earth and living

and so it happened

2011-12-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

- i got ill and had to quit my old job
- i got depressed
- i found a new job and was happy
- i started wearing pretty clothes and jewellery
- but am still ill
- so i quit blogging
- quit making dinners
- quit tidying the house
- quit making school lunches
- quit pretty much everything
- but loving
- and marvelling at the brilliant and sad beauty of this world

- i got a tattoo
- i possibly, and probably, suffer from CFS/ME
- but i will definately get another tattoo
- i just opened a microscopic shop here, even though it was way too premature
- and today i opened up my blog again

corner view: through the eyes of a child

2011-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

..."the child" being the photographer (me) :)

ps - i'm away for a while, this post was 'planned' but didn't post, so that's why i'm late for cv. might post randomly for the next couple of weeks - or might not ;)

corner view: postcard

2011-07-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

I used to collect postcards. Here are just a few of my favourites - all old ones. The humorous nr. 1 is my absolute favourite :)

2011-07-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

We've had mainly rain here so far this summer, resulting in lots and lots of indoor activity, but finally we had a pocket of sunshine. Just enough to enjoy more of all that green stuff out there - before it started to rain again ....

The kittens are now down to six, as the tinyest of them died the next morning. Our daughter sits in front of their 'cage' most of the time, naming them - and naming them again. Deciding who looks like their mother, who might be their father(s) (and oh yes, we believe 'him' to be in the multiple), who's argumentative, who's submissive and who's just sweet. (All of them, of course). Our son is having his yearly vacation (staying with his best friend just outside town for a week), and hasn't seen them yet. He's thrilled, and I suspect we'll stay clear of the usual argument on when he'll come back home this time.

corner view: before and after

2011-07-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

Once more, Nature provided me with a trick for this weeks cv. Here's our cat a couple of days ago (after the littlest woman of the house adorned her with a veil and fake roses):

And here, yesterday:

Not one, not two, three or even five kittens, but EIGHT!!!
On of them were still born, so now we just hope the mother has enough milk for all of them.
And should I mention new homes for all seven....
Happy corner vieweing at Francesca's!

viking life

2011-07-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

It looks like we won't be going on our yearly viking adventure this year. A bit sad, but we're working on replacing it with something possibly even more rewarding.

Anyway, I realized that last year, I didn't show off much of the viking side of life - so here's some photos from 2010.

As for this week's CV, I'm completely stuck. The themes are getting more and more challenging!

corner view: box of tricks

2011-06-29T03:39:00.000-07:00

On a day that started out as an emotional rollercoaster in our home, and everyone needed a change of scenery...

....a bourgeois patch of well tended grass, benches and ponds turned out to be just the trick we needed. After we crossed the bridge, that is.

A forgotten bicycle helmet at the other side of the stream (on the tree stump!)...

A drum set!

A waterfall..

A colosseum in the making...

A tin roofed birdhouse...

A tree covered with sap filled 'warts'...

Hard work getting rid of the sap...

Forgotten pathways...

The Mother Tree of the Forest (click it, then click it again, and imagine yourself up there)...

An avine aquaintance...

The inevitable empty beer cans...

Not bad, huh? That Mother Nature is full of tricks.

And they work - we left for home feeling at ease, happy, loved and loving.

For more tricks, check out the comment section of Francesca's box of tricks.

green grass of tunnel

2011-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

corner view: positive thought for bad moments

2011-06-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

This is it. A blank page in a notebook. Because I have no positive thoughts for bad moments. I simply sink into the swamps of negativity. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to reading everybody else's cv's today - go ahead - encourage me. I'll be sitting here, notebook in lap, ready to take notes!

(P.S. See that little piece of yarn on the floor? It's attached to a ball of yarn, which is attached to a sweater I'm knitting for myself. Well, there's a positive thought. Being creative, in some way. And oh, there's so many ways :) )

rite de passage

2011-06-20T04:25:00.000-07:00

In Norway, as in many other countries, teenagers go through a coming of age ritual to mark the leaving behind of childhood. In the old days, this was a ritual to mark the entrance of adulthood; a 'passage' from childhood to adulthood.

That was before James Dean cemented the teenager into our culture forever; a period of time which seem to expand (in both ends) with each new generation. People don't seem to become grown-ups anymore.

Anyway.

The jewish Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the hindu Upanayanam, the christian Confirmation, the japanese Seijin shiki, even the U.S.' Sweet Sixteen; within different cultural contexts, they all mark the same transition. In Norway, there are two options; the christian and the humanist, which both take place the year the teenager in question turns 15.

Our soon-to-be 15 year old son chose the humanist ceremony. Once a week for 6 months he met up with other teenagers and a group leader to discuss all kinds of subjects related to ethics, humanism, human rights, alcohol and drugs, immigration and class, sex/abortion/homosexuality etc.

The whole thing culminated in a solemn ceremony, and a family party. Speeches were required. So I took the opportunity to tell my son how lucky he is to be born here, now, and receiving applaud, gifts, and cake, instead of all the other things he might have had to endure were he born in a different culture or at another time. For instance (and yes, some of them are hard to believe, hence the photos - they were all shot during the speech):

He didn't have to get undressed and cover himself in ash.

He didn't have to spend several days and nights in a cave, deprived of food, sleep and water.

He didn't have to be attached to a pole through hooks penetrating his skin, and he didn't have to drink the blood of the male elders of the family.

He didn't have to cut his private parts, or otherwise receive the power of manhood through means one would be imprisoned for in our culture.

He didn't have to get tattoos or get tied down in an anthill.

He didn't have to kill a lion or sleep naked in the snow.

We have lost a lot between the blood drinking and the cake. Comfort is not one of them.

corner view: on my wall

2011-06-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

shadowplay on my bathroom wall; the light coming through the lace curtains.

i've joined corner view again. hopefully, this will inspire me to get back on the blogging track again, which i kind of fell of somewhere along 2010.... a list of participants will be added to my side bar soon.

nightmare + book = dress

2011-06-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

she woke up before dawn, crying; a nightmare. dead tired, i grabbed a blanket and a random book from the shelf and tucked her in close to me. an hour later, she'd looked at each and every one of the pictures in the book, and 'decided on this one'.

ooops! i'd handed her mark ryden's 'the tree show'. some of the images in there are quite disturbing for little people. but she never mentioned any of that, only The Dress.
alright. i didn't have a pattern or an even remotely similar fabric, but that didn't get me off the hook. she dug into my fabric stash and found one of her old sweatshirts, size 6 (repurpose, you know!) 'so there's no problem, mummy!'

she decided on another fabric that she liked, and i spent the entire day trying to stitch the two pieces together without loosing it. my conclusion is, that as with knitting, a pattern is required. if no pattern, then at least a plan.

i managed to make it appear like a dress, all in one piece, at least (or, should i say, so far). and she's happy. and i want a pattern for a real 50's dress.

(yes, i did ask her if she wanted me to do something about those, but she opted for the spaceship look)

so there it is. inspiration moves in mysterious ways.

blue

2011-05-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

she loves blue. i don't. imagine the annoyance when i decided to make her a sweater from stash yarn only, and that 'only' contained a large amount of blue and only a small portion of other colours. it took me a while to like it. but i'm pleased with the result. still have enough of that blue to make her another sweater, though.

may is here, and so is my son's big day; the rite of passage, leaving childhood behind. big family party, quite solemn the whole thing - and this mum is trying to wrap her head around unfamiliar things like damask table cloths, silver cutlery, matching napkins, candlelights and so forth. how much i didn't know! and how much i didn't care! and how much i still don't care! no, it's not true that i don't care, i just don't care for common etiquette. but i'm getting the hang of it now, i feel i'm bonding with my inner, conservative, traditionalist soul, and it's actually fun. we're doing it this way because i discovered my great grandparent's wedding table wear, inscriptions and all. i just HAD to use it, it's beautiful.

off to do some more planning....

crafting for a friend

2011-03-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

"who, me?"

2010-12-27T01:50:00.000-08:00

happy new year to everyone!

gift making

2010-12-18T03:21:00.000-08:00

little ones on their way to their new owners.
the little doll with the hat is about 16 cm (6") tall, and the other one is about 33 cm (13").
i haven't made these kind of dolls in several years, and i could definitely use some practice.

more for the market

2010-11-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

a couple of crowns, some magic wands, some more snowflake dolls, one more egg baby. i think i'm done now. the market is on sunday, i won't even get to see it because i'll be on the train for the big city by then. 10 days away from home, and i really do not want to go - my head is filled with ideas for x-mas! i have to make sure i write them down before i go. i love it when my head and body is bursting with creative energy - gotta savour it, some times there's drought.

that time of the year

2010-11-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

when your kids are attending a waldorf school, there's one time of year that gets especially crafty - and busy! i'm talking about the x-mas fair, a long standing waldorf tradition. there's a lot of meetings, planning, and making going on. fifteen years ago, i didn't particularly like the waldorf seasonal dolls and all that goes with it; they were simply too cute. today i'm a born again waldorf toy fan, and i love making them. these days, i'm up to my neck in half finnished projects for the fair. some are getting close to finnished, though:

i've attached ribbons to some of the leaves, so that they can be hung around the neck.

then there's the eggs we're making, i haven't been able to take any decent photos of mine so far, except the one on top her.

the most fun part of this is finding new things to make. i'm currently working on some magic wands and seasonal dolls.

hope you're enjoying this time of year too, and don't get tied up in all the x-mas stress out there! i'm doing my best to avoid it :)

the down side to compulsiveness

2010-11-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

well, one of them, at least; the 'knitting arm'. the pain that follows three weeks of intensive knitting, and leaves you with a knitting and computer ban for weeks and weeks, as they both hurt like hell. and with that comes the shivering, the shaking, the agony and sweating of withdrawal. but there's no way around it, but to go cold turkey.

but hey, i finnished it! in three - 3 - weeks! i have to admit, i'm rather impressed with myself. the bonus is i got rid of my facebook addiction - temporarily, at least.

i still don't know whether it will fit my husband. it's just a bit too big for me, but the he's not that big either. and knitwear is stretchy. i'll keep my finger crossed.

and try to wait just a little bit longer before i start my next sweater project - for me, this time.

(did i just do that? yes, i did. i erased the mess from the background in picture no 3. pathetic. hirr.)

hey hey, my my

2010-10-07T02:24:00.000-07:00

... it's starting to look like a sweater!
My first big knitting project ever, and my first knitting-from-an-english-pattern project ever. (Ok, I admit it, I've had some help translating it. Takk Lise!)
Luckily, I don't have to knit this in secrecy; I'm knitting it right under his nose. He wouldn't notice if it had his name written across the chest.
It's going so fast, that even if it turns out too small (which I am afraid it will), I will have time to knit a bigger one in time. Yay! Compulsive works. Another bad news story now and I'll have one ready for my son by x-mas too.

compulsive cobblestone

2010-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

so, one might ask, what's the wit saving knit she's up to?
it's a cobblestone. i've nick named it the compulsive cobblestone, re my last post. i've had it planned for two years, for my husband, but was too scared to start - i've never knitted anything adult sized before. this one, i plan to have done by x-mas, as a gift. i sure hope it turns out like the picture here - isn't it great?

fall

2010-09-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

the other day, my husband had for some unknown reason set the alarm clock on 'radio'. it goes off at 7 a.m., and a male voice breaks into my sleep with the news of a father who had killed his wife, their 2 weeks old baby, their 6 and 9 year old daughters and himself during the night. they found the bodies scattered over a large area, so one might think that it took him a while to finnish. then the voice goes on the say that there will be no climate deal in mexico this year.
as soon as i had assembled my brain bits from getting blasted all over the bed covers, i considered the options people have when confronted with such things (by some called 'the world'):
a) crawling back under the covers with a knife to finnish it
b) seeing a doctor for a round of antidepressants
c) writing an article for the newspaper, fooling yourself into thinking 'i did something about it'
d) fastening one's blinkers even harder and continue one's compulsive focus on one's little, safe corner of the world (i.e. the size of a post stamp)
i've tried them all, except the obvious (i'm still here).
i still don't know what to do about it when it hits me.
so i don't read the news. i occasionally express some political passion. i sign petitions in hope of a better world. and at times i manically, obsessively, compulsively, care for the little piece of heaven i know, my little safe post stamp in this world. it's easy. it's beautiful, it's love. it's connecting me to a greater whole that i know is there, beyond the cruelty and greed of this world. the best cure for such a morning is to sit down with a cup of tea and knit. but somewhere, there's a great uneasiness stirring.

traveling

2010-07-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

has anyone read this book? i loved it. it took me half of the book to love it, until then i found it spending too much space on trivial information insignificant to the story. but then i was hooked. i didn't realize it was a love story until the end, rather, i was fascinated with the cultural references in the book - the music, the literature, the art - and the time theme.

if you've read it, please let me know what you think. i'm definately not going to see the movie, i heard it was awful and i don't want to ruin this beautiful story.

by the lake lll

2010-07-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

by the lake ll

2010-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

by the lake

2010-07-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

we had rain the first day.
but it was oh, so wonderful to be back to this childhood place of mine. i hadn't been there for 17 years (with my husband, the first year of our romance) and before that, 11 years. my children had never been here.
it's the tinyest cottage you can imagine. and the cosiest. no electricity, no plumbing. through the woods and by this lake - all to ourselves (see the tiny red dot on pic no 3? that's it. the only one, around the whole lake). we fished trout for dinner, played cards, listened to the radio, read books, spent hours on the lake, took hikes... so good.
i wouldn't mind coming back here all by myself, with a creative project or two. oh, the quiet.

ephemera

2010-07-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

daughter: don't look, i'm making you a present.
mother: ok.
daughter: but - i don't think you'll like it, because it's not going to last. you'll probably throw it away immidiately.
mother: not all things are meant to last, sweetie.
daughter: i know. like people.
...
she had painted me some tissue paper and hung them on a string across the room to dry in the sun.
later that night, after she had gone to sleep, i lay quietly down beside her in her bed. i held her softly and stroke her face and cried.
she knows. like people.
just like that.

**********

we're back from our little trip to the woods and our yearly viking adventure, and i'm currently sorting through my photos. will be back. and no, no one's dying (that i know of) :)

corner view: summer

2010-06-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm away from this space, enjoying summer at a cottage by the lake in the woods, so I leave you here with a photo from summer 2008.
Enjoy more summer here!

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch,c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana,denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth,allison, lise, cate, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola,vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina,goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama,britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille , cris, ibb, jodi, gillian,travelingmama, athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja,guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza,juliette, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique,shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal,urbaNiche, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, emily, lynn,skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit,kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne,rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, ocean girl, emily, marcie, annabel,andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel, pia, soisses, angie, adèle,latisha, mlle paradis, 24 ruel, cacahuete, wander chow, debra,linnea and emily, barbara, emily, maryline, tally, therese, nadine

corner view: noticing

2010-06-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

...all the pink and purple surrounding me these days.

More Corner View here:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

milestone

2010-06-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

I think I might have reached a milestone in my (theoretical) collage career. I actually finnished something. I dared to cut, and I almost dared to glue. Ok, so I didn't dare to glue, but hey, I stamped something on to the picture!
Small steps, my friends. Small steps.

corner view ::: daily :::

2010-06-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

My 'daily' is not far from my 'bliss' - chocolate/banana shake. Yes, I am a chocoholic. But I consider myself a healthy chocoholic since I switched from store bought plastic'y chocolate to homemade, raw and healthy chocolate.

In your blender:

2 bananas
1 tblsp organic peanut butter (without any additives)
2 tblsp raw chocolate powder
1 tblsp xylitol (natural sweetener made from birch tree)
juice from 1 orange
pich of salt
1-2 tblsp organic, extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil
cover with rice milk

Blend until smooth
Share with your family, or put it on a drinking bottle and have a sip of chocolate whenever you want throughout the day :)

More daily:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

hmm....

2010-06-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

It started quite controlled, I think. A little collage. Sure, sweetie, why not.

But then things got a little out of hand...

And worse...

Sigh.
We need a studio.

corner view ::: bliss :::

2010-06-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Homemade raw chocolate

1/2 cup cashew nuts, unsalted, soaked for about 2 hrs
1/2 cup organic coconut oil, extra virgin cold pressed
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 cup raw cacao powder
1 tbls vanilla extract (real vanilla)

Mix nuts, agave and coconut fat in a blender. It'll make it easier if you soften/melt the coconut fat in advance.
Add cacao and vanilla.
Put in mold(s), freeze for about 2 hrs

Enjoy your bliss :)

More bliss here:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

she's at it again

2010-06-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

The wasps are back, and so is her interest in dissecting.

Rhythm of the Home, the online mag (which I guest wrote for a couple of weeks ago - at their blog, that is) is out with their summer issue - go have a look!