It’s now after eleven at night and we just delivered the bulk of our belongings to our storage space over at our condo. When I drove back to our house and stepped inside, it echoed. It’s no longer a home – it’s a shell. All our things are packed away and just the mess remains to be cleaned up tomorrow. I’ve been numb all day. I’m trying hard not to think about leaving, as it’s too sad. Axel and Kari and Odd were all here helping us move things out. It’s easy to tell who our friends are when it’s moving time. The fact they are also related makes it all the sweeter. We will so miss them.
Kaleb spent the day playing with friends while Kory and I worked on the house. Axel and Kari invited us all over for dinner tonight, which was very good and much appreciated, then afterwards they came with their trailer to help move out the furniture. It comes and goes.
Tonight, while we were loading things up, the new care taker came with more of his belongings and unloaded them in the house next door. He had a rough looking bunch of friends helping him and it just gave me the creeps being around them. I think a lot of our joy in living here in Norway hasn’t just been time spent with relatives, but it’s been extra enjoyable because we’ve had good weather all year and where we live has been so wonderful. (It also helped that we didn’t stress about money because we got free rent.) We’ve had no immediate neighbors to hear slamming car doors in the night or talking out in the driveway after we’ve gone to bed. It’s been the best possible scenario to be the only occupant of three duplexes all in a row. I’m not very good at living in close quarters with others so I’m extra appreciative that God’s timing has allowed these houses to be empty and quiet the entire time we’ve been here. Next week that all changes. I’m simply amazed at the details He’s taken care of for us. Even yesterday, when the woman from the Kommune came by – she told us to call the power company to register the meter reading and sign the form to stop our service. I told her we’ve never been signed on with the power company and she couldn’t believe we’ve never paid for electricity. We told her we couldn’t believe it either, but for some reason, the paperwork to transfer the account just kept slipping through people’s hands and next thing you know, a year has gone by and we haven’t paid a dime. She couldn’t understand how that could happen, but that’s how God works. Electricity is VERY expensive in Norway, so it’s saved us a bundle.
On the upside for today - I got my first photo book in the mail– the one I made of the Lofoten Islands vacation we took last fall. I was so apprehensive about how it would turn out because I wasn’t sure if the colors would be dull or if the pictures would be a bit blurry when I enlarged them so much on the page, but I can say I’m completely astonished by the outcome. The company I used here in Norway must have some photo enhancer software or something because I swear the photos look even better than they do on my computer screen. Everyone I showed the book to was blown away when I told them I took the photos and made the book, as they were sure it was something I had purchased as a souvenir. So, La-Tee-Da! I’m pretty proud and now can’t wait to see the other books. I hope the one I did on Rome comes tomorrow. But what I’m most excited about it getting them all to bring back home and show people really how gorgeous it is over here. Woo hoo – nice marketing.
Odd and Turid were rightly proud too as Hege, their daughter, got her “marks” from school. They have a different system here for grading things. They grade heavily on a curve, so the bulk of the students get threes and fours out of a possible six points for a class. Everyone expects to get a three and most do. Getting a four is considered good and above average. Getting a five is REALLY good and everyone is impressed if that ever happens, but getting a six is almost unheard of. Why they have a grade that is nearly impossible to achieve, I have no idea, but according to Hege, only those who specialize in a subject and are super passionate about it and work extra hard in it would ever get a six. They are extremely rare and no one ever expects to get them – except Hege. She’s gotten her share of sixes over the years but this year – she pulled off an astonishing six sixes and three fives! They will be doing a national newspaper article on her for sure, as that kind of report card is completely unheard of. That girl is one smart cookie and she works super hard in all her subjects. What I found amusing however is that she scored a six in English speaking, and a six in English writing, but only a five in Norwegian writing! That goes to show just how hard Norwegian is, when a smart native can’t even get a six with all those silly grammar rules. Now I don’t feel so bad.
The photo today is a creation made by Kory the other day when he was cleaning up the kitchen counter. All those bits of food were wiped up and when he found the potato in the pan, his imagination went wild. It looks like how I feel.
Kaleb spent the day playing with friends while Kory and I worked on the house. Axel and Kari invited us all over for dinner tonight, which was very good and much appreciated, then afterwards they came with their trailer to help move out the furniture. It comes and goes.
Tonight, while we were loading things up, the new care taker came with more of his belongings and unloaded them in the house next door. He had a rough looking bunch of friends helping him and it just gave me the creeps being around them. I think a lot of our joy in living here in Norway hasn’t just been time spent with relatives, but it’s been extra enjoyable because we’ve had good weather all year and where we live has been so wonderful. (It also helped that we didn’t stress about money because we got free rent.) We’ve had no immediate neighbors to hear slamming car doors in the night or talking out in the driveway after we’ve gone to bed. It’s been the best possible scenario to be the only occupant of three duplexes all in a row. I’m not very good at living in close quarters with others so I’m extra appreciative that God’s timing has allowed these houses to be empty and quiet the entire time we’ve been here. Next week that all changes. I’m simply amazed at the details He’s taken care of for us. Even yesterday, when the woman from the Kommune came by – she told us to call the power company to register the meter reading and sign the form to stop our service. I told her we’ve never been signed on with the power company and she couldn’t believe we’ve never paid for electricity. We told her we couldn’t believe it either, but for some reason, the paperwork to transfer the account just kept slipping through people’s hands and next thing you know, a year has gone by and we haven’t paid a dime. She couldn’t understand how that could happen, but that’s how God works. Electricity is VERY expensive in Norway, so it’s saved us a bundle.
On the upside for today - I got my first photo book in the mail– the one I made of the Lofoten Islands vacation we took last fall. I was so apprehensive about how it would turn out because I wasn’t sure if the colors would be dull or if the pictures would be a bit blurry when I enlarged them so much on the page, but I can say I’m completely astonished by the outcome. The company I used here in Norway must have some photo enhancer software or something because I swear the photos look even better than they do on my computer screen. Everyone I showed the book to was blown away when I told them I took the photos and made the book, as they were sure it was something I had purchased as a souvenir. So, La-Tee-Da! I’m pretty proud and now can’t wait to see the other books. I hope the one I did on Rome comes tomorrow. But what I’m most excited about it getting them all to bring back home and show people really how gorgeous it is over here. Woo hoo – nice marketing.
Odd and Turid were rightly proud too as Hege, their daughter, got her “marks” from school. They have a different system here for grading things. They grade heavily on a curve, so the bulk of the students get threes and fours out of a possible six points for a class. Everyone expects to get a three and most do. Getting a four is considered good and above average. Getting a five is REALLY good and everyone is impressed if that ever happens, but getting a six is almost unheard of. Why they have a grade that is nearly impossible to achieve, I have no idea, but according to Hege, only those who specialize in a subject and are super passionate about it and work extra hard in it would ever get a six. They are extremely rare and no one ever expects to get them – except Hege. She’s gotten her share of sixes over the years but this year – she pulled off an astonishing six sixes and three fives! They will be doing a national newspaper article on her for sure, as that kind of report card is completely unheard of. That girl is one smart cookie and she works super hard in all her subjects. What I found amusing however is that she scored a six in English speaking, and a six in English writing, but only a five in Norwegian writing! That goes to show just how hard Norwegian is, when a smart native can’t even get a six with all those silly grammar rules. Now I don’t feel so bad.
The photo today is a creation made by Kory the other day when he was cleaning up the kitchen counter. All those bits of food were wiped up and when he found the potato in the pan, his imagination went wild. It looks like how I feel.
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