The Journey Back Home

There were a few last minute to-do things this morning before we all packed up and headed out of town.  I had my last massage with Emil (see photo!) and nearly danced down the street afterwards, as I felt so good.   I found myself praying for him during the massage, trusting God to reveal the Truth to him.  I wouldn’t mind meeting him again in heaven where I’d actually be able to tell him what a wonderful thing he has done.  The only English words he can say are “pain, good, stress and relax.”  The main office guy that takes the payments speaks English pretty well.  He told me to be sure to do some “gymnastics” every day to keep my muscles limber.  I will, and I’ll be thinking of and praying for Emil when I do.  Hallelujah!  I can’t believe what a difference it’s made.

Kaleb wanted a few local snacks to take home so we went to the grocery store together and spent the last of our Turkish Liras.  I also bought a beach towel with a few American dollars.  Inger and Bjørn bought more clothes and all the kids just hung out at the house, packing up their things and cleaning up a bit.  It’s a huge four bedroom, two-story condo that easily sleeps 10 so it was a very comfortable place to stay for a week, but really, a week wasn’t enough.  There was much more to do in the area, but after looking through a tour book, it reminded me of being in Rome and going from one church to the next… after a while they all looked the same.  I think that could be the case for the ruins in Turkey, as the old towns are laid out in a similar fashion and they all have amphitheaters, etc., so we saw a few ruins, a few amphitheaters, and if we would have seen more, I’m thinking it might have been too much.  So, we didn’t have too little of anything or too much of anything, it was all just right, and we are very thankful for the opportunity to have spent time there – and none of us got sick! 

Inger is staying on for another week as three of her friends are arriving tomorrow morning to be with her.  Inger’s grandmother just died, so the timing was terrible for her and she wished she could return home with us and attend the funeral tomorrow, but she can’t.

Our trip home was pretty uneventful, which is always a good thing when flying (photo below is of the coastline in Turkey.  The last photo is of our area in Norway).  We were a little delayed here and there as we had to stop in Stavanger while they cleaned the plane.  The boys were tired and Kaleb was sunburned and crabby, so that wait inside the airport got a little tense as he wouldn’t stop pestering the twins. Eventually he settled down after I had a long talk with him and we made it back to Aalesund about 10:30, just as the sun was setting. 

When we arrived, the battery on our car was dead, for some reason, so Bjørn had to give us a jump.  All the stores were closed so we couldn’t get fresh bread for the morning, but it was still good to be home.  I guess we missed the warmest day of the year here today as it was over 80 degrees.  Rain comes in the morning.  Our sunburns will keep us all plenty warm however. 

Tante Aslaug heard us arriving home at 11:30 so she popped in to return my roses, which still looked great, and to welcome us back.  She said Tante Ruth isn’t doing too well, she’s gotten a bladder infection and is just lying in bed, not wanting to eat anything and just waiting for Jesus to take her home.  I’m glad we made it back before He did.

Losing Track of Time

Kory and I enjoyed a much needed leisurely morning today, drinking coffee and taking our time to attend to the day’s agenda. The house was quiet with Kaleb gone. It was raining a little too, so all the more reason to stay cozy warm inside and relax a bit.




I finally decided I was tired of stepping over messes and boxes and piles of things so I unpacked every last box and just threw things in cupboards and closets. If any door is open now, an avalanche is assured, but at least from the outside, our little home is starting to feel wonderful. I’m ready for company now. Kaleb’s room is still a disaster zone but I can overlook that as it’s not in my flight path as I zoom from one room to another.



A little after noon today I realized if I didn’t get to the store soon, there would be no bread to buy, as they only make enough for one day at a time and by late afternoon there isn’t a loaf to be had (as we found out Friday). With all the stores closed tomorrow, I needed two day’s worth, so I had to stop my incessant putting-things-away mode, and go shopping for a few food items. I saw two people I know at the mall, which has been my average each time I’ve gone. It’s a small town, so there always needs to be enough time factored in for a short visit to be polite. No one is ever in such a hurry that a quick “hello” will do.



Later, Kory decided to join me in my daily run to the second-hand store to see if I could find some plant stands and shades for some light fixtures. We are also now in the market for some kind of art work to go above the couch, so he wanted to be sure we were in agreement on that one. We got there at 2:05, and it closed at two o’clock, so we just missed it. We drove into downtown Aalesund to visit a few more second-hand stores and we got to one by 2:25 and had five minutes to shop before they closed. We managed to buy a light fixture for the hallway, a beautifully wooden carved spoon to hang on the wall, and a small copper bucket for a kitchen decoration. I waste no time. We then headed to the stores that sell new things, in search of a bunk bed set for Kaleb’s room. We found one we like but were unable to buy it because I forgot the code for my Norwegian bank card, so I have to wait until I get that, or enough cash to pay for it. Hopefully by Monday we can start clearing out Kaleb’s room and get that in order.



We didn’t hear from Kaleb all day, so we knew he was having fun. We were invited to a Confirmation at noon today – the daughter of one of Kory’s cousins – and we were so engrossed in what we were doing at the time, the time just slipped by and we missed it. Major faux pa in the Norsk world. We were also invited to the coffee/cake hour at six o’clock tonight – the party that follows a Confirmation, so we were sure to get to that on time. We almost didn’t make it because we had to dig for proper clothes and shoes to wear, find the ironing board and iron, and get ourselves somewhat presentable. Confirmation parties are as formal as they get around here so we couldn’t go looking like our usual grungy Northwest native selves.



As I was sitting at the party, someone wheeled in this ancient looking old woman and I was trying to figure out whose great-grandmother she must be. It took me several minutes, but then I realized it was Tante Ruth! She’s changed so much in the months since I last saw her, I didn’t recognize her AT ALL. She’s gotten way too thin (she used to be rather plump), and she’s aged dramatically. I went over to give her a hug and say “Hi” and she just kept moving her head closer and farther away trying to see who was standing in front of her. She couldn’t see me at all, and I kept yelling in her ear that it was Mickey, but she just shook her head and said she didn’t know who was there. It broke my heart. (See photo of Kory and I with her – she didn’t even know she was having her photo taken.) This was a big outing for her – to go to a Confirmation party, as she’s been invited to many of them, but would never venture out of her apartment. She’s been a recluse for many years, so it was really something that she was there tonight. It almost didn’t matter where she was, her world is about the same wherever she goes if she can’t see or hear a thing. Tough stuff.



Kaleb finally called me about 8:00 to ask if I’d drive him to his next sleepover. I left the party to go pick him up and he was so exhausted from lack of sleep last night, he nearly fell asleep in the car during the five minute car ride. He asked if it was OK to not do two sleepovers in a row because he was so beat, so we drove up to his friend’s house to explain the situation, and as it turned out, it was fine with him because he had to unexpectedly babysit his younger siblings – so he got a rain check on the sleepover with Haavard. Good thing.



I took Kaleb back to the party and had to explain the situation to everyone, as he was dressed like a rag-a-muffin with dirty sweats, one sock on and one sock off (it got muddy), dirty shirt and hair sticking out all over the place. All he cared about was the cake and pop as he hadn’t eaten dinner. He started falling asleep in my lap before finishing the first piece of cake, so we headed home soon thereafter. Otherwise, it was a nice party as we got to see lots of relatives that live in other parts of Norway.



Today was the first day no one stopped by our home. Most relatives were busy with the Confirmation festivities. Kaleb has decided he wants to come back and live in Norway when he’s 14 so he can be Confirmed here. It’s quite the motherload of gifts and cash, but I’m sure the cost of the party far exceeds anything the kid’s get. Confirmation parties are more like a “coming of age” party in Norway – where they formally celebrate the life of the child. Not long ago, the 15 year old Confirmant, was considered an adult and free to do as they pleased. I think Kaleb is already there.

A Cannon Day

I was in my bathrobe until three this afternoon. There was no reason to get dressed, so I didn’t. Kaleb was up early and off to Skaathaugen (a neighborhood about a mile away) to play with his friends from school and Kory spent the entire day over at cousin Odd’s house working on his remodel (see photo). I enjoyed my morning cup of coffee while in my snuggly bathrobe and thought I’d just keep the coziness going since I was home alone. It was another one of those days where we tentatively planned to go for a hike, but the weather never looked secure enough, so all bets were off. Fortunately Kory and Kaleb had a plan B, but I didn’t, so I just worked on my friend Paula’s family research. I am so jazzed I can actually read Norwegian books and do the translation! I have so many family history things back home that are written in Norwegian so I’m anxious now to see just how much I’ve learned.

Kaleb called this afternoon and said his friend Andrea wanted him to sleep over tonight, so I walked over to Odds to get the car so I could run some pajamas and his toothbrush up to him. If the neighborhood he was in wasn’t at the top of a very long and steep hill, I would have walked it over there, but I just didn’t feel that spunky or motivated. When I got over to Odd’s house and watched Kory and him working “together” on the bedroom expansion I had to laugh. It reminded me of the car mechanic shop signs that say, “If you want my advice, it will cost you $20 an hour. If you want me to fix the problem, it will cost you $40 an hour. If you want to help me, it will cost you $60 an hour.” I’ve seen Kory do jobs like Odds from start to finish in just a few days. But with his cousin the doctor helping, it’s taking him probably ten times longer. Odd is very interested in the process of how it’s all put together and he needs to stop every now and then to talk about what a good job they are doing and how much he likes the idea of this remodel. It was comical to watch the process. Kory has a tremendous amount of patience (and skill) so they make a good team.

Tonight we finally got to take Turid out to celebrate her birthday. Normally when we come to Norway every year, we take Odd and Turid out to the nicest restaurant in town as a thank you for putting up with us, and for all Turid does throughout the year on our behalf. We didn’t do that last summer when we came and stayed with them for two weeks, and now that we only have about six weeks left, the clock is ticking. We used Turid’s birthday as an excuse to take them out and thank them once again for all the support and help they constantly give us in adjusting to our life here. The restaurant we normally go to, Sjøbua, is now closed on the weekends. Apparently the chefs decided they didn’t like working the weekends so now that place is only open Tuesday to Friday. What a shocker. Turid said the owners are very accommodating to their employees (obviously) and the restaurant has been around for so long they can still survive with just weekday business. So we had to try another restaurant that just opened up a year ago, and as it turned out it, was much better than Sjøbua! It was a fresh seafood place and what I call a “good food” restaurant. Kory calls it “shi-shi” while he lifts his nose in the air as he says it, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a fantastic meal every now and then. The only problem with doing it in Norway, however, is that it costs an arm and a leg. But I’ve become blind to the prices of anything here otherwise I wouldn’t even breath the air, but just for an example as to what things cost… I was the designated driver so I ordered a small glass of sparkling water ($6.33), Kory ordered a glass of red wine ($11.85), Odd ordered a beer ($10) and Turid ordered a bottle of white wine ($135). The way the dinner menu was set up, we could either order a three, four or five course meal. I ordered the three course meal which included a small bowl of yummy curried apple soup, some fresh fish, the best baked potatoes I’ve ever eaten in my life and some pureed yams. It also came with a small slice of cheese cake for dessert ($81 for the three courses). Everyone else ordered the four course dinner which was the same as mine but also included a skewer with two pieces of nearly raw tuna fish on them (glad I missed out on that one) to the tune of $97.50 a plate. All-in-all with coffee and a few extra beers for Odd, our bill was $618.83 (at today’s conversion rate). This is why we only go out once a year. I’ve just gotten numb to the prices here but I know I’ll be doing the happy dance once we get back home and can afford to eat out a few times a month. The funny thing was, just as we placed our orders for dinner, Kory’s cell phone rang and it was Emmanuel – one of the guys from our Bible study whose wife is pregnant. Kory had told them he’d give them a ride to the hospital if they needed it. When he saw it was Emmanuel, our hearts sank, thinking he’d have to rush off to the pick them up, but as it turned out, Emmanuel was calling to tell us Ledto had the baby last night and all was fine with her and Gospel (their new little boy). Odd wasn’t the only one who thought today was a “cannon” day (what Norwegians call a really great day), Emmanuel and Ledto felt the same. So Hallelujah for that!