Basking in the sun

We have had several lovely sunny days lately: mild, no wind. The ice is quickly melting away and being replaced with mud. Today I finally did what I have been longing to do: took out a garden chair and sat in the afternoon sun behind our cottage.

Above is Lucy posing in my sunning chair with the my tea cup (green chai with honey and milk) and the latest Vince Flynn, while below is the view from my chair.

I sat through 3 chapters and Lucy practiced lying quietly by my side, with occasional "cookies" to keep her motivated.

Could this be Spring?

Here is a picture from my dog walk around the farm a week ago. In the last few days the snow has all but disappeared. The ice beneath is following fast. It seems incredible that it should already be spring. It's only the end of February! The sun is shining, birds are singing their spring songs, but on examining the trees and bushes and searching the ground where it is green, I have been unable to detect swelling buds or flowers.

Valentines Day

So the other day I sat down to think: what would my life look like if I woke up one morning to find that I had the perfect life (this was an exercise in the introduction to a book my daughter recommended called "Change your Life in 7 Days" by Paul McKenna). I sometimes think that I would really prefer to be alone, to being in a relationship. However, when I really thought about it - in a perfect life I would not be alone. I would be married to a kind, generous, loving man.

Valentines day dinner at Sushi Asia. They had the most delicious lam and vegetable dinner!

Valentines present which I found on my desk when I got up. Husband had to work and had gotten up at 5 am leaving me to sleep in. I have always wanted a set of natural skin care products, and these are travel sized. Just the thing for when we travel to America later this spring.

I gave husband a gift card for 12 deserts, to be made by me within the next year. To be honest, I needed an excuse to try out some recipes for desserts without sugar that I found in the "broccoli forrest" cookbook. I immediatly got busy and made the first one: an apple, cheese, port pie with an almond crust. But I cheated and used home-made currant juice instead of port - so it had some sugar in it after all.

Norwegian Mothers Day

Today is the Norwegian mother's day, and I am feeling a little bereft: After having a full house for the most part of 2 weeks, with both Tormod and the girls visiting, the house feels empty now, and I am missing them terribly. However I do have an upcoming visit from Audun and Annina to look forward to in a couple of weeks. Hurray!

All bundled up for a walk with the dogs.

Irene was exhausted when she first arrived.

Ingvild taking care of a little personal hygiene.

Tormod checking his email at my desk.

Knut's Funeral

Today I went to the funeral of someone with whom I spent 12 years of my life: the father of my children. I drove 2,5 hours from our place in the woods of Østfold, south of Oslo northwards to a small church overlooking the Randsfjorden lake. It was a sunny day, crispy cold. Mist rising up off the lake. A small intimate little church, the surrounding gravestones peaking up from the snow. The priest, an round, bald, fatherly man, gave a kind of informal warmth to the service.

Sitting there in the pew I thought of the good things this person had brought into my life, of things we had shared, and lessons I had learned through living with him. The farm up near the arctic circle which we farmed for 6 years. Our travels to England and the US, visiting cultural sites in England, and exploring state and national parks in the US. Reading The Philosophy of Freedom, together. He taught me to ski. Commitment to the truth, and the importance of Keeping Agreements. And the greatest gifts: 4 lovely children, now young adults.

Rest in Peace!