She was shorter, very petite.

Her black leggings showed off her very thin legs.

Her tunika/ short dress had long sleeves.

That far she could perhaps also have been one of

many other young women in Norway.

It was her hiyab, her headcovering, that was hinting

to her family background.

But the two of them mostly looked very much in love.

He then quickly put her arm around her.

The hiyab and the hug became for me a symbol of

trying to live in two cultures.

Perhaps it was. Perhaps it wasn't.

Listening to the rain

2010-07-03T22:11:00.003+02:00

My grandparents had a summer house next to the

Oslofjord. It was fairly primitive and small, but it

always had place for the enlarged family to meet.

I remember one summer when I was twelve that

only my grandmother and I stayed there alone.

She thought she was looking after me, and I knew I

was looking after her. :-)

Just now it is ten at night, still some light outside, and

I opened the window to get some fresh air.

It turned out it was raining outside.

The sound of this summer rain brought me straight

back to that summerhouse of my childhood.

I remember that when it rained, I would stay in my bed

up in the attic, reading old magazines my aunts had brought,

and hear the same sound of rain in the background and

feel the same moist smell of Norwegian summer

like I do just now.

Oscar II - a king and a cake

2010-06-27T14:47:00.005+02:00

King Oscar II, King of Sweden

Also King of Norway till 1905.

Source: http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/sv/wikipedia/o/os/oscar_ii.html

As my mother tells it, the King was extremely upset

the Norwegians did not want him as their king, and died

two years after Norway had regained its independence.

The cake named "Oscar II's taarta / tårta" -

a glutenfree cake I made the other day.

I used strawberries, but often it is just covered with

the almondflakes.

Most recipes talk about making almonds into

almondflour yourself. I used the expensive

alternative of using readymade almondflour,

bought in a healthfood shop.

Here is one recipe out on the internet, in English

http://annesfood.blogspot.com/2007/10/happy-birthday-blog.html

If you read Swedish, you can also check these

http://www.recepten.se/recept/mandeltaarta_smoerkraem.html

http://www.alltommat.se/matinspiration/inspiration/kungligt-gott-till-kalaset-1.8860

http://www.dn.se/mat-dryck/recept/oscar-ii-tarta-1.1112851

Shadows through a red curtain

2010-06-26T17:09:00.002+02:00

In Norway the hook that you use to keep your

window shut, is called a "stormkrok" - a hook against

storms.

I felt these two photos felt right for just now.

Because of the color?

Because of the abstract form?

I am not quite sure.

A tragedy

2010-06-26T09:03:00.003+02:00

In my other country, a year ago, a man I know

killed a young man in a car accident.

It turned out the young man was the son of his

classmate.

Last night that man shot himself, leaving his

family and friends in shock.

If a person causes the death of another person by

accident, there are at least two families involved.

The family of the dead victim.

The person who caused the death and his/her family.

What happens after the accident?

Does the family of the dead victim get counciling

through their grieving process?

Does the person who caused the death get help to

stay alive while he or she has to cope with the

consequences of what happened?

Is there an official system for this or must the

initiative come from the families or the person

himself/herself?

New Norwegian expression - at least for me

2010-06-26T08:50:00.003+02:00

The other day somebody was explaining to me

that he would not do the house renovation he had

planned.

"Det er for mye pes", he said.

It is too much "pes".

"Pese" is a verb meaning to make noises while you

breathe heavily - to pant or to wheeze.

When you run , you will end up with "puste og pese".

breathe and pant.

When I grew up, I imagine we would have said

the renovation would be too much work,

or demand too much effort.

In 2010 it can be "Det er for mye pes."

Loving books

2010-06-26T08:43:00.002+02:00

This is Kate in the middle of May.

One year and four months old.

Here she is a few days ago.

I myself love books, so it is very sweet to

see that Kate's parents have given her that love, too.

Tantebarn?

2010-06-16T11:09:00.003+02:00

When I hear a Norwegian word or expression for the

first time, it still surprises me.

This time it was "tantebarn".

Perhaps it is a local expression, but one of my coworkers

talked about her "tantebarn".

"Tante" is aunt.

"Barn" is child.

So your "tantebarn" should be the child of your aunt?

Or are you the aunt of that child?

I had to go back and ask my coworker what she meant.

She then told me that her "tantebarn" are the children of

her sister. In other words, her niece or nephew.

Sending a parcel at ten o'clock at night, from a supermarket

2010-06-15T00:07:00.002+02:00

Tonight at ten, I was reminded by email to send

a parcel to a relative abroad.

In the old days, I would have had to figure out

when I could get to the post office during their

opening hours.

Now, with my neighbourhood supermarket being

open from seven in the morning till eleven at night,

I could solve this problem immediately.

In my supermarket they have a post office

that keeps the same opening hours as the

supermarket itself. It seems to me that part of the

staff at the supermarket has been trained by the

postal system, because I have seen those helping

me with my post, on other occassions stacking shelves

with food.

Walking to the post office, I could then enjoy another

positive feature - it wasn't sunny, but it was definitely

light enough despite it being ten at night.

Life sometimes has its good moments!

Small pleasures!

Little girl, big ponies

2010-06-05T11:43:00.003+02:00

I love this photo of Kate.

Perhaps because it symbolizes the situations in life

when you are a spectator and not an active participant.

On the other hand, being a spectator can help you

learn and prepare for becoming an active participant

in the future.

Her mother summed it up :

" Not big enough to ride the ponies."

Lily of the Valley = Liljekonvall

2010-06-02T18:21:00.005+02:00

http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_over_norske_fylkesblomster

Liljekonvall is the flower of Østfold, the fylke (county?)

Moss is part of.

My mother and I spotted one in the forest near

Framnes today.

It was special for my mother who told me that on

Mother's Day in Sweden where she grew up,

she and her siblings would pick Lilies of the Valley

and other wild flowers the evening before and bind

them together in a long row.

During the night, the flowers were kept out in the grass

and my mother still remembers the excitement of

keeping this a secret from their mother.

In the morning the children would fetch the flowers,

still wet with morning dew, enter my grandmother's

bedroom, place two chairs in front of her bed and

drape the flower arrangement over those two chairs.

Then they would serve her coffee on the bed.

That was one day in the year my grandmother

was not the first to get out of bed in the morning,

but dutifully had to stay there till her children had

celebrated her.

Mother's Day in Sweden is celebrated on the last

Sunday of May, meaning it was last Sunday May 30th.

My grandmother was born 110 years ago, so the

wonderful smell of the Lilies of the Valley is

one way to remember her.