For Dad Golden

Lauren Davenport in the blog Life and Breath and Everything Else has allowed us to share her photos for free, just by linking them to her blog. http://acts17v25.blogspot.no/

For free, forever free.

Everlasting Ruby Joys

I found this picture last week. My uncle Leif made this slide  from a Sunday School trip summer of 1960. Gunnar made a great job scanning hundreds of slides for my uncle, so that family members and church members might have their own Sunday School DVD.
 This must have been the summer of red jumpers and pony tails. I just love "going into this picture", study and remember one the best days of my life. The game going on is Blind man's Buff, you can spot two blindfolded kids in the middle of the ring. Spread around are grown ups, all so very relaxed, no BBQ or fancy equipment, homemade sandwiches, and coffee, soda for sale in the yellow boxes. My parents are her, two aunts, one uncle, four cousins, my self, my brother probably down by the sea. I know each and everyone of the kids by name till this day, they are like pearls in my memory book. The grand family who owned the place would always open their huts by the fjord for the church members. The old boathouse with kitchen and living room upstairs was pulled down this summer.The memories will never die. This week has been especially devoted to this particular picture, walking down memory lane.

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

THE GIFT FROM LIDIA

Isaiah 53

King James Version (KJV)

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

² For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
³ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Hey Stranger

Daughter Serina delivered her final assignment in video journalistic today.
Her Norwegian friend Thomas is The Stranger.

Blessed Day

Living with chronic diseases in two towns has made our little family exhausted, vulnerable, but also thankful for the many blessings other may take for granted.
Last week was no exception I had a doctor's appointment, aa physiotherapist appointment, Serina and I went to stay with my Mom for three days and sought things out about her health and house. We had a great time together, went out to a confectionery and met with many of Mom's friends.


We drove home through a blizzard to reach my physiotherapist. Small, curvy Norwegian winter roads along a steep fjord side are not for amateurs. Serina is luckily no cowardice snail, but a very skilled driver. Surrounded by angels in front and after, we came home whole and healthy.

I use my refrigerator door as a memory board. I'm collecting GOOD memories. Like yesterday when we were at an art exhibition, the first this year. A video installation picturing the life of an elderly window, her memories from a long life both in Norway and America.

Serina offered to make us dinner. After living 4 years away from home she has developed into an excellent cook. Darwin would have loved her; "Survival of the fittest. "
.Salmon baked in oven with potatoes, red pepper, garlic,cheese, yoghurt and leek. Yummy.

We had double espressos and ice for desert in the living room. Serina came up with the marvellous idea of reading loud from Tolkien's The Hobbit. She got the novel for Christmas and was very well aware that neither I nor her father had bothered to read the book.
Besides Christmas Eve we hardly practice loud reading much nowadays. It made great fun, and while the ice was melting, our minds were blooming.

Serina and Gunnar alternated reading while I sat fiddling with my camera. Serina is headed for studies in Ireland next week, and needs to practice English pronunciation.

Gunnar also found it easier reading from the ipad after awhile. The letters in the Hobbit pocket book are very small indeed. Imagine, it's 75 years since it first was published. One of Serina's favourite actors is busy filming the book on New Zealand these days.


Meanwhile I sat admiring a lithograph I bought short time before Christmas. I like the mix of figurative and abstract expression. My head was filled with hobbits, wizards, trolls dwarf and elves, and after two chapters I know for certain this is a novel I'm going to finish on my own. I cannot imagine why I haven't read it earlier. Maybe it was recommended by the wrong people??

It's been a long time since I have been enjoying the peace and togetherness of our family this much. Even my telephone call to my mother was relaxing. My best friend from my childhood and her husband were paying my mother a much appreciated visit. I just felt how my tense shoulders were relaxing. Other of my best friends are living in our books, they are stacked in every room of our home.


My old Remington Portable is accompanying my PCs in the library, decorated with a postcard from Dublin Writers Museum.
I bet Serina will repay the place a visit during her one semester stay at Griffith College. I know parting will be tough. The only thing worse, would be her not being able pursuing her dreams making a future for herself.

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

Second Sunday of Advent

This week we shall be lightening two lights. Two lights for hope and peace.

Advent means Arrival. Maria was the first waiting for the arrival.
How appropriate that she was selected among "The Silent of the Country".

This Mother Mary, made of ivory, was the first gift I gave my husband to be and the coming father of our child .
It's almost as if she becomes alive when I'm trying to make her portrait.

I have met the most wonderful people in blog-land. Barbro taught me how to make my own candles with angel décor. She's such a young and inspiring acquaintance, a creative homemaker with food for body and soul.

There's a mini angel in this photo with a read necklace. can you spot her?

Our Carl Larsson girl is placed under the old fashioned candlestick, patiently waiting for the arrival.

Even the old youle nisse has placed himself in my grandfather's chair.
He's dressed in the sweater my mother knit for me when I was a toddler. Serina also used it for a year, before the old man claimed it.
The nisse is meditating over Christmas Hymns while looking fascinated at the Star of Bethlehem.

I posted this Ruby Tuesday early Monday Morning just to remind you that daughter Serina is facing her first of to oral exams today.
Praying is not cheating, even if my little brother thought so, long time ago.


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