Sunday, July 20, 2008

River deep and mountain high

This summer has flown by like "a watch in the morning".
Bitter and sweet, high and low.
I would like to share some highlights.
Here; hubby Gunnar on the ferry on our way to Stavanger.
Lots of fjords in Norway and lots of ferries in traffic.

Three 300meter deep tunnels to drive through under the water to get to
Stavanger. Only two hours drive though. Jim's son lived and
worked here for a couple of years. His father did not dare to take the trip, though.
Perhaps he should finish his Scandinavian tour sometimes. They'll be welcome.


Train from Stavanger to the utmost south, Kristiansand.
Here passing the station Moi, where my brother has been living for 25 years.

Gunnar watching closely while the scenery keep changing.
Keeping his tension well under control. He's out in a mission.
Gunnar is standing at the top of the hill leading down to beach paradise.
I slipped out of my sandals.
The sand was so soft and deep I sunk down to over my ankles.
On the way home, we decided that is was time to call it a day, and stopped at our favorite beach on earth, Ogna.
Mathilda is waltzing with a cellphone in her right hand, already soaked by salt water up to the waist.
Luckily I had handed my phone over to Gunnar before I was overwelled.
Terry, you should have been there, you would have loved it as much as I do. We just bought tooth brush,2, and toothpaste. I washed my clothes and hung them out to dry.
It went like a dream.
Sundown of my longings.
Mission completed. M Gunnar Parker behind the stick of his new, old Sopwith Camel.
Cruising through the landscape of my Mom's. Jaeren.
The Discovery is lead to old hunting fields. Like the old graveyard by the sea.
The stone has the inscription from psalm 121. If you doubleclick, Lil Pilgrim Pal, you can read it in Norwegian.
Terry once asked what roll stones (or rolling stones) was.
They were brought to land's end by the ice some 10000 years ago. In the horizon huge stone age graves close by the beach.
Manitoba by the sea?
In and outdoor art exhibition at the old vicarage.
Main artist, Ellinor Floor was raised in a Pentecost Church. She says that's why she loves hats. The one in the foreground would fit nicely on a Texan lady, or?
They are not really meant for wearing,-I hope.
I just had to snap a picture from the guestbook; Canadian visitors.
Goodbye, Old Vickarage. We'll be back, that's for sure.
Turid and Liv have been out on an eleven days Pilgrimage, walking 250 kilometers a day, also using walking sticks.
Thats how Turid woke up one morning realizing she had
developed a biceps of steel.

The three of us went for a hike out to the lighthouse in the nearest village. Local artists were having in exhibition.
There's old Hrafvafloke eith his ravens, before setting outt for Iceland from this very spot.
Indoor art is fine, open air meeting with the Creator even better.

Attending a concert in a small village 1 hour ride from here.
2000 watched Sinead O'Connor performing in a circus tent.
We were amazed. The critics of the local paper not.
I don't wonder that they could not take the heavy stuff from the old Testament. Theology is the name of her latest album. Performed in The Royal Oerahouse in London, Wien Staats Oper in Vienna and also in a faroff corner of little Norway.
The audience were alll enthusiastic.

Here she is, caught on my cellphone, pure art and spirit.
I'm taking the liberty of adding her own version of De Profundis.

Out Of The Depths

Out of the depths I cry to you oh lord
don't let my cries for mercy be ignored
If you keep account of sins oh who would stand?
But you have forgiveness in your hands

And I've heard religion say you're to be feared
But I don't buy into everything I hear
And it seems to me you're hostage to those rules
That were made by religion and not by you

And I'm wondering will u ever get yourself free
Is it bad to think you might like help from me?
Is there anything my little heart can do
To help religion share us with you?

For oh you're like a ghost in your own home
Nobody hears you crying all alone
Oh you are the one true really voiceless one
They have their backs turned to you for worship of gold and stone

And to see you prisoner oh makes me weep
Nobody hears you screaming in the streets
And it's sad but true how the old saying goes
If God lived on earth people would break his windows

I long for you as watchmen long for the end of night

Memories from a walk in the forest close by our home.
My summer girl has been admitted to the most prestigious college for journalists, and she now quite doesn't know what to choose.

Flowers and herbs from my garden (thyme and sage, smelling like...summer.)
Yesterday the rain was pouring from an endless gray sy.
I put on my new scoop, a robe made of the fabric "Liberty of London" , cotton and laces. To avoid icing down I had to add my garden gnome jacket. As an honor to the sun above I wore my straw hat while tending my Indian Cress.
Rainy Summer's day feet .

Stones are gaining color when wet.My angle is looing a bit under the weather.I spraypainted the plastic chairs providing shelter under the wide Swedeapletree.
A bad year for the roses.
Gunnar hammocking. Life is not bad at all.

12 comments:

Jim said...

Hi Felisol. Your country is beautiful. And so varried in landscape. We are kicking ourselves for not coming to see son, Mitch, while he was there.

Don't let Gunnar get too carried away in that Sopwith. Does he tell you (warn you) to hang on tight when he does a roll or other manuever?

Oh yes, fun in the water. I'm glad your cell phone stayed dry.
..

Felisol said...

Dear Jim,
I guess both our countries are beautiful.
Ours is definitely colder, except for Alaska that is.
I can understand that you did not bother visit us.
But it's never too late, you know.
Gunnar is already carried away in his Sopwith. I have asked for new, updated seat belts, so I will not fall out the roof window when he spins.
From Felisol

Amrita said...

The seaside sunset is so breath taking.

you people had a lot of fun.

Turid and Liv walk 250 kms a day, you said. How can they do that?

I like your robe and jacket. I 've seen jackets like that in the charity flea market.They are nice.

We are having lots of rain too.

If Serina"s heart is in journalism, then its a good idea to go for it.Pretty photo

Felisol said...

Dear Amrita,
sunsets are breathtaking. A silent wonder. To be all alone on that huge beach adds volumes to the experience.

My friends are women with strong willpower. Turid has an artificial hip as well..

My gardengnome jacket was bought for a substantial price some years ago. The dress came cheaply and was about being altered, when Serina happened to google its fabric label "Liberty of London."
She found that the dress was a scoop made of rare fabric from the sixties.

Some fun.
Hope you are having better days in India now. Lous Bromfield made a novel from rain season in India. I found it the other day when I was seeking for doublets in our library.
The beset from Felisol

Mrs. Mac said...

You are so enjoying your summertime fun ... you and Gunner. And that Serina being accepted to a fine journalist school ... the decisions she must make ... to have such a choice! I so enjoyed reading about your family love story and the hut. How many generations have savored time beneath the rafters of such a sturdy sanctuary? What a treasure you have, your beloved country, and to think that we your readers and now friends may tag along part of your journey ;) ... We are in the 'dog days of summer' here in the state of Idaho. Winter brings relief from outside chores ... but I must savor said chores for when winter does arrive, exercise is harder to come by ... and I don't fare well on icy paths. My local farm is opening it's gates this coming weekend ... a whole two weeks later than usual due to such a wicked winter. But come next week and you shall find me picking produce in the fields. Finds to put away in the deep freeze such as berries and peaches turned into delicious pies to chase away winter blahs in a few months time. Green beans to pickle and can ... and bag and freeze. Yummy beef jerky to dehydrate for autumn hikes ... I shall be rather like the ants storing away food for the winter ... and not like the grasshoppers playing all summer only to starve in winter? Oh, not to worry ... Mrs. Mac, Mr. Mac, and wee Nathan shall have some fun next month on a visit to Glacier National Park (Lord willing) ... but until then, I shall have blisters from gardening and tending to the stove. Hugs from far away.

Renae said...

Dear Felisol,

Love the pictures! I am so impressed with your little journalist. Can't wait to hear what she decides.

Not sure I can see myself in that hat. ;-)

Come visit me, and I will show you a real Texas cowgirl hat!

Love,

--r

Anonymous said...

All too often I find myself speechles after I visit here...the beauty that surrounds you.....so much of God's creation, to breathe into our souls...the sunrise, sunsets, beaches, mountains..His love, His word...His faithfulnes...His beauty...oh I love the picture of the sunset Felisol... thank you for blessing me today

Felisol said...

Dear Mrs. Mac,
I've just come in from my beery garden picking black currants for the freezer.
I bought a blender this summer, and put frozen berries in too mix smoothies, no sugar added.
Vitaminbombs for winter attack.
I have red currant and gooseberries too, but they need a few more sunshine days to get ripe.
We've had almost three weeks of rain this July.
Luckily the Dog Days started with sun (23rd), cause then it's the saying they will go out with sun Auguste 23rd as well.
The old took a lot of weather marks from the prime stock. There were mostly farmers, hunters and fishermen in Scandinavia a hundred years ago. They were vulnerable to changes in the weather, and tried to predict as accurate as possible.
Even today the church prayer has a line saying "Give us good and useful weather."
We don't think so much in these ways now, we import meat, fruit and vegetables from all over the world.
Maybe it's time to think different?

I do hope you'll show pictures from your trip to the glacier park on your blog.
I didn't even know America had glaciers. Come to think of it, Alaska is pretty far north.
Will that be the place of your glacier park??

I wish you a good journey, and may sunny garden days.
How did your strawberries survive the snails by the way.

I hope you got the better of them.
From Felisol

Dear Renae,
Serina has not yet accepted her newest and best college offer. Tomorrow she must decide. If I was not dying my hair, my head would have been all white by now.

She is twenty,and somehow she will ttake responsability for her own life, which is right, but then she being a "service" child, expects us to be there for her a hundred percent, once she has made up her mind.
I have placed her in the hands of the Almighty all of her life, and we seem to need that more than ever.
Good for us that he is "service " oriented too, WAIT; don't WoRRY.

My hat is for garden use only.
I am amongst others a hatomaniac.
There's aslo a White cowboy hat floating on top of the hatshelf.
Think it is Serina's though.
This summer I bought myself cowboy boots for the first time. They were not at all comfortable.
maybe I bought them too cheap??
Somehow I cannot quite picture you with a cowboyhat. You'll have to blog- picture it.
From Felisol

Dear Donna,
thanks for visiting.
You have been of such a blessing to me so often, good to hear that you enjoyed to stay with me for while as well.
I sure hope things are getting better day by day, that the spiral has turned upwards.
You are as always in my prayers.
From Felisol

Saija said...

to think that i was so close to you (while in finland) but so far ... norway is so lovely, especially seen through the eyes of a native daughter!

we have a white sand dune beach near our place - it is on the shores of lake winnipeg - a beautiful place to take walks ...

as always, i enjoyed my visit with you and the family ... thank you for inviting your blog buds along!

((hugs)) saija

p.s. (at my post - it is a thousand lakes, rather than seas ... i always get those mixed up in the finnish language, so i can understand how easily it happens ... i usually say "hey, it's water!" ... *grin*)

Felisol said...

Dear Saija,
yes, I thought it might be a thousand lakes.
Lake is an inland sea, a sweetwater sea or just a sea in Norwegian as opposed to the ocean, the fjord, the saltwater sea or just sea too.

You speak some Finnish, do you?
I alas don't. It's so different to the other Scandinavian languages, Icelandic included.
Yxi, kaxi, kolme I know though. My dad used to teach as some languages while dealing cards...

Beaches are wonderful for making barefoot walks.
I also love bathing, overwhelming sense of freedom.
I'd thought you might like that too, being the daughter of saunas.
An ice cold outside bath is supposed to end the sauna, or?
See you soon,
Send my love to Leo and Scooter.
From Felisol

Rachel said...

What lovely pictures! I love your flowers and the sea pictures are great! What fun!! I found your blog from Jim's blog!

Vicki said...

Hello my friend, such beautiful photos here. I feel like I have spent the day with you, and wish I could travel the distance to visit. It's nice to get a glimpse of your life there in Norway - so much beauty.

Sending my love & hugs across the miles....

Hugs,
Vicki