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