NORWEGIAN PASS TIME

My pewter is up, thanks to G & G.
I have enjoyed spring in London, daffodils and outdoor cafes.
King Winter still rules back home, and we have ski World Championship going on in Oslo, with the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian royalties watching Norway win.
Congratulations to Canada who bet our hero, Northug, once on 15 kilometers...
This weekend I divide my time between the telli and a new crash course; T'ai Chi, Chi Gong and Feldenkrais combined.
Still waiting for the new kitties to arrive into this world.

CRASH COURSE IN PC WRECKING

My brother Knut Erik/ aka Kel and I have been a wonderful eight days celebration of his 60th birthday in London.
There's only the two of us siblings, so we are pretty close, even though we only see each other in vacations.

First time we went abroad, back in 1969, we traveled together with a tramp-boat over the North Sea, and came to London via Flixburgh and Scarborough.
We went to the Norwegian Seaman's Church to get help finding accommodation and a adventurous time back then as well.

The picture on this blog is eight years old taken on our last visit to London. Later on we took Christmas cruises over to New Castle as "salary" for writing in a bridge magazine together.

Anyway, I was so eager to copy my photos from London over to my computer, that I managed to shipwreck the whole machine.
Now Gunnar is letting me use his old PC, but I will not be posting more, if not my new machine with all its "valuable " content cannot be repaired.
I give it a month. It's just too sad and annoying.

Oh, yes, I am the queen of self pity just now. So be it.

Knitting Socks, a crash course

My Mom still thinks knitting socks is a sport for sissies.
I, on the other hand, haven't knitted socks since 5th grade.
No, that's a lie. When I went to nursery school and didn't have much money I knitted striped leftover yarn socks for the whole family.

Here's a crash course for beginners.
1. You need 5 double pointed knitting needles. 12 stitches on four needles, 48 in all, plus one extra to fold over the first needle to make a ring.
The rib is made by knitting 2 ordinary stitches and 2 purled
till the rib is as long as you like it.

My mother is holding the wool tread over her index finger.
This is the easiest and fastest way to knit. I have seen on videos that the Americans let the tread hang loose and use their right hand to cast the tread under or over the needle.
That is also a possibility.

2. The heel. Take half the stitches, 24, and put them on one needle.
Knit forwards and back, one row plain stitches and one row purled, so that the knitted fabric becomes "stockinette". Begin with plain stitches on the outside of the stocking. Repeat these two rows till the heel is as longs as your own heel. Then cast off two and two stitches together, begin with # 12 and #13 till you don't have any stitches left on the needle.
This is the easiest, but not necessarily the prettiest way to make a heel.
3. Knitting the foot.
Use one needle and pick up 12 stitches on the left side of the heel and the forth needle to pick up 12 stitches of the right side of the heel. Now you have 48 stitches and four needles again. Knit plain stitches till the work is as long as you want it. Preferably till it reaches the pinky toe.
As you can see this casting off leaves a distinct seam under the heel.
4. Casting off the sock. Knit every forth stitch together for a round, then knit 2 plain rounds. Knit every third stitch together for the forth round. Knit three plain rounds. Knit every second stitch together and two plain rounds. Then knit two and two together till there's no masks but one left. Cut off and pull the tread through the last mask.
You are watching my mother making a pair of socks for a dear friend of mine.

This casting off is called a round casting, opposite the casting off for mittens, which is callled pointed casting off.
Good luck and please let me know if you understood my oh, so plain recipe.
Here's an American You Tube version that actually may be easier to understand.

HELPING RUBY MOTHER IN LAW

Even though my mother only lives 120 kilometers away from us, she's living in another world. We have coast climate, mild winters, cold summers. My mother, who is living at the end of a long fjord, surrounded by high mountains, has cold winters, but mild summers.


This winter the snow hasn't stopped coming, day after day, week after week. My mother's veranda was filled till over the brim. Her nice son in law offered to give a helping hand as we were visiting. The second Sunday of February is Mother's Day in Norway.


My mother (85) is considering snow a personal offense, and said, "No way you are going to ruin your health on shoveling that snow.Let me do it!"

She just got carried away, using all her fragile might to hold Gunnar back. Actually she hasn't had this much fun in years.I find Gunnar very patient and generous, giving my mother the opportunity to play.

After Gunnar had picked snow and ice for half an hour, he finally was able to open the veranda door, and my mother can sit in her chair and get some spring sun in her face. Wasn't that a great gift for Mother's Day?

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

Heddal stavkirke (stave church)

Serina fronting the Heddal stave church in county Telemark
not far away from the home of her grand aunt.


This stave church, all made of tared wood, is the greatest in Norway with it's 64 roofs.


To me the style looks oriental, but one doubts that the vikings went farther east the Istambul, called Myklagard.Once there were about 2000 stave churches in Norway, now only 28 are remaining. I've got to correct myself. We know for sure that king Sigurd went to Jerusalem - Jorsal- in 1107.
King Olav Tryggvason and
Olav Haraldson the Holy , both went in viking East Way to Russia, Novgorod and further down in about year 1000.
They evidently picked up inspiration and influence from their "trips".


Heddal stave church probably dates to the early 1300 hundred, though others mean the name Maria 1242 carved in the wood should be the correct year of the building.


The church was dedicated to St. Mary, but like the rest of the churches in Norway were " Lutherized" in 1537. The so called reformation was mainly to convert power and wealth from the church to the king. The Danish kings robbed the churches of all its belongings, land, silver, art e.t.c.


The church is a natural sepia. It cannot think of any more beautiful sepia than tar. Sadly a group of satanists burnt down about a dozen churches a decade ago, 3 of them in our region.
This church is well protected, a national heritage.
Credits to Gunnar and Serina. All photos may be enlarged by double clicking.

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

BE MY RUBY VALENTINE

1 Cor: ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

THE ALTARPIECE OF TYSVÆR

Norwegian Protestant churches all have an altar, often with a painted altarpiece, an altar table, candles and a Bible. The most common motifs of the altarpieces are the crucified Christ or The Gethsemane scene.

Not long ago Liv and I attended a funeral in Tysvær Church.
It was one of these harmonious ceremonies; a long life, a peaceful ending, with lots of friends and relativities gathered, praising the dead man's life on earth as well as his entrance into heavenly dwellings.

I was breath taken by the altarpiece. Jesus sitting with the Emmaus wanderers and the text "Abide with us" carved in wood underneath.

Last Sunday, after having done some research, Gunnar and I went back to attend Sunday mass. I brought my camera, and shot from the hip, as the congregation were leaving.
The painter of the altarpiece, Ole Frøvig , was a local artist with a personal message and a brave angel, even though his works are seemingly conservative.
The framework is woodcarving work illustrating the beatitudes.

The minister was a heartwarming and straightforward chap, the psalm song mighty and the church members plain and friendly. I think we'll make that 30 minutes drive to church once more, it truly is a place to revisit .

RUBY ART

Art for art's sake.
I just love art exhibitions.
Especially the weird ones.
Make me want to try create something by myself.
Like robbing my brother's single collection...
The bold use of colors was what caught my attention this time.
That and my love for bizarre hats.
Another result of being raised in a Pentecostal Church in the 50ies.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

Colleen's Questions & Answers

1. What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it?

Walt Disney's Fantasia. Serina gave me the new released DVD for Christmas and we enjoyed it as much as we used to love the old video. It's a classic masterpiece in every sense of the word.

2. If time and money were no issue, where in the world would you travel to?
The five golden I's; Israel, Iceland, India, Italy, Ireland . Roots of our civilization.


3. Would you ever consider living in a foreign country?

I might, but not as long as my mother is still alive.
Ireland or Italy have equal priorities, then Gunnar would have to agree, I'd never leave him.

4. Where do your ancestors come from?
All the great great great great grandparents on my mother's side come from the district of Jæren, Norway. My father's mother's ancestors are all from Eastern Norway, but the very best of my forfathers, granddad Erik Herman Ljung came from Sweden.
He was a one in a million man and still means the world to me.

5. What historical figure, (it can be recent history as well), would you meet if you could and why?

Jesus. Because He's the Alpha and Omega.

6. Which historical figures (again, can be recent) are you fascinated by?
People who have had significant influence over my development as a human being.
Handel, Bob Dylan, William Shakespeare, Bach, Louis Armstrong, Astri Lindgren,Gunnar's grandmother, King David, Michelangelo, Giovanni Guareschi, the minister in Sauda Church in the 60- ies, Rolf Idsøe and on and on....

Bob Dylan

Every Grain of Sand

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.

RUBY COMMENTS

No need of a walking chair. Curiosity made baby girl stand on her own feet.
Interesting.. even kept her on her toes..

The reason why I gave up keeping books in alphabetically order

As google will not let me comment on my Ruby Tuesday blog under "comments",
I have to publish them here.
Dear Colleen,
See what I mean; no control at all. These things which seemed so important beck than...
Can you imagine; when the health care nurse came for her first home visit, Gunnar and I had made a list of 20 "vital" questions?

Ralph,
In retrospect everything about the babies are adorable. Back then I clearly see, I should have laughed even more.

Liz,
It was fun and overwhelming being overpowered by my four month old daughter.

Dear Mrs. Mac,
Serina was and still is strong willed. That has made her a survivor, and I so respect her for that.
Being a mother still is a challenge and question of balance to me.
I am grateful all the time..
I find the Norwegian health care system for children very satisfying. The town is divided into four stations and parents have free nurse and pediatrician till the child is seven. The first two years. the baby is regularly admitted for controls and vaccinations. Vaccines are free and the parents may decide whether the baby should have it or not. Rich and poor are given the same, first rate treatment.

Dear Sonja,
You are right.
Serina is as dear to me to day as she was the day she was born.
She has brought far more smiles than tears into my life, and given life a new dimension.
The day Serina was born, my parents, my brother and Gunnar were out, celebrating. Gunnar saluted that they all had gotten a new status in life. (Fatherhood, uncle and grandparent-hood)

Gizelle,
Indeed, time flies, like a watch in the morning.
I wish I knew back, then how valuable every minute was.
I still find time my most priceless asset.

EG Wow,
I fully agree. Some mental characters are there from the beginning. I guess I wasn't aware of that back then. Physical heritage is accepted, likewise partially gifts like intelligence, musicality e.t.c.

My grandma, mother of nine, used to say, "God gives the talents. How they are used, is every humans responsibility".


Pagan Sphinx,
I agree. Good public health care should be available to everyone.
If we say that all humans are of equal value, they should be treated so as well.
Finding those long forgotten photos was a huge source of joy for me as well.
One single photo can make doors of memory wide open.

Dearest Terry,
I never knew that you have taken care for a baby for a year.
I might have had you for a candidate to such unselfish work. You have a heart of the size of a barn.

(My doctor says the only thing you can use washing ears with, is your elbow!!) No Que-Tips.

We had baby "dolls" in nursery school, and even exams in baby caring. I'd forgotten all about it 20 years after. Besides, child care theory will always turn out to be inadequate. There are thousands of questions professors cannot figure out on beforehand.
I'd thought you to be an expert though, with 7 younger siblings.
I used to bombard my friends with all kinds of questions. Till this day I am grateful for their patience with me.

Dear John C,
I'm so glad you are rewired! I have missed you and your
surprising and new way of seeing things.
For your hip I'll recommend you to contact the American RAW wrestler association. I think Hulk Hogan might have a gold belt or two to spare...

Ann,
but, feeding satisfied babies are also the most rewarding situation I can think of.

Maurice,
Yeah, cute.

Robin,
When my book of life shall be opened, this will belong to
"Eternal moments".

Gattina,
How lucky you are; grandchild.
Looking at old pictures really reminds us about how happy and lucky we were.

I like your cat-sign.
I might as well hang by the entrance door.
I think being adopted by Miss Kitty has taught me to accept that she is but a loan.
I cherish every day we share, and accept that she probably will be gone one way or the other before me.
I guess she might deliver some kittens in a short while. After that we'll have her sterilized.

Steve E,
You pinpointed the nature of our daughter.
She was born a B human.
Full of joy, laughter and energy when it was bed time.
We kept an arsenal of song books and fairytale books by her bed.When her dad fell asleep in verse # 35, she was not amused.

Carletta,
Those were the best moments of my life.
Serina was the kind of baby who would make everyone smile.
Guess I'm not exactly objective, when saying so.

Dear Amrita,
Yes I was both proud and happy. I still am.
And a lion mother, if and when that is necessary.
Amrita,
You need to have a chat with Tutankhamen for your gold needs.
Oh, I wish there were something I could do to make your pains go away.
I think the ayurveda medicine have good alternative treatments. I still have your holy basil growing in our living room.I have harvested some leaves for morning tea. It's definitely an indoor plant in arctic areas.
I wish you all well, and hope the spring will releave your pains.

From Felisol

RUBY TRIAL AND ERROR

Gunnar found old negatives the other day. What fun to scroll down memory lane. Serina was just past 4 moth when the public health nurse told it was time to start feeding her porridge.
In Norway the public health nurse is involved with children's
upbringing from birth till 18 years. Mostly welcomed advices, but they also make house calls to each new born baby to see that the baby is properly cared for. We felt that "our" nurse was very supportive.

Spoon feeding Serina was not an easy issue. She wanted her milk bottle, period. She literally grabbed the little tea spoon in her own hand and insisted on being in control of her own porridge.

The aim was getting a half teaspoon full in her mouth.
The result was porridge in her eyes, fingers, my hair, hand and the sofa. In Norway there's an expression, "To take the spoon in one's own hand". Our daughter did that from the age of four month, and she never let go of it.

Pictures and scanning by Gunnar photo shopping by me.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

SHORTCOMINGS & BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

Stained glass window in the hallway of Bergen art & craft museum

These last days have taught me lessons I should have learned long time ago.
Don't seek for, or even pray for things you aren't ready handle. I can easily understand that winning a million in the lottery can bring more harm than blessing in my life.

Proverbs 30: "7 Two things have I asked of Thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with mine allotted bread; 9 Lest I be full, and deny, and say: 'Who is the LORD?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God."
My wise dad used to read these lines and emphasize "give me neither poverty nor riches." I guess this is the foundation of my life, as well as my reason for I choosing a carrier and a spouse, a companion for life.
Then, sometimes, my wishes nevertheless are for more, more, more.
And I am briskly told to be satisfied with what I have got, and
to count my blessings one more time.

Psalm 139:17 " How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand; were I to come to the end of them, I would still be with Thee."

THE RING

The angel in the old chandelier, this far unknown to both Gunnar and Liv, even though they were Christened and raised in this Church of Our Savior.

My arthritis has developed in leaps and jumps the last years.
Finally all my fingers are aching and twisted, except for my two ring fingers.

Gunnar, the intelligent observer, suggested that wearing gold might be worth trying, since gold has been used in treatment for rheumatism for years, and has been worn on my ring fingers for the last 45 years.

I searched and found rings for all my fingers, except for my left index finger, which had become thick, crooked and swollen.
When my good friend Liv heard and saw this, she impulsively ran indoors, and returned with a thick gold ring.
She took my hand and slipped it on my index finger, "This is for you."
I was too confused to protest, and even more when I found out it was the ring her late husband and my friend Sigve, had worn till the day he died.
I was advised by Gunnar to consider it as a valuable loan, and wear it with gracefulness and awe, which I have done since that special day in June.

My fingers aren't healed, but they have stopped aching, and I can play my two summer tunes on the guitar again.

December 19th, Serina and I got two last minute tickets to a concert with Norway's Hanne and the Three Opera Tenors.
The Church of Our Savior was packed to the brim. We crept in on the fourth balcony row, and I made some quick point and click pictures before the concert started.
Afterwards I was lost to music.
One of the soloists performed Nessun Dorma with such force and skill, that the applause threatened to blow the roof off the church.

English Translation of "Nessun Dorma"

Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

I applauded wildly with all my locked up enthusiasm released.
It wasn't until the next number I felt that something was missing. Liv's ring. I whispered to Serina. She told me to wait searching until the concert was over. I prayed to God, "please, please send an angel and place the ring in my handbag", and went back to the magic of heavenly voices sharing Christmas carols and hymns from their cornucopia.

After sharing the ultimate hymn from the 11th century, "Deilig er Jorden", standing, the assembly split.




A smiling elderly man, my age, helped us searching the balcony for half an hour, but in vain. I prayed silently to God for help as we drove home, but told Serina what I was doing.

"But, mama, did you look in your handbag?" my sweet daughter asked. The zipper of my bag was still 2 inches open. I opened it, and the first I saw, was,-- the ring.
In spite of my lack of belief, my prayers were heard.

3 MINUTES MEDITATION

We need both bread & roses.



I have become like a blog raven; I steal silver from my fellow bloggers. It's New Year and time for reflection. Scarf Sister Pat put it so wonderfully in her post today, " I believe in second chances." Amen to that. I need second chances and new hopes for my personal development. I have been flunking forth grade in the school of life for decades.

Autumn outdoor meditating as good as it gets

My friend Annie talked about three minutes of meditation every day. Knowing that meditation always is good for me, I grabbed the idea. I can do three minutes, I sure can. Being a blogger queen I searched for the topic and found the instruction...3 minutes meditation. I have already began, sitting on the brown pillow, looking out in the garden, with Kitty by my side. http://www.peterrussell.com/TV/3Min.php
Annie, your site is even better, I think I can manage 6 minutes and use both.
http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm

Third theft I made from Mrs. Mac, at least I think she was the one who wrote about the new way of being a consumer on a low cost budget. Buy what you need, not what you want. I am making lists before I go to the grocery store. We shall have what we need, but not heaps of trade deal food making us fat and uncomfortable.
Three good beginnings for body, soul and mind.
Norwegian cheese slicer, a tool for the thrifty household.

PARTING

I heard the front door closing softly,
As I wakened from my sleep;
With the last touch of her kips, Lord,
Like a whisper on my cheek;

And I cursed the sun for risin',
'Cause the worst, Lord, was yet to come;
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin',
But, come sundown, she'll be gone.

Kris Kristoffersson

Serina left for school today, after 3 wonderful weeks together.
The only things worse than her leaving, would have been if she wasn't able to leave and create a life of her own.

I have deliberately blurred the picture. She came and went like a mild breeze.

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

RUBY FACES

In Norway we celebrate Christmas Eve. The shops close at 12 p.m.
and everybody hurries home to in their own way, get ready for the celebration. e

Our family always attend the worship service in the local church
as the start of Christmas celebration. We arrived early to get a "good" bench for the family. I snapped some photos before the service began.
Being extremely shortsighted, I do not always get all the details of what's been going on until I see the photos on the computer. Serina has put on her "Are you Russian?" look. My mother is a bit embarrassed, my brother is used to dealing with tougher youths.
Serina is the only grandchild of my mother and also her most precious treasure. There sure is no recipe about what to do when my beloved is acting up.
Look how well my brother is taking care of my bewildered mother, while our colt keeps kicking and jumping.
These pictures are published with Serina's permission.
I have to add she behaved like an angel the rest of our stay in Sauda.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

RUBY EPIPHANY

January 6th is the feast of The holy Three Kings or The Three Wise Men, Twelfth Night. I love the story about the faith and incredible stubbornness of these mighty men; who, led by a star, were wandering from the ends of the earth, to search and worship a poor Jewish baby boy,our Jesus, born in a stable.

The figurines in my Nativity Scene are from left a German wooden Weihnachts Mann, an oriental souvenir, bought on a flee market, made of fabric and leather, and the newest addition, a china figurine from Villeroy & Boch with a place for incense in the middle.Like the Weihnachts Mann, he is a gift from my German friend Christa. We met in 1970 and have been exchanging Christmas gifts since then.
May faith and friends be our leading stars in this new year.

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today

NEW YEAR

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Alfred Lord Tennyson and Felisol