Blomane til Oldebesto *** The flowers for Great Grandma

Eg hugsar eg skulle plukka blomar til Oldebesto Ida ein gong.

Eg plukka ein stor bukett av dei vakraste blomane eg fann,

ein så stor bukett som ein 4-5 åring kan klara å plukka, i alle fall.

  

Eg hugsar fleire av grandtantene vart heilt frå seg, 

tok frå meg blomane og vaska nevane mine grundig,

men alt eg tenkte på var kor buketten til Oldebesto vart av,

for den var jo hennar, og eg syntest blomane eg hadde funne var så nydelege.

Det var då eg lærte at eg ikkje skal plukka revebjølle,

for den er giftig, og det betyr at grandtantene vert heilt frå seg,

og eg ville jo ikkje skremma grandtantene fleire gongar,

eller at dei skulle kasta blomane eg hadde strevd sånn med å plukka.

Eg forsto heller ikkje heilt problemet, 

verken eg eller Oldebesto skulle eta blomane, dei skulle jo vera til pynt!

Men det er fort gjort å for ein liten å ta i noko giftig og så plukka bær eller av ein eller anna grunn få fingrane i munnen, og berre det kan vera livsfarleg for små born.

 Kan ikkje hugsa om eg nokongong plukka blomar til Oldebesto etter det,

eg gjorde det i alle fall ikkje når grandtantene var der, DET hadde eg lært!

Eg synest framleis revebjølla er ein nydeleg blome, og har lyst til å ha den i blomebeda mine, men når me ofte har besøk av søte små som likar å utforske,
vert det berre med tanken...

Denne måtte eg berre ta bilete av, for den har vokse gjennom gjerdet :)

*

I remember picking flowers for my Great Grandma Ida once.

I picked the biggest bouquet of the prettiest flowers I found,

at least as big as a 4-5 year-old could manage to pick anyway.

 

I remember several of my great aunts got upset,

took away my flowers and washed my hands thouroughly,

but all I could think of was where did Great Grandma's bouquet go,

'cause it was hers, and I thought the flowers I had found were so beautiful.

That's when I learned not to pick the foxglove,

because it's poisonous, which means the great aunts get upset,

and I didn't want to upset the great aunts again,

or that they threw away the flowers I had worked so hard to find.

I didn't really get the problem either, 

as neither I nor Great Grandma were going to eat the flowers, 

they were supposed to be for decoration!

But it's easy for someone small to touch something poisonous, for example the foxglove, 
and then pick berries or for some other reason lick or put your fingers in your mouth, 
and that alone can be fatal to small children.

 I can't remember ever picking flowers for Great Grandma after that,

I most certainly didn't when the great aunts were there, THAT I had learned!

I still think the foxglove is a beautiful flower, and would love to have it in my flowerbeds,
but as we often have little ones visiting, who like to explore,
I'll just keep on dreaming...

I just had to take a picture of the one growing through the fence :)

 

~ Juleminne ~

.

Noko av det eg hugsar som eit gildt oppdrag då eg var lita,

var å få vera med Papen for å finna juletre.

Treet skulle vera passeleg stort med fine greiner som ikkje sto for tett

men heller ikkje for langt frå kvarandre,

og det skulle vera passeleg symmetrisk.

.

Dette forklarte Papen oss,

mens me nikka og med eit seriøst blikk

undersøkte treet han hadde peika ut,

for å sjekka at det oppfylde kriteriane.

Det gjorde det sjølvsagt alltid,

for Papen var den flinkaste me visste til det meste,

inkludert å finna juletre.

.

Det kan henda me fraus litt,

og det kunne vera tungt å trakka i snøen

for nokon med små føter,

men det gløymde me fort

når me tenkte på den viktige oppgåva vår.

.

Litlejulafta skulle det fine treet vårt pyntast.

Papen var høgast, så han fekk henga på glitter, flagg og lys,

mens me fekk henga på kuler og annan pynt.

.

Gjennom heile jula kunne eg stå opp att

etter dei andre var lagt seg

berre for å sjå på det fine juletreet.

Me hadde juletrelys i ulike fargar,

og dei skein så vakkert i den mørke stova,

og på pynten som hang på treet.

.

Forventningsfulle vakna me julafta morgon,

og fekk sjå juleprogram på fjernsynet

- nådde me å få med oss Disney sitt juleshow dette året!? –

før me skulle gjera oss klar til julegudstenesta,

og når me kom heimatt, fekk me deilig julegraut.

Mammo laga den beste risengrynsgrauten,

og dette var den dagen i året den smaka aller best, syntest eg.

.

Viss me ikkje hadde gjort det kvelden før,

skulle me legga gåvene under treet etter grauten var eten.

Det kunne vera lettare sagt enn gjort

når ein både skulle bera gåvene på plass,

sjå på til-og-frå lappane, knipa på pakkene

og samstundes passa på at ingen av dei andre søskena gjorde det same.

.

Papen likte å opne stovedøra for å høyre kyrkjeklokkene

ringje jula inn klokka fem om ettermiddagen.

Visst var det stemningsfullt, men vanskeleg å nyta på same måten

for ein liten tass som synest ventetida vart for lang

når ein berre kunne sjå – men ikkje røra – det som låg under treet,

og berre kjenne på den gode lukta frå kjøkenet som spreidde seg i heile huset,

men ikkje få smake heilt enno.

Først skulle nemleg kyrne mjølkast og matast,

og tida mellom kyrkjeklokkene ringde og florstida var over

gjekk så uendeleg seint!

.

Heldigvis fekk me som regel opna ei pakke kvar innan denne tida.

Den var det alltid Mammo som plukka ut,

og det utrulege var at det alltid var leikar i desse!

Kanskje var ho litt synsk?

Me var i alle fall like heldige kvart år,

for det ville nok ikkje vore like spanande

å leika med eit par sokkar!

.

Sjefen over alle Sjefar

innan julemat (og annan mat) var (og er) Mammo,

og ENDELEG kom tida då me kunne setja oss til bordet

og nyta pinnekjøt og kålrabistapp,

kjøtkaker og smelta smør med purre,

og sjølvsagt póte, og så litt julebrus,

og alt var berre heilt fantastisk!

***

~ Christmas memories ~

.

Something I remember as a grand mission when I was little,

was to join Daddy in finding our Christmas tree.

The tree had to have the right size, and the branches had to be nice and not too close to each other,
but not too far apart, either,
and the tree had to be suitably symmetric.

.

Daddy explained this to us,
while we nodded, and with a serious look
examined the tree he had pointed out to us,
to check if it fulfilled the criteria.
Of course it always did,
for Daddy was the best we knew at most everything,
including finding a Christmas tree.

.

We might have been a little cold, 
and walking in the snow could be heavy on small feet,
but we easily forgot that part,
thinking of our important task.

.

The day before Christmas Eve we decorated the tree.
Daddy was the tallest, so he put on the glitter, flags and lights,
while we could put on ornaments and other decorations 

Through the Holidays I would rise
after the others had gone to bed,
just to look at the pretty Christmas tree.
We had Christmas lights in different colours,
and they shon so beautifully in the dark livingroom
and on the decorations on the tree.

Christmas Day morning we awoke expectantly

and watched Christmas shows on television,

- did we have time to watch the Disney Christmas show this year!? -

before making ready for the Christmas service,

and when we returned home, we got lovely Christmas porridge.

Mommy made the very best rice pudding porridge ever,

and on this day of the year it tasted better than any other day, I thought.

.

If we hadn't done it the night before,

we were to put the presents under the tree after eating our Christmas porridge.

This was easier said than done,

when you both had to carry the gifts to the tree,

look at the gift tags, pinch the gifts

and at the same time make sure none of the other siblings did the same thing.

.

Daddy liked to open the garden door and hear the church bells calling

at five in the afternoon.

Sure it was evocative, but not easy to enjoy the same way

for a little one who found the wait time too long

as one could only see - but not touch - what was under the tree,

and just smell the sweet scents from the kitchen, which spread into the whole house,

but not taste quite yet.

Because the cows had to be milked and fed first,

and the time period betweet the church bells' calling and milking time was over

went by so incredibly slowly!

Luckily, we were usually allowed to open a present each during this time.

Mommy always picked which we were allowed to open,

and the amazing thing was, these always contained toys!

Maybe she was a little psycic?

Anyway, we were ecually fortunate each year,

as it wouldn't have been as exciting

playing with a pair of socks!

.

The Master of all Masters

of Christmas food (and any other foods) was (and is) Mommy,

and FINALLY the moment arrived when we could be seated

and enjoy pinnekjott and mashed rutabaga,

frikadeller and melted butter with leek,

and of course potatoes, and then some Julebrus (Christmas soda),

and everything was just wonderful!

.

Første skuledagen min!

18. august er det 30 år sidan min første skuledag, 

og det var ein fin solskinsdag!

Eg var sju år gammal og gledde meg veldig til å verte skulejente, for det var stort!

Her står eg foran barndomsheimen min, og hunden Bolas sit på trappa.

 Eg var veldig kry av den flotte, raude skulesekken min!

 Her står eg foran skulen, som vart riven for ein del år sidan, og så vart det bygd ein ny.

Det er der eg jobbar no.

Me var 8 stk i klassen, 4 jenter og 4 gutar.

Me gjekk saman 2 og 2 klassar på denne skulen, 

så me gjekk saman med 2. klasse. Meiner dei var 4 stk, så då vart me 12 til saman.

Året etter gjekk me saman med den nye 1. klassen, som var 5 stk (viss eg ikkje hugsar feil..)

 Me er framleis nokre veninner som held saman etter alle desse åra,
og dei er blant mine aller næraste og kjæraste vener. 

Dei var alle i bryllupet vårt i sommar, og den eine av dei var forlovaren min :)

 Dei er gull for meg!! <3 

*

August 18th is the 30th anniversary for my first day of school, 

and it was a nica and sunny day!

I was seven years old, and very excited about starting school, as this was a big thing!

In the first picture I stand in front of my childhood home,

and our dog Bolas sits on the front porch.

I was very proud of my brand new and fine school bag!

In the second picture I stand in front of the school, which was torn down some years ago.

They built a new one, which is where I work now.

We were 8 pupils in our class, 4 girls and 4 boys.

We were 2 and 2 classes together in this school, 

which means, we were with 2. grade. I believe they were 4 pupils, so we were 12 altogether in our class (room).

The next year we were with the new 1. grade, and I believe they were 5 pupils.

We are still a few girls who still hang out after all these years, and they are
among my very closest and dearest friends.

They were all in our wedding this summer, and one of them was my Maid of Honour :)

They are gold to me!! <3