Dear Heidi,
Now I think that you have arrived at Agadir! Grandma and Grandpa loved Marrocco, they went there often after Christmas, to spend a few weeks in the sunshine. Today it is 8 years since Grandma died. It feels like forever and no time at all. You were just 10 years old. I wonder what all you remember of her? Aunty S has just started wearing one of the necklaces she inherited, that Grandma actually inherited herself, from her mother, my Grandma. S was thrilled to realise that she actually has a piece of “Suffragette jewellery” which is something that was used by women in the early 1900’s as a sort of code to show that they were supporters of Women’s suffrage. Fancy my grandma having such a thing! (She is the one in the photo I sent you, with my mother as the baby.)
We have had a lovely visit from B and S from Wales. They were only here two half days and the full day in between, but in that time we had bright sunshine and frost, 18 cm snow and then a rain/wind storm of the sort that fells trees and blows away rooves...
We went around locally a bit, and in to Oslo to eat at an Indian restaurant then to the ballet at the opera. It was a very special performance and I loved it! All through the dancing there was a video loop of the day and night, seasons around, of the fields here and of Bestemor and Bestefars Farm house and barns. The dancers danced through the video, dressed in white so that it was reflected of them too! The general theme was of how connected, rooted, to the land the farmer is, and how he depends on it, but so it depends on him, and is a weight on his life, tending to the land day in day out around the year, throughout his life and his marriage
Otherwise, I am catching up with everyday life, laundry and shopping, cooking and getting ready for Christmas, which will happen, even though we are away for three weeks beforehand!
I have looked carefully at our flat details, and I must prepare you...there is no bathtub😔 I am sorry. But there will be plenty of hot water and a big shower! And a cosy bed 😊
Today we have sent D. off to England to visit his chum O in Southampton. The one who is getting married next year, and whose family grow blueberries on their farm. He is coming home again on Monday, and then he has several weeks work to keep him busy whilst we are away. This afternoon Pappa and I went to the Julmarked at the lenser museum. Tomorrow it is Stir up Sunday, so I shall go to church and in the afternoon make my Christmas cake and mincemeat. Then it is about time to get the suitcases down and start putting things ready to come away😁 At the moment I still have all my summer clothes in my closet, and I have made your father laugh by trying on my swimsuit, which I haven’t worn since Australia....!!!
So now is your last chance to think of all the things your truly want me to bring. Do you really want a warmer sleeping bag? Or could that wait until March now? Talk to the crew... they probably know how cold it will be crossing the Atlantic, but I simply can’t think it will be cold once you get to South America and the Caribbean.
Also, please let me know if your shoulder is still hurting and when/if you are going to get it seen at the hospital. Don’t forget you might be best with a French speaking teacher, as Marrocco was a French colony and English might be tricky to explain things in.
Well that’s about it for tonight. We are so looking forwards to seeing you very soon now.
Lots and lots of love, from your Mamma xxx
lørdag 25. november 2017
mandag 20. november 2017
November 20th
Dear Heidi,
I hope that your shoulder is getting better now. Are you still off climbing and hauling?
We have been extremely busy today. Pappa bought 50 kg apples and he and I and D spent over 4 hours ( I kid you not) washing and slicing, mincing and pressing them. We got nigh on 25 litres apple juice, which is now set to ferment!
The kitchen was in a total mess after all that, so it was good to have N as usual, but finishing up in. The kitchen instead of starting there.
We have also brought the fish indoors, and now that they are acclimatised they seriously needed a change of water. Now that is done too, and we can actually see them in the tank. With a proper filter and a bubbling air supply they should be happier than last year.
Well, that might not seem like a busy day, but in fact it was, so I shall wish you a good night and sweet dreams,
With love, mamma xx
I hope that your shoulder is getting better now. Are you still off climbing and hauling?
We have been extremely busy today. Pappa bought 50 kg apples and he and I and D spent over 4 hours ( I kid you not) washing and slicing, mincing and pressing them. We got nigh on 25 litres apple juice, which is now set to ferment!
The kitchen was in a total mess after all that, so it was good to have N as usual, but finishing up in. The kitchen instead of starting there.
We have also brought the fish indoors, and now that they are acclimatised they seriously needed a change of water. Now that is done too, and we can actually see them in the tank. With a proper filter and a bubbling air supply they should be happier than last year.
Well, that might not seem like a busy day, but in fact it was, so I shall wish you a good night and sweet dreams,
With love, mamma xx
søndag 19. november 2017
November 19th
Dear Heidi,
It seems to me that the weather must be lovely where you are. Did you swim today?
We have had more snow, although not a lot, and the weather is turning really cold, going down towards minus 10 in the night. We have S and B from Wales staying midweek, and we are trying to heat up the & Shed for them to sleep in. I have bought a new flannel set for the bed, and two hot water bottles so I really hope they will be cosy.
We have finally spun the honey, and are now engaged in stirring it every day...it sits on the schoolroom table, and I am anxious that my sewing machine does not get too sticky!! I think I told you that Ben and Jerry are in there too; still in rather green water...I must deal with them properly tomorrow. They need cleaning and some decorations in their tank at least. Pappa has an oxygen pump too, but I think it might need burying under a rock or two, when we tried it it was like having an underwater volcano in the tank!
Pappa and I went down to the St Edmunds bazaar on Saturday and had a jolly good time. Pappa finally met the new chaplain and we spent a lot of time catching up with people we knew. I spent a little time shopping and found some lovely books and a Christmas jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards we went to see Tante A in Oslo where Pappa and D changed her tyres, just in time I think. She is busy working on wreaths for her next book. D was also helping her to put up some shelves and of course lots of outdoor garden jobs. He eloped me too today, carrying the geraniums and dahlia roots down into the “black hole of Calcutta”in the cellar. Later on that day I searched everywhere for my phone and none of us could even hear it, but luckily D thought backwards and of course you can guess it had fallen into one of the plant pots and was also in the black hole...
We are still enjoying Alt for Norge on tv. It is the finals next week. It has been really quite good this season and I can’t guess who will win.
I can’t think of any more news just now, so I will wish you a gentle night and a good sleep. Love from your own
Mamma xxx
It seems to me that the weather must be lovely where you are. Did you swim today?
We have had more snow, although not a lot, and the weather is turning really cold, going down towards minus 10 in the night. We have S and B from Wales staying midweek, and we are trying to heat up the & Shed for them to sleep in. I have bought a new flannel set for the bed, and two hot water bottles so I really hope they will be cosy.
We have finally spun the honey, and are now engaged in stirring it every day...it sits on the schoolroom table, and I am anxious that my sewing machine does not get too sticky!! I think I told you that Ben and Jerry are in there too; still in rather green water...I must deal with them properly tomorrow. They need cleaning and some decorations in their tank at least. Pappa has an oxygen pump too, but I think it might need burying under a rock or two, when we tried it it was like having an underwater volcano in the tank!
Pappa and I went down to the St Edmunds bazaar on Saturday and had a jolly good time. Pappa finally met the new chaplain and we spent a lot of time catching up with people we knew. I spent a little time shopping and found some lovely books and a Christmas jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards we went to see Tante A in Oslo where Pappa and D changed her tyres, just in time I think. She is busy working on wreaths for her next book. D was also helping her to put up some shelves and of course lots of outdoor garden jobs. He eloped me too today, carrying the geraniums and dahlia roots down into the “black hole of Calcutta”in the cellar. Later on that day I searched everywhere for my phone and none of us could even hear it, but luckily D thought backwards and of course you can guess it had fallen into one of the plant pots and was also in the black hole...
We are still enjoying Alt for Norge on tv. It is the finals next week. It has been really quite good this season and I can’t guess who will win.
I can’t think of any more news just now, so I will wish you a gentle night and a good sleep. Love from your own
Mamma xxx
onsdag 15. november 2017
November 15
Dear Heidi,
We still have several cm of snow, even though the sun has been shining all day. Pappa and I went out into the greenhouse to tidy up a bit and to rescue some of the bulbs and plants that now need to come indoors. We also rescued Ben and Jerry, who were hiding at the bottom of their barrel, in very sludgy water indeed! Pappa has found his old fish tank (packed away in newspaper from 1984) so now they are happily swimming around in the schoolroom on the bookshelf. The ice over the barrel was already 10 cm thick and Pappa had to chop out a hole with an axe.
I have been tidying up the schoolroom ( ha ha, an everlasting job) and have packed away two Ikea bags of fabric / projects and only left the mending. I am hoping that the men will forget about these items so I can pack them away too!! I must admit that I do love our schoolroom when it is tidy.
The garden birds are really busy at the feeders everyday. We are already seeing the woodpeckers and bullfinches that don’t usually come until later in the winter. I wonder if this means we are going to have a cold winter at last.
It’s funny to think that just a few days ago we were in England where there were still flowers out.
Ah well, such is life in Norway.
I expect you will be seeing almond blossom everywhere once you get to Morocco.
Love always,
Mamma.
We still have several cm of snow, even though the sun has been shining all day. Pappa and I went out into the greenhouse to tidy up a bit and to rescue some of the bulbs and plants that now need to come indoors. We also rescued Ben and Jerry, who were hiding at the bottom of their barrel, in very sludgy water indeed! Pappa has found his old fish tank (packed away in newspaper from 1984) so now they are happily swimming around in the schoolroom on the bookshelf. The ice over the barrel was already 10 cm thick and Pappa had to chop out a hole with an axe.
I have been tidying up the schoolroom ( ha ha, an everlasting job) and have packed away two Ikea bags of fabric / projects and only left the mending. I am hoping that the men will forget about these items so I can pack them away too!! I must admit that I do love our schoolroom when it is tidy.
The garden birds are really busy at the feeders everyday. We are already seeing the woodpeckers and bullfinches that don’t usually come until later in the winter. I wonder if this means we are going to have a cold winter at last.
It’s funny to think that just a few days ago we were in England where there were still flowers out.
Ah well, such is life in Norway.
I expect you will be seeing almond blossom everywhere once you get to Morocco.
Love always,
Mamma.
tirsdag 14. november 2017
November 14
Dear Heidi,
How the days have flown, but we have spoken quite often! So as you know, we have been over to England and W’s confirmation went brilliantly. It was a very successful occasion, overwhelming for him I’m sure, but on the whole people found lots of nice things to say at the dinner, and all seemed to find people to chat with too.
Afterwards Pappa, W and I went on a cider safari, to visit lots of cider farms and to find out just how it is made...!
Almost as soon as we got home, Aunty S came over for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday. The weather was marvellous, cold, crisp and snowy, just a few cm and a bright blue sky. She took loads of photos as we drove over to Sweden. We had lunch in a cafe, and puttered around the little shops and the market, and drove home again via the supermarket and then down the sukkerstien into the setting sun. The lakes were mirror still and the trees all frosted with just enough snow to be pretty.
Then on Sunday we went to church for Remembrance Sunday and had tea and cake, just for the family in the afternoon.
S went home on Monday. We had also had D’s friend from Kristiansand over too, for the Gaming expo in Lillestrom. Pappa has been ploughing,but now the ground is too frozen.
I am madly washing bed linen because next week B and S are coming over from Wales! We are hoping to go to the opera with them, as KS has a new ballet he has made, about being a farmer. The mind boggles, but I have supplied him with a sheeps bell, as requested. Who else would have one tucked away in the basement?? Fancy my sheep’s bell being in the opera😂!
D is still working a few days a week, never really sure when or if they will need him. It’s not brilliant, but it is a job, experience and driving practice too.
Now I am starting to pack down all the autumn decorations and am preparing for Advent. With snow on the ground and the trees bare, it certainly is beginning to feel like time for the Christmas cds!
All the animals are fine, well, those with names... the hens had stopped laying weeks ago, so we only kept them on to pick through the flower beds as we tidied them up for the winter. They are gone now, and we will get more in the spring. Now I have to remember to buy eggs each week! B is a little stiff in the mornings, (just like me) but otherwise fine.
Well you will never guess... in the middle of the snow storm today they finally came to replace the big broken window in the sitting room. The one that was cracked across the bottom, and has been full of condensation ever since the weather turned cold. Honestly it took them 15 minutes and now it is clear and beautiful again. And they replaced the square of glass in the hall door...the one that D jumps through to go outside. He was mightily puzzled that it had changed, but was not so silly as to try to jump through it anyway. I do believe the boys were disappointed, mean old things!
Well now that is just about all the news. I trust you got the photo I sent yesterday. Soon you will all be on your way again, and hopefully to warmer days.
Lots of love from us all here,
and especially from your own
Mamma xxx
How the days have flown, but we have spoken quite often! So as you know, we have been over to England and W’s confirmation went brilliantly. It was a very successful occasion, overwhelming for him I’m sure, but on the whole people found lots of nice things to say at the dinner, and all seemed to find people to chat with too.
Afterwards Pappa, W and I went on a cider safari, to visit lots of cider farms and to find out just how it is made...!
Almost as soon as we got home, Aunty S came over for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday. The weather was marvellous, cold, crisp and snowy, just a few cm and a bright blue sky. She took loads of photos as we drove over to Sweden. We had lunch in a cafe, and puttered around the little shops and the market, and drove home again via the supermarket and then down the sukkerstien into the setting sun. The lakes were mirror still and the trees all frosted with just enough snow to be pretty.
Then on Sunday we went to church for Remembrance Sunday and had tea and cake, just for the family in the afternoon.
S went home on Monday. We had also had D’s friend from Kristiansand over too, for the Gaming expo in Lillestrom. Pappa has been ploughing,but now the ground is too frozen.
I am madly washing bed linen because next week B and S are coming over from Wales! We are hoping to go to the opera with them, as KS has a new ballet he has made, about being a farmer. The mind boggles, but I have supplied him with a sheeps bell, as requested. Who else would have one tucked away in the basement?? Fancy my sheep’s bell being in the opera😂!
D is still working a few days a week, never really sure when or if they will need him. It’s not brilliant, but it is a job, experience and driving practice too.
Now I am starting to pack down all the autumn decorations and am preparing for Advent. With snow on the ground and the trees bare, it certainly is beginning to feel like time for the Christmas cds!
All the animals are fine, well, those with names... the hens had stopped laying weeks ago, so we only kept them on to pick through the flower beds as we tidied them up for the winter. They are gone now, and we will get more in the spring. Now I have to remember to buy eggs each week! B is a little stiff in the mornings, (just like me) but otherwise fine.
Well you will never guess... in the middle of the snow storm today they finally came to replace the big broken window in the sitting room. The one that was cracked across the bottom, and has been full of condensation ever since the weather turned cold. Honestly it took them 15 minutes and now it is clear and beautiful again. And they replaced the square of glass in the hall door...the one that D jumps through to go outside. He was mightily puzzled that it had changed, but was not so silly as to try to jump through it anyway. I do believe the boys were disappointed, mean old things!
Well now that is just about all the news. I trust you got the photo I sent yesterday. Soon you will all be on your way again, and hopefully to warmer days.
Lots of love from us all here,
and especially from your own
Mamma xxx
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