Home, sweet home

"How is it to be back?" is what everyone asks me. What shall I say? I miss the climate. Where the summer in Ithaca was sunny, whether cool, or hot, dry or humid, with the occasional thunderstorm, here it is cloudy, cool (50's and 60's), humid, rainy, with the occasional cool, breezy, sunny day thrown in.

But I love the hills and forests! And I love being back in my own house and garden, living with my husband, my children close by, surrounded by my pets: Topsy the border collie, the cats: Sebastian, Pirill, and Funky (Puseline hasn't been home since I came back), 2 cockateils, and a beta fish, newly aquired.


My own house and garden! Husband has taken such good care of them: the house clean, neat, the grass short, flower beds weeded and vegetable beds turned and ready for planting next spring. We will plant a new strawberry bed this fall. Of the apple trees, one has apples, the other does not. One of the plum trees is loaded, the other has one (!) plum. One of the blueberry bushes has blueberries, as does one of the red currents. The black currants and gooseberry bushes are hanging full. I picked the gooseberries today for a cake as my good friend Nils came for dinner tonight, and to introduce his new partner.

We are getting settled. Ingvild has made her home in the the cabin. We have been to Oslo (70 miles) to get dance duds for her. She is happily reunited with all her friends. 7 of them met us at the airport, falling all over her with squeals of joy. Since then she has been at two slumber parties and is planning one herself for friday.

I have been promised a temporary job at the ER in Hamar (closest town, 10 miles away), but can't start until my mrsa status has been cleared (whether I am a carrier of pennicillin resistant bacteria). I have a doctors appointment next wednesday. Today I will see the dentist and the optician to have my teeth and eyes checked. So now I have 2 weeks of vacation to enjoy, because the earliest I can start work will be the 28th.