COUNTING STARS

The eight days between uncle Leif's death and his funeral were dark, but also time for searching bright stars. Gunnar and I live in the neighborhood of historical sites, graves from the stone age, ruins of ancient medieval churches, the supposed tombstone of our first king, Harald the Fairhaired, who assembled Norway to one kingdom in 872 according to the sagas.

On our way to Cross Hill, the cross said to be erected by Saint Olav who Christened Norway in 1033.
Passing an ancient grave.
Gunnar enjoying the sea view from Cross Hill.
The cross is said to resemble the eldest Celtic crosses.
It's a mighty mark, a point of orientation for sailors
coming up the North Way. On the other side of Cross Hill facing the open sea was a thing held twice a year in times of the vikings.
Laws were made and strides were settled.
They were true democrats long before the English Magna Carta.
Our National Assembly is called The Great Thing.
In the background the memorial over King Harald from 1872, a national celebration of the Millennium Jubilee of the Norwegian kings.

Gunnar walking home in the darkness.Sun and rain on historical sites.


A kitchen with a view. Turid's home has a wonderful location. Thursday mornings I usually go to see her for treatment of my toiled body. New energy via the chackra points.
Liv and I had this wonderful hike to Ryvarden lighthouse. Mating time for frogs!
The sea outside Ryvarden is called The Plain. It's wide open , but has some dangerous reefs below sea level.
Just nine years ago a brand new catamaran sunk in a December storm. 16 people drowned, including a neighbor son of us. Liv is reading their memorial plate. After this fatal accident the district were finally granted light bows on the reefs.
Most of the lighthouses along the rough coastline of Norway are now run by long distance operators. Back in the sixties the lighthouse guard and his family had to live on the premises all of the time.

Serina returned from Azerbaijan with mighty impressions from a strange culture. The pics are dragged from her photo site and does not grant her fair credit. This is from a highland desert.
A proud inhabitant of the "Fire Country."
The country is situated on the old Silk Way to China.
There are rich oil wells, but only a chosen few are allowed access to the wealth.

The capital is called The Windy City. Serina at the top of the Maiden's tower.
The Cherry trees were in full blossom and the temperature around 20 Celsius degrees.
"When the sky is dark, it's the best time for counting stars and admire God's greatness."

Adieu, uncle Leif

My very best uncle Leif has had a massive brain hemorrhage a week ago, and is now waiting to meet the Lord and his earthly family in Heaven.
His wife and three children are waking by his side 24/7.
We are all mourning, hundreds and hundreds of Sunday school pupils, nieces and nephews, athletics, alcoholics and their families, the sick, sailors and foreigners he met through his work, the poor and the elderly.

We were all time after time touched by his smile, his sincere concern, his extraordinary charm and vivid enthusiasm.
To me the greatest moments were in Sunday school when he would engage a class of 150 pupils so that neither would ever forget their way to heaven.
Now he is about to finish his race, and I know there'll be a happy crowd to welcome him.
Last year he followed my Dad step by step on his way to heaven. They comforted each other that they soon were going to wear again the beautiful rose-pullovers they got for Christmas as small boys. The grown-ups laughed at the little brethren who wondered if they might wear those beautiful pullovers in Heaven. When my grandma passed away a few years after and left them motherless as small schoolboys, they still were comforted by the thought of the reunion in their rose-pullovers.

He left quietly at 02.15 this afternoon, April 10th.
All of his nearest and dearest family gathered around him.
We borrowed my uncle, they owned him.

These are all songs loved by my uncle.
The two first with traditional Sunday school illustrations.
Rock of Ages with Bob Dylan, cause my uncle's eldest grandson is a famous rocker here in Norway. My uncle was very proud of him.
I should also add You are My sunshine, which uncle Leif sung and played harmonica to in Serina's confirmation party, to fill out the many colored picture of this unique man.
Uncle, we love you.
Gunnar, Serina and Elise

APRIL FOOL, MARCH REVISITED

March came with garden lilies.
Mom has gardening as her absolute main interest.
No crouches, but a broomstick was appropriate support, she felt.
We were both correctly dressed for heavy working.
One week later the tiny flowers were covered by snow.
Spring can be so moody.

For Jim: New favorite:Warm Brownie with thick fudge and nuts,served with ice and whipped cream.
Blackberries, blueberries and cow berries added. So are several pounds to my weight.


Yellow is the color of Easter by us. Serina makes a splendid
background decoration.
My place in the kitchen, under the picture of my Dad and br. Ole.
The blue coffee jar comes from my German friend Christa.
Feathered domestics are also Eastern symbols. The cock from the Garden of Gethsemane is a must. The hens and eggs refer to the ancient fertility cult previous to Christianity.


Serina decorates herself with parsley.

Getting better all the time. Now in her typical housewife position.
Smiling Mom washing dishes of extended Easter family.

More items from my permanent poultry exhibition.

Bro Knut E showing off in Mom's old self made tablecloth.
She's an artist with thread and needle.

After a gray and rainy winter, spring came with snow.
Had to feed the birds some extra portions of cornballs.

Two garden angles almost hidden by the snow.
The daffodils were totally drowned.

Gunnar has made me an old fashioned swing hanging in the
cherry tree.
The brown miniature trolls have to stay out in the open all of the year together with Virgin Mary and two wooden cats.

More daffodils in snow.

Serina's two second cousins from Oslo came visiting.
They are her age and serving in the army.
Ruby had a nap in Serina's bed on her way back to Vet. school on a university outside London.
Finally out hiking. While making a coffee break this cute
rabbit came forth asking for food.
Can't believe it has survived alone in the wilderness.

Liv and Turid enjoying holy moment of April sun.
Life is not so bad after all.
The barometer of my life has again turned to wonderful.
We survived the icy, shifting storms and snow of March.
Even after 29 years with ME I did not imagine it possible to be so utterly worn out.
By Pass Over His blood was stained over the our door, and the angle of death speared us.
After holidays my Mom felt so well, that she got severe homesick. My bro followed her to live alone in the place she and my Dad have struggled and built up for 56 years.
She walks and talks and is able to feed her self in every way, so it's probably just Gunnar and me who felt she ought to have stayed a little longer.
We cannot forget the miserable sight who met us January 7th. (I had called home every day,but she hid her illness, wouldn't be of any trouble.)

Serina went to Azerbaijan Thursday after Easter .
We are both happy and worried about that too.
She's sent some messages that she's having a good time, but she actually is in a country at war, consisting of 93% Muslims.

Oh, I shold be proud. She's unselfishly helping out at an orphanage. I am happy about that, but....

Well, after hitting the wall and cracking all up for some days, I'm on my feet, making phycical exercises and today I'm headed for an outdoor hike with Liv, Turid and Gjertrud .

Slowly life is turning towards normal. Daffodils are painting my garden yellow and soon the tulips will spring out as well.
If He could just stop the rain from pouring down for a day or two I might even get some fertilizing and sowing done.

The sky is gray, but the sun is shining just now. Our part of Norway is famous for having the most unpredictable weather, four kinds of weather in one day is not uncommon.
Today our garden is green, but next week the meteorologists have predicted more snow.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
Anne Bradstreet (1612?-1672) US poet

EVERY HAIR NUMBERED

Had an evil day.
A really bad one.
As ever when I'm balancing on the edge, I looked up my Bible.
As expected I got an answer that was just right for me.
Luke 12
7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Saint Patrick’ Day/Easter Monday

What can be more appropriate than visiting St. Patrick's Church at St. Patrick's Day?

Or visiting the crypt where the original sheet musics to Händel's Messiah were kept by the no less famous Dean Swift. Easter Monday the view of the G.P.O. and the Irish flag remind us of the brave few from 1916 who gave Ireland back her freedom.


In St. Steven's Green learning the history of Ireland like I never knew it before. Memories fade like old pictures, but Ireland's history is engraved in my heart.

LIFE ON A ROLLRCOASTER

Just one more week and daughter Serina will be home for her Easter vacation. I miss her so. This pic is from her first day at her school far east in Norway. On their way to Serina's new whereabouts they passed this ancient stave church from year 1200.
It's made of wood, impregnated with tar and in remarkable good condition.There aren't many left though. 15-20 in the entire Norway. Just a decade ago some screwed up satanists set several old churches on fire.
Gunnar and aunt Lilly in her home. She made him this heavy woolen sweater just before she went to hospitale for a major aorta op. last Easter.
A favorite local dinner, KOMLE, consisting of potatoballs, meat from lamb and smoked pork, bacon cubes, Swede turnip, carrots.
The dish is always served on a Thursday, cause even though Norway seized to be catholic about 1540, fish is still served in Fridays, (then one of
course had to be properly filled up on beforehand.)
Serina and two friends from her school at the February ball. I'm so happy about the dress, she said, I can use it more than once.
(My main argument against expensive dresses has been: They are only used once)
My Mom sewing some newly washed pillows that she crocheted for Serina some Christmases ago.
Last week we had snow,- for one day only. It was freezing and Gunnar did a man's work cleaning up the fireplace before burning a sack of birch wood.

Waffles of thick sour cream made my Mom. She's getting stronger all the way. Here fighting a glass of cloud berry jam.
Mom also has to train her fine hand movements.
What's better than mending big wholes in Gunnar's socks? I never have learned that skill.
Haven't needed to, My Mom was always there.

Gunnar is dreaming about his mother-in-law's waffles.
Outside the home for the first time since Jan the 7th. Mom could not climb the two stair steps down to the yard. That became a huge obstacle.
Her she has triumphantly won.

More cafés. How wonderful to be out for the fun, not only for medical treatment.

Serina was her. Indeed she was. In her winter vacation two weeks ago. And in six more days she'll return.

One of my very best friends, Elisabeth, was recently 50. She celebrated with her boyfriend in Sweden. Later she came home to celebrate with her old friends.
Gunn,sister of Elisabeth and nearest camera Mia also a life long friend. In the background a litho
Elisabeth was rewarded (with a special prize) for having fought a victoriously battle for the mental retarded. King Olav was the first person in Norway to receive this prize and his grand son the tenth and last. Elisabeth got number prize number nine. There will not be shared out more of this very exclusive reward. Well Elisabeth for sure deserved her prize. It was a skin and knuckle fight with too may casualties. But the mentally retarded's rights were ensured by a new law as a result of this conflict.
Elisabeth and her very best friend, Siri.
Turid, friend, hiker and fighter on one of this year's rare hikes.
My Mom, brave, but skinny. She has gained some kilos by now.
Aunt Lilly is in hospital, again. This time an infection in a vein by her eye, also maybe heart angina. She is the loveliest among women. Always socializing and caring, making new and keeping old friends. "Oh, I met this sweet, sad young nurse at the emergency ward.She was going to break up with a boy friend. I urged her to think twice, as I strongly felt she was about doing a mistake." This is our aunt Lilly, midst in a chaos of EKGs and tubes she CARES.
No wonder we want her to stay with us for a little longer.
Second hike this year went on the roof top of our city. What a day and what a view.
Wherever there's a view point, there are traces of German bunkers. Gee, were they building the five years Norway was occupied.
30 000 souls live in our city. Until a decade ago foreigners were a rarity. Now about ten percent are refugees or East European workers.
They are different in culture and belief. (Muslims and Catholics mostly.) We'll have to do a lot of adjustments to learn to cope with the times a'changing.
One by one My Mom's old hobbies are revived. X word puzzle is a favorite. Along with watching Bonanza.
My very , very best uncle Leif. A better man I never knew. He's a rolemodel for three generations of inhabitants of Sauda.
Now he's gotten Alzheimer's and has to live in a home. He misses his wife and she feels so lonly without him. Sometimes life just is too harsh.
Serina has made selfportraits for a school exhibition. I know myself best, therefor I'm best fit making my own portraits, she states.
Second day of snow this year. 2 cm, lasted one day.

Sunshine and wind on our Lord's Day. We are off to church this evening, listening to a Requiem by Brahms.
Praying that will be a good time in church for my Mom as well.