Rubbish, but lined with gold

 

 The garden shed of my paternal home has a story of its own. It's older than I am, and has served multiple purposes before it ended up as a shabby storing place for lawn movers and old wooden skies.

I still have the hope that it may be saved for future generations.

 

Even though wood is the most common building material in Norway, and we have easy access to wood almost all over the country, there is also a long tradition for reusing building material. Our shed served originally as a double outdoor toilet (no water) for the church to which my parents belonged. It was torn down when indoor plumming was available in the early thirties. However, the material was not torn away, but reclaimed for a hen house by the family who built my  paternal home in 1945. Food was still sold with  rations cards even till the mid fifties, so keeping hen was an ordinary mean of food supply.

 

My parents moved in as the builders emigrated to America in 1951, and since then the house and the shed has belonged to the our family. My mother was not keen on keeping poultry, so the shed became a storage house, and later on, when I was able to play on my own, it became my playhouse. Since the house had two doors (one for men, theo other for women), my friends and I had two semidetached houses and years of fun playing with our dolls, using berries and veggies from the garden as "food" for our "families". 

I guess I played there until I was twelve. 

I was a lucky, happy child.

The flowers are still blooming this second day of September 2014, even though it's been some years now since my mother had her garden tools in the shed.

Standing outside thee door of the shed, I see my mother as in a dream, always busy, always caring.I hope the shed will get a new revival. It so deserves it. Thank you for wonderful memories.

Linking up with Roan in Rubbish Tuesday.
 http://rubbishbyroan.blogspot.no/

Rubbish house, georgous loctation.

The August blue sky and the brand new, red life saver cannot hide the fact that this boathouse has seen its best days. Rubbish.
Even so, if it came on the market, one would  probably have to pay more than 170 000 US Dollars to get it. I know, because there was a similar boathouse, but with not that spectacular location for sale a few years ago. I couldn't afford it. I actually don't need it either. I don't have a boat and the beach is located only 7 minutes walk from our home.

This is a private boat house on a public bathing resort within the city of Haugesund, but facing the North Sea. The Norwegian government has decided that the sea side should be available to all inhabitants, therefor the building of  new boat houses within the cities is prohibited. This being a public beach makes it impossible to build new houses here. I am fine with that. I so enjoy being here any time of the year.

The Bay of Whale is naturally formed by the mountains and bergs, but to protect the bathing guests from the strong currants a breakwater is built to the right in the picture. These are dangerous waters, one can see the currants even on a silent day like this. The light house to the left is an ancient sea mark.

The beach was built for public use in the 1930-ies. The architect has so loved the art deco style. Even today the eyes find it pleasant to admire the familiar art deco lines, vogues en vogues, so very fitting. It's comforting that the rubbish boat house never will come for sale or being allowed converted into a villa. These locations are treasured by all Haugesund's inhabitants, and so they shall remain.

Linking to Rubbish Tuesday with Roan. http://rubbishbyroan.blogspot.no/

The sun also rises...and sets

King Winter has been extremely reluctant to leave the country.
April is soon over, and yet the grass is brown and the birches haven't sprung.
The sun is, however, with us longer day by day. We have about 15 hours of sun each day. Some amazing sun-downs and sunrises to enjoy in  thick winter-clothing.

Morning sunrise in the east.

And sunset in the west.

I wouldn't change these magic hours for any Spanish beach.
This is where I belong.
This is where the sun also rises for me.

Welcome to play on with the members of Ruby Tuesday2

Photo  © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher

From old grave yards. A spring report.

Gunnar and I were out on photo safari in the neighbourhood yesterday. The  grave yards of the parish of Skaare have so many ancient head stones. Like this with a German text on it:

Psalm 69:1
Gott, hilf mir; denn das Wasser geht mir bis an die Seele.

² Ich versinke im tiefen Schlamm, da kein Grund ist; ich bin im tiefen Wasser, und die Flut will mich ersäufen.

³ Ich habe mich müde geschrieen, mein Hals ist heiser; das Gesicht vergeht mir, daß ich so lange muß harren auf meinen Gott.

Psalm 69

King James Version (KJV)

69 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

² I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
³ I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

 The old church, now gone. was situated about the place I was standing while photographing the old graves.
I wonder, were shipwrecked sailors resting underneath this special stone?

My friend Annie has a fine word for walking in grave yards. I hope she'll repeat it once more to me. I keep forgetting.
The text on this cast iron stone moved me deeply.
"Hereunder rests the dust of Madame so and so, widow after meerchant so and so. 
She was born in 1778 on Hauske vicarage and died in Haugesund 1860. 
She had no children of her own, but by her goodness she became mother to many who remember her with great thankfulness.
Among these were particularly two who she took in her care, and loved as if they were her own, and who always will keep her memory in loving recollection.
Peace be with thy dust.
Blessed by thy memory."

This happened at a time when Norway was among the poorest countries in Europe.I found it very moving.

A special neighbourhood to the old church. The red roofs are for Ruby Tuesday.

 If one didn't have much land, but was in need of housing, one might build like this one century ago.

Gunnar overlooking one more graveyard.

Beautiful out take of a headstone.

Dandelion spring is finally here.

A stroll down to the sea, where children will be swimming in a month or two.

 ...And back again, where the train is waiting.

May your guardian angel follow you both this Monday, the Ruby Tuesday and evermore.

Photo  © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher

Carpe Ruby Diem

Buildings talk. They tell a history of times gone by, of the people who lived there and also maybe, of thing's decay and death.
This little, red painted, worn shed has spoken to me since I first spotted it in a sharp bend on the road between my home in Haugesund and my paternal home in Sauda. The road is so narrow and the speed so high, we kind of never got the time to stop for taking a picture. It tormented me. It's evident that the old building, once housing cotters for the great farm nearby, can collapse any day.
In November the weather was awful as we were driving from home to home. The windshield wipers hardly were able to wash away the rain flood. We drove at snail pace, and I got to capture a shot of my little vulnerable building.

The red shed telling
tales of love and labor to
people passing by
 

Photo  © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher


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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