Thursday, January 14, 2010

winter melody






we have never had such a winter before. we've had glistening snow, blue skies, sun and freezing cold since before yule. a few days ago, my mother had -27 C (-17 F - is that right? i tried several converters, but they all say the same). she lives a 15 minute drive from us. We haven't had it that cold, but we've been down to -13 C (9 F). the coldest temperature measured so far this year in norway is not from the north, but from the eastern part; -41 C (my converter says -41,8 F, and that has to be wrong! someone?).
so we keep on sledding. and others keep on skiing. after all, that's what we norwegians do, you know :)
(btw, did the title of this post make you too think of donna summer?)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

explosive inside




in spite of an ever present, smiling, calm buddha, holidays spent inside tend to get a bit explosive. so we kept on sledding. that's the beauty of owning a car; you can actually go on a sledding tour to seek out the best hills.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

new years eve




just in time for the fireworks, we took our neighbourhood kid with us and went sledding our way into the new year, until 1.30 in the morning. i can't imagine a more fun way to greet the new year. hope you had a good one too!

Friday, January 1, 2010

not a political post

a week ago, i wasn't sure what was the worst of things - that our world leaders decided to ignore basic scientific facts and experiment with the future of the human race, or the fact that i hadn't sent any yule cards yet.
hm.
well, since this is not a political post, i'll skip right to the essentials;
never, ever, ever be tempted to think that you have everything under control if the calendar says 'december'.
you don't.
don't be tempted to try out your newly aquired stress management skills. they don't apply in december.
i did try that out, only to wake up to (literally) "Holy Shit!" on the 18th. i've never had so little preparations to do, yet never had such a stressful pre-yule time as i did this year.
to me, the beauty of yule is in all the handmades, and this year there just were'nt enough of it to make me happy.
i managed to squeeze in this little project for my daughter - a last minute project made the night before.

this is something i was inspired to make last year, after a friend sent me this link. i decided i could do it myself, and bought a ready made cardboard suitcase.

i only had a few hours, so there was no time for fancy decoration. i didn't have any shiny new objects to put inside either, so i used the stuff that was already hers - only making a tiny needle book and giving away my own measuring tape.




i'd love to have given her some proper knitting needles and some embroidery thread, but that will come later. so far, she's thrilled and loves it very much. i put a new piece of linen on her embroidery hoop, and she immediately started embroidering a bright yellow sun. out of ordinary sewing thread, but still - very appropriate!
did you make any gifts this year? please leave me a link to your blog so i can admire it and get inspired - i'm always hunting for good, homemade gift ideas!
(btw, i have to admit, that by now, i actually really miss blogging - and you guys!)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

a perfect storm?

on monday (dec 7th), 56 newspapers from 45 different countries spoke with one voice through a common editorial. that is a pretty powerful statement. the occasion was, as you probably already know, the opening of the world climate summit in copenhagen that same day.

two weeks ago, the UN had to close its accredential lists due to lack of space. the venue can only house 15 000 people and it is f u l l.
with 5000 journalists from 180 countries, the summit will be one of the biggest international media occasions ever. the developing countries are also in: several hundred journalists and filmmakers have been funded to follow the talks in situ.

still, the 5000 journalists arriving in copenhagen right now, are nothing compared to the bloggers following this event, outnumbering the journalists by the thousands, and enabling a social and emotional mobilizing we've never witnessed before. the uk paper the guardian calls this media coverage - the labours of thosands of organisations and activists - 'a perfect storm'.


the question is: will it be enough?

as the common editorial stated; the next fourteen days will seal history's judgment on this generation. but even before the summit had opened, the verdict was passed; no legally binding agreement will be signed in copenhagen. there's already talk of continued negotiations in 2010. are we witnessing the end of the world as we know it?


it really comes down to a quarrell between rich and poor. the developing countries says 'we won't cut back on our carbon emissions if the developed countries won't take the blame for our situation and cut back more'. the developed countries basically says 'fuck you. we won't cut back if you won't'. we're witnessing little boys with too big pants throwing dirt at each other in an ever shrinking playground. hold on to your hats, people. mind over matter doesn't really apply here. as has been stated over and over; this crisis is about physics, not politics. the laws of physics are not democratic nor open to compromises. will our world leaders remember this as the heat rises?


i watched the rather apocalyptic the age of stupid two nights ago. usually, i get all geared up by watching these kind of films, and try to make my own carbon footprints even smaller. but this film had me all depressed. it actually had me thinking, for the very first time, what does it matter what i do inside my own home, when we have greedy cowards for leaders? when money matters more than life? when i'm surrounded everywhere by advertising telling me to buy more stuff, spend more, need more, crave more? deserve more? because i'm fucking worth it? now who the heck came up with that nasty slogan?!?

i admit to thinking that people are basically stupid. people will always do what 'everyone else does', which is, in effect, what our leaders tells/allows us to do.
rations have worked fine during other times of crisis. how long will it take them to realize it's the only way to go now? there are thousands of people shouting 'ration me now', but instead of listening, world leaders are telling us - in various ways and with various actions - to buy. more. stuff.

i really, really, really wish these guys will get their heads out of their butts in time and act up to the men they're dressed to be.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

bloody confessions

yes, i am alive. i am fine, no, i'm actually great. i just had to have a break from my computer. from the internet. from all the lovely blogs that i spent too much time reading every day. from my camera, even. i haven't found a way to use my computer efficiently, i get lost in cyberspace. until i can manage a balance i'm on a low cyber, high real life diet. it's highly recommended! when my computer suffered a serious 'oh, i'm 3 years old and having that break down my makers programmed me, along with every other computer in the world, to have so that you can go out and spend your money on a new one and make us rich'-attack, i was actually relieved. but then my birthday was coming up - and my husband did just that; went out and spent money on a new one. i am now typing on a 26 x 17 cm bright red/floral vivienne tam designed mini computer. (the guy in the shop told my husband that i'd be sure to know who that was, as a, you know, women's thing. wink wink. right. i had to google her. but it's a beautiful computer, i'll give her that.) i feel like trying it out, hope you don't mind!

i don't have much to show for, as i've been mostly knitting and reading the last couple of months. and watching tv, something i rarely do. and here's my confession (from one pair of fangs to another); i think i might have been bitten. just a slight touch of vampire fever, nothing bad. or - is watching the same episode of true blood three times bad?? oh, please don't answer that. but that's not the real confession. since we're still at season one, and only get to see one episode a week, i had to get my vampire kicks elsewhere while waiting for the next episode. so i read the first twilight book. i saw the movie. then i read the second book. holy crap, that is some serious shitty literature. then why am i eagerly awaiting book number three to be released from the sweaty hands of god knows how many dozens of teenage girls, and get back behind the safe walls of the library so i can pick it up?!? why am i trying to figure out how to go see the second movie and still keep my dignity?

because of the sex. the sex that isn't there. that's what these books are about, really; the sex that isn't there. the torment, despair and erotic longing that comes from unfulfilled love. bella and edward can't have sex because of edward's strength; if he looses control, he might crush her. wow. now will you get down to business and have sex already?!?! then i read somewhere that stephanie meyer, the author, is a mormon and will not write about pre marital sex. seriously - do not make me read two more books (or are there more?) of this 'i can only kiss you so and so or else i will loose control and drain your blood' stuff. it embarrasses me to read it in public.

seeing what this does to me, i'd rather not think of what it does to teenage girls with sweaty hands.

right. 'nuf said. signing off now. *blush*

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

corner view bergen, norway: september

so far, september has been:
- happy to be back home from our vacation
- equally happy that we did go on vacation
- cuddling our new, oh so sweet kitten
- enjoying an early, moist and warm autumn
- exploring the idea of not eating gluten, milk products and sugar
- and therefore making no sugar/milk/gluten candy and cakes, with success (!)
- enjoying a much needed computer break
- being so behind on my blog reading that i'm not sure where to start, so therefore i don't
- anticipating the national election
- realizing that damn, parliamentarism is difficult
- nevertheless, being very content with the result

how's your september?
more corner views:
jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,
athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b

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