July 4th, 2008
See the little wading brat in my heading? She’ll be starting school in August. They start when they’re 6 in this country, and she’s started her countdown. 45 days now…
Mum’s started thinking about kitting her out. They all get their first special backpack for free - courtesy of the “Safe Traffic” organization, orange with reflecting trimmings (It’s dark here in the winter - this is to make the little kites more visible), so that’s taken care of. I’ve got her a brand new pink pencil case, with everything in it, and also some cheap pens I found, with pink tassels on them. They produced one happy little girl… Now, we’ll go after some nice outfits. I’ll try to ease her out of her pink stage, but I have a feeling my little princess’ll be all in pink for some time yet.
The teachers all recognized me on the getting-to-know-each-other-day, of course - I’ve had two birth kids in that school, and two step-kids as well. I told them there was one more where this one came from. At least the teachers will know I’m not the grandmother…
July 3rd, 2008
It was the experience of a lifetime. This 74 year-old artist made us laugh, he made us cry - and what a charming, dignified man…
He did all his great hits from the 80es, opening the show with “Dance me to the end of Love”. He did quite a few older ones too - catering to elderly fans (of whom there were many!) and also some newer songs. When the intro to “I’m your man” sounded over the arena, I cried… I’ve loved that song from when I first heard it - wishing someone had written those lyrics for me…
I don’t know what a Cohen concert is like anywhere else, but he has such a large and diverse audience in this country, and his appreciation shows. His friendship with the late Norwegian writer Axel Jensen and his wife Marianne (to whom the song “So long, Marianne” is written) has also brought him to Norway on several occasions, and taught him to love this country.
Some 12000 spectators gave that love right back to him, and the concert was… riveting.
I thought the show would have been over in just under 2 hours - no way. He went on stage at 8pm, and was still doing encores when we had to leave at 11.10 to catch the last train home.
So - Thank you, Mr. Cohen - your “golden voice” made our anniversary a truly memorable one, and made cousin Lindas send-off back to the States a night to remember for her too. As for #4 Brat (14) who came along - you’ve got yourself a brand new fan!
June 28th, 2008
My 6 bright little kidlets - one of whom is getting ready to leave the nest. This was taken 18 months ago - not very bright of me to not organize it so that they can all be in one photo more often! Must see to that before # 1 Brat leaves, so that we have some nice pics to brighten our days…
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June 26th, 2008
# 5 Brat is getting a playhouse… She doesn’t know it yet, but we’ve been given a dainty little house by some friends of ours. Well - it will be dainty when I’m finished with it. My little pink girl in her little pink house - what a treat for her! (I somehow know it’ll be pink…)
It’s all made of wood, and it’s got a little porch, a little door and two windows. (This is where I was going to slip in something about vinyl siding, but I won’t bother…) I know my little Brat will be thrilled to bits, and I’ll probably have to find some miniature furniture for her new miniature quarters! Actually - I’m about as excited as I know she will be!
June 18th, 2008
The other night, at 11pm, I sent hubby off to see if #3 Brat had come home from his trip on his motorbike. I hadn’t seen him, and he hadn’t said goodnight. The bike was there - #3 Brat was secure in bed.
It turns out he’d been here, said goodnight to me, even given me a peck on the cheek… I still don’t remember it. People call, brats tell me things - it goes straight out of my head. I know they won’t put me in a home just yet, but it probably won’t be too long - unless…
They give people hearing implants. Why can’t I have a memory stick implanted? My hard drive is so full of useless information, I could use a “delete” button to make room for new and more relevant stuff, as well as some way of retrieving whatever’s buried deep, deep down.
While we’re at it, #4 Brat would like a “good humour” implant, #1 Brat a GPS behind her ear, and would someone please throw in a “tidiness” device for all of us…
June 17th, 2008
# 3 Brat is suffering from severe acne problems. He’s had UV light treatments, that have helped a bit, but driving 15 miles for a 10 minute treatment every two days got a bit stressful for him, so he decided to quit that.
His doctor prescribed some pills that would work - only the side effects included such minor concerns as psychosis, depressions, suicidal tendencies, renal failure, liver failure… Eh… OK, so only a small percentage contract these, but who’d want to end up in those statistics… To be given these, he would have had to give the doctor a waiver in writing from his parents. Scary. Needless to say, he never had those pills!
At the moment, he’s trying natural acne treatments, as prescribed by a homeopath that he really likes. It takes time, he has to stay away from certain foods and take all sorts of vitamins, minerals as well as homeopathic medicine, but he looks much better, and feels better too. The sun and outdoor activity may have something to do with it as well, but at least she’s made him understand that getting some sun and fresh air on his skin will help, whereas hiding it under sweaters won’t…
Whether or not this treatment will remove the acne remains to be seen - he seems to be getting better, and is gaining confidence too, which is the main thing. Time is on his side regardless - adulthood will set in one day, and with it a more balanced hormone flow…
May 28th, 2008
Ha ha - that sounds like something very native… My cousin is getting married on Saturday, and it will be special, because weddings always are, but I’m sure both Americans and Brits would recognize parts of the ritual - both during the ceremony and afterwards, at the party!
One difference is the fact that here, the bride and groom stay for the entire reception - they don’t go off on their honeymoon on their wedding day. Many will plan it for some time after the wedding, some will go the next day, but they’ll definitely not miss their own wedding reception…
Also - bridesmaids. We have a best man and maid of honor, that also have the function of witnesses - i.e. they sign the wedding protocol along with the bride and groom. There may or may not be bridesmaids (and… is it ushers when they are boys?) , but they’ll traditionally be children from the bride and grooms families, bearing flowers in the church or whatever, and generally looking cute… As for bridesmaid gifts - there may well be a little something for the children, but that’s not a set tradition, like I believe it is in the States.
As for speeches - there are set rules for the order in which they occur, but as everyone isn’t a speaker, some people may also write a song to the happy couple, set on a well known tune, that everyone will sing - instead of a speech. There is dancing, usually, with the happy couple opening the ball with a bridal waltz, and later on, the cutting of the cake. (The cake, by the way, won’t have that rock hard icing that y’all seem so fond of…)
Any other differences? Plenty, I’m sure, and I know that my US cousin will educate me after she’s seen how we do it.
What’s international, regardless of ritual and tradition, is the celebration of two people’s love and commitment to each other. I’m looking forward to it!
May 28th, 2008
My relative Linda is visiting from Arizona. She started out by attending # 4 Brats confirmation on the 3rd, which was lovely, and then went off for a two-week tour of Norway.
First stop was Bergen, where she boarded the Hurtigruten, labeled “the world’s most beautiful sea voyage”. Several ships sail the West coast from Bergen to Kirkenes and back - with stops in major and minor cities and villages, passing some of the most beautiful sceneries this country has to offer. The cruise takes 6 days one way, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She then got off in Kirkenes (a tiny town at the very north of Norway), and made her way back down south again in a “spur of the moment” fashion. This country isn’t big on cheap hotels, so she ended up paying quite a lot for her accomodation, but had a lovely time traveling through Sami country (The Norwegian equivalent to Lapland) and the far North by bus.
She had all sorts of weather on the way - from beautiful sunny days on the ship, with no wind and mild temperatures, to fog and rain, wind, and of course - snow. She witnessed the celebration of National Day in the little town of Narvik, and saw the War memorial museum in Kirkenes, as well as having a breathtaking 14 hour bus ride from Karasjok to Bodø.
She came back here a week ago, happy and full of her experiences, and she’s now taking it easy here with us before we’re all attending another relative’s wedding on the 31st. She’ll then be off on a 3-day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, and we’re leaving for my mountain cabin the week after. My cabin is right where her mother came from, who emigrated to the States in 1922, so there’ll be more relatives there too…
A lovely lady, well into her 70es, who’s become my laundry assistant, sometime babysitter and scullery maid (I’ll have to withhold her passport, I think…).
May 25th, 2008
My two half-British brats and I are invited to a wedding in Nottingham in August. The girls’ cousin is tying the knot, and we’d love to be there for it.
I believe # 1 Brat needs a new passport, and I’m not sure when she starts her new school. They’d probably give her a couple of days off to go and see her family in England anyway, so we should be able to go. We don’t meet very often, but when we do, it’s lovely to see everyone. They all love to see the girls too, and with a wedding to attend, it should be a festive occasion all round.
We’re hoping they’ll be able to see their grandmother too. Sadly, she’s ailing, but August isn’t too far away, and she’s being well looked after.
The world is getting smaller every year, and getting there doesn’t cost too much these days either. The new passport will probably be more expensive than the ticket. If we’re in luck, we may even get straight to the local airport, and not have to travel X hours from London.
Everything is so much easier than it was just a few years ago.
May 24th, 2008
Hubbys baby shoes, “dipped” in silver….
Baby feet, before being constricted by shoes…
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