Wednesday, November 14, 2007

AS FALL GOES BY

This fall has galloped along with yours truly dangling helplessly behind. I sure would like to show some of the things that have been occupying my time and mind for the last month.It's hunting season. The deers seem to know that they are not safe in the woods. This one visited Turid's garden early one morning. (Photo Turid)
Serina is doing well at her school. She played around in Photoshop and sent me a sweet greeting. (Photo Serina)
Gunnar and I like to go strolling on the quays of Haugesund.
Wind in his hear. He should be putting on warmer clothes.
Gorgeous Ruby, step niece of mine, is closest to my heart. She visited to watch Grey's Anatomy with me 2 days before she left to study to be a pet vet at a university just outside London.
Serina visited her on November the second. The two have been friends for ten years now, and were perfectly happy on their own in London.
Ruby has a special project nursing two tiger-babies. She's my tiger girl!!!
After a heavy storm came the frost and the snow.
My kitchen window facing north (and Serina's veranda) is white from sea salt.

Second Sunday in November is Father's Day by us.
I brought Gunnar breakfast in bed (and new clogs). Serina woke him up with a telephone call early in the morning.
Snow outside our living room window. We used to say that the snow had to fall three times before it would remain. That was in my childhood. Now we're lucky to see a few snowflakes now and then. This year frost came too early. I have not yet finished planting tulips..
After 20 years of marriage I am getting a room of my own. Gunnar has cleaned out a former guest room and bought me new bookcases.
I inherited two thousand copies after my father.
Those are books he collected almost one by one. He used to have a list in his wallet with books and authors he was looking for. We've had many a happy chase together. One time he used his stick to stop Turid from passing him in the queue to a market. Well, he learned not to mess with my friend. She simply threatened to steal his cane if he would not let her pass on the stairs.
The blue jar is a gift from my German friend, Christa. We've managed to keep out friendship for 37 years, even though she's living in Germany.
I being my old weird lucky self decorating my room for hobby work, music listening and reading. Finally I can see what has been hidden in chests and boxes for decades. I feel very rich indeed.
Serina brought me flowers in her autumn vacation. They have been greatly appreciated.

On our weekly hikes. Ducks swimming on the Eivind's Water.
Here's the troll guarding The Deep Valley, favourite recreation area for the 30.000 inhabitants of Haugesund.
Too cold to take a swim. The ladder is there in case someone falls through the ice in wintertime.
Last living insect in this part of the country. Even the snails are gone for now. That is, they hide two inches under the ground.
Very old friends gathered before Elisabeth, sitting at Turid's right hand side, sets off for two months in Thailand.
In Norway we have all kinds of churches, and then in addition assembly houses for low-church people, called prayer houses. Gunnar's aunt Lilly and I went to a bazaar there. That's what we call it when house wives knit, embroider and gather all kinds of stuff and sell lottery tickets for, in this case, a hospital. Aunt Lilly won a pillow, a jumping rope and a toy moose. Kaare, sitting next to her won at least ten items.
Eight gentlemen by six of them were singing barbershop melodies. Cute.
It's dark outside before six in the afternoon. Turid smiling on board the ferry from Bergen.
Turid, Liv and I joined a healing session in Bergen. Here's the very sympathetic hostess Aslaug.
At the dinner table. Turid sitting left in a new classy Oleanna jacket.
Near by a large shopping center, under the bridge separating Haugesund from Karmoey
five bauta stones (stone monuments) have been placed by the druids, prior to the viking area.
They look a bit spooky, and are called the five foolish virgins.
Every autumn art exhibitions are flooding.
Gunnar and I managed to visit three in one day.
Paintings of all ages, qualities and techniques. I fell for a small needle etching called "We are my dream." I bought it, on Gunnar's approval, but have not yet received it
On our way out into the woods.

Gunnar is enjoying fresh boiled shrimps on the chest my grandfather brought with him from Sweden to Norway 102 years ago.
Now king Winter has definitely arrived.
In a week or two our home will be in advent mood, day by day transformed into Christmas delight.