Time for the 'ol Switcharoo...

This blog will go silent for the next six months, until we are back in Norway next spring.  But I'll be periodically updating my Postcards From The Ridge blog, documenting our otherwise mundane life on Pleasant Ridge in the gorgeous Skagit Valley.  It's good to be home!

Goodbye Norge, Hello Greece!

The big storm on Monday brought snow in the mountains and far too low for our liking.  Frost appeared on car windows as the temperatures dipped below zero.  It was a great day for our final packing and saying our goodbyes in Norway as several relatives and friends dropped by to wish us farewell. (Kory's Aunt's Kari and Aslaug, below, among them. His other aunt, Ruth, farther below.)

Tuesday morning we were up at 3:30 for final cleaning, changing sheets and hauling our luggage to the bus stop.  Everything the entire day went precisely according to schedule and we didn't miss a beat - thanks to much prayer, I'm sure.

We arrived in Athens on time, only to discover the metro stops were closed due to the riot in town. We took a cab to our hotel, then enjoyed the warmth of the evening while walking around shopping and eating Greek food at a sidewalk cafe.  It was just what we needed to get the bitter cold from Norway out of our bones.

Wednesday brought a little rain here and there, which caused Kaleb much grief as he looked at the weather report for Seattle and realized we are missing out on record breaking heat and sun back home, even though it's far from cold here in Athens.

After a thorough tour of the Acropolis, the new museum, all the ruins near the Acropolis and a lots of fresh Greek food, we are ending our first full day here in Greece feeling rather blessed.

Tomorrow we fly to Rhodes.  I can't post photos because we only brought the ipad... but many will follow on my Postcards from the Ridge blog when we return.  It's been a good ride.

Packin' it Up

The heavens broke open and cried buckets today that we are leaving Norway soon – or so it felt.  It was a good day to be indoors.  (The photos today are from days PAST.)

Agape Church is in on a “fall break” schedule, knowing many of their attendee go on vacation this coming week since the kids are off from school for their first of many week long breaks throughout the year.  Also, a huge group from Agape went to Israel on a tour on Friday, so their number count is down.  They have meetings the next two Sundays just at night, so that freed us up to attend Philadelphia Church today, which we also enjoy.  It was a good chance to say our goodbyes to folks we know there, as well.

The pastor of that church, Vidar, is a first cousin of Kory’s cousin Odd.  He just took over last year from the pastor who was there for decades, so things are changing in many ways.  Attendance is on the upswing, for one thing.  He gave a wonderful sermon about the prodigal son, and how he wanted that church to be welcoming to everyone, no matter what.

All I could think about was his very own cousin (brother to Odd), who did something about 14 years ago that landed him in jail.  He had been previously very involved in that church and considered it his church home.  He stood in front of the congregation and “confessed his sins.”  He did jail time, lost everything he had, including his wife, and when he got home, he received a letter from the pastor at that time, stating he was never welcome back in Philadelphia Church again.  It was hard to believe, but I saw the letter.

We’d invited that cousin to Agape Church with us as he has a strong desire to be back in church fellowship, so he came one Sunday a few years ago, but said afterwards “It’s just not my home.  My home is at Philadelphia.” 

So after that sermon today I went up to the pastor and told him what a good sermon it was, and I mentioned something that happened in our church back in America where someone had fallen from grace, as it were, but was completely forgiven and welcomed back into the church, as it should be.  It’s a picture of redemption and restoration and is right at the heart of God.  He was nodding in agreement, and then I mentioned the name of his cousin.  I asked him if he knew that his cousin had received a letter from the church telling him never to come back.  He didn’t know anything about it.  I suggested, now as pastor, that he write a letter inviting him back.  He asked if he could just call him, since it’s his cousin we were talking about, then he suggested he pray about it and ask God the best method to deal with it.

I could see he was humbled by the mention of this guy because he wasn’t without judgment himself, I'm sure.  He nearly teared up and thanked me for making him “walk the walk” instead of just “talking the talk.”  So it will be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out.  I felt like, if we came to Norway for no other reason this year, this might have been it – to help restore this cousin’s faith and relationship with God and the church.  I trust God will be in the midst of it all and it will work out for good.  I’m glad we were there today.

After our goodbyes, we rushed out to the island of Vigra to the B&B where we attend Bible study.  Clive and Carol invited us over for dinner tonight, so that was a real treat.  They didn’t know about Kory’s diet restrictions either so we were served chicken wrapped in bacon.  Kory at least didn’t eat the bacon.  The dinner was yummy though and done with an English flare.

We found out while talking to them, that God used us as an encouragement for their ministry and Bible study.  They’d had three weeks of zero attendance to their Bible studies prior to our arrival and they told God if no one showed up the next Sunday, then they would quit them altogether.  It was that week we ran into them at the store and decided to head out to the beach that Sunday and stop in and visit them and then we just stayed on for the Bible study. 

Carol said that the only reason they were even in the store where we met is because they were heading to a meeting and she got hit very suddenly with a hunger that wouldn’t quit – which never happens.  They decided to just swing into that store and buy a snack to eat on their way to the meeting, so in hindsight she felt God gave her that hunger just so they’d meet us.  That was good to hear, and we did feel the need to attend their Bible studies as a way to support their ministry.  We know all too well how tough of a place Norway can be for interpersonal relationships, so they also needed some friendly conversations each week as well. 

We spent the afternoon with Clive and Carol, then had Bible study, then off to the nighttime meeting of Agape Church.  It was one packed day and we didn’t get home til well after ten.  No packing or cleaning got done today, but I knew that ahead of time so tomorrow hopefully will have enough hours in the day to take care of all the last minute details.  Kory called the internet provider last week and told them the wrong date to cut off our internet service so it will probably be more productive without all of us sitting around on our various electronic devices.  Lord, help us all.

(I am having to post this from the library -  The next update will be to my Postcards From the Ridge blog since we are leaving Norway tomorrow.  Adventures in Greece await…).

Packin' It Up...

Nothing was on the agenda for today, just as I planned it.  The idea was, we’d get packed up, cleaned out and ready to vacate our place so we could relax for a few days and not be stressed out at the last minute.  Well, we’re mostly packed up, mostly cleaned up and far from being stressed, so hopefully the next few days will be enjoyable.  There’s still much to do, but I think it will all get done.

Other than hauling boxes down to our storage unit in the parking garage, we didn’t get out much today.  Our place now looks fairly sterile and not nearly as welcoming as it did with plants inside and out on the deck, and all my little “homey” things sitting around.  I thought it best to put away my favorite treasures in case we rent out the place while we are gone.  At this point, just a neighbor is renting it for a week during Christmas, but it’s always good to be prepared.

Kaleb was a tremendous help today, washing floors and hauling boxes.  Kory had but one task, and it seemed to take all day.  He can turn a two-minute project into five hours, like no one I’ve seen before.  It was hard not to be irritated with him since there is much yet to be done, but that guy has to move at his own pace and what he finds “comfortable” is just downright painful for me.  Such is life.

So that was our day.  We played a few games tonight after dinner.  I made a huge pot of pea soup to eat up in these last few days before we go and also to use up the food in the frig.  I’m trying not to buy any more food so our diet will be interesting, as I hate to throw stuff out when we leave.  Kory wanted to invite the aunts over for soup and salad and I told him I made the soup, so if he makes the salad we could do that.  He then informed me he “doesn’t know how to make a salad.”  Oh, brother.  He’s losing it.  We just had soup for dinner, without the aunts. L

Tonight I did a little research on Greece and have since decided to leave my laptop in our luggage in Oslo.  I don’t want to take the chance it gets stolen, as my whole life is in this thing.  So I won’t be updating the blog until we get back to Oslo on the 19^th, but I’ll at least keep a written journal, which I can type up then.  We are trying to bring as little as possible with us to Greece since we have so many inter-island flights and different hotels and one carry on bag is all we’re taking.  Traveling light – what a concept!  So the only sad part will be the limited internet access, but Kory will bring his I-pad and I can hopefully at least check my emails and Facebook every once in a while, but not for long, as Kory’s not as good at sharing as he thinks he is.

God blessed us with a wonderful sunset tonight, so at least I got to take a few photos.  Pictures of our 350 pounds of luggage isn’t much to look at but the sky tonight was awesome.  Thank you, Jesus! 

All in all it takes about a week of our time here to move in and move out of our condo, so as Kaleb says, “it’s a good thing we stay longer than a week.”  I’m so thankful we don’t have to do anything but unpack when we get back home as we’ve been blessed with housesitters that have kept all our plants watered in the midst of the record breaking dry spell Seattle has been having.  It will be good to be back home, even if the grass is no longer green.

I AM Somebody!

Today was meant to be a day of moving things into our storage unit, thinning out the herd, as it were, in case someone rents our place while we are gone.  I’m sure they don’t appreciate my “thift store” motif.  Alas, the sun was out and in no way could I stay indoors, when I’ve been longing after some time out in the sun for months on end.  So, the inside things just didn’t happen, but a hike up in the mountains, did.

While Kaleb was still at school, Kory and I took a drive out to Eikrem, where we’d walked around a lake a few weeks ago.  There’s also a hike up onto the mountain called Sula, which I was curious to take.  I knew I’d never make it to the top, but I figured if we went for an hour then turned around, it would still be a good outing.

The autumn colors were hit and miss, as most of the hike was through an evergreen forest.  The trail was actually just a well-maintained gravel road, so at least I didn’t have the challenges I usually do with watching every step.  We didn’t make it to the top in an hour, but it was still a worthwhile outing as the air was crisp and Kory’s in a much better mood if he’s in the woods or on a mountain, so since we had both, he was downright giddy.  His constant complaining about other aspects of life gets to me sometimes so it’s nice to be with him when he’s actually in a good mood, and this was just the ticket.

We made it back to the condo before Kaleb got home.  Kory went to buy some bread and came home with a newspaper also.  He was intrigued by the cover story about Bill Clinton and how he changed his diet to fat free vegan after he had so many problems with his heart.  The same doctor, Dr. Esselstyn, that wrote the book I’ve been following for Kory’s situation, is the same doctor that is helping Bill Clinton.  He’s also the same guy who phoned me personally and talked for a good long while about Kory’s diet a few months ago, after I sent him an email asking about something.

God uses all things together for good… as I’ve been praying something would help Kory start to embrace his vegan lifestyle.  He does it, but very begrudgingly, and with non-stop complaining and whining.  I told him today the hardest part about being vegan is his attitude toward it.  It would be so nice and so easy if he would just decide it’s what’s best for him and there are no other options, like a diabetic must do. 

After reading the article, I think he shifted a bit in his thinking, as the newspaper was touting how healthy of a lifestyle being vegan is.  One of the studies that Dr. Esselstyn mentions a lot in his book is the statistics collected in Norway regarding heart attacks before, during, and after World War II.  The years the German’s occupied Norway and took all their meat and dairy away for themselves, the Norwegians death rate from heart attacks plummeted down to nearly zero.  Once the Germans left, the heart attack rate zoomed right back up there again.  The story was not just front page but filled four additional pages, so it was a big deal.  I’m trusting God he’s getting through to Kory on this one.

So then tonight we were invited over to Odd and Turid’s for dinner, and he ate fish again.  This has been the most UN VEGAN week we’ve had here, but it’s soon over, so I have to believe that no damage is being done as that’s the downside of being vegan – it kills the social life as no one knows what to make.  Oh well, we had a great meal with them and at least Kory didn’t put cream on his fresh fruit for dessert. 

We stayed on for a good visit afterwards and Kory tried to help Turid figure out better marketing strategies for her artwork.  Kory’s been able to sell small cards of his black and white drawings of Aalesund at a tourist store right by the dock where all the cruise ships come in.  The guy asked for more of Kory’s stuff so next spring he’s going to load him up.  Kory thinks Turid should do something similar, but real artists are hesitant to make copies of their work, they like selling the originals, but copies are cheaper and more people can afford them… so it was quite the discussion.

Everyone has been commenting on how quickly time flies around here as it seems we just got here and now we are leaving.  But we’ll be back again in the spring, Lord willing, so it will fly just as fast between now and then.

Tonight I found out I won 2^nd place in Washington State’s “Best General Interest Column” for my weekly article in the LaConner Weekly News about Norway.  And here I was thinking I’ve got to stop that column as I have such a tough time each week coming up with something to write about.  If I could talk to my friend Sandra’s husband Karl each week, it would be so much easier as he is a wealth of information about all things Norway, but my well is running dry.  This is the second year in a row I’ve won 2^nd place, however, and as I posted on Facebook, “Maybe if I start writing about the Swedes, I’d come in first.”  Ha. 

Autumn Bliss

I don’t think it rained a single drop today, although it seemed like it would at any minute.  If I didn’t have a prayer meeting to attend, Kory and I would have certainly climbed a new mountain.  As it was, I spent all morning with those wonderful praying ladies from Philadelphia Church and I’m trusting God was pleased with my choice.  Kory stayed home and worked on the outside porch light fixture.

The porch light has been a major source of frustration for Kory since he’s been unable to find a new “transformer” that he was sure didn’t work.  The other night Are used an electric tester on it and said it worked fine – that it must be something to do with the light bulb, even though Kory bought a new light bulb.  Kory’s been to several stores for weeks in search of what he needs to repair the darn thing and come to find out it didn’t need repairing, so he was all the more puzzled.

After he found out electricity was getting to it, he cleaned up all the connections and put the new light bulb in, which he knew was working fine, and the light still didn’t work.  In his efforts to track down maybe a wiring problem, it was then that he discovered the actual light switch that turns on that fixture, hidden behind the curtain!  All this time he was using the wrong light switch!  So the light worked fine from the start.  I thought that was pretty funny, even though Kory didn’t think so.  At least we can now cross THAT off the to-do list.

We had an appointment today to get our van’s front end aligned since our “new” tires are wearing out at a rapid pace.  Kory’s childhood friend, Helge, has a car repair place and he said he’d do it for about half the price of other places we checked.  So Kory took the van over there and dropped me off at Sandra’s house while he waited for the repair.  I had a need for some yard work, since I’ve been house bound for far too long.

Sandra had some bushes she needed dug up, some paving stones moved and a little tilling of the soil, so I was happy to come over and help out.  I need excuses to be outdoors when it’s not raining and I miss having some yard work to do.  We had a nice chat while we worked so it was a great way to spend a few hours and it’s always so interesting to talk to her and her husband – plus I get the bonus of being able to speak English and to kiss on that little boy of hers.

Kory called right away and said they couldn’t fix the van because the ball joints need replacing.  They are $200 a piece here in Norway but at home we can get them for $50 a piece so Helge suggested we wait until spring and just bring them in our luggage and he can repair the van then.  Good plan.  Helge also invited us over for dinner, so that was an added bonus.

We had an hour or so to kill before the prescribed time for dinner, so after we left Sandra’s we went for a walk on a trail along the coastline.  It was pure eye candy with all the fall colors finally reaching sea level.  They’ve been up in the mountains for the past few weeks but now the temperature is dropping enough at night that the local trees are turning all shades of yellow, orange and red.  Even the ferns turn yellow here.  At home they just go from green to brown, but here, they are a fantastic shade of golden yellow.  We walked slowly along the trail just soaking up the colors.

About a kilometer into our journey we happened upon an abandoned farm with a historical marker on it.  It’s a place they have done excavation work and they know there’s been people living on that sight for at least a thousand years – back to the Viking days.  There are rock foundations still visible from at least half a century ago, so it was a treat to walk around and take a look and imagine what life must have been like. 

There are so many Viking burial grounds around Norway that it’s some tough luck if someone owns land and tries to develop it, only to discover a Viking village or burial ground.  The land must just stand, untouched, unless the owner can afford a full excavation, which no one can.  It’s the lucky person that lives next to such a place since the land will forever be undeveloped.   The place we walked today is currently just used for grazing of animals and is open access to anyone, as is all land in Norway.

Kory has been complaining constantly about his diet and that he can’t eat any good Norwegian food.  He never told Helge he has diet restrictions, so lucky Kory, as tonight Helge’s wife made Faar I Kaal (lamb in cabbage).  It’s a very traditional meal where lamb and cabbage are layered in a pot of water and boiled for hours.  It’s not something I’d eat but fortunately she had lots of boiled potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, and a salad.  Except for the meat, the meal was totally fat free, so Kory dove in and enjoyed himself like he hasn’t done in nearly a year.  He indulged in a little boiled lamb as well, and was very satisfied afterwards.  That’s the third time this week he’s broken his fat free vegan diet.  Lord help us.

Our days are so numbered now but the weather forecast for Greece looks like summer to me, so we’ll forget all about the fall colors by next week and hopefully just enjoy the sunshine and pretend it’s summer.  Even the locals here said this was one of the worst summers they can remember, and we missed the best summer Seattle’s ever had.  Go figure. (Kaleb's face says it all...)