Trip Planning

4 May 2013

Yesterday morning there was nothing on the calendar for today, but that sure changed quickly.  I was hoping the sun would shine and we could go for a hike today,   but Kory’s mom’s cousin called to invite us over for dinner tonight and to talk about their upcoming plans to visit America this summer.  Shortly thereafter, I got a message from My Pal Vestina, saying she would like to come for coffee around 11am today.  Then we got another invitation for dinner tonight which we had to turn down, and as we were leaving to go have dinner with the cousin, we got another call, inviting us to yet another friend’s house for dinner.  Three invitations for one night!  Now there’s something that NEVER happens in America.  But that pretty much set the day in motion today and even though the sun was out for most of the day, I wasn’t out in it.  Nurture beat out nature today.

I spent the morning making a dessert for my friend Tina, as her son, Daniel, has his Confirmation tomorrow.  It’s common that neighbors and friends help prepare the food, even though they don’t go to the party.  We are invited to the “leftover party” on Monday though, so maybe some of those pecan squares will still be around by then, but I doubt it.

Vestina came by and we had a great chat over coffee while Kory and Kaleb left to go to Turid’s studio to hang up shelves and assemble the bench Kory made for her.  Vestina still cracks me up with every word.  I’m not sure she considers herself such a card, but that girl can make me laugh like no other.  It was good to have a little time with her and she’s still gorgeous as ever.  She won my heart when she asked why I looked so good and how come I’m not looking any older.  Ha!

The cousin we had dinner with lives across the fjord in another town so we had to take a ferry to get there.  Fortunately, it provided a few minutes to take photos of the mountains we haven’t seen much of lately since the clouds have been hiding them from view.  They were in all their snowcapped splendor today, so at least my soul got fed a little as did my body when we sat down to eat at Terje’s house.  Kory ate very little since we didn’t tell them we were vegan.  We do the best we can with that whole dietary restriction while we are here, but sometimes it’s just not happening.

Terje is about Kory’s age but has never been to America, so this trip is over the top for him and his wife, Laila.  They are also bringing their 39 year old son and his two boys, ages 9 and 3.  The house was pumped full of energy as they were all there and just full of excitement over what experiences this trip will bring.  The 9 year old practiced the little English he knows, when he asked us “How ARE you?”  Then during dinner, his brother spilled some pop and he yelled over and over “Oh my GOD! Oh my GOD!” as if to impress us.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was not something we like to hear.  He obviously watches American television shows as I’m sure they don’t teach that in school.

Being the planner that I am, I got out pen and paper after dinner and with laptop in hand, started asking questions, planning out routes and days they will be with us.  I made sure they each got in their preferences because with that kind of age span, their priorities are all so different.  Terje just wants to visit family.  He has a first cousin he’s never met, he was hoping to greet while we were there, but a quick internet search found out he died 14 months ago, so the focus shifted toward meeting his kids, instead.  They live in Vancouver, BC, so hopefully we can make contact with them and satisfy that desire.  

Laila wasn’t too hot on going to America as none of them can speak English and she was worried it would just be sitting around visiting Terje’s family, but once I told her about how cheap name brand clothes are, she perked right up and decided she’d like to spend a little time shopping.  Her grandsons want to go to the science center, zoo, aquarium and trampoline park.  They all thought a road trip in our motorhome would be nice – seeing Olympic National Park, Eastern Washington and Mt. St. Helens.  They need to stay longer, but we’ll try to get it all in.

So we had one heck of a night and now I have a new challenge to make reservations for the RV for the days we will be on the go in July.  It’s a bit late in the season for such plans, but I’m believing with God, all things are possible.

I delivered the dessert to Tina at 11pm, on our way home from Terje’s house.  It’s weird that 11pm is kind of the cut off time for making phone calls or dropping by for a visit here in Norway.  I think it’s about 9pm in America, but here, life’s on a different schedule and we are too, as the sun stays in the sky longer and longer.