spring update

Yeah, I'm still alive and kicking and I'm still busy. Time is funny in the way it seems to go by faster the older you get. Not quite true, because if you add boredom into the equation, time stands still. That doesn't really change with age, other than having even more worries to think about when you're bored...

Go away, I'm sleeping. I hate my period, it steals away all the fun in the world











In short

• Marianne has been in heath
• I've suffered from rheumatism and psoriassis, but I'm getting better because SPRING
• Runar is still unemployed, but he's been to a few interviews and things are looking up
• Got the flat sale money/inheritance and paid debt and credit cards
• Started drainage work around the farm house and the field. The basement has been filled with water since last summer and Marianne is showing off "her special swimming pool" to visiting fourlegged friends, like she's bragging...
• I've started knitting again
• Simen is in the process of moving out. It'll be so weird and empty without any kids around...

This is how it looks like up at the farm these days. I'm working hard to convince myself there will be grass and pretty again...

See the huge rock at the bottom of the picture. We're going to try make it into a stone table. 

I've made this dress, but in a different color (sea-green)

Since I had left over yarn, I made a pair of socks and a hat as well. Probably will be making the mittens too. PS! I found a wonderful site that shows how to make pom poms in a much faster and easier way How to make 2 different pom poms - easy and fast

I've also made myself felted slippers and a hat, but I don't have pictures of them yet as they're on the drying rack

Peace out!

Aw Lawdy, I crashed. Books and other sillies

I've been down with a freak bout of inflammations for more than a week. It's my own fault, which made it suck all that more. That exercise class was too much and when I, in one of those I-will-get-this-place-in-order-even-if-it-kills-me type of mood, mowed the lawn, yeah... I crashed. My arms felt as if they'd been through a thresher.[ramble] I had to put away my crochet work, which is a bummer as I only have the sleeves left to do on my jacket project.  After I'm done with this one, I am either going to knit or crochet another one - with thicker yarn - a cardigan type, me thinks[/ramble] Marianne, the physical therapist - texted me today telling me I was welcome to try out another easier class. I'm going to try that - hopefully next week.




I'm better now. Not great, I'm still stiff and achy as hell, but no fever anymore. Huzzah! The last three days I've been able to do some knitting, so I started the jacket to go with the dress I knitted for Frida pre-summer. It's going to be a Christmas present.




Runar's work has been down in a dump for a few weeks, with several loose strands that he hasn't quite been able to tie together. Until this week. He's in Denmark today. He'll probably leave again on Sunday for another project. Things are picking up. Thankfully, as I have a mountain of bills to pay.

Oh, you know the car trouble that didn't got fixed, due to the Volvo shop wanting us to pay our souls for something they couldn't guarantee helped? Runar found a shop that could do the job for less than half the price. They knew exactly what Runar was talking about when the called them and had no problems guaranteeing they'd get it fixed. Hah! Take that Volvo! It does mean that he'll have to drive 4 hours to get there, but they'll provide him with a car while the job is getting done. It is SO worth the drive!

Marianne is officially a young adult. She is in heath and Mother Night, she is one very confused dog. Plus she wants some. Real bad. I swear. She's a friggin' nympho whore. Walks with her is now out of the picture for me alone. Walks without a leash is out of the picture for the boys. It's mindblowing. Another thing that is mindblowing is how much her vagina swells up. I don't know how much you guys know about dogs in heath, but their genitalia swell up a bit. Marianne's swells up A LOT! I swear, she is a vagina with a little face at the other end. Terrifying!

IN OTHER NEWS:

Books

I've plowed through a few books this summer. Here are some I'd like to point out:

Red Rising  by Pierce Brown, a supreme sci fi space opera kind of read. L.O.V.E.D. it!

Theft of swords by Michael J. Sullivan. 1st book in the Riyria Revelations trilogy. It's a classical adventure type of Fantasy read. I totally and completely fell in love with the main characters, but I have to admit that the fact that I bought the audio books, part of why I loved it so much, might be due to the awesome narrator. I am such a sucker for a sexy voice...
PS! There are some free audiobook shortstories on Amazon. The Jester is one.

Skin Game by Jim Butcher, the latest of his Dresden Files series about Harry Dresden, the licensed Gandalf-on-crack wizard of Chicago, Il. . Seriously, if you haven't read any of the Dresden Files, you are missing out on greatness. The audiobook narrator is soooo sexy [Mm Mm Mmm]. My sister, who had previously read about 10 pages of this series and had decided that she definitely did not like this cocky asshat wizard wonder, changed her mind completely this summer after she borrowed one of the books(I have some actual books in addition to the audiobooks, because signed stuff is so fun), to read on the 6 hours' bus ride home.  She is now a Dresden Files Fangirl [evil grin]

 I've also been through some anthologies Dangerous Women and Unfettered, which had some entertaining stories in them.

I'm now listening to The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks. It's boy-coming-to-age type of Fantasy with some interesting twists. I have an ambivalent relationship with this series. I hated the main character so much in book 1, that I could hardly manage to read() on, but even though I still disliked him in book 2, there were some interesting aspects regarding Brent's universe and type of magic and I kind of like the baddies. Now, in book 3, I'm catching myself in actually liking the little SOB. Weird.

I upgraded the kindle version of Shawn's The Dark Thorn to the audio version. I now have it in all possible versions, but I don't care, it's a good story that I won't mind listening to again, whenever I'm out of anything new to read/listen to. Which sort of leads me to my big problem



I need ideas for new reads. I'm desperate for some dystopian, steampunk dark awesomness to dive into when the long rainy autumn nights sets in. Help me out, plz?






PS! Just got a call from Runar. 1.  He's landed a new deal. YAY! 2. He got his ass kicked out of the business class area on the ferry, because he didn't see the QUIET sign and was talking on the phone... GROANY SIGH!

Sounds harsh? Guys, you haven't heard the type of phone-talking this hubby of mine does. Quiet is not a word that abides with Runar. Not even on a good day...

New crochet project

I've started crocheting this wonderfully soft alpaca silk woolen jacket. Just that I'm going to try figure out a way to make it waist long, instead of a bolero short one.

I've started with the lower back part. I think I can just repeat the square pattern bit I've gotten half done with, without increasing and then do the proper increase for shoulder/arms when it's long enough.

I have no idea how to do the two front parts longer, but I'll figure that out when time comes...or, so I hope.

As you can see, I've chosen off white, instead of "wedding" white.

Wish me luck ;-)

---

In other news:

Summer here is hot and busy.

The Vet gave Marianne thumbs up, all over. *beams*

I made my first successful cheese cake with jell-o top. Yum!

The car's electronic system has heat fatigue. *grumbles* The 4wheel drive got broke earlier this winter. I think this car enters 1st place in dumb car-buys >.<




I got some extra money, unexpectedly, and bought one of these sets for the patio. Runar and Runar(Helene's bf) spent hours putting it all together. Loffs them we does!






Hope you guys are enjoying summer as well!

What my brain spewed out...

...when I realized how long it had been since I last blogged and knew I only had tonight to do it. 



First, Marianne is back to her good, old self. The swelling went away the fourth day. She had her last pills today, thankfully. Dogs get as low-energy as humans when on antibiotics. Poor baby. She hasn't wanted to go near that field where she got bit, afterwards. Lets all cross fingers she's learnt.


This is when we got back from the vet and the morphine kicked in. She was afraid to lay down, since the mouth hurt so bad. I had to help her, in the end. She was out for several hours and when she woke, she felt a lot better and her appetite was back....or perhaps it was the drug-munchies?







We missed Simen

Tuesday we're off to her 1 year old check up at the vet. Should be fun. She really impressed me at the emergency Vet. She hadn't been to a vet before, but took to all the instruments, benches, noisy machines and other sick animals, like a pro. The Vet could do whatever she wanted to, but when she touched the lips(?) she cried out miserably.





The shark slippers are finished.













I had to turn down a visit from a friend. That really and truly sucked. With Runar having so much to do with his new business and his stress level being as it is, I just couldn't make it happen in a way that would be an enjoyable experience. He is a gracious and understanding friend, which makes it doubly bad. But, I have promised myself to get better at saying no, rather than forcing myself to manage more than I can handle. The visit will happen and when it does, I'll likely be happy it got postponed. I hope. Part of me fears there is a train that has left and will never return. I hate that little miserable voice in the back of my mind. Someone ought to find a way to permanently stomp that dude and tell the rest of us.


I got tax refund. I didn't think I would. Very pleasant surprise, that.

 Drought has stolen all the colours. This little fellow is usually pinkish purple



Tuesday we took the boat out and ate supper sammies on an island. The drought is making everything look rather sad, to be honest. It's crazy dry. My lawn is a yellowish-brown dried out joke. Simen, bless his soul, managed to keep my flowers alive. Mostly. I love that boy.

Tuesday night, I wanted to strangle him slowly to death a time, or ten.

He had forgotten a fish in a plastic bag on the floor inside the boat. You cannot imagine the stink. I had to remove the rotten mesh and dry it up. G.R.O.S.S. We had to leave the hatch open the entire trip and we left the boat open, making Simen go down to close up late at night before going to bed. He had to clean the boat a later day. Grrrowl!

This one hasn't sprung out and doesn't know about the colours having been stolen, yet. Crude awakenings to come. Å, Jah!









 Next week, Helene and her Runar is coming home. Juhuu!









I'm crocheting a new summer hat for myself. Like this, but white.












The big cousin get-together up at the farm, is happening August 1st. None of us sisters has had the guts to start any serious planning. Runar has already started dying. It can't be helped, he'll just have to die gracefully around me, or suffer the consequences. I'm working on my mean streak this summer.

I got my hair fixed, yesterday. And my brows. I thought they got too dark and tried scrubbing the colour off with eye makeup remover.

I now have very sore and very red eyebrows. They're still just as too dark. Nobody can see that they're coloured and that I regretted it, tried to fix it and failed. Miserably. Nobody.    
Snort!


My attempt at a selfie, showing off my new caps. My photographic skillz still suck balls.  

I HAVE BEES IN MY GARDEN, but I will never be able to live off my photography,

I know that very well. It's a mystery why I keep at it...but I do.

I HAS BEES IN MAH GARDEN!

Suddenly I love my messy old garden. It may not be pretty, but at least the bees like visiting and that ought to mean something, doesn't it?

As I said; I'll never be a photographer
You can nearly see half of her

Yes I know it's a she-bee*



*expl. will follow




It's a bee!

It looks like she's flying without wings, even though she's obviously carrying big yellow bags.


 It is living proof of bees still exist and the world isn't going to end. At least not tomorrow.

These are rose leaves. Interesting. Below them and in the background, you can barely see a bee. Do-it-yourself-zoom-in-style

Notice how I also broke the Don't-take-standing-pictures-rule? Skillz. Pure skillz.













Oh, see, a cut rose stalk. Fascinating.

I'm a big fan of impulsive clicking.    Uncontrollably.     You can always trust that method. Nothing good, or interesting ever comes from it.








Honestly? I'm terrible. I don't know how my phone camera works. Half the time I can't find the zoom button. I just can't seem to dig up the interest of learning it. I'm having a classical old-people-archetypes moment with everything regarding cellphones.


This is me while experiencing a crash course of camera functions given by Simen. He is clicking the button just when I'm exclaiming; I can see me!

I am really trying here, peeps. Can you see all that enthusiasm? I amaze me sometimes.














I really should learn how to take better pictures.



PS! I apologize for incessant use of sarcasm.

PPS! ...not really.

Friday, I welcome thee!

I'm happy to say I'm back to knitting again, after a period of not being able to knit at all, it feels great! Finished with a few knitting projects - felted slippers and socks.

Working on this right now
(just that I'm using different colours)


















Charlotte (Frida's mom) visited earlier this week and she picked out a few dresses and sweaters she wanted me to knit for Frida. Yay!







I'm also going to crochet these shark socks for Helene. If they're not to difficult to do, I'll do a pair for some of the toddlers as well.







I'll probably be crocheting a few more summerhats for myself later on. With my sensitive scalp and lack of hair, it'll be that or buy a whig...




Oh, and because it's Friday I give you something to WTF over

Yoko Ono's Fashion for men:

I mean, seriously?!? That's not sexy, that's creepy! Or, when I try visualizing a REAL man wearing those clothes, like the hubby hee hee hee yeah, hilarious!  

And what's with the nipple dots? 

Here's the link http://www.weirduniverse.net/

Gotta love NEWS of the WEIRD


Have a fantabulous weekend, folks!

Hang in there, guys.

Christmas will come and even if things didn't turn out quite the way you dreamed it, it'll probably be a good one, regardless ;-)

So, how goes it with your Christmas preparations? I score a big MEH this year.

 I completely and utterly failed at getting the Christmas box ready for my family in Ohio. I ended up doing the last minute panic solution, that shouldn't have happened, but did.  I promised myself last year that this year I'd start getting it ready in August, but that didn't happen. July - December this year was quite the tricky solitaire to puzzle together financially. Everything that wasn't an emergency got put on hold. Each day was a puzzle and each week needed careful planning. It took up all of the creative space in my brains. The various car emergencies didn't exactly help. Still, it's really no excuse. It's not about the money, it's about creativity and making my American mom something personal. This year I just haven't been able to pull the creative me out of hiding. Except from the knitting, I haven't made stuff this fall.

Even though I haven't finished with the gift shopping, I'm not stressed out. I can't quite decide if that is a good sign, or a really REALLY bad sign, but I'm going to pretend it's a good sign, until the opposite has been proven. Christmas will come and I know it will be a good one. There will be good food and laughs and happy family. I am not going to stress out and become grumpy just because, you know, it's not worth it!

I'm counting down days to Helene coming home. I miss her and wish I could fast forward time. On the phone the other day, she told me she had her Christmas gifts taken care of. How did I get so well organized kids?!?

Danica has a really good influence on Simen. I gave him money to buy a new pair of pants that could work for family dinners and parties that didn't involve a dress code(suit+tie) and I hinted that maybe he could get himself a nice shirt, too - half expecting him to growl at the suggestion. But whaddayaknow. He came home with a black shirt with a silver tie and a pair of dark blue jeans that DID NOT sag to the knees. I was speechless. All I could get out was a silent W.O.W. Turns out Danica had the same idea as I had and went along to help him pick something out. Apparently, she told him that he needed to look nice when she introduced him to her family. *giggles* She also gave him an intensive course in how to appropriately greet grownups. *laffs* I'm beginning to like this girl more and more!

Tomorrow, Hildegunn and I are getting my parents Christmas tree up and the house decorated for Christmas. We'll also take care of an old Christmas tradition my dad has kept since we were little kids. Comic books are big over here and each year they have a special Christmas edition. We've gotten one comic book each, together with a lollipop and candy. It's something we've all looked forward to and when the dinner and presents are finished on Christmas Eve, we sit down to relax with the candy and comic books - we swap them after we've done reading our own. This year dad told me he was getting too old and confused about who got what comic book. I made a deal with him that I would take over the baton and continue the race. It's such a feel-good tradition. It can't end.

Hildegunn will drive me up to the farm afterwards. This means I won't be able to join your chat, guys, which is sad. I love the video group chats. Mucho funn'o! I will, however, be able to greet Runar with a cosy warm cabin and a nice meal when he finishes work. He really deserves it.

That man has been busy lately. I am impressed at how well he copes with things waaaay outside his comfortzone. Last week, they attended a business meeting in Sweden and closed a really good deal with a German company that has had a Swedish company as sole agents in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Now Runar's firm will take over as agents in Norway. That deal alone will be enough to keep the company floating, plus salary to both of them. 

This week he's been in Austria visiting another big company together with a client and he's already made plans for another trip down there in January.

The guy is wearing suits on a daily basis. He is traveling by plane and whatnot. It's pretty amazing. I am falling in love with my old husband all over again. Nice!




This is going to be a baby hat when it's done. Nope, I can't make heads or tails of it, either. Yet. It's a new pattern I'm trying and Ellen says the hats come out very pretty when they're done. Time will show! [in Norwish accent (tee-meh vill sjåvv)]

The two finished baby hats. My niece, who is studying to become a doctor, is part of a project where they try to do something about the high rate of infant deaths in Ethiopia. She'll be going down there in January and will be bringing the hats with her.






Hope you guys have a fantabulous weekend!

A good week

This week started somewhat poorly but all in all it's been one of the better weeks for months.

Last Thursday my mom was rushed to hospital. She had a fit. She lost her balance on her way to the dinner table, sat down and proceeded to shovel food into her mouth and then kept asking my father when they were going to the Christmas dinner party for work. He called my sister, who's a nurse, who immediately called an ambulance. By the time the medical personnel came, she was back to normal, but didn't remember anything of what had happened the last few hours. At the hospital checks were done, but nothing showed. They suspect a minor stroke, or blood clot in her brain. She was released and came home from hospital the next day and all is well now.

According to my sister, she told the doctors at the hospital that the reason for the blood clot was because she had been so stressed out with all the work of preparing and packing of the moose meat... I was there the day before and cut, minced, packed and divided the meat with my dad. Mom was snoring on the sofa most of the time, but she did ask if she could help by the end and she did dry some of the bowls and knives we had used that I had washed. We thanked her profusely and she was very proud of having helped. I am no longer allowed to visit more than short periods and under no circumstances stress her out...   Gosh I'm such a troublesome daughter![/end sarcasm]


Monday morning started with a close encounter with a rocking chair. Result; a smashed toe and the loss of a nail. Well, the nail is still on, partially, it's just blue. And there is leakage. Gross! And Pain! I guess the fact that I had to force the foot into a boot and spend all day walking on it, didn't help much, but it did grant me the next two days where I couldn't do much other than knit. A lot. Whee!

I've been knitting woolen baby hats for a project I was asked to help my niece with. They're sending a load of hats down to Ethiopia. I've finished two and if there is time, I'll be doing one or two more. I'm beginning to really enjoy knitting baby clothes. They're so quickly finished and I'm learning new stuff and new techniques. F.U.N. 

Tuesday Simen had Occupational-Booth-Day at school, which meant he had to attend school from 3 - 7 pm (his stand won, by the way and he got his picture in the local newspaper) and had the opportunity to chauffeur his old mom around all day, or that is, he drove me up to see Brit(MIL) and she gave me most of her button-collection, because she knew I was going over to my friend, Ellen's that evening and she thought perhaps we could make use of some of the buttons for the things we were knitting. Ellen was ecstatic and we both agreed that I have one helluva MIL. Ellen is drowning in work, btw. She has her own net shop that her oldest daughter is managing and she's been taking orders like crazy -  that are to be finished and sent out before Christmas - because she's quit smoking and is majorly p'ed off, Ellen says, but that is just Ellen talking cause she's p'ed off with the work and her daughter's lousy mood. here's a link to her page. Her work is amazing. She's made up half of the recipes herself. The name Mormor og Mia translates to Granny and Mia (her granddaughter's name)

Mormor og Mia

Runar's new firm is doing quite alright, but even if they are selling goods and making money, they are still in phase one of the whole business-starting-cycle and there hasn't been enough money for paying wages, yet. That means we are now down to zero, financially. Suckage! Runar has assured me there will be enough for half a months wages by next week, so that we can pay our mortgage and the rest of the month's wages will be paid the week after, so that we can afford to celebrate Christmas.

Update: 
forgot link to site - only in Norwegian yet, but you can see what machines++ they're dealing with Kstek.no

Marianne is doing great. She's getting so big. 40 kg here's an "action picture" of Runar and her - I love Google for this -  and a few of Simen and her. How Marianne greets the boys when they get home.

Marianne loves Daddy
  

 

And she loves Simen just as much. This is what normally happens when he gets home from work in the evenings after having been gone since early morning. 

PS!
Best news of the week: HELENE AND BOYFRIEND WILL BE COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! They won't stay for long, only from 23rd to 25th, but it doesn't matter, because they'll be spending Christmas Eve with us and that makes me ridiculously happy! ^__^

PPS!
Oh, note to Helene's friend, Maria. I will send you your scarf today. Promise! 

Am I really that old?

I must be, because yesterday my youngest got his driver's license. He is 18 and now legally an adult. I think back at when I was that age and I remember thinking my parents were ancient and oh-so-OLD! Now I'm the ancient one. Yikes!

I'm still a baby!

Marianne is getting bigger. And bigger. She's also getting more cunning. She'll jump out of any fenced in areas. You won't believe how high she can jump. It is impressive. It also means we can no longer just let her out in the garden to play, when she's bored.

This week she harassed one of the neighbours again. That is, I'm not sure she harassed him, but when he brought her home, he told me she was "very playful". Yeah, translated into normal speek, that means she was jumping them and scaring the living daylight out of them. *groans* They were changing tires on the son's car. I bet she wanted to help. She is very! helpful. She'll happily hold all your tools. She's particularly helpful in grabbing and holding on to the things you have in your hands already...

She's not yet caught on to the trick of barking/whining when she needs to go pee while we sleep. Instead she'll stare at us and silently scream her head off. Does it wake us up? Not so much... I've washed the rug in the hallway so many times it will be worn out within a year if she doesn't stop, or if the boys don't learn to let her out before they go to bed. Apparently they think I can sense when they go to bed in my sleep and get up to let her out. Do I? Not so much...

She's very attentative when we're out on our walkies, though. It's usually a very relaxing and pleasant thing to do - walking her. I need to take her to town and walk her in places where there are a lot of people. I haven't done so that often and that needs to change, because I can't have a hyper 70 something kg dog wanting to say hello to everyone she meets. Just thinking about it gives me nightmares.

Taking the bus to my parents' today to part and prepare the moose meat today. We used to have two cars and two driv

ers, but somehow only one car in working order. Now we have two cars in working order and 3 drivers. Guess who's always without a car? Yeah...funny how those things work.

Runar shot a small cow last weekend and they are going out to hunt with a dog this weekend as well, so cross your fingers they'll be getting another one. This is their last chance to get any, as moose hunt season is ending 21st. Seems we'll be spending Christmas Eve at Runar's parents and this year we'll be many. As usual Runar and I will be the cooks and moose roast is on the menu.

My psoriasis is flaring up again. Not fun. My joints aren't too bad, yet, but my bad shoulder is getting worse rapidly. Not fun either.

Finished with the dresses, this is the biggest. 3-4 years old, the other one is for 3-6 months old.

Marianne and knitting update

Marianne is such a daddy's girl. She'll be the same when she's too big, just wait and see ;)

Marianne is getting bigger and bigger. She's now over 30 kg (60 pounds). She's a good girl, most of the time. The other day, while I was at my sister's, Runar was letting her out to do her business while on the phone. Yeah...she ran off.

No place like daddy's lap

Since it was in the morning at the time the kids are on their way to school, naturally she found some nice girls to follow. Luckily one of the grocery store ladies recognized her and brought her to the store, where Runar found them. (he was out looking by then)


 I met the girls the next day. They have decided they are now Marianne's BFFs They also informed me that they were 10 min late for school that morning...ouch!

Helene's lap is nice too

Helene was home for a weekend visit. It was great seeing her again. Maria came up Saturday and we had beer(the girls) and whiskey. Soo much fun! They both ordered a scarf.










I finished the poncho. Made some socks, feltet slippers and scarves too. The scarves are fun to make as they're so easy. I've also started on a tunic/dress for Nova. I'll probably make one for little Frida as well. My sister Nora is knitting for the other two girls(her granddaughters).




 





 Maria's ruffle scarf. (the fly was a puzzle Runar got from a sales person at work. It wasn't supposed to be in the picture, but if I lift it, it falls apart...)







Oh, I found wordfeud. Sooo hooked. I'm cara_1969 if you want to play.

I have a dream.

I've been out with Marianne 4 times tonight. Then an extra time with Georg. We finished the paintjob on the patio(not sure what it is called, really, it's a wooden veranda at ground level with 7 ft windbreaks around 2 of the sides) and I had to keep Marianne upstairs. We keep her in our bedroom(on the floor only, yes I am a hard woman in these matters) with the garden door open. It works brilliantly and we have never experienced more than one accident, when she peed on Georg's blankie the first night). We are going to keep at it for as long as we can stand it – seeing that temps already drops to 10 C, that might get difficult in a month or two.

I'm too tired to write, really, but it is always then! I get creative and have fun writing.

I dream of a new sofa up at Vintland. The old one we have now, is a sofa that lived his late years down at my parents' old house. They got him from their elderly neighbours who were getting a new one. Let's call him Truls. Truls is living his AFTERLIFE with us up there. I swear you can feel the strain of every pair of bollocks that has put their imprint on this poor ugly thing. 

By now I bet half the stuffing left is doghairs. And he IS hideous. It is exactly the kind of sofa a dog would love. Georg loves it. I'm prepared to bring the ugly corpse home to Mandal and let my house be his mausuleum, as long as I get a new sofa in the cottage. It will mean no dining table, but faaak! 

I want one more like this

I want a soft sofa with high backing so bad. It's just that, even though I generally don't want the dogs in the furniture at home, Vintland isn't home. It's our haven. It's been Georg's haven. It was Marianne's first home and her haven. It should continue to be so. There is absolutely no way I could ever deny Georg climbing up on our lap on the three-seater. No. Fucking Way! I don't want to, either. I love having a monster of a laptog drooling all over me. I know it sounds insane and I know I am a walking contradiction of terms, but there you have it. It's just how I am knitted together. (I don't think we should try to understand me, it will give you headaches, believe me, I've tried for years. ...bad headaches)

I like a clean house, but I also like a house you would immediately feel comfty in. I think most people actually do. Visitors rarely sit in our sofas, they slouch in our sofas. I do have a very relaxed relationship with mess. I can let it flood my table and not care one bit. And then BAM! it's enough and I can't STAND IT ANYMORE! And I race around speed-cleaning like I'm the energizer bunny in those old commercials, before I collapse back like a sack of potatoes, again, taking part of the conversation, watch TV, whatever. 

Mental much?!? 

I've given up a bit on the floors. I vaccuum on average 3, or times a week. Depending on weather. I wash them once, or twice. I don't think I have had a house where doghairs aren't floating around in the air, behind and under furniture, in the corners, behind doors, you name it! since we got Doris 18 years ago. I don't allow babies on the floor unless I bring up a clean blanket for them to lie on. 

We kept Simen in a crib the first months of his life. They would have eaten each other up. Literally. Their language as babies was synonymous with mouth. It was disgusting. By the time he was 6 months, I was like; Meh! Eat each other and share food for all I care, we've all got the same shite anyhew! It may have had to do a little with Simen having had the whooping caugh and wasn't healed until then and I had suffered 6 months on very little sleep. 

My mother was ready to throw the child service peeps down my throat. “ELI!” That kid isn't going to talk when he turns 1, he'll bark! Are you aware of that?!?” 

He didn't. He did pant as one to get Doris' attention when she walked into the room. It was hilarious. And a little creepy. They were the best of friends who helped each other do mischief on a daily basis until they were 3 years old. 

When he started school and came home to an empty house, he had to open the door while hiding behind it. He said it was because Doris would be standing waiting and jumped out the door in such excited joy she ran down whomever(whoever? No, that doesn't sound right) was standing there. 

I think she made Helene feel safe too. She was very protective. In a happy whimsical way.

Simen has told me that he never felt like he was coming home to an empty house. “Because Doris is there, of course, mom.” He used to exclaim with a tired-of-life look that did so not fit his age, whenever I asked him if he ever felt alone as a kid. Hey, I'm a mom, all working moms will enter the pit of guilt a time or millions!

Oy, I'm rambling. Why didn't any of you stop me?

What I really meant to say is I need your help.

I need some advice. I want to make a sheet cover of sky leather, or something similar and just as easily cleaned, type of sheet cover. Problem is, I have no idea how to make one. Have any of you guys done this? Seen it done? Know a good site?

I can't afford it yet, but that doesn't mean I can't make plans. [satisfied evil low cackle] I am totally going to manipulate hubby into agreeing to this. 

Oh, yeees.




PS! Helene and her boyfriend came home for the weekend. It was also the weekend of the annual sea food festival. The 3 of us walked to town and ate lunch. I had the best sea food soup and fresh baked bread I have had in a year. It was heavenly, I tell yahs! Simen stayed home with Marianne, because he was going out with friends later and didn't mind staying behind. It was a nice weekend. I think the boyfriend at least didn't hate it, even though he suffered terribly from his allergies. Thankfully there has not been dogs in their bedroom and he was able to seek refuge there when it got bad.

PPS! Oh, and Marianne is well again. No more UTI.

The embarrassing confession of a middleaged white crazy woman with too much imagination

I have been stuck up at the farm all week. Runar was supposed to come back up on Monday, work a few hours chopping fire wood and then we'd all go home. 

That didn't happen. His job got in the way. 

Tuesday I was out of most groceries, tobacco and all dog food. Runar would come pick us up in the afternoon. I would manage on wholegrain bread and chewing tobacco until he came. 

It didn't happen. Again. 

Instead Runar's parents came up with groceries+++. We couldn't ride with them home, because there is simply not enough room in their car for Georg. 

Wednesday came. I had again packed and cleaned and we were ready to be picked up. This day his brother's broken down car got in the way. Georg and I went hiking in the woods in the pouring rain instead. It fit my mood perfectly. 

I had a weird, scary dream that night. Probably due to my fear of being alone in a cottage far away from everybody and watching too many scary movies in my teen years about axe murderers, in combination with hearing the news on the radio, about bands of eastern European bandits molesting old people living in remote areas. Naturally I dreamed about being visited by evil axe murdering bandits and by the time I awoke wimpering in a fetal position, it had escalated to a full blown war between Georg and I and all the evilness in the universe. I was rather jumpy all morning. So much so, that Georg noticed and was rather jumpy too. 

What do you know, I got visited by a ...salesman. 

Just to imply just how odd that is, let me inform you that in my soon-to-be 44 years of life I have never experienced or even heard of anyone else experiencing being visited by any salesmen up on there in the mountains. There simply is no market for traveling salesmen among the mountain farmers. 

1) They usually don't have the money to spare for buying anything other than the bare necessities

2) There aren't but two-three farms on the entire mountain that are inhabited all year. It is mostly cottages and summer  houses.

3) Those that do live there hate all strangers and foreign strangers with a vengeance. I'm pretty sure if they were asked, they'd put foreigners right up there along with aliens and devil spawns.

Back to Thursday. It was a nice sunny day. The doors were open. Georg was sleeping with his head on the door sill as usual and I was cross stitching a pillow case - I had ran out of yarn and finished crocheting two summer hats and had found one of my older sisters' cross stitching from decades ago, hidden in the bottom of a wardrobe. Yes, I was that desperate. I had cleaned everything, weeded everything, mowed everything, I had done all the work that I could possibly do.  Radio was on. I was humming along a happy tune. Georg and I had more or less refound our calm, the dream with axe-murdering bandits were but a pale memory, when a kind voice in broken NorwEnglish said 

"Haelloo?" 

I don't know where he was from, other than he was clearly from the African continent. He had an honest kind face and a bright white smile. 

I completely freaked out. I'm embarrassed to say. I jumped  up, cross stitching flying and I shouted

"NO! No, no, no, no, no. NO!" and stupidly waved a hand in front of my face. 

I  somehow lost the ability to speak any other words. 

Then Georg stood up and I grabbed hold of him as he was acting on my freaking out, more than a visit by a stranger. 

I saw the saleman's eyes widen. 

"Nice...?" He said and pointed a shaky indexfinger at the dog.

I also pointed at the dog and found two new words apart from "no", which I still seemed to mumble nonstop under my breath. 

"WATCHDOG! MINE!"

GEORG THE WATCHDOG

The poor visibly shaken nice man only looked at me. Mouth slightly agape. 

I searched my mind desperately after something to say. Something that wasn't shouting threats. something calm, nice and polite. 

"GOOD BYE!" 

He ran. 

I have no idea what he wanted. I'm not even sure he was a salesman, other than that he carried a black suitcase often used by traveling students from 3rd world countries trying to sell their arts so that they can afford to eat while finishing their studies in this insanely expensive cold country. It could be that his car broke down and he needed help, to borrow my phone, some water...I will likely never know. He is quite likely now become 110% certain of white middle aged women's utter lack of sanity. 

I walked out to the road to see if I could see him, but he must have just continued running for his life. Maybe he thought I'd let Georg kill him and then we'd eat him for supper...

I am guilty of all the horrible prejudice that I thought only belonged to my parents and their like, that I swore I would never fall victim too. 

Runar did come that afternoon. We actually finished the wood chopping. This season's firewood  work for us, family and sale is done. Whee. 

I admitted my horrendous meeting with the stranger. He laughed his ass off, of course.  Then he was silent for a while, having that pondering look where his brows gets all furry, before proclaiming loudly:

"I'mma make you a sawed off shotgun that I'm going to place on a secret shelf above the door. Just in case a band of axe-murdering bandits does show up when you're up here alone. I mean. Come on, Georg saving you? How? Drowning them in drool?" 

I was too shocked to speak. I had a terrifying image of my crazy freaked out self with a sawed off shotgun - illegal one, made out of two old before-WW2-old semi broken shotguns armed with buckshells - going completely TEXAS up in the mountains. Not a pretty sight, I tell yah! Oy vey! 

 

Me in one of the summer hats I crocheted. Taken before the bad dream and the embarrassing meeting with the stranger, while I was still happy-go-lucky ignorant of my dark prejudice side

How the felted slippers turned out. 

We're heading up to Vintland again today. For the weekend. We're going for an uneventful and blissfully boring weekend. Runar will be sorting out his tools, etc. I'm going to start on my secret project - knitting socks with thorn pattern. Sort of like a barbed wire thorn pattern. I have no idea how to do it, or how it'll turn out. 

chrocheted summer-hat

I'm crocheting a summer-hat for myself. I need to wear something on my head in summer to protect my scalp from the sun. Due to my psoriasis and the remedy I use for it, my skin on my scalp is waaay thin and sensitive. I've been told that if I do not keep my scalp protected properly against the sun, I'll develop skin cancer in no time. I've tried for years to find a pretty summer-hat that isn't too big and I still haven't found any. Seems I've either got a particularly small head, or hats are generally made for huge-headed women...

Result is that I've had to choose between summer-hats for young girls, scarves of some kind, or caps.

This year I figured I may as well make my own summer-hat.

It will look something like this, just a bit cuter and with a flower on the side. The recipe is for a yellow one, but I'm going to go with a white one, because yellow isn't exactly my colour.



The flower I'm chrocheting is similar to this one, but will be white as the hat

It will have wavy ends, but not with holes like the pink baby hat.

Feel free to cross fingers it'll turn out okay ;-)


Will be starting on it today. I still have the poncho project and I also have a new secret knitting project I can't talk about just yet. The baby socks and the felted slippers for my sister are all done.

I am sooo ready for weekend. It feels like my body was used as a sandbag first and then thrown in a threshing machine. I'm pooped and then some. I've been with my mom to doctors and hospitals check ups. Taken my dad to a surgical dentist. Done their shopping. Been to the vet with Vera for X-rays, which means general anaesthesia, which means I had to carry her.  in addition there is all the work for our house, incl. yard work, clearing out shed, laundry and cleaning in between.  I still have trouble saying no to helping others when there apparently isn't anybody else to ask...

Also, I wish all needy peeps and hubbies in particular could go take a hike /end rant

My goal for the weekend is to be like Georg; not moving a muscle!


Hope you guys have a great weekend!