Artistic talent

As usual I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with Espen on Skype. He wasn't wild about the food, but when he was promised colouring if he finished his food, the last morsels were stuffed in his mouth so he looked like a cute hamster.

The crayons and paper were quickly found, and Espen sat up to the table like a big boy. His eyes shone with joy as the colours were tipped out on the table and he could begin to express himself on paper ( and on the crayon box -which makes a rather fetching pillbox hat, don't you think - as well as his face ). Maybe Picasso started like this - at the kitchen table, having the loveliest time with his mummy. Simple pleasures!

Morello cherries

This is my attempt at an artistic still-life.

I was eating cherries and had the dish on the sofa beside me. I was putting the pips and stalks neatly on a napkin, and I though "Wow! That looks nice! I'll take a photo."

No title needed

This is what it's like living in Norway right now.

Earthquake!

At 03.00 am yesterday the earth moved in Hedmark county in Norway. For some more than others - the epicentre being Rena in Østerdal, where they measured 3.7. We woke from hearing a bang and feeling the house shudder like it had been hit by a truck. There was no damage anywhere in the county except for one tragedy. All the ripe cloud-berries (multer) that grow in the mountains and are prized by all norwegians, squirrelled away in the freezer and kept as a treat at Christmas, were shaken from their stems!

Gardening

Some of the plants are very new, so haven't settled yet. The pedestrian-looking geranium is an unusual deep blood-red. Lots of work, but very satisfying.

Badgers!

A funny thing happened to me at 4 am today. I was woken by a very strange noise which made we wonder if the radio or television was on. The noise became more intense, so it sounded like two cats locked in mortal combat, or a cat being killed, so I jumped out of bed and into my slippers and hurried downstairs to rescue my pets. I was hurrying down the drive when two badgers came hurtling round the corner and up the drive towards me. Thoughts of badgers having a tenacious bite that doesn't let go until they hear the bone snap sent me full speed indoors to safety.
Now, I didn't know I could still run. Due to arthritic knees, replacement knees and stuff, I haven't tried for many years, so when I'd caught my breath and calmed down enough to go back to bed, I was strangely comforted by the fact that, if I need to run for my life, I still can!

Little North family 2

So, there they are at the airport, about to start their 18 hour journey home. Espen has never waved goodbye as well as he did today - maybe he knows that "East West, home's best". We've all had a great time, but there's comfort in familiar surroundings and safe routines.
Five weeks melted away like snow in June, but we all had some wonderful experiences and have met a lot of friends and family members, some old, some new. They've visited the Netherlands and Belgium, and we've all been to England. We travelled all the way to Cornwall and Espen has met his fourth great-grandmother. We've been to the sea-side ( in my beloved St Ives ) and seen lots of other beautiful places. Espen has met a large number of dogs -all shapes and sizes, and a lot of cats. -he loves them all and is never scared. We've been to a family wedding where he has patiently been photographed countless times, we've spent about 25% of our time squashed up in cars, we've feasted and eaten strange picnics and snacks,we've slept in several strange beds, we've had late nights and some early ones, and through it all he has remained cheerful and uncomplaining, friendly and curious about his surroundings. He's been a star.
I wish them a safe and comfortable journey and look forward to our next Skype meeting.