Vikings anno 2009: Herb garden

A little herb garden with some of the more commonly

herbs used, mostly, as medicine, in the time of the Vikings.

A booklet, seen to the left, gave written information

about the different plants and their use.

http://www.starfa-vikinggruppe.net/

Vikings anno 2009: Tents

The members of the group have their own tents,

built according to old models, and some of them had

slept over from Saturday to Sunday in their tents.

If you are considering building your own viking tent,

there are instructions on the internet for how to do it.

More information about this particular group

http://www.starfa-vikinggruppe.net/

Vikings anno 2009 : Houses, dwellings

Vikings anno 2009 : Woodcarving

One of the members of this reenactment group

does different kinds of woodcraft, including

woodcarving.

More information about this particular group

http://www.starfa-vikinggruppe.net/

Vikings 2009

The location was perfect.

Vikings anno 2009

Last Sunday I went to Roed Gaard here in Moss to

visit a Viking Camp.

I will show you more pictures from this event.

More information about this particular group

http://www.starfa-vikinggruppe.net/

One's destination

"One's destination is never a place,

but a new way of seeing things."

Henry Miller

Ashtray

This ashtray by the Norwegian firm Figgjo

does not belong to me, but I enjoyed looking at

the shape and decided to scan it.

Did you see that the designer thought of both

pipesmokers and cigarette smokers?

The ashtray is probably from the beginning of the fifties.

Clothes hanging to dry

Another qoute I want to think about

There are only two ways to live . . .

one is as though nothing is a miracle. . .

the other is as if everything is.

Albert Einstein

A quote I want to think about

Worry looks around,

sorry looks back,

faith looks up.

From Grandmother Lina's kitchen

My grandmother Lina was born in 1883 and died in 1973.

She was born on the countryside, but came to Oslo

as a young girl to work as a domestic help.

She met my grandfather, a young man who had also come

from the countryside, and married him.

Together they had five children, and my grandmother

lived in the same rented apartment for , if I remember right,

seventy years!

For me, visiting Farmor (Father's Mother, directly translated)

was not so much about big family dinners (the apartment

wasn't very big, to say the least) but more about breakfasts

around the tiny table in the tiny kitchen, or coffeee time in her

living room. (My grandfather had died when I was four, so

he is not that much part of my memories).

Farmor would sit in her sofa.

Coffee, cakes of different kinds, brus (pop soda) for

the kids on the table.

All the photos of the grandchildren on the wall behind my

grandmother.

She was the matriarch of our family.

So what kind of cakes were we served?

I remember Vørtekake.

Vørtekake my grandmother bought in a bakery.

Then there were "småkaker", cookies of different kinds

she had baked herself in that same tiny kitchen:

Peppernøtter.

Ingefærnøtter.

Serinakaker.

Sirupssnipper.

Kokosmakroner.

Havrekjeks.

Mors smørskiver.

There were waffles she made in her waffle iron.

She made doughnuts. In Norwegian doughnuts are

called smultringer, but in Hedmark where my

grandmother grew up, I once read they call them

"donaser".

Sometimes she had make cakes:

Sirupskake.

Julekake.

Sukkerbrød.

Kokoskake.

Something called Goro. I only remember the name,

not the shape, nor the taste.

So slowly slowly I will add recipes to my blog from my

Grandmother Lina's kitchen - trying them out myself.

The Norwegian language: Kildesortering, miljøstasjon

Sitting on the train the other day, I read the

announcements coming up on the electronic board.

Next station. That kind of information.

But then the board said "Kildesortering".

This word has come into the Norwegian language during

the years I have been away.

Sorting according to source, to origin.

Not just garbage disposal .

My mother had to explain to me how she sorted her

garbage into different "stations": paper, glass, metal,

food and several others I don't remember. This was not in Moss,

but where she lived before. The director of garbage disposal

who lived there was fondly called "kompostinnen"

- the lady in charge of the compost.

Here in Moss "kildesortering" includes glass and metal

in one box, paper and cardboard in the second one

and the rest in the third. It is not difficult.

So what did "kildesortering" have to do with the train?

Well, the trains also want to be more "green", more

friendly to the environment, so where you can throw

away the garbage has now become a "miljøstasjon",

an environmental station, directly translated.

Two stations.

Jernbanestasjon (=railway station) - miljøstasjon. :-)

On the top you can put your newspapers and magazines

with the possibility they can be reread by other passengers.

Then there are openings with moveable lids for

your three possibilities - if I remember right, glass, plastic

and the rest. I will have to look closer the next time.

Kildesortering.

Miljøstasjon.

Our little viking

I don't even know where this headgear was found,

but I love the photo.

Big girl, eight months old

Going back to Chicago by plane, there was no bed on

the wall for Kate.

Sitting on her parents' lap was not her idea of travelling.

Then her parents found out that if she could sit on

her own in the flight seat, just like the grownups did,

travelling was really FUN for Kate.

It is true her father walked up and down the aisles

for some time till another free seat was found for him.

In the end Kate fell asleep.

....... and then they were back home.

Bed & Breakfast

Reflecting on this wonderful family reunion,

I also have reflected on my own limitations.

To have guests sleeping over, I should probably get

a better bed for my guestroom in the attic.

Because of all the hours of light in Norway in the

summertime I should probably find roller blinders

that do not let in light.

Because I do not bring in meat in my house,

and I am an under average cook, this kitchen

can serve a vegetarian breakfast, with fish dishes,

and if so wanted, a vegetarian supper.

Any full meals, meat, fish or vegetarian, should be

eaten out.

And then she went back to the States....

Waiting for the bus to the airport, with a truck

with the text ROADSHOW passing by.

She was looking up at the trees, and perhaps

also at the airplanes passing over us.

Thank you to her parents for coming to visit!

Now it is very quiet here....

Dressed in greatgrandmother's knitted hat

Meeting grandfather

Rediscover

"A person's life purpose is nothing more than
to rediscover,

through the detours of art, or love, or passionate work,
those one or two images in the presence of which

his heart first opened."

(Albert Camus)

Thanks, Jerry, for that quote!
Perhaps that is what I am doing here?

Getting to Moss

After A While by Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and sharing a life

and you learn that love doesn't mean possession

and company doesn't mean security

and loneliness is universal.

And you learn that kisses aren't contracts

and presents aren't promises

and you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes open

with the grace of a woman

not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build your hope on today

as the future has a way of falling apart in mid-flight

because tomorrow's ground can be too uncertain for plans

yet each step taken in a new direction creates a path

toward the promise of a brighter dawn.

And you learn that even sunshine burns

if you get too much

so you plant your own garden

and nourish your own soul

instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that love, true love,

always has joys and sorrows

seems ever present, yet is never quite the same

becoming more than love and less that love

so difficult to define.

And you learn that through it all

you really can endure

that you really are strong

that you do have value

and you learn and grow

with every good-bye

you learn.

Cooking up something special

One lady here in Moss cooks up really special things

and sold some of them at the Torderød (Torderoed)

last Sunday.

Homemade jellies of apples and berries I will have to find

the names in English for.

Herring with curry, pepper, tomato and different berries.

What?! You must be kidding?!

You are telling me I will be on one airplane from

Chicago to Stockholm for eight hours and twenty minutes,

then wait in Stockholm for two hours and then fly for

one hour from Stockholm to Oslo and then go by car

for an hour and a half to Moss?

You must be kidding?!

I am just a baby!

Handcrafts

Rosepainting (rosemaling) is one of the crafts I

remember seeing as a child up in Hallingdal.

Here in Moss a lady showed us these wonderful

rosemaling pieces last Sunday at Torderoed.

Another lady showed how she makes a patchwork of

old labels from clothes, ties etc.

Each creation was in a specific range of color and became

the front part of a bag.

Vikings anno 2009

A renactment group called Starfa is

studying and partly living viking life.

Here is their viking tent and fireplace

last Sunday at Torderød.

Friendly people eager to share their knowledge

and interest.

Here one lady is preparing wool by combing it.

Here is one of the reinforced holes in the viking tent.

Here another lady was sewing a viking shirt in linen,

based on a shirt found during excavations.

The shirt was made in one piece of cloth, but very

elaborate.

This group has a website in Norwegian

http://www.starfa-vikingruppe.net

They arrange two Viking Days at Roed gaard

here in Moss on Sept 26th and 27th where you

can visit with your kids.

Cellar window

Collecting glass

No, these pieces of glass are not mine.

But I can understand why some people collect glass.

Though I have decided to TRY to keep down the

number of things in my life.