My mother's old school, not so rubbish.

 

Not just any old school, but the Vestly School, which my mother attended from 1931 - 1934. It's been taken care of of voluntary members of the community, and reverently kept in original order.

My first cousins arranged a gathering there two years ago.

The classroom had two blackboards, one for learning sheet music, the other for writing and mathematics. There used to be an old piano. My mother took up playing the piano at the age of 70. She still remembered the codes from her childhood. Wall charts were daily used in lack of advanced books.

Wall chart illustrating the stone age in Norway.

I guess my Mother sat and looked dreaming out on the beautiful Jaer-scenery by this  desk.

 

Until the doors opened and they were free to leave for the day.

My mother outside Vestly School ca. 1932, first row, number two from the left.

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Why Bob Dylan came to the church

                                                                                                                                                Norway has been a Christian kingdom since 1030, when king Olav, later to be called "The Holy", won a siege at the battle of Stiklestad near the city of Trondheim. The king fell in the battle between the Christ-Men, King's Men and the Farmer Army. 
Through his death he turned hatred and hostility to peace. 
The entire kingdom decided on a Thing, (democratic assembly from back to year 700), the Christianity should replace Odin, Thor and the rest of the old pagan belief. Now wonders kept to occur near the belated king, and a church was built in his memory. The first of many Saint Olav churches. The building started only four years after King Olav's death. King Olav was buried behind the high altar, later placed in a sacred shrine, and pilgrims from all over Europe came to taste the holy water of Saint Olav's spring water. Royal coronations were performed in the church till our days. Our king and queen were officially blessed for their duty in a ceremoniously  in the Nidaros Cathedral.

The Catholic church named the cathedral "Cor Norvegia" , heart of Norway, since the relics of Saint Olav were placed there.
Also after the reformation in 1578 the church held its position of the foremost church in Norway.


To maintain  and even extend and add ornaments on this old stone church, an entire workshop with crafted stonemasons, plasters, sculptures, archaeologists and conservators work all around the year to keep the church from deteriorating.
In the 1960-ies it so happened the sculpture of Archangel Michel lost its head.

                                        Archangel Michael on the spire to the left of the front facade.
The sculptor followed an ancient tradition, to let a living person be a model for the replacement head. 
This happened the early sixties with scaring murders of American presidents, Asian wars, social uprising in the ghettos, the cold war and above all the terror of a nuclear war, threatening to destroy the entire globe.   The sculptor let the face of the spokesman for all our fear and despair be depicted in the face of the mightiest angel of all, Michael.
Such were the times, that it took 50 more years who was the model of archangel Michael.
Now even more pilgrims visit the dome to admire this mighty testimony.

Gunnar was there yesterday, and I said the only thing I really wanted as a souvenir was a postcard of archangel Michael/Bob Dylan.

"When He Returns"

The iron hand it ain't no match for the iron rod
The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God
For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears
It is only He who can reduce me to tears
Don't you cry and don't you die and don't you burn
Like a thief in the night, he'll replace wrong with right
When he returns.

Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that is passes through
He unreleased His power at an unknown hour that no one knew
How long can I listen to the lies of prejudice ?
How long can I stay drunk on fear out in the wilderness ?
Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty and this pride ?
Will I ever learn that there'll be no peace, that the war won't cease
Until He returns ?

Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask
He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask
How long can you falsily and deny what is real ?
How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal ?
Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned
He's got plans of his own to set up His throne
When He return.

Counting Ruby Blessings

Blogging isn't that easy when life is going steep uphill. I have to focus on breathing and where to place my feet. Blog Sister Debbie has taught me that counting blessings is a wonderful way of holding on to the good things in life. 

On our way home from a cousin meeting in August we stopped by this old light house now open to visitors. Here's a museum, an art gallery and beautiful coast surroundings. The sky has the rare August blue color.               
You can see why this sea way to Stavanger needed a light house. Small islands, riffs and underwater rock all the way.

 The staircase up to the tower was old and steep. I said I'd never make it, but hey; I did.

The Norwegian coast line is like an intricate  work of lace with fjords and islands 25148 kilometers long. No wonder our coast needs to be guarded by lights and earlier also lighthouse watchmen. They worked 24/7 all around the year in the toughest surroundings. Luckily many had their family living with them as a support.

These days almost all lighthouses have been automatized. They still live on as monuments of guardsman ship and valuable historic buildings.

Tungenes lighthouse also is the gallery of the painter Oskar Sorreime. He was above all a master of sky painting. Need I tell we returned home with uplifted spirits?

Actually the meaning and the strength of the lighthouse has been made a parable of Jesus in the hymn voted the most popular in Norway by the end of last century .
Google translation goes like this:

"In the midst of the darkness of night flashes, like a lighthouse beacons Jesus' name

And every homeless sailor waved to the safe harbor of salvation

And when the sun shines more a Jesus-name will light on,

Then the crowd sings saved its high price in the heaven."

Magical Mystery Teacher is hosting Ruby Tuesday 2 together with Gemma Wiseman

HANSA MUSEUM IN RUBY

The Hansa museum tells about how the mighty first European trade organization, The Hanseatic League, dominated all trade in Bergen and all Western Norway, and for that sake the rest of Europe, from about the 13th to the 17th century.
The young apprentices, Die Gesellen, came up from Germany and were not to fraternize with the tempting young Norwegians. They were simply locked in their beds at night.
Red evidently was both popular and cheap. Most of the interior was painted in a more or less ruby color. This stationary probably originates from 16th century.
One wonders, what's behind the locked and barred red door? The modern hearts evidently are there for air supply. The design obviously are some four hundred years old.
The young Hanseatic' dreams were more realistic concerning the natural female body, than those of today. No lipo suctions nor breast implants. Even so, the maiden of their dreams were so far away.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today.