Pentecost

Filadelfia Church didn’t have services today because it was Pentecost Sunday. Kinda funny, really, but actually they joined forces with other Pentecostal churches in the area to have a two day seminar on the subject of Pentecost in a city across the fjord. Many folks from Filadelfia attended the meetings, but we went to Agape Church instead because we didn’t want to make the one hour journey there. Besides, I had a strawberry cheesecake to deliver to Agape, which was much appreciated and quickly consumed after church.

We intended to go on a boat tour this afternoon to see the nesting puffins on the island of Runde, but we got home from church too late to make the last boat out there, so that might have to be a trip that is saved for our return next year. The birds fly from their nests next week, but the good news is, they always come back. Instead, we took Tobias up on his offer to show us a little known Viking burial ground not too far from where we live. It’s on a fairly deserted peninsula just a few minutes drive from our house, where Tobias’s mom, Inger, grew up. Inger had some time today to show us the way, so we were happy the timing worked out for all of us. She hadn’t been there for at least six years, but she grew up playing all along the coastline so she was the perfect guide. I’m sure, if it were not for her, I would have turned back in several locations, feeling the “trail” had ended because what I was facing was a sheer rock cliff that went straight down into the sea and there was no way my mind could wrap a thought around the fact it was a “trail” suitable for children or adults with bad knees and weak stomachs. But she just trudged right through and I had to sit on my behind and slide down to a little ledge the kept gravity from doing some serious harm to my body. (Where I see dead ends, others see possibilities, so I may have to work on that area of my life a little.)

We continued along the shore and finally reached the burial grounds. Honestly, I never would have seen that pile of rocks and thought “Oh, here’s where they buried a Viking,” but it was so. The bigger the mound, the more important the person, so it might have been a King’s grave as the exposed top was at least twenty feet long and ten feet wide. There were a few smaller rock mounds next to it so I can only imagine if the entire area was excavated, what might be found. Other Viking burial sites in Scandinavia are World Heritage sites, but here sits this place in the most peaceful and beautiful setting, with the Viking King still at rest under our feet. Maybe in a hundred years they will get around to digging up his bones and treasures and maybe there is even a boat buried with him, but I do know there are so many Viking sites in Norway they just don’t have the money to dig them all up. And perhaps that is a good thing.

It was surreal in a way – to be standing on rocks that were set in place over a thousand years ago. There were no loose rocks on the shore nearby, so they had to have been carried quite a ways to get there. In the last few years since Inger had been there, someone (probably teenagers) decided to investigate things themselves, as there was a big hole in the middle of the mound where rocks had been thrown aside in an effort to reach the treasures that lie underneath (see photo). I’m sure it was more work than anyone anticipated and thankfully, the effort was suspended. Even though the sight isn’t officially “protected” there are laws against disturbing Viking sights, for all the good it does, I’m not sure.

After we returned, Inger’s parents invited us for cake and coffee. We also took a tour of their amazing garden (they used to give garden tours when Inger was growing up as it’s so incredible.) Inger’s brother was also there and I was surprised when he told me he reads my blog everyday and what I wrote one day was wrong – 17th of May is NOT Norway’s Independence Day – it’s the day they signed their constitution in 1814. They didn’t get independence from Sweden until June 7, 1905. I stand corrected! I try to get all my facts straight, but sometimes I really blow it.

Kory had an itch to go fishing today since we were right along the shore, so we had to stop a time or two for him to throw a line in the water. He didn’t catch anything but the attention of a few seagulls as he was using the wrong bait. He finally gave up because of my nagging. My heart couldn’t take watching him and Kaleb casting lines, knowing all it would take was one little slip and they would be in the fjord, dead or drenching wet, and neither seemed like a good option from where I was sitting. I thought it best they go fishing without me anywhere nearby and preferably closer to where help could be attained, should the need arise. So they went fishing with Tobias (in a safer place) at 9:30 tonight for two hours and caught 12 fish! I guess I know what we will be bar-b-queing tomorrow night for dinner. Poor fishies.

Somewhat Sick Day

It was a gorgeous Saturday today in Aalesund – it must have hit the 80s. I wish I would have felt better so I could have enjoyed it all the more, but as it was, I had a raw throat, sniffles and bad cough. Oh well. I’m sure the sun did something good for me just the same.

Kory and I got to sleep in because Kaleb was on a sleepover with a friend. We enjoyed a cup of coffee out on the deck before heading off to buy groceries for the long weekend. Everything closed early today and the next two days are holy days (Pentecost), so we had to stock up. When I got back from the store, my neighbor Lizbet was waiting for me with a strawberry cheese cake she just whipped up. She said she wanted to make me a cake because she has enjoyed riding the bus with me every morning into the city and she is going to miss me. I couldn’t believe what a masterpiece it was, but then she is a profession chef, so I shouldn’t be surprised. We are saving it to take to church with us tomorrow so we can eat it at the café afterwards and share it with others. Talk about a sweetheart.

Turid had her big art exhibition today, so we went into the city for that event without Kaleb. It was more like a graduation ceremony from art school. She’s had her own artist studio for ten years, but she decided two years ago to make it official and get an art degree. She’s finally done and today was the big display of all the projects she and her classmates have been working on. I’m not prejudice or anything, but I thought Turid’s was by far the best art in the place. She’s very talented.

Without much else on the agenda today as we waited for Kaleb to get home, I decided to cut the grass (see photo of me in our yard - way in the distance). We must have two acres of lawn around where we live (well, it seems like that anyway), and the grass was getting a bit ragged looking, so sick and all, I had to cut it. Kory tried talking me out of it but I just couldn’t stand it anymore. We headed out to the country to borrow a harvesting machine from a farmer cousin, as the lawn where we live can’t be cut with a regular lawnmower because the ground is so uneven and the huge protruding rocks would kill a lawnmower blade in an instant. So I now am the proud owner of some nasty blisters on the palms of my hands from all my hard work. Kory said I should have used gloves, but I didn’t want to overheat. I even cut the grass around the bus stop Kory repainted a few weeks ago so we now have a much more beautiful neighborhood. I am so proud.

Odd dropped in tonight to chat and have a beer with Kory. He told Kory he’s been so impressed with the way we have acclimated into Norwegian culture and have made friends and joined different groups and done so much in this year. Maybe he was worried we’d just be hanging out at his house the whole time, I’m not sure, but it was funny he would make that observation. I feel like we haven’t done enough or met enough people or joined enough things… but I did that on purpose because we had so many adjustments when we first came here. If we stayed another year we would really be on a roll. Odd thinks we should. He says Tante Ruth won’t be in our condo long because she needs so much care now. Ruth’s two sisters were helping her a lot, but with Tante Kari in the rehabilitation center recovering from her broken hip, she can’t help Ruth even when she gets home next week. Tante Aslaug has said she’s getting tired of being the sole caregiver and next week she’s taking a vacation to go see her son in southern Norway. That will leave Tante Ruth high and dry and I’m not sure what will happen to her. I know we’ll need to look in on her more, but that won’t be the solution she needs. When we were there for 17th of May, she didn’t even see Kaleb in the room. She is totally blind in one eye and losing sight in the other one quickly. Her blindness will become more of a problem for her than her cancer. But I set out a “fleece” for God and said if our condo is vacated by June 1st then we will apply to stay in Norway another year. It doesn’t look that will happen, but it may happen shortly thereafter. But a fleece is a fleece and we won’t stay if things don’t happen just as we asked. Odd wants us to go home, take care of business, and get right back here in October so Kaleb can go to school for another year. I think Odd is going through withdrawals already because he’s a little worried his bedroom won’t get completed before Kory leaves the country. But the good news is, we’ll be back. We’ll always be back. Knowing that makes leaving a little easier for us, too. (It’s now less than four weeks until we have to move out of our house!)

It's FRIDAY!

The sunshine came back today! Like Seattle, this weekend is supposed to be incredibly warm and sunny. Woo hoo. It’s a three day weekend here because Sunday is Pentecost Sunday so for some reason, Monday is a holiday, too. Tomorrow all the stores are only open for a few hours and like Easter, everyone goes away for this weekend up to their mountain cabins – except us. It might be pretty boring if we don’t plan something soon. I have been battling a sore throat for the past few days and today it’s taken a turn for the worse, so I hope I’m well enough to enjoy whatever may come our way the next few days.

Usually Fridays are pretty boring in school because The Good Teacher Inga teaches English on Fridays to another class, so we have Lena. Lena is nice enough, but pretty boring. She just gives us our assignments and sits back while we do them. Today however, the assignment was to talk amongst ourselves on whether Norway should tighten their regulations on who they let into this country. Two women in our class nearly got into a fist fight over that discussion. One woman from Brazil said the place where her husband works employs many people from Poland and they do random breathalyzer tests on the employees at 7am and when they do, all of the Polish employees are sent home because they are drunk (at 7am!). She felt people from Poland shouldn’t be allowed here because they don’t respect the laws and they drive drunk, when a Norwegian would NEVER do that. She’s afraid one day she may be killed by a drunk driver from Poland because, she said, “Everyone from Poland is drunk all the time.” Well, those were fightin’ words to the woman in our class that is actually from Poland. I think she would have been OK if it was said that MANY people from Poland are drunk MOST of the time, but the fact the woman from Brazil wouldn’t back down on that absolute statement she made really created a ruckus. I couldn’t believe that Lena let the fight go on so long as they began to call each other names and it was getting ugly. But the fact is, the polish people come here to do the work no one else wants to do. Norway has open borders with all countries in the EU and all are welcome here if they can find a job. Kory works with a lot of guys from Poland and he said they rarely show up to work or they show up late. One guy he works with just got arrested and put in jail for drug possession, so they don’t exactly have a good reputation, but the blanket generalizations made today were a bit much. Then we got on the discussion about the difference between refugees who come from war torn lands with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the asylum seekers who SAY they are being persecuted in their own land, but sometimes that is not the case, and they come here just to live off the system. There are huge groups of immigrants now in Norway, all here for different reasons, and all of them have changed the culture drastically in many way - unfortunately, mostly for the worse. But there’s no going back now. The floodgates have opened and they even let in folks like us! (There was a funny episode of The Simpsons a friend sent to me that was about the influx of all the immigrants to Mexico and the idea of building a wall to keep them out, except they used mid-western Norwegian farmers as a substitute for the Mexicans in conveying their message. I guess they felt that was the only group of people who wouldn’t take offense to being poked fun at in that way, as Norwegians do like to make fun of themselves.)

Kory spent his day over at Odd’s working on the remodel and then tonight he went to Filadelfia Church to see a big YWAM year end drama production. (I wanted to go but didn’t want to give others my germs.) Kaleb spent the afternoon over at his friend Henrik’s house, who lives down by his school. Ironically, Henrik used to live in The Sinking Houses, but had to move. Henrik and several other boys from school got the new Nintendo Pokemon game that was released this week, so Kaleb has been chomping at the bit to buy it himself, but in the meantime, he’s taken up with playing his friend’s version. He only came home to eat dinner and was right back over at Henrik’s house, then called at 9pm asking if he could sleep over. I’m sure he won’t sleep a wink, but it is a three day weekend, so it’s fine with me. I’m so thankful he has friends. And I noticed yesterday when we were at school watching him sing with the other fourth graders that he stood with all his friends, and they were the only boys standing still. All the boys in his class that he told me he avoids were all standing in a group together with about three teachers standing guard, constantly pointing fingers at them, separating them and once even putting one behind the bleachers because he wouldn’t behave. I am so proud that Kaleb has chosen friends that don’t get into trouble and that do well in school.

My computer died a second death today. I think it’s God way of breaking my addiction to it. I need to work on more self-control so these lessons aren’t so painful.

Play Day

We had an easy day in class today – we got to watch a movie! I guess everyone that comes to live in Norway MUST see one of Norway’s most famous productions at some point in their life. Henrik Ibsen is as well known of a playwright in Norway as Shakespeare is in England. Ibsen wrote a play in 1879 that was the most “obscene” and controversial of any play known to man, up to that time in history, anyway. It was a play called “A Doll House,” and it is considered the first real feminist production, ever. It was such a clever plot, but quite scandalous in those days. The basic story line is that a woman named Nora is married to a well-to-do man who treats her like a play thing – not acknowledging at all that she has a brain in her head. When he gets sick and can’t work and their social standing is threatened, Nora secretly takes out a loan to pay the bills to help out her husband. Nora’s husband was totally against borrowing money, and it was illegal in those days for a woman to take out a loan, so she had her father do it, or so she told the guy who loaned her the money. The problem was, her father was on his death bed and couldn’t sign the loan papers so she forged his signature. She then told her husband she had inherited that money from her father who had died. Nora secretly took side jobs to earn enough money to pay the loan back and her husband was none the wiser. Her husband got well and eventually found out about the loan and the forgery and was so incensed that his wife would bring such shame to the family by doing something so illegal (obviously missing the point that his wife did what she needed to do only for HIM and that she was capable enough to earn the money to pay it back), that he slapped her, told her she was unfit to raise their children and threatened to throw her out. When he received the forged loan papers back from the man who had loaned the money, he thought his troubles were over because no one else would find out about it and his name would be spared the shame of potentially having a felon for a wife. But in the process, he completely lost his wife’s respect. She had never seen just how selfish he could be and she was very hurt he never acknowledged what she had done for him, so she up and left him. (In 1879 in Germany the actors wouldn’t even play the parts unless the ending was rewritten because it was NEVER an option for a woman to leave a man.) Before Nora left, her husband tried to convince her to stay by saying, “First and foremost you are a housewife and mother,” to which she responded, “First and foremost, I am a person!” I couldn’t help but shout AMEN at that point as he was such a jerk. I guess it’s no surprise now, after seeing that film (play), that Norway is considered the most feminist country in the world. They had men thinking about women’s equality long before it was politically correct to do so. Woo hoo.

Kory did his share for equality today and made soup for dinner. I’m thankful he told me his plans first so I could tell him that no, you can’t just dump yesterday’s leftover salad into some chicken broth and call it vegetable soup. He still doesn’t understand why not, but then, he’s a guy who once sautéed cucumbers and added them to scrambled eggs for breakfast. At least he tries, and for the most part, gets it right, but every once in a while I have to wonder what in the world he is thinking.

Kaleb’s fourth grade class was invited to school late this afternoon to sing for the incoming first graders. All the new students showed up with their parents for an orientation. The school band was playing outside and the 4th graders were singing inside. It’s so cute to hear Kaleb singing in Norwegian. And I must say, there has to be more twins born in this area of Norway than any other place on earth. There are three sets of identical twin boys entering first grade, out of a class of 78. Kaleb’s 4th grade class has 90 students and there are three sets of identical twins and two sets of paternal twins just in that grade alone. I see twins everyday around here. I checked the national statistics for America and it seems the average is 30 sets of twins for every 1000 births. I’m sure this area of Norway is ten times that average. It must be something in the water. Good thing, as Kaleb says, I’m “out of eggs.” Scary stuff.

We had our Connect group with Agape church tonight (as we often do but I fail to mention it). Tonight was special because we met at our neighbor’s newly re-modeled and decorated house. It was like stepping into the pages of a magazine. That woman is quite the interior designer/decorator so I felt elegant just walking home from her house. I can’t believe the artistic abilities some people have. We all have our gifting. I just wish mine involved something other than sitting on my butt all day staring at a computer screen. If the words aren’t coming out of my mouth, they are flying off my fingertips. Maybe my wish should be that I just didn’t have so many words…. (Kory would wish that, too, I think.)

A Very Gray Day

We’ve had more rain the last few days than we’ve had all year. I guess the weather has been exceptionally wonderful (and not A4) since we've been here. I’m quite sure we wouldn’t have enjoyed it half as much if we had the kind of rain we’ve had the last few days, for the entire year. Kory was in Norway for five months in 1971 and all the time he was in Aalesund that summer he only remembers a few days of sunshine. That would get old. But the whole global warming thing is to Norway’s advantage on the one hand, because the weather is so nice now, but on the other hand, life is changing fast north of the Arctic Circle with everything melting so quickly. Days like today are just great for getting indoor projects done, so I’m not complaining. We just haven’t seen the mountains out our window for about three days now and the big grey wall of clouds hiding them, isn’t nearly as entertaining.

At school today The Good Teacher Inga gave us all a practice “speaking” test by asking us each to describe our “dream house.” Since I already have that back home, it wasn’t a hard assignment, and surprisingly, I passed the test, so woo hoo again! I only went to school for half a day then skipped out early to go be with The Praying Women. We had another refreshing time of prayer and talking about all the answers to prayers we’ve seen lately. Gotta love that. I used my afternoon and evening at home planning more things for our upcoming road trip. I was reading up on things to do in the areas we will be traveling, trying to get a good mix of history, culture and fun so we all remain happy campers.

Kory spent his morning down at the auto shop getting our van inspected. He found out a few things he didn’t know, like the fuse was out for the tail lights and turn signals, so it’s a good thing he got the inspection. Then he spent the rest of the day chasing after parts to fix all that he can fix himself before he schedules time at a repair shop. He has to get the car re-inspected before we can get the little sticker to put on our car showing it’s safe to be on the road. He thinks we’ll need new brakes, too, so hopefully everything can get done in the next few weeks. All it takes is time and money.

Kaleb didn’t have a very good day at school today. He got shoved and knocked around a little more, but didn’t seem as upset by it as he was yesterday. He didn’t pray for any of the boys before or after it happened, but I was praying for him all day. On one hand, I feel badly for him, but on the other, I’m glad he’s able to experience this kind of stuff because most of it is just normal boy stuff – they are rough with each other and he doesn’t have siblings to knock him around so he doesn’t realize it’s just part of life. The only thing I hate is he comes home and wants to demonstrate to me, exactly what happened to him at school, and often he hurts me in the process. I keep telling him he doesn’t need to carry through with things, he can stop short of actually smacking me, but I really think he gets pleasure out of knowing I feel his pain. I had him do a little extra homework today because he was bored and a little irritating. He wanted so much to go up to the neighborhood where all his friends live so I told him he could go if he got his homework done before two o’clock. Just as he was sitting down to do it, he dropped a glass that shattered into a million pieces, so he had to clean it up. Once he gets something like a vacuum cleaner in his hand, he completely tunes out to everything else. He must have played with that thing for a good 30 minutes, so he missed his window of opportunity to go, for which he was crabby about the rest of the day. Finally he put on his rain gear and rode his bike down to another kid’s house that lives by the school, as he had prearranged a meeting time with him, but when he got there, the kid wasn’t home. So he struck out all the way around. He came home feeling rather dejected, then played math games on his computer and read a Norwegian children’s book. I told him I would give him extra time on his Nintendo for every page he reads in Norwegian. He picked up a very advanced book and sat down and read three chapters. I had him tell us the synopsis of what happened in each chapter then Kory pointed to very difficult words and asked him what they meant. He knew everyone. If Kory asked him the word by itself, he couldn’t say what it meant, but when he read it in context with a sentence, he knew the meaning right away. We were both stunned as some of the words Kory didn’t even know and he had to look them up in the dictionary. I guess we don’t have to worry about his ability to learn things school – just his ability to roll with the punches – literally.

I Passed!

After my nice five day hiatus from school, I was back at it again today, training my ever shrinking brain how to speak and understand this very foreign language. It was good to be back though because I missed seeing My Pal Vestina. She was in crisis mode and texted me late last night that she needed my advice, so I had to go today to find out the details. She’s a smart cookie and knew the right answer. She just needed me to confirm it for her. She is sad I’m leaving, but I promised I’m just an e-mail away. She says it won’t be the same, and she’s right. I’ll miss her, too.

I got my practice Norsk Prøve 3 test back today and I PASSED! Not with flying colors mind you, just by the skin of my teeth, but still, I passed! The Good Teacher Inga was so proud. My writing assignment this time was much better, she said. I still have problems with some of the basic rules like pluralizing the adjective when the noun is also plural and remembering which of the many pronouns to set into play depending on whether it’s the object or subject of the sentence, but overall, she said, I made it! And when she handed me back the test she said sternly, “So STOP complaining! You’re doing great!” She said that only because I whine daily that I don’t know how to speak Norwegian properly, which I don’t, but apparently, they don’t care. With two official languages, all the dialects and so many variations on the theme, they REALLY don’t care. As long as they can understand what’s being said, that’s all that matters. But Inga also said that it’s very difficult to pass the level 3 exam before completing at least a thousand hours of lessons, and I haven’t even had seven hundred hours of lessons, so she said, I’m way ahead of the average. Woo hoo. But I’m still not taking the test for real because once I pass it and get my certificate, the government stops paying for my lessons. I’m not stupid - maybe a little slow, but not stupid. I’m definitely not “A4”, which I found out today is an expression meaning “normal.” The Good Teacher Inga was saying the family she grew up in wasn’t A4, so I had to ask what it meant. She said A4 is the name of the type of paper that is 8x11 (or the centimeter equivalent). It’s the most common form of paper used in printers and copiers and the size of paper used for most forms that need to be filled out, so it’s become the standard expression for “normal” and a person refers to things as “A4” or “not A4.” I’ve cracked another secret Norwegian code!

Kaleb didn’t have such a triumphant day. He came home saying he wants to quit school because he’s so tired of all the bullying. It’s not just Morten anymore, he says, there are other kids that daily slam into him, step on his feet, push and shove and knock him around just a bit too much. I tried to explain to him that it’s just the way kids are, but he wasn’t buying it. I told him I’ve even seen him act like that when he didn’t know I was watching him standing in a line, but again, he cries innocent of all charges. So then I told him he needs to forgive the kids because they don’t really know they are harming him and to look at the whole thing as a spiritual battle and not to let Satan win. He felt a little better when I explained it in those terms and he might even take on a little spiritual warfare at school just to see what happens.

Kory’s tooth was loose again this morning so he had it glued in a little better this time. The dentist told him that she has to repair at least one tooth a week from them either chipping, breaking or falling out, all from people eating dried fish! Now that’s funny. That’s how Kory broke his tooth off too, so I’m thinking that’s probably why the Norwegian government doesn’t provide dental coverage – everyone has to pay for their own dental work around here because they are addicted to dried, salted, hard-as-a-rock fish! The locals complain bitterly about how expensive dental work is, but it’s still much cheaper than dentistry in the US, even with the dollar falling in value a little bit each and every day.

It rained pretty hard the whole day so that was all the excuse I needed to sit at my computer the entire afternoon (like that’s different from any other day.) But today I was focused on preparing for our return home and getting Kaleb’s school schedule for the Fall worked out. He made up his own IDEAL schedule including woodworking, sewing, cooking, science, educational games and gymnastics, which I incorporated, but then I had to throw in a few things like Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. He’s been taking math classes from Johns Hopkins University, Center for Talented Youth, since he was six, and he’s excited to start up with their on-line classes again because they now have a variety of subjects he can take now that he’s older. I signed him up for science, critical reading and Web design. He wants The Weekly Puppy (his dog newspaper) to have its own website. I can’t think of a better educational opportunity than that. Homeschooling does have its advantages. I’m just glad Kory and I share in that responsibility so I only have to do it every other day.

Double Woo-Hoo Day!

Two good things happened today, and I’m not sure which one I’m happiest about because both of them make me want to do the Happy Dance. I got my laptop back from repair and we finally rented out our vacant apartment in Seattle! Double Woo Hoo! I was getting oh so tired of Kaleb’s laptop with its Norwegian keyboard and painfully slow response time, plus the fact he believed it gave him the right to control me and how much time I spent on it. That was getting old. I guess now I know how he feels. (Being a kid isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.) And as for the apartment, we are thanking God we have a tenant because this weekend another one of our apartments goes vacant and having two empty at once is a huge financial drain, so we have been shoutin’ Hallelujah all day long. God is rarely early, but He’s never late.

I was home all day by myself, just having prayer and Bible study time. It was a good day to be indoors because the sky was a dark gray with a little rain off and on. I enjoyed the peace and quiet and time alone with God. I so miss my every other day off I used to have at home when Kory taught Kaleb one day and I taught him the next. But soon enough we’ll be back to that routine so I don’t want to wish any time away now. That kid takes up a lot of energy, so my ability to get anything done goes away once he’s home from school. God bless him. He had a fine day at school, but he’s now counting down the days until school is out. I think we both are done around the 20th of June.

Kory gave his two week notice today as he wants to be done with work early so he can help Odd finish his remodel project before we leave. Kory’s bosses want to give him a going away party, so that’s nice. He has so enjoyed working for them and according to cousin Kari (who is the aunt to Espen, one of his bosses), Espen is “taking his Christianity more seriously” because of Kory’s influence on him – so it was nice to hear that Kory has been a good influence on him. I’m sure they will miss the “Hallelujahs” at work too, because Kory is sure to holler it every time someone on the job site says a swear word. He likes to get in a little counter balance to such a thing to “clear the air” he says.

Tonight I attended another “Jesus Kvinne” meeting (Jesus Women) at Filadelfia Church. It’s such a great venue I’m wishing I could bring it to Skagit Valley when we get home. It’s a multi-denominational monthly gathering of women that’s fun, entertaining and informative. It reminds me a little of the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group I was involved in when Kaleb was a toddler, only this is for women of all ages and in all walks of life. I really like the program and can see it working at home with the right group of women making it happen. We’ll see if doors open.

I went to the church café afterwards and sat with a woman I met last week at the Bible study I attended. When I prayed for her at the Bible study, it was clear to me that she needed some wisdom and guidance about a few things so I told her how to lay out a “fleece” by setting up certain criteria as a “yes” or “no” from God and waiting to see how God guides. It’s a method mentioned in the Old Testament in Judges Chapter 6, but she’d never heard of it. I asked her tonight if she’d laid out any fleeces this week and she said she asked God that night as she was driving home from the Bible study if this really was a way He wants to communicate things to her, and if it was, then she would need to see a seagull standing in the middle of the road by the time she got to her house. She drove all the way, looking for a seagull and didn’t even see one in the sky, then just as she was turning the corner to her street, there stood about 50 seagulls right in the middle of the road. She said that was all it took for her to believe. She told her husband about it when she got home but he said, “God doesn’t speak to people like that.” So I reminded her tonight that YES He does and when she gives it a try and her husband sees how it works, he’ll believe. (Kory was skeptical at first too but now he knows better.) I believe God is a gentleman, and He waits to be asked before He intervenes. And just like any good parent, He loves us and only wants the best for us. He will lead and guide, He will give wisdom and clear direction, and His timing is always perfect. God is so faithful. I love that about Him.

Picnic (and Rain) in the Park

It’s amazing how long we can sleep in when Kaleb doesn’t come crawling in to our bed in the morning. I’m sure I could have slept all day, but got up at ten anyway to make it to church on time. We went to Filadelfia this morning and heard a wonderful sermon on Pentecost (which is next Monday and another National holiday in Norway). The pastor read the words of Jesus, telling us it is BETTER for us that he doesn’t stay on earth because after he leaves, he’ll send the Holy Spirit, which is much more powerful. It was such a thought provoking and inspiring talk, and I understood most everything he said without using the translation headphones, so that was cool. It was such a great sermon everyone applauded afterwards. That was a first, and a little odd in church, but nice at the same time.

Before the sermon began a group of kids from Youth With A Mission (YWAM) made a presentation about their two month mission trip to India. The YWAM base in Ålesund is called “Creative” Discipleship Training School because all the kids that go there have some artistic gifting they want to use for God’s glory. The coolest part about their presentation was the music video they made while in India. It looked like it was cut right from MTV, as they knew the song they would use ahead of time and they set different stages for the messages they were trying to convey while filming it. It was all very clever and a great way to display their mission. They are indeed talented folk.

After church we stayed for coffee and cake and sat with Tone (pronounced Tone-ah) and her husband (she is one of The Praying Women). Her husband became a politician after he retired from banking. When he was first running for office, the week before the election, he came down with a severe case of Chicken Pox, which nearly killed him as it spread internally as much as externally. He was actually on life support the day of the election, and when he won, he didn’t know about it for weeks afterward because of how sick he was. Tone was sure he would lose the election because all the newspapers and TV were reporting he was on his death bed, but they voted him in anyway. Gotta love that.

We picked Kaleb up from his friend Andre’s house after church and he was just gloating. I had taken away his Nintendo privileges yesterday because he disobeyed me. His friend Andre had a Game-boy system so he played that all night instead, and felt so triumphant that he was still able to play video games while not disobeying. I am trying to help him understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, but I’m not sure I’m making progress. We headed right for a park to go to a church picnic with Agape Church this afternoon and as everyone was packing up and leaving, I noticed a lot of garbage on the ground. I asked Kaleb if he could go around and pick up all the garbage he saw, so he started walking away with his eyes closed then came back and reported he didn’t see a thing. Not funny.

The reason I asked him to pick up litter was because when he was playing volleyball I was watching him from a distance and saw him wrestle the ball out of a kid’s arms and then start throwing sand at the kid. I was so disappointed to see him behave like that and then he wouldn’t fess up to doing it when I talked to him about it later. Not good. I’m so miffed with him and not sure how to handle this behavior. I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not, but I certainly don’t like some of the things he’s been doing lately.

We weren’t sure we were going to go to the picnic because it was raining a little this afternoon, but wouldn’t you know, that doesn’t stop a thing here. We showed up a little late and the picnic and games were in full swing. Norwegians have a very cool invention they use for beach parties called an “engangsgrille” which literally translates as “one time grill.” It’s basically just an aluminum lasagna pan with charcoal in the bottom and a light metal grill over the top. With one toss of the match, the coals ignite and after a few minutes, the grill is ready for hot dogs or burgers (see photo). But we provided the ultimate entertainment for the day when we showed up with our full sized BBQ. We are so American. Kory just had to have his barbequed potatoes and didn’t know how to do them on those little grills, so we got several snickers as we pulled up in the van with that big BBQ. We have no shame. The park was empty except for our church party, so there was lots of room to play volleyball, croquet and another lawn game (Kubb) that came from the Vikings that involves throwing sticks of wood at other sticks of wood in a strategic way. Any game that involves throwing objects is a hit with Kaleb and he did very well playing it his first time. Now if he could just focus that precision towards being obedient, we might have a little more peace in our household.

Mission Accomplished!

Today was the day we made it to the Verpesdalen farm! We tried last week but lost track of the trail but today we gave it another go and we succeeded. Hallelujah! I couldn’t bear another day of Kaleb whining about us taking away precious time with his friends however, so we invited the friends to come along. I’m not dumb. That way we were all happy as Kory got to share the farm from his childhood memories with Kaleb and Kaleb got to share a hike up in the mountain with his friends.

We had wonderful weather for the trip, which made it all the sweeter. We were on the road by 9:30 and expected to be home by six, but it was after eight before we were back. Needless to say, it was a long day and six of those hours were spent hiking in the mountains. We would have NEVER found the alternative trail we took today if it weren’t for the farmer we spoke with last week. He lead us right through his barn and on into the goat pen, then turned us loose to head straight up into their pasture - which was about a hundred degree angle climb. If it were straight up, it would have been ninety degrees, but this had the slightest little tilt to it so we didn’t fall to our death, but the going was pretty steep and the boys were complaining long before we reached the peek. It was a beautiful ascent however but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked because there were several little “gifts” the goats left behind that I tried my darndest not to step in, so I had to keep my eyes on the ground at all times. Once we got up into the high country, the going was much smoother. We could hear the bells of the sheep that live up in the mountains all summer and the breeze was very refreshing. Kaleb and his buddies, Andre and Toben, didn’t pass one rock they didn’t first climb up on and jump off, nor did they pass one ant hill they didn’t disturb. Such is the entertainment nature provides for 10 year old boys.

Once we reached the end of the ridge, we had an incredibly steep descent into the valley where the farm lays. I thought I might not make it as it was a long way down at another hundred degree angle – quite treacherous on all accounts. The worst part was there was no where to stop and rest because the trail was crawling with huge red bodied ants just waiting to climb up our legs, so it forced us to keep going. Ugh. But we finally made it to the farm and Kory couldn’t have been more pleased. He showed Kaleb where he remembered making goat cheese, where he had tried to ride a goat by holding on to the horns and getting tossed off into the grass, where he rowed a boat out onto the lake and ripped his knee open on a nail sticking out of the side of the boat, and where the field was he tended the goats during the summers he was there. I think Kaleb got himself a few memories there too as the boys all discovered some dried hollow grass they used as a straw to blow bubbles into the lake, they chased after frogs, chewed on some rhubarb and went into the old barn and jumped from the rafter into the big pile of old hay laying inside. Kaleb also lost his first molar today while eating a brownie there. We all ate lunch at a picnic table in the yard, took lots of photos and waited for Odd and Hege. They took the ferry after the one we were on so they were late in arriving, but they made it in half the time we used, so we didn’t have to wait long. Odd was pleased to see the place Kory had talked so much about over the years. Really a peaceful place, but it sits down in a steep valley like the last piece of lettuce in a salad bowl. I’m sure in the winter it would be a dreadful place, getting no sun and lots of snow, but in the summer, it was quite lovely.

We took an hour to ascend the hill behind the farm on our return because I was so worried about Kory’s heart, but also because the boys were tired (one in particular is a little out of shape). I was glad I remembered my walking sticks my friend Paula bought for me as I’m sure I couldn’t have made the climb without them. Odd called us from the ferry line when we were still a little ways from the car and told us we had thirty minutes to make the next ferry or we’d have to wait an hour. It was already nearly six o’clock so it added a little stress to try and come down the steep hill in the goat pasture in a hurry. I was sure I wouldn’t make it. All the goats were crowded around the gate, and Andre was terrified of them and wouldn’t go near them. We had to yell at him to get him to move and after Kory exceeded every speed limit sign we saw on the way down the mountain, we actually made it to the ferry just as they were wrapping it up. We were the last car on and made it just in the nick of time, for which I was so thankful.

Kaleb was invited to a sleepover at Andre’s so we dropped him off there, and then got a phone call inviting us to "kveldsmat" (night food) with some friends from church. I was happy I didn’t have to cook because I was so sore and just wanted to sit down. Bente, our hostess, heard my moans and got out something that looked like Ban Roll-on deodorant and rubbed my legs with it, which unbelievably, took away all the pain I was experiencing. Kory is sure was roll-on heroine for how good it made me feel, but she swears she got it at a health store. Whatever it was, it was a fantastic way to end a great day.

The Smile is Back!

I couldn’t bear the toothless grin on Kory so I called a dental clinic in his old hometown this morning. There isn’t much going on in that place so I figured someone might be free to glue in his missing tooth. I was right, and for less than thirty dollars, he can smile again without making me turn my head and moan. The dentist said the glue will only hold for a few days, so he’s keeping his appointment with the other dentist for Tuesday, just to see what he says. I hope this isn’t an on-going problem.

The rest of the world was back to work today, but all schools were closed so Kaleb and I had a free day. I guess having a holiday on a Thursday is all the excuse they need to make it a long weekend. It was good for me as I enjoyed sleeping in until ten o’clock. I had a lazy morning then Kory and I went to the mall to get a few groceries. Actually, he went to visit Tante Ruth while I did the shopping, since the condo and the mall are attached to one another. Tante Ruth was pretty chipper today but her eyesight is going quickly. If her sisters weren’t living next door, I’m sure she’d need to be in an assisted living place by now, but Tante Aslaug is good to come over everyday and help out.

Kory spent the afternoon with Odd buying materials to finish up his remodel. I used the time home alone to clean house and start packing stuff up. I need to separate out things I need to get rid of, what I’m taking back home, and what I’m putting in storage at our condo until the day we can actually live there. And let me just say how much I love those vacuum storage bags! I put all our extra bedding in one bag and it shrank right down to a manageable size. Same thing for wool sweaters. I have to conserve all the space I can as our storage place isn’t too big. I’m only just beginning with winter clothes and things I know we won’t need for our road trip, but at least I got the ball rolling. I think I was doing this same thing a year ago back home… trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave behind.

Kaleb came home tired and crabby tonight. He was up until four this morning on his sleepover with his friend Toben. So much for sleep. He had a good time though, so that counts for something. It was such a beautiful day we decided to have a BBQ tonight and we invited Tobias and his family to join us. Kaleb fell asleep sitting on the couch after dinner, which sort of put an end to playing any games afterwards, but we had a nice visit with all of them anyway. We are trying to talk them into coming to see us next summer, and it sounds like they just might do it. We thought we’d take Tobias home with us when we leave Norway next year and they can come get him. He’s such an easy kid to have around and he has a tremendous fascination for all things American. He speaks English better than anyone I’ve met here so I think it will be a good experience for him. The evening was shorter than I would have liked, but Kaleb needed to get to bed and Tobias’ five year old twin brothers were getting a bit squirrely. Bjørn, Tobias’ step-dad, is heading to America again next week, so hopefully we can score on getting a little more coffee. We just ran out of American coffee last week and it’s just a horrible way to start my day when I have to drink Norwegian coffee. Bleeeck. Bjørn’s frequent trips to America have certainly made our stay here in Norway sweeter. My girlfriend, Barbara, sent us a care package at Christmas full of lots of American goodies, including several packs of Starbucks coffee. I tried to drink Norwegian coffee a few days ago but had to resort to the last pack of coffee Barbara sent, which was decaf. The flavor is good, but I’ve been groggy everyday since. I need my caffeine fix, but not so much that I’d drink Norwegian coffee to get it.

I was drinking my coffee this morning reading the local paper – something the locals can do for hours on end. Today’s paper had an article about the gigantic increase in the number of immigrants to Norway. Currently ten percent of Norway’s population is made up of immigrants. Last year 11% of all the babies born here had Polish parents. One side-bar article said that Ålesund Kommune had no immediate plans to build a cemetery just for the Muslims, unlike other Kommunes in Norway. Muslims are a despised group, right up there with the Asylum Seekers. Odd told us that for every Asylum Seeker they allow in Norway, an average of 22 “family” members come to Norway a few years later – all getting approval to live here because they now have family here. Norway is now like the family member that just won the lottery and everyone wants a piece of the pie. If they didn’t have all the money from the North Sea oil, they wouldn’t be having such a good life, but then they wouldn’t be having the world knocking on their door trying to get in either. As The Good Teacher Inga says, “Everyone is just trying to improve their lot in life.” I guess that’s why I need my American coffee in the morning.

Ascension Day

Today is a national holiday in Norway so everyone had a day off. Most holidays in Norway are religious in nature and today was no exception. Forty days after Easter, the Bible says, Jesus departed this earth up through the clouds and on into heaven . On the calendar in Norway, this day is known as “Himmel farts dag” – literally translated as “Heaven speed day.” It’s funny to say it in either Norwegian or English but I tried not to say it at all because I couldn’t help but laugh and that just seemed too disrespectful.

Kaleb was quick to do his chores this morning so he would be free to play with his friends the entire day. He actually arranged a sleep-over at Toben’s house so he was gone first thing this morning and I don’t expect to see him until dinner time tomorrow night. I’m so thankful he has so many friends here and they are all very good kids.

Kory was up bright and early this morning too because Odd declared it a work day, inspite of the fact it’s a “red day” on the calendar. Odd was anxious to get the window out of his old bedroom wall and installed in the new wall Kory built for him, so they worked the entire day on his remodel project (see photo). They not only got the window moved but Kory installed a huge support beam to replace the old exterior wall Odd was so pleased to knock out. Odd loves to do the destructive work, but ends up making more work for Kory because he’s often a little too destructive. Kory just laughs. Odd is such a funny guy and he’s unbelievably satisfied with every little thing Kory does. He told me today he’s been waiting ten years to get this project done. I asked him why he didn’t just hire it out and he said because he wanted “control” over the work and the carpenter’s he talked to would only work during the week, when he wasn’t home. It’s funny he thinks he’s in control of the project when he doesn’t know a thing about construction and keeps asking Kory what they need to do next. It’s all a matter of perspective, and I’m sure Kory is good at letting him think he’s in control.

I was over watching the “show” for a little while this morning and having coffee with Turid while Kory and Odd were hard at work. It was weird to have a day off and not have Kaleb home. I just sat around all morning, with not much to do. I felt like a lost puppy. This afternoon I came home to a quiet house and collected all the information from the e-mails I’ve received with reservation numbers and addresses, phone numbers and directions to places, and made a nice little chart so all the information is together for our road trip. At least that part of my life is now organized and I feel confident we are well prepared. If one thing goes wrong, however, I’m in big trouble, but at least I have all the phone numbers written down if I need to start canceling things. It felt good to be done with all that planning as it’s taken me way longer to do it than I expected (mostly due to Kaleb’s slow computer response time). I miss my laptop!

Turid invited Kory and I over for dinner tonight so I was glad I didn’t have to cook anything. It felt so comfortable to be there again, as it had become our home away from home after all the times we’ve stayed there over the years. We sat out on their deck and watched the mountains light up from the setting sun, then turn a nice shade of pink, then glow in the aftermath of the sunset. So beautiful… and now the sky isn’t getting dark until about 1am so it’s hard to go to bed when there’s still daylight. I’ve been up until nearly one almost every night this week.

One peculiarity I’ve noticed about Norwegians after they eat a meal is that they like to sit around and pick their teeth with toothpicks, for at least an hour after they’ve eaten. Even in restaurants, all tables have toothpicks holders on them and no matter how fine the dining, the customers will sit and dig for that last little morsel of food, while carrying on a conversation. I find it a little disgusting, but it’s just the norm here. Kory has always done it at home in America, but it’s like he relishes it all the more now. It wasn’t a good idea tonight however because a few days ago when he was knawing on some dried fish (that’s hard as a rock), he knocked a cap loose and tonight, while picking his teeth, he knocked the whole tooth right out of his mouth. I guess it wasn’t really a cap, it was more like a fake tooth glued into place, but it’s the one right next to his front teeth so now he looks like some hillbilly from the Ozarks. Last week when he knocked it loose in the first place, he made an appointment with a dentist but couldn’t get in until next Tuesday, so I’m not sure what he’s going to do now. I just hope he doesn’t smile too much because he looks absolutely ridiculous.

Testing 1-2-3

Kaleb and I both went back to school today. It was good to get out of the house, even if it was raining. I don’t know why I bothered to go to school, however, because it was just another big testing day. We had another practice run at the Norskprøve 3 test as some in our class will be taking it for real in a few weeks. It was painful, but I did get to write an essay on the differences between schools in America and schools in Norway, so at least I got to vent a little (on both sides). Kaleb also got to take a practice test today – the big end of the school year test all student’s must take before advancing to the next level. He told me all the kids in his class took the 5th grade entrance test, but his teacher gave him the 8th grade one because it was just in math and English and he’s pretty good in both of those. He thought it was all too easy.

Kory spent his morning trying to get the car tested. Once a year Norway requires all cars to go through a certification process and all Kory could do was make an appointment for next week. I was thinking we should have had the car tested before we planned to use it for our road trip, just in case anything is seriously wrong with it and we can’t afford to get it fixed. But I’m trusting God on that one. The car seems fine, but who knows. The certification test alone costs well over a hundred dollars and if anything needs fixing, it could break the bank, as car repairs are outrageously expensive. Cars in general are obscenely expensive to own in Norway anyway. A new car purchased in Norway comes with 100% sales tax, plus a thousand dollar deposit that is returned when the car makes its way to the junkyard. They are now talking about increasing that deposit to around fifteen thousand dollars just to encourage more people to turn their cars in sooner.

There are quite a few differences between owning cars in Norway versus America. For one thing, they don’t make it easy to drive here. It takes over a year to attend a driving course just to get a license. No one under 18 is allowed to drive. The process of getting a license costs about six grand, but once a person obtains a driver’s license, it doesn’t expire until their 100th birthday. (That’s a funny sight to see on a license.) Once a driver turns 70 years old, however, they need to go in for recertification every year to test their eyesight and reflexes and driving knowledge. And I just found out today that insurance is not pro-rated. It must be paid annually, and can’t be cancelled. We are going to be using our car for one week past its renewal date and we have to pay insurance for the entire year – over a thousand dollars for it to just sit in a garage while we are out of the country. (At least we can use it when we come back.)

The tabs on our car cost over five hundred dollars a year, which is actually much cheaper than most people pay because we have an older car. The tabs are based on the age of the car, how big the engine is, how much it weighs and how much cubic feet is available for passengers inside the vehicle. We have a mini-van with the last seat section removed for extra luggage space. The previous owners had the middle seat scooted up as far as they could get it behind the driver’s seat so their tabs would be cheaper. (They apparently never used the back seat because there is no leg room back there. It works OK for us because Kaleb sits in the middle, but it’s a tight squeeze with adults back there.) A two passenger vehicle pays the least amount for tabs and they get a green license plate to show just how special they are (as opposed to the white ones on vehicles that can hold more than two passengers). And all vehicles with any kind of storage space available behind the seats, like a hatch back or our mini van, are required to have a wire wall separating the spaces so that items in the back won’t come hurling forward in case of a collision. Not a bad idea. It’s also not a bad idea that the police set up random check points every now and then and pull people over for no seat belts or for talking on a cell phone while driving. And last of all, no one here drives without insurance. The insurance company is in ka-hootz with the police and the car registration place and somehow they have that one figured out. I know when we got our van they would not release the license plates to us until we showed we had proof of insurance. I wouldn’t be surprised if the police impounded a vehicle if the insurance premiums aren’t paid. They don’t mess around with that stuff here. Driving is a privilege and I’m very thankful we have that freedom. It’s made all the difference this year as we love not having to bother Turid anymore to take us places and we love to go on road trips. Taking the bus works fine for me now that I know the routes, and my bike is great on sunny days. I heard someone here say they visited America once but they hated it because it was impossible to get around unless they had a car. So sad, but true. Europe has the whole “mass transit” thing figured out so it’s possible to never even own a car. But I think that would be sad. I love to drive!

Redemption Day

Kaleb’s fever was gone this morning, but I let him stay home from school anyway. I had so much guilt over him going yesterday that I thought he should just have a day of rest on the couch, watching movies all day. It’s the best part about being sick – unlimited movie time. He likes to go to school on Tuesdays because it’s his gym day. It seems there is one thing each day of the week that makes him not want to miss school, but he didn’t complain about staying home. He had quite the runny nose though so he went through an entire box of Kleenex. I stayed home with him, even though I really wanted to go to school myself. It’s just too boring to sit home, but I used the time to make more reservations for our road trip, and translate more of the farm history information I have found for my friend Paula, so at least the day wasn’t wasted.

I asked Kaleb today how he felt about going back to America and he said he would really like to be in Norway half the time and in America the other half. He likes both lives equally well, but they are very different. I guess I feel the same. Our life was pretty good back home, but it’s also good here, so I’m thankful we feel established enough now that we can consider this our second home.

One of the women at the meeting I attended last night asked me to compare Christians in America to Christians in Norway. That was a hard one. I told her I have met many people in Norway that say they are a “little Christian” meaning they believe in God, that Jesus is the son of God and he died on the cross and rose again, but they don’t take it “personal” and don’t do anything to develop their relationship with God. I told her I thought in America around where we live, people don’t really call themselves a Christian unless they are pretty committed. I told her Christianity is portrayed in the media in such a negative way that some non-Christians feel hostile towards Christians. Norwegians are often shocked when I explain how God has been taken out of the schools in America because that’s where most Norwegians learn about Him. There are definitely different meanings behind the word “Christian” in Norway and in America, from what I’ve seen.

Kory worked yesterday and today and had no problems with his back, so we are thankful for that. His boss gave him easy work to do, which helped. I’m sure he would be on permanent disability if he were a Norwegian citizen as no one would work with the kind of pains he endures. Between his back and the arthritis in his wrists, he’s often quite debilitated, but he still keeps working if he can. There are a lot of people on disability here and for the weirdest things – like high blood pressure or “stress.” I know two people who haven’t worked for months because their job is too stressful, so they get to stay home and collect full pay. That system just wouldn’t fly in America. The guy with high blood pressure hasn’t worked for a year. It will be interesting to see how Norway is doing 20 years from now with all these entitlement programs and this generation of kids growing up thinking that the slightest little pain is reason to stay home from work. One woman I know has been off work for years because she has fibromyalgia but she gardens, redecorates, moves furniture around and goes on vacations. I don’t know there is anything she can’t do, but she obviously doesn’t want to work and has an excuse to get full pay to not do so. It’s shocking the number of able bodied people that don’t work.

I decided to make chicken tacos for dinner tonight so I took the pack of frozen ground up chicken out of the freezer and set it on the table outside to thaw in the sun. I walked to the store to get some vegetables and left Kaleb home alone. When I got back, the pack of chicken was gone. I asked him about it but he didn’t know anything. I looked around the yard and then I found the empty package, pecked open by the birds and all the chicken was completely devoured. I told Kaleb about it and he just said, “I saw a lot of birds out there but I didn’t know what they were doing.” So apparently the crows and magpies were having a food fest on the chicken! Funny, but irritating. I don’t know how they knew what was in that package and why they’d be so bold as to come right up next to the house, but now I know better. Uff da. Norway’s crime rate is very low, but apparently no one has told that to the birds.

(The photo today was taken on Sunday when we stopped off to visit Tante Ruth. She was all dressed up for the day, even though she never ventured out of the condo. She had color in her cheeks and was looking pretty spunky, except for her finger, which got slammed in the door when the wind blew it shut on her hand. Stakkars Tante Ruth.) ((Happy 40th Joni!))

The Day After

Things were pretty quiet today in our little neighborhood. I didn’t venture out much so I don’t know about the rest of the city but it sure had that “day after” feel to it. I was home from school to prepare my Bible study lesson and when Kaleb woke up complaining he didn’t feel good, I panicked. I need the house to be quiet for a few hours while I’m studying and praying, and it’s anything BUT that when he’s around, even if he is sick. I took his temperature and it was normal, but I could tell by the way he was acting he wasn’t up to snuff. I suggested he stay home but he moaned that today was his music lesson and he didn’t want to miss it. So I suggested he go to school and see how he feels and he could always come home early if he is too sick. He agreed with that idea and I didn’t see him again until after school was out, but then he was sick as a dog with a high fever. I asked why he didn’t come home earlier and he said because I didn’t have a car to come get him and he didn’t have much energy to ride his bike home so he thought he’d just tough it out until school was over. He had 102 temperature and slept on the couch all afternoon. I hate it that I let him go to school. He said several others were out sick today too so at least he’s not alone.

After I finished my Bible lesson and prayer time I used Kaleb’s very slow computer to try to buy tickets home again, and this time, I was successful! We will be flying home on Friday, August 7th on Icelandic Air. We haven’t traveled with them before so it’s exciting we are stopping in Iceland on our way home. And as a bonus, they let me just buy a one way ticket for half the price of round trip – like when does that ever happen? So all three of us are flying from Ålesund to Seattle for under eighteen hundred bucks. Not bad. And once I knew for sure our departure date, I started making reservations for our road trip around Northern Europe in July. That took much longer than I expected and I’m only a third of the way done. I spent at least two hours just trying to find a hotel in Berlin, with no luck so far. Uff da. But at least we have our route planned out and with a few reservations under my belt, I’m feeling confident things will fall into place, Lord willing! Things happen, but we always make plans like nothing will stop us and then see if God starts closing any doors. We’ll be spending time in southern Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Northern Germany, Holland, Belgium and Czech Republic. It will be just a “Reader’s Digest” version trip as we will be in each city just a few days, but at least we can hit the highlights and see where we might want to visit again. Deciding what to see in each place is still a project for another day, but at least I’ve begun to make reservations at campsites and hotels.

We had to cancel our normal Bible study group because we didn’t want anyone to get what Kaleb has, so that was a bit of a bummer, but then I was invited to another Bible study group I haven’t been to before. Kristen, one of the Praying Women, holds a Bible study for a bunch of women she knows and most of them don’t attend church. Kristen asked if I could come talk to her group and tell them about “soaking prayer.” (One of my friends in America renamed it “Son bathing” – I thought that was pretty good.) I tried to explain it in Norwegian, but it’s hard to explain being in the presence of God even in English. I did my best, and then we gave it a try. The women were all from the State Church background so they seemed rather skeptical at first, but once they quieted themselves before God, He did the work. A few of them had visions or words from God, which was a first for them, so that was exciting. I prayed for each one of them and it was as if I was “reading their mail.” I don’t know anything about these women, but once again God gave me “words of wisdom” and I said to them things only God would know, so that really got their attention. I love being the vessel and being used to help others draw closer to God. I sensed that one woman needed a lot of wisdom, so I was able to explain afterwards how to lay out a fleece to ask God for guidance. Another woman I could tell was under some kind of spiritual attack so I got to explain spiritual warfare and how to kick Satan out of a situation. Another woman there I just saw as a flower that bloomed right out of the pages of the Bible and I suggested she might find new meaning in the words as she reads her Bible now. Another woman I saw as a lighthouse, shining in the darkness. It was so fun to see what God had for each of the women and to spend time praying together. They want me back. I told them it’s not me, it’s the Holy Spirit, but if I can teach them a few more things before I leave, I would be happy to do that. They are all fairly new to the idea that a person can actually have a “relationship” with God – that He is someone to interact with, not someone who sits idly by watching the world spin around. I’m excited for them as there is so much ahead for all of them if they have a hunger for more. God is so faithful to meet us where we need Him most.

Hip Hip Hoorah!

The sun was shining brightly for all the Independence Day festivities today. I felt terrible for all the women in their heavy wool bunads (the dresses weigh more than 15 pounds), and the men in their wool pants and vests, jackets and knee high wool socks. It was in the 70s today and I was sure some might pass out from heat stroke in the streets as they walked along in the parade or stood on the sidelines watching it go by.

We were up early this morning as I had to cut Kaleb’s hair, much to his dismay, and the squirming and complaining he did showed up in the kind of job I did. As I was standing outside cutting his hair it was as if a national alarm clock went off at the stroke of eight when all the neighbors we could see from our house were out within minutes of each other hanging up their flags. By law, the flags can only fly today from 8am to 9pm and I’m sure everyone was sitting inside counting down the minutes until they could display their national pride. It is quite a sight when every house is flying a flag.

We ventured into the city this morning to see the big parade in downtown Aalesund. The best part is just getting to the street where the parade is and watching all the people funnel into the city wearing their bunads (traditional national costumes), both men and women, and children – it’s all very festive and so attractive. All the people from this area of Norway use the same pattern so it’s somewhat like a uniform in that they are all dressed alike (it’s easy to see who is NOT from their area as their bunads are so different). People line the street waving flags just to watch the parade of people waving flags who are dressed just the same, walk down the middle of the street. It’s never clear who is in the parade and who is a spectator, but mostly the parade is full of children. They begin the "tog" with all the daycare centers and move up in age as the parade passes by. Many of the children are dressed in bunads, or their best clothes as it's a very formal day. Parents accompany some of the younger kids, but as they age, the children go it alone. It’s just a parade of people, all dressed up yelling “Hip Hip Hoorah!” and waving their Norwegian flags. There are no motorized vehicles, no floats, no advertisements, no special interest groups, no politicians and no throwing of candy. (Kaleb was pretty devastated the first parade we went to here in Norway when he realized they didn’t throw candy.) Occasionally there will be a marching band or some singing group going by, but for the most part, it’s just people, happy as can be that their land is free from Swedish rule, congratulating each other on the day and yelling “Hip Hip Hoo-rah!”

We cut out a few minutes early from the parade so we wouldn’t be stuck in the traffic jam to get back home. Kaleb had to be at his school by 1:30 and he needed to each lunch. Filadelfia Church had their café open today, but there was no church service. All the churches cancelled their services today because of the holiday. Often on holidays, churches open up their cafes and serve meals so that no one has to be alone on those days, or for those who don’t want to cook, they can meet their family or friends at church and share a meal together there. We stopped off to greet Tante Ruth and to congratulate her on the day and see if she wanted to join us, but she didn’t. We dined with plenty of people we knew. then afterwards we dropped Kaleb at school and headed home. The parade route went right by our house so we knew we wouldn’t miss it. Kaleb was a little peeved that he was told he HAD to be in the parade. He would have preferred making the choice himself, but since he was told by his teacher he HAD to be in the parade, he was resentful. He just couldn’t figure out how his teacher could tell him what he MUST do on a Sunday. If this day would have been Monday, he would have had no problem with it, but he really didn’t like so much intrusion on his private life. Too funny. Turid joined us as we watched our neighborhood parade come down from the school to our house, turn the corner and head up to the nearby sports center. The kids all took turns carrying the class banner and Kaleb was able to have his turn right in front of our house, along with his friend Toben and Morten (see photo of Kaleb and his bad haircut, wearing sunglasses and the bunad I bought at a flea market - Morten is holding the banner.) At the sports center there were hours of activities for the kids, and hot dogs and cake and coffee and lots of candy as prizes. There must have been a thousand people there – it was like a huge neighborhood party. We ran into several people we knew so we visited to the bitter end. Then an hour later we headed up to the local State Church for a special party for the neighborhood, complete with contests for the kids, hot dogs and cakes and coffee. We saw more people we knew from the neighborhood and several came over to Kory and thanked him for the bus stop painting. We did see some families today gathered around the bus stop for a back drop as they took group photos all dressed up in their bunads in front of it, so Kory was pleased he was able to contribute to the festivities of the day. Hip Hip Hoorah!

Mission (Almost) Impossible

Against Kaleb’s wishes, we went for a hike up in the mountains today. It was the day Kory has thought about more than any other, as our destination was Verpesdalen - the mountain farm he visited a few times as a child. When Kory was a boy, the only way to get to that farm, was to take a boat across the fjord, park it right up next to a sheer mountain side, get out and start climbing. He said there was some kind of pulley system for bringing up supplies, but he remembers so well having to hike straight up the mountain with a million switch backs to get up to the valley where the farm was located (he’s pointing to it in the photo with the fjord in the background). I was a little worried about Kory’s heart and that hike up, so we considered hiring a helicopter to get us up there but Kory thought the journey would be half the fun. We delayed visiting that farm until now because just recently we found out a road was built in 2003 from the backside of the mountain which took care of most of the elevation gain, and from there, a trail was in place to reach the farm via another route. Because the weather was so incredible, we decided today was the day to try and reach it.

I found the name and phone number of a guy that posted photos of that farm on the internet so Kory called him to find out about getting there. He told Kory the steepest trail in from the backside was blocked from a big rock slide so he didn’t know the best way to go. He gave Kory another number to call, but Kory thought he’d just find out for himself how to get there. So off we went driving over an hour east from our home, where we took a ferry and crossed the fjord to the other side, then drove up a long valley and off on a side road that took us up to the top of the backside of the mountain. We found the trailhead marker sign so we parked and began our journey. It was in the 70s today and just beautiful so even if it weren’t a sentimental trip, it was worth the effort nonetheless. The scenery everywhere was just spectacular and I think I took about 500 photos. Little mountain cabins with grass roofs and rock foundations, nestled together at the end of a lake, birch trees and blueberry bushes popping out from the rocky landscape. Much of the hike was through mountain meadow marshes where it was like walking on sponges as water squirted up with each step. We did lose the trail at one point and went a long way out of our way before we found it again, but we were so mesmerized by the view we had from our misadventure we didn’t care. We ended up on a rim overlooking the farm! Kory recognized it right away from the lay of the land, where the buildings sat and it’s proximity to the lake. It was a good spot for lunch. But the problem was, we were on the rim, and the farm was down at the bottom of a very steep valley. All along the valley’s edge were just sheer mountain cliffs and we couldn’t see any possible way down. We hiked even higher to see if we could spot the trail and we reached a radio tower but no clear indication where to go. That hike up nearly killed me. I had to crawl on hands and knees, something like rock climbing but without the security of harnesses and ropes, and then when we realized it might just be a lookout trail, we turned around and I slid half way down on my butt. It wasn’t pleasant. It was at that point we realized we might have taken a wrong turn so we headed back to the car. Kaleb was ecstatic as he’d spent quite a bit of energy whining and complaining that we were taking him away from his friends from school. We told him there wouldn’t be time for a playdate today anyway and he just lost it. I was not kind as I was pretty fed up with all his whining, especially when we explained time and time again how important this was for Kory to share the adventure with him. Now he’ll get another chance to do it all over again because we didn’t reach our goal. After four hours of hiking, we made it back to the car and drove to the end of the road to see what was there. There was a large farm just hanging off the side of the mountain and the owners were home so Kory asked them about how to get to Verpesdalen. The guy was very helpful and told him to use the trail coming off his property and he even offered to let us park our car there when we come back. So at least we feel a bit more knowledgeable and it doesn’t seem like that other trail is too steep for Kory’s heart, so we’re anxious to give it another try next weekend if the weather is good.

After we got back down to sea level and crossed the fjord, we headed east again for a few minutes and ended up in the town where Tante Kari is getting her rehab. I told Kaleb we were going into Vardal to visit Tante Kari and he said, “Man, how many Tante Kari’s do we have? We have the one that lives at Moa and now we have one all the way out here?” I guess somewhere along the line he missed the story about her breaking her hip. She was thrilled to see us so we had a nice visit with her. I was thinking I might move in with her because after today’s hike, I’m pretty sure I could use some rehab myself. Uff da, I’m sore.

BBQ Season Has Begun!

The holiday weekend has begun. The city was all abuzz today with street sweepers and pressure washers. Every business in town was washing away winter’s sand dumped on roads when the ice was here. It seems like so long ago now that the lilacs are blooming. Today the air was filled with the smell of scotch broom and lilacs and fresh cut grass. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day and I’m sure those that could, took off early to get home and use as much time as possible sprucing up their yards. Every house I passed today as I walked around had people out in the yard trimming bushes and hedges, washing off patios and cutting grass. It was like some big collective work party day with perfect weather for added effect. Just as all the Norwegians leave home for Easter week, they all STAY home for 17th of May week (Norway’s Independence Day from Sweden). No one goes to a cabin or out of town, they all stick close by there home and attend the local parades. And there is probably no other time of year everyone’s houses and yards will look better.

I went to class today and had a reading test the first hour. One of the things we read was the rules they have in Norway for leaving a dog in the car on a hot day. Basically, it’s not allowed. What is allowed, however, is breaking the window of the car to get the dog out and taking it to the nearest police station. I thought that was kinda funny. So I guess, knowing your window can be legally broken might be a good deterrent to anyone actually leaving their dog in the car. After our test we went on a guided tour of the local Art Nuevo museum. The man giving the tour was instructed to talk slowly and simply, and because of that, I understood everything he said. It was such a thrill. I’ve been to that museum before but it was fun to have a tour. Our school tries hard to expand our horizons. And The Good Teacher Inga invited any and all to join her after the tour at a café. I was the only one that took her up on her offer, so we had a nice long chat over cappuccino and carrot cake. I loved having her to myself and we shared stories about living in another country as she too took her family to Ireland for a year because she’s married to an Irish Man. She had all the same reasons I did for moving and all the same problems with housing and her boy’s attitudes toward it, so it was fun to compare notes. (Both she and Odd said it was a “sign from God we must stay another year” because I couldn’t buy tickets home yesterday!) We had a “lovely” chat, as she would say, for a few hours, and then I had to go. I took the big leap and drove myself into town this morning and the parking meter was about to expire. There is absolutely NO where to park for free in the city as every street is zoned for permit parking only for the residences there, so it’s mandatory to use pay parking lots when going into town. The parking fee (10 dollars) for the day was still cheaper than taking the bus (14 dollars). Strange.

The comments in the newspaper about Kory’s work of art on the bus stop yesterday just don’t quit. A lot of young people are angry because some of them have had to pay a thousand dollar fine for “tagging” as it’s called here, but mostly, people love the new look. Kory has spent the day admiring his handy work and gloating over all the attention he’s getting for it. One guy wrote in to the paper that it was indeed tagging, but his punishment should be to do fifty more just like it all over the city. Funny. I just hope the police don’t show up at our door. I’m sure the neighbors won’t squeal as they are all so happy with the outcome. It will be interesting on Sunday when the parade passes by our house, to see if anyone takes a picture of it. I know I will.

Kory spent the afternoon over at Odd’s putting up some of the siding on the newly built wall outside his bedroom. He invited Odd and Turid over for a BBQ tonight so we sat out on our little deck and watched the sun go down as the weather was just perfect. (See photo of Kory serving Odd his famous BBQ potato chips – and the bus stop with the flag is visible in the background.) We ate a yummy dinner of BBQd salmon, potatoes and BBQ vegetables (Kory actually grilled up some whale meat for him as he’s going to miss it when we are back home). I love that it’s BBQ season again. Kaleb spent the whole afternoon up at Skåtthaugen playing with his school friends. I finally called him home at 7.30 for dinner but he wasn’t too happy to leave. He should probably just pitch a tent up there or move in with someone.

I spent a few boring hours at home alone, then went for a walk to the store for some groceries. I think I improved my tan a little today, but other than that, the afternoon was lost on me. I should have planned something, but sometimes I get tired of having so many plans. A nap would have been good. It’s going to be a long weekend.

There Was Good and Bad Today

We had a big test today in class so I opted to go to a prayer meeting instead. I guess if I would have prayed more (or done my homework), I could have faced the test today, but as it is, it would have been a waste of time to go. Instead, the prayer meeting was quite thrilling, so I know I made the right choice. Those Praying Women really know how to pray. I love that I get to be with them a few times a month and today there were reports of many answered prayers, so that was encouraging. We also used more time for “soaking prayer” where we just lay on the floor and try to hear the voice of God in the stillness. It was so powerful today! I had a vision of a broken clay vessel that had been glued back together (which is how I often feel) and then I saw something shiny being poured into the pot so the inside looked perfect, smooth and radiant. I asked God how I can get the outside of the vessel to look the same as the inside and he said I couldn't. I then realized it was the glory of God that was poured into me and it’s only through the “cracks” that His glory can come shining through. I liked that vision a lot. Another woman had a vision too and hers was very powerful as well. It’s so fun to get together with women that love to get closer to God.

I decided today was the day to buy our return tickets back to America, but after sitting on the computer for three and a half hours and trying every website I could think of to buy the tickets, I gave up. I even called a few airlines and got no where. I did find out that because of the “economic crisis,” Scandinavian Airlines has dropped Seattle as a destination beginning August 1st, however. I sure wish their website would have said that, as it would have saved me at least an hour trying every possible date to buy tickets from them. Instead it just said I had made a mistake and needed to try again. And Kaleb’s slow computer only added to my frustrations as I’d click on something and have to wait nearly a minute before the screen would paint. I nearly lost my mind. It was in the 70s today and I was inside the entire afternoon trying to do one simple task. Ugh. I was nearly in tears by the time I gave up and Kaleb was in tears when I told him I couldn’t buy any tickets. He thinks he might never see his friends back home again. I assured him tomorrow is a new day and if I call a ticketing agency before 2pm when they all close, I might actually get through to someone. I will NOT take this as a “sign from God” that we are to stay here, however.

We had hoped to spend this afternoon with Tante Kari as she got transferred to a rehab center about 90 minutes from our house and she’s terribly lonely already being so far away, but instead cousin Odd wanted Kory to “help him” put a new door in his bedroom remodel, so that shot that idea. Maybe tomorrow…. And now today we found out cousin Rune (Odd’s brother) is in the hospital. Odd and Rune went out to see their mom yesterday and Rune had to stop three times to pee on the way there. Odd told him to go to the doctor and get his blood sugar checked out and sure enough, it was sky high and he’s now been diagnosed with diabetes. Good grief.

Kory and Kaleb spent an hour over at the bus stop next to our house giving it a new look (see photo). I’m a little bit worried about Kory teaching Kaleb how to do graffiti, however. All the neighbors came out and watched the show. I’m sure the way Kory was dressed increased the entertainment value. One neighbor came and took a photo and sent it in to the local paper. By 4pm it was on their website (http://www.smp.no/) and in just a few hours there were already dozens of comments about it. The bus stop had previously been covered with all kinds of graffiti including swear words and a picture of a red devil. Many people in our neighborhood are glad to be rid of that sight, but some comments on the internet are not so kind. They believe the “clown” should be prosecuted, so it’s a good thing Kory and Kaleb weren’t recognizable in their photo. Kory thinks the whole thing is hilarious but Kaleb is a little worried people will find out he contributed to it. They can always use the “freedom of expression” defense that others have used when caught doing graffiti. We’ll see how far this thing goes, but already it seems to have touched a nerve. The 17th of May parade comes right by our house, so Kory was just adding to the festivities for this time of year, but those in authority might not be so keen on his idea. It certainly is an improvement though as he painted a bigger flag on the backside of the bus stop that can be seen for blocks away. And now all the controversy it has stirred up makes Kory all the more pleased with his efforts. There is a Norwegian word for him that his brother used to call him all the time as a kid – “umulig” – which means “impossible.” And that, he is.