Illegal immigrants...

...or mice invasion. The war against mice is on up at the farm. I've sort of lost the battle in parts of the house. I've found a couple of places they come in, but the slim hubby has been too busy with his fishy business to close the mice-freeway entries. I can almost hear them dancing their way inside.
So instead I've emptied out the sink and cupboards in the hallway and installed mouse traps.


The traps need to be checked once a week as a minimum, but that's okay.Even though we don't spend that much time up there during the cold winter months, the place needs to be checked and looked after. Old cottages needs to be warmed up regularly. I'm not quite sure why, but it's what my dad always told me, so I go up there light the wood burner, take care of the traps, go for a hike while the house warms up and have a nice lunch before heading home again.

Slim hubby the hunter was out deer hunting this weekend. He brought his assistant, Marianne. She takes her job very serious and is absolutely pooped when they get home. She spent the rest of the day and night sleeping and hunting in her sleep.

I made scented candles and tea lights today. There is no snow around here yet and I struggle a bit getting into the spirit of Xmas. I figured some cinnamon/orange scented red tea lights would do the trick....except that apparently I don't do the color Red. Instead I do orange and/or pink. Go me?! At least they smell the way they're supposed to

Dear Cat (not a love letter)

Dear cat-who-shat-the-shit-in-my-garden-that-Marianne-found-and-rolled-in,

you are not welcome here, anymore.

With regards
Eli

PS! Marianne sends a teary Q from the hall; WHY?

...

it's starting to look like a lawn, right?

In other news, I've spent the weekend doing yard work and mowing lawns. I've also driven tractor a lot. A Lamborghini.(I just had to say it) If you look at the photo, you can see the infamous Lamborghini.  Driving it, or using the tools is quite a work out, I tell ya! We got all the equipment for the tractors, etc stored away in a semi-tidy manner, mowed the lawn and fields, and just got things sorted. Then the red tractor (the 1969 Massey Fergerson) died. In the middle of the driveway. At the most unsuitable place. Litterally between a rock and a rock with no room on either sides. I had to use the Lamborghini and push the hoe to the side enough for another vehicle to pass.




Nature-wise, there's a Houdini lamb that's settled in our fields/lawn. Today, After having watched it from the steps and hallway for 2 hours and after it stomped at her when she walked past to go pee. Marianne, couldn't resist and ran it off. I was watching and caught her. She stopped and came back to the door. Funny thing is, she doesn't bark.

The lamb has been escaping enclosures and jumping fences since mid summer, it's not even scared of the dogs. It doesn't really panic and run, it sort of jogs while baahh-ing a muffled mmmhhhumm still chewing. When Marianne stops, it stops. And continues eating.

 I'm fairly ok with it living there as it doesn't eat the flowers, but it shits everywhere...my life is full of shit?

   Oh,  Look, roses happened!









PS! I just became the new owner of an old(2001) Toyota RAV4 2.0 Haven't seen it yet as Runar is driving it home now. It being way late, I'll be asleep before he gets here. I don't know anything about these cars, but I don't care.  Life suddenly became much easier, freer and better. . and I'm off to bed.

PPS! What's going on in your lives, peeps, you've been quiet for too long...or was it me who was hiding? Anywho, what's happening in your neck of the woods?



UPDATE: 
 Toyota Rav4

Link (don't know for how long it will be up though.
sale ad for the car with lots of pics

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!

Recycling of old undies, or poor Marianne...

"Å du e sånn ei fin jenta" is dialect for Å du er sånn ei fin jente = Oh, you're such a fine girl

"Kan du sidda fint" is dialect for "kan du sitte fint = Can you sit (properly). 

As you probably realize, this is why I can't do voice-to-text stuff on my phone, unless I speak English...

I'm not too happy with these pairs of old Runar-undies and neither is Marianne, but I can't just take one at random, without having talked to Runar first.  (There aren't any doggie-pants thingies in Marianne's size anywhere close to my neck of the woods, so old undies it is 

PS! Libresse wings, in case you wondered...

Wham! Fall is here

I have to blog, or Helene will kill me. Thing is, I don't have that much interesting to say, nor much happy stuff. I'm in a meh-phase and a bit whelmed. 

Rainstorms and everyday routine is a fact. I'm rather relieved to be honest. I'm stressed out, even though the big cousin gathering was postponed to next year. It's nice to get back into the normal grind of work weeks.

I've started working out with a physical therapist once a week. The workout is specialized for people with neck/shoulder/back issues. P.A.I.N. I tell yah, I am so out of shape it's depressing

It's been a weird summer. I've sort of been living in transit and I haven't been able to finish any of the projects I wanted to do. That's not new, exactly, but this summer it sort of got to me and stressed me out. I told Runar early on, like in May, that I really needed to stay up at the farm and get the hall upstairs painted and the rest of the farm house deep cleaned. I told him that I was worn out and needed to stay up there long enough to be able to recharge my batteries. That was a mistake. Subconsciously he immediately started working on making that impossible. I honestly don't think he does this on purpose, I just know that the result is that nothing on my to-do-list gets done, while his to-do-list grows daily and they all take precedence.  Eitherwho,  last weekend he helped me get the hallway upstairs cleared and ready to be painted. The main reason I need to paint, is because of the woodworm. According to my BIL I can get paint with anti-parasite stuff that takes care of the problem.

The car has broken down a few times during summer, but it hasn't really gotten fixed, because it will probably cost too much. We are now back to the good ole' times where I can't really use the car for long trips, because of the risk of ending up stranded along the road somewhere and it will inconvenience everybody. 


Runar bought one of these. It really did the work on the fields. We got rid of the fences around the house and we now have a lawn all the way to the creek, which is nice. It was the money I'd have liked to use on furniture and curtains, but hey, the fields have been tended to more this summer than they have since we took over the farm. Nice!





I hope we get a mild winter. Runar forgot he had promised fire wood to one of the cottage neighbours up there. He gave them 3 pallets of firewood that were meant for our own use.

He started his swimming pool project. It's a huge project. I told him I was against it, because it wouldn't be finished and we'd end up with a messy mudhole for the dogs to get dirty in. "Oh, no!" he said, "It will be finished by next year, the latest." He said.  Results: He has dug up a huge hole in the creek that Marianne loves to take mudbaths in. Yay?

The neighbour farmer has gotten Scottish Highland cattle. They're ridiculously cute.

We've been visited regularly by a sheep and her twin lambs all summer. One week they were in our fields 3 days in a row. 3 days in a row, Marianne sat and watched them, but managed to not chase them or try play with them. Then late afternoon the 3rd day, she couldn't help herself. She approached the trio. Mama sheep do not abide with dogs. Of course. She did her best to gore her (read: chase her away from her kids) Marianne thought it a wonderful new game and danced happily around her barely avoiding getting hit. She didn't show aggression and she didn't bark. The two twin lambs couldn't care less. They've seen Marianne from they were born and probably thinks she is just another weird sheep.

Mama sheep tolerates Marianne at a distance and it seems Marianne has accepted this is how it will be. She hasn't tried to contact them afterwards. The trio still visits our fields regularly. 

Simen has started his apprenticeship with the local electrician firm. He is loving it; the work, the people, the routine. Workhours are 7:30 - 15:30. W00t!

My dad told my sister they were ready to move into a nursing home. My mother's Parkinson is getting worse and my dad's health is deteriorating at an alarming rate. He's too worn out to take care of her. It's hard to deal with and I can't really talk about it.

 Mom's brother died last week and it has sent her on a downward spiral. Uncle was a character, alright. Extremely smart. Spoke several languages. Active in humanitarian work. Active in women's rights. (His wife was so masculine she had actual beard, that's all I really remember of her, that and her deep manly voice, they got divorced when I was a kid) Active in the resistance work during WW2. He was also an alcoholic who beat his wife to a wreck, who at the age of 70 something, raided houses with teenagers and bullied my mother until she was a nervous wreck whenever my father was away. He had 3 kids, one outside his marriage that I didn't know about until 10 years ago. It's complicated. Funeral will be Friday.

PS! I have a new wallpaper for the laptop (Thank you Amber) I love it.

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.  

Bling-bling and other unimportant stuff

I haven't really done anything important, or particularly interesting while I've been offline, except from buying Marianne some bling-bling.

Ramble*Spoiler*
Part of my offline period hasn't been because I've been without a net. More a case of malaware that messed up my computer. I don't deal with these things very well, I'm afraid. I go totally diva and looses my will to live. Then I turn to threatening the computer with the city dumbster, going on to planning on going off the grid and ending in throwing arms in the air, argghh-ing a lot and swearing NEVER USE A DAMN COMPUTER EVER AGAIN. I need at least a day, or many to muster up the guts to start figuring out how to fix it. */Spoiler*

Runar nearly had a heart attack when I put it on her. He is convinced she's as embarrassed as he is. "Au contraire", I say, because I think she løøøves it!

                        Loook! I haz blings!










Runar doesn't understand that kind of humour, maybe. Marianne is so little lady-like in her behaviour, it is hilarious. She is her whimsical, happy self dirty as sin, or clean as a whistle. This thing screams MARIANNE! to me. The kids share my sense of humour and dig it.


I iz sad panda

                    ...no! Can't. talk. about. it

Daddy doesn't think I'm pretty.











Poor, little Marianne feels unloved, I'm sure.


In other news
Runar is helping a friend cutting down some pine trees getting too big, messing up their garden/house. 

Saturday we're going to Frida' and her mother's birthday party.

This means we'll be spending a weekend at home, for a change.

Runar plans on going up to Vintland on Saturday evening, but I have a hunch the tree-cutting project isn't done so quickly as he expects.Time vill shåvv! (Ominous music) - We've been watching Colombo on netflix with English subtitles on. I love the explanatory text parenthesis.

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.

Some days

Lorin, I stole that expression from you and decided to add some Marianne, because it so completely fits how I feel these days

A break

...from the internet. There are a lot of things going on in my real life and I need to focus my energy on taking care of my family.

Things are fine, I just don't have much extra energy these days. I'm not going to say I will go offline, I'm just saying I won't be blogging regularly and I won't be as active on forums, blogs, facebook, etc.

Today Sue and Rick is coming. I'm picking them up at the airport tonight and will drive them up to the farm at Vintland. They'll be staying for about two weeks. I'm sure there will be pictures posted at some point or other.

Marianne has discovered the joy of pillows. We'll be practicing enjoying sofa-life and watching netflix, when not busy with other things.

She got her 3 months-vaccine, yesterday. The vet confirmed what we already know; Marianne is a perfect and healthy pup with the cutest face ever.

Yes, I finally got around to ordering netflix and Helene helped me to access the American netflix. I get to catch up on my favorite shows. Like Dr Who. *beams*

R.I.P. Georg

This weekend we had to say our good byes to Georg.

He was without question the most gentle and patient dog I have ever met.

I choose to believe he is now in the eternal dinner hall where Laika and Doris welcomed him with his favorite dinner. He'll be watching out for us and waiting to meet us again.

In loving memory

You will be greatly missed

I crashed...

Big time. Not like it wasn't expected. We got the last of it painted Wednesday evening and Thursday I had to clean the house, because hubby had arranged a business meeting to take place at us. I was so worn out by the time I was done I barely knew my own name anymore. I was ready for bed at 4: 30 in the afternoon. Instead hubby persuaded me to take the dogs with me up to the farm. He would be coming in the semi-broken car, later, but late. I realized that perhaps it would be best if I removed myself and the dogs from the house, so that nothing would interrupt the meeting and agreed.

I cried most of the way up and continued to cry all evening. (When I say cry, I mean tears were running and I couldn't do shit to stop them) Marianne was absolutely crazy. After a week of having to behave and being a lot alone, while we painted, she was in a frenzy. She vented on Georg and when I took her away, she snapped, growled and tried eating me... It was not funny. It was your classical melt-down scene.

Sometime after midnight the hubby arrived and paled when he saw me.

I have known I would crash. The hectic pace since spring and especially after I got my cortisone shot and let the gang know I could now move my arm again, has been ridiculous. People getting serious ill, but only two of us know it and we aren't allowed to tell ANYBODY. The new puppy. Hubby has been rather manic, because so much has been going on in his life - changing jobs. New job heading toward bankruptcy. Starting up a new business with a colleague. All the jazz that goes with all of this.

I knew I had to have a serious chat with him, but there never seemed to be a good time. He's a bright guy, he would instinctively know when he'd step on my toes to the point of explosion and would take measures to  prevent that by either accusing me of something, throwing me off with a new crisis of some kind, hand me a new job I absolutely had to do RIGHT NOW!  You name it.

I am the worst arguer in two shoes. I can stand up for anybody else with a fierceness that scares the daylight out of most people, but I swallow camels on a daily basis to avoid confrontations with things regarding myself. Stupid! Old bible verse from my childhood jumps into my brain when I try to speak up for myself. "Let him who is without sin, throw the first stone", "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own?", etc  I know! I open my mouth to speak up and these things threatens to come out instead. WTF?!?

I sat down and wrote a letter the other week, when I realized I wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. I got all my frustrations and all the wrongs that had been done to me the last 6 months or so, down on paper. It felt great, but I couldn't actually send it before I had done some editing. Or so I told myself.

It didn't get sent, because I didn't ever have time to sit down and read it through, edit and send it.

I gave him the un-edited version this weekend.

I do a lot better in writing, than I do speaking out loud. Those written words hit home. Yesterday he put in a new water pump in the old volvo. He also asks permission to call his work colleague, but I'll let that sarcastic stab in the gut, pass unnoticed. The main thing is that he got a wake-up-call and he admitted that most of what I wrote was true and he knew it, just...I don't know.

Hopefully he'll be a grownup for a while and help pull the load with me and not add to the load and run away. Hopefully I'll be able to write him a letter more frequently than every 5th year.

Enough whining.

Pictures are better.







Morning bliss - yeah, I'm wearing my PJs and yes, my PJs is an old pair of karate pants. See what I use my iron board for these days in the background? We desperately need to get a stair gate...

Marianne weights about 14 kg here. That means she's gained 6 kg since we got her 4 weeks earlier...







Helene fell in love with this hat. Her boyfriend immediately bought it for her. Her boyfriend spoils her rotten! She still loves bunnies, although she is no longer into hellbunnies...

Marianne thinks Georg is nuts for bathing like this.



















It feels sooo good to cuddle on Helene's shoulder



















My poor garden suffered from lack of care, then got terrorized by a pup and finally my flowerbeds got raped by hubby's preparations for the paintjob...

I managed to save bits of it, at least.









The patio(?) painted, windows and doors painted. I can at least enjoy some sunny warm days down there this fall.
















My peace rose bush did survive. The buds are yellow, then they pale as the flower blooms and they get a pale pinkish tint to them.














I haven't done any knitting, or crocheting since Marianne arrived. The few moments I'm not busy with her, I'm too pooped to do any craft. I have knitted a pair of red felted slippers. They were supposed to have been made for a lady who approached me on my blog, then mail, but when there were talk about actual money, she went silent as the grave. I'm giving them to my kid sister as a bday present, instead. They are being felted as we speak. I'll put up a picture when they're done