DAYS OF THUNDER AND ASHES

Hiker girls meet another male while chasing white anemones.


"All these days coming and going; little did I know, that they were life itself".

The last weeks life indeed seemed is coming too close,as if I have no comfort zone left.

Like when the headlines in the newspaper aren't abstracts, but concerning people I know.
The Muslim girl sent back to Iraq by her father.
I know her, know her hopes for a future in Norway, know that it doesn't include a forced marriage in the land her father had to flee from.
I wonder;how long will foreign people be permitted to violent Norwegian laws?
How many blind eyes can be turned to injustice committed to children?

On the other hand, the pater I worked with in my youth; brave, intelligent, outspoken with a sharp pen and a dozen bestsellers. Now falsely accused of an "attempted rape" on an adult. (To cover up the fact the catholic bishop actually has confessed pedophile aggression.)
Makes me wonder; don't these transgressors believe in judgment day at all?

Ash rain from Iceland spraying my delicate spring flowers, but creating the most wonderful sundowns..

The wild white anemones are here, the optimal spring sign to me.Liv took us on a hike to gather the first ones this year.
A time of thrilled devotion.

The Ramsons are sprouting under every bush in the garden.
We're enjoying leek for all of our dinner meals, but I serve it as a side dish, so it's optional.

One week ago I bought an indoor mini hot house for to sow the holy basil seeds Amrita sent me.
Today the tiny sprouts are 1 1/2 cm long.
Amrita and her dear Mom are guarding the seeds in the hot house.
Outdoors I have sowed Indian cress and planted begonias.

We had snow less than a week ago,but I simply couldn't wait any longer. It was to be or not to be for my future flowers.
May is just around the corner.

We had dinner on terrace, wearing either down jackets and fleece quilts.

Gunnar is also fixing the bathroom in the flat we have for hire. Intricate work, but he's very clever.

We have help to wash the floors, but the eager ladies are a bit heavy on the (soap)bottle, so I had to polish the wood floor in the living room laying on my knees.
I seized the moment and made this self portrait.
My summer wardrobe is still hidden in an old chest.Perhaps next week?
The public library arranged its annual "Day of the Book", serving coffee and waffles, a free rose and selling used books for one dollar. Seized the moment there as well.

Gunnar already has had a his summer hairdo, leaving his hairdresser triumphantly smiling with a kilo of hair on the floor.

My hands are black and swollen from digging, weeding and planting.
I simply cannot wear garden gloves, I so enjoy the touch of soil. A good thing I don't belong to the manicurist class.
The birds are mating, singing all day and night long. We are lucky to have black birds nesting here. They repay our feeding with wonderful thrills.
All the time the clock of my life is ticking,tacking, -- to fast for my taste.

RUBY GUARDIAN ANGEL

I found this simple, little verse on a Catholic prayer site.
It suits only too well for where I am just now.
A fragile child in need of an almighty God.
I also want to thank the Scarf Sisters for forming this strong ring of prayer,staying faithfully by my friends and me.The angel is hanging in our living room window.

Daily Prayer to Guardian Angel

Angle of God
My guardian dear
To whom my love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide.
Amen

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

LONG LIVE RUBY SPRING

Spring exploded this week at 10 Celsius degrees.
This ship wreck has almost survived being covered in snow and ice for four month on our terrace.
In our living room the exotic plants are having a feast, growing totally out of control.
The hiker girls have been out all year, come snow, come rain. Now the masculine gender also is out of winter lair hibernate.Turid made great effort stopping this dog/calf from intruding our coffee rest zone. She easily controls any male creation.
No blue tulips, but daffodils and primroses in my garden.
I admit; I have not fulfilled spring cleaning yet. The windows of the terrace doors are misty from salty winter storms and rain. Serina's terrace-refrigerator decorations, made in oil on metal 10 years ago, are still vivid in their colors.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

BLUR RUBY TUESDAY

Today is Second Easter Day in Norway,the fourth holiday since Maundy Thursday.
Serina's Easter vacation is over.Easter to us has always been visiting family and getting visits.
Playing cards, reading crime novels and eating far too many Easter eggs.
Time to tidy up decorations, take some photos and pick up the other sides of my everyday life.
The snow is finally gone, the garden, my best mean of recreation, cries out for attention.
Tomorrow hiking with the ladies.
I just love this time of the year; the naked spring.
Outside our kitchen window the lilac leaves are green, bursting buds. The sallow has had "ducklings" for quite some weeks.
Step by step We are walking hand in hand with the spring.
My "April fool" this year was deceiving my loved ones to believe blue tulips had come forward from under the snow.
Not very nice. In a month I think my tulips will be here...

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

Psalm Poll Results

These have been taking part in the poll:
Kel, Gunnar, Serina, Amrita, Terry, Crown of Beauty, bottel, John Cowart, Pete from Chelmsford, Constance, Dad Golden, Carol Joy, Sonia, me; Felisol

Abide With Me A lot of Indian music

All heaven declares

All my Tears & Be Still My Soul by Selah

Alltid freidig når du går

Amazing grace

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

And Can it Be

Andreas Boccelli - The Prayer

Be Still My Soul

Be Thou My Vision

BLESSED ASSURANCE

Blessed Assurance

Blessed be your name

Bob Dylan - Every Grain of Sand.

By the Rivers of Babylon By the Sea of Crystal Saints in glory stand

Cantata and fugue in D minor J. S. Bach Chopin

Coldplay - Fix You

David's 121 st Psalm.

David's 121 st Psalm.

Deilig er jorden, Wonderful is the Earth.

Dyp av nåde - er hos deg

Dype, stille, sterke, milde

Eg veit i himmelrik ei borg

Eg veit i himmerik ei borg

En rose er utsprungen

En rose er utsprunget

Et barn er født i Betlehem

Every Grain Of Sand Bob Dylan

Fager kveldssol smiler

Fagert er landet du oss gav

Father God I wonder

First We Take Manhattan

From Heaven you came

Give me Jesus by Fernando Ortega

Gjør døren høi, gjør porten vid

Glade jul, hellige jul

Go Down Moses with Louis Armstrong

Gregorian mass song

Gud sign vår konge god

Gud signe vårt dyre fedreland

Halleluja Händel

Han er min sang og min glede

HANDEL - Hallelujah Chorus

He the pearly gate will open.Words Fredrick A. Blom

Hellig, Hellig, Hellig

Her kommer dine arme små

Herre Gud ditt dyre Navn og Ære, ("Good Lord, thy precious name and glory"

Herre Gud, ditt dyre navn og ære

Himmelske Fader, herleg utan like Hjem, hjem (Home, home) How firm a foundation ye Saints of the Lord

I den stille klare morgen

I denne søte juletid

I need Thee every Hour

Ingen er så trygg for fare

Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Ja vi elsker dette landet

Jeg er så glad hver julekveld

Jeg er så glad hver julekveld Jeg er så glad hver julekveld Jeg har en venn

Jeg synger julekvad

Jesus lever, graven brast

Jesus take me as I am

Jesus, din søte forening

Kimer, I klokker

Kirken den er et gammelt hus

Kjærlighet fra Gud

Kling no, klokka

Kyrie Eleison! Gud Fader miskunne deg…

Landet där solen ej går ner

Led like a lamb

Leid, milde ljos

Leid, milde ljos (Lead, Kindly Light)

Let My People Go

Litlefuglen

Lover Herren! Han er nær

Majesty (worship his Majesty)

Matt Redman - Blessed be the Name

Med Jesus vil eg fara

Mercedes Benz My tribute

Missa Creola

Morning Has Broken

Naglet til et kors på jorden

No livnar det i lundar

Nobody Knows

Nærmere Deg, min Gud(nearer my God to thee)

O bli hos mig! Nu er det aftentid(Abide with me)

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

Oh Happy Day - Edwin Hawkins Singers Oh holy night Oh, night devine

Old rugged cross

Old rugged cross

Old rugged cross.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Once To Every Man And Nation

One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus

Only A Sinner Saved By Grace

Ovan där/ Bye and Bye

Overmåde fullt av nåde Pie Jesu

Psalm 121

Psalm 16

Psalm 18

Psalm 91

Psalms:

Påskemorgen slukker sorgen Revelation Song

Shine Jesus, Shine

Silent Night

Slavekoret Nabucco

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. U2

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Så ta da mine hender

The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco

The Hallelujah Choir by G.F. Handel

The Love of God

The Old Rugged Cross

The Passion" - Adrian Snell (the whole album)

There is a fountain filled with blood Throught it all

Tryggare kan ingen vara

Turn! Turn! Turn! The Byrds

Ungdommens frelser

Velt alle dine veie

Vår Gud han er så fast en borg

When I survey

Å hur saligt å få vandra

Å leva, det er å elska

Å salige stund uten like

One hymn got 4 votes;
Old rugged cross.

Three for;
Abide with me,
Amazing grace,
Davids psalm 121,
Handel, Hallelujah Chorus.
Psalm 137 (choir of the Hebrew slaves/By the rivers of Babylon)
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld.

I've chosen psalm 121 to represent the ones with three votes.
It's such a special psalm in our family.
My Dad loved it, and of course knew it by heart.
When Serina was 4 years, she suddenly asked out of the blue at bed time;
"Mother how far away is God?"
For a moment I was bewildered; then a sentence from Psalm 121 came to help. "5 The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand."
The smile upon my girl's face as she let her right hand making shades upon the wall. "Is it true? Is he really here?" I found my old Bible and read the hole psalm for her, to confirm what I just had told her. And I know He was there then and he is here now. AMEN

I humbly thank all the participants, and if I have counted wrong, please let me know.

THE PSALMS, HYMNS AND SONG POLL 3

The psalm and hymns poll is still going on.
Terry sent a vote from her Dad Golden.
He's partly mine as well; my prayer child.
His song is also one of mine, The Old Rugged Cross.

THE PSALMS, HYMNS AND SONG POLL 2

John Cowart says: For a real toe-tapper, I don't think you can beat "Once To Every Man And Nation".
Other than that, they're all just songs.
Since he was the first to answer the call, I thought we might listen to him.

THE PSALMS, HYMNS AND SONG POLL

In our family we like polls. My brother and I have spent hour and days, trying to decide which are the hundred best pop melodies. When Gunnar first created our home site, we interviewed family members to find the best books, songs e.t.c.
http://home.online.no/~jackobse/elise/alltime/retrodem.htm
The other night, as we spoke on the phone, my brother challenged me to invite my blog readers, family blog readers included, to decide which are the psalms, hymns or spiritual songs, meaning the most to you.
We'll come back with a top 20 list before Easter.
If you don't have a blog account, you can post under anonymous and sign the name in the post.
I do hope you answer the call.
Songs and music play such a great role in all aspects of our lives. Wouldn't it be a nice thing to share?

RUBY EASTER YARD

Our kitchen table is laid for Easter.
Serina will be home early next week, and I like to keep the house ready for homecoming queen.
I have gathered hens, cocks and chickens for decades. Many are antique, other are home made.
Darling daughter has carved out the tiny wood cock, and signed her name on its tale.
There are different explanations as to why poultry seems to have such great influence in Scandinavian Easter celebration. Again the link between spring and new life. The hen and the eggs are ancient fertility symbols. Where as the rooster points at Peter's fall in Gethsemane. Mathew 26: " ³⁴Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."

Once more pagan and Christian culture live side by side. Yet we celebrate Easter or paske as we say, at the same time of the year when the Jews are celebrating their Pésach.
First Sunday after first full moon after the veronal equinox. And we like to eat our Easter lamb.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

RUBY SISTERHOOD

Chef Elisabeth made a delicious as the two of us were celebrating 30 years of rare sisterhood.
Elisabeth became my college working in a home for mentally disabled in 1980. She was and is that kind of brave, honest,caring and outspoken person I can't help, but admire. We connected immediately and are still close.
15 years ago there was a great change in the way mentally challenged persons were treated.Disciples of the American psychologist Skinner, preached and forced nurses to practice a strong regime of extreme punishment and reward.
I was away on sick leave at the time, but Turd and Elisabeth stood tall and denied to exercise a Guantanamo like treatment against innocent people.
That created a huge storm all over Norway. TV and our two largest news papers reacted on behalf of the mentally retarded and my two friends. Locally the persons in administrative power, the union and even the politicians went to court to get my friends sacked. My friends won after 3 rounds and 5 years in court. It even resulted in a change both in laws protecting mentally challenged and a whistle blower act.
Elisabeth was even rewarded with a special price, only offered to 10 people in Norway, amongst others our former king and our crown prince.


The fight and the victory had its dark side. Both my friends are suffering great health damages as a consequence the long battle.
Like heroic soldiers, Elisabeth has to cope with post traumatic stress syndrome. Life is not that fair. Never has she given up. She's a wonderful mother, friend, daughter and wife.
She smiles like heaven when she talks about good food, and is indeed a master cook. The other day she invited me to a wonderful evening.The menu for two was fresh lobster, crab fish, shrimps, salad and pink champagne. I smiled too, when Gunnar picked me up at 3 in the morning.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

THE CHALLENGE

Kitchen Maus challenged me to make a fish soup at 11 p.m. Who am I to say no. Besides her food photos had made me really hungry.

First foccacia to go with the soup. 1litre allsorts flour, 50 gram yeast, 1/2 liter luke warm water, 1/2 ts salt, 2 ts brown sugar, 2 tablespoon olive oil, black seedless olives, cheese and sea salt sprinkled at the top.



Vegetables for the soup, carrots, potatoes, celery root, red onion,
leek, green pepper, frozen herbs after your liking, herb salt,
whole, sweet fennel. One rich liter of water, cod for 4 persons,
crabsticks and 1/3 liter of cream.
The fish should not boil, but draw for 25 minutes.
Same time as the foccacia should stay in the oven.
Bon appetite.

THE RED SIDE OF THE LAW

Norway is a small country situated at the outskirts of Europe, under the Polar Circle, with 6,4 million inhabitants.
In contrary to the rest of Europe we have twice chosen NOT to be a meme of the EU.
That doesn't mean that the great nations leave us alone. Recently they have forced us to replace the old traffic warning signs with new ones. This sweet one showing a boy and a girl on their way to school. I always identified with this sign when I was a small school girl with red ribbons in my braids.
No horse riding on this path, children and cyclists only.
My father crossing the road in a 1950 outfit.
Crossing place for deers. Let's hope they understand the sign. Too many deers and moose have been killed this winter.
Here the basketballs are buried for the winter under the EU approved sign. A sexless figure with its balloon head unattached too the body.
I wonder how will they get the balls out of the bottle?

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SERINA

Serina is celebrating her twenty second birthday with cousin Kristine Maria in Oslo. They have been friends from the day Serina was born.
Kristine Maria was four then, and came to visit us at the hospital.
Aunt Sigrid, Serina, Kristine Maria and me dressed for "herring jazz" street parade.
Serina is chauffeured by dad Gunnar to a birthday party in the neighborhood.
They both enjoyed the ride.

Imogen Heap is the reason Serina and her cousin are celebrating together. They are attending a Heap concert tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROTHER KEL

My only sibling and baby brother, Kel,turns 59 today.
I sat up till midnight last night to call him on the phone, "happy birthday".
We usually start celebrating our days around midnight, that way the feast lasts longer.
Only 15 months younger than me, but I've always felt like big sister to him.
On the picture we are standing just outside our home. We are dressed in clothes our mother sewed of worn out clothes from her and my dad.
I never felt bad about wearing them, on the contrary.
After I was 20 I still would ask my mom to make me new dresses, even coats.(New fabric then, of course).
Here we are just home from Sunday school, waiting for our mother's homemade dinner, genuine 50th.
A bit of snow, just like now. Maybe it was around the time of little brother's birthday.
Take care, my very best brother, (and worst too, he'll add).
Thank you for the good times, for the games we played, for the late nights we shared, for the music, for travels, for the stories we wrote together, for always being so gentle to Serina.

RUBY SHROVETIDE

Once again I'll post a picture of the fastelavensris,
the lent faggots.
I quote from Wikipedia;

"Fastelavn evolved from the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but after Denmark and Norway became Protestant nations in 1537, the holiday became less specifically religious. This holiday occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday and is sometimes described as a Nordic Halloween, with children dressing up in costumes and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast. The holiday is generally considered to be a time for children's fun and family games.

In Denmark and Norway a popular baked good associated with the day is Fastelavnsbolle (lit. "Fastelavns bun", also known in English as "shrovetide bun" or "lenten bun"), a round sweet roll usually covered with icing and sometimes filled with whipped cream. The day after Bun Sunday is Blue Monday, probably the feeling of having eaten and drunk to much. Then comes Fat Tuesday, the last day to fatten up before Lent. Ash Wednesday the Lent starts. In older days this was the day to go to mass and get a ash cross painted on your forehead.

Another popular custom is the "fastelavnsris", with which children ritually flog their parents to wake them up on the morning of Fastelavns Sunday (Quinquagesima).

Fastelavnsris have many shapes and forms and differ from area to area. In some areas they are bunches of twigs, usually from fruit trees and preferably with buds. Those are often decorated with feathers, egg-shells, storks and little figures of babies.

Earlier, it was mainly the young women and the infertile who were flogged. It was also common that a young man would carry his "fastelavnsris" and (of course gently) strike at young women he met on the street. Later it became the children's special right to flog their parents on this day. In any case, the reward given for the flogging would be a fastelavns bun.

Fastelavensris truely is a reminiscence from pre-Christian times.
Now it's mainly made by a women's welfare association. Colorful feathers attached to birch. We buy new every year.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

VALENTINESEPIA

Since it's both Valentine's Day and Mother's Day Sunday 14th, I've chosen my favorite picture of my parents to share.
My dad made the shot with an old accordion camera, in fact the only camera he ever possessed. Later on he would borrow mine or my brother's to make slides from 30 years of mountain hikes.
He took this pic with self-timer, the camera placed on a stone.
The last four years of his life my father was bound to a wheelchair after a brain hemorrhage.
I made a copy of this picture, to remind the nurses who came 4 times a day, what a wonderful man who lived inside to body now so helpless.
My dad used to point at the picture and ask my mother (in English), "Do you still love me?"
My mother's answer would always be the same, "Oh, yes, I'll always love you".


Happy Valentine's Day to all teach Mary's Sepia Scene

Ruby laws, my books, my treasure

"With law the country shall be built, not with outlaw be ruined", reads the Frosta-thing law from 1250. King Magnus Law-Mender, (Double click to read more), was the first king to gather all of Norway under one common law. Earlier, Norway was divided into several "Things" where laws for the regions were made and judgments passed. Even king Christian V of Denmark and Norway let Norway have her own laws, hence this law collection.


Our Constitution was written on the 17th of May 1814, as a result of Denmark "losing" Norway to Sweden after the Napoleonic wars. 91 years later, after long and persistent negotiations and a grass root awakening and love for everything genuinely Norwegian in history, music, clothing, writing and visual arts; we finally became one free nation again. One and un-dividable as the law says. Even the new king, King Haakon VII, from Denmark, would not accept the crown without being assured that this was what the people wanted. He was elected by vast majority, and we are happy to remain a monarchy till this day. Reading the old laws is to me like reading a giant history book.
I so embrace my heritage.
The Norwegian Coat of Arms (double click to read more)is engraved in the leather of the Laws of Norway.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today