Land of Elves

Ten days ago (oh, how time flies)several cousins and our spouses gathered at the school where our parents went a lifetime ago. We had a gathering 16 years ago, and later on have only met occasionally. The last years we have mostly met in funerals. It was actually in a funeral a month ago it was decided we needed to meet and have a good time together. Great success.

Gunnar and I decided to stay at a seasort hotel for one more night. As so often we went out to catch the magic of the sundown by the sea.
Arne Garborg, my mother's favorite poet , has described the sundown like no one else.

"From sea a land of elves arise,
with peaks and moors" the first stanza goes.
That is why the scenery in which my mother grew up is called Land of Elves.

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

KNOWN; LOVED, COUNTED

Picture, My Mom on Sola beach, taken by Gunnar Jac.

Today I'm writing my blog post # 500. I'd like it to be special, a gift from me to you. I remember a sermon telling we should live and die in Romans eight. I tried to find an out-take that could summon it all up, but I found no verse to exclude.

Romans 8

¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

⁴That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

⁶For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

⁸So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

¹³For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

²⁰For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

²¹Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

²³And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

²⁴For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

²⁵But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Every Grain of Sand

Bob Dylan

In the time of my confession,
in the hour of my deepest need
When the pool of tears beneath my feet
flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin' voice within me
reaching out somewhere,
Toiling in the danger and in
the morals of despair.

Don't have the inclination to
look back on any mistake,
Like Cain,
I now behold this chain of events
that I must break.
In the fury of the moment
I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles,
in every grain of sand.

Oh, the flowers of indulgence
and the weeds of yesteryear,
Like criminals,
they have choked the breath
of conscience and good cheer.
The sun beat down upon the steps
of time to light the way
To ease the pain of idleness
and the memory of decay.

I gaze into the doorway of
temptation's angry flame
And every time I pass that way
I always hear my name.
Then onward in my journey
I come to understand
That every hair is numbered
like every grain of sand.

I have gone from rags to riches
in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream,
in the chill of a wintry light,
In the bitter dance of loneliness
fading into space,
In the broken mirror of innocence
on each forgotten face.

I hear the ancient footsteps like
the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, there's someone there,
other times it's only me.
I am hanging in the balance
of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling,
like every grain of sand.

Night of the Moon.

Gunnar has this wonderful gift of comforting. Not so much by words as by acts. Yesterday he was busy repairing the car, due for control. Nevertheless he found time to take me for a spin while testing the brakes. We drove to a top called Stone Mountain and had chocolate buns and coffee while watching the town west of us and the moon over the pine forest in the east.
I did feel a bit homesick. The thought of my mother is always there. Then I remembered this beautiful poem my dad used to quote in German. (I found this translation for you).

Mondnacht (Night Of The Moon)
by Joseph Freiherr Von Eichendorff

Es war, als hätt' der Himmel
Die Erde still geküsst
Dass sie im Blütenschimmer
Von ihm nun träumen müsst

Die Luft ging durch die Felder
Die Ähren wogten sacht
Es rauschten leis die Wälder
So sternklar war die Nacht

Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Flügel aus
Flog durch die stillen Lande
Als flöge sie nach Haus



It was as though the sky
had silently kissed the earth,
so that it now had to dream of sky
in shimmers of flowers.

The air went through the fields,
the corn-ears leaned heavy down
the woods swished softly—
so clear with stars was the night

And my soul stretched
its wings out wide,
flew through the silent lands
as though it were flying home.

This is Norway

Till recently Norway had but one TV Channel, the NRK.
Anybody owning a TV set in Norway still has to pay tax to the National broadcasting.

This summer they made a unique "show", following the famous Hurtigruten from Bergen to Hammerfest for 5 1/2 day. No news break, no commercials, no entertainment on board; just the boat sailing zig zaging along the laced coastline of Norway.
I've chosen this out-take from Tromso to honour my friend Sonja. It's the home-town of her mother.

Need I say that the show was a mega hit among Norwegians, with reruns ever after it was first broadcasted this early June.
Yes, we may be weird, but we love each mountain peak and fjord arm of this country.

HIDE US

Psalm 27:5 For He concealeth me in His pavilion in the day of evil.

I just heard on the radio,a pair of Norwegian missionaries in Japan are welcoming refugees in their church. "We have food and water supplies, but there is no gas stations in many hours radius. We can provide house and shelter for those who are worse off than us. I fetched my husband on the airport today, and brought him with me back to the church", the missionary said, "I feel safe here in the shadow of my Father's wings."

I feel ashamed being so scared miles and miles away.
I'm still praying though, and will not stop doing so.

SEPIA NEVERLAND

The Peter Pan statue in Kensington Garden was one of the "must see" places for this trip. Somehow I'd never seen it before, but it's one of Serina's absolute favorite places. I wanted to share her joy. J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan lived near by Kensington Garden and did give this fabulous art nouveau statue to the children of London.
I do recommend people to take time and enter the magic world of the Serpentine,the fountains, the swans, ducks, squirrels, Diana, Princess of Wales' playground,snowdrops, daffodils and last. but not least the fairytale of Peter Pan.
As you will see, some tender soul had placed a crystal bowl with a pine shoot to feed the squirrel. I bet it will remain there in peace for quite a while.


Teach Mary is the host of Sepia Scenes,visit her.

MS KITTY, MOM OF FIVE

Finally they're here; the five newborn wonders of Ms Kitty. She's such a confident and proud Mom. Her little ones are weening, but their Mom is purring the moment we enter the downstairs bathroom; for the time being the nursery.
Some smell, I have to admit that, but we are doing or best venting without getting draft in the kitties' room.
I am totally amazed by the wonder of God and nature, and am so hoping for the best for these little fur balls. Photo Gunnar.

Ruby Penelope Ulysses # 22

Last chapter of both Homer's Odyssey and Joyce's Ulysses; Penelope.

Double glassed beach reading.

Odysseus had returned to Ithaca and was recognized both by his swineherd and his faithful dog.
As he entered his castle he had to shuffle out lots of parasitic wooers, who sought to overtake his wife and his throne.
Penelope didn't recognize her long wayward husband at first. It was not until he could identify some secrets about the matrimonial bed, Penelope accepted Odysseus as her husband.

Leopold Bloom's wife Molly, is the Penelope of Ulysses.
We last left them in a narrow, squeaking bed in 7 Eccles Street.
Now it is revealed that Molly in fact did commit adultery with Boylan this very day. Bloom was aware of the fact, and had even helped arrange the situation.

The last chapter is one coherent text without punctuation or paragraphs.
We are let into Molly's head, a stream of thoughts vaulting out, like a barricaded flood let free.
At times, I must admit, I feel Joyce is belittling his wife. The language is vulgar and the detailed descriptions, even worse. No wonder the book landed directly on the feared Index list of the Catholic Church.
Even so, my sympathy is with Molly.
She's mourning over her dead son and is also worried about her young daughter. (The daughter of Nora and James Joyce was diagnosed with schizophrenia and their efforts to get her cured all failed.)

Molly (Nora) is a middle aged, fading singer, who now has to perform in faraway Belfast,- with young Boylan.
She's clinging to memories from her youth, being a celebrated belle at Gibraltar, (Galway, actually).
She has no hopes for a future with Boylan. She knows in her mind, her heart and will are set to stay with Bloom.
She remembers Poldy's proposal on June 16th 1904, now famous as Bloomsday all over the world.



"miss Stack bringing him flowers the worst old ones she could find at the bottom of the basket anything at all to get into a mans bedroom" James Joyce



"he knew the way to take a woman when he sent me the 8 big poppies because mine was the 8th" James Joyce



"the ships out far like chips that was the Malta boat passing" James Joyce


"coming back on the nightboat from Tarifa the lighthouse at Europa"James Joyce


"I love flowers Id love to have the whole place swimming in roses God of heaven theres nothing like nature the wild mountains then the sea and the waves rushing then the beautiful country with fields of oats and wheat and all kinds of things and all the fine cattle going about that would do your heart good to see rivers and lakes and flowers all sorts of shapes and smells and colours springing up even out of the ditches primroses and violets nature it is as for them saying theres no God I wouldnt give a snap of my two fingers for all their learning" James Joyce


"they might as well try to stop the sun from rising tomorrow the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons ", James Joyce


"yes he said I was a flower of the mountain" James Joyce

"the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets "James Joyce.



"then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes." James Joyce

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today