Showing Dogs...

Not going to write a bunch tonight, I'm dead exhausted, have been at a dog show today with all three lionesses and then we met up with some friends who were going to come back to our home with us and spend New Years with us...so they've been here until they went up to the apartment around 1030. Will write again as soon as I can, something a bit more meaningful and exciting but for all dog lovers, the show was pretty fun!!!

It was Nanna's first show and she just turned 1year old the 6th of December, but she is gorgeous and I was anxious to hear what a judge thought...and he loved her!! She won her junior class and got a CK (Champion quality) and then went on to compete against the winners of the other leo female classes and was placed 3rd best in show!!! Isabella and Birdy both were second in their classes but didn't recieve any other recognition. Our next show will be the 10th of January and we will show only Nanna and Isabella. Birdy needs to eat like I have through Christmas and put on some weight.......like I have....BOO HOO.....well, only one more day my friends and then it's on....salads, exercise, and healthier choices....hmmmm...

Oh, got the books I ordered from Amazon today- Stickman and Aliens Love Underpants and Twilight for the girls. Will let you know what they think....

First photo is a beautiful sun shot I took on the way home....the next is Isabella and the last photo is Nanna...will spare you the photos of my anorexic lioness, Birdy!!!

Til next time.....

Winter Calm

Last night Stig and I went to what is called the 2nd Day Christmas party which is held in a local building and a big event for all the locals. Only 300 and some tickets are sold, so you have to be quick if you want to get a ticket and go and I happened to work with someone who sold tickets so we were able to secure tickets pretty early on. Even though we aren't party people, this party was talked about so much that we figured we had to check it out and see how it was. We also thought our neighbours who we like a lot were going, but after we bought our tickets we found out they weren't going to be here for the party, then we started getting cold feet...especially Stig who really only knew this neighbour and was nervous because he didn't know anyone else. Well, I knew some people from work who were going and we were invited to come to a "vörspiel" (think I spelled that right) which means a pre-party, where you gather at someone's home before you go out and have some drinks and chat and are social and then you go out and party and then some people have what is called a "nachspiel" which is the after party...but we didn't get that far, too old...but we went to the vörspiel and the party and had a GREAT time. People were so nice and Stig and I even danced...let me tell ya, we can't dance, neither one of us....but on through the evening people had been drinking so much and the dance floor was so crowded that no one noticed when we snuck onto the dance floor and cut loose...when the songs ended we'd sneak back to our seats and act like we had been sitting there the whole time...hahahaha!!! Norwegians are fascinating in a party setting...they really relax, let their guard down and are pretty cool people. It's also interesting to have moved into a little community where everyone knows everyone and almost everyone is related in some way...because you hear the most interesting conversations. I was told I was like a "breath of fresh air" in this little community and that was fun to hear...I'm going to do my best to uphold that impression...hahahaha!! The day I start being compared to the locals I'm outta here....hahaha!

I've been thinking of colouring my hair, or getting some dark highlights at the salon, usually I do my own colouring but I've been bleaching my hair for that ultra bimbo look and my hair feels pretty fried...so I was going to do some darker stripes in my hair to give it a more natural look when my real colour was growing out...I have even set up a hair appointment for the 3rd of January for me and the girls. But last night everyone was going on and on about my hair, "what have you done differently Amy, it's gorgeous???" "Have you coloured your hair again?" I was like, I blew it dry for once and no, no more colour on my hair but I used a little tanning cream which might make my bimbo look stick out a bit more??? But the concensus was that it looked good, so I'll probably get some more bleaching and touch up my roots and a serious hair cure to give my hair a little boost from all the frying and when I go to the salon I might just get my hair ends clipped, haven't done that in awhile...so...I told Stig I think in 2009 I will try and be a little more girly. He laughed and asked what I meant, I said well I think when I met him I did more girly stuff, was more aware of my appearance but then I became a mom and we moved to an island where no one cared how I looked and I began to not care and after 12 years on that island you could REALLY tell I had given up totally...but now we are here and not that here is anything big, people probably don't care that much what I look like here but there are bigger citties closer to us where people do care so it's a little more tempting to try and make an effort then it was there on the other island. So I think I'll give it a go in 2009 and see if there is still something femine underneath this semi plump mamma exterior...hahahaha...wish me luck eh??

Attaching another lovely photo/view from our house...the sunrises are gorgeous and mystical these days. The temperatures are dropping severely and we aren't having any precipatation but we have gotten a lot of frost which freezes and looks so magical on all the forrest trees and plants. Kids are at the moment getting ready to go to the slalom hill and ski again today. It opened yesterday and the kids skied for three hours, today I think it will be four...they LOVE it. Sarah is a bit stiff...(That happens the older one gets) so she will stay with us this afternoon and we will run in and do a little shopping before we have to get the kids. It's going to be a relaxing day so I hope y'all have a great day also. I'm having company tomorrow so I'm trying to think if I want to bake something or make some real food...I'm kinda tired of baking right now...and my arse doesn't need anything more...oh the 1st of January can't get here fast enough.....what happens then??? Well, probably not much but you know the idea is to begin a healthier lifestyle...at least that's been the idea the last 10 years of my life...so we will see if anything dramatic actually happens this time...one must always live in hope right???
Be good and make it a great day folks!!!

A Reminder...

Woke this morning to this gorgeous sky...the sun came up behind the woods and the lighting played so beautifully with the tops of the trees. What a beautiful sight!!!

Well, the big day is over and now the Christmas celebration continues until New Year's Eve with visits, family time, and after-Christmas-sales. We had a wonderful dinner but as good as it is, it sits like a rock in your stomach after you eat it. Stig said this is because we don't drink this stuff called Akavit here in Norway which is a very strong alcohol which according to Stig should settle your stomach after such a fattening meal....hmmmm....I found that my Pepcid tablet helped probably just as well and tasted better then Akavit thanks!!!

The kids were allowed to open one gift each in the morning and then had to wait all day for the rest. This was not a very popular idea for Thomas, the day went so slowly for him. We took a walk with the dogs into the woods, Thomas and Sarah drove the atv and met us at different points as the atv couldn't go the whole way through the woods. It was a gorgeous day yesterday with crisp white snow and blue skies. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day for Christmas, although a beautiful snow fall would have been super!

After dinner we opened gifts, saving the best for last!! Stig opened his first from me and got what he hoped "Santa" had brought him- a shiny new router. Now Santa wasn't so very familiar with routers, just knew this was what Stig wanted and went into the store, found the first thing that said router on it and got it...and apparently "Santa" got a nice one...nicer then Stig had thought he would have gotten!!! So Santa was happy and Stig was happy!!!! I've been promised lots of lovely things made with wood now that he has his fancy little toy, so I'll keep you informed what I get!!! Then it was my turn to open my gift from Stig....and it was what I was hoping he had gotten me- a new sewing machine!!! I have never had a sewing machine, I don't have any idea how to sew, not even a button!!! But I'm hoping to learn and be able to make some beautiful things. I got a bit nervous reading the instruction manual but Stig told me he'd help me get started so I'm excited!! Good I have a husband who can work all these nifty gadgets!!!! hahahaha!!!!

Then it was time for the kids to open their gift which was wrapped as a gift to them all, they opened the paper and saw a computer box....Oi, they started to ask if they had gotten a computer but we told them to continue, they took out the newspaper and two cans with nails that Stig threw in there as a decoy and found three individually wrapped packages and one package to all three. At the count of three they all ripped open their gifts to find IPOD Touch for each of them...their happy faces were proof that we had made a good decision and their hugs and proclaimations that we were the world's best parents ever and how surprised they were was wonderful!!! None of them had a clue as to what they were getting and had seen the three other individual packages we had wrapped to them and thought they were cell phones...but they turned out to be ski goggles!!!! So they had no idea what this last gift was, not even as they opened it!!! That was so fun!!! They have been inspecting these gifts under the tree for the last two weeks, shaking, feeling, and everything and they didn't have a clue!!! So much fun!!! These IPOD Touch are cool, Stig is so fascinated by them that I keep telling him we could always return his router but he's not up for that but he loves it and I think there might have to be one in his future, it would be great for him since he travels so much and so far and these are easy to take with and have so many neat gadgets on them, games, music, movies, maps, calculator, internet access.

So the gift part of Christmas was a success, the dinner was a success and the weather was gorgeous...we were all together and that was special...so this was in my humble opinion a very successful Christmas. Today we are getting a visit from the woman we train our dogs with and her family. I've made a lovely carrot cake with some extra Christmas spices in it and I have some leftover banana bread from yesterday we will also serve. Tomorrow Stig and I are going to a bygdefest (local party) and though I'm not a party person I'm trying to stay optimistic about it and looking forward to hearing the choir sing in the first part of the party and then socializing with the locals and becoming better acquainted with our fellow islanders and local folk. I know a lot of people from working with kids around here but Stig doesn't know that many so he will get the chance to meet people also. Monday we are going to a dog show near Oslo and Stig has to go to the Brazillian embassy to arrange for his visum to Brazil, he can't travel without it and D-Day is coming up all too quickly.

Despite the success of our Christmas there was some sad thoughts entering my head yesterday...the biggest was being away from my family during the holidays. We haven't spent a Christmas at "home" since Sarah was about to turn 1. She will turn 16 in January. I cant believe it's been 15 years!!! I miss my family Christmas's. We were thinking of going home for the holidays but tickets were going to run us over 30,000 Norwegian kroner for all five of us and then we have to have someone watch our dogs, the girl we use we would have had to pay about 6000-8000 kroner for two weeks plus arrange food for her. That's cheaper then a kennel, but still a lot of money...so we passed on the idea...but I spoke with my dad yesterday just briefly on the phone, they were headed out to do last minute shopping with grandma. I've gotten use to living over here, I love living here in Europe, but at Christmas is when I feel the pain of living so far away from my family. It's always been a big holiday for us, a family event, I knew from Christmas's past how their day was going and I missed being a part of it.

I also had thoughts of those less fortunate then us...while I made us banana bread for breakfast and fresh french bread I thought of those who woke and had no food...the fire was roaring in the fireplace and I thought of those who had no shelter and no warmth...our tree was bulging with gifts and the children's stockings were full of sweets and I thought of those who didn't have a tree and no packages under them, no stockings...when Stig and I had a Christmas drink I thought of children living with alcoholic parents who will be plastered this holiday season and how these poor children must deal with parents like that....I read on the internet about a soon to be 6 year old girl with a highly aggressive brain cancer and she is not expected to live much longer. She lives in Georgia in the states and her dream was to have a white Christmas, so with the help of Stone Mountain Park, some volunteers came to her home in the night and laid 30 tons of snow outside her home so she would wake to a white Christmas! Her parents said her laughter when she three snowballs would stay with them long after she was gone and this meant so much to them....On another website I read about a car crash that happened outside of Stig's parent's home this morning. Stig had spoke to his dad and his dad said he woke this morning at around 5:30 to a horrible sound, he looked outside his window and saw a car slammed against a tree and a body laying in the road outside his home. He went outside but there had already come others to help and the young man was taken with helicopter to Trondheim with severe injuries. Stig's dad said he didn't think it looked like the boy would make it but the newspapers report he's severly injured but still alive. He is the same age as our nephew (20) and was at the same party as our nephew that evening. By the grace of God our nephew didn't ride with this kid and no one else did either but that he made that tragic mistake of getting behind the wheel after he had been drinking might have cost him his life and think of his family getting news like this on Christmas morning! We are so blessed and lucky and I am so appreciative for everything in our lives...It's so easy to take for granted the lives we live so I hope everyone takes a moment to hug your family a little longer then normal...to say grace for the food on your table, to appreciate the warmth in your home and be more grateful for the things in your life....

Well, I have to go ice the cake...have a wonderful Christmas day folks... The photo is of my beloved children and their goggles...healthy happy and wonderful kids who I adore so much and the last photo is of the beautiful sunrise we had this morning...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It's come...whether we wanted it too or not, whether we are ready or not, it's here...Christmas. I'll be taking a break until after the holidays but want to take a moment to thank my new found friends in blogville for a great few months together so far. I'm looking forward to the new year, the new chances to make new friends and continue to learn and be inspired by your wonderful blogs!

Warm wishes for a peaceful and cozy Merry Christmas and a joyous and prosperous New Year!!

A Man and His Pussy....

Hahahahahaha!!! I wish I could see y'alls faces when you read that title...I'd probably wet myself laughing....hahahahaha!!! Well, let's G-rate this again, since after all we are a family blog here...Pussy is what they call cats in Norway, PUS...Pussykatt...gotta love Europe, you can say "bad" words but they aren't really bad words here...hahahaha!!! This is my beloved Captain and one of the our cats, the oldest boy in the group, Stuart Little. He got the name because when he was little he looked just like Stuart Little...and I think we got him too early, he began to nurse from our labrador and she got milk!!! So Stuart is a confused cat...he doesn't know what he is really, except that he's loving and he loves everyone..even the dogs..I think he thinks he is a dog, he might think he's a girl too, he's allowed other cats in our family nurse from him when they first came in the family....he's weird but loveable...like we all are!!!! Some photos of Stig and Nanna playing around in the woods with the ATV and kissin....and the beautiful sky we woke too this morning...

I'm assuming there is no law against blogging twice in one day...but I promise this is the last time you'll hear from me today....over and out...PEACE.....

Sunday

These photos were taken Friday on our way home from getting the last final Christmas stuff. I took them with my cell phone so I think the quality was pretty nice. It's so typical that whenever I'm out I see things I wish I could take photos of and I don't have my camera with me! I should get better about this! My cell phone takes pretty good photos but is not great at distance photos. For example, on our way to go shopping Friday we were driving toward Stavsjø, where the kids go to school and off the road in what looked like a semi chopped down forrest I saw FOUR giant looking objects which I swore had ears and I looked closer and swore it was a moose or actually four of them! "Turn around, turn around!" I screamed to Stig...which he did when he found a place to turn into and we drove back and stopped right where I thought I had seen the animals and SURE enough, there laying as peacefully as can be were not one but FOUR kings of the Norwegian forrest- MOOSE!!! I have to tell you, they are such impressively HUGE animals! I am in awe when I see one and here were four of them. Looked like a mamma and her babies, but they were all huge and just laying there wondering what we were doing....I tried to take a photo (several actually) with my cell phone but they were just too far away and my camera just got blurry, the closer I tried to zoom in on them. So sorry, no moose photos for you today but I'll try and be better about taking my canon with me next time and maybe I can get lucky like that again someday!!! It's another reason I hate driving, I can't look around when I am driving and I LOVE to look around- my mom taught us that. Everytime we went on family vacations she was always telling us to look around, "stop fighting with your sister Amy and look out the window......OH Cows!!!" hahahaha....yeah, it went something like that, at anyhoot, I love to look around so when I'm driving I'm a wreck, I have to stay so focused and I feel like I'm missing tons around me!!!!

Our Sunday is starting easy, some coffee and a funny movie, My Cousin Vinny, hillarious! Not sure what will happen the rest of the day but hope you will all have a great day and we will talk again soon....

Food, Food, and MORE Food!

You'll never guess what I did today....ok, ok, I'll tell ya....I made food...baked to be more specific- are you shocked? Surprised? Not really? Ok, neither am I...but hey, I figured I'd do it now because I'm working Monday and Tuesday and then it's Christmas. Won't feel like baking after playing with the kiddos all day Monday and Tuesday, so it's happening this weekend or not at all.

Last night the little man and I were alone while hubby and the girls were at the girl's youth club. (Hubby was one of the adult chaperones) So I suggest to little man that we would make some candy....I figured if anything was going to tear him away from the computer games it was candy...and I was right...we made our own version of after eight mints, using a plastic bag and piped the minty mixture onto a cookie sheet and then we added melted chocolate and let everything get hard. Then we made white chocolate haystacks with dark chocolate stripes...was going to try and be cute and make "snowballs" of these white chocolate and coconut candies, but couldn't get them to roll into pretty balls, so they became haystacks...which are JUST as good!!!!

I also doubled my french bread dough and stuck them in the fridge, thinking I'd wake today and make four loaves of french bread since it was so popular last time and we'd have some nice bread for breakfast. But something went wrong...I don't know what, it's perplexing, I did everything like I did last time, only I doubled the recipe so we could have four loaves instead of two...but it didn't rise like it did last time and when I baked it, it split and looked weird. Don't laugh but I was so bummed out about this I can't even tell you. When baking goes wrong for me it's like a painter who has messed up their artwork..it's SO frustrating, especially when I don't know what went wrong. So, the bad bread was bagged and will be shared with our bird friends...they are getting lots of leftover bread and some peanut butter cookies that got a little too charred when Julia baked the other day. The birds eat well around here...

So instead of lovely french bread for breakfast, I made country biscuits and my own version of McDonalds Breakfast biscuit. Since I can't find sausage here like we have in the states I use bacon and a fried egg and some cheese and McDonalds has nothing on me!!!!

Then I found a recipe for "Inside out chocolate chip cookies" in other words you get a chocolate cookie with white chocolate for the chunks...mmmmmmm!!! For my fellow Americans living in Scandinavia, the recipe called for unsalted butter, which I didn't have so I used melange which is margarine here. When a recipe has called for Crisco I use this Melange also and it works each time. Of course I can't remember the taste of things with Crisco, so my taste buds might be missing something, but it tastes great and I can highly recommend using Melange when you are lacking Crisco or butter or unsalted butter. These cookies turned out wonderful- taste kinda like coco puffs cereal from the states or a brownie cookie...very very good!!!

Tonight we made chicken fajitas for dinner and I've now officially closed the kitchen for the night, it's exhausting standing in there all day long but I do love it when my baking gets such warm reviews...then it's all worth it!!!!

Oh and my snow dance worked...it was snowing today! Not a lot, but some...the dance went kinda like this: You put your right arm in, you put your right arm out....you put your left arm in and you shake it all about...you do the hokey pokey........wait a second....wrong dance! But it went something like that, shaking and bending...and rockin and rollin....and voila- SNOW!!!! Give it a try and if it doesn't work you can look on the bright side, you just got a bit of exercise in during the holidays!!!! ;-)

Until next time....

Busy Little Beavers...

Or should I say elves considering the time of year? Well, my darling hubby let me sleep in again today- which means I didn't get up at 6:30 but rather 7:30...amazing how delightful that precious hour is!! Last night I had made up some dough for a french bread and put it in the fridge, so first thing I did today (BEFORE COFFEE even!!!) was to roll it out and put it in the oven to bake. It wasn't long before the house began smelling like your favourite bakery and with the fire roaring in the fireplace and my yummy cup of coffee in my hand and Christmas music on the radio, my day was off to a great start!

When the bread was done I took it out and then began to make a little bit of a garlic paste (smashed garlic) and then I took a couple chunks of brie cheese and placed them in a little frying pan and spread the garlic paste on it and then took some spoonfuls of honey and topped the garlic/cheese and then let it start warming up....once nice and gooey I cut myself a couple pieces of the newly baked french bread and spread my yummy gooey cheese concoction on top. I actually got that idea for the gooey cheese from another blog, don't ask me where, I am visiting so many blogs these days I get lost in blogville...but I love the things I'm learning while wandering around in blogville...it's making my life so much more exciting!!! Breakfast was DELIGHTFUL and I wore sweatpants so I wouldn't notice what I'm doing to myself as well as if I wore jeans!!! hahaha! Oh I'm bad!!!!

After breakfast we had a visit from the vet who lives here on the island. We actually use her partner who also lives here on the island but she is now in Germany visiting her family, so her partner, Eldrid came out to us. It was our first visit with Eldrid as vet and she seems like a very nice lady so that is nice to know we have a local backup when our regular vet is busy or not in town. The dogs have all gotten blood lice somehow...lord knows where they got it, we haven't had any contact with other dogs since our visitors who were here the end of November but they all said they haven't seen blood lice on their dogs. So who knows??? Point was we had to do something to get rid of them. They are thankfully not able to passed to humans or cats and do not live long when not on the dog...so that part was great but the poor dogs have been itching like crazy. We tried a dose of expot but it was doing nothing, so Eldrid suggested a shot of....oh man, can't recall the name of it but it's suppose to work like Stronghold but is a lot cheaper and considering it's more expensive for animal medicine in this country then human medicine and we have four dogs to give medicine too, we will take cheap anytime as long as it works and this is suppose to be more effective then expot. She gave all the dogs a shot and will be back in 14 days to do it all over again....oh the joys of being a dog owner!!!! ;-) But they are so lovely and I can't imagine my life without them....take a look at this photo of Isabella...isn't she just wonderful? That face...I just love it!!!! (first photo at top)

I think in my next life coming back as a cat might not be such a dumb idea, the cats are totally oblivious to the stresses of the season and life is good if there is a roaring fire, a soft couch or chair to lie on and some goodies to eat every once in awhile. Everytime we feed the dogs, Tiger (one of our black and white cats- picture of him above) sits right next to the dogs as if he is one of them. When they get their food he sticks his head in their bowl and helps himself....mostly Heidi's bowl, mamma Heidi is a very old lady (going on 13 years now) and spends most of her time sleeping (see photo above) and doesn't care to fight over stolen food...so the cats know she is an easy target to get food from...but they do actually try with the leos too....amazing as that is. It's hillarious to watch Isabella who is a total Italian when it comes to food, when a cat tries to take food from her bowl, she doesn't move her head, you just see her lip go up like a bad Elvis impersonation and the cat sees this and slowly moves backwards away from the bowl and over to Heidi....hahahaha....I'm one of those people who put imaginary conversation bubbles above animals heads when I see them interact and one day I'll get smart and write some of these interactions down but I'm usually too busy laughing....

I continued to bake throughout the day, I made three herb breads with garlic and rosemary and I made three Boboli breads which are similar to Foccacia bread. I haven't tried these breads yet but it sure smells heavenly in here.

While I was busy baking, I put Stig to work making a wreath for the front door and the above picture is the results so far. Tomorrow we will head to Brumunddal and I will look for some decorations to stick in the wreath..something simple, I'm thinking some red berries and maybe a colourful bird or something. I'll take a picture of the finished results tomomorrow. Stig was very frustrated with this project as he's never done this before and wasn't sure he was doing it right but I think it's a wonderful first effort and I'm very happy this will be part of our holiday decorations this year- I knew I married him for more then his good looks!!!!! ;-)

Well, I'm out of here...hope everyone has a great Thursday...be good and take care of yourselves during this hectic time....we'll talk again soon....

My Pants Are Getting Tight....

I've decided weighing myself isn't a good thing? Hmm...maybe that is just myself trying to be nice to me....you know, out of sight out of mind...if I don't see it then it won't be a problem...however, I can feel it, on my clothes. Put some new washed pants on today and yes, usually new washed pants fit tighter then if you've worn them several days but I feel like these fit a little tighter then the last time they were washed. But I am doing it too myself, I'm baking like a mad woman these days, every weekend this house smells like one giant cookie!!!! I'm being pressured by stores to buy nuts and sugars and flours and more nuts and chocolate and BAKE BAKE BAKE...it's Christmas, I'm suppose to be baking and well, I'm weak, I love to bake...so I can't say no, I just say bring on the nuts....let's bake!!! And to make matters worse, I've not been to the gym in at least two weeks...see, I can't even remember the last time I was there, that's bad...real bad...but is there any hope for me the next week or two? NO! Are you kidding? Christmas is next week, have to have lots of good stuff here for Christmas....and then of course it's New Year and I'm having company- have to bake for company...even though they don't need it anymore then I do. So I guess I'm looking at the typical 1st of January as my kick off day....isn't it sad that I fall into that clichè of 1st of January as the big kick off to hopefully a new healthier lifestyle. I should be good all year long....and I'd probably say I am...but right now it's all hopeless. HUFF *deep fat sigh* The overweight chipmunk picture is suppose to be "me"- seemed fitting considering I live in the woods...hahaha...

Today was my last carrot cake for the Skafferiet. I also whipped up apple cinnamon rolls batter for her (made four times the batter for her) and she will bake them tomorrow before she opens. As fun as it's been baking for real paying customers, I'm glad I'm done baking as a "job". I'm one of those people who love to do something if I'm not required to do it, I just do it....if someone expects me to do something I drag my feet...don't ask me why, I just do. So I have struggled these last couple weeks with baking at the Skafferiet. It's been hard to go in and bake the same cake over again and over again. Only having one tiny regular household oven has made the baking go incredibly slow there so I don't get to bake anything else then the carrot cakes which are popular. But now it's over, the cakes looked good today so I was pleased. I hope she bakes the muffins correctly, I hate leaving the batter and would have preferred to bake the muffins myself but didn't have time. But Charlotte is a good cook, so I'm sure she will figure it out and it will be fine!

I have some recipies for herb bread and a Christmas bread with raisins. I'm thinking maybe I might bake these and also some Boboli bread. This way I can bake but I'm not baking to terribly dangerous things- well, dangerous is a strong word, let's say fattening...uff...that was pretty strong too, but it's the truth...more fat in a cookie then a bread. So I'll try making these things. I read in a cookbook at Skafferiet about some baking tips. Using less yeast then you think you need was one piece of advice. The longer you knead your bread the better it is. The longer you let your bread rise, the better- the best is to leave it in the fridge overnight...and it said not to mix salt and yeast...but there is usually salt in bread recipies, so I'm not sure what they meant by that except that maybe you should directly add the salt to the yeast as it's dissolving??? I'll test it out and we will see.

The snow is melting quickly and it's slushy and icy on the roads, I was sliding all over the place on my way to the Skafferiet today and home, heart jumped a couple times and I felt a little bit like a rally driver coming up here to the house, as I turned the corner my back swung out and back in again.....if I was a more confident driver I'd probably be shouting YEEEHAW and having fun with those kinds of moves, but I'm not...I hate driving so I'm holding onto the wheel really hard and thinking, "Oh shit oh shit oh shit..." I don't breath out until I see the car is ok and we aren't heading for a ditch or something....it's a nightmare...

I know there is a rain dance, but is there also a snow dance????

Where Does Time Go??

Today I had free from work and tons of plans for how I'd use my free day and I managed to get 0 things done!! Well, I take it back, I got my Christmas cards sent out and the few gifts that were being sent, so that is done, HALLELUJA. Julia had a dental appointment so she went in for that and while she was doing that I walked over to our vet to take her some cookies I had baked for her and a Christmas card. She wasn't in but I ran into the other vet there who I spoke with and I also ran into our dog trainer and a very dear lady named Elisabeth. I hadn't seen her in a long while but had been thinking a lot about her lately so it was so nice to meet up with her and we chatted and chatted and then she said she was going to go to the LunsjPikene for lunch, which is a cute retro looking little cafe in Brumunddal which serves wonderful homemade breads and southern europe type sandwiches and salads. So I got hold of Stig and Julia and we met them at the cafe. It was completely full of guests and more were coming as we arrived, first thing to do was to find a table, as there isn't a lot of room in her cafe. Went downstairs to the basement area and found a table, so I sat there while Elisabeth ordered. Then Stig and Julia arrived and I went up and ordered for us, Julia got a chicken bagel sandwich and I got a chicken salad which was served with various greens, red onion, tomator, green olives (which I gently pushed to the side of the plate), big chunks of feta cheese, red pepper and a few trickles of basilkum vinegar. I'm sure there is more, I just am not talented enough to explain it properly, but it was a great salad! Stig got a herb bread sandwich with tzatiki sauce and chicken. Probably spelled that wrong but hopefully y'all know what I'm talking about. It was all good and we sat at a lovely old table on some stools which had pillows on them and lovely candles on the table and some cute retro christmas decorations. There was a huge table of guests next to us which were extremely loud so it made for a little bit of a stressful lunch but otherwise it was great to catch up with Elisabeth and we've made a date to meet the 25th or 26th of December for a visit. While we were sitting there we couldn't believe the cafe would be closing it's doors the 20th of December for good. It was in the newspaper the other day that the owner has been going in minus running it and will close while work on the road in front of the business is going and will consider reopening when the road is finished. As many people who were in there today I can't imagine she has minus numbers in her books but I guess there are six other days in the week which I'm not there to see how many people are there...still, it's a shame when a cozy place like that with good food closes...there are so few great little cafe's that are open all year long around here and serve great food like she has. I have to admit a tiny part of me would love to take over for her, have her take me under her wing, teach mer her secrets and then keep the business going for her....BUT....I've already been down this road and a cafe idea for me right now is not a feasible possibility. First I have four dogs who need time with me....second I have three kids who I have to take to various activities and Stig is gone half the year...so right now I have too many things pulling me here and there but someday....if I find myself sitting around with nothing better to do, I might pursue that little dream....who knows?

Got home after lunch and sending out the mail and felt so tired, laid down on the sofa and awoke to a dark living room....there went my plans for going out into the woods to get greenery and make a wreath. (I bought wire to make my wreath with today) Stig came in just about the time I woke and said he had taken the ATV out into the woods and found some greenery for me. I told him he was so sweet but I said I really didn't know what I was going to be looking for myself so I couldn't imagine he found what I was going to need but I appreciated the gesture. I'm baking tomorrow at the Skafferiet and should be done around 12, so I'm going to see what I can figure out as far as the wreath goes, tomorrow. I still haven't ridden on the ATV, but it's ok...I'll survive...it's not going anywhere so I'll have plenty of time.

Our snow is melting and that is depressing everyone...everytime the weather lady says plus degrees we all go, "Awwwwwww" as the snow melts, everything looks dirty and brown and it's slushy and a big wet mess. The trees suddenly become dark again, it's all sad....let's hope we get another cold front soon and more snow!!!! Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!!!!!

Brrrrrruuuuummmmmmmm

Well, now it's arrived...the family christmas present! I don't know which kid was more excited, the three youngest or the biggest (Stig)!!! When I got home from work Julia was out riding it, see attached photo, and within minutes her friend Tor Olav and his brother who is friends with Thomas were over here, the kids took turns picking up their friends down by the post box!!! It's only a 50cubic, so not a big motor, but big enough for the kids. We are eventually planning on getting a second one which will have a little bigger motor but for now this is great and the kids will have hours of fun which is the whole purpose, as well as having something that moves fast when we need to get dogs who run off or just want to exercise the dogs without really exercising ourselves- a long line and a drive over the dirt roads here in the woods with the dogs will do them wonders!!!! hahaha!!!

Yesterday I decided to bake Apple Cinnamon muffins for breakfast, they were so good I decided to bake some for my friends and neighbours. Then I decided to bake oatmeal raisin cookies for everyone also, then I thought I'd try a recipie I'd never tried before which my friend gave me. She called them Juletopper. I'd call them flat chocolate chip cookies with nuts in them but ok....they were good and well loved by my kids and Stig, then I had made sugar cookie cut outs but I was so tired after baking ALL day that I wasn't paying attention to the oven and burned several batches before I decided to turn the oven off and close the kitchen for the day!!!! Took some muffins and cookies to my work today for the ladies I work with and I took some to the other department as well, I don't work personally with those ladies but several of them I have worked with before, so it was my way of doing something nice for them. Sure miss the group of ladies I worked with last spring but this new group is also a great bunch of girls too.

Sarah and I went to the Skafferiet this past weekend and I bought some candles and tea lights or rather exchanged them toward some of the work I've done for her (the owner of the Skafferiet) used almost 1000 kroner but the effect is stunning- take a look at the photos above...very cozy on these dark winter days....

I opened the barnehage (daycare) this morning and we had nine kids with us today total. It was a bit hectic earlier today as one boy who has been home sick a lot lately and obviously become quite attached to his mom's cuddles while he has been sick, refused to be put down on the ground, if you sat him down he screamed bloody murder. Drove us all crazy. We had to put him down several times as we had other kids to deal with and things to do, so he screamed and screamed and we were all a little on edge, but by lunch time things had settled down and when I left work he was still sleeping like a baby (no pun intended since he's only a year and a half) When I left I had several who insisted on a hug and one little guy who also thought a kiss was in order...so I gave him a big kiss on the cheek and said my goodbyes. I tell ya, having a job like this has it's trying moments but it's moments like the children insisting on a hug before I left work that make me love my job so much!!!!

Now I am off work the rest of the week except for Wednesday when I will bake a little at the Skafferiet. I plan to go into the woods and get some greenery and try and make some Christmas decorations for the front door and the staircase. I think with some garden wire I can possibly make some of the things I have seen in magazines, I'll let you know and take photos if I'm successful!!!

The kids have been really hooked on playing guitar lately, we had a guitar that some of the strings were broken on, but the kids played anyways and they have Guitar Hero on Playstation which they have played a lot also. Well, Stig got new guitar strings for the guitar and they broke and took a big chunk of the guitar with them....so today he found another guitar for 200 kroner- yes, obviously not top quality but everything works and the kids are having a blast with it...is there musical talent??? Time will tell, right now anything that isn't in front of a tv screen or computer screen is my goal for the kids....

Have a super Monday folks- we'll talk again soon..

Inspirational!!!

I woke at 9 this morning- a record for me, but I feel the stress of the holidays and I've been like a dead man walking lately....so tired!!!! When I woke Stig had a roaring fire going and coffee water made (we are powder coffee drinkers unless it's a special occasion then we pull out the "real" coffee...hahaha) and I sat down to check my emails and have a little coffee and of course I wandered over to some of the blogs I follow and then ended up following links from those blogs to other blogs and before I knew it I had spent several hours reading blogs from all over the world! I felt myself becoming energized by all the inspirational people out there. So many creative and fascinating people. I think it's the greatest thing with blogs is being able to "peek" into someone else's world for a short bit and sometimes learning things and sometimes just admiring. I look at various types of blogs, food blogs, travel blogs, photography blogs, and expat blogs and of course interior blogs. The last type of blogs there I must admit I have absolutely NO idea about. I would never consider myself an interior expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I wish I was!!!! So I go to these blogs and try to pick up a little inspiration. Only problem is I love so many different things that I end up looking like a mix and match used store in my home, because I love a little modern, a little old, a little country and a little new. I guess there is an interior style for someone like me I just don't really know how to pull it all together....maybe I'm slowly learning without realizing it yet!!! When my kids move out in ten-fifteen years, I might have a house totally stylish and not even know how it got that way!!! That would be typical me to just fall into something without realizing what I'm doing!!!!

Right now I'm fascinated by all the snow we have. It's just so beautiful outside and the camera goes warm with all the snow photos I'm taking these days. Still haven't gotten pictures taken for Christmas cards but man do I have a lot of snow photos I could use!!!! Hahaha! Well, I think it's looking more and more like photos will not be accompanying our Christmas cards this year, but I wrote a Christmas letter and will try and squeeze that in with the nice cards I bought yesterday. Ce' la vie....will try again next year!!!

We picked the kids up from school yesterday and went to Hamar to finish our Christmas shopping. I can proudly say we are done with buying gifts, the only thing remaining as far as gifts go is the baking I'm planning on doing for some of the people around here. I'm still considering if I will try sending some baked goods to Stig's family but I will for sure bake for my friends around here. So this is what I will work on the rest of the day. I am also planning a trip to the Skafferiet where I bake, to look around and see if I can't find something to exchange my work favours on. She has tons of shabby chic interior stuff, so we will see what I find. A big thing I've noticed is lanterns, they are all around now and I would love some for my front porch, but I don't want what everyone else has. I found one on a blog that was like a basket, and round with a candle in it, LOVED that but couldn't tell where she found it, I think the blog was in Swedish and unfortunately I'm not THAT good in reading Swedish, I can understand SOME of it but not all....like I think I read somewhere someone wrote something about a dog "kissing" and I thought oh, how cute it's kissing but later figured out that it was something about the dog peeing inside...hmmm.....it's so easy to make mistakes with language!!!!

Will also run to the store today as tomorrow everything is closed. I'm not sure if this is a phenomen in Sweden and Denmark, perhaps some of you living in these countries who are reading this can let me know, but the stores close here on Sunday...everything....so we have to shop on Saturday if we will have food on Sunday. I really hated this in the beginning of living here and if they ever installed Sunday open shops I'd be a very happy lady but I've learned to live with it. I just have to make sure whatever baking or food preparing I'm planning on doing on Sunday I have everything I need by Saturday or I have to wait until Monday....nice huh? I think we will do fried rice and chicken for dinner...have a recipie for that which looks so good and simple.

Well, enjoy my snow photos I leave you with. I'll add a couple of the Skafferiet which I took on my way home last time I baked there....it's such a quaint and sweet little shop/cafe and I highly recommend anyone coming to our area to check it out!!! Be well folks and we'll talk again soon....