To America or not to America - that is the question

We've been looking forward so much to our trip to America, counting first months, then weeks, and now days. The planning of what we're going to do while we're there, what we're going to pack, telling everyone we meet, and smugly accepting wishes for a great trip - all that's been taken away from us. Instead of "when we go" it's become "if we go". All because of some dust! Quite a lot of dust, actually, and of course we're not the only ones affected by this disaster, but it's rather taken the shine off the whoøe thing. My grandson will be shaving before we meet him!

Three springs!

I recently took a few days in England, mostly to visit my family, but a little bit to get away from the dreaded white stuff. One of the days was sunny, and iit was liberating to walk briskly on ice-free pavements. Mid-March is a bit early for full-blown spring, especially after an exceptionally cold winter, so it was lovely to see big clumps of snowdrops growing wild at the roadside and in the woods. Most gardens had a display of crocuses.

In Cornwall, way down in the far south-west, and warmed by the Gulf Stream, the daffodils were just coming into bloom. What a treat after nothing but snow for many months.

Back in Norway, we've been enjoying some warmer days (by that I mean above freezing) but any careful optimism is soon quashed by a new snowfall. Yesterday all the snow turned wet and slushy, but last night there was a bright full moon, which means clear cold weather. Sure enough, when I got up today the lovable slush had turned into lethal rock-hard ice. Thank goodness for my magic boots.

My second spring will come in three weeks time, when we go to Utah to visit Tam and Nick, and our little gullklump Espen. It will be green and fresh, with flowers.

When we get back after three fun-filled weeks Norway will be waking up to spring, the birches will have tiny sweet-smelling leaves, the woods will be carpeted with white wood anemones - Tam's favourites. And then it will be 17th May, national day Hurra!

Good news

There's a reason why Reidar's a happy chappy today. We've been to the hospital to hear the results of the latest tests. All the tumours, big and small, have responded to the chemotherapy and are smaller! That means that he will continue with a new course of treatment, starting on monday morning. We'll still get out 3 weeks in USA in April, and Reidar will complete the treatment when we get back. He is even well enough to go back to work part-time.

So we've celebrated with fish and chips and lots of happy phonecalls to our friends.

The wonders of Skype

The day our grandson was born, on the other side of the world, we visited the new little family. We sat at Tamsin's bedside and gazed in wonder at little espen. He was unwrapped and displayed for our inspection and admiration. We saw him from all angles and heard his voice As it happened, i had a nasty head-cold that day, but it didn't matter because I was thousands of miles from breathing germs on the baby. It was such a thrill to feel that we were with them on that very special day.

Yesterday was a special day of a completely different kind. As one life starts, another one ends. Reidar's auntie Peggy died in England, aged 90. Reidar's mother, aged 89, was terribly disappointed that she wasn't well enough to travel to England for her sister's funeral. A niece got in touch with us and we arranged a Skype meeting. Yesterday we arrived at the rest-home where M-in-law is currently having physiotherapy, armed with a laptop and an order of service which we'd printed from the net. We sat in a quiet room, and at the appointed time got contact. Suddenly we were in the church , with all the relatives smiling and waving. Their camera was then placed on the front bench and the funeral service began. With his opening words the minister mentioned Auntie Bar, so she felt included. A letter she'd written to Peggy was read out. She joined in as the hymns were sung, she followed the readings in her bible. She nodded in agreement as Peggy's blessing was read. Afterwards all her nieces and their children came forward to speak to her. It was exactly as if she was present at the service.

Skype is wonderful!

Grandparents

We are grandparents at last! Our daughter Tamsin and her husband Nick became parents to a big little boy today.

He's 4,266 kg (9lb 6 oz) and 55cms (21.5 in), with lots of dark hair.

Mother and son are both doing well.

We'll be meeting them tonight, thanks to Skype.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Birthday Boy

On Friday 12th of February Reidar celebrated his 59th birthday.We had a group of good friends to dinner and cake As you can see, his party turned into a short jam-session - so a good time was had by some.
We also celebrated completing a course of chemotherapy on the same day. This hasn't happened before because the other course made him so ill. now we wait a couple of weeks before he gets a scan done, and we can see if it's done any good.
He had another tea-party on Saturday, so has been well-celebrated. It will be a long time before I bake like I baked for him this weekend, but you know the way to a man's heart,don't you girls?

Cabin fever

Everyone I know is suffering from it. If you're not the great outdoorsy type who loves swooshing around on skis, then the white stuff is what I call pretty but not practical.

For a start, when it lands it's usually in the way and needs shifting. It sticks to your boots when you're getting into the car, which then melts and makes the windows steam up. This then freezes and you get ice on both sides.

You have to wear a lot more clothes, which take longer to put on and take off, and make you feel all bundled up Hats squash your hair flat and ruin your day :(

So here I am, on the inside, looking out, and wishing it was April.

Another one with cabin fever is Tamsin. She's stuck behind a bulge that is threatening to obscure her completely. She hasn't seen her feet for months and her bladder is constantly under attack. Only 9 days to go. Maybe.

Our cats are nearly driven crazy with cabin fever. Wading through chest-deep snow is not really their thing, and it's limited how many houts of the day they can devote to eating and sleeping. They chase each other, wild-eyed around the house, upstairs and down, and lie in wait and ambush one another. They play enthusiastically with anything we care to wave on front of them and trot often to the door, asking to be let out. When the door is opened and a blast of chilly air blows in, they look accusingly up at us and do a u-turn in the doorway. This is repeated every 15 minutes, morning and night.

Come on Spring, come on freedom, come on grandbaby!